oneshots • nctdream x aespa

first date 🐶💙

The small plaza outside of the aquarium was still fairly quiet this early in the morning. There was a vendor selling coffee just a few feet away; the scent carried over and tempted her to buy a cup. Seeing as she was still a bit nervous, Jimin decided against it and instead peered into one of the shop windows to make sure her hair and outfit still looked presentable for her date.

She'd chosen to gather some of her pitch black hair back, although she'd left most of it down where it brushed just below her shoulders. The debate between wearing a dress or not had taken up a great deal of her morning; various outfits were spread out over her bed as she tried to decide. Eventually, she chose a rich navy dress that flowed out at her hips, just reaching her knees. As it was a little chilly, she paired it with a long-sleeved white cardigan. White flats and a matching necklace finished off her look. cute, but not too done up for a first date.

Approving of her appearance, she turned from the window just in time to see Jeno descending the stairs towards her. Her smile bloomed instantly as she drank him in. He'd chosen dark grey pants, tight against his legs, and a pastel blue button-down with the sleeves rolled to the elbows; a nice touch, as it showcased his lower arms and hands. Mentally, she had to pat him on the back for the thick-rimmed glasses too, as they suited him. She could see the effort he put into styling his hair, and as he drew closer, she saw something in his hands too, although she couldn't make it out just yet.

"You look wonderful, Jeno." She stepped closer as he reached the base of the stairs. "This was such a fun idea for a date."

Jeno pressed a delicate, barely there kiss to her cheek. "I was nervous, if I'm honest. I still am, but it sounded like something different." His eyes slowly drank her in. "You look.. absolutely stunning."

Seeing as Jeno was a gentleman at work, she expected nothing less from him now. The rest of the design department had lost their minds once she confessed that Jeno had asked her out. Aeri had given her a high five; she was relatively calmer than the rest, but Donghyuck and Jaemin both nearly fell from their chairs, scrambling to ask her for details as they made their way downstairs for lunch.

They'd been skirting around their affection for each other ever since the Christmas party last year, when they ended up talking for nearly the entire affair solely to each other. Jeno was up in accounting, but he often was down on the design floor haunting Donghyuck and Jaemin for their paperwork (as the two were notorious for forgetting it until the last moment), so it wasn't as if they were strangers. Jimin had always found him handsome, especially when he'd give her a smile on his way back upstairs. But when their conversation came together so easily, she wondered if maybe there was a chance for more than just a spark.

"I would have brought flowers," Jeno confessed, his hand moving to the back of his neck, where it looked like he was resisting every urge not to muss his hair. "I just didn't think they'd be fun to carry around the whole aquarium." So I tried something different instead. "You always have those cute charms on your purse, and I know that you love cats, so...."

Jeno dangled the tiny, stylized cat key chain from his fingers. "I'll save flowers for our next date, if you'll have me."

Already, Jimin was wholly and completely charmed. She only had two others in her purse at the moment; a cute-faced strawberry and her lucky pizza slice, so she quickly added the new key chain alongside them. "Are you sure I didn't make you up? That's so sweet, Jeno. Thank you."

"I don't think I'm fictional, but then again, I don't think most fictional people know they are..." He trailed off, his brows knitting as he seemed to mull over the question, before finally shaking his head and turning his attention back to her. After a moment, he offered his arm. "I think it's too early for me to be this existential. Are you ready to go inside?"