Work Text:
Friday, 01:38 PM.
“A double date?”
Renjun asked, wary of the proposition his best friend just made. This certainly wasn’t the ‘big favour’ he expected when Donghyuck had texted him earlier, asking if he was free tonight.
“Yes, but more like a dinner with friends,” Donghyuck was quick to explain. “Mark really wants to meet you and I’m curious to find out what his best friend is like, too.”
Renjun coughed into the speaker. “So let me get this straight. You want me to have dinner and drinks with you, your boyfriend and your boyfriend’s best friend.”
“Yes.”
“Hyuck, that’s the definition of a double date.”
His best friend sighed on the other end of the line. “Fine, label it then. But this isn’t me trying to set you up, I swear!”
Donghyuck was clearly in denial and Renjun was not buying it. It wouldn’t be the first time that he tried to set him up with someone, no matter how often he told him he liked being single and wasn’t really in a place to date right now. Because Donghyuck was the type of friend that acted against a friend’s will if he truly believed it was for their own good.
Renjun knew the boy had good intentions, but sometimes he wished his friend would trust him to know what he wants and what he needs — although admittedly, Renjun wasn’t always sure of that.
This time though, Donghyuck genuinely seemed like he wanted him to meet his new boyfriend — Mark Lee from Canada, that’s what he had called him for a whole month until they finally started going out — and even if this ‘friendly hangout’ did seem like a set up, Renjun understood where the idea was coming from.
Mark and Donghyuck officially started dating pretty recently and so far have only gone out by themselves. Meeting each other's friends was the next logical step in their relationship and Renjun would lie if he said he wasn’t curious about the guy his best friend had been pining over for a while now.
No, this certainly wasn’t how he had expected to spend his Friday night, but before Donghyuck could start pestering him with aegyo, Renjun already found himself agreeing to this faithful proposition.
If only he would’ve known who he’d have to face later that night.
07:02 PM.
He felt the cold autumn air tingle his cheeks as he stepped out into the night. Seeing his own breath in the glint of the street lights made him realise how fast the summer had passed, the last breaths of summer air swallowed by the dark and heavy coldness that was October.
"Thank you," he heard Donghyuck say behind him while handing the driver his tip. He had agreed to pay for a taxi, in the hopes of convincing Mark and his friend to drive them home.
A moment later the car pulled away as his friend gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go," Donghyuck let out with excitement in his voice, a smile splayed on his lips.
Renjun smiled too. It had been a while since he last went out and although he wasn't exactly happy when Donghyuck first told him of the double date, he convinced himself to try to be positive and looked forward to this dinner.
"There it is," Donghyuck said as he stopped in his tracks and Renjun tried to get a glimpse through the windows of the Italian restaurant. It was a cozy little place right in the heart of the city, sparsely lit and filled with people from all over the world.
Renjun didn't know Donghyuck's boyfriend yet, but he already loved his taste in restaurants.
"Have you seen them yet? They should be here by now," Donghyuck asked him as he peered down the street, trying to find their dates in the crowded space.
Renjun let his gaze wander, soon discovering two figures in the dark, both of them tall and slim and dressed in black. He dragged his friend towards their direction, desperate to get out of the cold as soon as possible. As they got closer he made out a glint of light close to the two figures; one of them was holding a cigarette in his hand.
‘Donghyuck didn’t even mention his boyfriend smokes,’ Renjun wondered to himself, but dismissed the thought when he witnessed his best friend throwing his arms around his boyfriend's neck. Mark wasn’t the one holding the cigarette.
While the love birds got entangled in a tight embrace, the other man was quick to grind his cigarette. Renjun only caught a glimpse of his light brown hair as he was currently facing the strangers back. But the sight of his tight black jeans and the fit of his leather jacket perfectly fit into the picture of the fashionable sociology major slash part time model that Donghyuck had described to him earlier.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Donghyuck clear his throat, making him turn around, now facing the man who had been embraced by his best friend a few moments ago.
“Renjun, this is Mark.” Donghyuck’s voice was swelling with excitement, undoubtedly happy that he could finally introduce the two most important people in his life to each other.
Mark gave him his brightest smile as Renjun shook his hand. “It’s so nice to finally meet you! Donghyuck has told me so much about you.”
If someone else would’ve said those exact words to him, Renjun would’ve thought he was just being polite and not actually interested in getting to know him. But coming from Mark, it sounded so genuine that he couldn’t help but smile back at him. Everything about Mark Lee practically screamed ‘I am a nice person.’ His bright smile, his big eyes, his slightly big forehead, his little nose crunch when he laughed, even his seagull brows. Renjun could see why people liked him and why Donghyuck fell for him right away.
“It’s my pleasure,” he replied, sounding too polite in his own ears. “I’ve heard a lot about you too.”
What an understatement. Donghyuck never missed an opportunity to tell him how cute his new boyfriend was and always talked about their dates, sometimes including details Renjun had not asked for and did not need to know.
“I hope you’ve heard only good things,” Mark let out a nervous laugh before he went on. “I’m looking forward to tonight. Oh, by the way, this is-”
He never got to finish his sentence, as the stranger turned around at that very moment. Renjun held his breath when he came to face him. The features were so strangely familiar, yet looked a little foreign to him, since he hadn’t seen them in years. Still, he recognised him in an instant.
“Jeno?” He gasped in surprise.
It was a name that he hadn’t heard in a while, but it still felt familiar to his lips, rolling easy off his tongue. He was the last person Renjun expected to meet tonight, in fact, he didn’t think he’d ever see him again.
It was none other than Lee Jeno. His long-time high school crush.
07:07 PM.
“Renjun?”
Jeno sounded just as surprised as him, raising an eyebrow in confusion while examining Renjun's face as if he needed to make sure it was actually him. Renjun felt his skin burn under the intense gaze of Jeno's dark orbs and almost averted his eyes. But he forced himself to stare right back at him and mirrored his expression.
“What are you doing here?” Jeno asked, still staring at him, and Renjun could've sworn he saw the corners of his mouth twitch upward.
He himself was on the verge of breaking into a smile, but thankfully Donghyuck interrupted their awkward little moment.
“Wait, you guys know each other?” He and Mark looked back and forth between them, confusion spread across their faces.
"Yeah," Jeno said, still looking at him. For a moment it seemed like he wanted to say more, but not one word left his lips.
He just continued to gaze at him in silence and Renjun felt his mouth going dry as he stared back at him, desperately searching for a hint of the other's thoughts in his eyes.
Because Renjun was confused. He didn't know how to feel about seeing Jeno again, didn't know what the spreading warmth in the pit of his stomach meant or why he felt his face heat up in the middle of a cold October night. Renjun wasn't sure what any of this meant, only had a hunch of what this feeling was, but chose to ignore his gut and tried to find the answer in Jeno's eyes instead.
What he found was a feeling of familiarity that made him gasp. The brown gentle eyes with long lashes, large nose, delicate lips, his defined cheekbones; he knew all these features well and yet they appeared strange to him now. His face seemed sharper than when he'd last seen him, his strong features contrasted by soft, light brown strands covering his forehead – strands which Renjun remembered to be pitch black back in high school.
Lee Jeno looked even more dashing than in his days as the heartthrob of Neo Seoul High. He had always been handsome, of course, but seeing him now, three years after they parted ways on graduation day, in the faint light of the street lamp, cold breaths leaving the dry lips that had hung on a half smoked cigarette a few seconds ago—
Renjun was left speechless.
Before he could start drooling right there and then over his ex crush (his prefered way of referring to Jeno), he heard someone clear his throat. Donghyuck saved him yet again from the depths of Jeno's eyes. His best friend raised an eyebrow at him, obviously waiting for a more detailed answer to the question Renjun almost forgot about.
"Oh right," He broke the awkward silence surrounding them but then paused, not knowing how to explain the odds of this situation to Donghyuck without embarrassing himself in front of Jeno. "High school acquaintances," is all he managed to choke out.
“High school acquaintances…" Donghyuck repeated, raising his other eyebrow at his words. It was evident that he wasn't satisfied with his answer, but Renjun gave him a half-hearted smile, silently begging his friend to not make the situation more awkward than it already was.
While they were communicating through looks and eyebrow raises, Renjun noticed a small movement from the corner of his eye. It was Jeno who opened his mouth a little and looked like he was about to add something, but again, he didn't.
This time it was Mark who saved them from silence.
“Alright then, should we go in?”
07:18 PM.
Renjun was panicking. It was not a real panic attack, but he was definitely panicking to the point where he excused himself to use the bathroom before the group had even ordered food. He was sitting on the toilet seat, hunched over his phone, taking deep breaths and contemplating what to do next.
He hadn't expected any of this. He hadn't expected to see Jeno, ever again. He hadn't expected him to show up with the boyfriend of his best friend, looking like a character straight out of a drama. And he definitely hadn't expected his heart to react the way it did; beating fast and loud as soon as it came face to face with Jeno.
See, Renjun wasn't the type to run away. He rather confronted difficult situations before they turned into unsolvable problems.
This was the exception.
Jeno was nothing he was ready to face. There was nothing he would rather do than run out of the restroom and leave the restaurant right now.
A sudden sound of ringing safed him from his flight instincts. With shaky hands Renjun fished his phone out of his pocket and answered the call.
"Junnie, are you okay?" Donghyuck's worried voice echoed against the tiled walls of the restroom.
"Yeah," Renjun answered with a sigh, trying to sound as calm as possible. Suddenly he felt pathetic running off to the restroom. What must Mark and Jeno think of him now?
"Really? You don't sound okay." Donghyuck asked again, evidently not buying into his previous answer. "Is something wrong? With Jeno, I mean."
"I guess you could say that." Renjun said, biting down on his lip.
"Well, what happened with you two?" Donghyuck sounded sympathetic, yet a bit impatient at the same time. Curse his best friend for knowing exactly how to tease a secret out of him.
Renjun sighed again, not really eager to share this story over the phone. "Do you want the long or the short version of the story?"
Donghyuck chuckled. "Given that I just excused myself to go outside to call you in the freezing cold and you've been gone for too long to not look suspicious, I'd say you spare me the details."
"Alright smartass," Renjun cursed under his breath. He knew Donghyuck was right, they really didn't have the time to discuss this. Despite the story being too complicated to tell in a few minutes, he had to cut it short. "Back in high school, I used to like Jeno and… well, we kinda had something going on, I guess, but we never dated. There was one night where…" he paused, hesitant to talk about a memory he wished would have vanished from his mind by now. "We were drunk and things got really intense, and after that we left on a weird note."
"Vague, but I take what I can get," is all Donghyuck had to say.
"Good," Renjun mumbled through gritted teeth. This really wasn't how he wanted this conversation to go, but the time was running and he really should get back to their table.
"I'm sorry." Donghyuck sounded much calmer now. "I know this must be weird for you, seeing Jeno again and all, but–," he paused to take a breath before he continued "–promise me you'll try? For me?"
"Hyuck–" he said, but was immediately interrupted again.
"And if it's only for tonight," Donghyuck rushed to add. "You don't have to see him again, if you don't want to. Just stay for tonight. Please."
"Hyuckie, I was about to agree," Renjun almost laughed at how worried his friend sounded. "I'm not going anywhere. I can handle it, I just needed a minute to gather myself. And besides, who I am to decline free food?"
"And here I thought you were being nice." Donghyuck pretended to sulk, but Renjun could hear him smiling.
"Thanks for listening, Hyuck."
"Always."
Renjun found himself smiling in return. With Donghyuck by his side, the evening might not turn out so bad after all.
"Let's get on with it, then. I'm freezing to death."
08:26 PM.
To Jeno's surprise, the dinner was going well so far. He was still nervous, sitting across Renjun who actively avoided his eyes since he came back from the restroom. Jeno tried not to stare at him like he did earlier, when they met outside, but he couldn't refrain from stealing a glance every now and then.
Earlier, when Renjun had left, he'd told Mark not to bring up high school during dinner since he wanted to spare Renjun and himself a trip down memory lane that would make their night even more awkward than it already was.
Mark hadn't asked him any further questions and Jeno was grateful for that. He knew he'd tell Mark about their history another time, but it didn't have to be here and now, when he was still trying to deal with the situation as it was.
The two of them had already ordered wine — Jeno had more or less unconsciously chosen Chardonnay, Renjun's favourite — and they had progressed to order pasta once Donghyuck and Renjun came back from their rather long period of absence. Jeno secretly wondered what had taken them so long to come back, but he didn't ask, and neither did Mark.
The first few minutes of sitting together had been incredibly awkward, but Mark's boyfriend thankfully knew how to break the ice. Jeno thought Donghyuck was a really entertaining guy, bringing up different types of pasta, since they all had ordered different dishes. Soon a full discussion about which pasta dish was the best had come to lighten up their table.
As the evening progressed, Jeno was bound to notice little things about Renjun, things he remembered from their school time. His habit of wetting his lips with his tongue when they felt dry, his sweet laugh that echoed in Jeno's ears. The way his eyes sparkled when he showed genuine interest in a conversation.
Jeno couldn't believe he got to see this again.
His taste in alcohol hadn't changed either, Jeno noticed as he watched Renjun order another glass of Chardonnay. White wine had always been his favourite.
Another thing that hadn't changed in the past three years was Renjun's sense of humour. If anything he'd only gotten even funnier. He'd often joke with his friends, witty how he was, always a sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue.
Jeno felt his stomach flip as he watched Renjun jokingly mock his best friend for not realising how in love Mark was with him for so long. He noticed how much he liked bickering with Donghyuck as it was his way of showing affection.
This used to be us, he thought.
Even though they had never been as close of friends as Renjun and Donghyuck were now, they used to bicker back and forth all day. Jeno wasn't really the type to find joy in annoying other people, but he’d loved teasing Renjun about little things like his moomin obsession or his fascination with the universe. Something about the boy brought Jeno's teasing side to light. Plus, angry Renjun was very cute. Aggressive, sure, but still cute.
God, what was he thinking? Jeno felt the urge to slam his forehead onto the table when he noticed where his thoughts were wandering.
It was then that he felt a pair of curious eyes on him. Donghyuck. Their eyes met for a mere second only, but Jeno knew the other caught him staring. Great.
It felt like highschool all over again; sitting there and watching Renjun, thoughts drifting away as he was thinking about him, feeling embarrassed when someone caught him daydreaming — as if he’d just found out about his feelings for the smaller boy.
A rush of nostalgia swept over Jeno as impressions of sunrise walks, movie nights and summer parties started to flash across his mind, the strumming chords of a guitar echoing in his head. Immersed in the memories of what felt like a past life to him, he almost wouldn't have caught the way the others were looking at him if it wouldn’t have been for Mark, whose voice cut right through his thoughts and got him out of his head.
“Dude, are you alright?”
Jeno nodded slowly, confused. “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” He tried to laugh off his awkwardness.
Mark still looked a bit concerned but seemed satisfied with that answer as he gently padded Jeno’s shoulder.
His boyfriend, however, didn’t want to leave the conversation at that. “We were wondering if you’re up for dessert. Our Renjeonnie has been looking forward to his beloved Tiramisu all night,” he added with a teasing smirk on his face.
Jeno cocked an eyebrow upon hearing the nickname and saw Renjun — who was very quick to avert his eyes — scowl at Donghyuck. He knew how easily the boy got riled up when people mispronounced his name. But he also knew how fun it was to tease him and he couldn’t hold back anymore. Jeno was tired of overthinking everything he said and every move he made tonight, so he went on to break the ban he had laid upon himself:
“Well, if Injunnie wants his Tiramisu, we shall get Tiramisu.”
08:59 PM.
Although Jeno had said it as a joke, they all ended up ordering Tiramisu to their espressos.
Jeno didn't know what was sweeter, the dessert on his plate or the smile that spread on Renjun's face when he got a bite of it.
10:31 PM.
Renjun sighed as he watched the couple in front of him down another shot of soju, giggling afterwards. They'd been like this since they entered the bar, hanging on each other's lips, eyes all over one another, and the more they drank, the clingier they got. They were practically hanging at each other's lips eventually and Renjun was closing to yelling at them to 'just kiss already' but then again, he really didn't need to see the couple make out right in front of him.
Jeno had left to get a new drink and somehow, being alone with Mark and Haechan was even more awkward than third wheeling together, because now that he wasn’t distracted by Jeno’s presence, he had to witness the couple's… well… bickering, which was their way of flirting, essentially. The dialogue went somewhat like this:
“Hyuck, I think we’ve had enough for now.”
“Don’t be a party pooper, Mark. It’s just soju.”
“I’m just saying, we should drink responsibly.”
“No worries, love. I know my limits and yours. This one’s on me.”
“But-”
“No buts, Lee, or I’m not coming home with you tonight.”
When Donghyuck was about to get up, Renjun saw his chance to escape. He offered to get the drinks for them and his best friend agreed, squeezing a few thousand won into his hand.
As he made his way to the bar, he automatically looked for Jeno, wondering where the latter had gone. It had been a good ten minutes since he left, ten unbearable minutes he'd been alone with Mark and Donghyuck. He inspected the whole room, scanned the bar, the full tables, the couches and armchairs — the vibe of this bar was a weird mix of traditional Korean flair and, what he supposed an Irish Pub would look like — but Jeno was nowhere to be found.
He probably stole off, Renjun thought. Snuck out and left him there to suffer alone.
He eventually sat down alone, right next to the bartender, and ordered a drink for himself. Mark and Donghyuck would survive a few minutes without him, he believed. At their current state, they might even forget he was there so he could secretly leave like Jeno.
Renjun couldn’t deny that it irked him; how the latter had vanished into the night. He’d always been like that, leaving when it suited him, not a word to whoever he was leaving behind.
As awkward as this night had been, Renjun had to admit that it had also been great fun. In fact, he didn’t know when he ever had this much fun in the past few months. He had found Jeno’s presence to become less and less irritating, comfortable even, especially after the other had dropped his old nickname. It was like an invisible wall of distance and caution collapsing between them.
When they had met for the first time, Jeno was having a hard time pronouncing his name correctly, so he had told him to call him by his Korean name. After they had gotten to know each other a bit more, the younger started to call him “Injunnie” and continued to use his mispronounced Chinese name to tease him.
Renjun smiled at the thought, but the smile disappeared soon again as he looked down into his glass bitterly, thinking about where he was now. How alone he felt.
“I hope your night sucks.” he mumbled into his glass.
“I hope you don’t mean me,” someone chuckled next to him.
Renjun whipped around, almost swiping his drink off the counter with his sudden movement, and was met by an unexpected sight.
“You!”
Jeno tilted his head, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. “So you do mean me?”
For a few moments, Renjun stared at him in disbelief, before he shook his head, attempting to shake off the surprise, and laughed.
“No,” he said, voice in a rush. “Of course not.”
“Good.” Jeno took his coat off — did he come from outside? — and sat down next to him. “Because my night doesn’t suck.”
“Really?”
“Mhm. Must be the company.” Jeno grinned at him sheepishly.
Renjun wanted to roll his eyes, but he was busy trying to hide the rising heat in his cheeks and took another sip of his drink instead.
“Where have you been?” He asked then, trying to sound casual and not like he’d just been cursing the man for leaving him behind.
Jeno didn’t say anything, but brought up two fingers to his lips and silently mimicked holding a cigarette.
“Oh, right,” Renjun said, internally scolding himself for not putting one and one together earlier, and then made the mistake to let his eyes graze Jeno, who was already looking at him.
“What?” The latter asked with a raised brow, a teasing smile sitting on his lips. “You thought I’d leave you alone with the lovebirds?”
Feeling caught, Renjun looked at his drink again and was greeted by an empty glass.
Jeno chuckled next to him.
“Isn’t it cold outside?”
Renjun cursed himself as the question fell from his mouth. He was desperate to change the topic, and the next best thing he could think of happened to be the weather. Great.
Thankfully, Jeno played along. “Not much colder than this afternoon,” he answered nonchalantly. “A pretty night, actually.”
Renjun just nodded in response and suppressed the urge to slap himself when he heard himself think: You’re pretty, too.
As he looked up again, he found Jeno to be staring at him with a smirk on his face.
Oh, of course he’s enjoying this, Renjun thought. But then his mind went blank, when he noticed Jeno leaning forward and suddenly he was so close, Renjun could feel his breath on the skin of his neck.
"Hey," he whispered next to his ear, voice deep, raspy, echoing on Renjun's skin, the resonance sending shivers down his spine. "Wanna get out of here?"
10:57 PM.
They’d been walking through the busy streets of Seoul for a good twenty minutes, when they decided that they probably should let their friends know where they were. The city was very much alive, even at this late hour.
Seoul never sleeps, Jeno thought.
“I texted Mark, but he hasn’t read my message yet,” said Jeno as he slid his phone back into the pocket of his leather jacket.
Renjun nodded in response. “Yeah, Hyuck hasn’t read mine either.”
“I suppose,” he stopped mid sentence to pull on his cigarette once more, “they must be occupied otherwise.”
The other looked up to him with amusement in his eyes, a suggestive smile on his lips. “You bet they are.”
Jeno almost choked on his smoke. God, all these flirtations would be the death of him. Renjun would be the death of him. But it was his own fault, he supposed, since he was the one who initiated the start.
“Honestly can’t blame them,” he murmured, eyes fixed to the ground. “Even a blind man would see how in love they are.”
“Yeah, it’s sickening, really,” Renjun chuckled. “I’ve never seen Donghyuck this happy with anyone. I think Mark is really good for him.”
“Mhm,” Jeno agreed. “They balance each other perfectly.
Like we did, he added in his thoughts.
They kept quiet for a while, just walking together silently wherever it was their feet would carry them, and to his own surprise, Jeno found the silence to be comfortable. All awkwardness had faded away, making space for the familiarity he had already sensed when he first saw Renjun tonight. He didn’t know whether it was the alcohol, the company or the stars illuminating the sky above them, perhaps all of it combined that filled him with warmth and nostalgia.
“What are you smiling at?” Renjun asked. There was a tiny hint of laughter in his voice that made Jeno’s heart flutter.
“Nothing.” He said, a smile splayed on his lips. “Just… thinking.”
“About what?” The other wanted to know.
“The good ol’ days, you know,” he mimicked the way a grandfather would talk about his youthful years, making Renjun burst into laughter. Jeno smiled as he watched the latter, feeling proud that he was able to make him laugh.
“Yeah, me too,” Renjun replied when his laughter had died down. Then he looked at him, a glint of curiosity in his eyes. “Do you still play video games all night?”
Now it was Jeno’s turn to laugh. “Not so much, no.” He took another pull on his cigarette, blowing out the smoke into the cold air of the night. “But I’ll always be a gamer at heart.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Renjun nodding, eyes glued to the sidewalk below their feet.
“You’re still a wine enthusiast,” he voiced his observation from earlier and watched Renjun raise his gaze again.
“Yeah.” He made a short pause. “Some things never change, I guess.”
Jeno only hummed in agreement and pulled his cigarette to his mouth again, but before it could reach his lips, it was snatched out of his fingers by a small, slender hand.
The touch was short, but unexpected and it seemed to linger on his skin, making the warmth in the pit of his stomach swell.
“Others do.” Jeno said in disbelief as he watched Renjun take a pull of his cigarette. The way he held it between his hands, so elegantly and steadily, and the way he blew out the smoke, creating a small cloud in the cold… He had definitely done this before, more than once.
Their eyes met and Renjun was visibly amused by his reaction.
“I can’t believe my eyes,” Jeno said, pretending to be shocked. “Huang Renjun is smoking my cigarette.”
The latter laughed at the exaggeration in his voice. “What can I say?” He shrugged. “Donghyuck’s a bad influence.”
He took another pull before handing it back to him, but Jeno refused. “Keep it. I can just roll another.”
Renjun didn’t object, and so when they encountered the next best bench, they both sat down. Jeno took out his rolling papers and tobacco, while Renjun watched him, humming the melody of a familiar song.
“You’re a Styles fan?” He asked, his focus still on the half rolled cigarette between his fingers.
“I wouldn't say I'm a fan, but I loved his last album, especially this song.”
Renjun continued humming, which eventually turned into singing. Jeno always knew he could sing well, but there hadn’t been a lot of occasions on which he heard the latter sing on his own. The colour of his voice was unique, soft yet very clear and light like a feather. Renjun’s voice was what Jeno imagined angels would sound like.
He sat there, just listening to the other sing for a while, before he eventually joined him in the chorus. His own voice sounded raw and raspy in contrast to Renjun’s, but he knew the lyrics well, which was rare for him with English songs.
“How do you know ‘Fine Line’?” Renjun asked him when they’d finished the song.
His left eyebrow was raised and there was something in his expression that mirrored what Jeno had felt a few moments ago, when Renjun took his cigarette: astonishment.
He couldn’t help but let his lips and eyes crinkle into an affectionate smile. “Mark’s a good influence.”
Renjun smiled back at him. "Seems like it. Let's hope Donghyuck doesn't corrupt him."
They both burst into laughter, Jeno feeling lighter and lighter at the sound of Renjun's high pitched laugh in his ears. Who would've thought they would end up here, sitting together on an abandoned sidewalk bench, laughing about their friends as if they'd never done otherwise?
Jeno had not seen it coming, but he definitely wasn't complaining. Now that they were talking comfortably, he enjoyed the other's company a lot – maybe more than he should.
"They kind of remind me of someone, you know?" Renjun said once his laughter had quieted down, leading his hand to his mouth to take another pull.
Jeno was too distracted by the image of fingers touching soft lips to sense the implied question. The smaller boy either didn't notice or decided to ignore the strange look on his face and continued the conversation on his own.
"They are a bit like Chenle and Jisung back in the day, don't you think?"
This time he looked over to him, searching for a reaction and Jeno almost choked on his cigarette when their eyes met. He desperately tried to repeat the question in his head, not wanting to seem impolite or make things awkward again.
"Chenle and Jisung?" He asked again and Renjun nodded, still looking at him. Jeno averted his eyes first, afraid he wouldn't be able to continue the conversation with the other staring at him. He gazed into the distance instead, as he thought about an answer. "I can see it, yeah—"
"—The bickering." They both said at the same time, resulting in short eye contact and chuckles again.
"Okay, but who's corrupting who?" Jeno wanted to know, a smile splashed across his face at the thought of his younger friends from school.
"Please, that's obvious. Chenle's doing the corrupting." Renjun said decidedly, his voice swinging with playfulness.
Jeno couldn't help but smirk in return. "I wonder where he got it from …" He said sarcastically.
Renjun turned to face him, an unbelieving smile on his lips. "And what is that supposed to mean, Mr. 'Let's-jump-into-the-pool-at-3-in-the-morning-I-promise-we-won't-get-sick'?"
"Uhm, I think you and I have different memories of that incident. Wasn't that your idea?" Jeno asked playfully, enjoying their little banter.
It was fun to dive into old memories like this, but he knew they were getting close to dangerous territory now. The night they were talking about had also been one filled with firsts and lasts, and Jeno usually tried to avoid associated memories.
Luckily, Renjun didn't seem too keen on going down that road either, since he dropped the topic and asked questions about his studies instead. They continued to talk about their university experience, their majors and professors, job's they'd had and people they hadn't seen in ages. It was fun to catch up with Renjun after a long time, just like meeting an old classmate at a reunion party, but with much more history and tension filling the air.
"Jeno?" Renjun asked after a while, and he hummed to signal he had his attention, concentrating on the unfinished cigarette in his hand, turning his head when the other didn't continue. Renjun smiled at him, the most genuine smile of the night, no amusement, no irony, just a genuinely happy smile.
"It's really nice to see you again."
Jeno smiled his widest smile in return, sure of his eyes turning into crescent moons. "It's good to see you too," he said, heart beating loud and fast in his chest.
It wasn't much, but just enough to make Jeno stop doubting how he felt about the cigarette-stealing boy next to him.
11:40 PM.
Jeno:
hey mark! just wanted to let you know renjun and I went for a walk… enjoy your night with your boyfriend!
Mark:
alriiiight have fun ;)
hyuck asks if you could get renjun home!
and he wishes you a 'goodnight's sleep but without the sleep' whatever that means
Jeno:
…
we'll get a taxi
11:42 PM
“Mark just texted,” Jeno stated as he stomped out the lingering glow of his last cigarette. He wasn’t sure how many he had tonight. Since they had sat down on this bench, he’d been so caught up in talking with Renjun that he’d completely forgotten about time.
“Oh, what did he say?” The latter wanted to know.
“Uhm,” Jeno chuckled nervously. “To get you home safely.”
“Oh,” Renjun let out in embarrassment. “That’s nice of him, but… I can get home on my own, really. I’ll just call a taxi, I think.”
“Right.” Jeno nodded, biting down on his lower lip. He didn’t like the idea of Renjun going home on his own - not at this hour and with how much he’d had to drink. Actually, he didn’t like the idea of parting from him at all, but he brushed that thought aside quickly, focusing on more chivalrous motives.
“How about sharing? The taxi, I mean,” he suggested, speaking cautiously as he didn’t want the other to think he had any intentions with his offer other than getting him home safely.
Renjun looked at him, surprise written in his features, but they eventually faltered into a soft smile. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
They sat in silence as they waited, listening to the sound of Seoul’s vibrant night live. They didn’t talk throughout the drive with both of them staring out of the window absently, until the car stopped next to the sidewalk and they started arguing about who should pay. Renjun insisted on at least paying for his way home, since Jeno had already covered dessert and drinks.
Renjun lived in a student dorm, not far from his university. The building looked quite modern, but Jeno knew that was just a deceptive facade and nothing about those dorms was luxurious.
He insisted on walking Renjun up to his front door and so he got out of the car with him, asking the driver to wait for him before letting the car door fall shut behind him.
The entrance door was at most fifteen steps away, but it took them at least twice as much to get there. Jeno had a feeling he wasn’t the only one who didn’t want this night to end. When he saw the way Renjun was fidgeting with his hands and how he was biting down on his lip, he knew he was just as nervous as him.
Neither of them knew what to make of this night — was it a date after all? Or just a reunion with a high school friend with no further meaning and no obligation to ever meet again?
Jeno sincerely hoped this night meant more to Renjun than that. Because to him, it certainly did.
“So, here we are.” Renjun stated a bit awkwardly as they finally reached the doorstep. “Thanks for bringing me, again.”
It seemed as though he wanted to say more, but couldn’t find any fitting words. Jeno only nodded in return, eyes fixed on the other’s face as he tried to catch any glimpse of emotion in it.
Renjun’s eyes finally met his, and he found more in them than he’d hoped for. More affection, more longing than he’d ever thought he’d see in them again. Maybe he didn’t read the signs wrong, this time.
They stared into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity and soon Jeno found himself drifting away, stealing a glance at Renjun’s lips every now and then, wanting to beat himself up for it. But then he caught the other staring at his lips just as intently and couldn't help but ask himself whether he was the only one who was wondering how their lips would feel on one another.
Renjun kept staring and Jeno was debating whether he should just do it – just lean down and close the distance between them and finally do what he'd been wanting to do all night and –
Renjun averted his eyes.
He could see him swallow his breath before he let out a faint 'Goodnight' and turned away to face the door in the blink of an eye.
However, Jeno wasn't ready to let him go yet and acted instinctively.
"Renjun?"
"Yes?"
Before he knew it he engulfed the smaller boy in a hug, arms tightly wrapped around his waist and nose buried in his neck, inhaling the sweet scent of his hair. Renjun smelled like strawberries and cigarettes.
At first, Jeno felt him freeze under the sudden physical contact. But after a while, Renjun muscles loosened and his hands found their way to Jeno’s back, pressing their bodies even closer.
He wanted to hold him like that forever. Their embrace felt so intimate, so warm, so... right, like they were built to fit each other perfectly.
But Jeno knew he had to let go of Renjun sooner or later. Otherwise he’d make things awkward again — if he hadn’t managed that already — and he also realised he’d been holding his breath the whole time and was running out of air.
When they eventually parted, their bodies moved slowly, as if they had to fight an invisible force pulling them towards another. Renjun looked up to him with widened eyes, his pink lips slightly parted and Jeno could swear he saw a tint of red on his cheeks and without thinking he leaned closer and–
Fuck. He really wanted to kiss him.
He wanted to feel Renjun’s lips on his, right here, right now, but deep in the back of his mind a voice told Jeno that he absolutely shouldn’t, and he knew the voice was right.
It was a really, really bad idea, but as he realised this, he was already so close to Renjun, he couldn’t just back away anymore.
And so, Jeno tilted his head to the right and softly pressed his lips on his flushed cheek instead.
Renjun’s skin was so cold, it almost felt like he was kissing a porcelain figure. He let his mouth linger there for a split second only, but to Jeno, it had the intensity of a lightning bolt.
Once he moved away, he saw Renjun slowly opening his eyes. He must’ve closed them earlier, Jeno thought and swallowed a wave of regret down his throat. Their eyes met one final time and Jeno's breath hitched at the way Renjun was looking at him.
“Goodnight, Renjun.” He somehow managed to say, the air being sucked out of his lungs as he turned away and ran off into the night.
THREE YEARS AGO.
Tuesday, 08:23 PM.
He's late.
Jaemin, his neighbor, is throwing a pool party to defeat the summer heat and Jeno is late, because his coach made them practise longer today. It's bad enough he has to spend all of his summer holidays training and their coach being an over-demanding dick really doesn't help.
But tonight will be his night, Jeno thinks. Tonight he'll have fun and forget about his stupid coach and his stupid parents, and just get wasted. That's his plan.
And so only 10 minutes after slipping through the Na's garden gate, he is sitting at the pool, his feet dangling in the water, sipping on his third cup of beer. He downed the first one the moment it was handed to him, the second cup when he saw Renjun playing happily in the pool, wearing nothing but swimming trunks. The boy looks mesmerising with his soft, milky skin on display, sprinkled by drops of water that are also dripping from his blonde hair--
Fuck. He's doing it again.
Jeno doesn't know when it started, but recently he can't keep his eyes nor his mind off Renjun. They've known each other for some time, but only grew closer over the course of the past year. He mostly sees the boy at school or in bigger groups with their friends, but whenever they do see each other, Jeno is immediately drawn to the boy. Something about him is really captivating, but he can't quite make out what it is.
They've gotten drunk together a few times and today will be no exception, Jeno figures. He remembers how they secretly drank Soju during a movie night – they watched some horror movie whose name he can't remember but he knows Daniel Radcliffe was in it. They were so far gone, he barely remembers the second half of the movie.
One time they were the last ones to stay up and Jeno was drunk enough to offer to share his bed. Renjun didn't want to wake anyone else up by asking for a place to sleep and he was drunk enough to accept his offer. He even insisted on letting Jeno spoon him so that they'd both have enough space. His friends found them the next morning, Jeno only in his boxers and Renjun wearing his hoodie, cuddling – at least that's what they said. He was too tired and too hungover to actually remember how they woke up.
At that point however, it was quite obvious that something was starting to develop between them, but Jeno didn't know what they'd become.
He still doesn't know what they are and he's not sure he wants to name it. He only knows his pulse is speeding up whenever Renjun comes near him or talks to him, his hands start sweating and he finds it quite hard to form coherent sentences. Jeno doesn't know how to act around the boy and most of the time he feels like an idiot, but it is easier to be with him when he's drunk.
Hence, all the alcohol.
"Hey, you." A high pitched voice says next to him, ripping him out of his thoughts.
Jeno whips his head around to find the object of his affection sitting right next to him, a towel loosely draped over his shoulders and a drink in his hand – Jeno supposes gin tonic as there was a slice of cucumber floating in the clear liquid.
Renjun gives him a sheepish smile, the kind that makes his heart flutter and his brain mistake the smaller boy's look of tipsiness as infatuation. "You'll get a stomach ache if you keep downing your drinks like that, you know?"
"And you will end up with the worst hangover ever if you keep mixing your drinks like that," Jeno counters with a smirk.
"I can handle my alcohol, but thanks for your concern." Renjun grins in amusement and lightly nudges Jeno's shoulder, causing his skin to burn up where their bare shoulders were touching.
Jeno chuckles in return, trying to conceal the effect their close proximity has on him. "I'm gonna act like you didn't end up in my bed the last time you said that."
Renjun almost chokes on his drink, clearly flustered by the remark and Jeno feels a little bit proud of being able to tease the smaller boy. "That," the latter insists, "is not what happened and you know it."
"Do I?" Jeno smirkes. The alcohol finally seems to become effective as he suddenly feels much braver than before.
"Oh please," Renjun replies in an equally playful tone. "Don't act like you're the victim here. You literally offered me to sleep with— I mean— in your bed."
"So what you're saying is: you were just polite enough to accept my offer?" Jeno asks, enjoying their little banter and growing more confident as he watches Renjun become more flustered with every word he says, every gaze they exchange. It is too addicting to stop now.
"Exactly."
"I don't believe it."
Renjun turns his head to meet his eyes, clearly confused by that statement. "What?"
"You, Huang Renjun, are a thief." Jeno says, mindlessly emptying his cup and placing it down on the floor next to him. He's pretty sure his drunkenness has more to do with talking to Renjun than the liquid he just downed. "So far, you've stolen my drink, my favourite hoodie, and my bed. I wonder what's next."
The look on Renjuns face after these words is an image Jeno will never forget; he looks baffled, flustered and so utterly pretty, Jeno wants to kiss him right then and there. He almost doesn't notice he's leaning in, but when he does they're already too close to pull away. Jeno feels his head spinning as he realises what he's about to do, and then a wave of soberness crushing down on him as he thinks of retreating.
But before he can back off, Renjun is already gripping the collar of his shirt and pulls him closer until his lips finally meet Jeno's.
The kiss is nothing like he imagined it to be; rushed but passionate, Jeno expected a little more aggression from the way Renjun dug his fingers into his shirt. But his lips move slowly, softly against his own, carefully pressing against his mouth, reminding Jeno that this might be Renjun's first kiss. The thought makes his stomach flip and has him buzzing with excitement as he kisses back, gently moving along with Renjun.
They kiss until their lungs give in and break apart to catch their breath only to reunite again at once, this time with more force. Renjun is eagerly pressing their lips together, becoming more confident the longer they kiss and Jeno finds himself just as eager when his bottom lip gets caught between a pair of teeth. He can feel Renjun smile against his lips and catches him off guard with his tongue, earning a muted whimper with a teasing lick into his mouth.
He isn't sure how long they've been kissing when he hears a whistle from across the pool, reminding him that they are still in Jaemin's backyard and not alone. "Jesus, get a room, you two!" his neighbour exclaims.
Jeno's eyes are still focused on Renjun, who tries not to look embarrassed under the curious looks of their friends but fails miserably due to the crimson colour creeping up his cheeks. Jeno thinks he looks gorgeous like this, blushing in the light of the disappearing sun.
PRESENT DAY.
Monday, 8:34 AM.
Jeno knew something was off, when he woke up from the same dream the third time in a row. Normally he didn’t remember much of his dreams, nor had he ever dreamed the same thing twice before. But this dream was different.
It was built on a memory that Jeno had tried to bury a million times, but ended up thinking about more often than he wanted to admit. Seeing Renjun again must’ve triggered something in him, making his brain replay the memory over and over in his sleep when he wasn’t conscious enough to suppress it.
‘Maybe your unconscious is trying to tell you something. Is there anything about this memory that you regret? Anything you would change if you could go back?’ Mark had asked, when he had told him about the dreams.
Jeno had thought about the question a lot. His first instinct was to say no, because the way he remembered it, it wasn’t a bad memory. He had fun that night. He drank a lot with his friends, kissed Renjun for the first time, made out with him for most of the night and went to bed after puking his guts out. He’d been happy that day, apart from the puking part maybe.
Being with Renjun had made him happy. But back then he’d had his hopes high, too high, savouring every second with his crush to its fullest, not knowing they would be painful to look back on later.
That was why Jeno had tried to forget. The memory showed him a glimpse of something he could’ve had, and being reminded of that was painful.
But the longer he thought about it, the more Jeno was convinced he wouldn’t change a thing about that night. Only about the day after. Or the day after that. Or all the following days he’d wasted running from his feelings when he could’ve been happy.
It’s been three days since the night he’d seen Renjun again. Three whole days he had spent pacing around his apartment, talking to Mark and thinking about the dream and the past. It took him three days to come to the conclusion he should’ve reached three years ago.
He loved Renjun. He was in love with him, and he had been for a long time.
Jeno thought that somewhere deep down, he had always known how he felt, but he had been too afraid to dig deep enough, disguising his feelings for the boy as a harmless high school crush instead, like any lovesick seventeen-year-old in denial would.
Three years and all it took was one night to make him realise he had been lying to himself.
He knew why he’d been dreaming about Renjun, he knew why his pulse was keeping him up at night when he tried to sleep, he knew why for the past few days he hadn’t been able to think about anything else. Jeno also knew he couldn’t leave this feeling alone and ignore it — not this time. Every fibre in his body was vibrant with the urge to act on it. He couldn’t stand by this time, silently accepting the fact that he and Renjun might never have a chance, because after Friday night he wasn’t so sure there wasn’t ever a chance for them and if there was… he needed to know.
The moment he realised that, Jeno made a decision without thinking about consequences, and maybe this once, that was a good thing. This time he would trust his instincts and not retreat. This time he would fight for Renjun.
Because even if he got hurt, it was worth it. Renjun was worth it and he should know that.
With that thought in mind, Jeno was on his way out of his apartment, fully determined to do the perhaps most impulsive thing he’s ever done.
Monday 9:41 AM.
Whoever invented Mondays had no concept of empathy, Renjun decided as he searched his bag for his keys, blowing a streak of hair out of his face.
The person who decided to move his art history class to 8 AM on a Monday was even worse. Renjun was convinced his professor was the devil himself, making it his personal mission to make his class as hard and his students as miserable as possible.
The only good thing about waking up early for class that morning had been the aspect of having something to do, something to keep his thoughts spiraling back to Friday night and to a certain brunette who occupied his mind more often than Renjun liked to admit.
He hadn't been able to stop thinking about him, revisiting memories from high school, replaying moments of Friday night over and over in his head.
Renjun was caught by a wave of nostalgia rushing over him.
One particular moment kept emerging from the pool of his thoughts: Jeno leaning over, whispering a sweet 'Goodnight' into his ear and kissing him. On the cheek. Not on the lips.
And yet every time Renjun thought of the kiss, he felt his lips tingling.
It didn't take a mastermind to deduce that he wished Jeno would've kissed him square on the lips. The butterflies in his stomach he got whenever he thought of their first kiss, Renjun's first kiss, were enough for evidence.
It had been three years since the last time he had felt Jeno's lips on his and yet, one look at the latter was all it took for Renjun to crave them again. On the elevator ride up to his floor, he imagined kissing Jeno goodnight like he should've done three days ago.
He pictured soft lips moving against his own, strands of brown hair between his fingers and being held steady by strong hands on his waist. He imagined being kissed on his neck and behind his ear, in his most sensitive spot, tongue teasingly tracing over his skin.
His daydream got cut off by a 'pling' sound signaling he had arrived on the right floor. Renjun stepped out of the elevator with his books under his arm, fingers fumbling with his keys, and was on the way to his apartment, when he saw a tall figure lingering in front of his door. He couldn't make out his face, but Renjun recognised a familiar pair of sneakers and the black leather jacket in an instant.
Jeno turned around at the sound of his footsteps, eyes widening as he recognised who was approaching him. Renjun almost dropped his books right then and there, with the subject of his kissing fantasy waiting for him on his doorstep.
"Jeno?"
He asked and promptly realised he was having a déjà vu back to Friday night, when he saw the latter for the first time in a while. They had to stop meeting like this; without a warning, out of nowhere — it wasn't good for Renjun's heart.
"Hi, Renjun." Jeno said, a hand flying to the back of his neck, the other tucked into his jeans pocket. He looked a bit lost, standing in the lonely corridor of his building, and if Renjun didn't know any better, he would've thought the man was nervous.
"One of the other students let me in, I hope that's okay. I really wanted to talk to you."
"Oh… okay, uhm. Sure. Do you wanna come in?"
Renjun tried his best to act as if Jeno showing up at his home was totally normal and he hadn't imagined making out with him three seconds ago. He knew his poker face was everything but convincing, so he turned to unlock the door to his tiny one-room-apartment that was in no state to welcome any guests but would have to anyway.
"Okay," Jeno stuttered, sounding too startled by his invitation for someone who'd been waiting on his doorstep all morning just to talk to him.
How long had he been waiting for him?
"Oh, not long, don't worry," Jeno answered as he stepped into his apartment. Renjun must've said the question out loud.
The apartment wasn't as chaotic as he feared, a few shirts lying here and there, nothing that couldn't be fixed with a few handles. In the meanwhile Jeno inspected the pictures on the wall next to the door, his focus set on a particular canvas portraying a colorful mountain scenery.
"Did you paint this?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. In my first year."
"It looks amazing."
"Thank you."
Renjun smiled at the compliment, desperately trying to keep his cheeks from turning red and ignore the awkward tension between them.
It was weird to see Jeno stand in his apartment. When they had seen each other three days ago, they were practically strangers. But there was something so intimate about seeing Jeno in his own home, between his small accumulation of furniture, canvases and coffee cups. Like he didn't belong there yet and was trying to find his place.
"What did you want to talk about?" Renjun asked before he could get lost in thought about how Jeno fit into his apartment.
"I, uhm," Jeno took a deep breath and a step closer to Renjun. "About Friday night…"
He paused and lowered his head. Renjun followed him with his eyes, the way Jeno's hands played with the hem of his sweatshirt not going unnoticed. He wanted to ask "What about Friday night?" but was afraid he would sound too hopeful. Had Jeno been thinking about him, too?
"That night, when we— no, actually, way before that," Jeno stammered. He still wasn't looking at him and Renjun felt himself grow more nervous with each second.
"Jeno, what are you trying to say?"
When the brunette finally lifted his chin, Renjun made the mistake to catch his eyes. The way Jeno was looking at him caught his breath away; eyes dark and gentle, his gaze intense but warm, pleading almost. Renjun was left breathless, a feeling of warmth pooling into the pit of his stomach.
"Can I kiss you?"
Renjun held his breath. He wanted to scream 'Yes, God, yes,' but all he managed was a hoarse hum of consent and as soon as it left his lips, he already felt Jeno's mouth pressing against his own.
Renjun fell headfirst into the kiss, knees going weak under his body as the unbearable cloud of tension that had hung over his head for the past three days burst into waves of relief with each clash of their lips. Jeno kissed desperately, as if it was all he ever wanted to do and had Renjun melting into his mouth with every lick of his lips. He was overwhelmed by the way Jeno held him in his arms, cradled his cheeks with his hands like he wanted to give him more, to pour himself into the kiss until there was nothing left to give but wasn't sure if he would let him.
Renjun didn't think it was possible to want someone so much and so badly, but Jeno proved him wrong.
He didn't stop kissing him when Renjun's lips were swollen pink and his cheeks tinted red.
He didn't stop kissing him when Renjun's hands roamed his torso, sliding his hands under his sweatshirt to feel his bare skin against his fingers.
He didn't stop kissing him when Renjun looped a leg around his hips, only tightened the grip on his waist to pull him even closer.
They only parted lips when they fell into Renjun's bed, his back flush against the mattress as Jeno hovered over him. The sudden change of position had Renjun feeling dizzy, mind too clouded with sheer want to see the look on Jeno's face before he buried it in the crook of his neck.
"I've wanted to do that since Friday night," Jeno mumbled against his skin, too soft, too gentle compared to his temperament a minute prior.
Renjun gasped as he littered his neck with kisses, making his way up to a sensitive spot behind his ear. "Why didn't you?" He breathes.
Jeno pulled away to look at him and again, he looked far too endearing for the position they were in. "Same reason I never asked you out," he smiled sadly. "Too scared."
That pulled Renjun out of his haze. He tried his best to sit up on his bed, Jeno's hands supporting his waist to keep him stable. They were so close that he could count the freckles on Jeno's skin, kiss the mole under his eye if he wanted to. "Scared of what?"
"Nothing." A beat of silence. Then: "Everything."
Jeno hid his face, resting his head on Renjun's shoulder and the latter didn't quite know what to do with that statement. He ended up stroking Jeno's hair, brown locks gliding softly through his fingers. It was too familiar, too intimate for two people who hadn't seen each other in years, but maybe that's what prompted Jeno to allow himself to be vulnerable with him.
"I was scared, I wouldn't be good enough. That I couldn't make you happy."
His voice was quiet, so soft that Renjun wouldn't have heard him if he wouldn't have been so close to his ear. He merely perceived the insecurity in his voice, subtle, hidden in his calm and gentle tone, as if it had always been there and Renjun had been too blinded by his beauty and his play of confidence to see it.
He pulled Jeno up to face, lifting his head with a finger under his chin and it felt like he saw him, really saw him for the first time. "Jeno," he rasped as he gently placed his hands on the sides of his head, his thumb stroking the soft skin of Jeno's cheek. "You are more than enough. You've always been good enough for me. I only ever wanted you."
And then Jeno, sweet Jeno looked at him like he hung the stars in the sky. "You really mean that?"
"Yeah."
"And," Jeno bit down on his bottom lip and lowered his gaze down to his hands. He looked so endearing, Renjun couldn't stop himself from caressing the corner of his mouth with his thumb. "Do you still feel that way?"
"Yeah," Renjun replied without batting an eyelid. He couldn't contain the smile that spread on his lips, glad he finally got to tell the boy of his dreams how he felt. A confession that had been long overdue.
Jeno leaned against the palm of his hand and smiled into the touch, eyes turning into little crescent moons. His smile had never failed to make Renjun melt. "Me too," he whispered against his lips before he closed the distance between them once again.
This kiss was slower, softer than the ones before, Renjun's heart blooming in the warmth of their newfound intimacy. Jeno's hands were on his hips again, pulling him into his lap, closer, and closer, until not even a piece of paper could fit between them.
"I could get used to this," Renjun gasped when they parted, running low on oxygen and high on the adrenaline in his veins.
Jeno smiled again, looping his fingers around his wrist to press a kiss on the birthmark on his hand. "Maybe you should," he said daringly, "because I'm not going anywhere."
"Good." Renjun looked at Jeno's eyes, then at his lips that he had felt on his own mere moments ago, and back to his eyes. "I'm yours, if you'll have me."
Jeno answered with a sweet kiss on the lips, and it was all Renjun needed to know.
11:56 AM.
Renjun:
about the double date. let's not do that again
Donghyuck:
huh?
i thought you said you had a nice evening
Renjun:
yeah and I think it would be even better if my boyfriend and I went alone <3
Donghyuck:
BOYFRIEND??? what boyfriend ??
HUANG RENJUN.
you-
DID YOU AND JENO?
I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION
Renjun:
:)