moving day | Heeseung x Jay

fourteen

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"I want you to meet my friends," Heeseung says as Jay chops some tomatoes on a cutting board. "The year is about to end, and you've yet to see who I hang out with when we're not together."

Jay puts the tomatoes into the rest of their salad. "Okay, but we've never hosted anything before. We won't be able to buy a ton of stuff."

"It doesn't have to be a party," Heeseung picks out a tomato and pops it in his mouth. "I can hold a study group here, and you can just come and meet everyone near the end."

"Sounds like a plan," Jay says, and that's that.

Mid-May comes finals week, and Heeseung invites everyone over when Jay is out. When Jay unlocks the door to find two males and two females crowded around a pile of textbooks, notebooks, and computers, he remembers Heeseung's idea of the study session. Jay remembers he's supposed to meet them, but the stadium the Sounders traveled to today was far, and he's exhausted from the trip.

"Oh, guys, this is Jay." Heeseung has spotted him, his sharp eyes darting from the mess of his hair to the sag of his clothes, sleep-rumpled from an impromptu nap on the bus.

Jay waves to the strangers that turn and look up, each waving back or greeting him. "Hey. Sorry, I just came back from a work trip. I'll wash up."

He can feel Heeseung's eyes on him as he grabs some comfortable clothes and heads to the bathroom. Jay, this whole time, has been the one to check up on his best friend and make sure he isn't over-exerting himself with studying or accumulating too much stress. Jay can tell that now would be the ideal time for Heeseung to return the favor, but the presence of his friends in the living room is stopping that.

No big deal, Jay thinks as he takes the quietest shower he's ever taken. Knowing that Heeseung noticed is enough; it's the thought that counts.

When Jay emerges, freshly showered and more awake, one of Heeseung's friends calls out to him.

"Ay, we finally meet the famous Jay Park." The guy is about Jay's height and has sandy hair. A redhead next to him looks on, a kind and open expression on her face.

"Is he hard to live with?" She asks, referring to Heeseung, and Jay has to suppress a cackle at the look on his best friend's face.

"Nah." Jay takes a seat next to Heeseung, who scooches over to give him room. "What are all your names?"

The girl and guy introduce themselves, as well as the other two people: A girl with dyed blue hair in French braids and a boy with dark skin whose smile could rival Heeseung's.

Jay doesn't remember any of their names—they're gone the instant they're said—and he sighs before categorizing each person as a member of the Beatles. There's no real guide to naming them; he just does it in the order he can remember all of the band members' names.

"We were just about to watch a skin grafting surgical tape. Dare to watch with us?" Lennon, aka the sandy guy, speaks up. Jay can see Heeseung's eyes widen from his peripheral vision, and he nods.

"Sure."

The redhead, Starr, puts in the cd, and Jay sits back on the couch. He focuses on the recording and watches the procedure without flinching, even when the surgeon basically pulls off the patient's face and all Heeseung's friends go, "WOAH!!"

Afterward, Harrison, the girl with the blue hair, pushes a braid out of her face; she looks impressed. "Dude, that was so cool. I can't believe none of that unsettled you."

Jay shrugs, inwardly smug but keeping cool. "It's probably thanks to Heeseung's gross fascinations with gore and horror movies when we were kids. He'd make me watch every single one or witness everything he came across."