Mid Summer

epilogue.

"What do you mean Renjun has a hickey on his neck?"

"I mean, Renjun has a hickey on his neck."

"But I—"

"Okay, it's not that deep."

"What do you mean it's not that deep?"

"Jaemin—"

"Jeno!"

"Guys. You're giving me greys."

"Donghyuck. No one asked."

"Marker. Shut the fuck up."

"Donghyuck—"

"OhmyGodXuxijustaskedifIwantedtowatchthenewAvengersmovie."

Everyone turns their heads to Renjun, who's staring at his phone with his mouth agape.

"Do I say yes?" He asks in a whisper.

"Do you want to go?" Donghyuck asks helpfully. "The movie comes out late April."

"Of course I want to go!" Renjun squeaks immediately, eyes wide as he speaks to Donghyuck. "Xuxi is stupid and is gonna yawn and then put his arm around me or something." He adds in a mumble.

"Have you ever called him Xuxi?" Mark asks in a low tone to Jeno, the latter just shrugging and then shaking his head. "Right. I've only ever heard Jungwoo and Renjun calling him Xuxi. Yukhei, right?" Jeno nods, smiling with his eyes scrunched up as he follows up on what Mark has said.

"I think he only lets people he likes call him Xuxi."

Mark looks offended.

"Yukhei likes me!" He defends, gaining the attention of everyone else in the room along with Jeno's. Jaemin and Donghyuck look confused and amused, while Renjun looks like he could kill.

"No he doesn't!" Renjun fires, glaring daggers at the eldest in the room. "You play one game of basketball and you think you're all chummy!" 

"Did he really just say chummy?" Jeno whispers to Donghyuck, who nods his head disappointedly. "Ew."

"Don't get all defensive!" Mark accuses, pointing a finger at Renjun. "You didn't even know Yukhei was pining over your skinny ass until a few weeks ago!"

"Mark, oh my God—" Jaemin whines, mentally face palming as he replays the elder's words in his head. "You don't just say that, for fuck's sake Mark."

"We've been over this!" Renjun roars, standing up and walking over to Mark, until they were chest to chest. The three others in the room knew that the two of them wouldn't do anything to each other, except maybe get a rise out of one another. Nonetheless, it was stupid and annoying to watch.

"This is why we can't have nice things," Donghyuck spits, shaking his head as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Fucking Aries and Leo."

"Says the Gemini."

"Shut the fuck up Taurus."

——

"Jaeminie."

"Hm?" The boy hums, sleepily opening his eyes against Jeno's collarbone. The four of them were sleeping in their makeshift bed (which consisted of both beds being pushed together), and Jaemin was really close to calling it a night, but Donghyuck just had to call out his name. "What is it Duckie?"

"Can you tell me something?" He asks softly, looking at Jaemin from his spot between the former and Mark. He's facing the youngest, but Jaemin has his back to him.

"Hm?" Jaemin hums again, turning around tiredly to now stare at Donghyuck with his puffy eyes. He doesn't open his eyes, but his arm reaches out to lay itself on Donghyuck's waist. "What's up?"

"Can you tell me... What love is?"

Jeno makes one of this cute little noises he often does when he's confused, and Mark wants to ask Donghyuck what he means by that. But before he can, Jaemin is already answering the question.

"Love is whatever you want it to be."

Jeno thinks that Jaemin is right, and Mark thinks that it's a sufficient answer. Donghyuck, however, isn't satisfied.

"Can you elaborate?"

"Donghyuck—"

"Shh!" Donghyuck shushes, cutting Mark off. He cranes a neck around a bit to look at the elder before whispering. "You'll like what you hear."

"Love is when Dongyoung hyung cooks Thai food for Ten hyung every three weeks."

No one says anything to that, except for Donghyuck, when his lips spread into a smile.

"Continue."

"Love is when Kwanhyung and Yangyang take turns riding in the passenger's seat because Deokjun is the only one with a license.

"When Chenle makes sure not to hurt himself during soccer practice because he knows Jisung will throw a fit about it.

"When Jaehyun hyung ties Taeyong hyung's tie before he leaves for work on the weekends, because hyung still doesn't know how to do it himself.

"When Woo hyung rubs lotion on Kun hyung's hands because he's always cleaning, until he works himself raw.

"When Taeil hyung spent his college nights working at a bar so that Youngho hyung could open up Lilac.

"When Sicheng hyung makes sure to clean Yuta hyung's earrings because Yuta hyung always forgets to, even though he has sensitive skin on his ears.

"When Yukhei waited years for Renjun to finally look his way."

Jaemin kept his eyes closed the entire time he's been speaking, but he opens them now, staring right at Donghyuck with his tired, hazy eyes.

"Love is when you opened your heart up to me after Mark hyung cheated on you."

Then, he turns his gaze to Mark, who is laying down behind Donghyuck.

"Love is when you took a fifth year so that you could graduate with Donghyuck." The latter's eyes widen significantly at the words, but before he can say anything about it, Jaemin turns back around until he's facing Jeno.

"Love is when you invited them to my birthday dinner."

Jaemin doesn't say anything for a while, and Donghyuck decides to take it upon himself to finish Jaemin's explanation.

"Love is mid summer...

... When you decided to give us a chance."