A World Sublime || JaeYong

🍂 𝐗𝐈𝐈 🍂

𝖂alking up the garden path to Dr. Rain's house was far less nerve-wracking than his hospital trips the past three weeks. Jaehyun was looking forward to telling the doctor about how he'd maybe made friends and willingly put himself in multiple social settings. Some had experienced a few hitches, though Jaehyun had thought they'd turned out okay. Things were also going well at both of his jobs

He was excited to talk about Taeyong.

He was actually picking Taeyong up tomorrow from The Rabbit Hole; who was on the early shift. They were having lunch together.

Dr. Rain opened the door moments after Jaehyun rang the doorbell.

"Jaehyun," he brightly greeted. "It's good to see you, how have these few weeks been?"

"H-hi Dr. Rain. They've been good..." then he suddenly faltered. If the doctor had only just returned, would the family still be unpacking? Should he not have come now? 

"Jaehyun, what's wrong?"

"I-I haven't come at a bad time ha-have I?" Jaehyun averted his gaze to the doormat.

Dr. Rain looked at his watch. "Yes Jaehyun, the audacity of you to come two minutes before your appointment starts." He looked back up. "Of course not. But I assume you're referring to when our flight landed...it was two days ago. Taehee's picking the kids up from school then taking them to get ice-cream. Don't worry Jaehyun."

"R-right." Jaehyun wanted to say sorry, out of habit, even as the doctor clapped him on the back and led him through to the back, but controlled himself. You don't need to apologise, Jaehyun, you've done nothing wrong.

"You almost said sorry, didn't you?"

Jaehyun nodded meekly.

Dr. Rain chuckled. "But you didn't. Good for you. I hope that means you've been working on building more confidence in other areas, too?"

They came to the garden table and chairs under the pergola, with Jaehyun noting the tea tray holding two cups, one that looked like his usual matcha. They sat.

"I've been trying," began Jaehyun. "I've got this co-worker a-at the Nike store...h-he's from Shanghai. And we hung out the other week after work. He introduced me to his other friends..." Jaehyun, starting off his usual, awkward, stilted self, got into a better flow as he went on, telling Dr. Rain more about Chenle and laser tag and his sister coming over, how his jobs were going. He also, eventually and maybe with a little embarrassment, admitted that a man tried to hit him at the Rabbit Hole.

"You, Jaehyun, got into a bar fight?" asked Dr. Rain with a raised eyebrow.

Jaehyun panicked and scrambled to clarify. "No no no, i-it wasn't like that. Th-there was a woman who-who told that guy to leave her alone. B...b-but he tried to grab her so-so I just got in-between them until the-the bouncers took him."

Jaehyun wondered if a smile was actually playing on the doctor's lips or if he was just imagining it.

"You've misunderstood," said Dr. Rain after a moment of excruciating silence. "Did you, or that woman get hurt, Jaehyun?"

Jaehyun shook his head, keeping his teacup at his mouth as a sort of shield.

"In that case, good. I hope that man was thoroughly embarrassed."

Jaehyun gulped down a large sip. He didn't know how to reply to that.

"The Rabbit Hole, you called the place?" resumed the doctor, after looking up from his notes.

"Uh, yeah?"

"What made you decide to go to a nightclub? Were you going with your friends?"

Jaehyun put his cup down, recalling when he first saw Taeyong at that mini festival, then all the times after that. Taeyong didn't even have to do anything except be around him and it made Jaehyun happy.