Prompt: #203 – “Do you expect me to carry you all the way?”
Pairing: Park Jinyoung x reader

Genre: enemies to lovers / co-workers / fluff

Warnings: none

Word count: 1874

 

You were already mortified enough, or so you had thought. Yet when Jinyoung’s sentence tumbled out of his mouth with a groan, you grew more frustrated. “What did you just say?!”

“Do you expect me to carry you all the way? We’re nowhere near the car yet.”

“So drop me then,” you exclaimed from behind him, thumping your hand down on his shoulder, earning a hiss from him. Repeating the action, you expected the man giving you a piggyback ride to drop you.

Instead, he swore loudly and hoisted you up in his grip. “Stop hitting me!”

“Well put my heavy down!”

“I never said you were heavy,” he grumbled through gritted teeth, rearranging you again. “I just asked if you expected me to carry you the whole way.”

“It’s not as if I asked for this, Park Jinyoung. Believe it or not, I’d be more enthralled to be carried by anyone else but you right now.”

“Is that so?”

“Mark wouldn’t complain like you are,” you pointed out and he let out a breathy laugh. “He wouldn’t!”

“He also wouldn’t have carried you this far and given up by now.”

“Jackson then! He has arms of steel and a broad back. He would do it!” Jinyoung huffed and you smirked. “He’d even be concerned about me in the process. And he’d move faster than you are.”

“What a shame Jackson wasn’t out here then, huh?” Jinyoung lamented sourly, and you were certain if you could have seen him face on, he would be rolling his eyes right now.

You sighed dramatically. “Anyone but you.”

“What would you have done if I wasn’t there?” he wondered and you grimaced. “Face it, I saved you.”

“It’s just a twisted ankle, I’m sure. In fact, I’ve told you multiple times to put me down. I can walk.”

He stubbornly hoisted you up again and exerted a heavy breath in response.

“You were in an area of the forest where no signal would reach your phone, and in an hour it will be completely dark. You would have to wait there until the early morning exercisers started up the track and found you.”

“I would have hobbled down by myself,” you answered, shuddering at the thought of had been up there by yourself.

You didn’t want to admit you were entirely grateful that you and Jinyoung had been assigned to do the report together. Although you hated how cocky he was, he was excellent at his job and you had successfully interviewed all that those you needed to about the new track opening for walking and running enthusiasts at the local national park. And technically this was all your fault. Had you not wanted to watch the sunset before going back down, you wouldn’t have tripped on the tree root sticking out in the path since the lighting had already started making shadows around you.

And Jinyoung wouldn’t be carrying you down on his back either.

Maybe that was the real reason why you were mortified.

Because you were clumsy enough, everyone knew that about you back at the station. You had caused so many accidents whilst out reporting over the years that you had grown immune to the jeers of others and the exasperation you felt in the moment.

But you hadn’t ever found yourself receiving a piggyback from Jinyoung before either. His back was broad and you could feel the muscles he was using to hold you up. Your hands had gripped onto his shoulder far too long now to deny you liked them.

You liked all of this.

Jinyoung grunted. “You’re silent. What kind of scheme are you thinking of now?”

Whilst you admired him physically, you were acutely aware of just how much Jinyoung bothered you every time he opened his mouth. You couldn’t think of any other incident in your career at the news station where Jinyoung had done anything for you. He was always full of accusations, priming you until you went off at him for annoying you. You were dubbed the Tom and Jerry of the team after all.

You had a role to maintain. Of course, you would bite back.

“What scheme are you rolling with? I’m pretty sure I’ve asked you to put me down enough that anyone else would have listened by now. Still, you carry me despite outwardly exclaiming how much of a burden it is. I’m worried you might be planning to kidnap me!”

Jinyoung laughed heartily then, throwing his head back a little that you could see how the sk