Off-season | Crypto

off-season | crypto

𓆩♡𓆪 pairing ; crypto x gn! reader

𓆩♡𓆪 synopsis ; what's better than the first few days of the off-season with your beloved

𓆩♡𓆪 genre ; fluff, some making out here and there but nothing too spicy (i got too carried away woops) TOUCH STARVED CRYPTO

𓆩♡𓆪 a/n ; this is literally just me projecting my hyper fixation on crypto send help <3

𓆩♡𓆪 word count ; 3k (semi proofread)

day 1

it was past midnight already, yet you were still up. you were unable to fall asleep for some reason, was it because you were sitting?

puzzled, you tried shifting to try a different position. despite your numerous attempts, nothing seemed to work. you settled on the fact that perhaps sleeping on a train wasn't the most comfortable. even though the labor of packing things up the entire day was catching up to you, you tried to brush the sleepiness away. after a few years of being together, you and tae joon established a routine when the season was over.

you two always traveled during the early hours, the thought of being with you alone while going home eased tae joon's mind rather than the opposite. he kept you close at all times. contrary to popular belief, he loved being in close proximity to you. he said it was because he liked knowing you're somewhere he can reach, but sometimes he used that as an excuse to just be near your touch. he'll never admit it though.

your eyes tried adjusting to the blinding lights the train had but it seems like closing your eyes wasn't enough to shut it out. your mouth spills a small groan, desperate for the slightest comfort you could get. you were about to move again but you felt something touch your head. before you could open an eye to take a glance, you heard tae joon's voice to your ear. "here, just lie down," he said, handing you- what you assumed was one of his jackets. he swiftly places a kiss on your temple before helping your arms into the jacket sleeves.

once you had his jacket on, he quickly puts the hood up, covering your eyes. and before you could say a thing, you felt his soft lips pressed onto yours. your face held by calloused yet gentle hands, hands that held you like you were glass. you could feel the curve of his smile when he kissed you. what he didn't expect however, was you sliding the tip of your tongue across his lips. a sound of surprise escapes his lips, somewhere along the lines of a yelp and a squeal.

the surprise of your sudden move on him made him retrieve his hands in a panic. he leans forward as you tilt your head, allowing yourself to maneuver better. your tongue softly touches his, gentle touches are exchanged as both of you savor this moment. you still have a few tricks up your sleeve. you chuckle menacingly in your mind as you swirl your tongue, earning a whimper from tae joon.

you pull away after, both of you panting amidst the silence. "and here i thought you had it in you" you chuckle, wiping the saliva off the side of his lips. now that you've found satisfication in his flustered state, you finally lay on his lap. letting the fatigue take over, you could feel yourself entering slumber.

"잘 자, 내 사랑"

day 2

rays of sunshine peek through the white curtains, letting it's presence be known to your sleeping figure and slowly waking you from your slumber. now that you were regaining consciousness, you blinked your eyes open, taking in the harsh morning light that greets you. you stretch your arms, groaning at the relief your muscles felt. as you were stretching your body, you felt the grip on your waist- that was apparently there, tighten.

you look down as tae joon hugs you closer to him, nuzzling his head against your chest like a pillow. his facial expressions rests in content. you sheepishly smile at him. you found his habit of having to hug something while he sleeps so adorable. you bring your hands to his head, gently ruffling his hair to wake him up. "hun," you hum to him, brushing away the locks of hair that covered his face.

he slowly wakes, fluttering his eyes open. "more time, please" he murmurs. you let out a sigh. knowing how much this guy sleeps when you're with him, you needed to find another way of waking that grizzly bear up. testing the waters a bit, you try wriggling out of his very tight hold of you. as cute as the idea of having him in your arms for longer was, you still had many things to do. you just arrived home after a whole season and your apartment was a dusty mess. his arms did not budge one bit, all that hacking and fighting in the games is not for naught. "stay with me. please?" he looks up to you with hazy pleading eyes.

lord have mercy

can you really say no to him though? his voice was deeper than usual which is evidence of a good night's rest. his hair tussled by you and clothes crinkled from all the cuddling. you really can't resist him. you laugh and just hug him back, he won. "i'd love to." you say as you cup his face and kiss his cheek.

an hour later full of sweet nothings exchanged passes but you two were so entangled in each other that you barely noticed time moving. various professions of love said to one another with hands that couldn't stop touching the other. for some reason, everything with him felt comfortable. every conversation, every touch, and every moment never felt better when it's with him.

for tae joon, you were the world to him. you were someone who he could be his truest self with. a person he could let his guard down because he knew you'd protect him. sometimes the lines between all his personas blurred. there were times he didn't even know who he was. but you were there, the person who knew him best. he was tired from running away from his identity for years. others only see him as a cold-hearted shut-in hacker, but what they don't see are the nights you'd hold him together as he breaks down, struggling to know who he really is.

and so, you both lay together. a peaceful few minutes before his and your stomach decided to let it's hunger be known. the content silence soon interrupted by fits of laughter from you two. "go make something, i'm dying here" you playfully try kicking him off the bed. "i see you want the kitchen burned down." he jokes. "if it means having food, just burn down the apartment," you reply.

tae joon got up and put his slippers on. he then proceeded to the kitchen where you heard the cupboards and fridge open and close. "whatcha making, hun?" you shout from the bedroom loud enough for him to hear. "pancakes, is that alright with you, 여보?" he yells back. you knew enough korean from him to translate the pet names he endearingly calls you. the times he did try calling you a pet name in english, he blushed so hard he looked like he was gonna explode.

you stared at the ceiling for some more time as the sounds of metal clanking and shouts of "oh shit" grew increasingly frequent. you got up and head out the bedroom onto the kitchen to see tae joon measuring the milk, almost spilling the cup. he must've felt your footsteps approaching because he set down the cup and took a deep breath. you say nothing and just hug him from behind. your arms around his stomach and your head rested on his back. "i'm trying my best" he nervously laughs. years of being on the run never gave him the time to learn how to cook for himself, but now he could. smooth isn't exactly the best word to describe his culinary journey, but progress was there.

"i know, you're doing great." you say back. those words were enough to ease him. his shoulders relaxed as a breath escapes his lips. your hands roam under his shirt as you murmur tips to help him. it wasn't long until he made some decent batter. your only help was that it was at least edible. as he waits for the pancakes in the pan to start bubbling, he turns around to you.

nothing was said just- silence. comfortable silence. being in each other's embrace was all you both needed. he relished being in your arms to even just close his eyes and gather his thoughts for a second. your fingers tread lightly on his face, gently cupping his cheeks your fingers nearly jolt at how cold the metal implants were. but you still kept your fingers there. your thumbs caress the skin above his facial tech, pondering on the difference in temperature.

"is it weird?" tae joon asks.

"hm? what is?" you reply. looking up from the black metal and into his eyes. "this thing.. on my face." he's quick to look away, embarrassed to ask you such a question. but he doesn't shy away from your touch. you took a minute too long to find the right words. and by then, insecurity was already eating tae joon up.

"forget it. it's a stupid question." he feels stupid. he attempts to turn around but you strongly keep his face still. words fly out of your mouth without second thought. "i think- i think it's beautiful." you state. his eyes widen and his lips part, you hear a small gasp.

"i don't care if you think it's weird but i just, i think you're so beautiful." you say rapidly. as speechless as he was, he couldn't look away from you. his eyes doe and cheeks slightly flushed. god was he melting in your hands. "and believe me, please. do you really think i'd find any part of the person i love, weird?"

tae joon is not a man of words, combined with him being at a loss for words he just can't say anything. and you knew that. most of the time it was you talking and chatting about anything and everything and the replies you got were short but enough to express his intent. for him, it was more comfortable showing his response through actions.

a pair of lips soothingly collide with yours. he leans in and tilts his head. you both share and tender kiss as if your lips were molded for each other. his grip on your waist grows firmer as small sounds akin to a sigh escapes his throat.

"mm, babe- the pancakes-" you mumble in between the kiss. his eyes go wide once more before rapidly looking back to see an overly cooked pancake whose bubbles are enough to make a person with trypophobia pass out.

so much for breakfast.

day 3

there is echoing of clacking from the familiar pair of boots you know tae joon loves. as you tidy your shirt, dusting off the bits of grime, he paces around the apartment almost franticly. from the reflection in the mirror, you could see he was double checking every alarm and sensor he'd put up. occasionally, the sound of rapid keyboard typing starts and ends, meaning he's really making sure this flat stays hidden and safe while you're both out.

"you can stay here, y'know." you finish tidying the clothes you were wearing and walk over to his desk filled with monitors emitting bright lights that were enough to resemble the pearly gates of heaven. "i can't let you get my cereal wrong again," he replies nonchalantly, spinning his chair to you after exiting one of the programs he used to code (that you don't bother to memorize)

"it was just two times! i didn't know your brand of cereal had 10 different types!" you mockingly raise your hands in defense. for someone who wasn't picky with food is somehow picky with cereal? you discard that thought as it was no use stressing over. you combed his hair back until you were satisfied at how much worse you made it. quietly laughing, you scurry away to the front door before he could realize.

"aish- 말 그대로 방금 고쳤습니다!" he yells.

after putting on your shoes, you wait for him outside while holding your bag close to you. it wasn't long until he joins you outside, this time with a cap and sunglasses on. nothing about it was strange it was just for his identity, that's all. this time it was his turn to ruffle your hair and speed walking away before he got an earful.

the walk to the grocery was short, especially since he made sure to pick a perfect apartment where everything you both needed was accessible within walking distance. he tilted his head downwards, making sure his face wasn't that visible. he reached out for your hand and without a question, you gave it to him. he intertwines his own with yours and gently pulls you closer so he can put both hands in his jacket pocket. you couldn't help but smile a bit.

you both walked down the shadows of the street to avoid the sun. you chatted away about whatever topics you could think of. at times, you'd both spot a new restaurant or café that opened up and take note to visit it soon.

he caressed your knuckles with his thumb, occasionally drawing circles. it wasn't long until your walk ended, the automatic doors greeting you. he followed you like a stray puppy because he'd never been to the grocery store in the entire time you'd both lived in this area. "baby, can you get a shopping cart? i'll check out the fruits first." you point at the area that had the carts and baskets. "hm." he obliged.

while you were checking which bananas were ripe enough but not unconsumable unready to get, he stopped beside you with a cart. he takes the fruits off your hand and neatly arranges them on the cart. you both stroll down the aisles, taking your time scanning any product you might need or want to try out. he also asks you for your bag, slinging it onto his shoulder to carry it for you. you wanted to tell him to just put it in the cart, but he looked content with having it on him. he sometimes picks up something that piqued his interest. he continues pushing the cart while you walk in front.

and alas, the cereal section.

you let tae joon do his thing and read every similar-looking box of that stupid brand and get his favorite one. he spends minutes reading the nutrition facts and values of every type before turning to you with one. "see the one you got had oats, and i hate oats." he says, showing the 'one that was right'. "well, sue me it doesn't even have oats in the picture!" you exclaim, putting one hand on your hip as he walks to put the box in the cart. you a bit annoyed, almost gave into the temptation of hitting him with the cart.

the security man must be having the time of their life watching a couple argue about cereal. you just roll your eyes and walk further down the aisle. he made sure to load up on soft drinks and whatever energy drink that now runs in his blood, sounding like a certain adrenaline junkie. he stops at one part of the chips section and grabs almost 10 bags of something. "woah, what's that for?" you ask. he looks back at you equally as confused. "don't you like these? you told me you like this." he informs you. as you recollect your memory of when you said that, he was already loading them in when you remembered.

it was one of the first nights you both officially started dating, and you were over at his place to lounge around. you were both watching a popular show at the moment, hands interlocked but still respecting his personal space. he hadn't had guests in a while, and so he offered what he had left, chips. coincidentally, It happened to be the brand you had been craving for a few days. "oh thanks! i really like these" you said, happily accepting the bag of chips.

you pout at how sweet the gesture was to you. you kiss his cheek and now he's even more confused. "thank you, 내 사랑." you smile at him. tae joon could swear he almost collapsed. you continued peeking at the shelves ahead, he clutched his heart as it felt like jumping out soon. he hadn't known that you, speaking his native language, could weaken him so much. he shakes his head, hoping it will stop his face from reddening further.

you grin as you finally get to use your korean learning to your advantage. you managed to learn a few words here and there, taking notes mentally whenever you heard tae joon curse when he got the coding wrong. in a matter of time, you were able to understand some phrases. and after that, you learned that tae joon likes saying anything romantic in korean, thinking you wouldn't understand anything.

you both forget the arguing that just happened 10 minutes ago, feeling so sheepishly in love with each other. you wait up for him as you near the checkout counter. he preferred the self-checkout so he could have more privacy. he tells you to just sit down since he'll do the work. and you did, from time to time, you would tell him to separate those foods in a different bag. he'd do it while looking ever so focused on scanning and bagging.

you both finish up and exit the store nearing lunch time, arms coiled around each other with bags on the other. you rest your head on his shoulder, pleased at how the day has gone so far. he sneaks a forehead kiss in before he leans his head on yours.

he's not at all superstitious, but he's thankful that fate led him to someone who loves him like you do.

© this work is by cryptonite-exe, please do not copy and post on any other platform.