NCT Imagines (Requests Open!)

Blissful Birthday (Taeyong)

Groggily, you opened your eyes to your stupidly loud alarm.  Like usual, you slid out of bed and groaned at the wave of cool air that hit you like the ice age.  You were tempted to crawl back to the warmth of your covers and your loving boyfriend who was curled up in the sheets.  How someone could look so ethereal while sleeping, you didn't know.  

Before you could make it to the bathroom to wash up, a limp hand reached out and grabbed your waist.  

"Happy birthday, babe," Taeyong croaked.  A hundred butterflies erupted in your stomach hearing the deep timbre in his morning voice.

"Thanks," you said while rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.  Honestly, you should be excited and making plans with friends and getting a strawberry cake and ice cream.  But after you graduated university, you saw your birthday as just an ordinary one.  Nothing special.

"It's our first time celebrating yours since we started dating," Taeyong piped up.  Now, he was sitting up, and your heart warmed at the bird's nest that was his hair.  

You picked out some clothes from your drawer and made for the bathroom.  "Don't worry about it.  I don't usually celebrate."

At work, it was the same old routine.  Your boss handed you document after document to fill out, and you quietly kept to your cubicle as you sifted through your tasks.  Your coworkers didn't ask, and you didn't tell.  Besides, you hated that teensy tiny narcissistic feeling you got telling people about your birthday.  What was the big deal?

"Hey, Y/N, can you clean up and sort the spreadsheet I just sent you?" one of your colleagues asked.  Her mouth formed a perfect 'O' as she smeared on a thick layer of lipstick.  "I'm going on a date with my boyfriend, so I don't have time."

You nodded curtly.  And like that, other coworkers piled their work onto you before leaving for the day.  Finally, it was down to you, your annoying desk clock, and the golden sunset that coated the walls of the office.  Your back ached from hunching over your laptop all day, and your grumbling stomach reminded you that you'd skipped lunch.  And breakfast.  With the way Taeyong had clung to you in the morning, you'd almost been late and missed your usual breakfast bagel.

"I guess that's it for today."  Wearily, you submitted a few spreadsheets and grabbed your coat.  

Now, you'd have to stand outside in the cold and wait for the 6:30 PM bus to roll by.  You would have taken the car, but Taeyong apparently needed it.

As you pushed the doors open to exit your office building, you heard a loud honk and saw your boyfriend waving excitedly at you from the driver's seat.  So this was why he needed the car...

You hopped in, touched at the cute gesture.  It was subtle enough of a birthday present, that you let it slide. 

"Hey sweetie," he greeted you with a kiss to the cheek.  "You've had a long day, haven't you?"

Checking your watch, you realized you'd stayed a couple hours longer than usual.  No wonder your head ached so badly. 

Taeyong turned on some calm lo-fi and handed you a blanket from the backseat.  With the mellow beat in your ears and the perfect weight of the blanket, you fell asleep immediately.  The next thing you knew, Taeyong was carrying you bridal style to the sofa where a steaming hot corn casserole rested on the coffee table.  He'd already portioned out a bowl for you, and you dug in like a wild boar. 

"Slow down, baby.  You might choke," Taeyong wiped a corn kernel from your lips. 

You watched an episode or five of your favorite baking show before washing the dishes together.  Taeyong scrubbed while you dried or placed the dishes in the dishwasher.  

"Finally done!" he stretched.  Playfully, he rested his arm on your head and steered you towards the bedroom.  You had an idea where things might be going, and you weren't complaining.  

Taeyong held your face gently in yours, and you turned your head to the side, so he could kiss down your neck.  But he giggled softly and pecked you on the nose.

"Someone wants me, huh?" he whispered in the now bright red shell of your ear.

"N-no,"you pushed him away.  But Taeyong's muscles were not something you could fight against.  He easily scooped you up and set you down at the head of your bed.  He tucked you under the comforters and pulled out a book.

"What's this?" you asked, not sure if this was part of tonight's experiment or if Taeyong was about to ignore you with a good read.

"I'm reading you a bedtime story," he cooed, running a gentle thumb across your cheek.  Naturally, you leaned into his touch and curled up against him.  He flipped the pages, showing you the pictures while narrating in his soft, silky voice.  You found his impersonations of the characters adorable, and after a couple chapters, you felt your eyes getting heavy. 

"Did you have a good day?" Taeyong kissed your forehead.  He slipped the book on the nightstand and slid under the covers with you.

You remembered how you were almost late, your skipped meals, your lousy colleagues, and the dread of having to take the bus home where you might fall asleep and miss your stop. 

"It was perfect," you pecked his rose-shaped birthmark.  You were touched by his little gestures and how he found a way to celebrate your birthday in a way you could appreciate.

To you, birthdays were a celebration of life.  And life wasn't always grand parties, fizzy soda, and three-tier cakes.  It was the office job you'd survived for a year and the backaches and the sleepless nights.  Life was who you were, and you enjoyed celebrating it as it was.  No bells and whistles.  

"I couldn't help but get you one present, though," Taeyong smirked.

You knew that face.  Your boyfriend was definitely up to something mischievous. 

"I called you in sick at work, so you won't be going in tomorrow.  That means you're all mine, darling."  The deep, rough edge to his voice made your lips tremble.  Pulling the covers over your head, you hoped you could hide the blush building on your cheeks. 

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A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for waiting so patiently for me after so many months. I've decided to open up my NCT Imagines Book again, which means requests are open! I'm really looking forward to writing your ideas, so feel free to direct message me if you'd like something written! 

Question of the imagine: How would you celebrate a perfect birthday?