Length: Oneshot
Rating: G
Genre: romance, fluff, non-au
Summary: After getting divorced just a year before, Jaejoong had no interest to go on the dating scene again for a while. But a persistent shove from his friends ends up having him on one of the most loveliest blind dates he'd ever been on, with a wonderful man called Jung Yunho.

“You need this, Jae. Now get up.”

The raven buried his face in a pillow and groaned. Heechul ignored him, rummaging through his closet and clicking his tongue at every item of clothing he pulled out. Junsu was sat by the dresser chewing gum and inspecting his skin.

Jaejoong listened to the noise of his clothing hangers hitting one another as several tops were thrown onto his bed. He stayed face down into his pillow for a little while more before finally removing himself from the comfort and looking up at his friend who seemed completely disappointed in the contents of his closet. “What happened to all those gorgeous tight tops and long sleeved shirts you used to wear?” Heechul frowned, walking over to the bed and examining what he had picked out, “You have the closet of my mother.”

“I’m not a college student anymore,” Jaejoong sat up, face glum, his hair a mess from the earlier protesting of Junsu and Heechul entering his apartment, “I gave all of those away. Besides, the clothes I wear now are more comfortable.”

“Comfortable but ugly,” Junsu mumbled, and Jaejoong narrowed his eyes. The younger male grinned in a slightly sheepish manner before saying, “You’re like the most beautiful person I know and yet you wear the blandest clothes in the entire city.”

Heechul nodded in agreement and the raven puffed out his cheeks, grumbling under his breath. It was hard to be angry when he knew they were right. A little glimpse into his old high school pictures would show the very fawned beauty he once was. A young Jaejoong wouldn’t go anywhere without being clad in the most trendiest clothes. He loved fashion and loved the way it looked on him, and had never been more confident in his teenage years. But things had changed very quickly. Life happened.

He had fallen in love with the wrong person, had a bad marriage and an even worse divorce. It had been an entire year since he had split with his ex-husband but he had to admit he was still feeling quite down from the events. He hadn’t really felt like himself for a while. And it wasn’t about love, really—he had moved on easily—it was more about the fact that he had ruined and wasted three years of his life he could have used to do something else.

Just thinking about it has him swallowing thickly. Shaking his head to clear any thoughts, Jaejoong snapped back into reality and tried not to think about his past. He couldn’t rewind anything no matter how much he wanted to.

“This one is good,” Heechul held up a grey sweater that was a little tight. Jaejoong smiled at it in recognition, remembering the time he wore the item to one of the many graduation parties he attended. He couldn’t bring himself to throw that one away. “Wear this, with some tight black jeans and your little lace up boots, okay?”

“I don’t want to wear boots, let me wear my slippers,” Jaejoong whined, and Junsu almost choked on his gum.

“You cannot wear slippers to a date at a fancy restaurant!” The younger male exclaimed, “What is wrong with you?!”

Jaejoong groaned in slight shame, unable to meet the eyes of his two friends. He didn’t even want to go. He had been mercilessly forced to stop his favorite reality TV show and get out of bed to answer the persistent knocking on his door at six pm, and then shockingly told without a warning that he had a date. A date. Jaejoong couldn’t remember the last time he had gone on a date and he was only twenty seven.

He was to meet with someone by the name of Jung Yunho, a supposedly rich hotshot CEO of some networking company with a gorgeous face and even more gorgeous chest—as said delightedly by Heechul. He had no idea how it even happened, apparently word had spread out that Mr.Jung was single and looking, and his friend had decided that Jaejoong too, was looking.

He really was not—but Heechul had ignored him and promptly began to go through his closet.

“Alright, chop chop! Get dressed,” the said male ordered, before dragging Junsu out of the room. The door slammed shut behind them and Jaejoong sat on his bed for a few moments more in silence before sighing and pushing himself off. Although he wasn’t really in the mood to go out and meet someone new, he knew it’d be rude to not show up and besides, Heechul had gone through his connections to set them up. He didn’t want to disappoint his friends and look like a typical sad divorced male who couldn’t move on.

The sweater was a little tight, as expected. Jaejoong had gained a few pounds since his student days but he was pleased to note that it still fit snugly on him. The jeans slipped on easily, but he struggled with tying the laces of his boots for a few minutes—which had Heechul banging on his door and angrily asking whether he went back to bed.

When he finally yanked the door open a little unsure, Heechul and Junsu gasped simultaneously. They both rushed over to him, Heechul twirling him around to get a look in all angles and Junsu grabbing his phone to take a few cute pictures. He had to admit, he enjoyed their reactions. It had been a while since he had worn anything but simple shirts and slacks to work and hearing their compliments gained his self confidence back a little.

Heechul shoved him onto the chair by his vanity and mussed up his hair, examining the products scattered on the surface top. His boyfriend was a hairstylist, so naturally, Heechul seemed to be knowing what he was doing when he sprayed a bit of this and that into his locks and ruffled them up. It achieved something Jaejoong saw as slightly messy yet sexy, and he couldn’t help but blush at his reflection. Junsu beside them was going through the accessories thrown onto the top of his dresser and he picked out two rings before gently sliding them onto the silent raven’s fingers. 

And that was it. He had now moved over to the couch in the living room, feeling like a high school student all over again. It felt like he hadn’t even got married.

“Taxi’s here,” Junsu said in glee, snapping Jaejoong out of his little daze. Now that the situation actually sank in, Jaejoong could feel himself beginning to grow uneasy. He grabbed his wallet and keys to head out, his legs feeling like jelly, but it seemed like Heechul knew what he was feeling.

“Don’t worry. You’re a sexy, smart, single young man. You literally have nothing to be scared about,” Heechul squeezed his shoulders, and Jaejoong tried to smile. “Don’t try to impress. Be yourself. It’s your first date since forever so just focus on having a good time, okay?”

“And if the date goes badly, just call us so we can rush in and scoop you up and away,” Junsu beamed joyfully, hugging him from behind. Heechul narrowed his eyes at the unhelpful input before shaking his head and ushering Jaejoong out of the door.

He was supposed to go to Starco, the actual definition of a fancy, expensive restaurant, one of the most extravagant in the city. Jaejoong had only been there once with his ex, and he had an okay experience. It just wasn’t his favorite type of place to eat at, but it was what Mr.Jung wanted and it wasn’t like he had the energy to tell him to choose another place.

The AC in the taxi he was sitting in was turned up to the maximum, and yet Jaejoong could still feel his palms sweating. He was not mentally prepared for a date. He had no idea what this Mr.Jung was going to be like, and had no idea what he was going to say or do. He had never been fond of blind dates, but this one was planned and delivered to him so quickly he could barely breathe. He had no choice now but to go along with it.

It wasn’t just the whole idea of the date that seemed intimidating—but the man himself too. Jung Yunho was supposedly a very handsome and successful man and Jaejoong’s personal self confidence was still a little low. He did have a wonderful job part owning his dream restaurant, and he did like to think he had a fairly nice face, but he couldn’t help but let the insecurities gnaw at him a bit. He couldn’t remember how to flirt and wasn’t even in the mood to. He was sure the night would turn out to be an awkward disaster due to his own fault at this point.

Slumping into the seat, Jaejoong sighed and stared out of the window. At least he was going somewhere that wasn’t work, the grocery store and Junsu or Heechul’s house.

Jaejoong was ushered into a table at the corner of the room the second he said his name at the front desk. Mr.Jung had not arrived yet, and he was relieved. It gave him time to examine his surroundings and try to relax.

Starco, as usual—looked fancy. Bright chandeliers hung from the ceiling, everything including the napkins were white and cream coloured, there was a man playing violin by the side and the overall atmosphere was quiet and subdued. It was nothing like his own restaurant that felt warm and welcoming. Starco was a place for upper class people and Jaejoong knew it.

He swallowed thickly, brushing a few stray hairs away from his face and then wincing when his elbow hit the table, the silver fork jumping and making a noise. He tried to ignore the looks around him and adjusted his sweater, thinking calming thoughts. 

It was going to be okay. It was going to be okay. It was—

“Kim Jaejoong?”

Jaejoong looked up.

It was not going to be okay.

His lips parted and without saying a word, he nodded. A tall, deviously handsome, handsome man slid into the seat in front of him, and for a moment they both stared at each other. Jaejoong took in everything—the thick framed glasses, his small fascinated eyes, the mole above his upper lip and his sleek buttoned up black shirt.

“You’re gorgeous,” the other male breathed what Jaejoong was thinking himself. He blushed heavily, looking away and mumbling a meek thank you. He had no bravery to utter you as well. “I’m sorry for being so straightforward. I just—well. Um. Shall we order?”

Jaejoong nodded shyly, scooting his chair forward. A waiter came by with the menus and for a moment the raven had to pause and wonder if Yunho was the type to persistently pay for their date. He hoped not. Jaejoong liked to pay for himself—but in the case that it would happen, he decided to get one of the cheapest items on the menu, a simple pasta dish.

Yunho ordered the same and a bottle of red wine, and Jaejoong found it a little strange. He expected the man to get one of the more expensive things on the menu, but he didn’t think about it too much. The waiter left them promptly and then they were alone again, and this time Jaejoong could feel his heart beginning to slam slightly faster in his chest.

“So um,” Yunho smiled, looking slightly sheepish, and Jaejoong almost cooed, “Tell me something about yourself. I already know your age, job.. but I want to know more.”

“Like what?” Jaejoong mumbled, biting his lip. What about the fact that he’d been divorced? That would be a fun and light piece of info to throw at his date.

“Any hobbies? Interests?” The brunet cocked his head and Jaejoong had to admit that it was rather cute.

He smiled, paused for a moment to think, and then spoke, “I like to cook… well that’s a given considering my job but I really enjoy testing out new recipes or creating my own no matter how bizarre they sound.”

“I’d really like to visit your restaurant one day,” Yunho beamed, and Jaejoong felt his heart flutter. The smile was so genuine and full of so much warmth, “I cannot resist food, especially dessert. I have an unbearable sweet tooth.”

“Well you’d be happy to know then that our restaurant is known for it’s irresistible caramel pudding,” Jaejoong grinned, and when Yunho laughed, he realized that he was kind of flirting. Not exactly, but he was close already. “Well what about you? Tell me something you enjoy.”

Yunho hummed in thought for a moment before saying, “I don’t really have a specific thing, to be honest. I just enjoy the simple things in life, really. Almost everything makes me happy.”

Jaejoong smiled, biting his lip. That was precious.

The waiter came over with their bottle of wine and poured it into their glasses. They clinked before taking a sip. Yunho seemed already like a rather welcoming person, but Jaejoong was still a bit nervous. The extravagant surroundings of the restaurant did not help.

“So.. Heechul. Is he your best friend?” Yunho took another sip, and Jaejoong almost laughed at the image of his friend wiggling his eyebrows in his mind.

“One of them, yes. Did he talk to you?”

Yunho placed his glass on the table and curled his fingers together. Jaejoong took a glance at them, but then paused and looked more intently. This man’s hands were beautiful. Long and slender fingers with clean, trimmed nails. He almost didn’t pay attention to what the brunet was saying.

“Yes, but only once. He’s a client of another worker in the company and somehow word got out that I was single,” Yunho chuckled, shaking his head, “To be honest I wasn’t really interested in going out on a date, but Heechul talked to me about how incredible you were and I just. I couldn’t resist, and I wanted to meet you.”

Jaejoong blushed, the colour on his cheeks darkening with the way Yunho looked at him. He could feel his skin tingling and he hastily took another sip of wine. His date sure knew his way with words because the raven wasn’t the type to get heavily flattered by a few mere compliments. Or maybe it was because the brunet was gazing at him in a certain way, his eyes full of warmth and curiosity. Probably the fact that he was very very handsome as well. It was a mixture of everything, and the wine wasn’t helping him calm his nerves.

They talked gently about light topics for some time before the waiter arrived with the food. Jaejoong hoped he could finish the pasta because his stomach was feeling a little uneasy. After serving them, the waiter left and they both dug in.

“How is it co-owning a restaurant? Must be tough, right?”

Jaejoong tentatively chewing on his pasta, replied, “In the beginning, yes. The stress almost got to me so many times. Especially since my partner is as stubborn as I am… and we didn’t have much compatibility when running the business together,” memories of him giving Changmin silent treatment flew into his mind and he chuckled, “But over time we adjusted and got used to each other, and handled the difficulties together with support. Now I can’t imagine owning the restaurant with anyone but him.”

“That’s nice to hear,” Yunho smiled, soft and genuine, “And I heard your place is doing really well.”

“I like to think so, yes,” the raven almost giggled, feeling suddenly shy, “It has established itself now and I have regular loyal customers. I’ve been thinking of expanding or opening another branch in some time.”

Yunho’s eyes widened, and he nodded eagerly, “You definitely should! I haven’t even been there yet but I’m sure it’s great. Plus it seems like you and your partner have the capability of doing so.”

“Really?” Jaejoong bit his lip, looking down at his plate in a bashful manner, “Thank you.”

They talked like that until all the pasta on their plates was gone. Jaejoong learned a lot about the man sitting in front of him. He learned that Yunho had a younger sister and a dog back home in Gwangju, and that he had moved to the city for work. He learned that Yunho applied for a job in his company and had been accepted, and that first he only cared because he needed money but now he genuinely loved his working at his branch. He learned about his past, his struggles, and then the lighter things—like his heavy obsession with anything strawberry-related and how he often forgot to put the lids back onto where they belong.

Jaejoong found himself laughing, smiling, and even touching the brunet’s hand at one point as they talked. His initial nervousness had begun to melt away with every word they exchanged, and the surroundings of the restaurant had just blurred into one. He only realized they were still sitting in Starco once Yunho paused to take a sip of water, and then murmured, “Man, even their water tastes fancy.” He said it in a certain way, with a slight shake of his head that had Jaejoong raising his eyebrows and asking,

“Do you like this place?”

“Not really,” Yunho mumbled, and Jaejoong’s mouth dropped open. The brunet then began to flail to explain himself, “I mean! I didn’t take you here for like a bad date or anything! I just planned the date here because it’s one of the most luxurious places in town and I thought you might like it, even though personally it’s not my favorite kind of restaurant.”

Jaejoong burst into a fit of giggles and slapped a hand over his face. Yunho cocked his head in questioning, an amused smile tugging at his lips, “Why? What’s the matter?”

“I hate this place…” he confessed, shaking his head at the silliness of it all, and Yunho’s mouth dropped before he began to laugh, “I was really wary because I thought you’re one of the snobby usuals that come here, since they have a reputation for those kind of customers.”

“Oh god no,” Yunho shook his head vehemently, “It’s my first time coming here, actually. That was why I was a little late. I usually eat at the fast food corner just near the central bank, do you know the one?”

“Burger Bear?” Jaejoong tilted his head, smiling. He loved that place.

“Yes!” Yunho clicked his fingers, grinning excitedly, “I go there so often the workers know my regular order. They even give me discounts. So cool, right?”

The raven giggled at the cute passion displayed by the other male, but then softly mumbled afterwards, “I’m really sorry if I upset you though. I’m having a really nice time talking to you, it’s just this restaurant—“

“No offence taken at all, Jaejoong,” it was the first time since the date started that the brunet had said his name, and the raven blushed a little, liking the sound of it, “I completely understand what you’re feeling. Actually.. would you like to get out of here and go somewhere else, like Burger Bear?”

“Really?” Jaejoong blinked in surprise, “Are you sure?”

“Of course. We’ll probably be more comfortable there instead of here.”

Jaejoong found himself nodding in agreement quite quickly, and after splitting the bill they both promptly left the restaurant. He accidentally knocked into a large plant on the way, earning a rude hiss from one of the customers, but it was the last thing he cared about because Yunho was holding onto his pinky as they walked out and it was the most adorable thing.

They listened to cliché bubblegum pop on the radio as Yunho drove them to the burger joint, and on any other day Jaejoong would have huffed at the sound of it, but today he was feeling a little jittery and all too fluttery, everything twirling and tingling inside his stomach. He was oddly finding himself relating to the lyrics about nice hair and broad shoulders, as his eyes raked over the man driving next to him. It had been a long time since he was so attracted to anybody, and he couldn’t even remember himself feeling this shy and eager with his ex-husband.

After eating and ordering two small and light burgers (Yunho being picky with his, and taking out the tomato slices with a scrunch in his nose) they decided to go sit outside on one of the benches with some ice cream for dessert. They watched the cars speed by, and with the air slightly chilly but the other male giving him the warmth he needed, Jaejoong found himself speaking softly.

“I’ve been divorced. You know that right?”

“Heechul mentioned it,” Yunho nodded, and then gently laid a hand upon his before giving a gentle squeeze, “You really don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to, I completely understand.”

Jaejoong smiled, glancing down at the hand that was touching his, “It’s okay. I’m completely over it, it’s just a bit weird since I haven’t been on a date in a while,” he said, before continuing calmly, “Basically, I married too early. Right after college because he gave me all these promises. I was a crazy romantic back then, and nobody had ever paid that much attention to me. So easily enough I was swayed.”

Yunho looked at him, and Jaejoong met his eyes. His smile widened. He didn’t really feel anything when telling the story, and he was glad.

“We got married by papers because he didn’t even want to have a proper wedding. The whole marriage was a mess, and when a week passed I started to actually see reality, and the true person he was,” he shook his head, putting another spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, “And then a year into the marriage he cheated on me, I left exactly a day after that. The divorce was finalized last year.”

“I see,” Yunho murmured, “So it was pretty short.”

“Yeah, but I dated him for two years before that so my biggest regret is that I just wasted three years of my life,” Jaejoong pursed his lips, “I put a lot of things on hold for the moving process, and then finally the divorce. Such a waste of time where I could have been doing something else.”

Yunho squeezed his hand again, and then spoke, “Don’t think of it like that. You may have learned a lot from that, and I believe you’ve just gotten even stronger. You are beautiful inside and out, and you co-own a successful restaurant, and you’re still just twenty seven. You haven’t wasted any time.”

Jaejoong’s lips parted at the kind words, and he swallowed thickly. Without hesitation, he placed his hand on top of Yunho’s, feeling the warmth. Something about the brunet made him feel safe, protected—made him feel like deciding to actually meet him was one of the best decisions he had made.

“He messaged me even after the divorce, saying he was sorry and that he wanted me back,” Jaejoong chuckled, “I ignored all of them. I really don’t want anything to do with him anymore.”

Yunho nodded, and they sat in comfortable silence. The raven was thinking to himself, about how he thought he didn’t want anything to do with dating for a while either. He wanted to focus on his career because it never failed him, it kept him occupied and happy—but Yunho came along just some hours ago and stirred up everything in his mind. He really liked the other male. There was something about him that was so different from his ex-husband, his two high school boyfriends and all the men that had asked him out over the years. Yunho was someone else, so genuine and dorky, unlike the image he initially had in his head.

He had gone on several dates in the past, one being a month after the divorce (again, set up by Heechul) but none of them had ever felt this way. He felt like he could trust Yunho, and he wasn’t the type to put faith in others easily. The divorce had made him more tough mentally, and he liked to believe he was hard to crack into when it came to strangers.

But he liked opening up to Yunho. A lot.

After about an hour sitting on the bench and chatting about nothing and everything all at once, they finished up their ice cream and threw the cups into the bin. They then took a spontaneous walk at the nearest park, their fingers intertwined as they gazed admiringly at their surroundings. Jaejoong was having such a wonderful time that he had completely forgotten that the concept of time even existed. Four hours. Four hours had passed, and when he reached into his back pocket, he realized that he had turned off his phone. The second it came back on, he grimaced at the several missed calls and panicked messages from his group chat with Heechul and Junsu.

I’m ok! Sorry. Turned my phone off hehe. Will be home soon. Did u guys eat dinner yet.

Junsu replied with a ya also I had some cheesecake in ur fridge. Was nice. Really sweet frosting. Before then abruptly replying with a frantic WAIT HOW IS THE DATE GOING?????

Really good. Will give u guys the deetz later he replied, before slipping his phone back into his pocket.

The drive back was full of childhood memories, as they talked about their embarrassing tales and old best friends. He felt like Yunho knew everything about him already even though they just met, and strangely he wasn’t scared by the idea. So what if Yunho knew that one time in second grade he wet his pants after seeing a clown for the first time? He knew that Yunho once broke his arm in sixth grade trying to desperately reach a cookie jar at a high shelf, so they were fair.

The laughter stopped once they had reached Jaejoong’s apartment, and they smiled gently at each other. “I had a really nice time, Yunho,” he murmured shyly.

“Me too. I’d really like to see you again,” the brunet breathed, touching his hand and gazing at him with all the affection in the world.

Jaejoong didn’t usually do it, but he couldn’t help himself. He leaned over and softly kissed the taller male on the lips, before pulling back with red cheeks.

“I don’t kiss on first dates but… I just—I wanted to kiss you,” he whispered, looking down at his lap in embarrassment. His lips were tingling, his heart racing. He loved the chemistry that he felt with Yunho so much. Plus, the brunet tasted like strawberry ice cream and that always tasted good.

“I am very glad you did,” Yunho murmured, sounding a bit breathless, “I’ll call you again. I’d ask for your number, but Heechul already gave it to me.”

Jaejoong laughed at that. That did sound like Heechul. “How about next week? You can come to my restaurant and I’ll make you something special.”

“Really? That would be amazing,” the brunet grinned, and Jaejoong giggled at the excitement that twinkled in the other male’s eyes. “Then it’s set. We’ll be visiting the world’s best restaurant on our next date.”

“Stop it,” the raven giggled, feeling flattered and shaking his head. They fell into another silence again, and Jaejoong realized he didn’t want to leave, didn’t want the date to end. But Heechul and Junsu were waiting for him at his apartment, ensuring he would come home safely and he didn’t want them to wait too long. “Well. Um. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay,” Yunho smiled, and at that moment he resembled a very sated, happy baby bear. Jaejoong smiled back at the image, biting his lip. How was this man so cute? He expected some snobby, confident CEO and not a dorky tall brunet who was very picky with his burger and tripped not once, twice but thrice on his own shoelaces at the park.

He opened the door, slipped out of the car and closed it behind him. He waved once more before Yunho left, and as he walked towards his building, his footsteps felt rather light. He really needed to to thank not just Heechul, but Junsu, as the both of them together forced him out of his room even though the last thing he wanted was to go on a blind date. He imagined if he had stayed. He wouldn’t have felt this happy.

The second he opened the door, he was bombarded with questions. At one point Junsu squealed.

“How was he?”

“Did he give you a sexy smirk?”

“Did he hold onto your waist?”

“How tall was he? I heard he’s tall.”

“Did you guys kiss?”

It was when he fell silent at the last question did the both of them scream and shake him furiously. He then had to answer all sorts of questions about the kiss, like who initiated it, whether there was some tongue, if he wanted more, and so on. They were unsatisfied by the act of a simple gentle kiss, but Heechul seemed rather impressed that it even occurred.

“You don’t usually kiss on first dates. That doesn’t sound like you. What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Jaejoong blushed, burying his face into his hands. Junsu cuddled his side as they sat on the sofa and played with his hair. “He’s just. A really nice guy. I—um, we’re meeting again next week.”

Junsu gasped and slapped his shoulder in excitement. Jaejoong squeaked in pain and glared at him, while Heechul’s jaw began to clatter onto the floor.

“You realize this may be the first guy you’re actually interested in, since like forever,” Heechul sat down on his other side, pulling his hands away from his face, “This is a big achievement. Wow. Thank god we pushed you the hell out of your room.”

Jaejoong smiled, nodded and thanked the both of them. After a mini group hug to celebrate the fact that he was dating and on the move again, they ordered some unhealthy dessert from the nearest fast food joint, sat in front of the TV and watched cliché poorly made action films just to giggle and make fun of. At the end of the night, there was chocolate smeared on his pretty grey sweater, Junsu was passed out on the floor from a sugar overdose, and Heechul was sitting by the kitchen counter on a flirtatious call with his boyfriend.

Things hadn’t changed at all in his life, it seemed, but somehow everything had. Jaejoong smiled, thought of Mr.Jung Yunho one more time before dozing off to sleep on his couch.

A/N: super simple, fluffy fic teehee. i hope you guys enjoyed it!!! 

please leave a comment if you have an account in dreamwidth because i'd love to know what you think. but i am aware some people aren't here so i will also be posting this on AFF :-)

thank you so much for reading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <33333333333333333