𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘 | 𝗡𝗖𝗧 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠

For Once | Jeno Imagine #11

Title: For Once

Genre: Angst, friends to lovers (kinda)

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, reader being tipsy, insecurities, depressive thoughts (yay)

Word Count: ~1.06k

Author's Note: I actually came up with this story idea awhile ago, two months maybe? And I know I've written a similar story for Jeno before, so I tried to change it up a bit. But for some reason, I just feel like Jeno fits the friends to lovers trope really well. He's the type of person you could trust, and quietly care about you. Anyway, I hope for this story to reach out to those who might be hurting alone. If you are, you don't have to be. I hope there's someone in your life you can lean on. Thank you for reading ^ ^

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

The exact time your feet led you away from the party and out to the balcony with a cocktail in hand, you weren't quite sure. Maybe it was half an hour after you arrived at Chenle's house, maybe even less. You doubt anyone even noticed your absence, as you rarely came to these social gatherings anyway. To your shame, the only reason you accepted your friend's invitation to his college party was for the alcohol. However, in contrast to the boisterous intoxicated chatter and laughter from inside the house, you opted to indulge in the effects of drinking strictly alone.

With a firm grip on the cocktail glass, you leaned against the balcony railing, allowing yourself to admire the night sky. Cityscapes have become a source of solace over the years, providing enough distraction for your thoughts to get lost in the beauty of the evening. The twinkling lights of neighboring buildings and the ceaseless stream of cars below added to the aesthetic.

Realizing how pathetically lonely you were, a single sigh escaped your lips before you downed the remnants of your drink. Contemplating the bittersweet nature of the moment, you sensed a lingering gaze upon you. Turning around self-consciously, you found Jeno closing the balcony door before joining you, standing silently by your side.

Honestly, Jeno's presence would have caught you off guard just a month ago. However, new emotions have recently been stirring between the two of you, though neither of you was sure how best to broach the subject without letting things get awkward. Yet, his friendship was something you hadn't fully realized how much you cherished.

"I had a feeling you'd be out here," Jeno spoke first. "You okay?"

You hummed in reply, without meeting his eyes just yet. "Yeah. I just needed some fresh air."

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Jeno's gaze linger on you before his arm reached out to offer you a glass of water. "Here, I thought you might need some water."

The corner of your lips upturned into a small smile of gratitude. "Thanks," you replied, setting the cocktail glass on the ground. Taking a long sip of the ice-cold water, you let another exhale.

Jeno returned the smile, and the conversation flowed comfortably between the two of you from there. Talking to Jeno always felt effortless, as he was the type of person who was always willing to lend a listening ear. He was the first guy you met who was genuinely interested in getting to know you. Somehow the topic of discussion veered to bucket lists, and you found the glimmer of excitement in Jeno's eyes as he spoke to be a little endearing—maybe more than that.

"Yeah, I'd like to travel to Japan with Jaemin one day," Jeno expressed. "He's the type to plan everything out, so I can just step back and relax."

You chuckled softly, your gaze drifting back to the night sky. "That sounds nice. I'm sure you guys will have a great time."

"How about you? Do you have anything on your list?" The male's head tilted slightly, noticing the distant look in your eyes.

Your brows furrowed in hesitation as you pondered for a moment. Although you hadn't given much thought about bucket lists before, there was one thing that came to mind.

"This is going to sound silly. But I want...I want to visit a waterfall one day," you said slowly. "Where I can be alone for an hour less and cry out loud."

Immediately following your confession, you cringed at the vulnerability in your voice. But Jeno didn't appear to perceive you as weak or pitiful.

"Why would you want to do that?" Jeno asked, his expression flickering with concern.

Avoiding his gaze, you shrugged. "I'm just so sick of pretending to be fine around others all the time, but I'd just hate being weak in front of others. So for once, it would be nice to just go somewhere I can let it all out, you know?"

A part of you wished you had another cocktail. You weren't the type to drink much, especially at parties. But alcohol came in handy when you didn't want to feel your emotions. Since you were too afraid to face Jeno, you didn't notice the realization that dawned on him. Then you felt the warmth of his hand enveloping your cold one.

"Will you let me come with you?" He asked in a tender tone, softening the deep timbre of his voice.

Turning to the boy in slight surprise, you passed him a confused look. "You'd do that for me? Why?"

"Because it might feel better to have at least someone there beside you," he said in a sincere voice. "You don't have to cry alone, (Y/n)."

Heat rose to your cheeks, not having expected him to make your heart flutter like that. Yet, this was Lee Jeno after all. Since meeting him, he's inadvertently made you feel a lot of different things for the first time.

Your heart raced as you met his eyes properly this time, overwhelmed by the warmth of his offer. "Thank you, Jeno," you whispered, smiling softly. "I don't think I deserve to have a friend like you.

The boy held your gaze for a moment, the air crackling with this unspoken tension that had been lingering between you before this evening. He longed to lean in and kiss you right then and there, to show you just how much you meant to him. However, he restrained himself, sensing that this wasn't the right time to act on impulses.

Instead, he changed the grip of his hand to hold yours securely. The skin-to-skin contact sent a tingly sensation between the both of you. It felt nice, and he was relieved when you didn't withdraw your hand.

Squeezing just a little tighter, Jeno's lips parted to say something. "Trust me, you deserve a lot more, (Y/n). So when we go to that waterfall together, don't hold back, okay?"

Your lips trembled, but you were determined not to cry at this time. Perhaps you were still a bit tipsy from drinking, but this might just be the moment when Jeno captured your heart completely. And maybe you could let go of your insecurities and for once, embrace the fact that you were deeply in love with him.

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○