be my first || johnyong

sixteen

"It's a little early, but can I take my lunch right now?"

Hansol looked over her shoulder. "Sure. You can go on a break if you want, but we'll need you to cover the shop while we're gone."

"All right, Hyung. I'll be back."

Taeyong left the shop.

When he reached the entrance to the restaurant, both Johnny and Sehun were just stepping out. Perfect time.

"Hey, kiddo," Sehun said. "What's up?"

"Oh, um... was asking for Johnny."

Sehun arched a brow and gave Johnny a look Taeyong couldn't read.

"I see. Well, I'm going home. Catch you guys later."

As Sehun wandered off, Johnny smiled slightly.

"Very subtle, baby."

"Sorry, hyung." Taeyong laughed. "I should've guessed he'd be with you."

"So, what's really up?"

Nerves made Taeyong's stomach clench. "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

Johnny's eyes searched his face for a moment. "Sure."

"Come on."

Taeyong started down the path that led toward the park. He stopped a few feet out onto the first bench, and dropped down to sit on the edge.

Johnny sat beside him, but didn't speak, obviously waiting for Taeyong to say something.

When Taeyong cleared his throat for the second time, Johnny glanced at him in amusement.

"You got something stuck in there or what?"

That startled a laugh out of Taeyong.

"No, I... I'm a little nervous, but, you know, it's actually kind of a funny story..."

"What's kind of a funny story?" Johnny prodded, nudging Taeyong with his shoulder. "How are you feeling, by the way?"

"I'm good." Taeyong smiled briefly. "I wish I could kiss you right now."

Johnny reached out and squeezed his hand. "Later."

"Yeah." Taeyong cleared his throat again, and tried to ignore Johnny's chuckle. "But, anyway, you know when I told you about Jackson a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah?" Johnny said.

The hesitancy in his voice made Taeyong cringe.

"So, the thing is... I sort of made him up."

"Sort of?"

"I did make him up. I... there is no Jackson." Taeyong risked a glance at Johnny. The expression—or, rather, non-expression—on his face was worse than anger would have been. "I just... I wanted—"

"Taeyong!"

Taeyong jerked at the sound of his name being shouted from the direction of the shop.

Shit.

Has it been fifteen minutes already?

"You should go," Johnny said flatly when Taeyong's name was called again.

Taeyong bit his lip as the nervousness in his belly changed to queasiness.

"Are you mad?"

"We'll talk about it later."

Taeyong stared at him for a moment, but Johnny didn't say anything else.

Johnny's silence, and the sound of his name being yelled for a third time, prompted him into getting up.

"I'm sorry, hyung..."

He turned and made his way back to the shop.

By the time he got there, Taeyong had fought off the feeling of nausea. Mostly.

He apologized to his boss, and watched him walk out the door with a sense of relief.

Trying to talk to Johnny when he had so little time had probably been a mistake.

He'd have the rest of the day to agonize about whether Johnny was actually pissed or just disappointed.

Worrying about it was going to drive him crazy.

But, then, he had no one to blame but himself...