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Staring across the picnic table at Donghyuck is making anger sizzle in Renjun’s veins. He’s been using his hour lunch break between lectures to catch up on essay prep he hadn’t managed to get to last night because someone in the bedroom next door to his was up all night playing some loud-ass video game.
“Will you leave me alone for five fucking minutes?” Renjun asks, lettuce from his wrap hanging between his lips.
Donghyuck raises an eyebrow. “How do you know I’m not doing my own homework on my phone right now?”
If Renjun wasn’t in a public outdoor study area he would reach across the table and slap that pout off of Donghyuck’s face. “Because you don’t have any headphones and have been playing Instagram reels out loud since you sat down.”
Donghyuck’s pout spreads into a smirk. “Paying attention to me while you should be studying, angel?”
“Everytime you call me that I want to stab you,” Renjun spits back, annoyance flooding his face red. “Can you please fuck off? This essay is like half my grade.”
Donghyuck grabs the laptop in front of Renjun, spinning it to face him despite Renjun’s protests. “Don’t worry, Johnny’s got a friend that did this elective. I’ll get his essay for you.”
“I don’t want you to do that for me.”
“Why not?” Donghyuck whines, batting his eyelashes, that fucking pout back on his face.
“God, you’re so annoying,” Renjun mumbles, shoving his laptop back into his bag. “I’ve got a class to get to.”
“I don’t get you!” Donghyuck shouts after him, Renjun pulling his hood over his face as half his fucking campus turn their heads to watch him make a beeline for the Humanities building.
Donghyuck has been like this since he’d hit puberty. Before that, he’d actually been half-decent. Their older brothers had dated when Renjun and Donghyuck were 8 years old, and despite breaking up less than a week later, their parents had stayed friends. Throw that in with the fact that they were neighbours, their houses literally adjoined, Renjun and Donghyuck had been bonded to the hip. For a few years, at least, until Donghyuck had acquired this brat streak from somewhere that made Renjun want to scratch his eyes out.
They were 21 now and Renjun still could not get rid of him.
Despite their constant arguing, Donghyuck had followed Renjun all through highschool to college, and Renjun was at his wits end. The only time he’d had a break was the brief time Donghyuck had a stable boyfriend (see: two weeks and three days of bliss).
During his next lecture, Renjun has to put his phone on mute. Donghyuck has moved from watching Instagram reels to sending him every fucking one he sees. He keeps typing ‘us’ on videos that make no fucking sense. Renjun groans, shoving his phone into his bag as his professor sends a glare his way.
“I can cover for you if you need to answer that.”
Renjun raises his head, glancing to his left. The boy talking to him has a smile that lights up his whole face, glasses slipping off his nose, dark hair in his eyes. Renjun has never noticed him before.
“No, it’s okay. Thanks for offering though.” He whispers back.
The guy slides closer to Renjun on the bench, moving their laptops right next to each other. He opens another document from the one he was taking notes on, typing I’m Jeno :).
Renjun feels a smile tug at his lips. He copies Jeno, typing his own name out. I know, Jeno types back, the sketchbook peeking out from your bag has your name on it. You like to draw? He asks.
Renjun nods. This your degree? He types.
Nope, I do sports medicine. Taking this for the elective points. You?
Renjun glances at Jeno’s arm pressed next to his. Sports medicine no doubt, the boy was built like a truck.
Same. Not the sports medicine though. Creative arts.
Jeno smiles, his eyes little crescent moons behind his glasses. “Cool,” he mumbles, switching back to his original document to focus on taking notes for their Ancient History lecture.
Renjun hadn’t really made a friend this year. It was kind of hard to do as soon as they met Donghyuck, who seemed to have a habit of scaring people off.
“Have you got any classes after this?” Jeno asks as they pack up to leave. Renjun shakes his head. Jeno makes that happy-puppy expression again. “I’ll walk with you back to the dorms?”
“Ah, I live at home,” Renjun mumbles, squeezing down the aisle with the rest of his lecture hall. “But I have to walk past the dorms anyway.”
Renjun can practically feel Jeno grinning behind him, the taller boy stumbling on his long legs down the lecture hall steps. Renjun was beginning to think Hey, this could be a really nice afternoon - new friend, the sun is shining, he’s very handsome and seemingly sane! until they exit the hall and Renjun skids to a halt, Jeno bumping into his back.
“Injunnie!” Donghyuck cheers, skipping toward him. “Gosh, your class took forever.”
“What are you doing here?” He asks, eyes flashing between Donghyuck and Jeno’s confused expression.
“Duh, I’m coming to walk home with you.”
Renjun squeezes his eyes shut. “Didn’t your classes end hours ago?”
Donghyuck nods, that fucking pout back on his lips. “Who’s your friend?”
“Jeno, this is Donghyuck. He’s my…” Renjun watches as Jeno grabs for Donghyuck’s hand, shaking it rather enthusiastically, “neighbour?”
Donghyuck scoffs. “Our relationship is way more complicated than that. Our fates were sewn together at birth when-.”
“Can we just leave? Please?” Donghyuck keeps babbling as Renjun storms away. He's pleased that Jeno is hot on his tail, following behind him. Whether or not he was listening to Donghyuck spewing nonsense was up to him. Renjun is pissed. Another friendship ruined before it had properly begun.
Renjun couldn’t get a word in the whole way to Jeno’s dorm. Every time he opened his mouth, Donghyuck would jump in with some embarrassing childhood story, or ask Jeno a question about himself only to butt in with an unrelated answer. Steam is practically pouring from Renjun’s ears when they come to a stop outside Jeno’s dorm building, however his mouth drops when Jeno asks for both of their numbers.
“This was fun!” He says, a bright smile on his face. “If I have both your numbers we can make a group chat or something.”
Renjun just lets Donghyuck handle that, not caring that he can see his own contact being put in as INJUNNIE (all caps, followed by an array of dumb emojis), before mumbling a goodbye to Jeno.
“He was awesome,” Donghyuck says, trying to grab Renjun’s bag to carry it as they headed off toward the train station. Renjun tugs it back.
“I can’t believe you finally didn’t scare off one of my friends. Why do you do that? Interrogate them and tell them all that stupid shit about me?”
“I didn’t scare off Chenle,” Donghyuck whines, ignoring the rest of Renjun’s words.
“I was the only other Chinese kid when he moved to our school. You couldn’t scare him off.”
Donghyuck makes a funny noise. “You’ve replaced me with him! I knew it. Ah, well, I’m going to steal Jeno from you.”
“I’ve known him for like an hour. There’s no stealing to do,” Renjun grumbles as they board their train home.
“Jeno is so hot though, don’t you think?”
In the seat next to Renjun, Donghyuck continues to babble on about their new acquaintance, looking him up on Instagram and showing Renjun photos out of the corner of his eye. Renjun can’t focus. Donghyuck thinks Jeno is hot? Jeno spent fifteen minutes with Donghyuck and asked for his number instead of running away screaming? Renjun bites the inside of his cheek to stop from grinning.
“Any chance Jeno seems like the kind of guy you’d like to spend some alone time with?” Renjun asks. Donghyuck gasps, turning his phone so Renjun can see the shirtless gym selfie on his screen.
“ Look at him.” Donghyuck says.
The last time Renjun had gone more than a day away from Lee Donghyuck was when he had a boyfriend. If that was all it took to get some peace and quiet, he’d be the best fucking cupid of all time.
His phone buzzes with an unknown number later that night. Your boyfriend was fun ^^. Renjun gags.
Jeno?
Yes injunnieeeee?
Renjun sends back a photo of him staring the camera dead on. Please, please, please don’t ever refer to him as my boyfriend.
Jeno replies with a photo of him in bed, exaggerated shock on his face. Crazy best friend? He asks. Ive got one of those 2.
Renjun’s face feels warm under the glow of his phone screen. This could actually work. He sends Jeno a screenshot of Donghyuck’s instagram.
Phone kept going off earlier bc he wouldnt stop sending me shit on here. Loads of embarrassing photos of me from HS but still. Hyuck seems like he wants to be friends w you.
He waits patiently while the typing bubble appears and disappears. The text from Donghyuck comes through before Jeno can reply: not your new boytoy stalking me on ig i need him.
Seems cool, Jeno says, followed by some meme of a cat with its thumb up. Maybe he’ll bother me instead so u dont get kicked frm ah LOL.
Renjun was buzzing for the next day free of classes. He had his plan prepared: arrange lunch with Jeno and Donghyuck, then sneak out of whatever restaurant they were in under the pretence of going to the bathroom. Then text them both to tell them there was an emergency (he hasn’t decided what - unfortunately your closest annoyance being close with your family rules out emergencies regarding them) but to keep enjoying lunch. If Jeno can stand a whole meal with Donghyuck then they’d practically be engaged.
“Hope Injunie didn’t bring us to the place Jisung works so he could use him to sneak out the back door.”
Renjun blinks, menu going limp in his hands. “What…” he mumbles, as Jisung (mutual acquaintance to both, Chenle’s friend, owes Renjun one too many) goes red in the face, his huge hands flailing as he nearly drops his little notepad and pen.
“Renjun would never do that!” He squeaks, tugging at his collar and glancing rapidly at Renjun in hopes that the older boy would change the subject. Way to make it subtle. Jeno is watching them with an amused smile on his face from across the table.
“He did it on prom night! Don’t you remember Jun? Oh he was so cute in his little tux. I bought him a corsage that was this massive yellow flower and he refused to wear it. So ungrateful.” Donghyuck says the last part in a dramatic pout, hands gripping Renjun’s arms and rocking him back and forth.
“Because who the fuck takes their prom date to a one star diner? Jisung works here and he refuses to eat their food.” Jisung nods solemnly at this.
Jeno’s face splits into a grin. “Wait. You two went to prom together?”
“Only because he wouldn’t stop asking me.” Renjun deadpans, feeling that angry streak creeping up the back of his neck as he shoves at Donghyuck’s face, who apparently thinks it’s an appropriate time to try lean in for a cheek kiss.
“Renjun was so popular in high school, but he was obsessed with me.” He says, back fully turned to Jisung now who seems to be debating whether or not to stay and wait for the orders they don’t seem to be making.
“Neither of those statements are true.” Renjun mumbles, sliding closer to the wall. His plan was crumbling in his own hands. Telling Donghyuck’s potential partner that they went to prom together furthers the idea in Jeno’s mind that they’re dating. Which they are not.
“There were so many people that wanted to ask him, but I needed to keep my reputation up so I had to get in there and fight them off.”
“What reputation?” Jeno asks, at the same time Renjun says “Who the fuck was trying to ask me to prom?”
Donghyuck keeps his eyes on Jeno, but points one finger at Renjun. Jisung has left by now. “To name a few: Mark Lee, Yangyang from our music class, Chenle’s older friend from the basketball team. Sen or Sun or something. I forget his name. He was so not hot and popular.” He points his finger back to Jeno, “Renjun’s future husband.”
Jeno’s laugh explodes out of him, his eyes going wide as Renjun groans. “ What?” He splutters.
“Because Donghyuck refuses to leave me alone, some people thought we were dating.” Renjun supplies, seriously considering just standing and leaving, if not for the knowledge that they would both most likely follow him.
“I mean…” Jeno shrugs. “I did think that when I met you both.”
“See!” Donghyuck turns back to Renjun, making a kissy face that raises the intense need to punch him in Renjun’s chest. “We’re destined Injun.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Renjun mumbles, face turning red from embarrassment. “I need to pee.” He shoves up from the table, rolling his eyes at the sound of Donghyuck moving on to some other high school story about the two of them. He needed that break again, the one he got when Donghyuck dated Jung Sungchan for those blissful two weeks.
Renjun opens one cubicle, wincing at the toilet paper littering the floor, and sits himself on the closed lid, opening his phone. The peaceful silence of the admittedly disgusting men’s toilets is broken by a whistling noise from above Renjun’s head. He looks up, cheeks raising in a grin at the huge window, the bottom of it cracked open to let in a breeze. How insane would climbing out the toilet window and making a break for it be? He doesn’t care.
Renjun heaves himself up onto the ledge above the toilet, shoving until the window gives, then climbing out, dropping down into the alley below. He groans as his shoes slide against an unknown but suspicious looking liquid, startling when he hears his name.
“Oh hey, ” he says, patting at his clothes, hoping he doesn’t look like he just climbed from a dirty toilet into a dirtier alley. “Mark Lee? I didn’t know you worked here.”
Mark grins, tossing what Renjun thought was a cigarette but looks more like a cola-flavoured lollipop into one of the diner’s bins. He opens his arms for a hug which Renjun doesn’t really reciprocate, then looks him up and down as though Renjun does not have toilet paper stuck to his shoes. “No way, man. I haven’t seen you since graduation! How are you?”
Renjun is very grateful he doesn’t question the toilet window thing.
“Good, good.” Renjun nods, scanning the alley for his escape. “Weird question.” He says. “Is there a way to get from here back towards the station without having to pass the diner windows?”
Mark frowns, hands on his hips over his apron. “Why?” That he questions? Renjun shrugs.
“No reason, really.”
Mark’s eyes widen as though he’s only just caught on to the punch line of a joke Renjun hasn’t told. “Wait. Let me guess. Bad date? Did you break up with Donghyuck?”
“I was never dating Donghyuck.” Renjun huffs. “But sure, something like that.”
Mark winks, his bangs too long and catching in his eyes just like they used to in high school. He still has that same sweet vibe that Renjun used to quite like. “Don’t worry,” he blinks again to clear the hair from his vision. “I’m on break, I can give you a lift home.”
“You know where I live?” Renjun questions, following Mark who immediately takes off in the direction away from the restaurant’s side windows (thank God).
“Yeah I dropped you off after that party. Who’s birthday was that? Yizhuo’s? Crazy good time. Man, you were wasted though. Same week Donghyuck broke up with you for Sungchan. Or… didn’t break up with you? But definitely started dating Sungchan. Man he was fun. What’s he up to now?”
Renjun doesn’t respond, letting Mark continue with his chatting until they reach his beat-up car. At first he felt a little flutter in his chest that Mark remembered driving him home that one time, back when Renjun had a little bit of a crush on him, but the memory of drinking so much had eluded him. “Did… did everyone think I got drunk because Donghyuck broke up with me?” He asks once they’re in the car.
Mark looks a little sheepish. “I mean… yeah.”
Renjun had received sympathetic looks for days after Yizhuo’s party, to the point that he’d begged Chenle to go with him everywhere so he didn’t look friendless. Because that’s what he thought it’d been about. That everyone had seen Donghyuck bothering someone who wasn’t Renjun for the first time and felt bad about it for some unknown reason.
He groans, turning his face to the window.
“‘S kinda weird you didn’t know,” Mark says, gum now smacking between his teeth. “I mean, like, everyone thought you two were together. Everyone.”
“I get it, thanks,” Renjun says, jerking in his seat a little when Mark turns a sharp corner.
“ Everyone, ” he says again, wide eyes glancing at Renjun instead of looking at the road. The car bounces over a pothole. “I’m shocked you two aren’t together now if you weren’t together in high school.”
Renjun stares straight ahead, watching the traffic move in front of them. “Donghyuck and I aren’t exactly compatible.” He replies, his voice quiet beneath Mark’s indie rock CD.
“That’s what I thought when I started to like Jaemin.” Mark replies, swerving around another bend. “Like, look at us.” He points one finger from the steering wheel to a polaroid taped on the dash. It’s faded a bit in the sun, but Renjun can still make out Mark’s nerdy wrinkled t-shirts he wore consistently in high school, his braces glaring in the camera’s flash, his glasses resting on his red cheeks. Jaemin has one arm slung around him, a peace sign and a pout clashing with his leather jacket and fried blonde hair. Renjun’s pretty sure he took that a few months before they graduated. “But we’re kinda perfect.” Mark replies, shooting a proud grin at Renjun.
“Yeah, yeah,” Renjun says. Mark is as cheesy about his boyfriend as he can be on the instagram Renjun follows him on. He’s seen Jaemin’s face on Mark’s story more than he sees his own in his mirror.
“Here we are.” Mark says, slamming the car to a halt outside Renjun’s front door. “Look, if you want us to set you up with someone we totally could. Me and Jaem know a lot of single guys.”
Renjun thanks him for the offer, but shakes his head. “I’m just not looking for anything right now.” He says. Mark gives him a funny look.
“You’ve never been looking for anything.” He replies, eyes reading Renjun’s face in a way that makes Renjun feel too exposed.
Renjun shrugs. “Guess I’ll know it when I feel it.”
Mark raises an eyebrow but nods, making Renjun promise to get in touch soon before he speeds off down the street, dark smoke billowing in the car’s path.
Renjun doesn’t notice the time pass until he starts bouncing his knee at his desk, wondering why Donghyuck hasn’t been in touch yet. It’s not like he cares, but Donghyuck is Donghyuck – Renjun was expecting to be chased down the street the second he left the diner. When the sun sets Renjun feels antsy for some reason. He reaches for his phone, tempted to send a check-in text but then reminding himself that he Does Not Care about Lee Donghyuck, when it lights up with Donghyuck’s contact.
Renjun stares. Since when does Donghyuck phone him? He lets it ring out, eyes watching the device. A rock hits his bedroom window.
“What the hell?” Renjun shouts out as he shoves his window open. Donghyuck is standing on his front lawn.
“I’m trying to get your attention!” Donghyuck cries, hands cupped around his mouth. “Either you answer the phone or I break your front door down!” Renjun winces as the old woman across the street opens her blinds to glare at them.
He shuts his window, climbing into bed and answering when Donghyuck calls again. “Hello?” He mumbles into the receiver.
“First off: you’re such a dick for running away from the diner.”
“First off: you did the exact same thing to me back in middle school with your brother's friend. So.”
“Sorry!” Donghyuck whines, and Renjun hears a thump on the other side of the wall he’s leaning his head against. “Jaehyun was so hot he made me nervous.” Renjun hears another thump, then three knocks against his wall. “You sitting on your bed?” Donghyuck asks. Renjun hears him say it through the bricks. He hums.
“Sooo,” Donghyuck draws out the word for as long as he can. “Jeno.”
“I have so many better things to be doing right now.” Renjun says. Lie. “What about him?”
“What are you trying to do?” He hears. Mumbling follows, the sound of some drama intro beginning to blare.
“I asked first.”
Donghyuck whines through the phone. “Junnie. Come on.”
“He seems interested in you.” Renjun replies, his voice sounding less casual than he thought it would. Donghyuck is quiet for a long time. “Hyuck?”
“ Love when you call me that,” Donghyuck groans. Renjun rolls his eyes, pulling his phone away with the intention of hanging up. “So you’re trying to set us up?” Donghyuck’s voice booms from the phone in Renjun’s lap. He hears the TV go silent.
Renjun puts the phone on speaker, reaching for the book he’s been on and off reading for the past month. He’s desperate to get through it, really, but the love interest reminds him a little too much of Someone He Knows.
“Do you want me to stop?” He mumbles.
Donghyuck is quiet when he responds: “No, it’s okay.”
They sit in silence for a minute before the voice Renjun’s always deemed ‘Donghyuck’s Customer Service Tone’ comes back. “Aigoo, little Junnie always worrying about my love life instead of his own.”
“Right, enough of that.” Renjun says, pressing the end button. Donghyuck texts a few more times before his phone goes quiet, the TV beginning to blare through the wall again. Despite it interrupting his reading a little, Renjun doesn’t bother to put his headphones on.
Thanks for whatever today was ><, Jeno texts him. Renjun tries not to question the lack of happiness. Shouldn’t he be giddy about this? Donghyuck and Jeno equals no more Donghyuck bothering him every second. He huffs, shutting the book and climbing under the covers.
For the past few months, Saturdays have been study days with Donghyuck. This is purely because Renjun retains information better when discussing it with someone else, and because he doesn’t have any other friends at university. He abandoned this the Saturday before for the diner, and this Saturday he’s ready by midday to no text.
Renjun puts his feet up against the living room table, chewing absentmindedly on fruit, glancing from his textbook to his phone every few minutes.
“What’s wrong with you?” Kun asks, sitting himself down on the sofa across from Renjun.
He blinks, realising he’s been reading the same page for about 45 minutes. “Nothing,” Renjun mumbles around a mouth of mashed banana.
Kun frowns at him, pointing at his own mouth. “Chew please. You’re never home at this time. Did something happen to Donghyuck?”
Renjun feigns a look of shock. “Why does everyone associate me with him? I’m my own person.” Kun nods at this, his shoulders moving in a shrug.
“I mean, yeah, of course you are,” Renjun’s brother says, “but come on Jun. He’s your closest friend. He’s always banging on our door at 10 in the morning.”
“He’s not…” Renjun trails off, eyes moving to the front window that angles towards Donghyuck’s garden. Speak of the devil, there he is. Sauntering out towards someone’s motorcycle, no textbooks in sight. No texts in sight. Renjun double-checks his phone has service.
“Woah, who’s that?” Kun asks, not even hiding his interest as he moves to stand right at the window.
Renjun feels his stomach drop when the rider removes his helmet to greet Donghyuck, eyes creasing up into moons. “That’s, uh, Jeno. Our friend Jeno. I’m trying to set him up with Donghyuck.”
Kun turns his head back to his little brother slowly. “Why?” He asks.
Renjun looks around the room dramatically, ignoring his stomach. “What do you mean ‘why’?”
Kun blinks at him, his face contorting into a million micro expressions as though Renjun’s just asked him the dumbest question of all time. “I can’t even answer that.” He sighs, rubbing at his forehead. He leaves the room as Renjun stares after him, leaving a variety show playing on the TV in his absence. Renjun ignores the weird feeling in his chest as he watches Donghyuck straddle the back of Jeno’s motorcycle, gripping his arms around his waist. He encouraged this.
When Chenle’s birthday rolls around, Renjun realises something is wrong with him mentally. There must be something wrong, because how else do you explain him missing Lee Donghyuck? They’re not dating yet but Donghyuck’s been spending every other minute with Jeno. Admittedly they include him a lot, but it’s weird. So, so weird. Donghyuck is laying it on thick with Jeno, always touching him, flirting excessively, but Renjun thinks Jeno is clueless. He just laughs it off, always trying to include Renjun in their inside jokes (because they have inside jokes now).
Donghyuck still seems to follow Renjun around, but when he doesn’t, Renjun misses him. God, he gags thinking about it. He’s thinking about it in the hours before Chenle’s party, because Donghyuck invited Jeno. He still wants his plan to go through, he thinks, but he spent all of the night before listening to the two of them gaming through Donghyuck and Renjun’s bedroom wall. Suffice to say, Renjun has to be mentally or physically unwell.
There isn’t even a knock at their front door because apparently Donghyuck’s worked out where Kun hides the spare key. He waltzes into Renjun’s bedroom like he’s been doing for thirteen years, throwing himself down onto Renjun’s desk chair.
“Angel, where's your silver eyeshadow?” He asks, already rummaging through Renjun’s desk drawers. Renjun struggles not to ask why he hasn’t seen Donghyuck in four days.
“Left side, second from the bottom.”
Donghyuck raises an eyebrow. “What? You don’t want to stab me anymore?”
“Huh?” Renjun asks, a little preoccupied with the amount of leg Donghyuck has on show.
He frowns at Renjun, swivelling in the chair to face Renjun’s mirror.
“What’s the eyeshadow for?” Renjun asks after the lack of answer.
“Saw some the other day when I was out with Jeno,” Donghyuck hums, lathering it onto his eyelids. “He said it looked really nice against my skin.”
Of course he did. Renjun sniffs, turning his attention back to the game on his phone. He never dresses up for these parties. No one ever approaches him because Donghyuck is always there.
Donghyuck swivels the chair back around to stare at Renjun until he raises his eyes. God, Jeno was right about the silver. Donghyuck’s eyes look even bigger than normal, the dark irises gleaming at him in his bedroom’s low lighting. “What’s wrong with you?” He asks, relaxing in the chair, his shorts riding up as he spreads his long legs out.
Renjun averts his gaze. “You’re here bothering me.”
Donghyuck tilts his head, chewing his bottom lip between his teeth. Renjun does not look back and stare at his gloss-covered mouth. He doesn’t.
“I thought you wanted this.”
Renjun frowns at him. “Wanted you to bother me?”
Donghyuck continues to scan Renjun’s face in the same way Mark did the day he left Donghyuck with Jeno. This time, however, Renjun can feel Donghyuck seeing straight through his skin. He hums, turning back to the mirror. His eyes stay on Renjun through the glass.
“I booked a taxi by the way. It’s coming in, like, twenty. So get ready please.”
“I am ready,” Renjun says, frowning down at his clothes. White tank top, black shorts (because the heating in Chenle’s house is always at max for some reason), oversized plaid shirt that he stole from Chenle that he thinks Chenle stole from Jisung. Donghyuck scoffs.
“Of course. You look gorgeous Junnie-pie.” Renjun glares at him. He blatantly ignores the heat in his face. He must have a fever.
Renjun can’t catch Chenle in the sea of people that know him (there is no way one guy can have this many friends, like come on ), and the second Donghyuck gets a text that Jeno has arrived he disappears into this sea. He just leaves. Renjun swims his way to the kitchen, feeling a little lonely and a lot pissed. He catches Jisung in there, rapidly mixing drinks for people and looking overwhelmed.
He shoves something strong at Renjun who pulls him from the swarm in return.
Jisung breathes a sigh of relief, watching in concern as Renjun chugs whatever is in the paper cup. “Are you okay…?” Jisung asks.
“Fine.” Renjun says. They aren’t close enough for Renjun to rattle his complaints off to Jisung. Whatever is in the cup goes straight to his head, though. “If you get pissed off at someone because they won’t stop annoying you but then they start annoying someone else and you’re lonely, what would you call that?”
“Is this about Donghyuck?” Jisung asks, scratching at the back of his neck. Again, they are not close enough for this.
“No,” Renjun shakes his head, the drink making his brain and legs feel fuzzy. “It’s hypothetical.”
Jisung nods furiously. “Yeah, okay. Well hypothetically I would say you have feelings for them.”
“Duh,” Renjun says, turning back to the kitchen to pour a bottle with no label into his cup. It tastes like juice, so whatever. “Feelings of annoyance!” He shouts up to Jisung.
Jisung shakes his head. “No. Not annoyance. Or anger, or anything else. What is that saying… all is fair in love and hate?”
“That’s not right,” Renjun says. He can’t recall the actual saying, but he can see Donghyuck through the bodies separating them. He’s laughing way too hard at whatever joke Jeno just made. Renjun catches Donghyuck checking to see if he’s watching.
“I think, hypothetically,” Jisung says, leaning his head down to speak into Renjun’s ear. Renjun’s still watching Donghyuck out of the corner of his eye who frowns at this movement. “You should consider if you’re jealous.” He pulls his head back, one hand patting Renjun’s arm. “Hey… is this my shirt?” He asks, tugging at the fabric hanging around Renjun’s waist and unintentionally pulling their bodies closer.
Renjun turns his head again to watch as Donghyuck goes storming upstairs, Jeno not following for some reason. “Uh… no.” He says, shoving his cup into Jisung’s chest. “I’ll hypothetically be two minutes.” He says, squeezing past Jisung to scramble after Donghyuck.
Something has to be physically wrong with him. In what world does Renjun go chasing after Donghyuck to… what? Check that he’s okay? To see if he felt jealous watching him and Jisung? To maybe kiss him for so long that his gloss is non-existent?
He startles a bit at that thought. Strong drink Jisung made.
Renjun follows Donghyuck into a room where he appears to just be pacing. He jumps when he catches Renjun standing awkwardly in the doorway behind him.
“God!” Donghyuck clutches one hand to his chest. “What the fuck?”
Renjun just blinks at him. His skin is flushed from all the bodies downstairs, face slightly sweaty, hair a bit mussed. Donghyuck shakes his head, a weird noise rising in his throat. “Look. I didn’t know you were into Jisung. I’ll stop.”
“I’m not into Jisung,” Renjun slurs. “Wait. You’ll stop what?”
Donghyuck’s lip curls, his eyebrows creasing. “This,” he says, waving a hand between them. Renjun doesn’t know what he’s talking about. “You clearly want me to back off. Right? That’s why you set me up with Jeno?”
Renjun thinks they may be thinking about their mutual situation in very different lights. “I… yeah.”
“Yeah, so, I’ll stop coming onto you. You can go out with Jisung. You don’t have to pretend for my sake.” Donghyuck’s eyes are staring at the floor, his sparkly lids facing Renjun.
“What are you talking about?” Renjun whispers. Donghyuck raises his gaze slowly, eyes trailing up Renjun’s body. He shivers.
“That I like you?” Donghyuck says, as though this is common knowledge.
“You like Jeno.” Renjun states. Donghyuck scoffs.
“You want me to like Jeno so I’ll stop flirting with you.”
“If you call all that flirting, you need your head checked.” Renjun says, his sentence coming out in a dazed breath.
Donghyuck laughs loudly, his eyes wide. “Wait… you didn’t know?” Renjun feels a bit like the room’s tilting. Donghyuck’s face drops into shock slowly. “Oh God…” he mumbles. “You’re so much dumber than I thought you were.” He throws himself onto the bed he’s been pacing alongside, rolling across the mattress and whining.
“Junnie! I thought you were supposed to be smart!” He sits up, looking at Renjun still standing in the doorway like a statue. His hair is even more mussed, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Renjun’s face burns again.
“I…” Renjun’s brain has melted into soup. Donghyuck slides to the end of the bed, reaching a hand out to Renjun who’s feet move of their own accord. He tugs them down together.
“You have to give me an answer tonight. I’m serious.” Donghyuck whispers, rolling on his side to face Renjun, his hands tucked under his head. They haven’t been in this position since their last sleepover before Donghyuck turned unbearable. Renjun turns his face, the ends of his hair brushing against Donghyuck’s curls.
“If you really didn’t know, and you want me to stop bothering you I will.” His voice sounds sad. Renjun turns his whole body to mimic Donghyuck.
“I didn’t know.” He whispers back. He thinks he can see Donghyuck’s heart breaking behind his eyes. “But…” he mumbles, closing his own lids. His brain thinks it’s too embarrassing to admit this while making eye contact: “I’ve been pissed that your attention’s been on Jeno. If that means anything. Also you look nice. I could’ve told you that thing about the silver, like, five years ago.”
Donghyuck coos, wiggling on the bed, one hand grabbing for Renjun’s own. Renjun doesn’t yank it back. He keeps his eyes shut. “But I can’t give you an answer. Yet. I just… I’m sorry I tried to set you up with Jeno. I thought that’s what I wanted.”
Donghyuck waits for him to continue.
“I was wrong.”
Donghyuck hums, wiggling closer to Renjun so that their knees bump together. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that before.” He says. Renjun can hear the smile on his face, feel his breath against his own mouth.
“It’s not often true,” he replies, opening one eye to see Donghyuck’s face right in front of his. His eyes are even bigger this close up.
“Are you considering it though?” Donghyuck says, his mouth pouty, that fucking endearing Customer Service Tone assaulting Renjun’s ears. “Being wrong? Admitting that you…” Donghyuck fakes a gasp, his hand squeezing Renjun’s, “...might… like me?”
Renjun rolls his eyes, shuffling his body impossibly closer to Donghyuck. His heart is racing, but it feels like it’s off in another room. “Don’t make me say it out loud, please.”
Donghyuck’s mouth splits into a grin, his eyes stuck watching Renjun’s own. “You can show it.” He mutters. He leans his head forward, his lips slotting against Renjun’s. His gloss tastes like bubblegum, Renjun thinks. His teeth taste like mint, his tongue tastes like that grape soju he likes. His hair is soft despite the many dyed phases Renjun’s seen it live through. The silver eyeshadow falls against Renjun’s own cheeks. His skin is soft, the freckles on his face mapping out his own little constellation.
Hypothetically Jisung might’ve been right.