Blue {DoTae} | complete

Five: It's okay to be selfish

Doyoung kicks his legs in the air and buries his face in the pillow to muffle his squeaks of excitement. His phone vibrates again and he doesn't hesitate to unlock it, eagerly absorbing every word Jungwoo's typing. He's invited Doyoung to go into town this afternoon and for once he's able to make it. His fingers punch out an enthusiastic response before his anxiety rocks up to tell him no, then he messages his mother to let her know that he's going out. It's Saturday, but his parents are visiting some family friends that Doyoung's never met and Jeno is round Jaemin's, so he's currently alone and is dying for some social interactions.

He'd exhausted his list of school assignments by ten o'clock and the past hour has been spent by lazing around on his bed, scrolling through random tweets about Taeyong. A few have certainly left him seething, but the majority make him laugh at the fandom's questionable humour.

His mother replies to remind him not to be too late home, so he shoots back a simple 'ok' and grabs his wallet, house keys and coat because there's a suspiciously heavy cloud in the distance.

Striding down the pavement on his own feels strange, as though the chains confining him to his house have snapped and he's now able to run free, skipping across the road and increasing his pace when he catches the sight of Jungwoo's figure hanging around outside their favourite bubble tea shop.

"Woo!" He cheers and wraps his arms around his friend's waist.

"Hey." Jungwoo laughs and returns the affection, which makes Doyoung's head turn fuzzy from how amazing it feels to be breathing fresh air and hearing Jungwoo's voice.

Town is fairly empty with the occasional car passing by, and the sun provides the illusion of warmth, enough for Doyoung to just carry his coat in his arms when they enter the café. Jungwoo's voice blends well with the chatter from the other customers as they wait in line, then he continues to sustain the conversation once they leave, bubble tea in hand. When it's just him and Jungwoo, Doyoung's able to simply talk. About anything. A shadow of guilt lurks inside of him from how he dismissed him and Jaehyun at school when all they wanted to do was help, but he tries not to show it on the surface as they make their way to the park.

They find a spot away from the boisterous children on the swings and perch on the grass, legs extended in front of them. The sweet bubble tea slides down his throat and seems to loosen it up to help him chat, although that could also be down to the sugar giving him a boost of energy. His parents would go mad if they were to find out he enjoys such an unhealthy drink.

"I like your jumper." Doyoung says once Jungwoo finishes his story about how he thought he'd lost his house keys this morning. The topic ignites an inkling of worry in the back of Doyoung's head: did he lock the front door? He's sure he did. But did he? Did he really? How can he be sure? He doesn't trust his own memory.

"Thank you." Jungwoo nods and smiles, and Doyoung feels a rush of joy from how positive his friend is, dropping his obsessive thoughts that urge him to sprint home and check. His jumper matches his personality with its bright yellow material and the dainty flower embroidered over his heart. "My brother got it for me for my birthday. It's really soft, want to feel it?" He sticks out his arm and Doyoung giggles when it is soft and a bit fluffy. The fact that Jungwoo's brother gives him birthday gifts taints the sensation enough for Doyoung's laughter to cut short, and his smile fades away. He doesn't give Jeno gifts either, he reminds himself. It's a two-way thing.

He takes a long sip of his drink, fiddling a bit with the straw to catch another tapioca ball from the bottom. Jungwoo's eyes are all over him. He can tell from his friend's silence. When he dares to peek at him, the younger is watching him with a sad expression.