Chapter 3: Hello, my name is King.
It had been a very bad couple of days for Jay. His boss was getting on him more and was making Jay do more than was in his job description, plus the anniversary of his mother's passing was today. All that combined was making a very dangerous mental cocktail for him that had his depression winning the battle within his mind. He trudged off the elevator, almost expecting to see an eviction notice on his door but was surprised to see a container of food instead. He paused in front of it, looking around him wondering who would be nice enough to leave him free food. Slowly he picked up the container, tears filling his green eyes and a thankful smile settling on his face.
Realizing he shouldn’t stand in the hallway crying like a baby holding a Tupperware container like it was the holy grail, he grabbed his keys out of his pocket to open the door. Once inside, he set his bag down and walked into his kitchen to open the container. When he saw it was katsudon, he started crying more. That's when he looks at the note that was on the lid. ‘Heard this was your favorite. Made extra by mistake. Enjoy.’ His eyes instantly widened, shocked that this mystery man would be willing to give him this, and remembered Simon mentioning how much Jay had enjoyed the dish. All of it was almost too much for him, it baffled him that someone would ever consider giving a stranger free food.
Nothing was free. That was a sad lesson he learned as a child that he never forgot. But here he was, looking down at a container filled with his favorite dish and no name as to who left it on his doorstep.
He carefully carries his food over to his dining table with a pair of chopsticks in his hand. Still crying he says thank you before digging into the meal. It was perfect, just like he remembered. Whoever this mystery chef was, was his hero. Savoring every last bite, he ate in silence trying to figure out who this person could be. The first person to pop into his head was the beautiful blonde across the hall. He surprised even himself when that was the first person that came to mind.
Once he finished the meal and thanked god for whoever it was for leaving the food at his door, he cleaned the dish and made his way into his living room. When he finally flopped down onto his couch, his eyes instantly honed-in on the Suicide Hotline card. Guilt building in his gut as he debated if he should make the call. Sure it had been a rough 48 hours, and it was the anniversary of the day he lost his only family member, but did that mean enough for him to waste someone's time to listen to him complain?
“Simon said it would be fine, but would I just annoy the person?” Jay spoke out loud, filling the quiet space. Sure, he had cut last night, deeper than he intended, but was he suicidal? He looked down at his bandaged wrist, seeing a little bit of red leaking through from the strenuous day he had.
He looked at the All Might clock on the right wall; he saw it was nearly 9:30 p.m. and he let out a groan. Knowing he should go take a shower and try and get some sleep tonight. That was another thing that had been affecting him, he hadn’t been sleeping. Usually, he would get up around 2 to go work out downstairs, praying that the blonde would be there too. Wearing his black muscle shirt and red shorts that hugged his butt perfectly. Making it hard for Jay to focus on his workout and not the deadlifts that Danial was doing on the other side of the room. Facing the mirrors so Jay could perfectly see his butt and leg muscles move with each lift. All the while making Jay work harder to impress the beauty on the other side of the room, while also being thankful he wore his baggy gym shorts.
Before he could get any more onto that train of thought, Jay rubbed his hand down his face and along his jaw before reaching for his phone in his pocket. ‘Am I ever going to be able to be mentally able to be in a relationship with someone and not be a burden? I need to get my shit together.’ He took a deep breath, feeling his anxiety rising as he typed in the number from the card into his phone. “You can do this. You can do this.” He stared at his phone, the number typed in, his finger over the call button. He didn’t realize he had got up from the couch and was now pacing behind it. Finally, he collected all his courage and clicked the call button.
Ring ring... Ring ring…
Just as Jay was starting to regret his decision there was a voice on the other end of the line.
“Hello, this is King. How can I help you today?” The voice was deep and sounded amazing to Jay’s ears. For a second Jay started to regret calling thinking he should just hang up the phone and forget about this stupid mistake. “Hello, are you okay? Look if this is a prank call you should be ashamed of yourself.” The voice started out soft before it started to get more irritated.
“Hello! I’m sorry. I’ve never done this before. This was stupid. Goodbye,” Jay says rushed and embarrassed, but before he can hang up the voice comes back through the phone.
“It’s not stupid to need help. Even from someone you don’t know. Sometimes we just need an outsider's help to get back on track.” Whoever this was, was making Jay far less nervous about making this call. Jay took a couple of deep breaths before he answered King.
“I’m not so sure about that. I feel pretty stupid right now.” He didn’t know why he was saying this. He didn’t know if it was because it was over the phone or the voice on the other end, but for some unknown reason he couldn't stop from speaking the truth.
“I don’t know about that. Why don’t you tell me why you feel stupid for calling the Suicide Hotline number?” King spoke in a soft voice.
“You sure you want to know, I might just be wasting your time,” Jay said, wanting to see if King would stay on the phone with him or just cut his losses and hang up.
“I somehow doubt that. Why don’t you try me, I might surprise you.” ‘God, this person is dangerous.’ Jay thinks, still pacing behind his couch. He takes a deep breath and stops pacing closing his eyes.
“I have been having a really hard time recently, and I have been… cutting again. I’ve had problems since I was 14, but… it got worse when my mom passed when I was 19. I have my friends, and they are amazing, but sometimes… life just gets to be too much. I try my best to not give into bad habits, to listen to my friends, but…” Tears started to fall from his eyes, he had never admitted this stuff out loud before. And the sheer weight was becoming too much for him, especially after today.
“Hey, it’s okay. Just breathe, I am here. There is nothing wrong with you or wrong with what you feel.” King says through the line. Trying his best to help Jay. Jay laughs lightly through his tears, not understanding the sudden confession he just made so easily.
“I don’t get how I am sharing all this with you,” Jay confesses, still laughing slightly through his tears.
“What do you mean?”
“I just… I have never told anyone what I just told you. You are just so easy to talk to and I don’t understand why. I’ve never said any of that out loud before.” He can hear King suck in a breath on the other end of the line. Jay stills, hoping he didn’t just say something he is going to regret.
“Is that a good thing?” The question comes through the phone cautiously, like King was trying to not scare him away. For some reason, that made a shiver run down his spine. A small smile rose onto his face, leaning back against the back of his couch, one hand behind him on the couch.
“Ya, ya I think it is. It’s nice to get this stuff off my chest. It’s been a horrible couple of days, and your listening has helped a lot. That and the guy that left dinner at my door. I will admit I was at a really bad place when I got home, and I am really missing my mom but coming home to dinner and having someone to talk to like this… it’s made my night.” Jay looks ahead of him, not seeing it, just getting lost in thought. He never thought that just being honest out loud could make him feel like this. Sure, he still felt pretty shitting inside, but it wasn’t the same as before.
“I’m glad I can help. What did they leave at your door? Who do you know it was a guy?” He could hear the curiosity in King’s voice, making Jay chuckle.
“One of my friends brought food over from a friend of his that’s in my building and I told him that it was the best katsudon I have ever had. Then when I came home and saw the note left on the lid, I instantly knew it was the same person.” Once again, the image of a beautiful blonde popped into his head while thinking about the food. He didn’t know why his brain kept connecting the two, but that didn’t stop him from hoping they were the same person.
“Sounds like someone is looking out for you. You mentioned it was the anniversary of your mother's death; I am sorry to hear that. I might not get along with my mom, but I can’t imagine life without her.” King said calmly, clearly trying to bring some sort of comfort to Jay. Once again, this random person on the other end of the line was making his heart race, and he couldn’t figure out why.
“I was 17 when she got sick. It was cancer. The doctors didn’t even see it till it was too late. She passed just before I turned 20. It's been 6 years, and it still feels like it happened yesterday. Usually, it’s not too bad, but today, I saw the date and it just hit me. It affected my work performance, and my boss was not pleased, to say the least. He is a complete tool but he’s the manager, so I can’t do anything about it.” Jay lay down on his couch, staring up at the ceiling.
“Sounds like he’s a grade-A dick to me. Well, fuck him. Sometimes people can’t always work at their best, especially on days like today. The fact you showed up to work at all when most would have just stayed in bed, says a lot about you. Don’t listen to him.” The fire in King's voice once again sent shivers down Jay’s spine. ‘What is it about this guy?’ Jay thought, not realizing he was muttering. King laughed through the line, catching Jay’s attention. “What about me?” A blush covered Jay's entire face when he realized he had been muttering. He was glad he didn’t say anything else but was horrified he said anything at all.
“I… umm… it’s just… just you are so easy to talk to and I can’t… can’t figure out why.” He stutters out, hiding his face in his hands as he puts the phone on speaker and sets it on his chest, still lying on the couch now completely flushed. King laughs through the line. Making Jay feel even more embarrassed. “I’m sorry! If you want, you can hang up. I honestly wouldn’t blame you.”
“No, I think I will keep talking to you. It’s not every day someone calls that I don’t mind talking to.” Kind, if there was a trait that Jay would use to describe King, it would be kindness. Jay smiled, still blushing, but not as bad as before.
“Thank you for taking pity on me,” he laughs at his self-deprecating joke.
“I don’t take pity on people. I speak the honest fucking truth. That’s who I am.” The confidence in King’s voice instantly makes Jay stop laughing and his heart skips a beat. Something he only felt when he was looking at Danial. What was going on with him? He wonders, enjoying his time with King.
They talked for another 45 minutes before Jay finally saw the time and realized he still needed to take a shower before bed. He couldn’t believe they had been talking for so long.
“We have been on the phone for over 45 minutes! Oh crap, I… I have to go.” The sadness in Jay’s voice passed through the line, he was enjoying talking to King more and more as they talked. ‘I want to ask to see if you can get him the next time I call, but I don’t know if that is appropriate.’ Jay thinks, once again muttering. King chuckles through the line.
“If you want, I can give you, my extension. When you call next just put it in when the automated voice asks, and your call will go straight to me. It’s not a big deal Deku.” Deku was a nickname he had given Jay during one of their conversation topics after Jay had told him a funny story, much to Jay’s dismay.
“You sure? I don’t want to bother you if you don't want to talk to me.”
“Hey fucker, I didn’t say you were bothering me or annoying me. Don’t put fucking words in my mouth. Plus I am the one who offered. So shut up and grab a pen and paper.” Jay smiled at the fierce tone from King.
“If you're sure you’re okay with it. Okay got the pen and paper,” Jay says setting the notepad on the coffee table, the phone beside it.
“Good, now it's XXX. Just type that in when the automated voice asks for it and your call will come straight to me. You'll be a priority caller since you used my direct extension. As much as I hope you won't need the help, I look forward to talking to you again.” With that King hangs up, leaving Jay completely stunned in his seat on the couch.
‘His voice was so deep and soothing. Fuck I shouldn’t be thinking this way about a stranger from the hotline office!’ He gets up off the couch and goes to take a shower, trying to shake that itch in the back of his brain that keeps saying that King's voice is familiar, and he knows who it is.