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Jeno hates attention.
If he had to choose between 1500 pairs of eyes on him and walking into a pool of lava, he’d take the lava any day of the week.
So when Donghyuck invites Jeno out for a birthday dinner, just the two of them, he has a sweet feeling in the pit of his stomach.
He and Donghyuck have been friends since he accidentally knocked over Donghyuck’s block tower in preschool when they were six years old. He had been annoyed at first, but Donghyuck was cunning and evil from a young age. He quickly made a list of things Jeno could do to make it up to him (Jeno was extremely apologetic), and ended up making a friend. They know each other like the backs of their hands and can tell what the other is thinking by just a glance. Donghyuck knows Jeno, and he knows he wouldn’t enjoy a large gathering for his birthday. Jeno knows he knows this, and yet the sweet feeling bubbles in his gut anyway. He thinks it’s nice to be known.
Jeno takes out his phone again, double checking what Donghyuck sent him.
hyuck :p
happy birthday!!!! im taking you out for dinner at cher’s. 6pm. wear something nice (hot).
Jeno chuckles at the last line of the message before locking his phone and pocketing it. He looks at himself in the mirror, smoothing down patches of his hair and fixing his collar. He’s about to obsess over the way his bracelet hangs around his wrist when the doorbell rings three times in quick succession. He flinches, slightly startled, but doesn’t go down to get it - he knows it’s Donghyuck.
“I see you got my memo about dressing hot,” a voice from the doorway calls a few moments later. Jeno smiles and turns around. He's only in a white button up and ripped jeans, but he’s heard Donghyuck mention many times how much he loves this shirt on him, so he wore it.
Donghyuck's eyes travel up his body one more time before he pushes off the doorframe and holds his hands out wide in presentation. “So?” he smirks. “What about me?”
Jeno chuckles at Donghyuck’s brazen comment before nodding. “You look hot, Hyuck.”
Donghyuck smiles and lets his arms fall to his side. “Happy birthday! I got you something.” He bounces over to where Jeno is standing by the mirror and hands him a small box. Jeno takes it carefully, not missing the way Donghyuck doesn’t take his eyes off him the whole time he opens it.
It’s a signet ring - one that he had pointed out the last time they were in town together. He smiles at it, then smiles at Donghyuck.
“Thank you,” he says, holding up the ring, suddenly shy. Donghyuck doesn’t care. “For the ring. It’s pretty.”
Donghyuck shrugs. “I saw you kept looking at it one time. you could’ve just asked for it, you know. Instead of that crap you pull.”
“I really don’t need you to get me anything! Birthdays aren’t anything special.” He’s lying. Jeno has always loved birthdays - the one time of year where he can make it all about him with no guilt. Donghyuck knows this, too, because he punches him lightly on the arm.
“You really have to stop lying to me, Jen. I can see right through you.”
“I hate you,” he says. He hopes his eyes say something else.
“I know.” Donghyuck's eyes say something else, too.
——————————————————————————
The restaurant Donghyuck chose is very fancy, and Jeno can see couples sharing meals through the windows. Donghyuck doesn’t seem to mind, of course he doesn’t, and drags Jeno by the wrist through the grand doors anyway.
The place is dimly lit and chatter is faint over the sound of soothing music playing through the restaurant’s speakers. Jeno makes himself look busy while Donghyuck speaks to the host about his reservations, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his messages. There are unread birthday wishes from his friends and family clogging his inbox, but he hasn’t brought himself to respond to them yet. He wants today to be just for him and Donghyuck - exactly how it's always been.
He soon senses movement in his peripheral and pockets his phone before following it.
“Do you think he thinks we’re on a date?” Donghyuck whispers into Jeno’s ear as they fall into step behind the host, barely suppressing the shit-eating grin fighting its way onto his face. Jeno elbows him and he laughs, clearly satisfied with himself. It’s a stupid comment, but it’s Donghyuck, so he laughs with him. He has been laughing with Donghyuck for fourteen years. Why should he stop now?
Dinner is just what he hoped it would be. They order a few courses to share between them and the night is as full as their stomachs by the end of it. Their waiter soon returns to ask them about dessert when Donghyuck interrupts her, standing up out of his seat. Jeno looks up from his plate to see that he in fact has not stood up from his seat, but is in fact standing on top of it. Jeno immediately sinks into his own chair out of pure animal instinct, knowing whatever Donghyuck is about to do will result in the whole restaurant watching their table, and as a result, him.
“Excuse me, everyone, sorry.” The waiter’s attempts at getting him down off the chair are ignored, and she eventually gives up, now more curious than anything else.
“Look, it’s my best friend’s birthday today, and I was wondering if you could join me in singing him happy birthday.” He leaves no room for objection at the end of his sentence, and Jeno sinks even further into his seat, covering his face with his hands and peeking through the gaps of his fingers occasionally to make sure Donghyuck isn’t being carried out of the restaurant by authorities. And then Donghyuck mentions his name, and Jeno thinks it’s over. Maybe if he never looks up they won’t sing to him. But then Donghyuck is counting everyone in, and the whole restaurant starts singing.
Donghyuck is the loudest and also the best, and Jeno just wants everyone else to shut up so he can hear him properly. He doesn’t look up until they all sing his name, and Donghyuck is staring right at him, his eyes shaped like crescents and his mouth spread in a wide grin, and Jeno doesn’t realise just how much he likes him until right now. They all cheer once they finish, and Donghyuck bows and says thank you, gesturing to Jeno before sitting down again. They’re both smiling.
——————————————————————————
They end up skipping dessert. The night air is cool on Jeno’s face and its flowing through the gaps in his shirt and he wishes he’d brought a jacket. But then he’s looking at Donghyuck, and the breeze seems to stop. Jeno looks down and kicks some pebbles lying on the pavement as he walks, arms brushing against Donghyuck's occasionally. The breeze doesn't pick up again for the rest of the night.
“I can’t believe you stood on a chair,” He looks up again, shaking his head at Donghyuck in mock disbelief. “In Cher’s! You’re lucky they didn’t kick you out.”
“If they kicked me out, you would’ve had to leave, too.”
“I can’t believe you would risk sabotaging my birthday dinner for a song.” Jeno doesn’t mention all the eyes on him, or the fact that everyone in the restaurant was singing to him. He doesn’t think they matter. Maybe 1500 eyes aren’t so bad when Donghyuck’s are the only ones he’s looking at.
“I had to embarrass you on your birthday somehow. Otherwise, would it really be your birthday?”
Jeno chuckles, and Donghyuck begins talking about the food he wished he ordered, animating every word with movements of his hands or a slap on Jeno’s arm. This is how its always been - Jeno, so quiet and meticulous, and Donghyuck, so loud and bright and confident. They shouldn’t work, but they do, and it's like two stars colliding - one big, bright mess light years away.
They stop outside Jeno’s house, and their chatter falls short. The high of the night still sits on Jeno’s mind, and he thinks if it ends here he might not be able to sleep.
“I’m sorry tonight wasn’t really anything special. I know how much you love your birthday, even if you won’t admit it.” Donghyuck’s smiling that cheeky smile, but Jeno can see remorse swimming through his eyes, and it sends a pang all through his body.
“It was perfect,” he says, pointedly making eye contact with Donghyuck. “Thank you.”
Donghyuck makes a scene of brushing him off like it's no big deal, but then he almost jumps on Jeno, engulfing him in a hug. It takes Jeno a few seconds to register, but then he hugs him back, and he can feel Donghyuck tense under his arms, even just for a split second. He rarely ever hugs Donghyuck, but Jeno is feeling grateful.
They don’t say anything in the hug, and Jeno’s beginning to think he might fall asleep standing up in Donghyuck’s arms with his head buried in the crook of his neck when he pulls away. Donghyuck’s hands linger on Jeno’s waist even though he was the one who wanted the hug to end and now they’re looking at each other. They’re looking at each other, but not at each other’s eyes, and Jeno thinks he might pass out because the way Donghyuck is looking at him is making him feel lightheaded.
He doesn’t know how it happens, but soon Donghyuck’s lips are on his and its like his whole life has been leading to this moment. Donghyuck tastes of cherries, and Jeno decides right then that they’re his favourite fruit. Donghyuck’s hands are still on Jeno’s waist and Jeno’s are in his hair and soon he’s laughing against Donghyuck’s mouth because everything has fallen into place. They are two stars colliding, one big, bright mess, except they aren’t light years away. They’re both right here, and Donghyuck pulls away and asks what he’s laughing at, but he’s laughing too, and the air is full of their laughter until Jeno grabs Donghyuck by the back of his neck and kisses him again.
It's always been just them. No one has known Jeno as well as Donghyuck knows Jeno. Jeno thinks it's nice to be known, but if he is known by Donghyuck, he doesn’t need to be known by anyone else.