s.c.s. ☆ j.jh ☆ ayakashi series | ✔

jaehyun [twenty-seven]

The next time you woke up was peacefully, still in Jaehyun's arms. You let out a noise from the back of your throat, half contentment in being there and the other half disgruntlement at being awake. You really were tired, not only physically but spiritually from the divining you had to do last night.

His shirt had been clenched in your fist as you slept, and you released it, smoothing your hand up his chest to instead grace over his jawline. Your eyes followed your hand up, and you saw that he was still sleeping peacefully. You couldn't help but bring a finger to his cheekbones and nose as well, letting out a giggle when you noticed the drool at the corner of his mouth.

"And what are you laughing at?" He muttered, not even opening his eyes as he readjusted to pull you practically on top of him.

"A handsome, smart, wonderful, beautiful man," you punctuated each compliment with a kiss to his bicep that was by your mouth. "With drool on his chin."

His response was to playfully growl and flip you over, nearly suffocating you under his form as his fingers reached to tickle you. You thrashed as laughs that blended into screeches erupted from your mouth. You hit him half-heartedly, starting to feel dizzy before he finally gave in, flopping down right on top of you.

Grunting with the sudden added weight, you didn't push him away, instead encircling your arms around his neck. His face was buried against your collarbone, muffling his words.

"What was that, Jae?" You asked, tapping the back of his head indicatively.

He turned his head to the side just enough to free up his mouth for talking, "You're the only person who calls me Jae."

"What? Doesn't Jaemin—"

"Nope."

"Yuta?"

"No."

"Your family?"

"You know my mom calls me NiNi."

"I know, just wanted to hear you say it," you snickered at his disgruntled look, poking his exposed cheek. "Aw, don't pout like that, NiNi!"

"Don't make me tickle you again."

"Okay I surrender," you resigned as you looked fondly at him. "So what, you don't want me to call you Jae?"

Jaehyun shook his head before pressing a feather-light kiss to your collarbone, "No, it's just an observation."

"Alright, NiNi."

You were fully expecting him to get up and tickle you again, but instead he just rolled the two of you over, bringing you back on top of him once more. The sheets were entirely tangled between you two now, wrapped all around your legs as well. You managed to pull some of the ones between your chests out so you could properly feel him beneath you.

"I love you, Y/N," Jaehyun said softly, looking up at you with the most adoration you'd ever seen. "Jaemin told me to do it 'right' for you, since I'm your first real boyfriend. Nice dinner, flowers, whatever. But I can't wait, because now feels right to me. I love you so much, Y/N, that I think my heart might burst out of my chest. And I wish you would never get hurt again. But if you do, that I'll be there with you. Because I love you, with all of my heart."

And you finally cried. You hadn't cried at all last night, even throughout everything that you did and that happened to you—aside from the nightmare. But now tears poured down your face in continuous streams, and you were nearly limp in Jaehyun's arms as he hugged you close to him. Unfortunately, gravity only dripped them down onto his face, making a strangled giggle bubble up out of you in lieu of an apology. He turned the two of you so that you were on your sides and he could properly wipe at your tears.

Even after all of this, after telling him about a whole other part of your life that you'd been hiding from him, telling him about what exactly you had killed last night, he still loved you. You weren't sure if you deserved this, but you'd be damned if you didn't accept it.

"I love you too, Jung Jaehyun," you whispered back to him, reaching a hand up to cradle his cheek and pull his lips to yours.

☆

The next day was Sunday, and Jaehyun was still staying at your apartment when Taeyong came back from Yuta's.

"Hey, Yong," you pulled him into a hug upon him entering. "How's Yuta doing?"

"A lot better," he replied, nuzzling his nose to your neck. "You smell like..."

He trailed off when his eyes flicked up to take note of the other person in the room. Jaehyun was standing some ways back, having gotten up to greet him as well.

"Not yourself," Taeyong finished before straightening up.

"So... you're her cat," Jaehyun established awkwardly.

He bristled, "And her friend."

"Look, Taeyong, I really am sorry about—"

"Hey!" You cut in authoritatively. "We're never bringing that up again. End of discussion."

"Thank you," Taeyong shuddered, presumably at the thought of what he had nearly witnessed that night.

"I was just—"

"Jaehyun, leave it!"

"Okay. So where does he sleep?"

"At the foot of my bed in his cat form."

"Got it... What do you eat?"