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When Jisung sees his bestfriend, the older boy was sitting on the staircase to the thirdfloor.
Jaemin was sulking; fluffy ears turned down floppily, bottom lip jutted out, knees pulled up to his chest, and both hands cupping his puffy cheeks.
“Hyung? Are you okay?”
The older boy’s eyes widened and his left ear perked up, clearly surprised from Jisung’s entrance. He sighs when his eyes land on the younger boy, “Oh hey, Jisungie.”
The younger boy slowly takes a seat next to the hybrid, careful not to accidentally sit on his tail.
“What’s got you bothered, hyung?”
His voice was gentle and soft, so different from his usually ruthless way of speaking to their other friends, tone only reserved for his favorite most caring hyung.
“Jeno.” The older boy pouts even more and squishes his own cheeks.
The younger boy smirks, because ofcourse, “Why? What did Jeno do now?”
“It’s what he won’t do!” The older boy releases his cheeks and waves his arms awkwardly.
His ears have both perked up and his tail was wagging aggressively between them, a telltale sign that he was anxious or frustrated. Jisung thinks, probably both.
“I told you to just tell him. He obviously likes you back, one of you just needs to make the first move.” The younger boy tries to reason, ruffling his friend’s pink hair.
“You know Nana can’t be the one,” Jaemin huffs, “and you’re not sure that he really likes me.”
If it were anyone else, the younger boy would’ve already berated them, or hit the back of their head once or twice. But since this is his most gentle hyung he’s speaking to, he just lets his lips curl into a secretive smile.
“Oh, hyung. Trust me, I’m sure of this. All you gotta do is tell him.”
The first time Jeno sees Jaemin that day, the younger boy was walking towards their classroom. His eyes were casted down, ears flopping to his head, and one strap of his backpack threatning to fall from his shoulder.
The older boy frowns at the sight. Jaemin was usually jumping to class, tail wagging behind him, eyes bright, and smile even brighter.
Jeno jogs to him, “Hey, Nana.”
The pink haired boy gasps as he halts to a stap, both ears perked up, and doe eyes going impossibly wider.
“O-oh, you s-startled me.”
The older boy lifts a hand to pat his head and scratch just beyond his ear, making him sigh.
“Sorry, Jaemy. What’s got you in a bad mood?”
The younger boy sighs, “Nothing, Nono. Nana just woke up weird.”
The dark haired boys chuckle at his cuteness, “Woke up weird. Cute.”
The younger boy’s tail curls inwardly as his face heats up.
He chances a look towards the older boy. Jeno is looking at him, all eyesmiles and a soft upward curl of his lips. He reddens even more.
“W-we’re going to be late. Let’s get to class.”
“Sure, Nana.” The older boy just brushes the hair on the younger’s forehead, and fixes the strap threatning to fall from his shoulder, before begining to walk to their class.
Jaemin think of Jisung’s words.
Just tell him.
It’s obvious he likes you back.
One of you just needs to make the first move.
But curse Jaemin and his crippling shyness. There’s not a single universe where Jaemin would be able to directly tell the older boy that he’s honest to God hopelessly in love with him.
Does he even like me back? But he’s got a thousand people lining up for him oh no what if he hates me once he finds out? But... what if he does like me?
Jisung is weird. The pink haired boy doesn’t know why their youngest friend even thought he could do it. But what if... what if I just show him that I like him?
In a strange surge of (tinny winny very super really smol) bravery, the pink haired boy links his hand with the older’s.
He hears Jeno’s breath hitch slightly. From the corner of his eye, he sees the older boy turn to him with wide eyes.
For a moment, Jaemin holds his breath, bracing himself for rejection. But it doesn’t come.
Instead, the older’s eyes turn into crescents and he gently intertwines their fingers together.
The next day, Jeno sees the pink haired boy in the cafeteria, sitting with their other friends. There was a gleam in his eyes that brought a smile to the older’s lips.
He takes a seat next to the younger boy, hand resting on the small of the hybrid’s back.
“Hey guys.”
“Hey Nono!” Jaemin’s enthusiastic greeting drowns out their other friend’s voices. His tail was wagging excitedly between them and he had a hopeful look in his eyes, “Nana got this for you!”
The younger pushes a small strawberry cupcake in front of him and Jeno laughs, “How’d you know I like strawberry flavored food?”
“You do?!” The younger claps happily, a pretty smile on his face, “I didn’t know, I just got it because it looked like Nana’s hair.”
The older boy chuckles deeply at him, not minding the knowing gazes of their friends.
“Thank you, Nana.”
He scratches at the younger boy’s ear and playfully curls his hand around the other’s tail.
The pink haired boy purrs softly, and for a bizarre second, Jeno feels his heart swell.
It’s been a week since Jeno found Jaemin sulkily walking to their class, and it left an awful taste in his mouth when he sees the younger boy in the same state again on the staircase to the third floor.
“Nana?”
The older boy hears himself gasp when Jaemin looks up and he sees red cheeks and puffy eyes.
“Oh no... Nana, what’s wrong?”
The younger boy sniffs loudly and rubs at his eyes.
Jeno almost stumbles back in shock when Jaemin stands up abruptly, now face to face with each other.
The pink haired boy’s ears are sticking up, heart beating wildly, tail wagging in a haphazard speed, and nose scrunching in a way Jeno had to restrain himself from cooing over.
“Does.... does Jeno not like me?” The younger boy asks in a small voice, eyes turned down.
The older boy blanks.
“W-what?”
“J-Jisungie said you did! But — but you’ve been ignorning my — my advances. I always hold your hand now and I g-give you gifts! Did you know hybrids rarely give food to o-others? I —“ The younger boy turns red before whispering, “Nana even kissed your cheek once. Does Jeno — does Jeno just not want me?”
Like a fool, Jeno just blanks even more, “What? W-wait.”
The pink haired boy deflates, shoulders drooping.
“Jisungie said Jeno likes Nana b-but... it’s okay if you don’t.”
“N-no, I —“ The older boy shakes his head, “Nana, are you — are you sure about this? You really like me?”
The younger boy huffs, “Ofcourse I do. I —“ and starts playing with his fingers, lips turned into a pout, “I like the way Jeno l-looks at me. Jeno is nice to me all the time, you let me h-hold your hand and give me your jacket when I’m c-cold. Jeno gives me warm hugs and scratches my ear and plays with my tail and kisses my forehead. Nana loves Jeno a lot.”
The older feels like there’s an iron grip on his heart but he tries his best to remain calm, “A-are you sure about this? Nana? Because you say you like things all the time but then you forget about them after. I’ll get hurt if you forget about me and find someone else you’ll like.”
Jaemin’s eyes go round, and in another strange surge of (this time terrifyingly big huge sudden) bravery, he kisses Jeno. Just a quick forward movement, which landed him a peck on the older boy’s lips, before he stumbled back just as quickly.
“No! No! Never! I do! Nana likes Jeno a lot! I won’t forget, I promise! I won’t like anyone else! Nana loves Jeno very very very much!”
The older boy gapes before his mouth forms a smile so wide, from an outside point of view, it must’ve looked like it hurt. “Really?”
“Y-yes... does Jeno like Nana too?”
Jeno takes a step forward and places both of his hands on the younger’s hips. He gently pulls him closer and says, “I don’t like it when you’re sad. I really liked the cupcake you gave me. It tasted sweet... Even if it wasn’t sweet, I probably still would’ve liked it. Just because it came from you.”
He softly brushes their noses against each other. The younger boy melts under his touch and both of their eyes flutter close.
The pink haired boy can feel the older’s hot breath on his lips as he wraps his arms around the older’s neck.
“Jeno loves Nana very very very much too.”
The older boy leans in until their lips touch, giving the younger boy a deep and long kiss as sweet as the strawberry cupcake he received.