Vernon felt like an idiot. He hadn't talked to Seungkwan in two weeks, yet there he was, about to call him.

He needed to make sure Jihoon and Seungkwan weren't having . 

Jihoon had offered to drive Seungkwan home after they finished with the soulmate thing Jun had gotten them all to do, and Seungkwan had accepted!

Vernon had dashed to his room as soon as he'd gotten out the car when his mum pulled into the driveway.

The phone rang through to voicemail.

Oh my god, what if they've already started? he thought worriedly. 

He hung up and rang again.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he let it ring through on purpose. You two haven't talked in two weeks, and I'm pretty sure everyone heard what you said as he and Jihoon left."

Vernon jumped, and hung up as the phone went to voicemail again. He turned to face Joshua, who was leaning on his doorway.

"Can you call him, then?" Vernon asked.

"Why? To ruin his time with Jihoon?" Joshua didn't sound very impressed. "Why does it bother you that they're probably alone together?"

"Seungkwan's my best friend, if Jiho-"

"Try again," Joshua interrupted.

"What?"

"That isn't the reason; you can't be so obtuse that you haven't realised the real reason. Stop lying to yourself and try again." Joshua moved to sit at the end of Vernon's bed. "Why does it bother you that Jihoon's alone with Seungkwan?"

Vernon swallowed thickly. "They might be having ," he said, voice small. He didn't want Joshua to hear him.

But it seemed the elder had anyway. "Why does it bother you that that could be happening?"

Vernon shrugged aggressively. "Dunno."

Joshua sighed. "OK, whatever. I'll call on my phone, but you have to talk." Joshua pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I don't have Seungkwan's number." Vernon read out Seungkwan's number and Joshua pressed "call" on his phone. 

"Can't we just hang up after he answers?" Vernon asked, panicking. He had no idea what to say if Seungkwan picked up. Joshua shook his head.

"Hello? Who is this?" Regret instantly filled Vernon when he heard Seungkwan's voice. What was he supposed to say?

"Hey, Seungkwan, this is Joshua." Thank goodness for Joshua saving the day.

"What does Vernon want?" Oh no, Seungkwan knew. "He called twice in the last minute but I ignored him. I'm on speaker phone, aren't I. He's right there, isn't he. He can hear me."

"Yeah, you are, and yeah, he can hear you," Joshua answered.

"Well, you two are on speaker now, too. What does he want, then. I'll save some of his breath and say yes, I'm an easy, attention hungry, naive little boy who's making out with an older guy that just wants my hole, or whatever." Vernon could hear the eyeroll in Seungkwan's voice. There was a kissing noise, and Seungkwan moaned slightly.

It went straight south, and Vernon wished it was him eliciting that noise out of Seungkwan, not somebody else. He also hoped Joshua didn't look down.

"Don't you dare leave a hickey there, I'm video calling mum tomorrow and she wasn't impressed with how big some of the hickeys were last time."

Vernon cleared his throat. The thought of Seungkwan's mum seeing her son covered in hickeys like he had been recently didn't sit well with Vernon.

"Yeah, I know you're there, Vernon. I'm just over caring what you have to say. Hurry up and spit out whatever you got Joshua to call for."

"I just wanted to make sure you got home saf-" 

"Bull," Jihoon interjected. "You haven't even said hello to him in two weeks, and you want him to believe you wanted to make sure he got home safely?"

"Seungkwan can speak for himself," Vernon found himself saying. It made him more than a little angry that Jihoon was speaking for Seungkwan ."He's his own human being and can - oh . Oh , sorry Seungkwan. We stopped talking because I didn-" 

Vernon had been rude and had tried to control Seungkwan. That's why they stopped talking, not becuse of anything else.

It was my fault.

"You didn't what, Vernon?" Seungkwan demanded.

"Can we talk. Just us two? I've been horrible lately."

"I don't really want to talk to you, just us two. What if you start going on about Jihoon and how dumb and naive I am?"

"Ok, no problem. I'll say what I want to say with everybody listening." Vernon took a breath to steel himself.

"I want to apologise. I'm sorry, I shou-" The phone cut off.

"He hung up." Vernon couldn't believe it. Just when he'd apologised, Seungkwan hung up.

Joshua stood up. "Sorry, not much else we can do." He clapped Vernon's shoulder and shrugged before walking out.

Vernon fell back on his bed. Why did Seungkwan hang up? He was apologising, shouldn't things get better?

After a few seconds, his own phone started ringing. The caller ID told him it was "Kwannie^^". Vernon sighed, remembering a simpler time - it was how Seungkwan had named his contact when they'd exchanged phone numbers when Vernon got his first phone, and always made Vernon nostalgic when they were arguing. They hadn't had their first serious fight until after Vernon kissed his first girlfriend.

Vernon answered. "Hello?"

"Jihoon hung up. He said I didn't need to hear your apology. I think he's right, but I kind of want to..."

"I shouldn't have said-" 

"No, not right now. Give me time, a few days or something. I'll call you first, ok? Don't talk to me or look at me or anything until then. I need time. I need me."

The line died.

Well, this was better than nothing. A few days - it'd give Vernon time think of what he wanted to say. What he wanted to apologise for. 

=============

A/N:

This chapter was going to be Vernon's side of last chapter, but I got bored writing it, so I just started from what next chapter would've been. When I've finished this story I'll probably write that chapter as a bonus.