Work Text:
Dongmin doesn’t wake up that day feeling any different than the days before. Not since that night in December. It’s been a couple of months since then-3 months and 20 two days to be exact-and he’s woken up with the same universally acknowledged truths about himself: he’s a freshman in uni, he actually likes his major, his internal clock is still as reliable as ever, and, most importantly, he can say Kim Myungjun is mine and mean it in every single way.
He grabs his phone from the night stand and opens up his Messages app and presses on the top conversation.
Morning ^^
Hope you eat a full breakfast before you rush out!
His smiling face greets him back when his phone shuts off from staring at the messages from last night. He shakes his head and gets up to get ready for the day.
It’s a little over an hour later, when he’s walking into his first class of the day, that he gets a reply.
T.T barely had time to eat a banana
But made it to the bus stop now ;;
I wanted to call
But your class is probably starting...u_u
I’ll call during break
Study hard!!!
Dongmin sends back a quick mmm before putting his phone away as the professor walks in. He doesn’t hear the chatters from the people around him as they point out the smile on his face amongst each other.
He misses the call on what was supposed to be his break but turned out to be an impromptu group meeting for his Literature 102 class when one of the members notified them in the group chat that they dropped the class.
When he’s finally able to check his phone, it’s already twenty minutes into Myungjun hyung’s class.
Sorry OTL there was a little crisis with my project group. All taken care of now but I wasn’t able to call until now.
He’s about to put his phone back when his phone lights up with a text notification.
Oooh
Taking care of a crisis
Sounds sexy
Kekekekekeke
Dongmin snorts at that, the continuous message bubbles continue on obliviously.
Don’t worry!! You have an understanding older man as your boyfriend who knows shit happens
KEKEKEKEKEKEKE
Dongmin laughs out loud. And has to compose himself before he can reply.
Ahh, I’m so lucky, I have a mature and understanding boyfriend who’s diligently paying attention in class. Teach me your ways, sunbae.
>_< is that sarcasm
Are you being disrespectful to your elders
Lee Dongmin
Fine fine, I’ll put my phone away.
TTYL
<3
Arghhh don’t try to be cute
Now
I’m going to stop for real now
Dongmin only sees the last text message a few minutes later as he’s walking into his next lecture.
<3 <3 <3
He calls the moment he’s out of class but the call goes to voicemail. After staring at his phone for a few seconds, he decides to head to the cafe on campus and grabs a booth as he waits for Myungjun hyung to call him back. He sets his stuff down and takes out his laptop to start work to kill time. He’s about three problem sets into his Economics homework when a voice interrupts him.
“Is this seat available?”
Dongmin looks up to a familiar face he hasn’t seen in the last couple of weeks.
“Uh,” he starts. “Yes,” he adds.
“Thanks.” Moon Bin settles himself in the seat and Dongmin tries to come up with any topic that isn’t a dumb one like how have you been, since, well, since.
“I was wondering why all the surrounding booths were pointing and whispering about this booth, but I should’ve known, it’s the Business school’s top freshman.”
Dongmin only looks around then, and sees everyone quickly looking away, confirming Moon Bin’s words that they were looking at him.
“I didn’t even notice.”
Moon Bin nods. “I know.” He doesn’t let the ensuing pause in the conversation continue for long before he speaks again. “How’s Myungjun hyung?”
Dongmin widens his eyes slightly at that, even though it would be the most natural topic between them to talk about. Moon Bin notices and lets out a small laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to steal hyung from you. Not anymore. Although,” he pauses and puts a hand under his chin, “it wasn’t stealing when you guys weren’t together anyway.”
Moon Bin shrugs and Dongmin blinks, twice. Moon Bin breaks out into laughter and Dongmin joins in, with a shake of his head, his body relaxing.
“Yea, I guess I should thank you. Who knows how long it would’ve taken if it wasn’t for you.” Dongmin tilts his head down and Moon Bin repeats the gesture.
“Not that I need to check in with you, but I wanted to let you know,” Moon Bin starts seriously, “I’m only interested in being friends with hyung now. You don’t need to worry.”
“Thanks,” Dongmin shrugs. And he knows, at least now, his place in Myungjun hyung’s heart. But the part of him that led him on a subtle (“it wasn’t, really, subtle, at all,” Jinwoo hyung’s voice protests) rivalry and one-upmanship with Moon Bin for a majority of the first semester, is glad to hear that.
He and Moon Bin spend the next hour or so talking after they find out they’re both taking Biology 101, albeit in different sessions, and the conversation continues on until Dongmin has to leave for his next class.
He doesn’t get a call back until he’s in the middle of dinner, with his parents. He can feel the buzzing in his pants pocket but he also knows better to take out his phone at dinner. He finishes up his food and excuses himself from the table. He only waits until he’s out of the dining room before dialing back. The call goes to voicemail, again. Dongmin sighs and pockets his phone. He heads towards the kitchen to help his mom clean up before he goes back to his apartment.
“Was that Myungjunnie?” His mom asks.
“Yea, we’ve been playing phone taps the whole day. So I wanted to see if I could catch it this time,” Dongmin answers. “Why?” He asks his mom when she only gives him a knowing grin but she shakes her head.
“You should have brought him to dinner, we haven’t seen him in so long. I think even your dad misses him,” she whispers the last part conspiratorially.
“Next time. And it’s only two days a week I don’t see him, we’re meeting up before class tomorrow anyway.”
“I don’t know who you’re trying to convince, my son. You guys have never gone a day without talking since you’re kids.”
Dongmin smiles sheepishly back at her. “I just...never thought I’d be like those couples..”
His mom gives him a warm smile. “You’ve never been like this before with anybody else. And yet, you’ve always been like this with that child. I think you’re allowed to show your affections a little too much at this point.”
He lets his mom squeeze his cheeks with minimal complaints this once. “But then again, it’s you two, so you’ll still be like this at my age, grossing out your kids.”
“Ugh, mom, I’m going now,” Dongmin leaves his mom with a quick hug, hoping his cheeks aren’t as flushed as they feel.
When the call finally comes, he’s just finished dressing and drying his hair. He charges at the phone and picks up the call on its third ring.
“Hello.”
“Dongmin-ah, why do we have such bad timing today,” comes the sweet voice he’s been waiting the whole day for, “I kept getting caught up and then I was outdoors so I wanted to immediately wash all the bugs that hitched a ride on me and that’s why I couldn’t call back, I got bitten about fifty times today why do bugs even exist.” A big sigh follows up to this rant and an oof, which means his hyung has flopped back on the bed.
“You went somewhere today?” Dongmin asks.
“Eohh, Jiwoo’s freaking out about her final project so she went out to find inspiration. And since she was going to the literal woods, of course a rugged and strong man needed to accompany her.”
“Oh, Jinwoo hyung went with you guys too?” Dongmin waits for the whining that follows and laughs to himself.
“Yahhhh, Lee Dongmin, do you not want to have a boyfriend anymore?”
“I’m sorry,” Dongmin apologizes between his laughters.
“Hmph. So, what else did you do today besides ‘handling a crisis’,” Dongmin can actually hear the eyebrow wiggling on the other end.
“Just studied,” Dongmin answers. “I actually ran into Moon Bin today.”
“Oh?” Dongmin pictures his hyung trying his best to sound casual, despite his voice rising slightly. He smiles knowingly.
“Yea, we’re actually taking a class together, just in different sessions, so we exchanged numbers.”
He’s beginning to worry about the silence on the line when a squeal forces him to pull the phone a little bit away from his ear.
“I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT,” a scream, and then, “I knew you guys would be friends, if it wasn’t for all that stuff.”
“All that stuff as in how he tried to steal my boyfriend?”
“Pfft, first of all Moon Bin was too nice,” Dongmin nods. This was actually part of why it was so bad because he couldn’t even hate him for being a bastard or anything. “And number 2, there was no stealing when there’s nothing to steal.”
“Nothing? Ouch, that hurts, hyung.”
Predictably, he hears sputtering on the other end. “You know what I mean, we weren’t together yet, so, technically, I was sexy, free, and single.”
“Hmm, was that so?”
“Mmmhmm, you’re a very lucky man to have caught my interest, Dongmin-ssi.”
“I am,” Dongmin readily agrees, with 100% sincerity.
“Me too,” comes a softer confession. Dongmin feels as though his chest might actually burst. They both stay on the phone without speaking and Dongmin never thought he’d be like this in a relationship, recalling his talk with his mom. He was never like this with his past girlfriends and always thought those couples in the dramas were cringey when they were being this lovey-dovey. He can understand Jinwoo hyung moaning and groaning about couples now more than he ever did.
A faint yawn brings him out of his thoughts, though.
“You should sleep, hyung.”
“Mmm, soon. Tell me more about your day,” comes the gentle demand and Dongmin obliges. He talks about anything and everything that comes to mind. Myungjun hyung interjects here and there but as time passes, they turn into low mmhms until there’s no answer back anymore. Dongmin smiles, for the umpteenth time that day (since 3 months and 20 days ago, really), and thinks about how he’s waited a whole day for this moment. Because he wanted to be the first person to greet Myungjun hyung in the morning and the last person to bid him good night. Because he’s never thought about his life without Kim Myungjun; when he was little and only wanted to protect his bright hyung from the taller kids who would pick on both of them, to when he was in high school and was unguardedly giving his heart away because he knew he wasn’t giving it whole, until now, where the thought of hearing the voice of the person he loves was enough for time to pass by.
“Good night,” he whispers. That morning, he didn’t know that it was going to come as clear as the moonlight shining through the window, but he realizes, now more than ever, “I love you.” The answering snore almost makes him laugh out loud but he covers his mouth and presses on the End button of the call.
The next morning, he plans about how to say those words again when the recipient would actually hear them. He thinks about it from the minute he wakes up. And when he sends his good morning text. And when he’s getting ready. And when he’s on his way to campus. It’s only when he spots the bright yellow sweater-clad ball of energy running towards him that his plans take a pause. He grunts when he gets an armful of Kim Myungjun. He hastily moves to steady them both when a pair of legs cross behind him. His hands come around Dongmin’s nape and his lips pause centimeters away from Dongmin’s.
“I love you, too.” And his plans are quickly abandoned in favor of returning the kiss that follows those words. He can feel the happiness that he’s been trying to contain pours out of his body through his lips. When they stop, slightly out of breath, he puts his hyung down carefully and links their hands together. He kisses the soft hand enveloping his own and they step into the gates. 3 months and 21 days and to all that follow.