Archive of Our Own ^beta

“If you and Jeno are still not together by the end of this summer, I’m seriously gonna end our friendship.”

Renjun groans as soon as the boy beside him starts his sentence. It has been three hours since the specially protected van arrived in front of Renjun and Chenle’s boarding school to escort them both to Camp Half-Blood and approximately 5 minutes since Renjun was shaken awake from his slumber. He is tired and hungry and all he wants is a warm feast and a bath, not this… whatever the brunette is talking about. 

“Thanks for proving how great of a friend you are,” he responds blandly and yelps when the other pinches his arm.

“Maybe if you stop being a coward and confess I would reconsider the betrayal,” Chenle sighs and looks over to the now pouting demigod. “You both have known each other for three full summers. You’ve completed quests together before and Jeno has had a crush on you since at least two years ago!” 

Renjun feels his cheeks redden at the mention of the younger boy’s name. Chenle is at least correct about the timeline. Ever since he arrived at the camp three years ago, Jeno has always been a constant presence. Despite having different godly parents, they bonded over their love for sparring and quickly formed a friendship group with other demigods around their age. 

Of course, the carefree and nonchalant nature of his friendship with Jeno didn’t last that long when Renjun caught himself thinking the Hephaestus son looked extra attractive during one of the Capture-the-Flag games in his second year. His sudden revelation flustered him enough to miss his team’s signal and he nearly got slashed by a flying Mark from the opposite team. He pretended to not notice Jeno switching back and forth between sending irritated glares at Mark and concerned glances at him when the game ended.

He thought he hides his feelings well enough and they remained close (with just a slight change of atmosphere in the air whenever they were alone, but maybe that’s just Renjun being Renjun) until Jaemin decided to drop the ultimate bomb last year – he sensed a romantic attraction blooming amongst their group of friend. Even though his skills weren’t developed enough in this area to accurately pinpoint the two subjects, his candid observation terrified Renjun so much that he decided to ditch his group to sit beside Kun during that night’s bonfire. 

And as much as Renjun treasures the safety and comfort Camp Half-Blood provides, the thought of having to meet Jeno again makes his stomach queasy. 

“Don’t call me a coward, he never said anything as well,” Renjun mutters petulantly. 

“He is Hephaestus’s son, you know they are never the best at expressing their thoughts.”

“Careful, he might turn your feet into iron the second you step out of this van.”

“Not if what I said is the truth.”

Chenle leans back into his seat and groans, “Please at least tell me you’re not going to actively distance yourself from him this time. Jeno was so convinced you hated him and Jaemin nearly went nuts trying to console him,” he goes back to the book he was reading before adding, “also, I’m pretty sure you don’t want to piss Doyoung-hyung off again this summer.”

Now it's Renjun’s turn to moan. Despite being Athena’s head counsellor, Doyoung is first and foremost Jeno’s trusted confidant. Their mortal parents are close work colleagues and used to set up small playdates for the boys, so they basically grew up together. Last year’s fallout was significant enough that Doyoung actually cornered Renjun, demanding some explanations. Renjun flusteredly clarified that no, he definitely didn’t hate Jeno, he was just dealing with a personal matter and needed some space. It wasn't the best excuse in the world, but Doyoung's relieved expression told him it was sufficient. 

He eventually apologised to Jeno the night before he had to go back to his boarding school. They spent the entire morning talking and clearing things off (Renjun felt bad for lying to Jeno, but he was not ready to confess and potentially ruined their friendship).

"We're going to be fine this time, we are all a year older and I have zero intention to make up another lie."

"Or better yet, just confess and spare the rest of us from an impending stress."

"I am NOT confessing to him anytime soon," Renjun mumbles decidedly, "this is my chance to make up for last year’s chaos and I don't want to jeopardise our friendship."

"...now I'm really second-guessing you being a son of Athena. There's no way this dumb line of thinking comes from an Athena demigod."

Renjun ignores him and reclines his seat. "I'm going to get some more sleep. Wake me up when we're there."

He hears the brunette grunts a lazy sure before finally succumbing to sleep.

Jeno has just finished unpacking his belongings into his bedside chest when he hears Jaemin yelling his name and tackles him into a tight hug. Stumbling backwards at the force, he feels himself smile at his best friend’s enthusiastic blabbering about his own school life. He and Jaemin arrived at the camp when they were both eleven, along with an Apollo demigod named Haechan, and ever since then the trio was inseparable. Their exclusive “00-line” club is getting bigger every year, but Jeno still considers those two as his closest friends.

“I heard Renjun is on his way here too.”

Ah, there it is. The name has resided in Jeno’s heart since the first time he walked through the front gate. Renjun was not the only demigod who arrived that summer, but Jeno remembered him because Doyoung kept saying there will be another addition to his cabin and Renjun was the only Athena demigod out of the bunch*.

After some training sessions and games together, Jeno found out that Renjun is a natural at hand-held weapons and they eventually became sparring partners. Renjun blended so seamlessly into Jeno’s comfort circle and he found himself wanting to get closer to the older, be it during their shared quests or after they completed cleaning duties. He found everything about Renjun amazing - his ingenious strategies, sketching hobby, witty and sarcastic humour - everything.

“Ah, is he? I hope he arrives here safely then.”

Jaemin pouts. “Come onnn, Jeno is that it?! Aren’t you excited to see him after a year? Don’t you miss your crush?”

Jeno’s ears burn as he pretends to tidy up his bedside chest. Being Aphrodite’s son, Jaemin has an uncanny perception of these kinds of things and assigns himself as the camp’s unofficial matchmaker (he helped Johnny and Ten get their shit together last year – even Jeno had to applaud Jaemin’s matchmaking ability back then). Jeno doesn’t blame his natural tendency to sense romantic attractions, but sometimes he wishes Jaemin could just ignore Jeno’s growing feelings for the Athena demigod. 

“Would it destroy you to not mention my feelings every time you’re alone with me?”

Jaemin barely opens his mouth to argue back when Haechan suddenly bursts into Hephaestus cabin yelling, “Renjun and Chenle had just arrived!”

Jeno’s heart speeds up and Jaemin sends him a wink, “I’ll let you walk away this time. Go welcome your beloved Renjunnie, lover boy.”

Jeno makes sure to elbow him hard before following Haechan to welcome the two boys. They arrive just as Renjun and Chenle finish moving their luggage from the van. At the sight of the oldest, Haechan wastes no time before sprinting down the hill and traps him in a bear hug. 

“Renjun-ah welcome back! I miss you! Don’t you miss me?” 

“Ouch, ouch, my hair! Yes yes okay, I miss you too, happy now?” Renjun grumbles, voice muffled into Haechan’s camp T-shirt while he hugs him back. 

“And of course our resident prankster Chenle! Come here!”

Jeno sees Haechan releases Renjun in favour of smothering his self-proclaimed ‘favourite little brother’ and chuckles. He’s never good with expressing his emotions but he truly treasures his fellow demigods who make his summer every year feels like a vacation instead of a training camp with killing monsters as their main goal. 

He watches as Renjun finishes whining about his now wrinkled shirt before their eyes meet. It feels like the air physically shifts when he looks into Renjun’s dark grey ones and he has to internally shake himself off while plastering a bright, welcoming smile. Jeno’s heart stutters as the older answers him with a grin, all excited and beautiful, and jogs towards him. He wraps his arms around Renjun’s waist and buries his face into his shoulder. 

“Welcome back here, Renjunnie.”

Two arms link themselves around his neck in a mutual reaction and a breathy voice replies, “It’s nice seeing you too again, Jeno.”

They hug for a few more seconds before breaking apart. Jeno smiles warmly, “Let me help you carry these, you must be tired after all the travels.” Renjun just nods, he knows Jeno is going to help him anyway no matter how insistent his objections are. “Thank you, Chenle kept on ranting about how the book he was reading doesn’t get the facts about Greek mythology right while I was trying to sleep. I swear I woke up every five minutes,” Jeno laughed at this, imagining a grumpy, sleepy Renjun whining about his lack of sleep.

They talk about their respective lives, complain about their school subjects, and laugh about the troubles and mishaps that happened when they released their power unconsciously until they reach Athena cabin’s front door. Renjun looks up to meet his eyes and Jeno’s not sure if the faint blush in the older’s cheeks is coming from his imagination or not. 

“I, um, I can take everything from here. Again, thanks for the help Jeno, you really don’t have to. See you at tonight’s dinner feast, then?”

Jeno just nods, mind still reeling at just how pretty Renjun looks right now, “Uh, yeah, I’ll see you later tonight. It’s great to finally have you here, Renjun, I’ve missed you.”

His eyes widen when he realises he said the last part out loud. He contemplates locking himself in his cabin’s basement for the rest of the summer before he catches the darkening blush on the Athena demigod and his flustered see you! while he slips into his cabin. Jeno settles for facepalming himself and he lets out a defeated groan.

This summer is going to be particularly tricky.

The tell-tale smell of bubbling tofu stew wafts in the air and Renjun’s stomach rumbles in response. Since his arrival, he hasn’t had anything apart from an oatmeal cookie Doyoung gave him earlier as a welcome-back treat. He takes a seat beside Mina, another Athena demigod and looks around to locate his friends.

His eyes land on Jeno who’s in the middle of laughing at whatever joke Lucas is telling him at his cabin’s table. The younger’s trademark eye smiles soften his entire face, very much in contrast to his usual serious expressions whenever he’s working on his machines. The sight tightens Renjun’s stomach even more and he makes his way to take his serving, trying to shake his Jeno-related thoughts away. 

“Jeno looks even more attractive this summer, don’t you think so, Renjun?”

Renjun shrieks and turns around only to find a smirking Jaemin trailing behind him. He smacks him on the arm, “For the love of Athena, Jaemin! Another one of these and I swear I’ll exclusively target you on our next Capture-the-Flag game.” 

Jaemin doesn’t seem threatened at the slightest and slings his arm around the older’s shoulder. 

“I’ll just ask one of the Nike demigods to cast a protective charm on me then. Also, you’re deflecting the question.”

“Maybe because it’s none of your business?”

“I could actually see little hearts floating around you every time you look at him, so no, I beg to differ.”

Renjun huffs as his cheeks redden. Of course, his infatuation will be even more apparent to Jaemin, not only because his mother is the Goddess of Love herself, but also he knows both of them the most. Sensing the other’s discomfort, Jaemin takes pity on him and smiles reassuringly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry too much. But seriously, speaking as a friend of both you and Jeno, you guys are good for each other and I don’t think anything bad will happen if you just be upfront and confess to him. I think both of you treasure each other too much to completely sever your friendship if - and this is an almost impossible if - he rejects you.”

That doesn’t ease Renjun’s worry at all. “How can you be so sure? He smiles like that to everyone, Jaemin, I’m not special in his eyes. What are my charming points anyway apart from being all nerdy and good at sparring? He deserves better than just that,” he mutters the last part quietly, aware that Jaemin doesn’t like it when he undermines his abilities.

As he expected, Jaemin frowns and detaches himself to face Renjun.

“Stop doing that, it’s disrespectful to both you and Jeno. Are you implying he doesn’t deserve an intelligent partner? Someone who understands his sense of humour? You are perfect the way you are, Renjun, Jeno admires you for that. And to answer your question,” his eyes twinkle mischievously, “let’s just say I have my mum’s abilities to thank for.”

Renjun rolls his eyes good-naturedly as he looks over to where Jeno is now, talking to Doyoung while taking his dinner. He catches Renjun’s eyes as he heads back to his table, waving cheerily with his free hand, and Renjun hates the way Jaemin’s cackles sound as he sputters to wave back.

Friday rolls over and this summer’s first Capture-the-Flag game is finally starting. Hephaestus and Athena cabins are on the same team this week along with Poseidon, Apollo, Demeter, and Hebe. 

Jeno likes this arrangement the most (well, to be reaaally honest, he likes every arrangement that involves Hephaestus and Athena cabins together) because not only now they have Doyoung and Renjun - as both are experts at battle strategies - but also Demeter demigods, which given their forest terrain, is a sure advantage. 

Doyoung happens to be their team’s leader for this week’s game. He assigns both Jeno and Renjun to guard the western side of their terrain for the first hour alongside Jihyo, a Demeter demigod. They plan to create as many metal and plant-based traps on their assigned area and keep an eye for Taeyong’s signal from down the creek. 

“I’m going to set up my aerial traps first, you guys watch out for potential attacks,” Jihyo tells them and proceeds to climb the tree to summon some vines. The two boys nod and shift closer to the edge of the forest while maintaining a safe distance from the creek. 

Jeno crouches down, senses heightening and body alert to the slightest movements. His eyes dart to a specific spot five meters away from their position, brain already racking some trap ideas. Should I hide it underneath some shrubs or would that be too obvious? Maybe disguising it as messy footprints to trick them would work instead? Should I–

“-no! Jeno!”

Jeno blinks and finds Renjun already staring at him amusedly. 

“Already thinking about what kind of traps you would install this time?” 

Heat creeps behind Jeno’s neck. “Ah, yeah. I’ve been working on some new machines for the past year, I guess I’m just excited to finally test them here.”

Renjun quirks an eyebrow at that. “On the first Capture-the-Flag game of this summer? That would take away some of the surprise elements, don’t you think? They could easily counter you once they see it,” he pauses, and then cheekily adds, “or I for that matter, when our cabins are up against each other next time.”

“Wow, already thinking about us as enemies, huh? I’m hurt, Renjun.”

“I’m just saying, strategically speaking, new tricks should be saved for the last to catch the opponent off guard.”

“I was thinking of a defensive trap so technically speaking it does serve to catch them off guard.”

It’s Renjun’s turn to snort at that. “Fair enough. Shouldn’t we wait for Jihyo to finish her traps though? You would be prone to sudden attacks if you install them alone.”

“I’m with you now, aren’t I?” Jeno’s smirk softens into a tender smile, “You will always have my back, right?”

He witnesses Renjun’s cheeks flush a pretty crimson and just when he opens his mouth to retort back, Jihyo emerges from behind them, signalling to Jeno that he’s free to work on his traps now. The Hephaestus demigod nods and begins to assemble the necessary parts.

Fifty minutes into the game, multiple traps hidden, and two monsters killed later, the Western Terrain unit finally sees small ripples down the creek -- a signal from Taeyong for the team to start pursuing the opponent’s flag. Jihyo decides to stay behind to defend their territory while Jeno and Renjun go on the offensive, only moving forward if she deems their side safe enough from potential attacks. 

Not even five seconds after stepping on the opposite territory, an arrow suddenly whizzed between them. Almost immediately two figures leap from behind the trees and Jeno registers the sound of swords clashing right next to his right. Both of them are now engaged in a one-on-one battle, with Jeno facing Chenle and Renjun is confronted by Tzuyu, a Hecate demigod. 

The combat lasts for a while; Jeno and Renjun’s natural aptitude for weapons being evenly matched by Chenle and Tzuyu’s agility. Sounds of swords clashing and hitting the shields ring throughout their side of the forest. Jeno can feel his thighs burning as soon as he lands after dodging a particularly tricky thrust of his sword. The smirk Chenle throws at him irks him even more. 

“Don’t think you can get through us that easily, Jeno-hyung .”

The mocking tone used by the younger demigod instantly surges his competitiveness. He takes a step back just when Chenle strikes forward, then he crouches and swiftly sweeps his right foot in an attempt to tackle the other to the ground. The Hermes demigod is already familiar with this movement though and proceeds to charge directly towards Jeno, who raises his shield just in time. 

“Jeno!”

Jeno sees Renjun being cornered towards a tree by Tzuyu in the corner of his sight. The Athena demigod’s eyes scan his surroundings, trying to quickly gather some information to use the terrain to their advantage before he rushes towards Jeno’s side, Tzuyu close on his heels. 

Feeling a sudden rush of energy, Jeno pushes Chenle back with his shield, making the other stumble a bit and takes the opportunity to knock the younger’s sword off his hand. It flies across the clearing and falls onto the wild shrubs, making it hidden from plain sight. Chenle, however - screw his Hermes powers - just smirks and immediately dashes towards the location of his sword, arriving there as soon as the weapon falls. 

He moves to recover the item before gasping in surprise. The brunette immediately directs his glares towards a smiling Jeno.

“What the heck did you do to my sword?!”

“Magical weapon. My father bestowed it to me just before I came here this summer,” Jeno gestures to his sword while brushing away a few stray leaves from his jeans. He can’t help the smugness that slips in his voice when he turns to the younger, “It is supposed to amplify disarmed weapons’ weight to about a hundred times its original weight. Did it work?”

“The fuck is that, that’s not fair!”

“Language, Chenle. And just because you haven’t seen it before doesn’t mean I broke the rule,” counters Jeno. The competitive glint in his eyes returns as he returns to his combat stance.

“Now then, does this mean I’m free to continue on my way?”

“Hell no.”

The younger demigod sprints towards Jeno, ready to tackle him to the ground, but for once Jeno is a step quicker and moves aside. Losing his sword proves to be a drawback for Chenle's overall combat abilities and it doesn't take long before Jeno thrusts his own sword into the ground right in front of Chenle's left foot, causing the brunette to lose his balance and stumble to the ground. The older quickly positions his sword before Chenle's face, smirk still intact on his face as if challenging the younger to fight back.

Chenle sighs defeatedly and raises his hands, "Okay fine, just take me to the prison now."

Right at that moment, Jihyo arrives to back up their team. Jeno looks around only to find that Renjun also managed to disarm Tzuyu and is currently holding her down. 

"Great job disarming the front row defenders, you two," Jihyo remarks amusingly, "I'll guard them to the jail. Both of you continue upwards."

Jeno catches Renjun shooting him a triumphant grin before nodding at Jihyo, "Thank you. We're counting on you!"

"That should be my line! Grab their flag!" are the last words they hear from the Demeter demigod before leaping forward towards the forest.

"You didn't tell me you got a magical item from your father."

Jeno turns his head to face the Athena demigod, the two locking eyes immediately. They are currently crouching beneath some thick bushes, waiting for any signs of opposite team members or monster movements. If Renjun's mental map is correct, they should be close to the top of the hill already, and thus getting nearer to the flag.

"Ah, well, it's just a little gift. I didn't think it was significant enough to brag around," Jeno replies, voice turning soft as he inspects the said sword. "My half-siblings were the only ones who knew because they were keen enough to notice the difference inside the metal."

The Hephaestus demigod raises his head to look at Renjun. His arms are littered with cuts and scrapes, and there is a tell-tale sign of a blooming bruise right on his left jaw, but somehow he looks as ethereal as ever. Even when his black hair is all mussed up courtesy of the wind, tiny leaves and grasses sticking to his shirt, Jeno thinks Renjun is breathtaking. His eyes soften as the older continues to stare at him questioningly and for the love of Olympus, Jeno is so, so gone. 

"You're the second one to know. Or third, I guess, since technically I said it to Chenle first."

Renjun huffs at that. "Jeno, it literally means your father cared and acknowledged your ability enough to bless you with that. You deserve it more than anyone, you should flaunt it around."

Jeno shrugs, trying to hide the warm feelings settling in his stomach at Renjun's compliment. "I don't really mind, to be honest, it keeps the attention away from me. Besides, keeping it as a surprise means a higher chance of enemies being caught off guard, like Chenle just now."

Renjun giggles quietly and Jeno falls even deeper in love. "You're sneaky. Don't get cocky too fast though, now that I know your weapon, expect some new foolproof strategies the next time we face each other off."

"Why are you so eager to switch sides, getting bored of me already?"

Renjun is about to retort back before a dark shadow forcefully yanks him from behind. Jeno jumps to his feet and curses at the sight of a giant snake shaking Renjun around. Did he really get distracted enough to miss the monster's movement just now? 

The monster snake has the older demigod squeezed around its tail. Renjun tries to loosen the snake’s grip by slashing and impaling its scales, but there aren’t many moves that he can do from his position. The monster retaliates by tightening its grip on Renjun’s body, and Jeno pales when the older lets out a piercing scream. 

Jeno dashes towards its head, ready to slash its neck off when the snake directs its attention to the moving Hephaestus demigod and lunges forward. The Hephaestus demigod grunts as he gets pushed backwards by the sheer force of the snake’s movement. 

“Jeno! The eyes! Direct your attacks to its eyes!”

Bless Renjun and his immense wealth of knowledge, Jeno thinks, as he gets up and charges forward. Somehow he manages to get close to the snake’s underbelly and immediately slashes his sword onto it. The creature flails in pain and its grip on Renjun’s body loosen and as a result the Athena demigod lands on the ground with a grunt. Jeno grabs the older’s arm and drags him away, but the snake is surprisingly agile for its size. Covered in golden blood, it slithers closer as soon as the two demigods try to get away. 

“Renjun, leave this area and go find the flag. I’ll handle the monster.” Jeno urges the older to hurry and leave the clearing.

“Don’t be stupid, Jeno, I’m not gonna leave you over a silly flag game!”

“Exactly! This is all part of the game and we’ve done this multiple times already, I’ll be fine.”

“Stop twisting my words and let me help– Jeno!”

Jeno turns over and finds himself face to face with the snake. It has its mouth open and Jeno is far too late to dodge the incoming attack. Jeno and Renjun raise their shields, preparing for the worst but just before the snake lunges forward, two sharp daggers are shot from the distance and lodge themselves into the monster’s eyes. 

They both freeze as golden ichor pours out from the wound and creates a puddle in the middle of the clearing. The snake slowly dissipates into the air with a hissing sound, soul returning to the Underworld until it is ready to be reincarnated. 

“What were you thinking?!”

The two young demigods swivel around to see Doyoung perched upon a tree, his gaze steely as he makes his way down. The monster has fully disappeared and the two daggers fall to the ground with clanking sounds. 

“You were inside that monster snake’s attack range and yet you let your guards down?! That could’ve been fatal!” Doyoung’s chest heaves and he takes a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. “What were you even arguing about in the middle of an attack?”

Jeno glances at Renjun who has his head down, half-petrified by the near-fatal attack and half-embarrassed by his head counsellor’s scolding. He winces as he imagines Renjun’s embarrassment and answers for both of them.

“We weren’t arguing, hyung. I just told Renjun to go ahead and look for the flag while I handle the snake by myself, but he refused.”

“The monster nearly killed both of us, Jeno! Why would I leave if I knew I could help you?!”

“Shush, both of you.” Doyoung meets Jeno’s eyes and the younger can feel his disappointment through his stare. 

“There’s a reason why my strategy this time involves putting different demigods into teams of two and three people. The first game is always one of the riskier games; some of us are still rusty from lack of training and who knows what kind of monster has slithered its way into our forest while we were gone. 

Having another demigod beside you will reduce the amount of time you need to take down both monsters and the opposite team members, in theory, at least. You should be grateful to have someone to back you up, don’t just send them away without weighing the potential consequences.”

Jeno’s ears burn as he listens to Doyoung’s nagging. He admits he made that rash decision on the spot because the two things that were on his mind back then were the flag and Renjun’s safety.

Not finished with his scoldings, Doyoung turns to glare at Renjun, who shrinks even further into Jeno’s side in response. If only they were in a less-aggravating situation, Jeno might have called Renjun’s timid appearance cute. 

“I honestly expected a lot more from you, Renjun. Monster snake sightings are not that rare here, plus we have an entire collection of manuscripts about the sightings and commonly used strategies against these monsters. We went through those during your first summer, if I’m not mistaken?”

“We did, hyung. ”

Doyoung sighs, his expression softens as he moves to ruffle Renjun’s hair. “You were in a terrifying situation, I understand that but don’t get too distracted during battles. Remember, mother’s greatest gift to us is our ability to strategise and it will come naturally if we keep our heads cool. I don’t know what distracted you enough to miss that snake’s appearance today though, you usually did great in making level-headed decisions on your past missions.”

Jeno wonders if something happened to his head when the snake hit him earlier and if that affected his eyesight because he catches Renjun stealing glances at him and when their eyes meet he averts his gaze immediately and-- is that blush on his cheeks?

Doyoung raises his eyebrow at Renjun’s suddenly reddening ears but decides to not comment further on it. 

“Anyway, the game is over now, we’ve won it. Yangyang and Shotaro grabbed the flag after tricking Ryujin and Yuta. Pure luck, I would say. Shotaro is a new kid and I bet he’s just way too nice to say no to whatever insane tricks Yangyang had planned.”

“Hey, is it just me or is there some kind of tension between Jeno and Renjun after last Friday’s Capture the Flag game?”

Jaemin groans at this and proceeds to throw his skipping stones into the lake in full force. The so-called ‘00-line exclusive’ group is currently enjoying their free time before dinner at the lake they use to practice canoeing - sans Jeno, Renjun, and Mark who volunteered to help clean the showers. Chenle, Sungchan, and Jisung join them instead. 

“Thank Gods someone else noticed! I swear I saw their smitten aura thickened right after the game ended but then they refused to speak to each other? Heck, they even refused to join us here today.”

Jaemin slumps backwards onto the picnic blanket, looking as if this Renjun-Jeno situation has taken a few years off his life. “Why won’t they do something?! it’s so painfully obvious they like each other, even non-Aphrodite demigods can see that. What’s stopping them?”

“Um, Jaemin-hyung, you are Aphrodite’s son, right? Have you ever tried to, I don’t know, bring them closer?”

“Believe me Sungchan, we’ve tried. We even got Winwin-hyung, another Aphrodite’s son and Renjun’s closest hyung here to join us. But Renjun is smart, even by Athena demigods’ standards, so he picked up our plans pretty quickly.” Haechan sighs. 

“Needless to say, the plan fell through before it even started. Trust me guys, no one should ever attempt to trick or piss Huang Renjun off ever again. He wouldn’t talk to us for a week straight! He even glared at Winwin-hyung, which pretty much never happened before.” Chenle shudders as he recalls Renjun’s murderous glares. 

“Not to mention it was my plan - the great Na Jaemin, Camp Half Blood’s official matchmaker!” Jaemin exclaims, conveniently tuning out the resounding groans around him. Sungchan and Shotaro - bless their lucky souls for entering the camp late - exchange glances at each other before helplessly looking over to Jisung for explanations. 

“Jaemin-hyung helped Johnny-hyung and Ten-hyung get together last year and since then he created that title for himself,” Jisung answers their silent question and he lowers his voice to whisper, “that was pure luck, by the way, he’s not that great. But don’t tell him I said that.”

The group snorts at the youngest’s comment, mood lightening as a result. 

“Well done, Jisung, someone has to put Jaemin in his place somehow,” Hendery cackles at the jab to his half-brother and Jaemin gasps an exaggerated how dare you Jisung! before scooping some lake water into the Iris demigod’s shoe in retaliation. 

Yangyang lets out another snicker at Jisung’s panicked whine before adding, “Well, if their feelings are strong enough, I’m pretty sure they will be fine. Just give it some time."

"Oh, I guess three summers worth of mutual pining is just 'some time' now," Haechan bites sulkily. " Three fucking summers! I'd understand if it's a hopeless one-sided crush but they obviously like each other? It's just ridiculous at this point."

"You know that's not what I meant. What I'm saying is they are bound to get tired of this never-ending constipation at some point, one of them will confess soon enough. Why waste our energy worrying about them?" shrugs Yangyang, leisurely munching his apple.

Haechan rolls his eyes and lies down beside Jaemin. "Heartless bitch. Can't believe you're literally my half-sibling."

"Takes one to know one, I guess."

"Okay that's enough, you guys aren't helping at all," Jaemin pulls Haechan back when he's about to kick Yangyang out of the blanket. "Where are they anyway?"

"Renjun-hyung is at the arts and craft centre, and I think I saw Jeno-hyung playing volleyball earlier with his cabin mates. They are challenging the Ares cabin."

“Show offs. They’re probably just having another muscle-related competition and the winner will have the right to brag until the next volleyball game,” Haechan scoffs and proceeds to gather his belongings. “I’m gonna go visit Mark, he’s probably on cleaning duties today. See you guys at dinner!”

The playful mood settles down into a more peaceful feeling once the Apollo demigod left, but the lingering concern and exasperation stay. Seeing some cracks inside their friendship group is never a nice feeling, even more so if it’s just because two people - who are obviously into each other, mind you - refuse to do something about their feelings. 

“I hope they can sort out whatever they’re feeling towards each other soon,” exhales Xiaojun, eyes trained at the arts and crafts building behind them. “I really like this group and the dynamic we have now. It was all thanks to Renjun for introducing me to you guys last year and it would truly suck if they can’t at least act normal around each other if something bad happens. Not that I think it would, though.”

Jaemin closes his eyes and sighs, “That’s what I’m hoping as well. This is getting way too tiring to handle.”

Wednesday rolls over and the camp has just finished their hand-to-hand combat class. Renjun takes a gulp of water from his bottle and sits on one of the benches, waiting until the sword-fighting session starts. He is still feeling the adrenaline that runs through his body after receiving great feedback on his improved form during the combat class. He has a natural affinity for weapons, sure, but he has always been self-conscious of his form due to his small stature, especially attacking forms. 

“Man, you did great back there!”

Yangyang casually slings his arm around the older demigod, the other hand clutching his favourite banana milk soda. Renjun grimaces at the sight of it, never understanding the appeal of turning the legendary banana milk beverage into a soda form. The Apollo demigod was paired with Xiaojun in their earlier sparring session and judging by the grin on his face, he managed to get more praises than the older for the third time in a row. Renjun can imagine Xiaojun’s trademark indignant protests - all wide betrayed eyes and wild hand movements - almost laughably vivid. 

“Thanks! I’m guessing you also did well in your session?”

“I mean, it’s Xiaojun, so yeah.”

Renjun can’t help but chuckle at that. “Now that’s just rude. You’re lucky it was the hand combat sparring session, he knows he doesn’t have that much advantage in it. You, on the other hand, need to watch your back on Friday’s Capture the Flag game.”

“I can worry about a mad Xiaojun later,” dismisses Yangyang, taking one more sip at his soda before handing the can to Renjun. “But now I’ve got to go. The sword session is starting in like, two minutes and I need to use the bathroom.”

“Why would you drink a cold soda, then, idiot!” Renjun shouts at the sprinting demigod and sighs while putting the empty can beside his bottle. After mulling for a second, he gets up and goes towards where the rest of his cabinmates are situated, waiting for the next session to start. 

Five minutes, a visibly relieved Yangyang, and a selection of different types of swords from the armoury later, the camp officially starts their sword fighting session. Chiron instructs everyone to pick a random sword and train with it for half an hour before switching to another sword for the rest of the session. The main goal is to familiarise them with swords and knives that have different weights and shapes so there won’t be any hiccups regarding battle weapons in future real-life missions.

Renjun looks around for a second before his eyes land on a sword that is slightly longer and heavier than his usual one. He picks it up and suddenly feels an electrical sensation running through his right arm before promptly dropping the weapon back down. Huh, what was that, the demigod thinks as he cautiously picks up the sword again. This time, though, nothing unusual happens so Renjun just shrugs it off and makes his way into his usual spot. 

His sparring partner for the first half of the session is a Zeus demigod named Bang Chan, a sweet and charismatic warrior, much like his half-siblings Mark and Jaehyun. Renjun hasn’t had that many interactions with the older, but he does know that Chan’s electrokinesis ability is on par with Jaehyun. Makes sense considering both are seen as potential counsellors for Zeus cabin, at least that’s what Mark had told him. 

“I’m looking forward to our sparring today, Renjun,” chirps the older. “I saw your hand-to-hand combat earlier. As expected from the son of Athena.”

Renjun blushes at the sudden compliment. “Ah, I still have a lot of aspects to improve, especially my attacking form. It has never been my strong suit, I’m afraid.”

“Let’s test that here, shall we?”

The sword fighting session passes peacefully, clinks of swords clashing and dropping and occasional yelps and shouts are the only sounds filling the arena. Everyone seems concentrated and ultra-focused in their own sparring sessions. 

Everyone, except for Renjun.

With each passing minute, it feels like his sword is getting heavier and heavier. Renjun swears he can feel jolts of electricity slithering through his arm every few minutes, resulting in his right arm growing number every time it happens. After the fifth electrical shock, he can’t take it anymore. 

“ Hyung, did I do something wrong to upset you recently?”

“Uhhh no? Why are you asking?”

“You keep sending these weird electrical currents throughout my arm. I’m not sure what I did but I’m sorry if I ever offended you, hyung, so please stop doing that.”

Bang Chan frowns at that and retreats from his attacking stance immediately. “Renjun, I swear to the Olympus I didn’t do anything to you. Whoever tricked you just now, it wasn’t me.” His frowns deepen when he registers Renjun’s words.

“Wait, did you say ‘electrical currents'? Renjun, what is‒”

Before the older demigod manages to finish his sentence, another zap of electricity - the strongest as of yet - runs through his arm. Renjun yelps at this, dropping his sword and kneels as he feels the after impact sinks in. His right arm is so numb he can’t feel anything. He barely registers Bang Chan’s retreating steps as he tries to find Chiron and another rushed footsteps coming towards him. 

“Renjun, hey, are you okay? Look at me.”

Renjun looks up to find Jeno’s warm, worried eyes zeroed at him, but before he can answer his arm sends another zing of numbness and he hisses at the feeling instead. Jeno is quick to inspect his arm, handling it gently as if afraid to cause more pain to the older. Bang Chan arrives just then, Chiron, Yangyang, and Xiaojun hot on his heels.

Chiron moves beside him, concern evident on his face. “Renjun, can you describe to me what you are feeling in your arm now?”

Renjun grimaces before answering, “I don’t know what happened, sir. It feels like electrical currents are constantly running through my right arm and it zaps every few minutes. My arm is getting number and number because of it, I think. I first felt it when I picked up my sword for this session, but I didn’t think much of it until it progressed this far.”

The camp director frowns at this and their little group goes silent for a second, but to everyone’s surprise, Xiaojun’s trembling voice shoots up.

“Uhm, Mr Chiron, I’m afraid it’s my fault.”

“What?!” All eyes instantly turn to the Hecate demigod. Chiron narrows his eyes. “Please do explain, Xiaojun.”

Xiaojun’s face pales but he quickly explains himself. “I did cast a spell earlier, sir, but it was never directed towards Renjun. Yangyang had played multiple pranks on me for the past few days and had generally been getting on my nerves, so I thought I should prank him back. I casted a spell that would make the last person who touches Yangyang’s favourite banana milk soda can have a hard time during today’s sword fighting session.”

The Hecate demigod suddenly turns to Renjun, eyes full of worry and regret. “I specifically casted it that way because no one would ever touch that ghastly drink unless it’s Yangyang.” The mentioned demigod kicks his shin in response. Xiaojun curses quietly at that before facing Renjun once again. 

“I swear, I didn’t know you would be the last person who touches his can. I also didn’t know the extent of the effect of my spell. I’m so sorry, Renjun. I’m sorry as well, Mr Chiron.”

The atmosphere gets really tense for a few seconds before Chiron sighs heavily, his hand already coming up to massage his temple. 

“I think I don’t have to remind you about the consequences of reckless usage of demigod powers, right, Xiaojun?” The demigod in question nods meekly, thoroughly regretting his action now that he unknowingly targets the wrong person. 

“Now that we know what’s going on, I advise you to go to the infirmary immediately, Renjun. I’m pretty sure the effect will die down in a day or two, but it’s always better to be sure.”

Renjun just nods at it, already feeling drained by the intensity of the incessant electricity jolts. He wobbles to stand up before a steadying hand rests on his waist. 

“Sir, may I accompany Renjun to the infirmary? It seems like the electrical shocks are still happening from time to time, I will make sure nothing serious happens to him until he’s in good hands.”

“That would be great, Jeno, I will leave Renjun in your care.” Chiron nods and turns to the rest of the group. “Let’s continue our sword sparring session. Bang Chan, I’m afraid you have to join Yangyang and Yeji for the rest of the session this time.”

Jeno can’t seem to take his eyes off of Renjun, whose arm is currently being tended by Chaeyoung, an Apollo daughter who’s in charge of the infirmary for the week. His mind keeps replaying Renjun’s pained wail as he dropped to his knees. The panic that coursed through his body the moment he witnessed a perfectly healthy Renjun collapsed so suddenly is unlike any other emotions he has ever felt before.

A small clap brings him back to the present situation. Chaeyoung steps back and gives Renjun an encouraging smile.

“You’re not badly hurt, Huang. The spell is considered mild, it’s honestly perfect for pranks, but the effect will stay for another 24 hours. You don’t need to take any nectars or ambrosia, just give it a rest and don’t move your arm too much. I’ve bandaged it just in case you are too stubborn and attempt to move it.”

Jeno can’t help but snort at that. Knowing Renjun’s impatient nature he will definitely get frustrated over his temporary injury. Renjun shoots him a petulant glare before asking Chaeyoung, “So I’m basically free to do anything as long as I don’t move my arm too much, right?”

“I mean, it is your dominant arm, is it not? You won’t be able to do much, just take it easy and rest, Huang.”

Chaeyoung promptly leaves at that, ignoring Renjun’s defeated groan and Jeno’s easy laugh. The younger then offers his hand for the older to take.

“Now that you’re freed of your future schedules for the day, let’s just ditch the others and have fun.”

Renjun pouts at this even when he takes the invitation. “It hasn’t even been two weeks and stupid things already happened to me. At this rate, I’m truly gonna fall behind.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re already miles ahead of most of your siblings, it’s okay to take a break for a day,” Jeno assures him. “Besides, I have something I wanna show you.”

Renjun raises his eyebrow at that but doesn’t say anything. 

The walk back from the infirmary is uneventful, save for some hisses and gasps from the injured demigod. With every whine the older lets out Jeno hovers a little closer until Renjun has to reassure him that no, I’m not gonna fall every time the zap comes, Jeno, I’m okay, albeit as a cover for his own rising blush.

They stop in front of the Hephaestus cabin. Renjun looks at Jeno questioningly while the other looks weirdly restless. The cabin occupier takes a deep breath before smiling nervously at the older. 

“Would you like to come inside? What I’m about to show you is on my desk.”

Renjun, suddenly feeling jumpy seeing Jeno looking so nervous, gulps and answers, “Lead the way.”

The sight of metal walls and shiny LED lights greets Renjun the moment they enter. Renjun has been here countless times, so the sight and smoke smells don’t really shock him anymore. What shocks him, however, is when Jeno bypasses his bed and trunk and goes straight to the basement staircase. It’s not like the underground workplace is restricted for non-Hephaestus demigods, but it is kind of an unspoken rule to not mess with Hephaestus demigods’ tools and crafts because they do treat their machines like their baby. Kind of like how Athena demigods get fiercely protective over their manuscript collections, in a way. 

Jeno gestures to the older to follow him and Renjun steps down onto the workplace. A huge workbench is located at the centre of the room, filled with tools, random machinery parts, and some unfinished projects by other Hephaestus demigods. Again, Jeno ignores the main workbench and goes to a smaller desk directly across the staircase. The desk is a lot more intimately decorated in a very Jeno-like manner ‒ scattered notes filled with his neat handwriting, a few pictures of him with his fellow cabinmates and their 00-line exclusive group, and a picture of him and Renjun pinned at the top of his desk. His cheeks warm at the thought of Jeno possibly treasuring his bond with Renjun the way he treasures the younger. 

A sheepish cough from the younger brings him back. 

“This is where I spend most of my time creating and designing my traps and simple weapons. I have never shown this to anyone, not even Jaemin.” He chuckles, before crouches down to open the drawers below the desk. It is stuffed with Jeno’s handmade traps, arrowheads, even several celestial bronze daggers ‒ no doubt hand-forged by the younger. 

“These are some of my personal creations. Some are broken though, and I haven’t had the time to repair them yet.” Jeno picks up a layered goggles and giggles at it. “Johnny-hyung helped me make this device since this was the first complex device I made during my time here. It’s a goggle that will reduce the effect of the Mist for the wearer. Not by a significant amount, but enough to give them time to react appropriately to possible attacks.”

“Jeno, I… These are truly incredible.” Renjun gapes in awe as he observes Jeno’s collection, lightly picking some of them that Jeno deems safe enough to touch. “I’ve always known you to be an expert builder, but, looking at all of this is just, wow.”

The younger laughs bashfully at that, scratching his head in response. “Nah, I’m not that good yet. Most of my creations got destroyed immediately after I used them on my quests. Still needs a lot of practice before I can create something massive that won’t crumble on the first use.”

“Still, doesn’t change the fact that you made them ‒ and made them valuable enough to be brought to an actual quest.” The older looks up at him, hair tousled up as a result of excitedly looking around and smile bright enough to warm Jeno’s soul. “You are such a talented demigod, Jeno. You deserve every single bit of your father’s blessings.”

Renjun beams up at Jeno, feeling giddy at the way the younger’s cheeks and ears redden at the compliment. His smile widens when the Hephaestus demigod grins so bright his eye smiles make their appearance. This version of Jeno is his favourite Jeno ‒ content, excited, and so full of life, it reminds him of one of his classmate’s energetic puppy. 

Their smiles soften and Jeno’s expression turns fond as he raises his hand to tidy Renjun’s tousled up hair. “Thank you, Renjunnie. It means a lot coming from you.” Unthinkingly, he tucks a strand of stray hair behind the Athena demigod’s ear. His hand stays there before slowly, hesitantly trailing down to cup his left cheek. 

Renjun freezes at the gesture and blushes profusely, heartbeat speeding up and mind running wild. Oh no, he is so not prepared for this. His fight or flight instinct activates so he readies himself to bolt upstairs before embarrassing himself further in front of his crush. But Jeno must have anticipated this move because he quickly removes the hand on his cheek to grab his uninjured wrist. 

The younger then picks up a small box from one of the drawers with his unoccupied hand and holds it in front of Renjun. He takes a deep breath before looking straight into the older’s eyes.

Here’s all or nothing, I guess.

“I made this specifically for you.” He smiles and hopes his voice doesn’t come out wobbly. “Open it?”

Half-dazed, Renjun opens the box and sees a silver locket. The pendant machinery is shaped like a ping pong ball, albeit not as big as the actual thing. 

“Last year, when I heard you were amongst the ones who got severely disillusioned by The Mist, I got so, so scared. Haechan told me you were almost powerless and the monster nearly slashed your head off. Taeyong-hyung saved you just in time, but the enemy still managed to wound your waist. I watched you got hauled to the infirmary because you bleed so much, and…” Jeno gulps, memories of that day coming back in full force. 

“And that was when I realised I don’t ever want to lose you.”

Renjun feels lightheaded as he listens to the younger’s explanation. “This has the same function as the anti-Mist goggles I showed you earlier, but it’s a lot more powerful despite its compact size. Every time you or your teammates sense the presence of a threatening Mist, just open the locket and your vision will clear slightly so you won’t get too disillusioned.”

Jeno takes the locket from the older’s hand so he can put it around his neck and when he’s done, he steps back to admire Renjun. 

“I’ve always thought you look the prettiest with a necklace. I’m glad I can create one that will protect you without sacrificing your beauty.”

Emboldened by the younger’s words, Renjun takes a step forward. “What are you trying to say, Jeno?”

Jeno lowers his eyes for a second before staring directly into Renjun’s eyes. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I like you a lot, Renjunnie. I think I have always been intrigued by you since the first time you stepped into this camp. That little interest slowly grew over time, but I didn’t realise how important your presence was to me until that Mist incident last year.” He ducks his head once again. “I’m sorry, if you’re uncomfortable with this I hope we won’t drift apart‒ oof!”

His words get cut off as Renjun suddenly surges forward and traps Jeno into a hug. The younger hesitantly wraps his arms around Renjun’s waist. “Renjunnie?”

Renjun just shakes his head while simultaneously burying his head on the taller’s chest. 

“I like you a lot too, dummy.”

It is such a soft whisper that if only Jeno wasn't hugging Renjun so tightly he would’ve missed it. But alas, those words ring loud and clear in Jeno’s ears so he sighs in relief before tightening his hug on the older, one hand circling his waist and the other around his shoulder. 

They stay in that position until Renjun breaks off the hug. 

“I’m sorry for not confessing earlier as well, I feel like I gave you a lot of mixed signals. It’s just… I freak out and overthink a lot. I mean, look at you. A talented, kind-hearted demigod who excels in everything. Not to mention you’re attractive as fuck. ”

Jeno giggles at that while playing with the older’s healthy hand. 

“And then you have me, a nerd with nothing to boast except for his natural ability with weapons and his sharp tongue. I kept thinking no, Jeno deserves better to control my feelings, but it didn’t go that well so I resorted to hiding from you.”

The taller presses a kiss on the older’s temple. “And yet this nerd understands me the best, laughs at my jokes, and is always there whenever I’m feeling down. Don’t think too negatively about yourself, Renjun-ah, you’re perfect.”

Renjun groans at the sudden burst of cheesiness from the younger despite feeling the blush coming back on his face. Jeno cups the smaller’s face with his hands, finally uttering the words he has been dying to say.

“Can I kiss you, Renjun-ah?”

The older answers him by circling his uninjured arm around Jeno’s neck, pulling him down until their lips meet in a long-overdue kiss.

Both sigh at the feeling, years of pent up feelings pouring out as if a dam has finally broken after being overfilled. The kiss is soft and sweet, almost chaste as they settle for simple pecks for some time. Then Jeno shifts and takes the first move, teeth nibbling Renjun's lower lip gently and he revels at the shudder that goes through the older's body. 

Renjun shivers as he finally lets the younger deepen the kiss. Knees weakening, he leans on his tiptoes and tightens his hold on Jeno's neck. More, he thinks, more, more of this feeling, more –

An electrical zap runs through his right arm just then, prompting a yelp from the Athena demigod and startling both teenagers. They exchange looks and snorts at the ridiculousness of the situation. Jeno gazes at Renjun who's clutching his right arm, still giggling brightly, crimson cheeks and shiny bitten lips adorning his features, and he feels a sudden burst of fondness towards the older. Unthinkingly, he tilts Renjun's chin and presses another kiss to his forehead.

He pulls away to see Renjun looking at him with his brightest smile, the one that lights up his entire feature, accompanied by sparkling eyes. 

"Sorry, I forgot that you still have your injury."

"It's okay, I was just surprised. Now kiss me more."

The second Capture the Flag game ends with a victory for the Athena cabin, along with Hecate, Zeus, Aphrodite, Demeter, and Iris. Renjun is in such a happy mood for the rest of the night, humming and skipping while helping the others to prepare for the bonfire session. Jaemin eyes him curiously before nudging the older.

“Someone’s in a chirpy mood today.”

Renjun just hums happily while he continues to stack more wood logs into the fire pit.

“My cabin just won the game, of course I’m happy about it. You should be celebrating as well, Jaemin.”

“I am elated, but like, you are unusually chirpy tonight.” An idea strikes into his mind. “Did something happen between you and Jeno yesterday?”

Now that shuts Renjun up quickly. The older flails for a bit before settling to glare at the Aphrodite demigod, blush adorning his cheeks.

“You can’t just mention his name carelessly like that, Nana!” he whines. Jaemin laughs and pinches those rosy cheeks.

“Sorry Injunnie, your reactions towards his name are just too precious. Come on, everyone’s settled down already.”

The two of them make their way towards their exclusive 00-line groups, huddling close together while passing each other bowls of popcorn. Renjun sits down beside his boyfriend, hands secretly finding their way underneath the blankets.

“Did Jaemin torture you again with his questionings just now?”

Renjun laughs, bright and airy. “Yeah, but it’s kind of expected. I do feel like everything’s working out for me today.”

The younger groans at that. “Ugh don’t remind me about it. I bet you shared the information about my magical sword with your team tonight.”

“I did say disclosing it at the very first game was a bad idea.”

“Says the one who insisted I should’ve flaunted it around.”

Renjun grins at that, so infatuated with the younger, he can’t help but snuggle closer to his boyfriend’s side, head resting naturally on his shoulder. Jeno responds by putting an arm around Renjun’s waist, and the Athena demigod sighs contently at the sensation. 

“Hey, Jeno.”

“Hmm?”

“You wanna know why I often joked about us being in different teams for Capture the Flag games?”

The younger immediately sits up straighter, eyebrows raising. “There is a reason behind that? I thought you were simply teasing me.”

“Well, that too, but there’s another reason for it.” Renjun starts, suddenly feeling shy at the memories. “Remember that one game where I almost got slashed by Mark two years ago? Back then it was because I spaced out and didn’t hear our team’s signal. But exactly why I got distracted was because I was looking at you.”

Jeno blinks at that, the unexpected confession catches him off guard. Renjun’s ears burn at his reaction but continue to elaborate further. 

“You were so into the game, constantly alert and quick on your feet, always anticipating some unexpected movements. I’ve only known you for a year then, but it already felt like you were getting stronger and stronger every time we met. I could tell you were such a hardworking individual even then, and, I don’t know, it was really attractive to me. It still is.”

The Athena demigod looks up and locks eyes with the younger. “That exact moment was when I realised I had a crush on you, a young, good-looking, hardworking Hephaestus demigod. I fell so hard for you it’s physically impossible to concentrate whenever I’m in the same team as you. It’s a lot easier for me if you are on the opposite team, all I have to do is to convince myself that you are an enemy and I have to defeat you.”

Renjun smiles bashfully, “It's way too much, isn't it? But you just have that effect on me, Jeno.”

Gosh, how did I get so lucky? It takes everything inside of Jeno to not smother the older with hugs and kisses. He settles for squeezing Renjun’s waist and drags him even closer. “It’s lovely. You’re lovely. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s head over heels in this relationship.”

Renjun elbows his waist playfully before smiling softly at his boyfriend.

“Thank you, Jeno. For the gift, the encouragement, for everything.”

Jeno just gives him his infamous eye smiles and leans down to kiss the older’s forehead. 

“Thank you to you too, Renjun-ah. Thank you for coming into this camp and for enduring my awful jokes.”

“They’re funny, don’t worry. I’ll keep on laughing at your future jokes as well.”

“OKAY BUT WAS THAT A FOREHEAD KISS?! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON??”

Jaemin’s screech instantly breaks the peaceful bubble the two were in.

Ah, right, they are still in public.

Time to explain everything to the rest of the boys, then.