Chapter 6

“Hello?” A scratchy voice came on the other end of the phone. 

“Buin!” Onew tried to say softly, but his measurement of volume seemed to be off because the bartender turned another glare towards him before rushing off to hang out near the other end of the bar to help the patron there.

"Onew?" Lex sounded confused.

"Wifey! I miss you!"  Onew couldn't stop his smile that planted itself across his face.

"Jinki...are you alright?" Lex asked, sounding concerned.

"I'm fine..." he drawled.

The bartender, who had sidled back down the bar rolled his eyes.  He took the phone to Onew's bemusement and put it to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked, stepping out of arms reach should Onew realize that the man had just taken his phone away.

"H-hello?" Lex sounded even more confused, "Who's this?"

The red head stuttered his way through his choppy Korean.  "Look, your boy is at The Wolfhound..."

"The Wolfhound?" she moaned in English, "In Itaewon?"

The man raised an eyebrow, "You know it?" Grateful for the English that he could understand.

She let out a humorless laugh.  "You guys get me every St. Paddy's Day...look, can you just, put him in one of those private rooms until I get there.  I promise I'll pay for it and his tab when I get there.  Only I'm coming from Bucheon so it could take a while..."

The man laughed, "No, he's got his tab, just can't seem to find his feet," he added as Onew toppled off of the bar stool.  "No need for extra, I'll put him in a room for ya, maybe he'll sleep some of it off waitin'"

She snorted, "Only if my luck changes."

He laughed, "Ask for Johnny at the bar, I'll take you to the room."

"Thank you!  I'll be there as soon as I can!" 

The call ended and Johnny leaned over the bar and looked down at the giggling man on the floor.  He shook his head, "You better be worth it for me to have called this nice girl out here in the middle of the night."

A lovesick smile strung across Onew's face, "Wifey's worth everything."

*****

Onew looked up when the door creaked open.  The light and noise from the bar suddenly infiltrating his quiet sanctuary made him recoil with a moan and throw an arm up over his eyes in a vain attempt at defense.  He was already starting down the wrong side of the mountain of alcohol he had consumed over the course of this evening.   

“Oh Jinki…” he heard a voice whisper, and vaguely recognizing it as Lex’s voice he smiled and brought his arm down despite the light.

She turned and thanks the barman before slowly approaching Onew and dropping into a crouch.  She studied his face, “I thought you were supposed to be able to hold your alcohol…” she muttered.

“I can!” Onew shouted, way too loudly for someone standing directly in front of him. 

Lex closed her eyes and winced, and when she opened her eyes there was a spark of irritation within them.

“Riiight.”  She said, voice dripping with sarcasm.  “Okay then.”  She looped her hands around the shoulder closest to her and pulled gently up, “let’s just get you home then alright?”

Onew tried to spring to his feet but over-balanced toppling both himself and Lex into the wall next to the door.

“Ooff!” Lex exhaled, the wind shooting out of her as Onew crushed against her torso.

Onew didn’t want to move, as he pillowed against her chest and quite enjoying the sensation. 

Lex however had different ideas and pushed against him, making him right himself and shook her head at him.  She lightly scratched the side of her head in thought. 

“You are way too obviously smashed, you can’t go out in public like this…a camera might catch you.”  She pursed her lips in thought and Onew had the sudden urge to lean down and kiss them, but just then the world decided to go spinning on him so he thought that moving probably wasn’t the best idea just about now.

“Alright, give me your coat.”  She said suddenly, stripping off the grey hoodie that she had worn at the same time.

“Why?” Onew asked, though his body, trained to take orders about his clothing, was already starting to awkwardly shrug off the black pea coat.

Lex grabbed his coat and tossed it on the table next to where they stood.  “Okay, arms up!” She gestured, swinging her hands up and holding them over her head.

Giggling, Onew obeyed and she slid her hoodie over his hands and head, tugging it down to settle at his waist. 

She shook her head in bemusement, “I probably should be offended that you fit in my clothing…”

Onew snorted, “You’ve already been in mine!”  And like those images didn’t run through his mind every night alternating with that wedding dress. 

Lex rolled her eyes, “Alright buddy,” she fixed the hood so that it came forward and would hide his face from anyone as they passed by.  “Just keep that hood up and maybe we’ll get you home without too much hassle.”

She threw Onew’s jacket around her own shoulders.  Curling one arm through Onew’s she started to lead them out of the pub, nodding a quick thanks to Johnny behind the bar.

*****

Lex had somehow managed to hail a taxi, bundle Onew into the car and keep him relatively quiet for the entire ride.  They headed for SHINee’s dorm because it was closest.  Besides she didn’t know if Onew had anything on his schedule tomorrow…er…well, later today…

Onew was starting to fall asleep on his feet and he was swaying all over the place as she herded him through the lobby.  He was leaning more on her now than on his own feet and she was struggling to keep them both upright.  One of Onew’s arms was thrown across her shoulders while the other dangled uselessly at his side.  She thumped hard into the wall in the elevator but didn’t have the energy to try and shift the too close Onew aside. 

She made it to the door, but realized just then that she didn’t know the code.  She stood there for a moment, staring at the keypad to the SHINee dorm at 4:30 in the morning, Onew swaying dangerously and Lex just wanting to go back home and collapse into her bed. 

“Onew…what’s the code?”

“Um…”  Onew was trying, but nothing was coming to his mind.  The more he thought about it, the more his brain did mental circles, which in his state was enough to make him queasy.  “I dunno…” he slurred, trying to not vomit. 

She sighed, “Sorry guys…” she whispered, and pushed the buzzer.  She knew it would wake up the whole apartment, but she was out of options now. 

There was silence for a moment and then a fumbling sound came from within the apartment.  “Hello?” a tired voice came on the intercom.

“Minho!” Lex sighed gratefully.

“Noona?” Now he sounded tired and confused and he clicked the screen on to see the hallway.

Onew meanwhile was enduring another bout with a floor that didn’t seem to be staying still.

While Lex was trying to explain enough to get Minho to come and open the door, Onew found that he couldn’t hold it down anymore.

And he vomited.

All over Lex.

Note: The Wolfhound is a real Irish Pub in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul.  It's a favorite for foreigners because they serve foreign alcohol and food and the entire staff speaks English.