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Donghyuck does many foolish things when drunk, but this honestly takes the cake. He finds himself staring at his phone, a few empty bottles of soju by his side. It's one of those nights where he lets his emotions get the better of him, drowning in a mix of alcohol and regrets.
Hastily, he scrolls through his contacts, his finger hovering uncertainly over a name that still holds a painful grip on his heart—Jeno. It's been only a few weeks since they split. The wounds of their breakup are still fresh.
"Fuck it," he mutters to himself, his inhibitions drowned in liquid courage. He presses the call button, his heart pounding as the phone rings.
In two short rings, the phone is answered, and Donghyuck breaks. "God, I fucking hate you so much. Fuck you, fuck your sister and fuck your mom. I constantly spent nights alone, just waiting for a call to see if you were okay because you ditched me to go fuck someone who ‘meets your needs better than I did.’ Seriously fuck you I can’t believe I wasted so much time thinking you were so fucking great. I hate you so fucking much go die.” He finishes angrily gripping his phone.
He's met with silence before a voice floods in. "Damn? The whole family tree? He really did you dirty, huh?" the voice answers.
Donghyuck's eyebrows knit together in confusion as he holds the phone to his ear. That couldn't be Jeno's voice, could it? He's not entirely convinced he's that wasted, but he can't help but think this is just some sick prank by Jeno. "Seriously, Jeno?" he questions, a mix of disbelief and annoyance in his voice.
The voice on the other end responds, "Dude, seriously, I don't know who Jeno is."
Donghyuck can't help but feel a strange mix of frustration and amusement. "So, funny, haha. This isn't funny, lying to me about your identity."
The unknown voice lets out a sigh. "Dude...are you serious right now?"
Donghyuck can't hide his exasperation. "God, even after all this, you're still a piece of shit, Jeno."
The voice replies awkwardly, "Dude, my name is Jaemin."
Donghyuck pauses for a moment, realization dawning. "Oh...Oh my god."
"Yeah dude, I'm not Jeno," Jaemin confirms.
"I'm so fucking sorry oh my god," Donghyuck admits, embarrassment creeping over him. After the awkward exchange, he quickly hangs up the call.
"What the actual fuck..." he mutters to himself, still trying to process the bizarre conversation.
Shortly after, he receives a text: Just call when you need it...have you tried therapy perhaps? it reads.
Donghyuck responds with uncertainty, rude...but thanks I guess, he types.
The message is liked, and the conversation ends just like that, leaving Donghyuck with a feeling of frustration and confusion. "God, I need sleep," he mutters under his breath.
📞
Donghyuck's voice is barely audible as he speaks, his head throbbing from a killer hangover. He stares into his coffee, wanting to smash his face into the nearest window. Renjun's scolding him and talking a bit too loudly isn't helping either.
Donghyuck winces as Renjun lets out an exasperated sigh. "There's no way you actually spilled all that to some random guy, Hyuck. I thought you weren't thinking about him anymore?"
Donghyuck sighs and runs his finger around the rim of his coffee cup, contemplating the situation. "Jun... I was drunk and like, emotionally all over the place... could you keep it down a bit?" he mutters into the cup.
Renjun reaches for Donghyuck's hands, his expression softening. "Hyuck... you should have told me you were feeling like that. You know I'm always here for you, idiot."
A small pout plays on Donghyuck's lips. "I know... I swear it won't happen again... Oh, and he told me to call if I needed something."
Renjun thumbs over the back of Donghyuck's hand. "Will you?"
Donghyuck shrugs, "I might... he was nice enough so...?"
Renjun shoots him a pointed look, gently squeezing his hand. "Just be careful, okay?"
Donghyuck smiles, squeezing Renjun's hand back. "I will... I love you, stupid."
"I love you too, I guess," Renjun says with a hint of teasing in his voice.
Donghyuck rolls his eyes and feigns hurt. "Oh, woe is me... How could you not love me?"
Renjun swats at him, clearly unamused.
Donghyuck pouts, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm gonna go, Jun. I gotta go grocery shopping... again."
Renjun waves him off, and with that, Donghyuck slowly gets up, leaving Renjun behind, the hangover still haunting him.
Donghyuck ends up in the supermarket, a cart full of things he's needed for a while now. He pushes his cart aimlessly through the detergent aisle. He's been here for nearly an hour, and the sheer variety of fabric softeners is overwhelming.
Frustration building, he pulls out his phone and dials the only number that would willingly help him. "Hello?"
"Um... hi...?" Donghyuck's voice wavers with nervousness. "Quick question... what fabric softener do you use?"
On the other end of the line, he swears he can hear Jaemin holding back a laugh. "Seriously calling me for laundry advice now? When I said call whenever, I meant for serious questions."
Donghyuck lets out a loud exasperated huff into the phone, catching the attention of the older women in the aisle. They cast judgmental looks at poor Donghyuck, and he wishes the floor would swallow him. "Dude, it's a serious question. Please help... the old ladies are judging me right now..."
Jaemin, still trying to stifle his laughter, composes himself. "Gain Fabric Softener, can never go wrong, and it smells fantastic, I swear by it."
Donghyuck hums into the phone and plucks it off the shelf. "Thanks."
"Anything else?"
Donghyuck smiles on the other end. "Nope," and the conversation ends there.
📞
Donghyuck's next call happens a few weeks later. He rings, and Jaemin picks up, knowing exactly who's on the other end. "Hello?"
Donghyuck's voice comes through the line. "Hi, it's Donghyuck again..."
Jaemin chuckles softly. "I know who you are, Hyuck. What do you need?"
Donghyuck scoffs. "How many inches long should the best kind of TVs be?"
Jaemin pauses for a moment, clearly taken aback by the unexpected question. "What...? Uh, how big is the space for the TV?"
Donghyuck hesitates, letting out a sheepish laugh. "I ... I don't know? I kinda just thought I could buy any TV and call it a day, but there are so many..."
Silence hangs heavy on the line, and it feels like an eternity before Jaemin lets out a wolfish laugh. "Oh my god, Just wow. I... hold on a second." Donghyuck hears him set down the phone, his laughter only growing louder.
Donghyuck burns with embarrassment, a pout settling on his face. "It's not that funny! Dude, stop laughing and help me!"
That only gets Jaemin laughing harder. Donghyuck whines. "Stop, or I'm gonna hang up!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, don't hang up!" Jaemin's laugh dies into the occasional snicker here and there. "Hm, how about you start with a 55-inch. It works for my apartment, and I'll assume our spaces are about the same, so it should work out well, okay?"
Donghyuck mumbles out a small 'thank you' before hanging up.
📞
Before he realizes it, he finds himself calling Jaemin for every little question he has, no matter how trivial it is. It had become a habit, one he couldn't seem to break. Each time his thumb hovered over the call button, his heart raced, and the anticipation of hearing Jaemin's voice made his palms sweat. This time he called just to hear his voice.
"Hey baby, how come we never text?" Jaemin's silky smooth voice came through his phone's speakers, sending shivers down Donghyuck's spine.
Donghyuck flushed at the affectionate pet name, gently clearing his voice. "I just like hearing your voice..."
Jaemin chuckled softly, and Donghyuck could hear him shift around a bit on the other end of the line. "You're so cute, Hyuckie," Jaemin whispered, making Donghyuck emit a soft, contented noise.
"Would you ever want to meet, Hyuck?" Jaemin suddenly asked, catching Donghyuck off guard. The prospect of meeting in person had crossed his mind, but the idea of it was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Donghyuck bit his lip, conflicted about how to respond. "Umm... yeah..." he whispered, his voice barely audible, betraying his nervousness.
"Could that be any time soon?" came Jaemin's next question, making Donghyuck's heart race even faster. The idea of taking their relationship from the virtual world into the real one was intimidating, and he struggled to find the right words.
"Well... um..." Donghyuck trailed off, caught between his desire to meet Jaemin and the fear that came with it. The possibility of a real-life encounter was now a tantalizing yet uncertain option that left him torn between his feelings and his anxieties.
"Hey, you don't have to give me an answer if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel pressured to meet me, okay? We don't ever have to meet if you don't want us to, okay baby? I just want you to be comfortable with me, okay?" Jaemin reassured, his voice filled with genuine concern and understanding, giving Donghyuck the space to make his own choice.
📞
After their last conversation, Donghyuck found himself deep in thought. He couldn't bear to go through the pain again, repeatedly falling for someone and getting hurt. The weight of it all boiled over, leading to a full-blown breakdown. As he anxiously checked the clock – 2:43 a.m. – he pondered whether it would be alright to call Jaemin. After all, it's not like Jaemin was even awake at this hour, right? Donghyuck thinks while pulling out his phone.
In the end, he gave in to his anxiety and nervously brought up Jaemin's contact on his phone. His finger hovered over the number, then he pressed it. The phone rang three times before Donghyuck was met with a groggy "hello" from the other end. He took a deep breath, and an ugly sob escaped his mouth. Instantly, Jaemin's comforting voice filled his ear, inquiring about what was troubling him.
"Jaem... I know it's not the time, but I can't sleep, and I'm just really anxious right now. God, you're gonna find this so stupid, but I want to see you. But like I'm so scared of seeing you. What if you think I'm ugly or annoying and you never wanna speak to me again? Because I think I like you, but how could I like you if I've never met you in person? And I'm just really..." Donghyuck cuts himself off with another wet sob.
He hears a bunch of shuffling on the line as he continues to sob into the phone. "Hyuck, baby, could you send me your address? I'll stay on the line, but I don't think you should be alone right now... is that okay?" Jaemin's voice is gentle, meant to calm Donghyuck down, and it does.
Donghyuck quickly sends him the address, and his sniffles slowly subside as he continues to talk to Jaemin. It's not his proudest moment, but he needs this.
A few moments later, he hears Jaemin whisper that he's outside. Donghyuck hangs up and opens the door to find a clearly tired Jaemin in his pajamas and messy hair. Donghyuck can't believe that Jaemin is even more perfect in person. Before he can speak, Jaemin wraps his arms around him and carries him back into his apartment.
Donghyuck just cries into Jaemin's shoulder, and Jaemin's comforting hand rubs his back. "Oh baby, I could never think you were ugly or annoying, okay? You're the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on." He soothes, running his fingers through Donghyuck's hair. "It's okay. You're okay, I'm here now." He kisses Donghyuck's forehead gently. Jaemin holds him as Donghyuck cries himself out, and soon enough, his cries turn into soft sniffles.
"Sorry for freaking out and having you come all the way here," Donghyuck laughs wetly. "I wasn't picturing our first meeting like this..."
Jaemin offers him a soft smile, wiping the tears from Donghyuck's warm face. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Donghyuck embraces Jaemin again, laying his head on Jaemin's shoulder. "I like you so much, and I really... I want to be with you," he takes a deep breath. "But I'm so scared... I've already fallen this hard, and I'm just scared of getting hurt again, Jaemin."
"I know you're scared... I am too, but we can work this out together. Seriously, I'll be here to answer all your weird questions and any other silly thing, Hyuck. I like you so much, it's a little frightening."
Donghyuck's eyes shine with tears. "You're such a loser, Jaem..." And with that, he's met with Jaemin's lips on his.