Bloodline ✦ Nomin

22

⊱ ─── { Jaemin } ─── ⊰

"So, what did Xiao tell you?" Jeno asks in a very confrontational manner.

Jaemin looks up as the man towers over him with crossed arms. His eyes drop to his hands as he thinks about whether or not he wanted to be truthful about what he was told. He wasn't even quite sure how to process what Xiao said to him. Jaemin had noticed he felt a lot less angry with Jeno, but had he really put a spell on him without him realizing it? Then again, it makes sense he would do that. Jaemin had been so unreasonably livid with him that surely Jeno felt the only way to calm things was to place him under a spell for the time being. Surely Jeno didn't plan to keep him this way forever. Even if he did, what's the harm in that? This spell has made him the happiest and most loving he's been in a long while. He didn't understand why Xiao felt the need to claim Jeno was in the wrong. If anything, Jaemin was. He clearly scared Jeno enough to feel he needed to do this. It's hardly Jeno's fault for being reactionary to a terrible situation Jaemin had put them through. Still, he didn't want what Xiao said to hurt Jeno's feelings and make him feel guilty for it all.

"I'm not sure. I couldn't hear him too well. Something about not wanting to lift the spell right now despite wanting to see chaos," Jaemin shrugs.

"That bastard...he's always causing issues. Can he never mind his own business?"

"I don't know...but please don't think about him right now. We have a lead that can put us one step closer to a normal life. One without Xiao. And who knows, maybe this person can help rid you of your headaches," Jaemin smiles warmly at him, but Jeno rolls his eyes.

"I've been dealing with them on my own. They're not as severe anymore," he speaks flatly, causing Jaemin to nod and lower his head, "Besides, this isn't much of a lead. We know nothing about this person or where she is. Even if we can find her, there's no guarantee we can even trust her to strip me of my devil side. None of this is guaranteed."

Jaemin chews at his bottom lip as he thinks about how he wanted nothing more than for Jeno to live without struggling between the two sides of him. He wanted Jeno to have a sense of stability and not have to worry about what lies in store for them after death. He wants to be with Jeno forever, but the longer he thinks about what this means for them, the more he realizes that doing this would end with Jeno being stripped of his identity. Guilt fills his body like cement, weighing his soul down further and further until he couldn't take it any longer.

"Jeno...are you sure that giving up being a devil is what you want?" he inquires timidly.

The man chuckles dryly and turns away from Jaemin. He sluggishly wanders towards the door leading out of their room.

"It's not like I could take it back, anyhow. We made a blood pact with Xiao," he states.

Jaemin frowns deeply as this all but confirms his suspicions. He was being selfish and forcing Jeno towards a fate he didn't want.

Jeno suddenly comes to a halt and spins on his heel to face Jaemin.

"I-I didn't mean it like that," he stammers with widened eyes as he rushes to Jaemin's side and sits next to him on the bed. He takes Jaemin's hands in his and stares deeply into his eyes. "I promise you, this is what I want. I'm willing to travel the ends of the Earth to find this woman if it means ridding myself of a title I never asked for and being with you forever."

Jaemin drops his eyes to look at their hands.

"But it's one you wanted for most of your life..."

A stillness fills the air where a response was meant to be.

"Be honest with me...is searching for this woman and transitioning your power to Xiao really what you want?"

The silence is deafening, and it nearly causes Jaemin to cry. Of course he didn't want to do this. Jeno only agreed to it all because Jaemin had gone head first into danger. Jeno was forced to do what he had to for the sake of saving him. None of this would have happened if he hadn't just trusted Jeno's judgement and remained patient.

Jaemin was so incredibly selfish for thinking this was a good thing. It was only good for him. Jeno was now faced with the loss of everything he's ever come to know, and it was all his fault.

"Baby, please...stop thinking that way. Yeah, there was a point in my life where I wanted to be just like my father, but meeting you changed everything for me. I'll admit it's been hard trying to get a grip on a life I never expected to live when all I've ever known is death and destruction, but..." Jeno intertwines their fingers and kisses Jaemin's knuckles, "our love will always find a way. And I refuse to let myself or my bad habits get in the way of what I really want...you."

Jaemin looks up at him with glossy eyes and a pout on his lips.

"I'm sorry, Jeno."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he remarks as he leans in and kisses Jaemin's cheek, "Let's finish getting ready, okay? We need to leave soon, and I'm not leaving without you."

Jaemin flashes Jeno a feeble smile, his words bringing an indescribable sense of comfort to him despite the distress he had been feeling.

"Okay," he agrees, and Jeno softly kisses Jaemin's forehead before standing once more; this time pulling Jaemin up with him.