𝗝𝗔𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗡 𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 °

↳ always right there

A/N: Thank you for 7k+ reads ahhhhhhhhhh what?! INSANE.

This time it has a happy ending I swear :')

*****

You and the boys have been apart of the same friend group for a while now. You weren't close to them since you were shy and intimidated by such a flamboyant bunch. However, they've always made you feel comfortable around them. There was sarcastic Renjun, witty Haechan, sensible Jeno, kind-hearted Chenle, timid little Jisung, and of course, playboy Jaemin.

Out of all of them, Jaemin was probably the hardest to handle. His flirtatious teasing was not a good match with your timidness, though your friends would say otherwise.

As time passed, you found yourself drawn to Chenle quite often. What can you say? You were a sucker for nice guys. It took a while for you to accept your feelings, which meant none of your friends knew. Instead, you kept it a secret. Confessing was definitely out of reach for you, and you were quite content crushing on him from afar.

At least, that's what you told yourself.

Chenle was holding a huge backyard party for his birthday. The place was packed with people, the air filled with chatter and laughter. Jisung held the birthday cake as you all waited for Chenle to appear any minute. You clasped your hands together in anticipation for his arrival.

"Y/n," Jaemin suddenly came to your side. He had his signature smile on that seemed to always capture every girl's heart— every girl except yours. "You look nice."

"Thanks Jae," You smiled before jokingly saying,

"You don't look too bad yourself."

It was true. Jaemin had on a tee with a light-wash jean jacket. His bangs were swept to the side, giving him a more mature look. His eyes were unusually brighter today as he grinned down at you.

"I'm kind of jealous though," he sighed. You raised a brow in question. He tilted his head and pouted playfully. "You dressed up so cutely for Chenle's birthday, but not for mine."

Your cheeks blazed with heat as you blinked up at him. It was the first time Jaemin had ever called you 'cute' — or any boy, for that matter— and it made your heart race. You watched him warily.

"T-That's because your surprise was last minute," you stammered.

"Fine," Jaemin smirked, his eyes twinkling, "But next year, you're wearing a dress for me, too."

You sighed in relief when Jeno suddenly told everyone to hush, signalling that Chenle was about to come. Although you liked Chenle, Jaemin still managed to leave you flustered.

As soon as Chenle stepped outside, Jisung and Haechan pulled the confetti cannons. A huge POP! echoed across the yard as you all screamed at the top of your lungs, "Happy birthday Chenle!"

Chenle smiled from ear-to-ear, his eyes instantly lighting up. You smiled, feeling light on your feet at the sight of him.

"You guys," Chenle laughed, "why are you surprising me at my own birthday party?"

"So that you don't complain later on that we didn't do anything for you," Renjun replied in a duh-tone, but there was a faint smile on his face.

Chenle greeted and engulfed each of you in a hug. Butterflies erupted in your stomach when his arms wrapped around you. "Happy birthday Chen."

He pulled back, grinning widely. "Thanks y/n."

The rest of the night continued with loads of games and fun activities. At one point, you and your friends were sitting on the grass watching some of the boys have a dance battle with each other. You watched as Jeno started dancing to 'Kick It' while Haechan comically began to freestyle. Everyone began to laugh at the sight when Chenle suddenly appeared.