Chapter Text
Wonu sits at his book covered desk and reads. Around him are yet more books on shelves, which take up most of the space in his meticulously cleaned room. He hasn’t read half of them.
Sure, he loves books, but he loves the idea of them more than reading any. Now for example, what he’s reading is actually a web article – about milk price fluctuations in Poland. He doesn’t even remember how he got there, just that he’s not motivated to get started on homework. Nothing unusual. Eventually, though, he has a moment of clarity.
[Wow, I really need to get going on this essay. Wait, was it for Literature or History?]
Once he decided he can’t keep pushing it off and figured out the subject, he tries to remember what he was supposed to write about. As he puts on his big, round glasses and fixes the tie under his waistcoat, his phone bleeps.
It’s a text from Mingyu simply saying “Hey”.
That’s when Wonu’s mum enters with a laundry basket under her arm. The boy puts his phone down and grabs his stack of posh clothing to put away like the diligent son he is.
For a split second his mum glances at the phone just as the screen lights up with a second notification. She’s not a nosey person – usually – and gives her son the personal space a teenager appreciates – usually – but today one of Wonu’s absolute horror scenarios threatens to unfold.
Daddy: I miss you already T.T
Wonu tries to keep a neutral expression and firmly meets his mother’s gaze.
[Please don’t say anything. Please don’t make this weird. Please don’t make me lie.]
His mum frowns at the phone. “Who is ‘Daddy’ and why does he write he misses you?”
“Haha, it’s funny actually,” he says, feeling like breaking down crying. “It’s uh, it’s just a guy I know. We… at school we all give each other silly nick names. And he’s daddy, because… of reasons.”
[Please leave now. If Mingyu writes a single sentence more, I’m dead.]
She looks oddly worried. “And what’s your nick name? I hope you’re not getting bullied.”
“What? No no, it’s all fine. Anyway, I really need to start my essay about… milk price fluctuations in Poland.”
Another bleep, another notification and Wonu’s world ends.
Daddy: I miss your lips on mine. Come on, answer me, boi. Daddy is impatient.
[This is not how I wanted to come out. Fuck it. Damage control time.]
He takes a deep breath and yet can’t keep his voice from being embarrassingly shaky and he somehow can’t meet her gaze anymore. “H-his name is Mingyu. He’s my boyfriend, mum. I… have a boyfriend.” And like that, several years of worry and secrecy fall of his shoulders. He expected it to be weird, but this is an entirely different dimension of weirdness.
“Oh,” she says and for a moment Wonu thinks she’s about to dramatically drop the basket and clutch her heart and cry out that he brought shame to the family.
Instead she works up a weird smile. It looks more like a smirk actually. “I had my suspicious.”
[Excuse you? What is that supposed to mean? I’m not fruity in the least.]
She adds, “I love you, my son,” and turns to leave. “He… Mingyu… Is he good to you?”
“Yeah, he… uh.” Wonu tries to think of something nice the clumsy tree has done lately. Then he decides to lie, because there is no way he can possibly tell her any of the things they did together. “We walked through the park and he took my hands in his and uh… recited a poem.”
[He would never, but it’s the kind of thing she might think a boy I’m dating would do.]
“Introduce me someday, right?”
[Nooooooo]
“S-sure. I love you too, mum. G-great talking to you.”
*Bleep*
A new notification, which Wonu and his mother see at the same time. His blood freezes.
Daddy: Ready to suck my fat, throbbing eight incher tonight, boi?
Attached is a picture which proves Mingyu has every right to brag about the number of inches he can offer.
[Dear god in heaven, if you are real and you have any sense of justice you will strike me dead right now and spare me the suffering. I have done nothing to deserve this.]
Mum has an unreadable expression on her face. Wonu has inherited his blank-stare ability from her. “I hope you two know what you’re doing. When I gave you the Talk… that applies no matter the gender.”
“W-we have only safe-“ he can’t bring himself to say the word ‘sex’ to his mother. “We’re safe.”
*bleep*
Daddy: If you beg enough to please Daddy, I’ll fill you up again, boi. Just like Saturday. My juice dripping from your tight, quivering…
The notification doesn’t show the full message, but it doesn’t have to. Wonu closes his eyes.
[Please… death… now]
There’s a noise coming from his mother sounding a little like a suppressed gasp. “I thought you were at Joshua’s last Saturday.”
“I was. J-just not overnight.”
“Joshua is such a nice boy,” she says with some wistfulness. “Couldn’t you fall for him instead? This Mingyu doesn’t seem good for you from what I see.”
[That’s not how it works and please leave.]
“Josh isn’t g- …like that.” He can’t even say ‘gay’. There are a lot of things he can’t get out while looking at his mum.
Again, the phone bleeps. This time he snatches it off the desk and holds it face down. “You know what, mum? We should talk about this after homework. School comes first, right?”
“Right,” she says slowly, not satisfied but not confrontational. “I suppose I have a few things to tell your father. See you at dinner.”
[Fuck no, I’m not making this a dinner conversation. I need time to prepare myself and two hours is not enough. Two centuries is not enough.]
“Actually, I’m not that hungry. If I get in the zone with my writing I’ll just have a midnight snack later.”
“Alright,” she says with a smirk, making clear she knows exactly what’s going on. Since when does she even know how to smirk? He has never seen that on her before. Does it unlock new abilities in a parent when their kid comes out of the closet?
The moment she has closed the door, Wonu’s thumbs fly across the phone keyboard.
Wonu: My mum saw your texts
Wonu: My life is over
Wonu: I can’t believe this is how I came out
Daddy: XD
Wonu: Don’t XD me you fucker
Daddy: Did she see my dick pic?
Wonu: YES
Daddy: cool
Wonu: Fuck you
Daddy: Anytime, boi XD
Wonu: fuckyoufuckyoufuckyou
Daddy: Okay. You’re right to be angry. I should have been a better boyfriend and comforted you instead of making fun. I’m sorry.
Daddy: Can you come over so I can comfort you properly. Not with sex. (Unless you want to). Just Netflix and a back rub.
Wonu: Are you crazy? I can’t leave now. They’ll think you booty called me
Wonu: Apology accepted, though. You can be a good bf when you try
Daddy: I love you. I didn’t mean to out you to your mum T.T
Wonu: I know. I love you too. I’m just not always sure why
Daddy: eight inches
Wonu: You were so close to being a decent bf and you just had to ruin it again
Wonu: Talk tomorrow. I have homework.
Daddy: Work hard, my love
After a minute of calming his nerves, Wonu calls Joshua to ask what the actual topic was supposed to have been, brews himself a cup of tea in the kitchen – avoiding all parental contact – and holes up in his room until the rest of the house is asleep.
He came out. And his mum saw Mingyu’s enormous hard-on. And his father knows by now. Wonu falls asleep thinking his life is weird and fucked up, but fortunately also very, very gay.