Chapter Text
When Jeno lets Jisung out a little later the younger gives him a knowing look and Jeno smiles sweetly before slamming the door in his face. He turns back around and finds Jaemin staring at him, there’s a look on his face Jeno doesn’t recognize. He books it to his room.
“Maybe a thank you would be ni-“, Jeno slams the door, effectively cutting Jaemin off. He cringes as the bang echoes in his head. He lays down in his bed and stares up at his ceiling and wonders what the hell he’s supposed to do now. He loves Jaemin. Actually loves him.
He doesn’t get to wonder for long, because Jaemin bursts in exactly half a minute later.
“What is wrong with you?”, he asks brusquely.
“Oh my god, leave me alone”, Jeno moans as he glares at the boy he’s apparently in love with. “My head hurts.”
“I’d think so after drinking so much”, Jaemin says with no trace of pity in his voice.
Jeno ignores him and hopes he’ll leave him alone. His head actually hurts and he’s only just now processing everything Jisung said to him the day before.
Jaemin stays, of course. “Jeno, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing”, he lies and Jaemin’s face falls.
“Jeno…”, Jaemin says as he sits down next to him and Jeno wants nothing more than to bury his head into Jaemin’s stomach and let him comfort him.
He stays where he is and throws his arm over his eyes instead.
“Please talk to me. Things haven’t been…y’know, they haven’t been the same between us after-“, he falls silent and Jeno peeks at him from under his arm. Jaemin looks torn, before eventually settling on. “After our talk.”
Jeno swallows and his throat feels like leather.
I just…”, he lets out a frustrated sigh, clearly annoyed at himself for not finding the right words for the second time in under a minute. “I just want to fix it.”
“Why? You seem to be doing all right”, Jeno says dully.
“What makes you say that?”, his best friends asks.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you just went out on a date with one of the many insignificant people you kissed on that party?”, Jeno says nastily.
“Jeno, don’t say-“, Jaemin starts and Jeno ignores him, sitting up and taking his hand away from his face. Jaemin’s face is strangely tense.
“Maybe the fact that you skipped movie night just so you could go and fuck her”, he snaps.
It’s quiet for a long while, they just look at each other. Jaemin’s never been good at hiding his emotions, but for once Jeno can’t read anything as he looks into his best friend’s eyes. He’s about to demand for Jaemin to answer, but then Jaemin snorts. It’s an ugly and unnatural sound. “That’s what this is about? Me skipping movie night?”
It takes a while for Jaemin’s words to truly sink in. When they do Jeno’s speechless. He can’t fucking believe this. He’s never been quite this frustrated with Jaemin before and he’s been frustrated by him a lot. Little things like Jaemin using his toner and then lying about it or Jaemin saying he’ll do the dishes and then leaving them because ‘I’ll do them tomorrow, I’m tired, God, Jeno’.
But this is one a whole other level. Jaemin knows damn well what this is about and yet he’s going out of his way to make Jeno feel dumb- Fuck being a frustrated crier, he thinks as tears fill his eyes. The forced grin abruptly disappears from Jaemin’s face.
“Ah fuck, Jeno", his hands hover awkwardly in between them, as if he's uncertain if he's allowed to touch him. "I’m sorry, you know I didn’t mean it like that.”
When Jeno talks again it comes out sounding nearly hysterical. “Right, of course you didn’t. You know what, Jaem? I think you should go, you’re not fixing shit like this.”
“Jeno, please. I-“, he effectively reaches out for Jeno and Jeno’s never felt less like being comforted by Jaemin. He feels like he might actually die if Jaemin hugs him now. In fact, he might just die anyway from all factors adding up that make this morning so incredibly horrible.
He abruptly lies down, avoiding his best friend’s hand. He almost misses the wounded look on Jaemin’s face as he closes his eyes in pain as his heart bonks in his eyes. Somehow hearing it so clearly helps him calm down a little.
He opens his eyes and after blinking the last of his tears away he sees that Jaemin’s standing in the doorway looking down at him with a pensive look on his face that somehow does not sit right with Jeno.
“At least you got rid of your boner the proper way this time”, he snides and Jaemin’s face closes off. He throws the door closed.
Jeno doesn’t leave his room until he hears Jaemin’s enter his room that evening. He all but runs out to pee. He also left his phone outside so when he unlocks it he sees the string of texts Jisung sent him over the day.
Sungie [15:12]
have you talked to him yet?
Sungie [16:22]
the sooner the better
Sungie [16:23]
you know i’m right
Sungie [17:11]
at this point I guess you’re either ignoring me
sungie [17:11]
doing god knows what with Jaemin
sungie [17:12]
or you have tragically passed away
sungie [18:21]
rip jeno
sungie [18:22]
lmao
That last one was send just a couple of minutes before. For a second he considers changing ‘sungie’ to ‘devil child’ but his need to tell Jisung off transcends all barriers.
jeno [18:30]
I am very much still alive
jeno [18:31]
and I didn’t answer bc me and jaem fought
sungie [18:31]
did you tell him?
jeno [18:31]
no?? lmaoo
sungie [18:31]
you should
sungie [18:31]
you know the reason you guys are so on edge with each other is bc you’re both in denial
sungie [18:32]
so tell him
He stares at the text, the words seem to be mocking him. He hears the door to Jaemin’s room creak open and turns around.
“I’m just going to the bathroom”, his best friend says quickly when he catches Jeno poking his head out over the couch.
“Jaemin”, Jeno says quietly and Jaemin stills with his hand on the doorknob to the bathroom. His eyes are big and nervous and fuck, Jeno loves him so much and he hates that they’re like this. His mouth moves before he can properly think it through. “I like you. That’s why I was so mad at you for going on that date.”
Jaemin’s hand drops from the handle, Jeno sees it because his gaze was fixed on that hand. “I figured…well, I guess Jisung figured, really”, Jeno lets out a breathless laugh. He feels light-headed. He’s really gone and done it. No way back now. For some reason all he can think about is the unlikely scenario that Jaemin is going to go to his room, pack his bags and walk out. “He figured I should tell you and I suppose that’s fair.”
Jaemin starts staggering towards him and Jeno turns around, staring at the tv. For some reason this scene is awfully familiar. Only Jaemin is coming towards him now instead of leaving. Jeno doesn’t know which was worse. His heart is beating in his throat. “Of course it’s totally fine if you don’t feel the same way. Really, it is. I know you said I was just one of the people you happened to kiss that night. But we are best friends and if you give me time to…y’know, get over you-“
Jeno stops talking when Jaemin kneels in front on him, grabbing his hands. He feels strangely like a child being comforted. Jaemin's eyes are soft and bright.
"You know why I went on that stupid date?", Jaemin asks.
Jeno shakes his head, lips pressed tightly together.
"Because you weren't just one of the people I kissed on that party. You're my best friend and yet I'd never wanted to kiss someone as much as I did you in that moment. All I could think about when I saw you after that night is how beautiful you were and how much I wanted to kiss you again.” Jeno's eyes widen as he takes in the sincerity in Jaemin's gaze. "I thought...when Chenle and Jisung came I heard what you guys were saying and…and you seemed so uncomfortable, so I thought you'd figured it all out. And that you didn’t like it at all."
Jeno thinks back on that conversation and curses himself. He tightens his grip on Jaemin's hands.
"You weren't making me uncomfortable", he reassures softly. "You could never."
Jaemin's eyes are warm and he leans forward to put his forehead against Jeno's. Jeno swallows thickly. It's the closest they've been since their talk.
"I went on that date just to make you believe that I wasn't in love with you, but then your reaction made me feel so shitty. I watched that movie with her, then we said goodbye, because I guess she didn’t want to spend time with me when I was in such a foul mood”, Jaemin laughs. “I literally went to a coffeeshop and waited there just because I couldn’t bear to see you look at me that way again."
Jeno lets out a breathy sigh. Call him self-centered, but knowing that he was the priority to Jaemin makes him incredibly relieved.
"And here I was scared you were going to move out once I told you how I felt", Jeno laughs softly.
Jaemin leans away just to give him an incredulous look.
"Are you insane?"
Jeno's so happy he can't even bring up the energy to glare at Jaemin for that one. Instead he laughs. "Hey!"
Jaemin shakes his head. "You are literally insane."
"Jaemin", Jeno giggles and he's surprised when Jaemin tackles him into a hug, throwing him onto the couch.
Before he can say anything Jaemin starts peppering his face with kisses, pausing just to yell in Jeno's face. "All this time this is all I've wanted to do...and...you thought…I was going to move out if I...found out? Jeno, you…absolute…fool"
He strengthens his point with more soundly kisses. Jeno is laughing so hard he's nearly crying.
"A slight miscalculation on my part", he eventually manages to giggle. That earns him more kisses.
Then they're suddenly nose to nose and despite having kissed nearly every available inch of his face Jaemin's stayed clear of his lips.
"You want to do some nsfw-stuff, Jeno?", Jaemin asks and Jeno answers by throwing his arms around Jaemin’s neck and pulling him down so their lips meet.
The way he's been wanting to ever since their first kiss.