wrong number | ksj+kth ✓

08

It takes a while for Jin to notice that Namjoon's coming home later and later every day. At first, he returns around only 9, but then 9 becomes 9:30 and 9:30 becomes 10 and 10 becomes midnight and soon Jin – a renowned night owl – is falling asleep before his boyfriend even comes home.

He thinks sullenly that whatever project Namjoon's working out must be a difficult one, and he feels bad for wanting his boyfriend home just to spend time with him when he must have so much to do.

They hardly see each other for the next couple of weeks. The only bits of communication they have are the I'm going to be home late texts. Jin normally leaves for work before Namjoon wakes up and Namjoon comes home at ungodly hours when Jin's asleep, and they say no more than a dozen words to each other every day – I'm home, your dinner's in the fridge, goodnight – so that it feels like they haven't seen each other at all in ages.

Jungkook starts to come over more often to keep Jin company, and Yoongi and Hoseok talk to him more than they usually do, but the ache in his chest doesn't quite go away. He's alone, and he's lonely, and he doesn't think he's ever been in this kind of pain before.

It's not that Jin doesn't love Namjoon anymore; he does, he always has, and there's never been any doubt in his mind that he always will.

But always hearing I know instead of I love you too hurts so badly and he doesn't know if he can deal with it.

He used to laugh at that response – I know you love me, of course you do, everyone loves me – but it's not funny anymore. He doesn't know when it had stopped being humorous and started being hurtful; it just had, somewhere along the way, and now he can't quite get over the throbbing pain that erupts in his chest whenever Namjoon says it.

But he's heard a million times that beauty is pain, so he can't complain, because Namjoon is beauty.

Jin is so in love and he knows it. It's Namjoon's expressive eyes, his lips, his touch, his body, his mind. It's the way they'd connected years ago and the way Namjoon still knows him better than he knows himself. Jin is so in love that it hurts.

"Excuse me, I think you dropped this."

"Oh, uh, thanks – thank you – I – "

"No problem."

Silence follows, and then a timid, "Er – thanks for picking it up."

A wink. "Could I by any chance pick you up, beautiful?"

Jin wishes Namjoon would still call him beautiful.

But, he reminds himself quickly, it's okay that he doesn't, because actions speak louder than words.

"Jinnie, are you alright?"

Jin blinks. His eyes refocus and he realizes he's spaced out again.

He looks up at Hoseok, plastering a small smile on his face. He feels a little dizzy. "Yeah, I'm fine."

His friend sits down next to him, glancing at the clock. There's no one in the shop – which is normal, for about 3 PM on Tuesday – and the silence is overwhelming. "You're upset about Namjoon, aren't you?"

"No," Jin says, shaking his head vigorously, which makes the dizziness worse. "Namjoon and I are fine."

Hoseok's smile turns sad. "I'm sure you are."

"We are. I'm just tired."

"Right."

Jin sighs and lays his head on the table, closing his eyes. It's a bit hard to breathe, the room is too hot, and his head hurts. "Hobi, I don't – I don't feel too well."

"Are you sick?" Hoseok's voice is concerned. "Do you need to go home?"

Jin feels tears pooling behind his closed lids and he has no idea why. "I don't know."

"What's going on?" That's Yoongi's voice. "Hoseok? Is he okay?"

"I want to throw up," Jin murmurs, feeling a tear slip down his cheek.

The loud scraping of a chair against the floor follows his admission; a hand gently strokes his hair before he feels a tap on his shoulder. "Drink some water," Yoongi says, making him take the proffered glass. "I'll drive you home."

Jin's brows furrow. "But your car – "

"I'll take your car and take a cab back here, don't worry," Yoongi says. "Now drink."

He obeys.

A customer walks in, and Hoseok jumps up to take her order. Yoongi leads Jin to his car and helps him into the passenger seat. "You need to tell us when you feel sick."

"I did."

"It's a bit late now, isn't it?"

Jin feels decidedly worse at that. He closes his eyes and leans his head back against the headrest as Yoongi calls Jungkook to ask if he can come over.

The drive is shorter than usual — Yoongi doesn't care about speed limits quite as much as Jin does – and it's quiet. Yoongi just about drags Jin out of the car and into the house, and by the time they trudge through the door Jin is sweating and leaning most of his weight on Yoongi. The latter doesn't complain.

Jin crawls into his bed and curls up under the covers. "I'm sorry," he says, his voice muffled.

"For what?"

"For this whole situation."

"Don't apologize. You didn't choose to get sick, did you?"

"Well – "

"No, you didn't. It's not your fault." Yoongi wipes the tears from his cheek gently. "Look, I have to get back, but Jungkook will be here soon, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine, don't worry about me."

"Of course I'm going to worry about you," Yoongi says with a sigh. "It kind of comes with being friends."

Jin cracks a smile at that and sits up to wrap slender arms around his friend. "Thank you, Yoongi."

Yoongi doesn't pull away, and Jin's heart suddenly feels lighter than it has in weeks.