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In Donghyuck’s dream, the love of his life is a delight to be with, chases him when they kiss, and holds out his hand for him to hold whenever. He’s always dreamt that whoever that would be, will be an absolute darling. The light of his life. But what Donghyuck never dreamt about was how he'd meet his soulmate. He didn’t expect his red string of fate, the one looped at the base of his pinky, to appear when he stops at an intersection in front of a bodega.
First, Donghyuck’s face lights up. He can’t help but grin as his eyes follow the string. It ends up not inside the bodega, where he hoped it will, but behind it. An alley. A dingy alley. Donghyuck deflates. His soulmate is a gangster? A mob boss? It also didn’t make it rather helpful that it was almost midnight and all Donghyuck had was a phone on 10% battery.
Then he feels a tug on his pinky. Sirens go off in his head but hey, okay, c’mon. It’s his soulmate. They’d meet each other one way or another. Donghyuck panics when he hears footsteps, his heart drops to his feet when he realises those steps sounded heavy and chunky. Like the ones of boots.
It is that time that someone decides to exit the bodega, the ring of the door catching Donghyuck’s attention. A blur of teenagers make their way out and passes the alley. They are loud, like teenagers are, ignoring Donghyuck completely, who stands still as the night sky as the green pedestrian light blinks above his head.
When they’re gone, a boy stands at the entrance of the alley, looking just as shell shocked as Donghyuck thinks he is. The boy looks slightly taller than him, a backpack hangs on one shoulder, a dark flannel hugs his body loosely under a thick jacket, and true to his guess, he had boots on. The glowing red string is a stark contrast against his dark clothes.
“Hello,” is the first thing his soulmate says. His voice is a little low, all prim and proper. Then, he grins. “Soulmate?”
Donghyuck’s a little shocked, that’s all. He takes a few seconds to register the question and nods.
What Donghyuck learns about his soulmate over a badly wrapped sandwich is that his name is Jeno Lee, he is the same age as him but older by a few months, and requests his sandwich with no sauce and no salad, please.
“But why?” Donghyuck says, licking his fingers clean and folds the wax paper neatly into a triangle.
“I don't know,” Jeno replies and puts down his unfinished sandwich on his lap. They’re sitting at the curb outside the bodega instead of sitting on the high stools inside because the calico cat inside kept jumping on Jeno’s lap. “Why’d you fold your wrapper into a triangle?”
Donghyuck looks down at his palm. A triangle. “Oh,” he says. “I never really noticed. Instincts, I guess?”
Jeno hums and picks his sandwich back up to finish it. He never expected to meet his soulmate at midnight, when Donghyuck was actually rushing down his apartment because he forgot to buy toilet paper. The eight-pack toilet paper that he bought from the bodega sits quietly next to him.
The night is still. No wind, no rain. It is in the middle of November and the moon hangs in the sky, the light making Jeno glow. He wonders if he looked like that, too, to Jeno. When Jeno finally finished his sandwich, he doesn’t fold it neatly into a square or a triangle but rather, he crumples it into his palm and pockets it. Donghyuck stares.
“You’re probably wondering why I was at the alley,” Jeno begins and Donghyuck smiles sheepishly. Was he that obvious? It had been rather curious to be in an alley so late in the night. Jeno’s grin is reassuring somehow. It’s okay to ask, I won’t be mad. “If I say this, promise not to be weirded out?”
Donghyuck braces himself for the absolute worst. I killed a child. Donghyuck glances at his hands, non-bloodied. Okay, so maybe not murder. Kidnapping? Probably.
“I, uh, am Spider-man?”
Donghyuck raises an eyebrow, says, “You don’t sound so sure.”
Jeno visibly deflates, shoulders slumped forward. “I am Spider-man.” Then, he adds, “Someone was stealing a car, so I. You know. Brought them over to the police. He was covered in webs though I don't think the police were pleased by that.” Then he looks down at his pinky, the one with the string attached and smiles a little. “And while I was changing I saw this.”
It takes longer than a few seconds this time for Donghyuck to register that. So the tableau of his night currently looks like: 1) Met my soulmate, 2) Met Spider-man, and 3) My soulmate is Spider-man? 4) Oh also got toilet papers. Donghyuck straightens his legs against the asphalt and stares at them instead.
“Donghyuck?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re not...going to tell anybody, right?”
“How are you more concerned about that more than the fact my soulmate is a freaking superhero?” Donghyuck splutters, eyes wide and bewildered. Okay. What the fuck. His soulmate is fucking Spider-man. New York City’s Most Beloved Superhero. What the fuck. “What the fuck?”
Jeno swings his backpack to his front and unzips it, showing what’s inside to Donghyuck. He peeks and, well.
“You’re freaking Spider-man,” Donghyuck deadpans. “Why?”
Jeno looks taken aback and his cheeks turn an obvious shade of pink. Then he laughs (a really nice laugh, Donghyuck notes), says, “I don’t know. I didn’t get bitten by a mutant spider, if that’s what you want to know.”
“So you’re smart?”
“You know, Donghyuck, at this point I don’t know if you’re shocked that your soulmate is Spider-man or the fact that I am Spider-man.”
“Jeno,” he says calmly, ignoring the glowing red string tangled in between them. “How many superheroes do you know?”
Being that Jeno, so far as he has known him, is a daft bumbling idiot, he begins to list them down. “Well, Mr Stark, obviously because he gave me the suit. I’ve met Deadpool once, just to see if I really was Asian and high-fived me for diversity — but oh, wait you said superhero — I’ve also —”
“Do you get why I’m so shocked?”
Jeno stares for a whole minute before realisation dawns on him and he simply goes, “Ah.”
“You’re a superhero and I’m just. What? Donghyuck Lee.”
“That’s pretty rad.”
“I just,” Donghyuck huffs out and straightens his back. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Okay. “I’m sorry.”
Jeno sputters. “No, no, no! You have every right to be shocked. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have dropped that on you on the first meeting, you know. I just thought, if you’re my soulmate, you’d have to know everything about me.”
“Off to a great start,” Donghyuck jokes and Jeno doesn’t look that tense anymore and smiles openly, eyes squeezed shut. “Now, Spider-man,” he says and stands up, dusting his pants. “Could you walk me home?”
The next few days fail to top the most eventful night of his life. Even when Renjun tripped in the cafeteria, sending his tray flying to his long-time crush’s lap. Donghyuck smiles as Renjun walks back to their table with cheeks as red as their table. And then his string glows.
“What the fuck,” Donghyuck mutters under his breath and looks up, finding for a familiar case of bird nest hair.
Donghyuck and Jeno had exchanged phone numbers when Jeno dropped him off at his apartment and they’ve been texting back and forth on a daily. So far Donghyuck knows that despite popular belief, Jeno doesn’t live with his aunt but he lives with a guy named Doyoung Kim, who works with the Stark Industries and was assigned by Tony Stark to look after him, and three cats. His aunt visits him once a month though.
And he can’t believe after texting his soulmate for days he completely forgot to ask him where he went to school.
“What?”
“Renjun,” Donghyuck says but his eyes are still searching for Jeno. “I found my soulmate.”
“Whoa,” comes Renjun’s reply. Then, “Really? When?”
“Last Friday night,” Donghyuck replies and the string is still glowing. He’s close. He goes to school here? What the fuck. He can’t believe this. “He’s a neat guy. His name is Jeno Lee.”
Renjun shoots him a puzzled look. “Jeno Lee? Like, the guy from my debate team, Jeno Lee?”
And at that exact moment, the cafeteria door chooses to push itself open and come tumbling out is Jeno with two other boys in tow, laughing. He seems to be so occupied in their conversation that he doesn’t realise the glow of their string. Donghyuck stares in disbelief then chooses to look back at Renjun.
“My soulmate goes here?”
“You’re not quite the observant one between us two, Hyuck,” Renjun laughs as he turns around to look at where Donghyuck was looking at. Long gone was his worry about accidentally spilling his lunch all over Yukhei. “You gonna say hi?”
“No,” he replies and grabs his phone out of his bag and quickly unlocks it. look at ur pinky jackass he sends and waits. It’s comical the way Jeno straightens his back and looks around. behind you.
Jeno does look his way. Donghyuck raises his hand and sends him a weak wave.
“So you go here, too,” Jeno says as soon as he meets Donghyuck at the back of the cafeteria after lunch. It seems that they both have free periods and decided to meet. Donghyuck gives him a deadpan look.
“And you’re Spider-man,” he adds. “A superhero goes to our freaking school and I didn’t know!”
“No,” he says. “Here, I am Jeno Lee, a state champion debater and nothing more.”
“You’re my soulmate.”
Jeno laughs. “And your soulmate.”
Donghyuck is lost beyond words, choosing to stare at Jeno’s wonderfully sculpted face in the stead of saying anything. Jeno then grins, breaking Donghyuck from his reverie.
“Taking a picture might last longer I reckon.”
“Reckon,” Donghyuck repeats. “Who the fuck says reckon. Is this a debater thing? Or a superhero thing?”
“It’s a Jeno thing, Donghyuck,” Jeno chuckles and grabs a hold of Donghyuck’s hand. Oh. Just like his dream. “Is this okay? Holding your hand?” Donghyuck nods wordlessly because his hand is warm and smooth that he doesn’t think Jeno has ever done house chores. Then he recalls the news of Spider-man keeping an almost sunken ferry afloat with his fucking webs and sheer strength alone and shakes his thoughts away.
“Yeah,” he finally replies and God, his palms are beginning to fucking sweat. “This is okay.”
On the way to Donghyuck’s classroom, Jeno turns around and says, “I hope you know that I’m more than just Spider-man.”
Donghyuck softens at that because it’s obvious that he doesn’t want to be known as Spider-man first to Donghyuck. He is, first and foremost, Jeno Lee, his soulmate.
“You’re more than just an ugly mask.”
“Hey —”
“You’re Jeno Lee, correct?”
Jeno nods and Donghyuck takes the opportunity to lean forward and kisses Jeno’s cheek. It’s a quick one but it still sends the both of them into a blushing mess. Their fingers are still laced together, the red string bundled together under them. The bell rings.
“I’ll see you after school?”
“Is that a date, Jeno Lee?”
Jeno lets their hands go and Donghyuck juts his bottom lip out, making Jeno let out the best laugh he’s ever heard.
“It will be if you want it to be.”
Renjun and Donghyuck walk their usual route home except Donghyuck stops in front of the Thai restaurant a few blocks away from their apartment.
“I'm meeting with Jeno,” Donghyuck says and waves Renjun off.
“He's a nice kid, by the way. Can be a bit absent minded and sometimes very stupid but he's nice,” Renjun says, patting Donghyuck's shoulder. Donghyuck rolls his eyes. “Don't kill him, Hyuck.”
“Okay, mum, God,” he replies but he finds himself smiling anyway when Renjun turns around, his back facing him as he walks back to his apartment. Donghyuck pushes the door open to the restaurant and is greeted with a sawadeeka.
Jeno had texted a few minutes prior that he was running a bit late and word by word mr moon loves me so much hes NOT LETTING ME OUT followed by why am i such a great chem student.
Donghyuck chooses a table at the back corner of the restaurant, where the seats have the smell of Thai food clinging onto them from being so close to the kitchen. He hears the sound of the wok against the stove and waits.
“Hi,” Jeno greets him as soon as he slides into his seat. When he entered the restaurant and smiled, their string glowed and Donghyuck felt a little lighter. “Waited long?”
“Yes, a century,” he deadpans as he goes through the menu. He doesn't know why he's going through it when he already knows what he's getting. He turns to their server and says, “One pad thai.”
The server nods and turns to Jeno.
“Tom yam kung, please,” he says and the server nods, walking away. “So Donghyuck, my soulmate.”
Donghyuck bats his eyes together. “Yes, Jeno, my soulmate?”
“When were you planning to tell me you went to the same school as me?”
Donghyuck scoffs. “When were you planning to tell me you were in the debate team with my best friend!”
“Renjun Huang?” Jeno cocks his head to the side and Donghyuck feels like turning into goo. “How can you not know this? I'm literally always bothering him.”
“Well, I've never been to his tournaments,” Donghyuck admits.
“One best friend you are,” Jeno jokes, shaking his head. “So I know your best friend. Do you know mine?”
“Those two dumb nerds. I know one’s in the student body”
“Yes!” Jeno says excitedly, smiling wide. “They're Jaemin and Mark. Mark’s the student body guy.”
“Mmhmm,” Donghyuck says, leaning back as their server places their steaming hot food on the table. Donghyuck hands Jeno the utensils and starts digging in. Donghyuck pauses, asks, “Does anyone know you already have a soulmate?”
“My friends, yeah,” he answers and swallows his food. “I told my auntie then Doyoung, who freaked the fuck out by the way, and then he told Mr Stark and then The Man himself asked me if I told my soulmate about me being Spider-man.”
“And?”
“Well, I lied.”
Donghyuck snorts. “Don't worry, I only told Renjun and my parents that I have a soulmate but I didn't say who.”
“So I'm your dirty little secret?” Jeno asks, wiggling his eyebrows and it takes all of Donghyuck to not thwack his head with his spoon.
“I will hit you,” Donghyuck says offhandedly. “Also my parents want to meet you one day. Whenever you're ready.”
“My auntie, too. Also, Doyoung cause he's basically my dad.”
“That's cute,” Donghyuck says, smiling to himself. He likes listening to Jeno talk. This has been well established over text when literally the first thing Jeno texted him was YEET. “Is Doyoung hot?”
Jeno shrieks.
Donghyuck’s wiping the dining table after breakfast when he overhears the news talking about Spider-man. All he hears is stopped train and NYC’s hero. He chucks the hand towel in the sink and tells his little sister to move over.
“Since when were you interested in Spider-man?” She says, rolling her eyes and snuggles deeper into the corner of the battered up couch. Donghyuck watches the shitty camera footage of Spider-man (Jeno) stopping a train from falling off an edge and the other twenty-seven videos from the citizens of New York City. He gnaws on his lower lip and stands up, searching for his phone.
“Since last Friday,” he finally replies his sister and goes into his room. He jumps on his bed and reaches over the bedside table for his phone. He quickly sends Jeno a quick saw the news r u okay?
Donghyuck’s about to lock his phone when his phone dings. i’m okay! he reads, the bubble appears under his screen. Another text appears. u care about me :”c
Donghyuck scoffs. no i dont.
hey what floor r u on again
24th
why
im gonna surprise u
open ur window ok!!
Donghyuck panics. Jeno really is an idiot. Imagine the headlines when they see Spider-man shooting webs all over across town just to meet his soulmate, who turns out to be — oh, really? Just Donghyuck Lee from Queens. The crowd boos. We want Shuri.
He’s about to send a dont u fucking dare when there’s a knock on the window and there he is — fucking Spider-man, hanging upside down. It’s stupid that he has his mask on but he knows he’s grinning underneath. There’s a tug on his pinky. Donghyuck walks towards his window and pulls the windowsill up, the cold wind slapping him in the face. He leans out and sighs, “What?"
“That’s not how you greet your soulmate after he’s saved the city!” Jeno says, using an exaggerated newscaster voice. Donghyuck giggles. “Anyway I brought you flowers.”
“Oh my God.” Donghyuck gapes and blushes. Jeno reaches from behind him and in his hand (the one not shooting out webs, the one that’s literally hanging him upside down on the 24th floor) is a badly arranged bouquet of sunflowers and baby’s breath. “You shouldn’t have."
“Well, I did, anyway,” Jeno says. It’s weird because he expects to hear it all muffled but he hears it as clear as day. “I gotta go now before anyone catches me.”
“Yes, please,” Donghyuck says quickly. His heartbeat is fast. Very fast. It is threatening to shoot out of his chest and into Jeno’s hands. “Go away.”
“Bye, Donghyuck!” Jeno says before, quite literally, shooting away, building through building. The red glow gets dimmer the further away Jeno gets and Donghyuck decides, completely smitten, that their string looks pretty against the cityscape.
A knock on his door and his two sisters peek in. Both of them in unison ask, “Was someone in here?”
Donghyuck flushes but lies through his teeth and shakes his head, no.
The younger one, Dongsun, drops her gaze to Donghyuck’s hand. “Those flowers…"
Fuck. Donghyuck hides them behind his back but he knows it’s too late. They both saw it.
“How?” The older one, Dongyul, asks. “How in the hell?”
“Uh,” Donghyuck trails and fuck, fuck, fuck he wishes he had the power to lie to his siblings because these little heathens can see right through him. “It flew in,” is what he decided to go with. Sounds probable. The two sisters shrug and leave Donghyuck alone.
He lets out a long exhale and leaves the flowers on his desk to go to the kitchen to fill in an empty glass bottle.
Jeno isn’t as slick as he seems or is supposed to be, you know, being a goddamn superhero sponsored by Stark industries and all. It’s all over the news. Spider-man’s Heart: Taken? Spider-man’s Soulmate Lives in The Ugliest Apartment Brooklyn Has Ever Seen. Donghyuck buries his face into his palms, his Twitter feed on his screen is taunting him. Renjun simply pats his back as he sucks loudly on his juice box.
“Hey, at least now you know you live in the same apartment block as Spider-man’s soulmate,” Renjun says, shrugging. Donghyuck knows Renjun is trying because why is he, out of all people, having a mental breakdown over his apartment being exposed to the public? For once, Donghyuck is thankful for Renjun’s lack of brain cells.
Apparently during Jeno’s act of chivalry, a passerby had captured a photo of him crawling to his window and oh my God, that is a sight Donghyuck never wants to see again. He drags his hand down his face and makes a noise of distress. Renjun pats his back again.
“Hi,” Jeno suddenly materialises out of nowhere and Donghyuck looks up, glaring daggers at Jeno. “Hello, Donghyuck. Renjun.”
“Hey, it’s your soulmate! Maybe he’ll make you feel better,” Renjun says, patting Jeno’s arm and pulls him to sit down. “I’m going to class now. Spend your free period making out or something.”
They both blush. Donghyuck flips Renjun off.
When no one is in earshot, Jeno leans closer and says, “I’m sorry.”
Donghyuck groans.
“I really am, Donghyuck. I didn’t mean to be...obvious. I even jumped through roofs, so no one walking would notice me,” Jeno explains and this time his voice sounded really apologetic and Donghyuck melts a little. He knows Jeno isn’t at fault, obviously but he’s just. Ugh. “Donghyuck, forgive me? I’m really sorry.”
Jeno has his hands on Donghyuck’s arm and it’s warm. Donghyuck’s really, really lucky that at least Spider-man’s soulmate (him) isn’t exposed. Just a photo of his hand extending out of the window. Donghyuck sighs.
“I’m not...mad, Jeno,” Donghyuck says and turns to look at Jeno, in which he regrets. Because Jeno is pouting, his lower lip jutted out just a little, enough to look pitiful and his eyes are soft, a little glassy. “Jeno, don’t look at me like that.”
“But I’m really sorry.”
“I know you are,” Donghyuck says and he smiles because he knows Jeno will smile, too. And smile Jeno did. “You’re not at fault, so there’s nothing to forgive you for. I’m sorry, I just. You know? I don’t know what the city will react when they find out your soulmate is just.”
“Just what?”
“Well, me. I’m not Shuri or something.”
Jeno wheezes, head thrown back to laugh louder and his smile is open and all teeth and gums. Donghyuck’s heart hurts. He smiles.
“You might not be Shuri,” Jeno says, eyes crinkling at the edges. “But you are my soulmate and you are the loveliest person I know. If the city doesn’t think so then I’ll fight them.”
“You’ll fight a location?”
“Hell fuckin’ yeah I will, babe,” Jeno admits and pumps his chest out. “Look,” he says and points at a patch of grass that somehow made it through layers of cement. “Do you think Donghyuck is amazing? No? Well, meet your end,” he says and then steps on it. The smile he shoots Donghyuck is triumphant.
After school, Donghyuck finds it hard to get into the bloody lift. He takes a photo of his lobby and sends it to Jeno. look at the crowd at my apartment lobby omg
and theyre all there for u hyuck
Donghyuck changes Jeno’s contact name from spidey boy to spidey baby after he let the affectionate nickname slip out when they’re on their fifth(?) date. Just that morning Jeno had saved a baby in a stroller from being hit in traffic after it had slid out of the mother’s grip. Jeno recounted the incident through a mouthful of sushi laden with wasabi when he choked on the word through that sounded more like trukh.
“Wrong pipe!” He shrieked.
“My poor baby,” Donghyuck said, laughing as he retrieved tissues upon tissues and handed it to Jeno. Jeno, with tears in his eyes, accepted it and wiped his tears as he gulped down two (2) glasses of ice cold water. When he finally breathed out a sigh of relief, he leaned back with a smug look on his face, as if just a few seconds ago he wasn’t choking for air.
“What?” Donghyuck asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“You called me your baby,” Jeno pointed out, grinning. “Is that your nickname for me?”
“I really hate you.”
“I understand,” Jeno nodded. “Baby.”
That night, Jeno texted him that Doyoung was worried and inquired which fucking menace bruised New York City’s most beloved superhero with a spoon. Donghyuck texted him back to tell him that it was your soulmate.
“Hey, baby,” Jeno says, the nth time since The Baby Incident™ and at this point, Donghyuck isn’t bothered anymore. Donghyuck hums back and from across the table, he sees Jaemin, Renjun, and Mark fake projectile all over the cafeteria floor. “What do you think about meeting my auntie tonight? And Doyoung.”
Oh, fuck. He knew this was coming sooner or later.
The long pause must worry Jeno because he continues hastily. “If you want, of course. No rush, I understand if you don’t want to but like tonight’s the one night my aunt comes to visit and —”
“I’ll come,” Donghyuck replies, cutting Jeno off and puts a hand on his knee. “I’ll come, okay? Don’t worry about it.”
So this is how Donghyuck will be meeting Jeno’s family and guardian, in a crisp button down tucked into a pair of black slacks that his mother insists he wears because no one will think he is civilised if he keeps wearing those horrid jeans with made up holes in them. Donghyuck sighs and rings the doorbell. He hears footsteps behind the door and a red light blinks at the top of number 453. He assumes it’s the camera and smiles awkwardly at it. He hears the door unlock with a beep.
“Donghyuck,” Jeno says, to his relief. He gives him a onceover and he breathlessly says, “Wow, what the hell.”
Donghyuck flushes, not one to like being scrutinised. “What is it, dumbass?”
“You look very pretty. Beautiful,” Jeno stammers out, blushing himself. He takes off Donghyuck’s coat and says, “Come in, they’re going to love you.”
Donghyuck kicks his pair of Oxfords at the front door and follows Jeno from behind. Jeno is wearing black slacks too but his shirt isn’t tucked in. Nevertheless, a handsome boy that still charmed Donghyuck.
The apartment is huge and it is no surprise to Donghyuck because fuck, it’s bought by the Stark industries. It’s supposed to be humongous. From his living room, where Jeno had told him to sit at (also where one of the three cats are currently sleeping at),he could see the entire glittering skyline. He gapes and stares for a long, long time.
“Hyuck,” Jeno calls out, eyes soft. “Dinner’s ready.”
“Oh.” Donghyuck gulps, standing up and straightens his slacks. He’s going to shit his pants. “Okay.”
He doesn’t shit his pants per se but the glare Doyoung (very hot, by the way but Donghyuck decides that Jeno is Hotter™) sends him when Jeno goes off about That One Time He Hit Jeno A Little Too Hard It Left A Bruise is enough to make him want to shit his pants. But that was only one (1) glare because then Doyoung shoots him a smile because Jeno is talking so much about how amazing Donghyuck is and how he’s so, so smart! He’s amazing, auntie! Hyung, are you listening? Look across you, it’s the country’s Next Big Thing.
Donghyuck smiles, embarrassed.
Jeno sends him off that night till the lobby where he kisses Donghyuck’s forehead good night. Donghyuck’s mum had told him that if someone kisses you on the forehead, they must love you very much. Donghyuck melts in Jeno’s arms and slides his hand down to his wrists, then laces their fingers together.
“It’s getting late,” Jeno says, smiling, even though he’s also not letting go of Donghyuck.
“I know,” he replies, eyes twinkling. In the corner of his eye, he sees his dad’s car and his two little sisters’ face pressed up against the window of the backseat. “Hey Jeno.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m really glad you’re my soulmate,” Donghyuck says. Tonight, along with the stiff Oxfords he has on his feet, he wears his heart on his sleeve. “I really like you, Jeno.”
“I like you more.”
The string wraps itself around them and emits a red glow, bouncing off his and Jeno’s skin.
Donghyuck rolls his eyes and finally lets go of Jeno.
Spidey baby texts him at 2.34AM asking WAIT WE’RE BOYFRIENDS RIGHT.
Sometimes Donghyuck can't help but wonder how Jeno hasn't drop dead from tiredness alone. On top of being your neighbourhood friendly superhero, he's also a state champion debater and just a few seconds ago Jeno just dropped the fact that he's going to the academic decathlon in a few months.
“Literally how are you still alive?” Donghyuck asks worriedly and places his hands on Jeno's cheek. They're sitting at one of those picnic tables in a park across from Jeno's place. The idiot has a big grin etched on his face as if he hasn't been sleeping four hours a night. “Maybe slow down a little.”
“But I'm fine,” Jeno assures, placing is hand on top of Donghyuck's. “I really am, Hyuck. You gotta stop worrying.”
Donghyuck huffs. “Of course, I'm gonna worry. Not only are you going to that dumb decathlon whatever in April, you also have your debate camp during mid-winter break and you're also busy fighting —”
“Hey.”
Donghyuck turns away, putting his hand on his lap.
“Baby, look at me.”
Donghyuck does, begrudgingly, and Jeno's expression is unreadable. He looks? Soft. A soft smile graces his lips and he squeezes Donghyuck's hand.
“I'm going to be okay,” he says. “And I'll rest a lot, okay?”
“Okay,” Donghyuck grumbles and leans forward, his cheek pressed against Jeno's shoulder. “You better rest. I don't want my Spider-man to faint at his job or something.”
Jeno laughs with his whole body. “Your Spider-man," he parrots, running his fingers through Donghyuck's hair.
“My Spider-man.”
“What about Dongsun? She's obsessed with Spider-man.”
“Yeah but Dongsun's soulmate isn't Spider-man, is it now?”
Jeno nods. “Point,” he says. Minutes pass and the alarm on Donghyuck's phone blares at the top of its mechanical lungs and Donghyuck shoots Jeno a grin.
“Time to go!”
“I'm literally so afraid of your father.”
“He is really nice. Imagine me but, like, taller.”
“Then I'm even more afraid.”
Jeno's first time meeting his parents is at a family restaurant that serves fusion cuisine. Dongsun and Dongyul love Jeno so much they had called dibs on the seats next to Jeno. Jeno laughs and shoots Donghyuck an amused grin. Donghyuck rolls his eyes.
“Jeno, I heard from Donghyuck you're a very busy boy,” his mother grins as she cuts herself a piece of steak. Jeno almost chokes on his food and shakes his head. Donghyuck laughs.
“I'm really not! I just like to keep myself busy.”
“Yeah, with school,” Donghyuck chips in. “My soulmate is a nerd.”
Jeno kicks him from underneath the table and shoots him a grin. Ugh. The charming idiot.
Donghyuck's father had decided with an air of authority that it's nonsense that Jeno will be walking all the way back to his apartment (it was fifteen blocks away) and insisted that they ride the Lee's shitty minivan. That's how Jeno and Donghyuck find themselves squeezed to the opposite ends of the backseat because of Dongsun and Dongyul.
“I'll see you tomorrow, Jen,” Donghyuck says, smiling as he rolls down the window to see Jeno off.
“See you,” he says then turns to his father and does a full 90° bow. “Thank you so much for lunch, Mr and Mrs Lee! Your son is an absolute delight.”
When his father drives off, his mother turns around and pats his knee. Donghyuck looks up to see his mother's eyes to be full of a mischievous glint. He braces himself.
“He sounds like a charmer,” his mum says.
“It's because he is, ma.”
“You know, your dad wasn't like that when we found out we were soulmates. He tripped on our string so many times,” his mum recounts, laughing as his father reaches over to pinch her sides. “I'm glad that he's a nice fellow. You must really like him, huh, sweetheart?”
Donghyuck blushes. “Yeah.”
“Ew,” Dongyul says, sticking her tongue out in disgust. “Donghyuck and Jeno sitting on a tree!”
And then the whole car continues, leaving Donghyuck absolutely mortified.
“Where’s Jeno?”
Donghyuck looks up from his book and squints his eyes at Renjun, who slides into the seat right across him. He puts down his own book and opens it up.
“Why’d you ask where’s Jeno when I’m here, your best friend.”
Renjun rolls his eyes. “The both of you are attached at the hip lately, it’s odd to see you all alone,” Renjun says and he knows Renjun’s saying that without the thought of teasing him but he still huffs.
“False.”
Renjun without looking up from his book, where he’s already going through some exercises, just shakes his head. Says, “You know I’m right.”
Donghyuck deflates. He is right.
When at school, Jeno’s always by Donghyuck’s side, holding his hand or at least tugging on the strap of his backpack that he knows annoys the shit out of Donghyuck. They’ve been dating for a few months now and Donghyuck still is so very soft for Jeno. Donghyuck sighs.
Whipped.
“Jeno’s at decathlon practice, by the way,” Donghyuck answers and he hates how he can hear the pout in his own damn voice. Renjun laughs.
“You know, it’d be easier if you just went to one of my debate tournaments. Then, maybe you’d meet your soulmate a lot faster,” he points out. Donghyuck whines that well why didn’t Renjun force him to go to any of the debate tournaments he was in! Maybe if he had threatened Donghyuck he would go!
Renjun throws an eraser at Donghyuck’s head to shut him up.
An hour and a half later, Jeno enters the library and takes a seat next to Donghyuck.
“Hey, Jun,” Jeno greets, offering him a fist bump in which Renjun bumps back without even looking up. All he replied back was hmm. Jeno turns to Donghyuck and pecks him on the cheek. Donghyuck grins. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“What’re you doing?” Jeno asks and peeks at the exercises Donghyuck has been slaving away. “Calc?”
“The bane of my existence,” Donghyuck confesses dramatically and wipes a fake tear near the corner of his eye. He gives Jeno a dirty look. “Not all of us are in the honors programme.”
“I didn’t say anything!” Jeno says, looking affronted. He then looks back to the page and grins. “Although, this is quite easy, Hyuck.”
“Ugh, I literally hate you,” Donghyuck grumbles and shuts the book close. Renjun’s still quietly doing his own work with one ear plugged with his earphones. He shoves his books in his bag and turns to look at Jeno, cheek resting on the palm of his hand. “Must you really go next week?”
Jeno laughs. “Of course, I have to. It’s Nationals.”
“Yeah but then I’ll miss you,” Donghyuck explains like Jeno’s an idiot or something.
“You think I won’t miss you too?” Jeno says and from Donghyuck’s peripheral view, he sees Renjun take the other earbud and shoves it into his other ear. “It’s just gonna be a few days.”
Donghyuck pouts, making sure he looks as pitiful as he can and all Jeno did was pinch his cheeks. Donghyuck yelps and the librarian behind the counter quickly shushes them.
“Don’t do that,” Jeno says through an open smile, still pinching Donghyuck’s cheek. “You’re too cute my heart hurts.”
Donghyuck deadpans. “Then die.”
“I’ll take you out for dinner then tonight? And all the nights until I go. How’s that sound?”
Expensive but Donghyuck doesn’t say anything because his credit card is platinum and black and has fucking Stark embossed on it, so Donghyuck grins.
“Sounds great!”
It seems that no one knows Jeno is Spider-man except for him and Doyoung. So when he finds himself cornered by a man in a ski mask with a knife at his throat, asking if he was Spider-man's soulmate, he scoffs.
“Are you kidding me?”
“You're pretty chatty for someone with a knife to his throat, kid,” the man says. “I know you are.”
“What the fuck? How did you even get to that conclusion?” Donghyuck says, backing himself further against the cold hard brick wall of the alley. He was walking back from running errands for his mum when someone snatched him by the arm and covered his mouth, dragging him into an alley. It's dark. It's fucking dark and despite Donghyuck's demeanour, his hands are shaking.
“Your window.”
“You creep!”
The man hisses and shoves Donghyuck more against the wall. “So are you?”
“I am not!” He lies. “I don't even have a soulmate yet, what the fuck? I'm 17!”
“You're lying!” The man decides, the moment a black van pulls up behind him. He slides the door open. “Get in, you fucking liar. See if Spider-man'll fuckin’ save his soulmate or not.”
Donghyuck stares at the man in disbelief as he duct tapes his wrists together. “You're joking, right? Spider-man will save me regardless if I'm his soulmate or not cause, you see, I'm a citizen.”
“Say another word and I'll fucking kill you,” he threatens and shoves Donghyuck to the back of the van and slides the door shut.
“Bold of you to assume I don't want to fucking die already!” He shouts and hears the rumble of the van starts and drives off. It's dark. So fucking dark that Donghyuck can't even make out anything. He rests his head on the floor and cries, his whole body shaking as he curls into himself.
His phone has already been crushed from him trying to fight the man earlier, lying on the ground at the alley along with his bag of groceries. Donghyuck cries even harder when he realises that Jeno isn't even here. He's in fucking D.C.
Stupid decathlon.
There are two man in ski masks and one had shoved him into the coldest and darkest room he's ever been in. Donghyuck cries even louder. He misses his mum, his dad. The room is too quiet, too, and misses Dongsun and Dongyul's bickering. Renjun, Jaemin, Mark — Jeno.
It's too dark.
Donghyuck doesn't know how long but the man in the ski mask enters his room with a box of juice. He stabs the straw in the hole and holds it up for Donghyuck to drink. Donghyuck, covered in his snot and tears, turns away.
“Jesus Christ, kid. We not really gonna hurt ya, y'know? We just want some money.”
“Rob a fucking bank or something then! Why use me as bait?”
The man shrugs. “Spider-man is richer,” he answers then throws the juice box at Donghyuck's feet. “Whatever. Don't die or anything.”
Donghyuck scoffs as he shuts the door and at least this time he has the decency to leave the lights on.
Donghyuck's pressed against one corner of the wall, still crying, when the door creaks open. Donghyuck's already ready to glare whichever man that came in to hand him yet another juice box. Frankly, Donghyuck doesn't know how long he's been here but he had three naps since. But because he has no watch nor a window, he doesn't know if it was a nap or a full eight-hour sleep.
“Donghyuck,” a familiar voice calls out and a wave of relief washes over Donghyuck. He cries even harder. “Hyuck? Oh my God.”
It's Jeno in that ugly superhero suit of his and when he opens the door wide enough, he sees the two man tied up together, completely knocked out.
“Jeno,” he sobs out as Jeno rips the duct tape off on his wrists and quickly throws his arms around him. Jeno hugs back tight and his shoulder drops, not tense anymore. “Jeno, I was so fucking scared.”
“Me too,” Jeno says and takes off his mask. When he does, Donghyuck, all teary eyed, stares. There are tear tracks on Jeno's cheek and his heart aches.
“Jeno, you cried,” Donghyuck chokes out and reaches out to wipe his tears. “Hey, baby. I'm safe now, okay? You've got me.”
“Donghyuck, you were gone for two whole days while I was all the way in D.C. I had Doyoung pretend to call for an emergency matter for me to come back and come to you,” Jeno says slowly, or not he'll choke on his tears. “I was so fucking scared. I thought I lost you.”
“Nah, they just told me they used me as bait. They want your money,” Donghyuck says smiling and cups Jeno's cheeks.
"Then just take my fucking money," Jeno cries. "Why'd they take you?"
Jeno helps Donghyuck stand up and holy shit, he hasn't moved his legs in two days. He wobbles a little and Jeno helps him by holding his waist.
“You okay if I shoot us out? We'll get to the hospital faster,” Jeno asks as he holds tightly onto Donghyuck's waist. He gulps but nods anyway. They both climb out of an open window and with Jeno pulling his mask back on, they shoot away.
When Jeno guides him to the ER, he squeezed his hand hard before leaving. Everyone in the ER looked at Donghyuck in shock and one even had the guts to take a picture of him — with flash. Minutes later, his family comes tumbling through the automatic doors and hugs him.
“Oh Donghyuck,” his mum says, hugging him tight and lets go to hold his face in her hands. “Thank God for Spider-man.”
Donghyuck smiles.
The next few hours is filled with Renjun laying by his side and Dongsun and Dongyul taking turns clicking the Help button by his bedside. The nurse stops coming in by the third click.
“Did you know your worth was only two million according to the kidnappers?” Renjun says, laughing through a mouthful of chocolate pudding he stole from Donghyuck's food tray. “Also I cannot believe Spider-man has a crush on you. Like? You! Out of all people! You hate superheroes.”
Donghyuck laughs and hits Renjun's arm lightly. “Spider-man's okay. He's actually pretty cute,” he admits, which is the truth anyway. Jeno's cute.
Renjun's face lights up. “So how is Spider-man? Is he cute? Did you see his face? He must be a real dork,” Renjun runs off and then his string starts to glow. Someone knocks on the door and it opens to Jeno, looking like he hasn't slept in days. He offers them a weak smile.
Renjun, sensing that they wanted to be left alone, pulls Dongsun and Dongyul out of the room with promise of ice cream. Dongsun whines and clings to Jeno's arm.
“I'll buy you ice cream after I talk to your brother, okay? Pinky promise,” Jeno says, squatting down to her height and offers her his pinky. She pouts but loops her tiny pinky around his larger one anyway. The scene warms Donghyuck's heart and he smiles. He doesn't know what he'll do without Jeno.
Jeno closes the door behind him and goes right to Donghyuck.
“I'm so sorry, Hyuck.”
Donghyuck looks puzzled. “What —”
“If I didn't come over to your room that day, you wouldn't be here. Fuck. I feel so fucking bad that you had to go through that. I'm so sorry, Hyuck, oh my God, you'll be a saint if you ever forgive me which I dou —”
Donghyuck shuts him up by kissing the corner of his mouth and when he sits back, Jeno stares at him in disbelief.
“Why?”
“Did you hear yourself?”
“I —”
“I never once thought as this was your fault, okay? It isn't. Their stupid act isn't your fault. It's them. They kidnapped me and I'm okay! They didn't hurt me. Don't do that to yourself, Jeno. It isn't fair. You saved me. If anything I am grateful for you.”
Jeno's face visibly softens then, his too long bangs brushing against his eyelashes make him look like a boy, not some neighbourhood friendly superhero.
“I'm still sorry,” Jeno says. Donghyuck's about to open his mouth to protest when Jeno beats him to it. “Yeah, yeah, it isn't my fault but I'm still sorry, okay? Just let me say that.”
Silence. Then, “I love you.”
Jeno blinks. “What?”
“You heard me, Jeno. I'm not saying it again,” Donghyuck retorts, blushing.
Jeno grins and hugs Donghyuck tight, careful not to tangle the IV drip attached to Donghyuck's hand. He relaxes in Jeno's hold and weakly hugs back, patting Jeno's back.
“I love you too,” Jeno says. Donghyuck hooks his chin on Jeno's shoulder and nods.
“Hmm.”
“Is it bad timing to ask if I can kiss you?”
Donghyuck pauses. “You want our first kiss to be in a hospital?”
Jeno pulls back, sighing. “Donghyuck, we've been dating since December and the furthest we went was just now when you kissed the corner of my mouth,” Jeno whines and Donghyuck laughs because holy shit is the love of his life the cutest or what?
“You've been keeping track? You fuckin’ nerd.”
Jeno's face turned red after exposing himself. “I mean —”
Donghyuck then takes it upon himself to drag Jeno forward by the front of his hoodie and well, kisses him. Jeno's lips are soft and his mouth is warm. When Donghyuck angles his head to the right, Jeno gasps and hugs him closer, not sure by himself or from the glowing string wrapped around themselves. Donghyuck pulls away, out of breath and Jeno chases him. Donghyuck laughs. Like his dream.
“Okay?” Donghyuck asks Jeno, lips red and slicked with saliva.
“You devil,” Jeno says and leans forward again, knocking the breath out of Donghyuck's lungs.
The next day when Donghyuck's about to discharge, he receives two bouquet of flowers from the delivery man. One is a neatly tied together bouquet of varied flowers that looks more expensive than his hospital bill and the card has Stark Industries embossed in gold under it. Sorry for being such a trouble. Here's on behalf of my son. and signed underneath is Doyoung Kim.
The other one is ugly but authentic because Donghyuck doesn't need to read the card to know who's it from. The sunflowers and baby's breath give it away.
At school, Donghyuck isn’t just another boy. He is also Spider-man’s crush. Jeno had laughed when a freshman went up to Donghyuck and called him that, leaving Donghyuck stammering through a no, I’m absolutely not. Jeno seems to milk all its worth by randomly changing into his Spider-man outfit and surprising Donghyuck on the streets.
Like this, for example:
“Hi!”
“Argh!” Donghyuck screams and jumps a few steps back. Everyone around him stops and stares because it’s Spider-freaking-man hanging upside down in the middle of a bustling street. Donghyuck stares. “You.”
“Me,” Jeno states the obvious. “Hey, brought you flowers.”
Donghyuck blushes when Jeno hands him another badly arranged bouquet again, this time, hibiscus and frangipani. He accepts it reluctantly and steps back.
Jeno asks, “Where you headed to, sunshine?”
Donghyuck rolls his eyes, knowing full well Jeno out of all people should know the answer best. He puts his hand on his waist and replies, “I’m meeting my boyfriend, Spidey boy. So if you may excuse me.”
The crowd oohs and aahs and Donghyuck walks away with a newfound confidence in himself. When he enters the tiny cafe Jeno and he usually frequent, he’s surprised to see Jeno already sitting at their usual spot, all sweaty. Donghyuck takes a seat and sees his Spider-man suit peeking under his shirt. Donghyuck grins.
“Waited long?”
Jeno grins back. “Yes. A century.” He looks at Donghyuck then and stares at the bouquet of flowers in his hand. “I wonder who got you those,” he says and points at it with his chin.
“Oh, you know him. Spider-man — New York City’s most beloved superhero,” Donghyuck plays along, grinning wide. The red string between them seems to glow even brighter these days and Donghyuck must say, it isn’t bad. “Why? Jealous?”
“Guess I have to fight him,” Jeno says finally and tugs on Donghyuck’s sleeve. Donghyuck gets it right away and leans forward, close enough till their noses brush against each other.
“Guess you have to,” Donghyuck replies and closes the gap between them and kisses his soulmate stupid.
BREAKING NEWS: SPIDER-MAN’S CRUSH IS TAKEN? MORE ON PAGE 5!
