three is the perfect number || jaenoren (norenmin)

vingt-six

| nana <3: he's on his way to the cafe. good luck.

Jeno's grip on his phone turned his fingers white. He typed a hasty thank you and shoved the phone back into his pocket, almost curling in on himself. He was so damn nervous, it was comical. It was only his desperation for at least some interaction with Renjun that kept him rooted on his seat by the door of Timeless cafe, which was miraculously still open (well, as miraculous as it could get when you had begged the owner to keep it open just a little longer because your oldest and most precious relationship was hanging in the balance).

It was a strange, almost surreal experience; There was no one in the cafe, which was usually buzzing with activity, and the lights were dimmer now that half of them had been switched off for the night. The light-up sign at the window burned green and pink stars into his eyes, so he looked away from them, back at the empty sugar packet he was ripping up on the table. It was dead quiet, and Jeno had nothing to focus on but the scattered sugar grains and the thumping of his own blood in his ears.

When a small silhouette drew itself up against the warm glow of the street lights, Jeno held his breath until he knew it was Renjun, then held his breath again as the door opened with a muted jingle and as Renjun's footsteps echoed around the room. Then, he was right in front of Jeno in his usual seat, looking him in the eye as if this was just another day. Jeno drank in his presence, holding the spotlight-bright gaze as best as he could.  

"Renjun — hi." His voice was far too breathy — it was like he had already confessed.

Renjun blinked twice, very slowly, and replied: "Hello, Jeno. Bit cold out, isn't it?"

Jeno bit back a smile at hearing Renjun's voice again, and instead said, "Not as cold as you've been this past week, you dick. I —" He faltered. "I missed you."

Renjun put his hand on Jeno's wrist, holding it lightly, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Jeno. It was just me being petty for you not telling me right away, you know?" Renjun squeezed out a chuckle, and a delirious one, at that. Jeno furrowed his eyebrows, then pushed the little slivers of paper off the table and sprinkled them into one hand, so that he could look anywhere else. It had always been hard to think straight when his gay awakening was looking him in the face.

He remained puzzled, however. "Renjun, what did I not tell you? What have you been talking about? 'I know what you wanted to tell me' — That's what you told me on Wednesday. What do you mean?" 

Renjun blinked at him, then smiled thinly as he said, "That you and Jaemin are dating, or are damn near doing that. I didn't even know that — I mean, you didn't even say anything about — Jeno?"

Jeno's eyes were wide with shock, one hand braced on the table as if he was going to fall over even though he was sitting down. So Jaemin had been right, the absolute genius.

"Renjun — that's not true. Not one bit — Why... How did you even come to think that? Was it the fact that we walked to class together? But friends do that! We do that!" Jeno held his hand out imploringly, but Renjun just ran his cold hands down his own face, squeezing his eyes shut as he shook his head. 

"Jeno. You can't be mad at me, but I just inferred that you were a thing because... Oh, man. Oh, crap. I saw you two —" he gestured weakly out the window at the empty car park in front of the cafe. "And you were... well... But then, if you're not, you were never together? And then Jaemin said —"

"Renjun!" Jeno leaned halfway across the table and placed both hands on Renjun's shoulder and shook him lightly. "Why. Did. You. Think. Me. And. Jaemin. Were. Dating." Jeno enunciated each word clearly and thoroughly, so Renjun would stop freaking out.