Wild thoughts | Stray Kids Imagines

Promises | Bang Chan

You were sitting at the kitchen table, the food you had prepared now cold and untouched. The candle you had lit earlier had burned down completely, leaving a small trail of smoke in its wake. You felt tears sting your eyes as you looked at the table, perfectly set for two. You had put on makeup and wore something nice, all in anticipation of a special evening with your boyfriend Chan. He had promised to come home early, but as usual, he was nowhere to be seen.

You sniffled and stood up, your appetite completely gone. The excitement you felt throughout the day, telling your work bestie about your planned home date and buying Chan's favorite snacks for a movie night, now felt like a distant memory. You hadn't seen him properly in weeks, as he always left before you woke up and came home after you were already asleep.

With a heavy heart, you went upstairs to remove your makeup and change into your pajamas. Normally, you wore matching pajamas with Chan, but tonight you were so hurt and angry that you chose a different set, one that he didn't have. You crawled into bed, grabbing the small Wolf Chan plushie he had given you when you first started dating. Holding it tightly against your chest, you whispered, "I miss you."

Tears began to flow freely as you thought about how much you missed him. You cried until you heard the front door open downstairs. Quickly, you pretended to be asleep, not wanting to face him. Chan's footsteps grew louder as he came upstairs and entered the bedroom.

"Baby girl?" he whispered softly. You stayed silent, trying to keep your breathing steady. He sighed and sat down next to you, gently lifting the blanket. "Which pajama today?" he murmured, noticing the unfamiliar set you wore. You felt a fresh wave of tears as he leaned closer. "Huh?" he said, confused by your different pajamas. Then you made a mistake: you sniffled.

He immediately lay down next to you, wrapping his arms around you. "You're awake... and you're crying! What's wrong?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

You didn't answer, your sobs intensifying. Chan gently turned you to face him, his eyebrows furrowed with worry. "Did I do something wrong?" he whispered.

The anger you had been suppressing boiled over. "The fact that you need to ask me that is reason enough," you whispered harshly, pushing him away and letting go of the plushie. You turned your back to him again.

"Please talk to me," Chan pleaded, his voice breaking. You could hear the hurt in his tone, but you were hurting too.

You sat up, and he mirrored your movement, looking at you with concern. "I waited for you, Chan! For hours!" you cried, using his name instead of the affectionate nicknames you usually called him. "You promised me you'd come home early, that we'd have dinner together and watch a movie. But you forgot again!"

His face fell as he realized the depth of your pain. "I'm so sorry, baby. I was working on a new song and lost track of time," he whispered, reaching out to touch your shoulder. You shook his hand away.

"It always slips your mind! Do you even love me anymore? I can't remember the last time we went on a date or even kissed. I feel like I'm just your roommate," you sobbed uncontrollably. Chan's attempts to hug you were met with more resistance.

"Y/N," he started, but you shook your head.

"I think you should sleep on the couch tonight," you whispered, lying back down and turning away from him. The room was silent for a moment before you heard him gather his pillow and blanket. As he walked to the bedroom door, he paused.

"I'm sorry," he sniffled. You knew he was crying, and it broke your heart, but you stayed silent, listening to him walk downstairs. You cried yourself to sleep that night.

***

The next morning, you were startled awake by loud noises from the kitchen. Looking at your phone, you realized it was late. Chan should have already left for practice. You grabbed his baseball bat, fearing an intruder, and crept downstairs.

To your surprise, you found Chan in the kitchen, mixing something in a bowl and muttering to himself in frustration. His eyes were puffy, and he looked exhausted.

"Channie?" you whispered, while leaning the bat against the wall, feeling a pang of guilt for making him sleep on the couch. He turned quickly, disappointment flashing across his face.

"No! I wanted to bring this to you so you could have breakfast in bed," he said, sounding defeated. "I'm trying to make pancakes, but the mix is too runny."

You walked toward him, your heart softening. "Why are you still home? Don't you have practice?" you asked quietly.

He looked at you, his shoulders slumped. "I asked for the day off... but if you want me to leave, I will," he whispered, looking ashamed.

Your heart broke at his words, knowing how much it meant for him to take a day off. "I don't want you to leave," you whispered.

His eyes lit up with surprise. "You don't?" he asked, taking a tentative step toward you.

You shook your head, and he closed the distance between you, wrapping you in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there. And I'm sorry that I took you for granted. I didn't realize how much I was neglecting our relationship. My promises probably don't mean much to you anymore, but I promise I will be home more," he whispered.

Tears welled up in your eyes again, but this time they were tears of relief. "Okay," you whispered, feeling his sincerity.

He pulled you closer, kissing the top of your head. "I thought about it a lot last night. I'll take you out on a date at least once a week and be home for dinner at least twice from now on," he mumbled into your hair.

You believed him, feeling the truth in his words. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," you whispered, "and I'm sorry for making you sleep on the couch."

He chuckled softly. "I deserved it," he said.

You smiled a little, feeling the tension between you begin to dissolve. "You did. But I still feel bad," you replied.

Chan gently patted your head, holding you close. "I love you," he whispered, "and from now on, I will show it to you more."

"I love you too," you whispered, looking up at him. His smile, complete with his adorable dimples, melted your heart. You reached up and poked his dimples, a smile spreading across your own face.

He leaned down, gently placing his lips on yours. You sighed, feeling the familiar flutter of butterflies in your stomach. His lips tasted like strawberries, thanks to his lip balm, and you reveled in the softness of the kiss. When he pulled away, you knew you had all day to enjoy more moments like this.

"You need to put in more flour," you whispered, pointing to the pancake mix.

He furrowed his brows. "The recipe I wrote down is wrong. It's double the amount of flour for the pancakes," you explained.

He started laughing. "Let's make them together and maybe go shopping afterwards?" he suggested.

You nodded with a smile. He gave you a quick peck on the lips and then kissed your forehead, wrapping his arms around your waist as you turned to the bowl of pancake mix. Hugging you from behind, he held you close, and for the first time in a while, you felt truly happy again.