three is the perfect number || jaenoren (norenmin)

vingt-quatre

"Je-nooo? Push me?" 

A nine-year-old Jeno looked over from where he was sitting at his best friend, whose feet just about brushed the gravel beneath the swing. He smiled, timed and steadied himself, then jumped off at the zenith of the arc, eliciting a cry of awe from Renjun. Jeno smiled proudly and straightened up, making his way around the back of the swings and putting his hands on Renjun's back. 

"How high do you wanna go this time?" Renjun hesitated, then opened his mouth only to make a bubbly fish sound. 

Jeno poked him, "Make up your mind, stupid." Renjun huffed, shaking him off and humming thoughtfully, because this was a decision upon which his life rested. Jeno rolled his eyes and poked him again, to which Renjun leaned back quickly and hit Jeno's chest with the back of his head, making the boy wheeze. 

"I'll go high, but have it go faster as you go along so I don't notice." 

Jeno raised both eyebrows, "Sure, your majesty." 

Renjun tilted his head back and scowled, stating as gruffly as a child could that he would hit Jeno if he called him his majesty one more time. Jeno retorted cockily: "You're too short to do anything from down there — Ow. Sorry. Won't."

Jeno complacently pushed at Renjun's back, gradually stronger and stronger until Renjun was almost parallel to the ground at the apex of his swings and squealing with glee, and Jeno had to step back and make a show of covering his ears. But it made him happy too, hearing his friend's laugh. It had a jingle to it, like a Christmas carol; It's beautiful, it's full of memories, it'll never get old. 

Jeno had an arm wrapped around Renjun's shoulders the entire walk to the Huang house, Renjun grumbling about how heavy it was and that he would un-bestfriend him if he didn't stop acting like a five-year-old. Jeno bit back his retorts so he wasn't hit again. 

It was a typical summer evening with the sun hovering stubbornly over the horizon outside as they went to bed, shorts and t-shirts donned, Renjun's tiny Moomin plushie in hand. Jeno had forgone bringing his weird mouse-guinea-pig-hybrid teddy thing, because he had discovered that Renjun made a far better cuddler. He was a lot warmer and his hair always smelt nice, probably because his mom forced him to take a bath every single day with what Renjun liked to call "Satan's shampoo". 

Jeno finished brushing his teeth first and went and laid down on Renjun's single bed, fiddling with Renjun's bedside clock and waiting for his best friend. When he did arrive, he threw himself half on top of Jeno who wheezed for the second time that day. Renjun didn't move from then. 

Five minutes on, Jeno decided he wasn't sleepy at all. He wished to get up and maybe ask for some milk, or at least get water, but he didn't want to stir Renjun, who was snuggled half in his arms and half in the duvet, evidently fast asleep. His best friend was a light sleeper, and Jeno wasn't taking any chances, so he moved his position carefully over the course of two minutes so he could stare at the glowing stars on the ceiling, which were blurry to him as he didn't have his glasses on and the ceiling was too far up. He had nearly fallen asleep when Renjun kicked him in the leg and told him to stop breathing so loudly, giving Jeno a heart attack. 

Jeno huffed and kicked him back awkwardly, ending up kicking his own leg as well, as they were tangled together. Renjun snorted and turned so he was facing Jeno, just so that he could see him stick his tongue out mockingly. Jeno felt something erupt in his chest. He didn't know what it was or how to express it, but it felt nice despite the weird, sort of painful feeling left behind. He decided not to mention it.