oneshots • nctdream x aespa

grown up 🐻🌙

It's been a couple of years since Aeri moved out of Korea for college. After graduating and living there for a few months, she realised she wanted to return to live her adult life in her home country. And so she has been back for a few days, settling in. She didn't realise that missing four years would impact her so much, but Aeri felt like a silly tourist whenever she walked around her own neighborhood.

Her doorbell suddenly rang, and she heard an all too familiar voice on the other end. "Hurry up!" Aeri's longtime best friend, Donghyuck, called out.

He practically begged her to hang out with him and his college friends tonight. Ever since Aeri arrived, he wouldn't leave her alone. Of course, in an endearing way.

He was crushed when she was accepted into a university overseas and couldn't follow. Donghyuck tries to talk to her every day, even when it is ludicrously late at night for him. He would tell her everything going on back at home, maybe even a little too much. In that sense, she never felt like they both grew apart at all or that he was suddenly a mystery. He was still the same Donghyuck that
always found a way to tease her at any time.

Aeri hopped to the door, still putting on her shoes and fixing her hair. "Don't be so loud," she shushed him.

"Woah, I've never seen you dress like this," he gawked, jokingly covering his eyes. "What did American air do to you?" he teased.

"We're both adults here," she laughed, punching his arm lightly. "Let's go," she said, pushing him out of the way.

"Let's not," Donghyuck smiled, reaching past her and shutting the door. He had her inconspicuously pinned against the door.

"What? Hyuckie, seriously? You made me get ready in the last minute. We are going," she huffed, getting closer to him.

"But I want to savour your beauty, at least for a little longer," he replied softly.

What?

"You're being dramatic," Aeri managed to say, hoping he didn't notice her flushed cheeks. She was suddenly hyperaware of the lack of distance between them and the way the air became sickly sweet.

Donghyuck smiled smugly, obviously noting her reaction. "Let's go on a date instead," he suggested, backing off and plopping on her couch. "The guys won't mind,"

"Lee Donghyuck!" Aeri complained, standing in front of him with her arms on her hips and helplessly watching him text away on his phone. "I'm not going on a date with you, Hyuckie—"

"There you go, calling me that again. I'm not a kid anymore," he frowned, grabbing her hand. Aeri gawked, examining him up and down. Sure, he was taller and stronger than her now, but looking at him now, she couldn't unsee the scrawny Donghyuck that she protected from older kids in primary school.

"You're reminiscing on a younger me, huh?" Donghyuck sighed in her silence. She gave him a guilty smile.

Donghyuck suddenly pulled her down, letting Aeri fall into his lap as he leaned in dangerously close. She held her breath as their noses touched, and he closed his eyes. She admired Donghyuck's long eyelashes as he brought up his hand and held her face, angling it closer to his.

His eyes fluttered for a second, lingering on her eyes before returning to her lips. "Can I kiss you?" he asked softly. While Donghyuck was saying the word "you," he already made his lips graze hers, just briefly.

"Yeah," Aeri answered in almost a whisper.

Donghyuck smiled, closing the gap between them. She stiffened at the contact, despite knowing its arrival. Donghyuck took the lead, and after a second to adjust, Aeri leaned in further to deepen the kiss. He moved his hands to stay around her waist while her hands sat loosely on his shoulders.

"...Hyuck," she mumbled, her hand instinctively touching her lips as them both pulled away after the longest minute of her life.

"Hmm?" he hummed while catching his breath too. His cheeks were a firey red as he took in Aeri's flustered form. She had a million questions running through her head—thoughts she didn't know she was able to have, emotions that she had never felt—the whole nine yards.

How could Donghyuck make her feel this way? she thinks.

"We should go," Aeri said, finally breaking the silence and taking ahold of the hands that were still firmly on her waist.

"Why? I want to stay like this," Donghyuck frowned. Aeri laughed, pinching his cheek from the puppy tactic he attempted.

"On that date," she reminded.

"Oh. Okay, wait," he said, hiding his excitement. "One more kiss," he said, stopping her from getting up.

Aeri rolled her eyes but still gave him a quick peck. "I have to do my hair again," she complained, heading to her room as Donghyuck's laugh echoed through her house.