you fly home with me - NINE.i vari x joohyoung

- - ⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ - -

The second time he sees him again, it feels like an accident.

In every way, this shouldn't have happened. Jaehyun was never supposed to go home at twenty-something past one p.m. on a Wednesday. He has lectures before and in the afternoon, so he often uses the sandwiched lunchtime to get some work done in the campus library. But because Taehun has caught a cold and begged him over call in the most whiney, annoyingly nasal voice to stock up on liquid toothpaste — also known as: Taehun's beloved peppermint tea from that one specific brand that makes Jaehyun want to gag whenever he smells it around the kitchen — he's zipping up his coat to his chin and leaving campus.

He stops by at the next convenience store to get Taehun's stupid tea. There, he realizes he never really bothered to remember the name of the brand, so he aimlessly wanders through the isles and spams Taehun's phone in hopes he isn't choosing the absolute worst time to sleep himself back to health.

Staring at his screen like he can make Taehun feel his desperation transmitted through electromagnetic waves, he doesn't realize where he's going until he vaguely sees someone on the edge of his vision getting on their toes to reach the top shelf. He's late to act upon it though, and so is the other guy. One wrong step, two late reactions, and suddenly Jaehyun's butt hits the floor, Joohyoung yelps and crashes with him and his phone miraculously ends up in Joohyoung's lap undamaged.

Worlds collide. Twelve-year old Jaehyun ending up in a brook, icy water streaming past his leg that is twisted in a wrong way around the stepping stone glistening guiltily in the summer sun. Twenty-two-year old Jaehyun sitting on the cold floor of the convenience store. A dull ache spreads through his ankle. He carefully wiggles his foot.

Instead of the gasp of pain that instinctively wants to leave his mouth, he sighs in relief. It just hurts for the moment and will pass.

"Gosh, I'm—" Joohyoung looks up and freezes.

"Hi again," Jaehyun breathes out. Anything else he has imagined himself to say to him when they meet again is stuck in his throat, somewhere so deep he can't even remember them anymore. He's spent nights awake thinking about him, about how to make him stay if he runs away again, all a bit embarrassing when he thinks back on it. It's still Joohyoung. His friend, his childhood, his happy place. There's nothing to be scared of, and Joohyoung's baffled eyes are so curious and big, utterly familiar. He's still the same boy that climbs on trees without ever looking down and Jaehyun is still the one who stands on the grass, watching, ready to catch him if he slips.

But why can't he bring out anything?

"—'m really sorry," Joohyoung continues. "I should've moved out of your way before it came to this, I just thought it wouldn't... I don't even know, but uh, are you hurt? Are you okay?" Panic shakes his voice.

The pain that stabs Jaehyun's heart right in the middle is finally enough to help him find his voice. "Calm down, I'm fine. It was an accident. I also should've watched where I was going."

"You were obviously busy with something."

"Not really."

"Still... I..." Joohyoung frowns. "I'm sorry." He sounds like he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Like he's trying to make him understand something else he can't get himself to say. He doesn't look him in the eye, diverts his gaze to the phone in his lap.

"Oh my god," he says and frowns a bit more. "I thought it was just his way of spending time with me outside of — nevermind. Don't tell me Taehun is also using you as delivery man for his disgusting peppermint tea."