"I really like that jacket on you. When you did you get it?" Minho gives me an appreciative nod while his thumb strokes mine lazily where he has our linked hands rested on his thigh in the driver seat.
My free hand unconsciously rises to brush the rich burgundy fabric covering my chest. I smile nervously. "Since most of my clothes are either casual or for the office, I wanted to look for something in between to wear to meet your parents. I went yesterday to the outlet mall and hit the jackpot on a couple clearance racks."
Minho raises our hands to press a gentle kiss to my knuckles with a grin. "Really? Hmm... What else did you find?"
Slyly, I whisper, "Patience. You'll find out soon enough."
Both of his brunet eyebrows shoot up at the same time a barked laugh leaves his mouth. "Tease." The rich chocolate of his irises sparkle with mischief, a sight I fell in love with early on.
I squeeze his hand holding mine and smile. "You tease me enough, so I believe I deserve the opportunity myself."
"Hey, it's only fair." His grin is a mile wide. He softly pulls his hand free from mine as we enter the neighborhood where his parents live. He maneuvers the car into the driveway and parks with a deep sigh. "Speaking of fair—I understand how last minute this was and I can't tell you how appreciative I am that you accepted. My parents can be a little overwhelming at times, but if you can handle me often then you can handle them for a short while."
Nerves suddenly bundle in my torso, and I swallow comically, trying to ease the discomfort I feel. Yes, it was definitely last minute, and a part of me lightly resented postponing our getaway plans for my birthday this weekend. I just know how little he gets to see his parents, and a part of me is completely happy and content just being where he is. I don't care if he whisks us away to some remote island, if we're sitting in the corner of a local coffee shop fighting over the last piece of cookie, or if I'm hanging out and watching him work with his students.
It's odd to feel so at home with a person, as opposed to a place. We've only been together for close to 8 months now, but it feels like we've always known each other. That kind of comfort level, ya know? Where just their presence sets you at ease. Yet, he's the biggest prankster I know, and probably the most playfully sarcastic human being on this planet. He makes me laugh so easily, and I never have to pretend with him. He sees through bullshit as if he created it himself. He plays as if he's a tough, cold man to most people... but I know the truth of how warm and kind he really is.
Silence envelops the car as he turns it off. The unbuckling of his seatbelt draws my attention swiftly over to his face, searching it suddenly for reassurance as a seed of insecurity begins to bloom in my chest. He frowns at the change in my demeanor.
"Honey, what's wrong?" He asks, his fingers hovering over his door handle.
"What if," I begin softly, "they don't—"
"If they enjoy seeing and spending time with their son, they will appreciate and adore you every moment they can. Because either they're going to see us together, or not see me at all." He winks at me with such audacious confidence that it warms my core, suffocating that insecurity to death immediately. How could 2 sentences settle within me like he just promised me a lifetime? I felt thoroughly claimed. So much so that I didn't even hear him leave the car and walk around it to open my door.
I stand up straight, adjusting my jacket and smoothing my pants down. Lee Know shuts my car door and reaches for my hand, the warmth and size of his wrapping around mine with ease. He pulls me playfully into his side and presses a kiss to my temple at the same time a laugh escapes through his nose and tickles the side of my face. What he's thinking about that just made him laugh to himself doesn't compare to how every little gesture he makes me light up inside. I wonder if he can see me glowing through my skin.
He takes a deep breath when we approach the front door and raises his hand to knock on it. A very short moment later, the lock disengages. When the dark wood opens, his mother is standing on the other side, a nervous smile gracing her soft, bright face as she looks at me until her eyes land on Lee Know next to me. An instant shift happens, and a familiar light explodes from her as she leaps forward to embrace
him. His hold on my hand breaks as he wraps his arms around her tiny frame. I can barely hear him whisper "now" before the unexpected happens.
Out of nowhere, a hand darts out and grasps my forearms, yanking me forward through the doorway before I can register anything. I have enough time to look back and see Lee Know's eyes connect apologetically with mine. "I'm sorry," he says as he closes the front door behind me, closing himself and his mother outside...
While I was being hauled inside by an unknown firm grip.
What the hell is going on? The interior of the house blurs past as I'm whisked through a foyer, short hallway, and abruptly deposited into a formal dining room by someone a little taller than Lee Know and of a slighter build. I can't see anything but the back of his head of deep blond hair. His movements are so precise and smooth that I could barely tell when he had let go of my wrist and disappeared through the nearest doorway. I'm thrown by the intensity of the last several seconds that it doesn't dawn on me who is seated at the head of the table until a throat clears.
"Dad??" My jaw drops open is surprise. I look to his left and see my mother there as well. "Mom?? Why are you here?"
Before either of them could answer, another man stands from the table and begins walking toward me. "Hello. Welcome to our home. Minho's mother and I have heard so much about you and it's an honor to finally meet you in person." He approaches me with a simple but genuine smile and reaches out to draw me into a hug. His eyes are the same color as Minho's, with the same mischievous glint in them too.
"Hello..." I smile back respectfully and then peer over his shoulder. "Ummm... How do you know my parents?"
His warm, throaty chuckle fills the room and I see his gaze travel over my head and behind me. I hear footsteps shuffling into the room. As I turn to see who was coming in, Lee Know's father says, "Why don't you ask him?"
Lee Know is standing there with the largest bouquet of peonies I've seen. There's a playful nervousness in his body language, like he wants to walk toward me but doesn't know if he should. Our eyes meet and, it may be just because I've learned his micro-gestures so well, I see the hesitation lift from his face and his shoulder relax minutely. He doesn't know how often I watch his body exhale its stress when we lock eyes. The awareness sends jolts of peace and deep love through my heart.
"Hi." The word is so simple, but I feel like the only person in the room when he says it. "These are for you, birthday girl." He leans over to transfer the massive bouquet of flowers into my arms, and I steal a quick kiss from his lips. The grin that paints his mouth is contagious, and I mirror his expression.
"Thank you." I stare into the mass of open blooms, taking in the myriad and subtle nuances of color in the hundreds of petals wrapped in my arms. When I look back up at him, my heart leaps into my throat. I can't breathe. Time is standing still.
He's down on one knee, holding an open vintage ring box with what appears to be an heirloom ring perched atop the emerald cushion.
"I've been waiting for this precise day since the moment we met. I knew almost instantaneously that you are it for me. There is no one else for me but you. You're all I want for the rest of my life. And I'm asking you that, if you believe I am it for you too, will you marry me? Stay with me for the rest of your life too?"
Everything is blurry through the cascade of tears pouring out of my eyes, but I know his face like I know my own. I quickly hand the bouquet of flowers to his mother, who had entered the room behind him earlier and had moved over to stand near us both. Without hesitation, my hands grasped the sides of his face. The answer, "Yes," successfully left my mouth before my lips crashed against his. His arms wrapped around my back and he stood us both up, lifting me off the ground and laughing into our kiss.
Happy birthday to me indeed.
YOU ARE READING
Stray Kids Comfort Collection
FanfictionA collection of short stories written about Stray Kids members and Reader [Y/N].
