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Renjun’s about to fall asleep, 4am stomping his eyelids shut, but he catches the clenched fist and white knuckles on the armrest when he goes to set a water bottle down and before he knows it, he’s tugging an earbud out and turning so he’s facing the boy on his left.
“You okay?” He murmurs quietly, but Jaemin’s eyes are hidden under his unstyled hair, and Renjun’s not quite sure he’s heard his question. Renjun leans forward, trying to catch Jeno’s eye across the aisle, but his boy’s conked out, drooling a little as Jisung sits stiffly, radiating offended disapproval. Renjun carefully runs a finger across Jaemin’s wrist, trying not to startle him too badly, but the fingers forcefully unclenching and splaying out seem to signify that Jaemin can hear him.
“Jaem?” He repeats lowly, but Jaemin’s already clutching tightly at his hand, clasping their fingers together.
“I’m fine,” the brunet grits out, but Renjun’s fingers are starting to lose circulation. He casts an eye over the hunched shoulders, the way Jaemin’s entire posture screams discomfort, how he seems to be avoiding leaning into the back of the seat, the fact that his seatbelt is already on, the way his entire body jerks suddenly as the plane starts rumbling beneath them.
“You weren’t scared of flying before,” Renjun observes, not unkindly. He tugs their clasped hands off the armrest so he can push it up and shuffle as closely into Jaemin’s side as the seatbelts will allow.
Jaemin veers into Renjun’s shoulder, hiding his face in the older’s neck as the plane tilts up and they’re pressed back into their seats. Renjun settles the complimentary blanket around both of them, one hand still entwined with Jaemin’s as he keeps careful notice of the sharp, hot breaths under his jaw.
“It’s just the takeoff and landing,” Jaemin finally mumbles, words barely visible over the roar of the engine.
Renjun hums absently, barely audible as the plane finally levels out and Jaemin liquifies, weight growing heavier on Renjun’s shoulder as the seatbelt signs blink off. The Chinese boy kicks his shoes off and unclasps the buckle, rearranging himself cross-legged and hogging up half of Jaemin’s seat too, not that the other seems to mind.
“Because you haven’t been on a plane in a while?”
Jaemin shakes his head, huffing sharply to blow his bangs out of his face. He makes eye contact with Renjun for the first time since they’d boarded, the vulnerable look in his eye uncommon enough that Renjun straightens to attention, rubbing his other hand across Jaemin’s knuckles.
“I’m just scared that something’s going to like… go wrong? And it’s like things are going so well right now, we’re having a comeback, I get to date you and Jeno, I'm so happy and it just feels like now that I finally have so much to lose, something’s going to take all of that away from me.” Renjun can’t help but melt a little, because even at his most fearful, his boyfriend is still so damn sweet.
He looks around carefully, but the cabin lights are off and they’re in the back, the other members in all the seats around them, so Renjun feels safe enough to close that last inch of distance and brush his lips over Jaemin’s. He grins shyly as Jaemin freezes at the sudden physical affection, eyes wide and lips parted, and he just can’t resist pecking him again.
“I’m not going anywhere, Jaem, and neither is Jeno,” he whispers firmly, tugging Jaemin down across his lap so he can run his fingers soothingly through his boyfriend’s soft brown hair. “Now stop giving me that stupid grin and go to sleep.” As if he weren’t just as whipped for how natural that dopey beam looks on Jaemin’s face. “I’ll wake you up before the plane starts landing.”