Work Text:
jaehyun trudges along to his shared apartment with doyoung.
doyoung.
jaehyun thinks he can’t remember a time in his life where he didn’t have doyoung by his side. they met ever since jaehyun could even remember, being attached to the hip since both of them were in diapers.
jaehyun was there for every one of doyoung’s achievements, cheering him on when he was running for student body president, volunteering to help paste posters around school and advertising. and jaehyun was definitely there screaming doyoung’s name the loudest when his name was announced as the new president. taking care of doyoung when doyoung forgets to do so himself, making sure doyoung was always well rested and eating properly, always ensuring doyoung never pushed himself too much.
doyoung stuck by jaehyun’s side through thick and thin, cheering and coaching him on for every one of his basketball games. telling him words of encouragement when he needed it, being there for jaehyun when things with his family got too out of hand, being jaehyun’s shoulder to cry on when he had a bad day, making sure jaehyun never tired himself out too much from basketball, making sure jaehyun took all his meals and always stays hydrated.
they were each other’s rock, they kept each other grounded.
whenever jaehyun had a bad day, he’d come home and the both of them will snuggle comfortably on the couch together. they’d fall asleep to the sound of both their hearts beating together in unison and the soft humming with their arms lazily wrapped around each other.
with how the two of them acted, jaehyun and doyoung’s friends always asked them the same question. ”are you two dating?” yet their answers always remained the same.
“it’s platonic. we’re just best friends.”
he opens the door to their shared apartment and hears rustling coming from the kitchen. “doyoung?” he groans, his head feeling like it’s about to split open as he makes his way to the kitchen where he knows doyoung is.
doyoung turns around and gives a small smile to jaehyun before noticing the way jaehyun’s eyes are drooping, the way jaehyun’s eye bags became darker and more prominent and just how defeated and tired jaehyun looked. doyoung frowns.
jaehyun drops his things on the floor and leans against the counter, cradling his head in his hands and trying to soothe the splitting migraine he was having. he feels doyoung come up to him and hold him in his arms, jaehyun relaxes.
“bad day?”
“mhm.”
doyoung guides jaehyun to his room and takes out a loose t-shirt and joggers before handing it over to jaehyun. “take a bath first, it’ll help your headache. i’ll get you some painkillers.” jaehyun smiles. what would he do without doyoung? he takes the clothes from doyoung’s hand. “thank you, doie. you’re the best.”
doyoung only smiles as jaehyun closes the bathroom door behind him.
jaehyun comes out from the bathroom freshened up and more comfortable now compared to his work clothes. doyoung hands him a glass and painkillers as jaehyun swallows it down.
“you should rest. you‘ll feel better in the morning.”
jaehyun pouts.
“but, i want to cuddle.”
“you have a headache though.”
“i always get cuddles from you when i have a bad day.”
doyoung sighs. “okay then. come on.”
jaehyun smiles as they make their way to jaehyun’s bed (only because his is relatively bigger in size than doyoung’s). doyoung plops on the bed first and jaehyun automatically snuggles up to doyoung, nuzzling his face into the crook of doyoung’s neck. jaehyun’s slightly taller than doyoung but they seem to make it work as jaehyun fits his body completely against doyoung’s, with doyoung wrapping his arms around jaehyun and his head resting on his.
it’s serene, it’s calm, it’s nothing they’ve never done before.
doyoung can feel jaehyun’s tense body relax under him as he nuzzles his face deeper into doyoung’s neck, his nose constantly brushing against it. doyoung giggles.
“jae, that tickles.”
“mmm, sorry.”
doyoung quietly sighs. jaehyun doesn’t realise.
doyoung’s heart picks up its pace. jaehyun doesn’t realise.
jaehyun’s heart picks up its pace. doyoung doesn’t realise.
stop. this is platonic. stop thinking about him like that, doyoung. he’s had a bad day, that’s all.
why is my heart beating so fast? this is just your best friend. this is doyoung. someone you’ve known for so long. it’s just platonic.
the night goes by with nothing more than them resting against each other, their (fast) heartbeats beating in unison and unspoken confessions.
“johnny. i have a problem.”
“well, hello to you too jaehyun.”
jaehyun rolls his eyes as he enters johnny’s apartment, spotting ten sleeping on the couch. he turns and raises an eyebrow at johnny, a tint of mischief playing in his eyes. johnny goes beet red. “shut up.”
“i thought you said you weren’t going to try with him because– and i quote– ’he’s too good for me. he’s out of my league. i can’t get him.’ what’s this now?”
johnny quickly shuts jaehyun up.
“i may have invited him over last night. he may have fallen asleep on my couch.” jaehyun’s eyes widens. “i didn’t have the heart to wake him up! he looks so cute when he’s asleep.” johnny pouts at the last sentence, stealing another glance at the sleeping body on his couch.
“you invite a man over and leave him on the couch? damn johnny suh, where are your manners?”
jaehyun chuckles and johnny turns him around and struggles to push him out of the door. “kicking me out now? really? i thought we were bros, john.”
“i don’t want you around when ten wakes up. you’re going to say something stupid and he’s going to find out i like him. now leave.”
jaehyun pouts. “wait, i still have a problem though.”
johnny sighs and rolls his eyes. “i’ll meet you at the cafe we always go to. 2pm. now, leave.”
“damn. fine, loverboy.”
johnny slams the door in jaehyun’s face.
“what did you want to meet me for?”
johnny sits down opposite of jaehyun, as jaehyun fidgets with his cup.
“don’t be surprised when i tell you, okay?”
johnny nods.
“okay. i think... i may have–“
“you like doyoung? yeah, took you long enough.”
jaehyun has the audacity to look surprised.
“don’t look at me like that, jung. we all guessed it by the way you two act with each other. you literally cuddle on the couch together.”
jaehyun scoffs. “everyone does that...”
“no jae, nobody who claim they’re only ‘best friends’ cuddle. nobody.”
jaehyun huffs.
“what do i do then?”
“you tell him.”
“what? no.”
“what? so you’re going to keep it in?”
“yeah? i don’t want to ruin our friendship.”
“are you dumb?”
“me? dumb?”
“he obviously likes you back, dumbass. why am i even friends with you.”
“he likes me back? how do you know that?”
“because it’s obvious?”
“no it’s not?”
johnny huffs and gets up from his seat, taking his keys along with him. “i’m leaving.”
“wait! what do i do?”
“figure it out yourself, jung! you might be dumb but you’re not that dumb.”
johnny leaves jaehyun alone with his thoughts.
doyoung was jaehyun’s rock. he knew this. he knew that no matter how bad things would get, he could come home to doyoung. that always seemed to calm jaehyun down.
doyoung? liking me back?
jaehyun had never really thought of that. sure, he might have harboured feelings for the older for a while now and tried to deny it but, doyoung liking him back? now, that sounded impossible.
jaehyun remembers the way doyoung softens when he’s with him, he remembers how doyoung knows each and every one of jaehyun’s pet peeves, he remembers how doyoung knows exactly what jaehyun needs on a bad day, he remembers how doyoung is the only one who knows how to calm jaehyun down when he’s angry.
jaehyun thinks about doyoung. doyoung and his doe eyes, doyoung and his gummy smile, doyoung and his comforting voice, doyoung.
okay, so maybe jaehyun had started gaining feelings for doyoung for way longer than he had thought.
but it was doyoung. and doyoung didn’t like jaehyun. no, not in that way. johnny’s lying. it’s doyoung. and jaehyun is nowhere on the same level as doyoung.
jaehyun was jaehyun and doyoung was, well, doyoung.
but the moment jaehyun unlocks the door to their shared apartment, he has doyoung running and jumping onto him. “where were you? why did you come home so late? i was so worried, jae. at least tell me if you’re coming home at this hour.”
jaehyun raises an eyebrow and glances at his watch. 00:08a.m. oh? has it been this long since he left the house?
jaehyun realises doyoung’s still clinging onto him. jaehyun’s ears turn beet red.
“sorry, doie. i didn’t mean to worry you.”
doyoung furrows his eyebrows, concern and worry laced all over it. jaehyun laughs. “stop doing that, you’re going to get wrinkles you old man.”
“i was worried, you know.” doyoung pouts. jaehyun thinks his heart cannot beat any faster than this.
jaehyun’s stupid. not in that sense. but he makes dumb decisions when in the moment. extremely dumb decisions. like now.
“i have a crush on you, hyung.”
doyoung chokes on his own breath.
jaehyun can’t recall a moment where there was ever awkward tension between him and doyoung. things with doyoung were always so easygoing, so serene and harmonic. maybe that’s how he fell for doyoung in the first place. slowly that he never saw it coming, but he definitely did.
sitting opposite of doyoung right now was most likely the hardest thing jaehyun ever had to do. doyoung couldn’t even look jaehyun in the eye, jaehyun wonders if confessing his feelings was such a bad thing.
“you’re joking, aren’t you? you’re young, jae. you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
jaehyun’s young, for sure. to some people, he may even be called immature. but he’s not too young that he can’t comprehend his own feelings. that he can’t understand the way his heart definitely beats faster when he’s around doyoung, or the way his cheeks tinge a slight pink when doyoung cuddles him. he may be young, but jaehyun knows what he feels.
“i’m not. i like you.” jaehyun hesitates. “i’m sorry.” his apology comes off more as a whisper than a statement.
had he ruined their friendship? can they even go back to being friends anymore? was jaehyun going to be stuck with johnny (and ten) alone forever without doyoung by his side?
“are you sure?”
jaehyun’s head shoots up.
“about?”
“what you said. you liking me. you’re not shitting with me. right?”
jaehyun has never shook his head faster at that point.
jaehyun had always fantasised of doyoung’s lips. even without realising, he found himself staring at the older’s lips at times. maybe it was the way of how soft it looked? and how nice it must feel to be kissing doyoung senseless.
so when doyoung stands up and inches closer, placing one of his hands on the nape of jaehyun’s neck and another to cup his cheek, jaehyun’s breath catches in his throat. doyoung’s touch feels as if it’s burning on his skin, but he likes it.
jaehyun snakes his arms around doyoung’s waist, suddenly gaining confidence as he pulls doyoung onto his lap. doyoung yelps a little, but smiles as their noses brush against each other.
if johnny was here right now, he would gag. he would say how this isn’t some romantic movie that we were living in. but jaehyun didn’t mind. life with doyoung was like the sappiest romantic movie out there. life with doyoung was like coming back home.
jaehyun looked in doyoung’s eyes, as if to ask for permission. doyoung smiles, probably the widest jaehyun has ever seen his best friend smile. “i like you too. i’ve liked you for longer than you think.”
jaehyun smiles so wide his dimples pop out. doyoung giggles. doyoung leans in, and jaehyun smiles before catching doyoung’s lips on his own.
jaehyun’s first kiss was messy, to say the least. it was in the spur of a moment, his teeth clashed with the other and their foreheads bumped. but jaehyun’s first kiss with doyoung? it was everything jaehyun had ever hoped for, and definitely more.
kissing doyoung was even better than he had expected. doyoung’s lips were soft on his own and doyoung’s hands lightly cupping jaehyun’s face only spurred him on to kiss doyoung deeper.
doyoung smiled into the kiss. jaehyun smiled even wider into the kiss.
life with doyoung was home.
doyoung was laid on their bed as jaehyun snuggled up into his touch. as always, jaehyun shifts his body to nuzzle his head into the crook of doyoung’s neck as doyoung lazily draws circles around his back. jaehyun can hear the sound of doyoung’s heart beating, and he smiles.
“jae? can i ask you a question?”
“mhm?”
“why do you always do this?”
“do what?”
“cuddle with me like this especially on a bad day.”
“it’s habit. we’ve been doing it since we were young.”
“yeah, but why?”
jaehyun smiles as he lifts up his head to look doyoung in his eyes. jaehyun lifts his body and pulls doyoung closer, flushed to his chest.
“it makes me feel safe and calm.”
jaehyun can see doyoung’s cheeks flush red.
“hey, doie?”
doyoung nuzzles his head in jaehyun’s chest this time, jaehyun giggles.
“yes?”
“i love you.”
doyoung’s arms around jaehyun tightens.
jaehyun doesn’t know how many times he’s smiled today, he’s lost count but he doesn’t stop the growing smile on his face.
“i love you too, jae.”
yes, life with doyoung was definitely home.