little: jaemin || caregiver: jeno and renjun
ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʔ•̫͡•ʕ•̫͡•ʔ
renjun knew he shouldn't think of his close friend this way but he can't help it; it's weird and it feels absolutely wrong!
he sighs, observing jaemin and jeno who were playing video games together. jeno was obviously winning against the younger one but renjun knew the silence was wrong.
jeno was too focused on playing to notice the things renjun was noticing. the boy was just smiling triumphantly, expecting their little to start coming out and whining over the "fact" that jeno-hyung cheated on the game.
"jaemin-ah!" said boy turned around with a curious expression on his face and renjun stared back. "are you alright?" "why wouldn't i be?" the question made jaemin look at the older one weirdly. "i-is there something wrong, injun?"
"no.. there's nothing— i'll be in my room if you guys need me."
🌾
after that eerie conversation, jeno took the initiative to observe jaemin in a subtle manner. renjun isn't insane; if he noticed something, there has to be something...
"nana-yah~" jeno waves his hand in front of an absentminded jaemin who just blinked and smiled after a while. "what?" "is there something bothering you?" again with the questions... jaemin pouts at jeno who was starting to hope for something.
"there's really nothing wrong, jen." jaemin says before standing up with a bright grin. "you want something?"
none of them expected renjun to randomly show up and they also didn't expect him to appear in front of them with looks that resemble a panicked movie character. "na jaemin, why haven't you slipped?"
the youngest one of the three chuckled, patting renjun on the head. "was that what this whole thing was about?" the two former caregivers nodded, worried looks now etched onto their faces. "it's simple, really... i just grew out of it, i guess?"
🌾
saying it disappointed renjun and jeno was an understatement; a massive fucking understatement. when jaemin wasn't there to see, the pair would rant to each other, wondering if they've failed their role as jaemin's caregivers.
"injunnie~!" renjun clearly recalls those days when his favourite little would run around while yelling out for him and when nana finally saw him, renjun would just be greeted with a colourful mess.
jeno saw renjun's sullen face, a sad smile plastered onto his lips as if he was mourning the death of someone. honestly, jeno felt the same and his memories taunted him too. he'd look at the ceiling and remembered the foolish imaginary tales jaemin would endlessly talk about, especially during the time when the boy was hardly with nct dream.
"guys~?!" they hear jaemin's voice from a distance, making the both of them instinctively try joking around to seem as though they weren't crying.
"found you~" jaemin giggles, entering the room and taking a seat on a beanbag chair in between the beds occupied by the older two.
"look... i know you guys are upset; maybe even guilty. but don't you guys realize that i can't slip anymore because i don't see a reason to?" jaemin says, making renjun look at him curiously. "the fuck you mean you don't see a reason to slip?" "renjun—" jaemin then chuckles, clapping his hands happily before standing up and giving both boys a peck on the cheek.
"you're kinda stupid right now, seeing as the reason i can't is so obvious!" "jUST TELL US ALREADY—" jeno says, sighing as the youngest continued giving loose threads to his side of the story.
"the both of you make me happy; too happy to the point where the stress that caused it seems to be nonexistent by now. thanks guys~"
