Work Text:
1/3 : Beautiful
Doyoung never really liked big parties, and drinking was a no for him since he was a singer, most especially on birthdays, but the way the NCT members greet him at 3 in the morning with Johnny holding seaweed soup for Doyoung, he thinks that he should at least do something with his 20 best friends since everyone is still free of schedule before all hell breaks loose for them because of separate overseas events.
Doyoung does go back to sleep after being abruptly woken up just to eat seaweed soup, and when he wakes up, he was met with Jaehyun's sleeping face, his arms wrapped around Doyoung's body, keeping him warm.
Doyoung has always loved how Jaehyun would sleep; he was cuddly, clingy, and smiley whenever he sleeps, and it was the most endearing thing he knows other than how Jaehyun would smile at him from across the room.
Doyoung trails his eyes on Jaehyun's features, how the sunlight creates a sparkle on his skin, eyelashes soft on his equally-as-soft cheeks, hair messy on Doyoung's pillow. In moments like these made Doyoung realize how in love he is, how he truly have been blessed to be in love with the epitome of forever and nothing and everything in between.
It was a mess when Doyoung realized that he was in love with Jaehyun, more so when the pining started. Jaehyun has always been very open, and Doyoung has always been vocal for his love for his members, but when they realized they are in love with each other without actually knowing, they fell silent, radio silence made true. It was more of the anxiety building inside them that made them go silent; it was the fear of rejection, and the heartbreak it follows. It was the awkward touches that keeps the anxiety afloat. They were thankful for the members that, even if it was cliche, they locked the both of them up in Taeyong and Ten’s shared room to talk about whatever they are feeling after the tension shared between them heightened to its peak.
Doyoung reaches up to caress Jaehyun’s cheeks, and his lover opens his eyes lovingly and hums at Doyoung.
“Good morning, beautiful.” Jaehyun whispers, breaching his already small personal space and kisses his lips tenderly.
“Please. I’m not beautiful, Jaehyun” Doyoung scoffs, rolls his eyes at him.
“Who said so?” Jaehyun’s brows are furrowed, eyes staring at him.
“I did…”
He’s suddenly being pulled closer to Jaehyun and gives him a passionate kiss, whispers of desire and love, and touches so sweet it makes Doyoung tremble and fall. The surprise kicked the air out from Doyoung’s lungs, but he doesn’t mind the breathlessness, how Jaehyun’s hands searches for skin, holding him close. It felt like they were afloat in the stars, basking light upon them, and Doyoung relishes on the excitement and adrenaline when he feels Jaehyun’s leg wrap around his body, pulling him closer to his lover, heat rising so intimately; it was a delicious feeling, being so close to his lover.
Jaehyun, in Doyoung’s dismay, separate’s himself, the both of them in a haze of losing the oxygen that they needed, the want to take each other’s breathing reigning their desires. Jaehyun lets their forehead’s meet, nose brushing sweetly on each other. “Don’t say that again.” He whispers.
“Say what?”
“That you’re not beautiful.” Doyoung feels Jaehyun’s hand trail from the bare skin of his back to Doyoung’s jaw, his thumb softly padding on his cheek. “You are the most beautiful being I have ever met. The stars can never match up to how glowing, beautiful, and perfect that you are, Doyoung. Anything that is beautiful to everyone can never match up to you. And while the stars in your eyes is so breathtaking, the heart you hold is the most precious thing this universe doesn’t deserve.”
Doyoung laughs softly at Jaehyun’s determination to convince Doyoung to believe him, and he just let’s himself believe him, his heart giving in to how he holds him so tenderly. “Okay.” Doyoung leaves a small peck on Jaehyun’s lips that made the both of them smile after. “I love you, do you know that?”
Jaehyun’s smile grows wider, and Doyoung finally musters the energy to give him the widest smile he can give. “You don’t have to tell me.”
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2/3 : Cookies
Everyone in NCT are huddled on the large table in the cafeteria of the SM building, sharing boxes of chicken that their managers gifted for Doyoung, chattering happily, noise filling the whole floor. Some staff would pass by just to shout a “Happy birthday” to Doyoung, and he shouts back a thank you at them with a wide smile. He can feel happiness radiate on his skin, his second family sharing the same happiness as they talk about how Jaemin spilled his coffee in the dream dorms and managed to bleach the floor, fortunately not that drastic, with how much caffeine is poured in his cup, or how Ten would drop an unnecessary innuendo in the middle of conversations, leading to Taeyong closing Jisung’s ears and Johnny laughing along loudly. The mess that is NCT was comforting, and Doyoung would say that home is wherever he has his members with him.
Doyoung has his head leaning on Jaehyun’s shoulder while they laugh along to Yuta and Taeil’s banter about who had the best minecraft mansion, which weirded Doyoung out the fact that they still play minecraft, but brushes it off since everyone in NCT has their weird quirks (like Ten’s fear for fruits, and Kun’s secret adoration in knitting.)
Jaehyun suddenly sits straight, pushing Doyoung to sit straight, too. His lover faces Doyoung with a smile. “I almost forgot something.” He says before standing up and leaving the room, coming back with a big box filled with cookies. Lucas at the other end of the table, despite his inability to see properly and is in need of glasses, sniff out the smell and stands.
“I smell cookies!” He shouts like a child and everyone turns to Jaehyun, placing the box on front of Doyoung.
“This is for you, but I made enough for everyone.” Doyoung gapes at the box when the lid opens, and it smells fresh, making Doyoung salivate.
Doyoung reaches up to grab one and bites on it, looking at the cooke with amusement. His eyes go wide with how perfect it tastes, not too sweet, but not too bland. “This is delicious.” Doyoung says with his mouth full and faces Jaehyun. “This is really fucking delicious.”
“Hey! Language!” Taeyong says, which follows by a “fuck off, hyung.” from their resident maknae, earning him a shocked face from their leader.
Lucas is suddenly behind them, hand stretched out but looking at Doyoung. “May I?” Lucas says shyly, as if he’s asking permission, and Doyoung snorts a laugh. “Go ahead, Lucas.” Which made Lucas quickly dive into the box to grab a handful to share to the members at his side of the table.
Eventually, the box is being distributed within the members, and Jaehyun is sitting down again, Doyoung’s head leaning while nibbling on his fifth cookie? Nineth cookie? Doyoung can’t remember how many he has eaten. He could feel Jaehyun’s stare at him, and he knew it’s with those eyes he always manages to catch whenever they are together; the stare that says that he is looking at the moon, beautifully shining in the sky.
“You know, Jaehyun…” Doyoung says and Jaehyun hums a response. “You’re spoiling me today. I mean… You spoil me everyday, but you didn’t have to make me cookies.”
“I wanted to because I know your love for cookies is greater than anything in the world.” Doyoung laughs at Jaehyun’s answer. But all he could think about is that he loves Jaehyun more than the cookies he always asks for.
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3/3 : Toast
It was already 10 in the evening when they finish their practice for world tour, the members starting to file out of the building to a van to go out for dinner. The dream members, despite the manager’s distrust on the older members, tags along on their drinking slash dinner celebration, a promise (although, Jaemin never promised to not let Chenle and Jisung take sip, because he’s a deviant like that Jeno says) that only the legal members are allowed to drink.
When they are fully comfortable on their seats, food being cooked and glasses being filled with large amounts of alcohol, it was already nearing midnight. It really wasn’t surprise that they would stretch their time when they are so noisy and alcohol is involved.
Taeyong suddenly stands, a shot glass in his hand. “Guys.” He says quietly, a soft slur in his voice, hinting that the alcohol is hitting him hard. “Guys!” He shouts to get the member’s attention, and everyone stops whatever conversation they had to look at their leader. He raises his glass and looks at Doyoung. “A toast; for the birthday boy. May he live a longer life so that he could sing for the whole world to hear.” He says, and everyone goes along, their glasses rising, with Chenle and Jisung sharing a large glass of strawberry milkshake, and they all say “cheers”, the sound of glass clinking together.
Jaehyun stands beside him as Doyoung sips on his glass, looking at his lover as he glows red from the alcohol. “I would want to say something.” He says, and they all coo, obviously knowing that he will just proclaim his love for Doyoung. “Happy birthday, Doyoung. I’m not saying this as your boyfriend, but I’m going to say this as your best friend. You’re the most important person here, and everyone would agree that, at some point, you have changed our lives.” Everyone nods in agreement, and Doyoung could feel tears in his eyes. “You changed Taeyong’s life from the moment you comforted him when he was struggling, Yuta’s life when you tried to befriend him when there was a language barrier, Jisung’s life when he sometimes felt like an outcast because of his age, Jaemin who was torn apart from being in a hiatus, being there when he was crying on the phone. You changed Mark’s life the moments you told him that he’ll be great with whatever he will do, Johnny’s life when you offered your shoulder when he was missing his family. And me…” Jaehyun reaches up to brush his fingers through Doyoung’s cheek, catching the tears he didn’t notice. “Whom you loved greatly that it made think that forever exists in the form of a person, and that everything is fated for me, that all good things last through the long run.” At this point, Doyoung was already a sobbing mess, and at some point, the members asks for stacks of tissues from the staff, every member crying at some point. It was a really tender moment, one for the history books, that he realized how important he really is to people’s lives. “And all I want to say is, in behalf of all the members, thank you for being such a great and loving person.”
And Doyoung smiles at that, eventually everyone raising their glasses to share a toast, some members still crying over the memory of how Doyoung was their earth, grounding them and keeping them in reality.
_
1
It was already February 2 when they came back to the dorms, freshen up, and retreat to their respective dorms. But Doyoung is left in the living room, waiting for everyone to empty the common room. He was already in pajamas, hair still damp, and feet cold, when he notices Jaehyun step out from his room.
“You wanted to talk?” Jaehyun said as he muffles his hair with a towel, and Doyoung quickly runs to him to capture Jaehyun’s lips on his.
It was a rush of emotions in his chest when the day started, filling up his heart that he never knew was empty, and the one who filled it was Jaehyun. He was adored, loved, praised, and touched so sweetly, may it be through hugs or through words, and that made Doyoung melt, and it was all Jaehyun’s fault. So, Doyoung just can’t help but launch himself to the culprit, whispering his gratefulness through their lips, intertwining so beautifully.
“Thank you, Jaehyun.” Doyoung says in between kisses and he doesn’t let Jaehyun speak anymore as the moon rises between them, their skin glowing and the night wind brushing their lips. It was intimate, so desired that it made Doyoung’s world quake.
He loves this, whatever they are doing; it was the small touch of assurance, lips making fireworks light up their chests, eyes closed as they meld into each other’s heat. Doyoung just wants Jaehyun to realize how loved he is, too, how he changed everyone’s lives, too. Doyoung wanted to let Jaehyun know how his hugs always brought him back from the skies but still managed to show him how bright the stars are, how every note he sings makes Doyoung fall harder, how every gleam of light in his eyes makes him want to live longer.
But words can’t simply explain everything he wants to say, so he says it was a kiss so tender that it makes Jaehyun’s legs give out on itself, Doyoung catching him with a smile.
“I love you, Jaehyun.” He finally separates himself from Jaehyun, but he just wants to go back, to find home in his touch.
“I love you, too.” Home says, and it completes him.