For perhaps a good 30 seconds, Jongin simply lay in bed, aware that the phone was ringing but not motivated enough to actually pick it up. It was 2am for heaven’s sake… who could be calling him at this time, with blatant disregard for how intense his rehearsals had been lately and how much rest he needed? Sighing groggily, Jongin reached over in the darkness, fumbling around until he felt the familiar shape of his phone. Seeing your name flashing up on the caller ID quickly wiped every trace of sleep from his body, as he shot up, worried about why you were calling him at this time. Trying to keep his voice calm so that you couldn’t tell how concerned he was, Jongin answered with a forcefully casual “Hey there!”

“I mean, I know it’s 2 in the morning but hey, it’s not like my health and wellbeing matters at all…” he attempted to joke, still wondering why you needed him at this time.

“Jonginnie!” your perky voice answered at the other end, making Jongin break into a smile instantly. At least she’s okay, he thought, relieved.

Soon enough though, Jongin could hear that something was wrong. You were a lot louder than usual, and your words were slurred. You were usually bright and articulate, but right now, you weren’t making much sense.

“Jongin, so, thing is, the club was soooo good, but yeah… what was I saying? Oh yeah, the music was soooo good, I really needed that you know,” you continued rambling.

Jongin chuckled to himself. You rarely ever drank, but he somehow found you adorable in your tipsy state.

“But the thing is, oh this really nice guy kept buying me drinks though, he said he’d drive me back but Jongin, I kind of wanted you to –” you attempted to explain your situation, but Jongin interrupted you as soon as he realised what was going on.

“No,” he cut in, his voice layered in malice that was very uncharacteristic of him. “Under no circumstances are you letting this guy drive you home, you hear me? You will wait for me right there. In fact, don’t hang up. Just… just keep talking, please,” Jongin’s voice lost its harshness, melting away as he said the last few words.

As long as you kept babbling on about anything on the other end of the phone, as he listened to everything on speaker phone, it would give him some peace of mind. He would know that you were still there, waiting for him, not being led away by someone else when you were in such a vulnerable state.

Jongin rushed to his car with only his keys in his pockets and his phone clutched in his hand. He felt somewhat reassured hearing your voice continue to tell him ridiculous, drunken stories as he had his phone resting on the dashboard, driving to you as quickly as he legally could. It killed him that you had ended up in such a potentially dangerous situation, without him there to support you like a best friend should. Best friend… the words rang painfully in his head, as it reminded him of the only type of relationship he would probably ever have with you.

“Just a friend…” he breathed quietly to himself, but thankfully you were so wrapped up in your storytelling that you did not hear him over the phone.

Pulling up outside the club that you had been waiting at, Jongin saw you sitting on the cold concrete, still talking into the phone, with your high heels deposited recklessly to your side. It took you a while to even notice his presence there, but when you did, you practically knocked the poor boy over with your overzealous hug. Jongin was simply happy to have you in his arms, slightly frightened by how cold you felt in your little party dress. By the time you arrived home, it seemed that you had completely exhausted yourself with all the talking, so all Jongin could do was to prop you up as you staggered to his room. You were definitely too drunk to be at your own apartment alone, so the next best thing was to be under his watchful eye at his apartment. The second you collapsed into his bed, you were snoring lightly. Jongin felt like he should be mad at you for how worried you had him, but seeing you in this state simply melted his heart. All he could do was gather up his spare blankets, shut the door lightly, and head off to sleep on the couch.

Jongin woke to the sound of rustling in the kitchen. Figuring out that you must be trying to get your bearings around his apartment whilst dealing with a hangover, he was by your side within a second. You jumped slightly at his sudden appearance, seeing as you still hadn’t quite recovered from last night.

“Jongin, sorry, just – just wanted a glass of water,” you frowned, the morning sunlight being a little bit too strong for your eyes to adjust to.

Jongin took a few seconds to respond to you, slightly bewildered by how sweet you still looked, and how adorably endearing your sleepy morning voice was. Your curious stare jolted him into action, as he set to work in the kitchen, trying to play off how lovestruck he really was. The two of you feasted on simple bowls of cereal, as it was all Jongin could really cook. After breakfast, you settled on the couch, still trying to feel better from last night. That’s when you noticed the pillows and blankets strewn across the couch, as you realised what had really been going on.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry Jongin! You slept on the couch because of me, right?” you asked, feeling so guilty that he had to sleep in discomfort because of you.

Jongin appeared by your side, two warm cups of tea in his hands, but an even warmed smile lighting up his bronzed features.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” he answered, handing you the much-needed cup of tea. “As long as you’re safe…” he trailed off.

"It’s a huge bed though. We should’ve just shared, Jonginnie," you told him, curious at his lack of common sense in this regard.

Jongin’s face flushed a deep scarlet, as he looked at you with wide eyes.

"Sh-share a bed? Haha, that’s funny. No, no, would’ve been… too close, yeah, awkward…" he spoke quickly, completely flustered at the very thought. Sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, Jongin was suddenly worried that maybe he’d  revealed a little bit too much of his feelings by doting on you this whole time. 

You simply stared at the boy in front of you, the weight of everything sinking into your mind. Your best friend had dumped everything at two in the morning, despite how much he needed the rest after his strenuous rehearsals. In his hurry, he had rocked up without even a jacket to keep him warm in the freezing night-time air. He didn’t want you to spend the night alone when you were in such a state, preferring to sleep on the couch in discomfort, as long as he knew you were cosy and safe in his own bed. And now, he was sitting right beside you, smiling shyly and fiddling nervously with his hands. You leant in, placing a light kiss on his cheek. Jongin’s entire body jolted at the contact, resulting in him almost spilling his tea.

“Thank you, Jongin,” you sighed, contently resting your head against his shoulder. Even from this angle, you could see him break into the biggest, goofiest, most loveable smile: a smile you hoped to see a lot more of.