Work Text:
The night breeze makes the window drapes sway. The moon along with the stars shine through the slips of the curtains with a mix of the flickering, stationary streetlights. Your eyes finally tear away from the hypnotizing wave of the cloth, deciding that forcing your eyes shut is probably the best option. You shuffle under the soft layer of cotton, desperate for a bit more warmth.
To have a wave of sadness hit around the early A.M. was not uncommon, and tonight was not an exception. A heavy sigh floats out of your mouth, you turn over to lay on your side. Nothing is working; your mind is still filled to the brim with upsetting scenarios.
Your now open, slightly muzzy eyes trail to your phone that you had tossed on the bedside table earlier that evening. Don’t call him, your inner voice insisted, he’s obviously asleep. Or at practice.
But another voice creeps up, what if he’s with someone else? It’s an absurd assumption, one you know Jaehyun will never do, but anything seems plausible when you’re deprived of sleep.
After a quick second of hesitation, your half-conscious mind reaches over for the phone and tells yourself it’s now or never (you would’ve preferred never, honestly). Squinting through the blaring glow of the screen, the time displayed is 04:24. Immediately, a doubled realization sinks in that it’d be stupid to call. But your fingers start to move at their own accord, swiping for the contact you could easily type in your sleep.
The phone rings once before your room fills with the voice of your lover. “What’s wrong?” He asks and a sense of relief envelops your body, almost like your own comforter, but it isn’t enough to evaporate your worries completely thin.
“No ‘hi babe, I was just thinking about how perfect you are’?” You try to tease poorly; the thoughts running through your head are exhausting you and your wit.
Jaehyun snorts. “You didn’t answer my question.”
You murmur something he couldn’t quite catch due to the volume of your voice and connection, so he asks you to repeat yourself.
“I said, I just wanted to hear your voice.” Your words come out rushed, fearing that Jaehyun will make fun of this vulnerable moment. It wouldn’t be the first time if he does.
I know I shouldn’t have called, you don’t say it but Jaehyun picks up on it. The slight hesitation in your voice was enough for him to read your mood. He acknowledges it’s better not to upset you even more; he doesn’t know what you’ve been through today. It’s been a couple of days since you two have been able to talk properly because of piling schedule complications. You don’t hold it against him, he’s busy and so are you; the both of you will make time to meet when you can. But, god, tonight you truly yearned to be beside him with your heartbeats and breathing patterns in sync.
“Well, I’m glad you called. It’s like what you said, I was just thinking about you.”
“You really know how to make my heart flutter,” you grumble sarcastically out of drowsiness. Though what you had said wasn’t a lie, you felt the pace of your heart pick up at his sweet, reassuring words.
For a moment, he doesn’t speak and you're not sure why. But eventually, you zone in to hear the incomprehensible talking in the background on his end and you piece together that he’s still rehearsing with his group members. You start feeling guiltier than ever, angry at yourself for having the audacity to think that he’d have an affair behind your back when he’s been nothing but loyal. You finally break the silence with a low tone, “sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb. Are you still practicing?”
Jaehyun shakes his head, forgetting and immediately remembering that he’s on a phone call. You obviously couldn’t see him. “You have impeccable timing, actually. We wrapped up as soon as you called.”
“Well then, I’ll leave you alone. Rest well tonight— or, rather— this morning, alright?” You fumble out, and again, you’re not sure why you’re so eager to end the conversation when you’re finally talking to the subject of your thoughts.
“Hey, don’t stress. I’m really glad to hear from you, but we can talk when it isn’t an ungodly hour. You need your rest, too.” He’s so gentle, loving, patient, and caring with you, despite the fact that he’s exhausted from doing what he loves. You start tearing up as another wave of intrusive thoughts disturb the peace on the shore you call your mind. You think you’re starting to burden him, that he’s sick of your endless insecurities.
“I love you.” When you blurt it, it isn’t out of place. This wasn’t your first time telling him so, but you had to let him know that no matter the individual hardships, his efforts to continue loving you will always be appreciated. You weren’t prepared to talk about the insecurities you had unfortunately harboured from your previous relationships yet, but you tried your best to overcome them by showing Jaehyun how much he means to you in your own ways.
Jaehyun is pleasantly surprised to hear your words, his heart clenching at the thought of you constantly accepting him and his line of work, even if your times don’t always align. With a lovesick grin, he replies, “I love you, too.”
The chaos in your mind had fully extinguished when his words reached your ears. You think about how his effect on you is so intoxicatingly strong, just like the scent of his cologne that you grew to love and crave, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.
He blocks your train of thought by speaking up again, “I— uh, it’s our day off tomorrow. And the day after that. So, I was wondering if there’s a space beside you reserved for me tonight.”
Surprisingly, a drop of humor was left in your system. Maybe you were too in your head to realize it was there the whole time. “Hm, I don’t know. I’ll have to check in with the desk if a certain Jeong Yuno made a reservation for,” your eyes dart to the small digits displayed on your screen, “today, at 4:30AM.”
“My name should be there! I demanded my assistant earlier to save a slot, I will not accept any other answer!” He softly exclaims with faux annoyance that manages to get a giggle out of you.
He jokingly scolds you, asking what’s so funny about his frustration. You dismiss his “absurd” claim. In reality, you wanted to squish his face while asking him why he was so, so cute. You were just blessed to have that kind of privilege.
“But, yes Mr. Jeong, I do indeed have a pillow beside me with your name on it. All you have to do is claim it.”
“That’s what I like to hear! I’ll be there in a bit, alright?” His sudden change of tone from joking to soft would’ve given you whiplash if you weren’t used to his antics.
“Sounds good. Take care, love.” You fought the impulse to end the call with a mwah sound, deciding to reserve the cheesy urges for when he was right in front of you.
Nothing says I love you like driving through the dead of the night to see the love of your life right after a long day of work.