Lonely Kitten

25

Jisung was taken aback at how their phone call ended. They had barely spoken all day, so he had been prepared to talk for a few minutes. Especially Minho's cold tone threw him off but what did he expect when the older had waited for him to have dinner together. Chan and Changbin looked at him confused, knowing how clingy Minho usually was. Him hanging up on Jisung was totally out of character but what could they do. Maybe the hybrid was just annoyed that he had gone hungry for so long and it was all for nothing now. They brushed the incident off and returned to work, now that Jisung didn't have to worry about the hybrid's whereabouts. He didn't stop worrying though, having a gut-feeling that something wasn't right. That was not the Minho he knew, the Minho that couldn't get enough of his attention.

The longer they continued working, the worse Jisung felt. For one, he felt guilty for making the older wait with dinner only to cancel on him and then there was the hybrid's cold tone when he ended the call. It didn't sit right with Jisung and he couldn't stop replaying the incident over and over in his mind. Deep in his gut, he knew that something was really badly wrong, to the point he started to feel physically sick. Chan noticed it first as he had to call his dongsaeng's name a few times to get his attention. Jisung was pale, his hands clammy and shaking as he tried to take deep breaths. "Sungie, what's going on?", the Aussie worried, turning his chair, so it was fully facing the younger. Rubbing his face into his hands, Jisung shrugged: "I-I don't know." - "You look like you're having another anxiety attack", Changbin pointed out, motioning towards the younger's trembling hands. Drawing a shuddering breath, Jisung denied: "I just feel like something's wrong." - "Any idea what it could be?", Chan frowned, well aware that his dongsaeng always felt like something was wrong or started overthinking the smallest things when his anxiety spiked.

After staying quiet for a moment, Jisung shook his head, repeating: "Something is really, really wrong." A single tear trailed down his chubby cheek, which he hurriedly wiped away, trying to pull himself together. His stomach cramped and twisted to the point he wasn't sure if he might throw up. "Deep breaths, Sung", Chan reminded, getting up and pulling the younger to his feet too, "Let's get away from the computer for a while and sit on the couch instead." - "H-Hyung, I-I need to go h-home", Jisung urged. He needed Minho. He needed to talk to the hybrid and make sure everything was okay. "That's okay", the Aussie agreed, "You've been working hard for so long without a break, it's fine to take a step back. Just take the time to calm down a bit first because we can't let you leave like this." - "N-No, I need to go NOW", Jisung urged, more than certain he needed to be with Minho as fast as possible. He didn't know why he felt like this or why he should be able to tell if Minho needed him. He just knew he couldn't wait any longer with checking on the other.

"Hyung, it's okay, I can continue here alone till you're back. Just walk him home", Changbin encouraged, pushing his desk chair in front of the computer. Chan nodded and handed Jisung his coat, sighing: "Let's get you home, Sungie." The younger's hands still trembled as they made their way to his apartment. With his heart racing, he entered the building and told Chan he'd be fine from here. Though the older was reluctant, he knew there was still quite a bit of work waiting for him, so he let his dongsaeng convince him to go back to the studio instead of accompanying the younger up to his apartment. With a heavy heart, Chan walked back to the studio, feeling guilty that they had once again overworked their youngest to the point he got this anxious. At least he had accepted going home this time.

The apartment was dark when Jisung entered, which made sense since the hybrid was asleep and would also find the way to the bathroom with his night-vision. It was already three in the morning, so the rapper would've been more concerned if Minho was awake still. Almost tripping himself, Jisung made his way to the bedroom. He still needed to get ready for bed, so he switched on the desk lamp, hoping it wouldn't wake the sleeping hybrid. Once the light was on, Jisung was stunned by the sight. His closet was still open and most of his hoodies and sweatshirts had ended up on his bed with Minho cuddled up in the pile. It was only when the rapper approached the bed that he noticed the whole construction also included all the pillows, arranged in a circle, so it resembled a cozy little nest. Stepping closer to admired the work, Jisung got a better look at the hybrid's face. The little was suckling on the strings of one of the hoodies, his eyes swollen and dried tears streaks on his cheeks. Jisung really should've known better than to believe his hyung that it was fine if he stayed out longer than expected.