𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 || 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦

cigarettes and peppermint || markjun

one tasted like cigarettes.
the other one tasted like peppermint.
others might find the combination odd, but to them
it was their favorite combo.

as a child and young teen, renjun despised everything
about cigarettes.
when he tried it, he hated the taste.
he tasted the smell when someone near him was smoking.
he hated the smoke, making his clothes reek of it.
hated how people would simply throw the stubs on the ground.
to him, it was simply disgusting and a waste of money.
the only person he could tolerate it for was hist best friend mark.
mark on the other hand hated alcohol.
maybe not completely, but he didnt find any fun in it.
he only mixed it with soft drinks, tolerating it when he could barely
taste it.
he also hated the reek of alcohol, especially from beer.
he disliked how it can make people aggressive, uncomfortable when he was surrounded of big groups of people who drank.
the only drunk person he felt completely comfortable around was renjun.
renjuns favorite liquor was anything that tasted like peppermint.
both of them were part of a small friend group, they preferred to
be alone or hanging out with just each other.
they spent every weekend with each other, having sleepovers at either marks or renjuns place, whatever they felt like.
they hung out almost daily, ever since they were little kids.
renjun was with mark when he tried his first cigarette, when he
bought his first box, when he realized that he wouldnt quit as soon as he thought.
around the same time, mark was next to renjun when he first tried alcohol. saw his face scrunch up out of disgust after drinking something pure for the first time before he tried peppermint liquor and found something he liked.
once every few weeks, they would sneak out at night, a box of cigarettes in marks pocket, a bottle of peppermint liquor mixed with a soft drink in renjuns bag.
they went to the local park, watching the stars while renjun got slightly drunk and mark had a few cigarettes. every now and then renjun would try one of mark cigarettes, only to remember how nasty it tasted, passing it back to mark.
looking at how renjuns face scrunched up never failed to make mark laugh.
weirdly, renjun always seemed to not mind the taste of cigarettes on marks lips when they kissed. and mark tolerated the taste of peppermint liquor of renjuns lips.
both of them enjoyed the combination, despite how odd it might sound sometimes.
maybe it was because they liked the feeling of their lips against each other, maybe because it was their favorite flavors combined, making some sort of connection between things they originally disliked.
but even if renjun didnt drink he would still like how mark tasted like cigarettes, after he stood next to his or renjuns window to have a smoke, not wanting to disturb renjun with the smoke or smell right next to him.
"go away, you reek of cigarettes! dont even think about getting more cuddles." renjun would always say with a serious face, a clear contrast to his spreaded arms to welcome mark back into his arms.
physical touch was their favorite love language for each other.
it was only platonic love, but they didnt mind sharing constant touch like cuddling, holding hands or sharing small kisses here and then.
its what they both needed and gave each other, without having to fear ruining their friendship.
their friends never cared, already used to it since the beginning, knowing both of them had someone there for them to give them strength during hard times. neither mark and renjun or their friends had to worry about them falling into dark places because of a partner that didnt understand and help them or having to go through a painful and hard break up.
even if their feelings eventually became romantic, they never talked about it, never changed their label from best friends to something else, knowing it would only pressure them.
they liked the way it was, never wanting to change it.
and when mark came back after being in canada for a few months,
it was clear how much they needed each other.
how obvious it was when mark sipped from renjuns bottle with peppermint liquor, sharing his cigarettes with renjun whenever he asked.

cigarettes and peppermint.
others might find the combination odd, but to them
it was their favorite combo.

04.01.2023