Chapter Text
It starts with a phone call.
The phone rings, and this is normal, because that is what phones do; it vibrates against the table ceaselessly, tune an 8bit version of its owner's latest favorite webtoon. Brian, in the middle of a particularly pointed argument with Jae about natal charts or something or other (Jae had been skeptical of astrology’s validity altogether and Brian had told him to stop being such a damn Virgo ), holds his hand up in temporary time out.
Still, “That doesn’t make any sense.” Jae manages to hiss stubbornly before Brian shoots him a shut up glare, finally accepting the call. “Hello –– hello?” He starts in English first, and then Korean immediately after, as if correcting a mistake; that’s enough to tell Jae he’s speaking to family.
Sure enough, “Hi, Grandma!” is what comes out of Brian’s mouth next; if Jae leaned in even closer he could hear the delighted, fussy sounds that only a well-intentioned elderly Korean woman could provide.
(Brian, sweet boy! Why are you up so late?) “Late? Grandma, it’s only like 8 PM.”
(It’s getting cold there, isn’t it? You should be wearing a hat! And gloves!) “I am!” (He’s not.) “Don’t worry about me!”
Brian’s Korean sounds so seamless on his tongue, and maybe Jae’s a little jealous, thinks it must be nice to not need that split second of translation in his head. He’s lived in the US all his life, but Brian had gotten to New York first, at the age of 8 –– still, when Jae had moved across the country in middle school all tall, awkward, and full of the need to be liked, it was as if they’d known each other their entire lives.
It’s for that reason words are near unnecessary between them. Case in point: with the phone pressed tightly to his ear, Brian makes a gesture towards the empty coffee cups that sit between them; Jae doesn’t need to be told twice, taking the cups and standing to find the nearest trash bin. It isn’t too far off from where they’re sitting, so he can still make out bits and pieces of Brian’s conversation, even without hearing Grandma Kang’s replies (Yes, he’s doing okay, just having coffee with Jae before heading over to his parents’. Yes, he’s making sure to eat a lot. Yes, Jae’s doing okay, too).
Jae’s heart swells at that, a little bit. He likes that he’s important enough to Brian that his family members ask about him, too; in those instances he feels less guilty of having latched on to the other in middle school and never letting go, knowing full well that he nearly means just as much to Brian as Brian does to him.
There’s a small smile playing at his lips when he turns back to the table, hands shoved into his pockets and ready to go. Brian moves to stand as well; he looks a lot less ill at ease when he talks to his grandma, and it shows in the way his posture no longer looks like he’s guarding himself from the rest of the world –– like the weight of New York hasn’t brought him down just yet.
(It’s a nice look on him, Jae thinks, even if he tries so hard not to think it. He thinks this whole being in love with your best friend thing is getting old, and with it being unrequited, well –– he’s tired of the cliches, universe.)
“Good to go?” Brian asks him, in English this time. Jae nods (again –– words are never necessary), and as they start walking side by side Brian’s attention is quickly redirected to the family on the other end. “Huh? Oh, no, that was just Jae. –– yeah, he says hi.” As if on cue, Jae ceremoniously waves a hand in Brian’s face, mouthing Hi, Grandma Kang! exaggeratedly. The other swats it away, unamused.
“Hey, Grandma, where did you say you wer––” Brian’s brows furrow. There’s clear confusion on his face before he nods, slowly. “Okay, call me when you … can?” It’s more of a question than an imperative, and when his phone falls to his side the bewilderment doesn’t go away.
Upon seeing the questioning look on Jae’s face, the other shrugs his shoulders. “Old people.” he supplies, as if that’s enough explanation for whatever it was that had cut his call short; truthfully, Jae supposes it’s pretty sufficient.
The two round a corner, attempting to continue their previous conversation over the hustle and bustle of New York noise (Brian tries to convince Jae that the reason he and his ex broke up was because their sun signs ??? just weren’t meant to be in the first place, or something or other; Jae doesn’t have the heart to tell him that it’s actually because both he and Jackson were trying to fill a hole in their hearts that were already molded in the shape of someone else).
They bicker like this all the way down the steps descending to the subway, and right before Brian boards the train to Queens he says “One last chance to come home for dinner with me.”
Jae grins, shaking his head. “As tempting as Mama Kang’s cooking sounds, at least take me on a date first.” he says, keeping his tone casual. Brian rolls his eyes, but it’s not without fondness, and Jae thinks, briefly, he could live on that unspoken fondness all the days of his life.
Instead, he says “See you at home,” waving a small goodbye to the train that whirs to life, taking the boy he's in love with far away, and thinking that not even the stars could’ve predicted just how fucking cliche that sounds.