Work Text:
It’s Friday night again and Doyoung can’t wait to get out of his seminar (who even has classes on a Friday night?). The sound of the air-conditioner helps Doyoung drone out whatever the current presenter is saying and Doyoung almost feels bad for the guy. Almost. It’s eating into his night out with his friends and he’s beginning to feel impatient. Because it’s been twenty minutes and student at the front of the class is still talking. He’s been stumbling over his words, blanking out at certain moments, and referring to his script way too many times. Doyoung’s sure that he can do the exact same presentation in half the time and efficiently get all his points across.
Sighing, Doyoung pulls up an email on his laptop, quickly scanning it, and rolls his eyes when he finds what he’s looking for. A fifteen-minutes presentation, that was the instructions. Suddenly, Doyoung doesn’t even try to feel bad anymore.
He scowls at the presenter when the latter meets his eyes and he shuts his laptop’s screen, mindfully. Because as discontent as he is with his classmate, he’s certainly not interested in drawing his professor’s attention to him for disrupting.
Maybe it’s because of Doyoung’s glare, but the student miraculously wraps up the remainder of his points in five minutes, rushing through everything quickly and even skipping a few slides which he deemed unimportant all of a sudden. Whatever the reason is, Doyoung is thankful. Forcing a smile onto his face, Doyoung claps slowly, more for the fact that he finally gets to leave the classroom and not because he really enjoyed the presentation.
Once he leaves the classroom, he spots Ten waiting for him, the other leaning against the wall as he plays with his phone. Silently approaching Ten, Doyoung grins when the other doesn’t notice his presence. “Ten,” he says, surprising his friend and causing him to lose his grip on his phone.
The phone doesn’t fall to the floor and Ten saves his glass screen protector from gaining yet another crack. He pockets his phone in the back of his jeans before glaring at Doyoung. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“I literally just said your name,” Doyoung deadpans, wondering why he’s friends with Ten again. The angel, or devil - Doyoung isn’t really sure which it is because they both sound like Ten - on his shoulder reminds him that Ten is his only friend.
Waving a hand in dismissal, telling Doyoung that he’s forgiven, Ten then throws an arm around Doyoung’s shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for half an hour.” Lies. “Can we please head to the club now?”
Of course, that was the reason Ten decided to wait for him today. “You didn’t have to wait for me, you know,” Doyoung points out. “You could have gone ahead and I’d join you later.”
“It’s the Christmas party,” Ten huffs, as if it’s self-explanatory as to why he couldn’t turn up at the club by himself. “I would have been stopped at the entrance because the security’s so strict this time.”
“Yeah?” Doyoung chuckles, grinning widely when he feels Ten glaring at him. “How many of your friends got denied access already?”
“Sixteen, Ten stresses the number in a whine. It’s one of the highest numbers Doyoung’s heard so far. Objectively, sixteen isn’t a lot because most people aren’t stupid enough to try getting into some of the invite-only clubs. Ten’s other friends just aren’t the most intelligent bunch. “And the bouncer recognises Jaehyun’s boy toy, not me.”
Raising a brow, Doyoung casts Ten a scathing look. “I think you meant ‘boyfriend’. But sure,” he gives in. “Boy toy works too since you’re my friend.”
With a playful smirk, Ten nudges Doyoung’s shoulder with his own. “I’m only friends with you because you can get me into the most exclusive clubs.”
Doyoung’s heard that stupid line from Ten enough not to get riled up or take it seriously. “Say that again and you’ll find yourself on the blacklist of all these clubs.”
Gasping dramatically, Ten stops in his footsteps and places his hand on his chest as he stares at Doyoung with wide eyes. They both know that Doyoung is only joking. He doesn’t mean most of the threats he says but it’s always an opportunity for Ten to act like Doyoung’s bullying him. “You say that about your boyfriend, though?”
Laughing, Doyoung shakes his head because it’s different. “Jaehyun knows, though?” Doyoung replies easily, smiling, amused. When Ten gives him a look of concern in response, Doyoung frowns. “What?”
Shrugging, Ten puts his arm around Doyoung again and they start walking. “Nothing. Just thinking about how long it’s been since I last saw Jaehyun.”
*
Never in a million years would Doyoung have thought that he would get stopped at the entrance of OPAL. Like all of Ten’s other extremely unintelligent friends. But there he is, standing at the door. What’s worse and infinitely more embarrassing for Doyoung is that he’s holding up the line. He’s actually holding up the line like the kind of people who turn up uninvited to an exclusive club and holds up a line.
“He knows me,” Doyoung insists to the new bouncer. He looks around, trying to find a familiar face but the bouncer he knows is nowhere in sight. Where the hell is Johnny?
“He knows everyone,” this bouncer - Lucas - scoffs.
“You’re not even old enough to be here,” Doyoung hisses back despite not knowing the other’s age. On hindsight, it seems like a compliment, but Doyoung grins in victory when he sees the offended look on Lucas’ face.
Affronted, Lucas folds his arms, frowning deeply as he looks down at Doyoung and it’s Doyoung who’s scowling angrily. Doyoung is tall, but Lucas is a damn giant. It isn’t like Doyoung is a stranger to giants, but the one he knows isn’t here to let him in the club. Instead, it’s this new one who’s making him hold up the line.
“Lucas, I’ll take over from here. Thanks for covering,” a new voice joins in. Smiling at Doyoung, he opens his arm towards the door in a welcoming gesture. “Go on in, Doyoung.”
Hugging Johnny, Doyoung sniffs, acts all dramatic about Johnny being his saviour before casting Lucas a look of disdain. He doesn’t look long enough to see Lucas’ response. “Thank you, Johnny. You’re the best.”
“Go on a date with me,” comes Johnny’s reply and Doyoung rolls his eyes because he doesn’t notice that Johnny’s talking over his shoulder (and because he used to think that Johnny had the biggest crush on him). “I’m talking to your friend,” Johnny corrects, grinning at Ten, completely ignoring Doyoung as he hands Ten a slip of paper. “Call me.”
“Later,” Ten coos back flirtatiously, blinking his eyes, fluttering his lashes and all that and Doyoung tries not to gag.
It takes Doyoung and Ten at least ten minutes of weaving through the crowd on the first floor and Doyoung convincing the security blocking the entrance to the second floor that, “yes, Jaehyun knows me. I’m his boyfriend. Just let me go up, already.”
“Pick me up at the entrance next time,” Doyoung says as a way of greeting to Jaehyun.
Dimples peak from the corners of Jaehyun’s lips as he stands from his seat to cross to the other side of the table. He pulls Doyoung in by the waist and plants a kiss on his cheek. “Okay.”
Now it’s Ten’s turn to pretend not to gag, except he doesn’t even bother trying hard to cover his disgust.
Jaehyun buries his face in Doyoung’s neck once they’re seated and he sighs happily when he smells the familiar vanilla scent. He knows that their position will soon be reversed as the night goes on, when Doyoung who has a poor alcohol tolerance doesn’t know when to stop drinking because he hates beer and wine and cocktails are the only kind of alcohol he drinks. “You’re late.” Jaehyun tries his best not to sound sulky.
“I’m sorry,” Doyoung groans, leaning closer when he feels one of Jaehyun’s hands massaging his upper thigh. “That new bouncer Lucas wouldn’t let me in.”
Lifting his head, Jaehyun sends Doyoung an apologetic look. “I’ll let him know.”
*
As Jaehyun expected, Doyoung gets tipsier into the night and he’s almost sitting in Jaehyun’s lap at this point which is only further prove that he’s well on his way to becoming drunk. A few others joined them an hour ago and Doyoung would honestly rather drink six cans of beer than actually sit on Jaehyun’s lap in public, especially not in front of his boyfriend’s friends.
“Who are you waving at?” Doyoung asks when he sees Jaehyun smiling at someone sitting at the bar counter on the first level. Squinting, he tries to make out who the other is but the other boy has turned around by the time Doyoung’s gaze focuses.
“Someone’s jealous,” Ten points out in an annoying sing-song tone that makes Doyoung scoff at him and down another shot.
“Easy,” Jaehyun says softly, plucking the glass from Doyoung’s hand and setting in on the table. He smiles when Doyoung groans, leaning into his chest to rub his face against Jaehyun’s shirt like a cat. “Family acquaintance,” Jaehyun replies as a way of explanation. “The kid’s a freshman. His name’s Donghyuck. Been sneaking into clubs since he was in the first year of high school.”
“Huh,” Doyoung muses, stretching his neck again to try catching a glimpse of Donghyuck’s face but to no avail. What he sees instead, is another boy taking a seat next to Donghyuck and when Donghyuck leans towards the other, Doyoung looks away, not wanting to intrude on what seems like an increasingly private moment. Not that he was really intruding.
Doyoung feels before he sees someone’s gaze on him. Looking straight, he finds himself meeting the eyes of one of Jaehyun’s friends - Yuta, if he remembered correctly.
“Stop staring at him, Yuta,” Jaehyun scolds with a frown.
So his name is Yuta. Even in his inebriated state, Doyoung is still able to commend himself for being right.
Yuta laughs and it’s grating to Doyoung’s ears. “I can’t believe you guys are still dating. I know Jaehyun’s all head over heels for you,” he looks pointedly at Doyoung. “But I didn’t expect that to last.”
Eyes narrowed, Doyoung’s about to bite back, get into an argument but Jaehyun’s hand on his thigh stops him, and he turns to look at his boyfriend instead. Jaehyun’s jaw squares and he’s probably gritting his teeth and Doyoung only prays that Jaehyun is not going to end in a physical altercation.
Doyoung’s hand comes up to the back of Jaehyun’s neck, massaging it lightly as he whispers to the other, “Relax.”
As curious as Doyoung is about Yuta’s words, and no matter how much he wants to ask the other to explain them, he doesn’t give in to the temptation, knowing that people like Yuta only thrived on such attention. And Doyoung isn’t about to give Yuta that satisfaction of adding fuel to the fire.
“Isn’t he only dating you to get into clubs?” Yuta comments obnoxiously, directing his attention to Jaehyun this time.
There’s a mocking look on his face, a sinister glint in his eyes as if expecting a fallout between the couple and Doyoung wonders if all the rich people are like that, wonders if they simply enjoy sowing discord between others, between people they know just because they are bored. It won’t be the first time Doyoung’s met someone like this.
But then he thinks of Jaehyun. Sweet, sweet Jaehyun, and he decides that Jaehyun is one of the special ones.
“That’s what he likes to say,” Jaehyun answers easily with a chuckle, hand slipping around Doyoung’s waist.
Intoxicated, Doyoung really isn’t thinking clearly when he says, “But it’s true?” He’s joking, of course he’s joking. It’s his usual response now to jibes like that because that was something he said when they first started dating and even then, Doyoung knew that it wasn’t why he agreed to becoming Jaehyun’s boyfriend. Jaehyun was more than free passes to exclusive clubs. Is more than that. Way more than that.
As always, Jaehyun simply laughs Doyoung’s answer off, but this time, his hand around Doyoung’s waist tightens, surprising the latter. He tries pushing Jaehyun’s hand off so that he can look at the other’s face and ends up pushing at his own thigh instead. Jaehyun’s hold isn’t uncomfortable, nor does it hurt since Jaehyun isn’t even gripping on too tightly but between the two of them, Doyoung has always been the weaker one and the alcohol only made him more uncoordinated in his movements.
“Jae?” he says softly, catching his boyfriend’s attention immediately and he’s met with a dimpled smile and kind eyes.
“Hm?” Jaehyun hums.
Shaking his head, Doyoung buries his face in the crook of Jaehyun’s neck, suddenly feeling the alcohol hitting him harder than it did before. “Nothing.”
Some time later into the night, Doyoung’s barely sober when Jaehyun’s family acquaintance - Donghyuck, comes over to their table with his friend. Doyoung kind of registers Donghyuck leaning towards Jaehyun and saying something offensive so he scowls.
Doyoung doesn’t realise Jaehyun’s hands supporting him to leave the club until he’s outside on the pavement and the cold air hits his face, waking him up a little. He doesn’t understand why they get into a cab instead of Jaehyun’s car. But he’s too inebriated to ask about it. All he wants to do is lie in bed and hug Jaehyun to sleep.
*
Jaehyun’s not in bed when Doyoung wakes up. Doyoung stares at the advil and glass filled with water on the nightstand, blinks a few times before he registers that they’re for him because there’s no one else in the room. He looks around to take in his surroundings and finally realises that he’s in his own room; Jaehyun must have brought him home last night.
The door opens then and Jaehyun looks shocked to see Doyoung sitting up. “Oh, you’re awake. I’ll leave, then.”
Leave?
“By the way,” Jaehyun says, pausing at Doyoung’s bedroom door. “I just spoke to Lucas and that new security guard about you so you don’t have to worry about them blocking you from entering the clubs or getting to the VIP sections anymore.”
What?
Memories, most importantly, the things Doyoung said last night at the club rush into his mind in fragmented pieces, as if Jaehyun’s words unlocked a part of a puzzle piece from Doyoung’s fuzzy recollection. And then it hits Doyoung and it hurts more painfully than his hangover.
Fuck.
Limbs flailing around, Doyoung stumbles out of his bed and stops Jaehyun in time as the other is about to put on his shoes.
“Look, Jaehyun, about what I said last night,” Doyoung begins, stopping himself from saying anything more when Jaehyun shakes his head.
Jaehyun smiles at Doyoung, but his dimples are barely there and that’s when Doyoung know that the other is truly upset. “You don’t have to explain anything. I know.”
The words catch Doyoung off-guard, though and he tilts his head. “You do?”
“I know what I got into when I started dating you, Doyoung,” Jaehyun states, sounding defeated for reasons Doyoung can’t even think of. “I knew what I was getting into the moment I asked you out.”
Pressing his lips together, Doyoung studies Jaehyun’s face. The other doesn’t look the least bit mad, all things considered and Doyoung doesn’t know if he imagined everything in the first place. “Are we on the same page?”
“You tell me? You’re only dating me to get into clubs, right?”
Okay, Jaehyun is definitely angry.
“You know I don’t mean it,” Doyoung says, desperate as he reaches out to take one of Jaehyun’s hands. “You know I didn’t mean what I said to Yuta last night. Come in.” When he sees Jaehyun hesitating, Doyoung tugs his hand lightly. “Please?”
Sighing, Jaehyun follows Doyoung back into the living room and sits on the couch where Doyoung has lead them to.
“It was kind of true at first,” Doyoung begins, shutting his eyes with a pained groan when he feels an oncoming dizzy spell and curses himself for not taking the advil first.
When he opens his eyes again, he sees Jaehyun’s outstretched hand with the pill lying on his palm.
Glancing up at Jaehyun, he mouths a quick thank you before popping it into his mouth and accepting the glass of water from Jaehyun to swallow it properly.
Once Doyoung sets the glass down, he looks at Jaehyun again, eagerly willing the pill to hurry take effect. “I didn’t agree to date you because you could get me into clubs. I mean that was one of the reasons. But it became something more along the way.” Doyoung’s suddenly thankful that Ten isn’t here to watch him struggle. “And you can’t blame me. I mean that’s literally how you tried to chase me! You promised to get me into every club in the city!”
“I met you in a club!” Jaehyun quickly jumps in to defend himself. “Of course, I thought it was the way to your heart!”
“I was there because of Ten!” Doyoung shouts back.
It’s like the fog has lifted from Jaehyun’s eyes and he’s finally able to see the whole situation clearly. “You mean to say that getting you into clubs is not the way into your heart?”
“I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. I didn’t even know you could really get me into every club in the city. I thought you were joking. I didn’t know you were,” Doyoung gestures vaguely at the air in Jaehyun’s direction, “Rich,” he finishes lamely. “I don’t care about the places you can or can’t get me in, Jaehyun.”
Scooting closer to Doyoung on the couch, Jaehyun’s eyes are sparkling as he asks, “So, the clubs?”
“Don’t need them.”
“What do you need, then?” Jaehyun’s voice becomes deeper and the excitement in his eyes is a stark contrast but Doyoung finds himself falling in love with both sides all the same.
Hand coming to rest on Jaehyun’s cheek, Doyoung pinches lightly before whispering, “You.” Then he leans in to press his lips against Jaehyun’s for a short kiss. “You know I’m a very logical person,” Doyoung says when he pulls away.
“What?”
Nodding, Doyoung starts to play with Jaehyun’s fingers absentmindedly. “I always think with my head.”
“Okay?”
“But with you. With you…” Doyoung sighs. “With you, I always think with my heart. It’s always been my heart.”
“Doyoung?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to ditch the New Year’s party at Lux and go on a date with me to the movies instead?”
Doyoung doesn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. “I’d love to.”