IVE ONESHOT

Burnt Ramyeon (Rei)

Genre : Fluffy fluff fluff

3rd Pov

The dorm was unusually quiet. Usually, Rei would be blasting upbeat music, practicing her latest dance moves with reckless abandon. But today, the only sound was the soft sniffling coming from her room. Y/n, her boyfriend, hesitantly knocked.

"Rei? You okay?"

A muffled "come in" was his answer. He found her curled up on her bed, phone clutched in her hand, eyes red-rimmed.

"Hey," Y/n said softly, concern etching lines on his usually stoic face. "What's wrong?"

Rei sniffled again, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "It's nothing," she mumbled, unconvincingly.

Y/n knew better. He sat beside her cautiously, leaving a comfortable distance between them. It wasn't unusual for him to be this way. Physical touch, while not unwelcome, wasn't exactly his forte. Rei, however, being a bubbly extrovert, craved affection.

Lately, the distance between them had grown wider. Y/n's usual short, clipped responses and his disappearing acts left Rei feeling lost and confused. Was he getting bored of her?

"Is it... is it me?" Rei asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Have you gotten tired of me?"

Y/n's heart clenched. He hated seeing her like this. He just... he wasn't good with expressing his feelings. But seeing the doubt cloud her bright eyes was a punch to the gut.

"What? No! Absolutely not!" He blurted out, a little too forcefully. Rei flinched slightly, a fresh wave of tears welling up.

"But it feels like it," she choked out. "You barely talk to me anymore. You never hug me or..." Her voice trailed off, tears spilling freely now.

Y/n felt a surge of helplessness. He wasn't good with words, but he had to try. "Rei, listen," he started, his voice rough. "I care about you, a lot. Maybe I don't show it the way you want me to, but..."

He trailed off, unsure of how to continue. Rei, tears blurring her vision, looked up at him. "But what, Y/n?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm not good with words. But I make you your favorite ramyeon every time you're stressed, remember?"

Rei sniffled, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, you do the best burnt ramyeon ever."

A genuine smile broke through Y/n's stoicism. "Burnt? It's perfectly caramelized!"

They both chuckled, the tension easing slightly. Y/n, emboldened by the shared laughter, reached out hesitantly and placed a hand on her hair, gently stroking it. Rei leaned into the touch, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

"Maybe," Y/n began, his voice softer now, "we can work on showing our feelings a little better. Together?"

"I'd like that," Rei whispered, a shy smile gracing her features.

The night ended with a movie marathon, cuddled up on the couch, a bowl of (slightly burnt) ramyeon forgotten on the coffee table. Y/n, uncharacteristically, held Rei close, his arm wrapped protectively around her. Rei snuggled closer, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

As she drifted off to sleep, a thought struck her. Maybe Y/n's love wasn't a roaring fire, but a bed of warm embers, waiting to be coaxed into a flame. And she, Rei, was more than happy to do the coaxing.

The next few days were a revelation for both of them. Rei started leaving little notes for Y/n hidden in his belongings - a cute drawing on a practice schedule, a cheesy love quote tucked inside his guitar case. Y/n, in turn, surprised her with a bouquet of her favorite sunflowers (carefully chosen after hours of browsing flower shops online) and snuck into the practice room late at night to leave a thermos of her favorite hot chocolate beside her forgotten water bottle.

Their communication, though still a work in progress, blossomed. Y/n started leaving her little voice messages before bed, his voice gruff but undeniably sweet as he mumbled reassurances of his love. Rei, in turn, peppered her texts with heart emojis and playful teasing.

One afternoon, Rei found herself drowning in a sea of frustration. A particularly difficult dance move just wouldn't click. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill. Just then, the practice room door creaked open and Y/n peeked in.

"Hey," he said softly, noticing her red Tears welled up even bigger. "Hey," she mumbled back, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Can't seem to get this part right. It's hopeless."

Y/n surprised her by walking in and closing the door softly behind him. "Hopeless, huh?" he said, a hint of a playful smile on his lips. He walked towards the stereo and put on a slow, jazzy song.

"What are you...?" Rei began, confused.

"Come here," Y/n interrupted, extending a hand. Rei hesitated for a moment before she took it, allowing him to pull her up.

"We're not dancing the routine," he said, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it. "Let's just... dance."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, his touch hesitant at first, but then slowly firming as she leaned into him. They swayed to the music, a comfortable silence settling between them. The frustration from the routine melted away as the warmth of his presence enveloped her.

"You know," Y/n began, his voice barely a whisper near her ear, "you're the strongest, most talented person I know. You'll get it."

A shiver ran down Rei's spine, not from the cool air conditioning but from the unexpected compliment. She looked up at him, her heart pounding.

"Thanks, Y/n," she whispered back, her voice thick with emotion.

He cupped her face with his hand, his thumb gently wiping away a stray tear. "Don't cry, okay? You're beautiful when you cry, but I'd rather see you smile."

He leaned in then, and she met him halfway. The kiss was gentle, filled with unspoken apologies, reassurance, and a newfound tenderness.

When they pulled away, breathless, Y/n looked at her with a shy smile. "Let's try that move again, shall we? Together?"

Rei grinned back, her eyes sparkling. "Together," she echoed, feeling a confidence bloom within her.

They spent the rest of the afternoon working on the routine. Y/n, surprisingly, proved to be a patient and surprisingly insightful teacher. He pointed out subtle ways Rei could adjust her movements, his observations insightful and helpful. With his guidance, the move finally clicked, a triumphant smile breaking out on Rei's face.

"See?" Y/n said, a hint of pride in his voice. "We did it together."

Rei nodded, her heart overflowing with love and gratitude. Maybe Y/n's love wasn't a roaring fire, but it was a steady, reliable warmth that kept her glowing from within. And that, she realized, was even better.