stray kids imagines

bangchan | breaking the storm

ʳᵉᵠᵘᵉˢᵗᵉᵈ ᵇʸ TamSong_Bae4Life
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angst. fluff / 1051
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it was late, and the city skyline glimmered through the large apartment windows. the rain outside painted streaks on the glass, each droplet catching the dim light of the streetlamps below.

you stood in the middle of the living room, your arms crossed tightly over your chest, fingers digging into your sleeves as if to anchor yourself.

across from you stood chan, his hands in his hair, pacing back and forth, the frustration in his steps vibrating through the floor.

"this is ridiculous," he muttered, his accent thicker than usual, a telltale sign of his stress. "you can't just shut me out like this and expect me to understand everything!"

you bit your lip, feeling the weight of his words but too stubborn to let them sink in. "and you can't expect me to spell everything out for you all the time! It's not like you don't know what's bothering me, chan."

he stopped pacing and turned to face you, his dark eyes burning with a mix of anger and hurt. "I don't! I've been trying to figure it out, but you're giving me nothing to work with. do you even want to fix this?" his voice cracked at the end, a vulnerability slipping through despite his frustration.

your heart ached at the sight of him like this, but your own anger surged to the forefront, drowning out the guilt. "of course, I do! but maybe if you weren't always so busy or so distracted, you'd actually notice what's going on!"

the words left your mouth sharper than you intended, and the moment they hung in the air, you saw the flicker of pain flash across his face.

chan's jaw tightened as he took a step back, his hands dropping to his sides. "so that's what this is about? you think I don't care because I'm busy? I thought you understood... I'm doing this for us."

"for us?!" you repeated, your voice rising. "you're barely here, chan. and when you are, you're too tired or preoccupied to notice anything. I get it, okay? your work is important, but when was the last time you actually asked me how I was doing? when was the last time you cared?"

his lips parted as if to respond, but no words came out. the room fell into an uneasy silence, broken only by the sound of rain tapping against the window.

chan ran a hand down his face, his shoulders sagging slightly as the fight seemed to drain out of him. "that's not fair," he said quietly, almost to himself. "you know I care."

"do I?" you challenged, your voice trembling now. "because it doesn't feel like it anymore."

you hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but the weight of everything - the sleepless nights, the missed dinners, the constant feeling of being second to everything else in his life - had built up over time.

you loved chan with every fiber of your being, but lately, it felt like you were standing on opposite sides of an uncrossable chasm.

chan's hands curled into fists, his knuckles white as he tried to keep himself calm. "you think this is easy for me?" he asked, his voice quieter but no less intense. "you think I like being away, missing things, knowing I'm hurting you? I'm doing my best, but it's like... no matter what I do, it's not enough for you."

his words hit you like a punch to the gut. you opened your mouth to respond, but the lump in your throat made it impossible.

tears pricked at your eyes, and you blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. the last thing you wanted was to cry in the middle of a fight.

"I didn't mean-" you started, but he cut you off, his own emotions spilling over.

"do you know how many nights I lie awake worrying about you? about us? do you think I don't see it - the way you've been pulling away? but every time I try to fix it, you shut me out. I don't know what else you want from me, and it's killing me!" his voice cracked again, and this time, the vulnerability in it shattered the wall you'd been holding up.

before you could think, before either of you could say anything else to hurt the other, you closed the distance between you. grabbing the front of his hoodie, you pulled him down and kissed him. hard.

for a moment, chan froze, caught completely off guard. but then his hands found your waist, holding onto you as if you might slip away if he didn't.

the kiss was desperate, filled with every unspoken word, every ounce of love and frustration and longing that had been bubbling under the surface. it wasn't soft or tender - it was raw, a clash of emotions colliding all at once.

when you finally pulled back, both of you were breathing heavily, your foreheads pressed together.

the fight had been knocked out of you, replaced by a heavy silence that was somehow more intimate than any words could have been.

"I'm sorry," you whispered, your voice breaking. "I didn't mean to-"

chan shook his head, his thumb brushing against your side as he held you close. "no, I'm sorry," he said, his voice soft and steady. "you're right... I've been so caught up in everything that I haven't been here for you the way I should be."

you looked up at him, tears slipping down your cheeks despite your efforts to hold them back. "I just miss you," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "I miss us."

chan's expression softened, and he cupped your face in his hands, wiping away your tears with his thumbs. "I miss us too," he said. "and I don't want to lose you. tell me what you need, okay? I'll do whatever it takes."

the sincerity in his voice made your chest tighten, and you nodded, leaning into his touch. "I just need you, chan. that's all."

he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment before pulling you into a tight embrace. "you have me," he murmured, his voice muffled against your hair. "always."

the rain outside continued to fall, but inside, the storm between you had finally begun to clear.