Slopes

f i f t e e n

<^>

Jaemin waves his arm in a panic as he sees the tears in Donghyuk's eyes. "Wait no don't cry! I promise to be with you next year!"

Donghyuk sniffles and wipes his tears. "It's alright, I'm just being a baby again."

Jaemin pouts and shakes his head. "No, there's no reason to call yourself a baby. Shit is bad right now, and I'm sorry I wasn't with you yesterday." Jaemin peers over Donghyuk's shoulder to the 4 men who were staring at them. He glares at them and they immediately turn around. "Come on, let's calm you down."

Donghyuk nods. "Alright let's head i–" He turns around, coming face to face with Mark. "Sorry, we're probably in the way."

Mark shakes his head. "You're fine. Well," he tilts his head and furrows his brows. "Not really...What's wrong?"

Donghyuk was about to tell Mark to fuck off and mind his own business, but the ringing of Jaemin's phone stops them both. "Hello?... Wait what...What?! Shit....alright, ok. Yes..yes..ok I'll be there...yeah." He pauses for a while, the other line describing the situation to it. "Ok, I'll be there as soon as I can." He hangs up and turns to Donghyuk.

"What is it?" His eyes still produced a few stray tears.

"Are you a friend of Donghyuk?" Jaemin asks Mark, and it takes the eldest a few seconds to think.

Were they friends? Mark couldn't really say. They certainly weren't enemies as far as he knew, but there was a small rivalry between them. Acquaintances? Maybe. "Yeah...we are...we are friends." Nice job Mark, really confident there.

Jaemin nods. "Ok stay with Donghyuk till he calms down."

"Jaem–"

"Hayoon's in labor." Was the last thing Jaemin said before leaving back to the resort.

Mark turns back to Donghyuk. "I'm bad at comforting people...but I'm a good listener."

Donghyuk sniffles and crouches down against the Crash Room wall. "I'm sure you are."

Mark sits next to him. Completely silent. He didn't ask Donghyuk to speak, he didn't rush the boy to say anything or do anything. He just sat there, in silent comfort, in hopes that Donghyuk would calm down.

After a good 10 minutes, Donghyuk speaks again. "Thanks."

"I didn't do anything."

"I know. And that's what I'm grateful for."

<^>

Doyoung sits in front of Donghyuk, his face serious and leaving no room for escape. Donghyuk knew exactly what was coming.

"As both your mentor and your friend, I want to make sure you're ok. So I need to know what's wrong. And I need to know why you were crying."

Donghyuk nods and sighs. "Let's start with the basics. I live with my grandparents. I've lived with them since I was 13, so only around 5 years. But before that, I was obviously with my parents. That didn't end well..."

Doyoung nods. "So let's hear the details."

"To put it simply. I have one too many scars thanks to my mom and dad."

<^>

Jaemin runs into the hospital, forehead sweating in both exhaustion and worry. "Where is she?" He hurries towards the front desk, startling the woman behind it.

"Who, sir?"

"Na Hayoon. Where is she?"

The lady looks through her papers. "What are your relations with her sir?"

"I'm her brother. Her twin."

"Right..." A few clicks on the computer and a couple of directions later and soon Jaemin was running into the elevator towards the 4th floor. When he finally gets to his sister's medical room, he enters as quiet as he can, in fear of startling her.

The young girl who lay in the bed, her long brown hair spreading out around her shoulders and the bundle of blankets in her arms only proves Jaemin's suspicions. "Jaem..."

"Hayoon oh my god I'm so sorry I didn't get here in time." He comes to her side and kisses her forehead in comfort. "How are you feeling?"

"Very tired." His sister laughs softly. "And so is the baby." She looks down at the infant in her arms, his sleeping face making Jaemin coo.

"Is he healthy."

Hayoon nods. "Amazingly so."

Jaemin pulls up one of the chairs in the room and sits beside his sister's bed. "What's his name?"

"Duho. Na Duho." Jaemin smiles at the name. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"It truly is." Jaemin smiles even brighter when the baby opens his eyes, his hand immediately locking around Jaemin's finger when he puts it out. "Hey there Dewy..."

Hayoon chuckles. "Dewy?"

Jaemin shrugs, making faces at the baby. "I think it's cute."

"It's very cute Jaem."

The two siblings looked at the baby as he went back to sleep. They talk and it's only when Hayoon goes back to sleep that Jaemin (with the help of the medical staff) brings her home to their shared apartment. He was an uncle now, and Hayoon a mother. And he promised to both himself and Duho, that he was going to be there for them. Be there for his sister and his nephew. She's done so much for the both of them, it was Jaemin's turn to take care of her.

He gently puts her to bed and places the baby beside her. They hadn't finished setting up the crib so until that was done, Duho and Hayoon would stay in the master bed and Jaemin would be in the guest room. He kisses his sister's forehead and gives a small peck to Duho on the hand before leaving the room and sitting at the kitchen table.

He was tired, stressed, and a bit worried, but he had comfort. He had someone he could talk to. And for that, he was grateful.

He opens his contacts and calls a certain number.

"Hello? Baby?"

"Jeno..." He breathes out. "I'm an uncle."

<^>