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Jeno takes a deep breath and opens their eyes, getting one look at the slide projected at the front of the room before promptly screaming into their hands.
Jaemin gives them a half-pitying, half-amused glance before turning around in her seat to smile at one of her partners - some frat boy Jeno can't recall the name of.
Jeno's partners are already heading towards them by the time they manage to calm their heart down, and their attempts at remaining calm are immediately ruined when Lucas bounds up to them.
"Jeno, right?" He asks, and his grin is so bright Jeno feels like they need to look away. They nod and turn to see Donghyuck with an arm wrapped around Lucas' waist, smirking in all of his sun-kissed glory, and Jeno's pretty sure they meet God at that moment.
"Um. Nice to see you guys." They manage to force out, avoiding eye contact with the two gorgeous individuals standing in front of them.
Donghyuck giggles - fucking giggles - and Jeno's cheeks flame up not even a second after. "You're a cute one, aren't you? You already know who we are."
He phrases it like a statement, but Jeno nods anyways, blush slowly starting to fade. Everyone knows who Donghyuck and Lucas are - the jaw-dropping, beautiful and unbelievably talented high school sweethearts that are practically untouchable.
Jeno chances a glance at the two of them and feels their heart attempt to escape their chest when Lucas rests his head on top of Donghyuck's, looking more fond than Jeno thought was humanly possible. He stills a little when he notices Jeno staring, but thankfully he doesn't take it the wrong way, instead waving a hand in apology, "Sorry, man. Hope you don't mind all the PDA."
Jeno lets out a sound they hope the two interpret as something not completely weird and inhuman. "It's all good. Man." Their voice is a little higher than normal, and Donghyuck gives them a strange look.
"Right. Well, when do you want to meet up to work on the project? Lucas and I are free most evenings. Not Monday, though."
I know, Jeno wants to say. You mentioned on twitter that you Mondays are your date days and you spend the entire day doing whatever coupley stuff you want. Instead, they say, "Oh, cool."
There's a beat of silence, and it takes a moment before Jeno frantically tries to answer Donghyuck's question. "Um. Is Tuesday and Thursday okay for you two?"
Lucas grins at them easily, unaware of how fast Jeno's heart is beating between their ribs. "Sounds great! Here, gimme your number so we can figure out the time and place." He takes out his phone and presents it to Jeno a few taps later, the latter's fingers shaking as they type.
They save themselves as no-nonsense as possible, first and last name and phone number without any emojis or emoticons, no matter how much Jeno would rather put otherwise. They're classmates - nothing more. It'd be foolish for Jeno to act like that wasn't the case.
Donghyuck gives them a look, something unreadable in his expression that makes Jeno feel completely exposed, all of their thoughts and emotions on full display.
It's unsettling, to say the least, and the way that Lucas smiles a bit hesitantly at Jeno makes an uncomfortable feeling rise up in their chest.
The professor's voice fills the room, giving a quick recap of their instructions before reminding encouraging everyone to leave so they "can finally catch up on some disgusting reality tv".
Jeno avoids Donghyuck and Lucas' eyes, hands fumbling with their pencil case and binder as they try to pack up as quickly as possible.
A hand rests on his, gentle and soft and completely undeserved, and Jeno looks up to see Lucas with a worried expression, brows furrowed and forehead wrinkled in concern.
"Jeno, if there's anything that's bothering you…" he trails off, glancing at Donghyuck before turning his attention back on Jeno.
Donghyuck picks up where Lucas had left off easily, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Jeno supposes that for them, that may be true. "Let us know. Especially if we're the cause of it, okay? We don't want to- to make you dislike us or anything."
The tightness in their lungs releases, and Jeno nods quietly. "I will, thank you." They glance up to look at the two boys, corners of their lips pulling upwards. "I don't think I'd ever be able to dislike you two, anyways."
Lucas blinks once, twice, before laughing. He grins at Jeno, bold and unabashed, and claps them over the shoulder in the way that only guys like Lucas can get away with. "You really are an angel, huh? Well, we've gotta get going, but we'll text you!" He lifts a hand for a high-five, eyes crinkling in delight when Jeno complies.
"It was nice talking to you!" Donghyuck adds, and Jeno manages to return the sentiment without any major catastrophes. Their heart is still beating hundreds of beats per minute, a symphony of chaos within their chest as the couple smiles at them, something soft and sweet as they gather their things up.
They leave after a moment, and Jeno is left sitting at their seat, trying to process what had just happened.
"You ready to go?" Jaemin taps them on the shoulder, hoisting her bag over her shoulder with a small grunt. "Renjun said she'd meet us at the new science building."
Jeno quirks an eyebrow at the information. "The science building? Why there?" Renjun was notorious amongst their friends for mocking the STEM department, especially in terms of how ableist, sexist, and transphobic the field used to be. (The little Renjun inside Jeno's head haughtily declares that the field really isn't that much better than before, and Jeno placates her with a small hum.)
Jaemin shrugs, "Apparently she befriended some exchange student and they're a STEM major." She pauses. "Wonder how that's gonna work out."
Jeno laughs, doing one last check for all of their things before pulling their backpack onto their shoulders. "Me too. Now let's hurry over so we can meet this 'friend'." Distantly, they can hear a voice unsettlingly similar to Donghyuck's shouting "Can I please date him he's so cute!", but there's no way that would make any sense. They follow Jaemin out of the classroom, catching sight of Donghyuck and Lucas walking away, the former chattering animatedly while Lucas laughs boisterously in response.
Watching them makes something in Jeno's heart ache, so they turn around resolutely and speed walk towards the STEM building, feigning nonchalance when Jaemin asks them what's up.
"How was talking to them?" Jaemin nudges Jeno's shoulder with her own, eyes curious and teasing. "You reveal your massive gay crush on them yet or no?"
"Fuck off," Jeno groans. "We just talked about when to meet up."
Jaemin raises a perfect eyebrow at them. "Really? Then how come I heard Donghyuck calling you cute?"
Jeno scoffs, fighting the pink off their cheeks from the memory, "Please, Donghyuck compliments everyone like that. It doesn't mean anything."
Jaemin shrugs, letting the topic go when she realizes she isn't getting anywhere. "If you say so. Anyways, wanna see the pictures Renjun sent me after she met that new friend of hers?"
Jeno nods emphatically and Jaemin laughs, pulling her phone out of her skirt pocket and pulling up her messages. "Look at that."
"Oh my god. Are those- are those soft memes?" Jeno stares at the images of various animated characters with little hearts all over them displayed on the phone screen in shock and a little bit of horror.
"I know, right? Now come on, my curiosity is about to make me explode. This kid made Renjun soft. I've got to meet them!" She grabs one of Jeno's hands and winks at them, the only warning before she starts sprinting at full speed.
"Holy sh- Jaemin, hold on!" It takes several seconds and a few moments of nearly face planting into the pavement, but Jeno's able to keep up and run alongside their friend.
Jaemin's laughing as they run, smile wide and beautiful and so earnest it makes Jeno laugh as well. It reminds them of just how grateful they are, to know Jaemin and to be able to see her smile like that.
It's only a minute or so later that they arrive at their destination, the two of them giggling and taking pictures when they spot Renjun pacing back and forth, running a hand through her hair every other second.
She's acting completely different from her usual self - composed, stoic, and worryingly cynical. Her head snaps up when Jeno calls out to her, and she straightens up as she waves a hand in greeting.
"Hey." She says, then runs a hand through her hair again.
Jaemin coos at her, and is rewarded with a punch in the arm. Jeno winces at the loud smack! it makes.
"Heard you met someone new!" Jeno uses their best innocent expression, smiling at Renjun who isn't fooled at all.
"Stop acting like you're not amused by my suffering." She says, glaring at the two of them. She huffs, bangs lifting up before falling back down into place. "They're just… Really cool, okay?"
Jaemin giggles. "Sweetie, we know. Don't worry about it, though! I'm sure they think you're 'really cool' too." She winks obnoxiously, and both Renjun and Jeno groan.
"Ugh, can you- oh fuck, there they are. Shit, they're waving, oh my god fuck-" Renjun's face is just the slightest bit pinker and Jeno coos at her until she pinches their arm hard enough for them to wince.
"Hey, Renjun!" Jeno turns to regard the stranger curiously, wearing round glasses and an ugly button up and jeans. Their face isn't that bad (not their type, though), but they don't really see why Renjun was head over heels for them. "You two must be Jeno and Jaemin!"
Jaemin smirks, leaning forward and giving an exaggerated curtsey. "We are! I'm Jaemin, they're Jeno." She points to herself and Jeno respectively before giving them an obvious once-over. "And you are…?"
"Oh! Sorry, I'm Mark. I'm an exchange student from Canada." They extend their arm for a handshake, which Jeno and Jaemin oblige.
"Nice to meet you, Mark. I heard you're a STEM major? What are you studying?" Jeno, as usual, is the designated Ordinary Conversationalist, and smiles reassuringly at Mark when Renjun starts furiously whispering into Jaemin's ear.
Mark's eyes light up, their entire face morphing into something bright and beautiful and a little reminiscent of childhood joy, and Jeno thinks ah, so that's why.
"I'm studying bioengineering! I'm pre-med, too, actually."
Renjun puffs out her chest a little in pride. "Mark's really smart," she explains, chin raised up high. "So you losers better step up your game."
Jaemin scoffs, and Jeno elbows her before she can say anything too harsh. "Don't worry, Junnie. Do you all want to go get some lunch? Lit sure knows how to make me hungry." They rub their stomach with a smile, and Jaemin's scowl shifts into a smirk faster than Jeno can blink.
"More like thirsty, thanks to a certain Lucas and Donghyuck." She tacks on. Jeno's cheeks bursts into flames and they let out a shrill little sound.
"Oh, screw you!" Jeno gives Jaemin a little shove, face reddening even more at the loud cackles their friend lets out.
"Lucas and Donghyuck?" Mark asks, and Jaemin nods sagely, still grinning ear to ear.
"Yeah, they're like the it couple on campus. High school sweethearts, and all that." She explains, and Mark huffs out a little laugh.
"Yeah, no, I know," they reply.
Renjun looks confused for a moment before relaxing again. "Damn, I guess their reputation really does precede them then, huh?"
Mark laughs properly this time, an adorable sound that has Renjun swooning in her kitten heels. "No, no, like I'm friends with them. I lived here before I moved to Canada, and we were childhood friends and whatnot."
"You're what." Jeno blinks. Their brain takes a moment to process the information, and then they're screeching at Jaemin, attempting to tackle her into the nearby grass. "Jaemin! This is why I don't tell you anything! Fuck!"
"Hey, don't worry!" Mark raises their hands in a I-mean-no-harm gesture. Jeno's pretty sure they see Renjun swoon again. "I won't tell them, if that's what you're worried about. But you're Jeno Lee, right? I wouldn't worry too much about any unrequited feelings, then."
Renjun and Jaemin gasp simultaneously, wide eyes unblinking as Jeno combusts.
Mark laughs again, "Let's go get something to eat, shall we?"
Jeno nods dumbly, Jaemin the first to snap out of their shock and naturally shoves Renjun towards Mark as soon as she can.
Renjun sputters after Mark catches her carefully, giving her a concerned look and an earnest "Are you alright?", and Jaemin skips ahead of them, leading the way to the cafeteria. "Fucking- I'm gonna-"
"Hey, no harm done, right?" Mark asks, and Jeno whistles quietly. Mark seems to be the epitome of a prince charming, and they know Renjun likes nothing more than to be treated like a princess from a fairy tale.
Jeno watches, fondly and with a bit of longing, as Renjun and Mark's hands brush each other as they walk, shy gazes meeting between soft words and gentle smiles.
They take a few pictures, making a mental note to send them to Renjun later, and is about to pocket their phone when it vibrates, a text notification popping up. They click on it without meaning to, and they panic for a second before seeing it's a group chat.
Jeno sighs in relief and then sees the group chat's name.
eng lit project!! uwu
Their breath catches in their throat, and they glance down to the first message after they've managed to get their breathing back to normal.
>> heyyyyy this is lucas! the other number is hyuck obviously haha
>> hope ure doing well!!!!!
>> look forward to working on this project with u!!!
Jeno can't help the smile that spreads on their face, fondness for the older blooming within their lungs. They text back a quick reply, saying they're fine and they hope him and Donghyuck are as well, and that they're excited to work with them.
The other number - Donghyuck - sends a cute picture of an animal making a fist of encouragement, followed by a series of heart emojis.
Jeno's pretty sure their heart stops beating right then and there. They just barely manage to keep their cool, jogging to catch up to Jaemin and tugging on the older girl's sleeve to catch her attention.
"Nana, look. Donghyuck sent soft memes in the project group chat!"
Jaemin squeals, pulling Jeno's phone out of their hands to look at it closer. "Oh my god, that's so cute! Send one back!"
Jeno agrees easily, static still running through their head from Mark's statement from a few minutes prior. "I will, I will." They pause for a moment before lowering their voice. "What do you think about what Mark said?"
Jaemin glances at them from the corner of her eye. "You mean the whole, 'Jeno's feelings are reciprocated' bit? What about it?"
Jeno shushes her, turning around to see if Mark heard them and is relieved to see they're engrossed in conversation with Renjun. "Do you think they're serious?"
Jeno gets what has to be the most blank stare they've ever received in their life. "Jeno, sweetie, the two of them have always been extra soft in front of you. The only reason you can't tell is because you've never seen them act otherwise."
They blink. "Wait, what?"
"I know I've mentioned this to you before." Jaemin quirks an eyebrow, amused and unbothered by Jeno's internal struggles. "The two of them show off way more whenever you're around. I'm surprised they haven't tried to court you yet." Her brows furrow for a moment before her face lights up. "Oh! Hey, maybe that's what they'll do during this project!"
"Don't say that!" Jeno whines. "They're perfectly fine dating just each other, Nana."
"Yeah, but they'd be perfectly fine dating each other and you! Stop avoiding your feelings and flirt with them a little if you're so sure! If they reciprocate, there's no way you can say they aren't interested."
Jeno rolls their eyes, but concedes, partly because they agree and partly because they don't want to keep arguing about it. "We'll see. How are your group mates, anyways?"
Jaemin shrugs, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she speaks. "They're good. I already knew Jaehyun, but the other person - Jungwoo - seems cool, so hopefully everything goes okay."
Jeno nods. "That's good. Jaehyun's the frat boy, right?"
"That's the one. He invited us to some party next week if you wanna come."
"I'll pass, but thanks." Jeno adjusts their backpack from where it sits on their shoulders with a smile. "I don't even want to think about what kind of weird things I'll say after spending so much time with Donghyuck and Lucas and with all the alcohol in my system. The last thing I want is for a video of my drunkenly proclaiming my love for them to get spread around campus."
Jaemin laughs, knocking her shoulder against Jeno's. "You're so dramatic. And that would be more endearing than embarrassing for you. Probably." She shrugs. "Who knows."
They arrive at the cafeteria, which is bustling with activity. Jeno laughs at the grimace on Mark's face.
"Welcome to our college's infamous lunch rush." Renjun says, making Mark laugh. "Today isn't actually that bad."
"That's a relief?" Mark giggles, and Jaemin and Jeno both snicker at the hearts in Renjun's eyes.
"Quit flirting and help us find a table. Wait, someone's getting up! If we run we can grab it!" Jaemin sprints away, the rest of them laughing as they run to catch up, Jaemin sprawled smugly over the table by the time they arrive.
"It's got four chairs, too." She smirks, gesturing at the metal chair situated around the table, and Jeno nods in amusement at her friend's actions.
"Good job, Nana!" They praise in a sing-song voice, and Jaemin laughs, sliding off the table to sit down in a proper seat, slinging her tote bag off her shoulders and next to her on the chair.
"Enough chit-chat. I'm going to pass out if I don't eat something within the next three minutes." Renjun declares, and Mark stands up at the speed of light from where they'd been comfortably sitting in their chair.
"I'll get your food for you. What do you want?"
"No, it's fine, I'm not seriously going to pass out-" Renjun rushes to explain, obviously flustered, but Mark waves her off easily.
"It's fine, Renjun. I like helping you. Now just point to where the food you want is and I'll get it for you. Okay?" They smile at Renjun, who's only able to nod and point to the left in response, mumbling out a weak 'chicken fingers'.
Mark smiles and sets off, the rest of their little group waiting until they're a certain distance away before giggling and teasing the oldest.
"Shut up." Renjun hisses. She squints menacingly at Jeno. "Keep this up and I won't stop teasing you about your crushes."
Jeno backs off immediately, raising their hands in surrender, "Fine, fine."
Jaemin grins, leaning forward to taunt the eldest. "Try and blackmail me with my crushes, I dare you." She says, and Renjun scowls.
"I know where you sleep, Jaemin. And you know how my cousin is with pranks, so just try me."
Jeno fails to suppress a shudder, and Jaemin winces from beside them, "Message received."
"Hey, get me some pizza and I'll get us all some water." Jeno stands up and nudges Jaemin, and they part ways to get their designated items.
"Nice catch though, Junnie!" Jaemin calls out before running away, cackling as Renjun shrieks at her and desperately looks to see if Mark's close enough to hear.
Jeno shakes their head fondly at their friends' antics, busying themself with filling up the cups, letting their thoughts wander to Donghyuck and Lucas. They wonder what the two of them are doing now, if they're in a class or eating lunch with their friends, how brightly they must be smiling at each other.
Something in their heart clenches, just a bit, but they push the feeling away and paste on a smile as they carefully balance the four cups and head back to the table.
There was no point in getting their hopes up or wondering about impossible things, after all.
--------
A few days and several somewhat awkward text conversations later, Jeno spreads their things out on the table, tapping their foot nervously as they wait for Donghyuck and Lucas to show up. They're twenty minutes early, but Jeno's terrified of being late to their first meeting, so they may have over-accommodated just a bit.
Surprisingly, it's only a few minutes later that Donghyuck and Lucas arrive, the pair both visibly shocked at seeing Jeno so early as well.
"Hey! Didn't think you'd be here this early too!" Lucas laughs, hand out for a high five.
Jeno slaps his hand with a laugh, scratching the back of their head as a nervous gesture. "Yeah, I didn't want to be late, so…" They gesture vaguely with their hand, and Donghyuck smiles as he sits down.
"It's all good, Jeno." He turns to Lucas, who's still standing, and tugs on his sleeve. "Babe, sit down."
"Oh! Sorry." Lucas complies quickly, expression sheepish and adorable and all together something incredibly soft. He pulls out his laptop, typing for a few moments before cracking his knuckles. "Alright! Should we get started?"
Jeno nods, smiling at the older. In their opinion, Lucas' most charming quality is how hard he works, never slacking off or procrastinating until he reaches his goals. It's always nice to see the way Lucas' eyes sharpen, gaze intense as he zeroes in on whatever it is he's working on, even with his wide smile always present.
"I can connect my computer to the projector if you two want, and we can look at the project outline together?" Lucas offers, and Jeno hums.
"Sure."
Donghyuck waves a hand, and Lucas grins, fingers manipulating the wires and cables with ease.
Jeno watches in rapt fascination - they know Lucas is an engineering major, but seeing how casually he can do some of the most complicated things Jeno has ever seen is still incredible. "Can you play sound from your computer speakers when it's plugged in like that?" They ask while pointing to the cables. Honestly, Jeno avoids projecting their computer screen for videos solely because they can't figure that out.
"Yeah, it's easy! See, this cable connects your screen to the projector, and this thing here connects your computer to the room's speakers, right?" He points out each item he's talking about and looks at Jeno earnestly, only moving on after Jeno's nodded. "So if you want the external speakers to be on, put the jack on," Jeno doesn't bother to correct Lucas' word choice, but he regrets it a moment later, "and if you don't, jack off! Easy!"
Jeno freezes, face turning a worryingly saturated shade of red, Donghyuck laughing hysterically across the table.
Lucas furrows his brows, looking back and forth between Jeno and Donghyuck, the former resting their face in their hands. "Did I say something weird?"
"Oh, wait! You plug the jack in , or you pull it out." Lucas corrects himself, but the damage is done.
Jeno isn't sure if their face will ever recover completely, and Donghyuck's cackles are only just beginning to die down.
"Babe-" Donghyuck starts, then cuts himself off as he wheezes. "I'm going to cry." He takes a moment to fan himself, and Lucas is blushing furiously.
"I'm so sorry," he says, and he looks so apologetic and embarrassed Jeno would probably combust if they weren't still so red in the face themself.
"It's fine." Jeno finally manages to choke out, and Lucas busies himself with pulling up all of the project's documents while Jeno does their best to will the blush away from their cheeks. They're unable to meet Lucas' eyes for the next half-hour without blushing, and Donghyuck snickers each time it happens.
By the time Jeno's brain has returned from wherever the hell it darted off to, they've made a decent amount of progress on their project, and Jeno's much more comfortable around the two than they thought they'd be by this point.
It's easy to share ideas and go over the rubric, as well as laugh and tease Donghyuck when the younger does something funny, or nod encouragingly at Lucas and give him the words he can't translate on his own.
It almost feels like Jeno fits- all the little knobs and gaps of Jeno's form slotting into place beside Donghyuck and Lucas' own.
Lucas sighs, squinting at his computer before turning to glance at Donghyuck. "You still can't remember your school ID?"
Donghyuck shakes his head, slumping onto the table. "Sorry, 'cas. You know I'm shit at remembering these things."
Lucas smiles even despite the situation. "It's okay, Hyuck. Did you leave your computer on?"
"Shit! I did, I was supposed to shut it down before we left." The youngest slaps a hand against his forehead, groaning.
"No, it's okay! If it's still on and you didn't close out of any of the programs I had open before I can just finger you real quick and our problem will be solved!" Lucas quickly eases his boyfriend's worries, and Jeno chokes on the water they had been drinking.
"I'm- I'm sorry?" Jeno croaks. Their face is back to resembling a tomato, and they want nothing more than to be able to stop blushing every time Lucas says something which is probably not supposed to come across the way it does.
"Lucas, babe, you're using tech lingo that sounds really inappropriate." Donghyuck manages to gasp out between his wheezes, and Lucas' entire face scrunches up in a mixture of apology and frustration.
"I'm so sorry, Jeno, I really hope I'm not making you uncomfortable." He says it so sincerely that Jeno can't find it in themself to tease the older, no matter how adorable his reaction would be.
"It's okay, Lucas," the laugh that spills from their lips is far from attractive, and their cheeks are still flushed, but for whatever reason Jeno feels confident and in control. It's a welcome change from the usual anxiety and nerves that cling to them when they interact with anyone unfamiliar, especially for crushes or anyone they look up to.
"I really am sorry, though? Can I make it up to you somehow?" Lucas asks, and Jeno laughs again before the words sink in.
They sound friendly enough, but also a lot like they're leading up to some sort of not-quite-friendly invitation-
"Can I take you out to dinner sometime?"
Jeno coughs. "Um. What?"
Donghyuck hums, leaning forward in his seat to peer down at Jeno, brow raised as Jeno squirms. He turns to look at Lucas a second later, eyes narrowed. "Yeah, babe. What?"
Jeno's eyes dart back and forth between Donghyuck and Lucas. Yeah, they liked both of them, and they didn't think there was anything wrong with that, but they certainly didn't want to come between their relationship. "Um, I don't think-"
"I know, I'm sorry!" Lucas rubs his hands together in a gesture of apology, pouting adorably until Donghyuck can't help but crack a smile.
Jeno sighs in relief, but they still eye the pair in front of them cautiously. The last thing they wanted would be to make the two of them fight.
"It was a good opportunity, though! And they were being so cute, Hyuck! You saw them!" Lucas whines, pout still on full display.
Donghyuck rolls his eyes, but Jeno can see how he's not genuinely upset. "Yeah, yeah." He looks at Jeno, head tilted to the side. "You gonna answer him, handsome?"
Jeno balks, both at the notion of him having to respond to Lucas' date (?), as well as Donghyuck, the literal embodiment of the sun itself, calling them handsome. "Uh…"
Donghyuck smirks, getting up to sit on the table instead, moving so that his face is hovering above Jeno's own. "If you don't want to go on Lucas' B-level date, you can always hang out with me instead," he says cheerily, and Jeno's eyes widen, mouth a little 'o' as Donghyuck's smile falters a little at Jeno's lack of response.
"Jeno? You good?" Lucas asks hesitantly, and Jeno snaps out of their haze, nodding jerkily.
"Yeah, sorry, I- what? A date?" They ask, searching for answers in Donghyuck and Lucas' eyes, only finding relief and fondness.
"Lucas, being the big, dorky, overly smitten fool he is, asked you out before the end of the project like we agreed on," Donghyuck shoots said boy a pointed look, "and I just offered to take you out if you wanted as well."
Jeno gulps, staring intently into the younger's eyes for some sort of sign that he's joking. "You're- you're serious?"
Donghyuck's expression softens, soft edges rounding out, hazy and warm and more than enough to ease Jeno's rising panic. "Of course we're serious. You're practically an angel, Jeno. We've been crushing on you since- when was it, babe, last October?"
Lucas nods, scooting his chair forward to see both of them easier, "Yeah, at Johnny's Halloween party. Oh, man." He sighs fondly, dopey smile on his face before he turns to meet Jeno's eyes with sparkles in his own. "You were gorgeous."
Donghyuck plays with the hem of his sleeves, glancing up at Jeno every once in a while to monitor their reaction. "I don't know if you remember because you were drunk off your ass at the time, but you were ranting about how fucked up society is to minorities, and then you started singing about flowers and the stars, and it was. Really cute." His cheeks are just the slightest bit pink, and Jeno gapes at the sight.
"I- what? You guys started liking me because I complained and sang while drunk?" Jeno is, to say the least, baffled by the turn of events.
"You were dressed as a smurf." Lucas murmurs dreamily.
Jeno stares at him. "Wait, you guys like me? Like, like like me?"
Donghyuck nods, slowly taking one of Jeno's hands, giving plenty of time and space to pull away if they want to. It's more than a little sweet, and Jeno's heart swells at the thoughtfulness of the gesture. "Jeno Lee. You're a catch, and we've been crushing on you for a while. You got that?" Jeno nods dumbly, and Donghyuck grins at them boyishly. "Good. So how about those dates?"
It's quiet for a moment- Jeno never actually considered either Donghyuck or Lucas liking them back, so they never thought about what to do if they were asked out by one of them.
The little Jaemin inside their head gives them a small pat on the back and a quiet yet firm 'let yourself be happy.' Jeno takes a deep breath and squeezes Donghyuck's hand, gaze steady as they look between Donghyuck and Lucas. "If you'll have me."
Lucas' face splits into a giant grin, surging forward to squeeze Jeno in a hug. "Awesome!" He exclaims, pulling back to smile at Jeno before moving forward to rest his head against Jeno's. "Awesome."
Donghyuck's laugh is bright as he pulls Lucas off of Jeno, sending them an apologetic smile. "Don't mind him. We weren't sure if you would say yes, which is why we decided we'd try and woo you during the project so you'd warm up to us. Obviously that didn't end up happening, but." His eyes twinkle, little galaxies spinning as he looks at Jeno like they're something precious, "I don't mind."
"Neither do I." Lucas pipes in, expression so full of pure, unfiltered joy that Jeno can't help smiling just as wide in return.
They can't remember the last time they smiled this much in one day, but the ache in their cheeks is a refreshing one, something they wouldn't mind welcoming into their life more often.
Their laughter is joined by Donghyuck and Lucas' own, a weird cacophony of joy and excitement that steadies Jeno's heart. It's not quite a picture-perfect scene, with splotches of red still spread on Jeno's face, Donghyuck's legs bent awkwardly past the table ledge, and Lucas' hair mussed from when he had run his hands through it a hundred times, but it's somehow exactly what Jeno needed.
They look at the pair in front of them, engraving the sight of Donghyuck and Lucas' faces lit up with joy into their mind. Jeno takes a deep breath, and closes their eyes.