~forty four~

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At around two or three in the morning, Jeno woke up with a sudden jolt, obviously having been disturbed by a nightmare. He looked around aimlessly in the dark, breathing heavily, and shivering at the cold sweat enveloping his body.

He reached out his hand, feeling Renjun's warm figure and sighing in relief. He wrapped himself around the older, trying to calm down.

Thinking about it now, the brunette couldn't remember what his fears were about. The nightmare had left his mind as quickly as he had woken up.

As he nuzzled into Renjun's smaller frame, he could feel the long and relaxed breaths the other elicited and his peaceful heartbeat. It was lulling him into sleep once again until he heard the faint sound of sobbing and weak words of retaliation.

"Jaemin?" He whispered in confusion, suddenly getting extremely worried.

Was he okay?
Was he having a nightmare as well?
Had someone gotten in?

Quickly, he sat up, making sure Renjun didn't awaken, and slid off the mattress as quietly as possible.

He was thankful for the silent floorboards as his bare feet took him to the next door along. Jeno was delicate when pushing it open, peering inside and seeing that Jaemin had left the blind up.

The moon filtered in through the huge window, shedding light on the writhing teen. His skin was covered in a sheen of sweat as well, and he was crying.

"Jaemin?" Jeno whispered, stepping inside and closing the door. He felt his heart hurt the closer he got, assuming that the younger was trapped in one nasty dream.

"Shhh, wake up," he continued, sitting beside him, reaching his hand out to touch his cheek.

The brunette got a fright though, as Jaemin opened his eyes suddenly, screamed and threw Jeno onto the mattress beside him, pinning his arms beside his head.

"Jaemin?!" The older gasped, struggling under his grip. The blonde was straddling his waist, breathing so heavily, it looked like anger, when really it was fear. His eyes were wild under the moon and his chest was heaving.

"Jeno?"

"Yeah, it's me," the older murmured, swallowing harshly as the other loosened his grip on his wrists, sliding his hands into Jeno's to hold them reassuringly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, shivering and still attempting to calm down.

"What's going on? What did you dream about?" Jeno tried to question, bewildered by what he had walked in on. Jaemin never really showed weakness. Not like this anyway.

"Nothing," he responded softly, crawling off and lying down against Jeno's chest. "Just a bad dream."

"Don't lie to me," Jeno pressed, "We all promised we wouldn't keep anything from each other."

"But it's.....it's hard to talk about."

"Then take your time."

You don't get it! Jaemin wanted to snap. This was his secret. The remaining of the big three they all agreed on. He knew it was time to share it, like the other's had with theirs. But he couldn't find the courage within himself to do it.

"C'mon, Jaemin," the brunette hummed softly, playing with the blonde's hair soothingly. "Or is this something Renjun should hear?"

"Mmm, it is."

"Oh....." the older thought for a moment, growing evermore concerned about whatever he was hiding. "Then.....do you want to come and sleep with Renjun and I?"

Jaemin smiled lightly, tilting his head to look up at the other. "You don't mind?"

"I assumed boyfriends slept in the same room when possible, though perhaps I've been mistaken-" he was stopped when the younger moved up to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

It was soft, like their feelings, and Jaemin felt he really needed it to push away the 'bad kisses' from his aunt all that time ago. Even now, his nightmares about her still surfaced.

The raw fear of an eight year old boy everytime his bedroom door opened well after bedtime.

"I love you," Jeno whispered against his lips, catching them again at a slightly deeper angle.

Jaemin returned to sitting on the other's hips, clinging to the body heat as best he could. His cold sweat made him shiver against the night air, and Jeno could tell.

"Let's go," he suggested. "Poor Renjun will get cold now."

"I love you too," the blonde muttered out gently, swallowing hard now since he needed a drink. The more he spoke these days, the less painful his vocal cords became.

The pair stood up, Jaemin clinging to Jeno as they passed through the door, knowing full well the object of his torment was behind bars, but still getting the creeps in the dark.

Once inside the double room, they tried to be quiet while making their way over to the bed. Renjun didn't stir as they slipped inside, though turned to face Jaemin, who was squished between the pair, in his sleep.

"Try to get some sleep," Jeno whispered as he cuddled into the blonde's firm back. "We're meeting Mark tomorrow."

Jaemin nodded against the pillow, even though he wasn't facing him. "Did Renjun ever tell you about, Mark? Their history?"

"It must be easier to whisper, is it?" Jeno dodged the topic, starting to get nervous.

"It's easier. Less strain. But are you going to answer my question?"

".....he hasn't said anything. But he sort of implied something once. What did he tell you?"

"He said that he liked Mark, like he feels about us, for basically his whole childhood."

"Are they exes?"

"That guy never returned the feelings....."

That sentence alone make Jeno a little angry. He knew how sensitive his other partner was, and how hurt he got even when Jaemin moved in on Jeno, leaving Renjun out. If he harboured such a strong crush for so long.....he must've been devastated.

"It's not Mark's fault of course," Jaemin added, "But it annoyed me to hear it. Renjun is so cute."

"I know. Perhaps it was for the best though," Jeno pinched the other's side, "He ended up with us in the end."

"True," the younger smiled softly, "I'm glad things have worked out."

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𝗮𝗿𝗺'𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵; norenminWhere stories live. Discover now