LONG SLOW DISTANCE

05 | friday night dinner

calling: taeyong hyung <3

Jeno listened to the dial tone as the call connected, resting his head against the long train windows. The outside world was just flashes of light against the dark of the night, going by too fast to look like anything real. It was barely spring and it was still cold, and Jeno had caught the train alone.

Click!

"Jeno? Is everything okay?"

"Taeyong-hyung," Jeno blurted, startled by the sudden voice in his ear. "Uh, yeah, everything's fine! I just needed to ask you something."

Taeyong's breath hitched on the other end of the line. "I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask about this," he said hesitantly, "but I did tell you and the kids that I'm here to answer all of your questions, so..."

"You're actually the best person to ask, hyung," Jeno told him. "I feel like Jaehyun-hyung probably wouldn't have a clue."

There was a pause while Taeyong psyched himself up to begin The Talk. "Well," he said, his voice soft yet firm, with about a thousand layers of knowledge within it, "if you want to start having sex with Renjun, that's fine."

"Wait, what-?"

"Trust me, it's perfectly normal. But you do need to be aware of the protection you should use, and how to do it safely-"

"Hyung, I-"

"You don't have to be ashamed of being sexually active, Jeno. Especially now that you're technically an adult."

"But that's not even what I-"

"And if you are having sex with Renjun, make sure it's in a safe place and that both of you are comfortable, okay? It's really important-"

Jeno gave an impatient sigh, feeling his face flush at Taeyong's words. "Hyung!" he said loudly, "I'm not having sex with Renjun!"

It was like the entire train went quiet just to hear him say that. Several people turned to look at him, including a mother with three children and a group of girls who wouldn't stop giggling. Jeno slid further into his seat in embarrassment.

"Oh," Taeyong said, still doing his best to be helpful. "It's also okay to not be having sex, you know. It doesn't define your relationship. If you're not ready, it's okay to not want to-"

"I want to," Jeno said shortly. He pulled his hood up and tried to hide his face from the children who were still looking at him weirdly.

"You do?"

"Yes!" Jeno hissed. "Of course I want to... with Renjun, and... I don't know... we just haven't gotten round to it yet."

It was true. The long summer they'd spent together had been full of a lot of things, but not that. They'd gone to celebrate the Seoul Pride Parade with Jeno's mom, and they'd eaten a lot of ice cream, and spent many hours making out on Jeno's bed. That summer was everything they'd needed to patch up their relationship and get to know each other deeper. Renjun had said he wasn't ready. Or maybe that had been Jeno.

"Anyway," he said, putting summer break to the back of his mind, "that's not even what I'm calling you about."

"Oh. What is it, then?"