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this is a stupid idea.
renjun presses his back flat against the brick wall bordering the convenience store, peeking around. his breath fogs in the cold air. it's past midnight, nearing one a.m, and the place is deserted. cautiously, he slips inside the store, surveying the area. his head swirls, pounding painfully.
renjun is going to rob this place.
okay, maybe that's a harsh word for it. he only needs some food...just enough to hold him over for another few days, until he can figure out his next plan. if he can manage it, a scarf or some gloves would be more than useful, seeing as the temperature on the streets is dropping degrees by the minute.
he chokes back a cough. some medicine would also be great, if at all possible.
renjun's stomach twists, both at the thought of stealing, and because he's gone days without anything substantial to eat, weeks without a proper meal. he can't go into his physics final tomorrow in this condition. if he loses that scholarship, it's all over.
hood tugged over his head, renjun walks as calmly and inconspicuously as possible to the very back of the store. after making a few trips up and down the aisles, he deduces that he's the only one in the store, and deems it safe enough to start shoveling small food items into his pockets.
first, two energy bars in the front left pocket of his jeans. he slides a chocolate bar under his ratty sweatshirt, tucking it into the pocket of the shirt underneath it. his fingers brush something cold, and he shudders. it's the gun he stole from his old family house, months ago. he's never had to use it, and never wants to (he also doesn't know how), but renjun would have been swallowed up by the streets the day he left his house if he didn't have something to defend himself with. he continues packing his pockets, moving down the aisle slowly, pretending to examine each item.
dizzy, renjun stumbles, foot catching on the bottom of the shelf. black spots crowd his vision, body feeling light and airy. a few items clatter to the ground, including a protein bar that falls directly out of renjun's sweatshirt sleeve. fuck, that looks bad. that looks really, really, bad, and hard to play off. renjun snatches the bar up and slides it back in his sleeve, hoping the incident had gone undetected. a few seconds pass, and renjun thinks he's gotten away with it. he tentatively reaches for a granola bar.
a soft cough disrupts the silence.
renjun whirls around.
fuck, when did the boy behind the counter get there? shit, shit, the clerk definitely saw that. he had to, he was right there the whole time! renjun is in deep shit. how the hell is he going to get out of this?
“um-- give me all your money!” renjun panics, fumbling to pull the gun out of his sweatshirt pocket. he really wasn’t all that subtle with hiding it, but it's way harder to hide a gun on you than the movies make it seem.
he breathes, eyes wide. okay. okay, okay, okay, that probably wasn't the best course of action, but by god renjun has made a choice and now he's got to stick by it.
the boy behind the counter yawns, not looking up. he's just scribbling on a piece of paper. what the fuck?
“i said, g-give me all your fucking money!” renjun says a little louder, edging closer to the counter. you can't just cancel a robbery, after all. if renjun is gonna do this, he's gonna at least get some tuition cash out of it.
“i’m sorry, welcome to cvs how may i be of assis-- oh.” the boy says as he removes two white earbuds that renjun totally missed. wow, that’s a bit embarrassing. now this looks all weird and unprovoked.
renjun readjusts his grip on the gun, trying to pretend like his hands aren’t sweating like crazy. channel your inner badass, renjun. i know it's there, he chants to himself, deep, deep down. deeper. deeper...okay, maybe a bit deeper? it’s in there somewhere, i think.
the boy stares at him blankly for a few seconds. "sorry, can’t help you with that. good luck, though.” he replies boredly and moves to put his earbuds back in.
“wait. what?” renjun straightens up a bit, dropping his (totally cool and not just copied from a spy movie he saw once) combat stance.
the boy sighs again, rubbing at his eyes a bit, “can this wait? my favorite exo song just came on and it’s one of those where like, i put my playlist shuffle on hoping for that particular song to come on instead of just putting on the song from the start because its, y’know. more special that way, or whatever. but my playlist has almost five hundred songs on it by now so i didn’t know if i would stumble upon it by the end of this hellscape of a nine hour shift, but it just came on so. i’d really like to listen to it uninterrupted, thanks.”
well, damn. who is renjun to disrupt such a moment? he sits stunned for a moment before remembering that he’s in the middle of trying to commit a crime. some people just wont play along.
“wh. dude. i'm trying to rob you, though?” renjuns voice wavers a bit at the end and he wants to kick himself. this is so not badass!
the boy shrugs, name tag glinting under the harsh store lighting, ‘jeno’. “i mean, i just started here. i don’t have access to the cash drawers, so...can't help you with that. my manager left for like an hour or two. if you want you can hang out for a while until he gets back? he can get you into the cash register.”
“you-- you arent going to call the police, or anything? i have a gun, if you haven't noticed.” renjun bites. he shakes the gun a bit as if to prove his point. he isn't sure why he's continuing this conversation, honestly; he should just get the fuck out of there. yet he stands, glued to the floor at one a.m in the middle of a convenience store, trying to carry out a goddamn robbery.
jeno gives him a withering look. “bro, what did i just say about wanting to listen to my song. come on.”
renjun shuts his mouth. a little dazed, he takes a seat on the floor, still half heartedly aiming the gun at jeno. it’s unloaded, but jeno doesn’t know that. probably.
god, he's so hungry.
they sit there in silence for approximately the next three minutes and thirty-nine seconds.
“are you gonna call the police now?” renjun asks in a tiny voice. he traces patterns in the dust. jeno should mop more often.
jeno spins his pencil in his fingers. “nah. sounds like more trouble than it’s worth, tbh. probably...involves a lot of questioning....not a whole lot of sleeping...i ain't about that. i’m a busy man. if i don't enter a near coma for fourteen hours a night i can't survive class, and these night shifts are already working against me.”
“um...fair, i suppose. wait, did you just say t-b-h out loud?”
“and what of it? it's easy to say, time efficient, and gets my point across.”
renjun blinks. “noted.”
to be honest, renjun’s arm is getting hella tired. he lowers the gun so it’s pointing at the floor. jeno doesn't even flinch-- now that's just blatantly disrespectful.
renjun fidgets with the display of stuffed animals near him. he doesn't want to admit it, but they’re super cute, and he's exhausted and feels like he's going to start crying at any moment. he wants to cuddle one of them while they’re waiting, but feels like it might ruin the whole intimidation thing he’s totally got going over jeno right now. said boy is clearly paralyzed with fear.
(jeno is currently bobbing his head to his music, mouthing the lyrics occasionally. from the bass that’s leaking from his headphones, renjun can assume the song to be lady luck by exo. a classic, truly. renjun has this situation totally under control.)
“what's your favorite exo song?” renjun blurts out. fuck, he didn’t mean to make conversation with the hostage. actually, is jeno technically a hostage? it's not like renjun restrained him or anything, except he is sort of holding him at gunpoint. “also, are you my hostage now?”
“for the first question, 'hurt'. it slaps. for the second question, i don't really know? i mean, i definitely can’t leave, but that has less to do with you and more to do with my shift not being over. so i’m more of a hostage to capitalism, if you will.” jeno says, idly untangling his headphones.
renjun shrugs. he can live with that. “alright. also, i respect that choice even though promise is clearly the best song on that album.”
“oh, of course. i was just talking party jams. promise is a real tear jerker, especially because yixing wrote it.”
“i know! god, i miss him. when will our king come back...with...exo...” renjun wants to slap a hand over his mouth. why does it feel like they’re at a sleepover, not a botched robbery? he's not supposed to be befriending his victims. is this friendship?
renjun watches jeno start flipping water bottles behind the counter. he lands one on the register, and renjun cheers quietly. jeno then throws a water bottle to renjun, who reluctantly joins in. he isn't too good at it, and he starts spilling the water. jeno laughs at him lightly. the water bottle has a little smiley face drawn on the cap.
perhaps this is friendship.
renjun watches the clock tick away. “so, why are you not scared of me?”
jeno runs a hand down his face. “to be honest? it's finals week. i was already halfway to throwing myself down a flight of stairs to escape my physics one final tomorrow.”
“yikes, you have mr. lee as well? his tests are always super rough.”
“super rough? brooo that's an understatement. they’re actually the worst. like, when am i ever gonna need to know the angular momentum of a windmill? and the questions are so far from anything we do in class.”
“dude, just go on the internet and search physics one practice problems. you'll find like, super similar questions and they all have answers so you can work backwards.”
jeno's eyes widen. “no way! i can't believe i never thought to do that...you’re a lifesaver.” he pulls out his phone and starts scrolling through it.
“i...guess.” renjun stutters, stunned. lifesaver? how ironic.
jeno grabs a piece of paper from the counter and starts scribbling physics problems on it. after ten or so minutes, his face twists into a grimace. he looks up and makes eye contact with renjun, who is watching him carefully. he takes a deep breath.
oh my god, this is it, renjun thinks. it's all gonna catch up to me. he's going to tell me he has to call the police and i'm going to be locked away for the rest of my life. i mean, i guess that's not that bad? at least i'll be fed...
wait, what if he's going to tell me his manager is coming back? oh god oh god that means i actually have to finish this whole robbery thing. fuck. i'm too young to be a convicted felon, they'll eat me up in prison oh g--
“um, do you have any idea how to do number seven?” jeno asks him shyly.
oh.
renjun gets up from the floor, gun still clenched in his shaky hands. he warily approaches the boy, and leans over the counter once he determines that jeno is actually really lost, not just trying to find a window to tackle renjun to the ground and condemn him to a life of physical labor his noodle arms will never be able to handle.
renjun studies the problem for a few seconds. “the bucket is at the top of the swing, so you need to switch centripetal force and normal force. it's just like the demonstration from a few weeks ago.”
“ohh. duh! thanks, that makes so much more sense.” jeno's eyes brighten and renjun doesn't know why that makes him feel so….weird. and fluttery? “hang on, you saw that demonstration too? are we...are we in the same class?” jeno snaps his fingers, eyes alight with recognition. fuck. this is so bad.
okay, that weird feeling is definitely nausea.
"right! oh goodness, you're the cute kid in the glasses who sits near the middle and never raises his hand but somehow always tests really well. that's so crazy!" jeno continues, palms flat on the counter and leaning forward in excitement. renjun curls further into himself.
“uh.” he says helpfully. “i guess.” for the nth time that night renjun wishes he was flexible enough to literally shove his foot in his mouth. why does he keep revealing personal information to this guy? unsettled, renjun backs away and takes his spot on the floor again. this time, he does pluck one of the cute plushies off the shelf. he isn't going to steal it; he just wants some comfort.
a plastic container collides with renjun's head, accompanied by an, "oh fuck! sorry!"
it's one of those elementary school packaged lunch things, the ones that don't require a microwave. renjun looks back to the counter. jeno is slipping a few dollars under the jar of chapstick by the checkout.
"why?"
jeno shrugs. "you seemed hungry."
renjun looks dubiously at the package, but his stomach chooses just then to rumble loudly and remind the whole world how long it's been since renjun has been able to eat an actual meal, not just the stale bread he steals from his job or the free cups of water he gets at his other job.
"...thanks." renjun ducks his head and starts to pick at the packaging. within seconds, he's wolfing down ham and cheese cracker sandwiches and this may just be the oddest day of his life.
the silence is deafening within the store. jeno's pencil scratches at the paper. when he's stumped on a problem, the pencil twirls in his hands around, around, around. renjun turns his head to the side and watches the snow drift down, down. winter is here.
snow is a death sentence.
renjun breathes slowly. at this point prison really would be the safest place for him. yikes.
both of them are jolted out of their thoughts by the chiming of a bell, the creaking of a door.
"jenoooo baby~"
oh god. more people? renjun scrambles to his feet, heart pounding. sure jeno was oddly understanding (there's gotta be something wrong with that dude), but this new person is probably going to have the police here in minutes. fuck, fuck, he's panicking again.
“stop where you are! i’ll-- i’ll shoot!” renjun says, tears springing to his eyes. how did he get in this situation? he just wants to go home. god, he just wants to go home, wherever that happens to be tonight. just anywhere but here.
tonight, home might be a jail cell.
the other boy freezes by the door, putting his hands up. his eyes slowly slide over to jeno, who is still lounging behind the counter.
“jeno. he’s so cute.”
or...maybe not?
“jaemin for the love of god could you shut your flirty ass up for two minutes.”
“aw, babe. you know i can’t do that.”
“...i know.”
“ew.” interrupts renjun.
jaemin drops his hands and locks the door before he shuffles closer to renjun, pinching his cheek. “jeno, he’s really just the prettiest thing i’ve ever seen.”
“hey!” jeno protests. “what about me?”
jaemin frowns, tilting his head a bit. “you’re okay.”
“we’re dating.”
“unfortunately.” jaemin turns back to renjun (whose hood is slipping down) and starts petting his mop of brown hair.
“maniacs, both of you.” renjun stammers, jaemin still stroking his head, “absolute maniacs.”
“aw babe, are you flirting with us already?” jaemin teases, fingers brushing over renjun’s cheek. he subtly wipes away a stray tear. seriously, what the fuck happened to this night?
“i’m trying to rob this place, if you don't mind.” renjun says flatly, reaching up to remove jaemin’s hand. he pouts, "well, trying being the key word, i guess."
“oh my god.” says jaemin, turning to jeno with a “just look at that face!’ face, “can we please keep him, please please please please p--”
“nana! he’s not a stray dog! you can’t just adopt him like that.” jeno drags a hand over his face, exasperated.
“i'm right here.” renjun throws in. he doesn’t know why he bothers reminding them. neither of them are listening to him.
“okay...but we have three dogs, all of which are strays you let me keep and-- and!— don’t interrupt me when you know i’m right!— you help me hide them from the landlord. you’re an accomplice, and i know you love baby snuggles more than i do at this point. and that’s saying something.” jaemin nods firmly.
“you have a dog named snuggles?” renjun asks, despite himself. he wants to bite his tongue off as soon as he says it; he doesn’t need to interact with these lunatics any more than necessary.
(funny that he’s referring to them as the lunatics while he’s standing there still pointing a gun at a very bored looking jeno. rude. he still can't even be bothered to act scared? just for renjun's sake? god.)
“yes! snuggles was our first one, he’s this tiny little terrier someone put up for adoption at the shelter i volunteer at.” jaemin pulls out his phone and excitedly starts flicking through photos. overcome with enthusiasm, jaemin bats the gun out of renjun’s hand and shoves the phone in it instead. the gun clatters sadly to the ground, forgotten. “look! aw, he was so tiny.”
don't let him suck you in, renjun! don't look at the dogs, don't look at the dogs, oh my god but look at his teeny tiny little paws… renjun, despite his inner battle, starts looking through jaemin's dog baby photo album with as much passion as the boy next to him.
“oh my gosh, is that a golden retriever?” renjun exclaims after he reaches the more recent photos in the album titled ‘my children <3 fuck you jeno’.
“i. know.” jaemin whispers dramatically, both hands clasped over his heart. “who would ever abandon such a cute little puppy? i named him huggie.”
“isn’t that a brand of diapers?”
“that’s what i said!”
“shut up, jeno!” renjun and jaemin say in unison, scoffing at the boy behind the counter before turning back and gushing over the phone.
“what about the third one?” renjun says, eyes shining with excitement. dogs are so good. they would never hurt anyone, not like stupid humans. humans so don’t deserve dogs.
renjun expresses this thought to jaemin, who nods emphatically. jeno yawns.
“the third one we--”
“you, not me!” jeno interrupts. renjun and jaemin throw him matching eye rolls. “why am i even here.” jeno mutters. he clocks out.
“as i was saying, the third one is this little labrador we got a few weeks ago. i'm calling her luvie.”
“with a ‘u’?” renjun asks at the same time jaemin says, “with a ‘u’ !”
jaemin turns to the counter, tears in his eyes. “jeno. hes perfect.” jaemin manages to get out, all choked up and emotional.
jeno rolls his eyes at jaemin's performance, but ends up catching the time out of the corner of his eye.
"hey, uh? physics kid? my manager will be back soon."
"oh." says renjun. "do i have to continue robbing you now?"
jaemin shrugs. "not if you don't want to."
renjun sighs and buries his head in his hands. jaemin starts to rub his back, and then pulls out a weird tin of something. he shoves it at renjun.
"what is this?"
"it's therapy dough." jaemin says at the same time jeno says, "it's play doh for adults and i hate it and it gets all over the apartment."
renjun unscrews the little tin and starts poking at the dough inside and, okay. it's totally play doh for adults and it's pretty awesome.
"please...please don't tell anyone about this." renjun ventures, biting back tears while still poking the dough. this night is so weird.
this was a mistake. even if he gets out of this situation unscathed (which is highly unlikely at this point, considering he completely forgot about the security cameras) these people know him in real life. jeno is in at least one of renjun's classes, knows his face, can obtain all his information...this was such a mistake. renjun should've just let himself go hungry again.
(renjun ignores the little voice in his head reminding him that this is his fourth day without eating anything more than a granola bar, and that he probably can't hang on for much longer.)
"why would we tell anyone about this?" jeno asks, looking genuinely concerned.
renjun groans. how dense is this dude? "because this is illegal? i should be in jail right now, probably. i'm committing a crime. i'm a criminal. " just the thought makes him cringe. renjun would never make it in prison.
"doesn't seem like it's by choice."
"h-huh?"
jaemin's face turns uncharacteristically solemn as he pipes up, "listen. not to freak you out, but we've seen you in class, and around campus in general. you're a good kid. you get some of the best grades out of anyone in the whole campus, you're always cleaning up the courtyard and i’ve seen you helping the lunch ladies serve food. you don't speak often because you seem really shy, but when you do it's always so thoughtful and insightful and gives a new perspective on whatever the discussion is."
renjun's jaw drops, " what-- you guys...i don't understand..."
jeno frowns, "yeah. you're kind of a loner and withdrawn, but not in a creepy or snooty way. you seem to be kind to literally everyone you come across, and i know whatever circumstances you're in...you don't deserve to be in them. basically, we know you wouldn't do anything this crazy and unhinged and... desperate, unless you were really pushed to it."
tears well up in renjun's eyes. "...what am i gonna do now?"
"well!" jaemin says with a flourish, "i just so happen to know two wonderful beautiful handsome guys who would love to help you out of this little pickle!"
"really? well, where are they?" renjun teases thickly, pretending to search around the store.
"hey!" jaemin protests, giggling. renjun feels a little warmth blossom in his chest.
jeno hops over the counter and makes his way to the back, entering a door marked 'employees only'. he emerges with his phone out, typing furiously. jaemin makes a questioning noise at him.
"so i texted my manager--" jeno starts.
jaemin cuts him off with a theatrical gasp, "jeno, you snitching bitch! you're a-- a snitch-bitch ! that's the worst kind of bitch." he slings his arm around jeno's shoulders.
honestly, thank god for jaemin's stupid comments. renjun was about to take those five words from jeno and astral project out of stress because overreacting is one of renjun's most honed talents. (the other is extensive knowledge about funny looking deep sea creatures but that one is a little harder to show off.)
jeno rolls his eyes, "don't get your iron man themed boxers in a twist, jaemin dearest, i deleted all the security footage and told my manager we had a weird power outage glitch that messed up the footage. it's not like anyone goes through it anyways."
renjun breathes a sigh of relief. he still doesn't quite know why these boys are protecting him, but he's sure as hell not going to bite the hand that feeds him.
(on second thought, maybe that's not such a bad idea. jaemin has been trying to force feed him lunchables meals for the past two minutes and he can't open his mouth to speak without getting artificial chicken bites shoved down his throat.)
"oh, please. my undergarments are strictly spider man themed." jaemin says flippantly. renjun registers the cold bite of the fresh air on his skin and realizes that the whole time the pair were bantering, they had also been carefully shepherding renjun out the door without him even realizing it.
"do you have a place we can drop you off?" jeno asks.
"sure." renjun says. he leads them a few paces forward, and then stops. jeno and jaemin look confused.
"well, this is my stop, guys. sorry for the trouble, but thanks for letting me kind of almost rob you. really appreciate it. jeno, i'll pay you back those two dollars as soon as i get them. have a safe drive home!" renjun gives them a little two fingered salute. he's pretty sure the tears are starting to crystallize on his eyelashes.
"...i don't get it." jaemin says.
"me either." jeno says.
the three of them stare into the snowdrift at the side of the road. renjun leans down and writes 'home' in the snow with one finger. "see?"
the pair both raise an eyebrow at him. the same eyebrow, actually. it's borderline creepy.
renjun rolls his eyes. "the answer to your question is no, i don't have a...home. won't you let a guy make a little fun of his circumstances?" he shoves his damp finger into his sweatshirt pocket.
jeno's gaze softens. "you're shivering."
"that happens when people get cold." renjun says. renjun wishes he could shut himself up. that seems to be the mood for tonight.
jeno brightens and darts back into the store. he comes back proudly waving a pair of gloves.
renjun takes them gratefully. "now i owe you seven dollars, stupid." he mumbles as he's pulling them on.
"actually, they were only four-fifty."
"jeno!" jaemin smacks him on the shoulder.
the two exchange a look. it's kind of scary how much they could communicate with the subtlest of gestures.
"renjun, do you want to stay at our place? at least, just for tonight." jaemin offers.
renjun balks, "no way. i couldn't do that to you guys. you literally just bailed me out of a fucked up robbery. i'm not going to get arrested for breaking and entering as well!"
"it's not breaking and entering if we invite you in."
"oh my god jaemin he wasn't being serious."
renjun lets them bicker for a moment as he thinks. honestly, he's fucked up so much tonight already. what's the harm in making one more stupid, half baked decision?
(also, renjun doesn't know how long it takes for frostbite to set in and he's not super pumped to find out.)
"okay."
"huh?" jeno and jaemin echo each other.
renjun shivers again, teeth chattering. "i said, okay. but only until the snow stops. i don't...i don't want to be a burden."
jeno and jaemin clearly know when to not push it, because they merely guide renjun over to their car. jeno opens the door for the two of them like the cheesy man he is and jaemin and renjun laugh like the cheesy men they are. jaemin climbs into the backseat with renjun.
"hot chocolate?" he offers renjun. a to-go tray with two drinks is sitting on the console. "it's probably a little cold now, but still good."
renjun takes a sip. it is a little cool, but not unpleasant.
"is that my hot chocolate?" jeno protests from the driver's seat.
jaemin sticks out his tongue. "maybe! but he's cuter, so it goes to him."
jeno laughs and puts the car in drive, pulling out onto the snow covered street.
"what, no clapback?" jaemin teases.
"nah. can't fight facts."
renjun flushes. suddenly, something occurs to him and his stomach drops.
"um. what. what happened to the uh, the g..." he can't even say it.
"don't worry about it." jaemins hand creeps closer to his. not enough to push any boundaries, just enough to be a comfort. "i grabbed some cleaning spray and wiped it down with some gloves, then threw it in the dumpster a block over before jeno erased the camera footage. you were distracted by the therapy dough."
"play doh! " jeno calls.
something dark and heavy in renjun's chest deflates just a bit. the air whizzing out from it erupts from his mouth as giggles. jeno and jaemin don't really know why, but they laugh along.
"ha! told you i'm funny, jaemin!"
"it's a pity laugh, jeno. they're always pity laughs."
renjun watches the buildings whizz pass as if in a trance. they stop in front of a building not too far from the shop. renjun gets out of the car on shaky legs, waiting for jaemin and jeno to come around the car and lead the way to their apartment. the entire trip up to the apartment, renjun feels like he's lagging three steps behind himself.
it all hits him as jeno swings open the door to the apartment. renjun sees a (really ugly looking) couch off to the side with a little television mounted on a stand, and a modest little kitchen, the slightly faded, still warm scent of curry floating to him from the kitchen's last masterpiece. there's a counter separating the living room and the kitchen, and beyond that a little hallway leads out of sight, probably to the bedrooms and bathroom. pictures of jeno and jaemin, both with each other and with various groups of friends, are plastered over the walls.
it's tiny, definitely the apartment of two college kids. it's a little messy, there are rings left on the tables from the lack of coasters, and there are a few soda cans shoved behind the television, but it's a home.
it's home.
"wh- why are you crying oh my gosh, jeno you shouldn't have left your stupid stinky socks lying around!"
"those are your socks!"
"fuck, those are my socks."
jaemin sweeps renjun into a big hug, ushering him over to the couch. he wraps the small boy in a big (also ugly, ouch. they need to work on their interior design work) patchwork quilt and jeno starts brewing some fresh hot chocolate. renjun peeks out from the blanket cocoon after about thirty seconds, peering at jaemin. the other boy cups renjun's face in his hands and wipes away the tear tracks shining on his face.
"i'm so sorry about my socks." jaemin says seriously.
a laugh bubbles up in renjun despite the tears. "it's okay."
three little bodies suddenly wriggle up to renjun.
"oh my gosh, snuggles!" renjun beams, picking up the little dog and situating him on his lap. luvie licks his cheek while huggie nuzzles into his hand. "this is heaven. you guys brought me to heaven."
they all giggle, but the mood settles down quickly.
"so, renjun...you want to talk about anything?"
"you guys are my therapists, too? man, what can't you do."
"well jeno is a pretty terrible cook--"
"--and jaemin can't do math."
renjun rolls his eyes fondly. "typical sob story. my parents found out i was gay and while they didn't immediately kick me out, they cut me out in every sense of the word. stopped speaking to me, cut me off from any financial support, that kinda stuff. when i moved away for school, i was essentially all on my own...i got a few scholarships, but those plus two jobs are still barely enough for me to keep going to school, so i just...stayed out on the streets. i spent most of my time there even before i started college, because my parents obviously didn't want me in the house."
snuggles gives renjun an encouraging lick.
"it's not even that they hurt me, really. they just...treated me like i wasn't there. i was a stranger in that place. it wasn't home, so i went to find another one." jeno has one of renjun's hands clasped in his. he rubs a thumb over renjun's knuckles.
"well, it may not be what you're looking for but you've got a home right here." jeno says softly.
"that's great!" jaemin exclaims. everyone in the room, including the dogs, gives him a long stare.
"tact, jaemin. we've talked about this."
"what i mean is, you're gay—"
"thanks." says renjun.
"—and so are we! you fit right in. maybe that place wasn't home, but this sure as hell can be. i'll even let you redecorate the curtains."
"thank god. they really need some work."
"hey! i thought the burgundy was a nice match to the orange couch!" jeno whines.
renjun winces, "that's another thing. we should talk about the couch."
they all laugh. the dogs curl up on the rug and start to fall asleep.
"well, i guess that's our cue. when the dogs sleep, we sleep." jeno smiles. he offers a hand to renjun, and hoists him up off the couch. "jaemin and i moved into the same room a while ago, so we have a spare bedroom. it's the third door on the left."
"but if you're wondering, our room is big enough for three!" jaemin throws renjun a greasy wink.
"ew." jeno and renjun say. jaemin rolls his eyes.
"no one appreciates my cuteness in this household. sad. alexa, play promise by exo." the little robot in the corner chirps to life and soft piano notes play through the room.
jeno gives renjun a look that says 'yeah, i really have to live with this guy.'
renjun gives jeno a look that says ‘i knew promise was the best song on the love me right repackaged album.’ (it’s a very specific look.)
before they head off to bed, jeno stops them.
"renjun, we just want you to know that you don't owe us anything for this. like, seriously. we're just glad to know you're safe. to be honest...we've worried about you from afar for a while. you're so thin..."
renjun fidgets. "thank you guys...seriously. i know you don't want me to repay you, but i still hope there's something i can do."
"get some meat on those bones!" jeno claps him on the back, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
"oh, i have an idea!" jaemin darts in front of the two of them, eyes shining.
"what?" renjun takes the bait.
"what's your name?" jaemin asks excitedly.
"r...renjun...?" renjun starts. jaemin raises his eyebrows at him. "huang renjun, i mean."
"well, nice to meet you huang renjun. i'm na jaemin, and that blockhead over there is lee jeno." jaemin smiles widely, extending a hand to renjun.
"n-nice to meet you?" confusion muddles his voice as he hesitantly shakes jaemin's hand.
"we're starting over." jaemin whispers to renjun out of the corner of his mouth, winking. he nudges jeno's shoulder and gives him a meaningful look.
"oh! okay, yeah. i'm lee jeno and i'm in your physics class. it's nice to officially meet you."
the hum of a car driving past fills the room. the snow falls quietly, gently outside the window. suddenly, it looks peaceful, calming, beautiful. it no longer looks like a death sentence for a boy left to rot on the streets.
renjun allows himself to smile for the first time in a while.
"nice to meet you guys, too."
bonus:
at long last, a few months later, shy renjun is introduced to jaemin and jeno's group of friends. renjun has his own small circle of friends. much as he loves jeno and jaemin, it's not healthy for them to be his entire world, and he knows that.
he thought he'd been flying pretty under the radar for the past year. apparently not; he's quite well known around campus as "that beautiful shy mystery boy" (jaemin's words, not his).
essentially, jeno and jaemin's friends are very excited to finally meet him.
the two of them plan a whole night out with hotpot and karaoke and everything. hotpot and karaoke is a deal they know renjun just can't refuse. and fuck, they're right. ugh! stupid sweet boys knowing him better than he knows himself.
"so you're the famous huang renjun!" a boy with messy brown hair says shouts brightly, palms slamming on the table, "and the family gains another son!"
another boy, this one with a shock of pink hair, noticeably holds the previous boy back. he gives them a small smile. "sorry about him. hi, renjun! we hope to make you feel at home here. my name is taeyong, and this overgrown puppy here is lucas." he affectionately ruffles the rowdy boy's hair. renjun gives them a small wave, nervousness already swirling in his stomach.
one by one, the rest of the group introduces themselves. in total, there's eighteen of them, so it’s quite a process. as the circle makes its way back to renjun, jaemin and jeno step forward. they know that this is already a lot for renjun to meet them all at once.
"this is renjun!" jaemin announces dramatically, jazz hands and all. jaemin is not the most subtle of people. "he's our, uh.." jaemin fumbles, looking at jeno in panic.
jeno, bless his heart, tries to step in, "he's um, our b-- our friend ...? he's our friend."
renjun takes a deep breath and laces one hand in jeno's, one in jaemin's. "boyfriend, actually."
the two beam at him, squeezing his hands as the rest of the group throw out everything from aw's to whoops to whistles. taeyong might be crying.
it's only later, right as the food is being served, that someone pops the question. it happens to come from johnny, leaning over the steam of the food.
"so, how did you meet?"