home | hyunho

thirteen

just reminding of the tws for this fic, there's only brief mentions in this chapter but still <3

it's almost familiar, at this point, for hyunjin to wake up beside minho. the scent of fabric softener — something calming yet refreshing — lingers around him and he swiftly sits up to rub his eyes. he feels fine, surprisingly so, and with a quick glance he can see minho still soundly sleeping on the other side of the bed.

that's why hyunjin gets off the bed and shuffles out of the room, heading to the kitchen. he goes to grab a glass of water while the apartment is still silent apart from distant snoring that comes from chan's room. hyunjin opts for waiting in the living room, settling comfortably on the couch as he finds his phone left on it last night. it still has some battery left, luckily, and the amount of notifications has hyunjin frowning. most of them are from his boyfriend and most of those are pictures and videos from someone's houseparty, hyunjin supposes. so much of spending a quiet night with a couple of friends.

one of them in particular catches hyunjin's attention, however, and he curiously zooms in.

he's met with a shaky picture of a crowd and the lighting is awful but hyunjin would recognize that one face from anywhere.

jeongin.

he spots jeongin from the couch in the very corner of the picture, holding a blonde in his arms. it almost looks like the blonde is crying and his former bestfriend is trying to comfort them but the quality sucks and the blonde's back is facing the camera and half of them get blocked by the people in what seems to be someone's living room.

'i bet he feels like shit now' the message following the picture says and hyunjin can't help but to take another look at the picture before reading the latest message his boyfriend had sent him. 'come over.'

hyunjin sighs as he stands up and pockets his phone, heading back to minho's room to see if he can find his jeans there. he can't even remember taking them off. surely, when he enters the room he notices them neatly folded on top of the desk and swiftly takes off the shorts (that certainly aren't his either) to put on his jeans instead. he hears shuffling but turning around he can still see the older fast asleep. hyunjin would text seungmin to explain his situation, he knows for a fact the younger will wake up soon, anyway. he just has to get out of the apartment before that.

it's rainy and a rather gloomy morning as hyunjin makes it to the district his boyfriend lives in, not that far from where chan and minho lives, really. he regrets not taking a jacket with him but fortunately the apartment building he's heading to isn't too far from the bus stop. he feels the slightest bit of uneasy.

"you look like you're feeling well," the older states flatly, sounding unimpressed as he lets hyunjin in. "no hangover this time?"

"no, i feel fine," hyunjin murmurs and eyes at the raven haired cautiously. "did something happen— last night, i mean? i'm sorry, i didn't see the messages you sent me until now..."

the older drapes his arms around hyunjin's neck and rests them on his shoulders, not too phased by the brunette's stiffness.

"depends," he trails off and takes his time playing with the overgrown strands of hair reaching the younger's nape. hyunjin doesn't dare to move an inch. "remember that guy jeongin dated a while ago?"

"ah," hyunjin quickly grows uncomfortable at the mention. how could he not remember him? "i do."

"he went for a friend of jeongin's — someone named felix, do you know him?"

"i—," the disclosure catches hyunjin off guard but he shakes his head slowly. "i don't think so."

"a pity. anyway, i'll go straight to the point — apparently jeongin had confronted the guy and threatened him with police for what he did and that moron was idiotic enough to laugh it off and tell him he'd already gotten away with this kind of shit once so he wouldn't be too sure about that. they said jeongin's reaction was priceless. he messed up big time, didn't he? didn't trust you like he trusts that pathetic little blonde, how tragic."

"oh," that's all hyunjin can say at first, the information certainly something to process.

he's over it by now, he thinks, but having it put like this does make him come up with questions enough to make anyone doubt it. he would never ask most of those questions out loud, though. "is he— is he okay? that felix guy, i mean..."

"how would i know?" the other raises a brow and hyunjin shrinks back, lower lip caught between his teeth. "what i do know, however, is that jeongin argued him into pressing charges or something and he's going to do everything he can to make you do the same. having you press charges against that guy as well would be a win for them, wouldn't it?"

"press charges?" the brunette carefully repeats. "for— what exactly?"

the older laughs shortly as he settles his hands down on the brunette's waist instead.

"rape, hyunjin, he's a rapist. seems like it wasn't just a one-time thing."

"but— i don't—"

"no one believed you, huh?" his boyfriend tuts in mock sympathy. "well, now they do. gongratulations, you've got the attention you wanted. they must see you as a victim now."

"then—"

"don't worry, i'm on your side," the other cuts him off again. "but that doesn't mean you didn't bring it upon yourself, now does it? you've always been a bit like that — asking for it."

hyunjin bites down harder, and harder, almost hard enough to make his lip bleed. he avoids the older's gaze now, ashamed. they haven't talked about this directly for so long and hyunjin now thinks that was for the best. he feels awful again.

"come on, don't be like that. i'm just telling you how it is — i'm not saying it was right. of course i'm going to support you, as the victim or whatever. just be careful of what you say, hm?"

it is whatever, really.

"is this why you asked me to come over?" hyunjin finally asks, feeling somewhat crestfallen now. "can i go home now?"

"no, i wanted to spend some time with you, too," the older hums easily. "it's like you've been avoiding me lately. now that's not fair, is it?"

a/n : this had been sitting in my drafts for over four months and i thought i had posted this already...