Bad Blood [NoRenMin] ✔

31

He's making his way up to his room and his head feels like a blur. He held a hand out against the wall as if to support him on his walk. He felt completely drained and honestly, the night could just end; he felt sick of it. Of today and all the events that seemed to transpire.

When he gets to his room, he doesn't expect to see someone on Haechan's bed. He shuts the door loudly (whether it was on purpose or just an accident, he couldn't even tell) and watches Renjun flinch. He smiles apologetically, but it feels more forced than anything else. Renjun must note this because his eyebrows furrow as he stands up, a look of concern washing over his face. "Is everything alright?" he asks softly. "Jaemin?"

"You know, we never had the whole ex-boyfriend talk before," Jaemin states. He walks past Renjun and takes a seat on his own bed. Renjun turns to face him, a glimmer of curiosity in his eye.

"No, we didn't," he says, words coming out slowly, seeming unsure as to where Jaemin was going with this.

"Mark told me that you haven't been this happy since Jeno," he says suddenly and watches the way Renjun's entire expression falls.

"Mark shouldn't have said that."

"No, but you should have." He pauses, looking down at the ground. "It was a little odd, because I haven't been this happy since Jeno. I thought the same name thing was a coincidence," Jaemin admits. He wants to know how Renjun looks right now, but he doesn't want to look up. He doesn't have the heart to look up. Not right now. "And I was worried about you because it's been a week since I've heard from you so I decided to stop by your room."

He hears the intake of breath from Renjun. "You did," he queries though it comes out as more of a statement or a search for confirmation.

Jaemin nods. "Do you know who answered the door?"

"He answered the door," Renjun murmurs in repetition.

"My supposed-to-be-dead ex-boyfriend," Jaemin states. He's furious and annoyed and no longer watching his words. "And as it so happens, your ex-boyfriend and roommate," he adds on. "That's who answers the door," he practically spits out as he looks up at Renjun. What Jaemin didn't expect was the blank stare from Renjun. He expected some sort of emotion, but no matter how hard he tried to search the other's face, there wasn't a sign of any.

"Supposed to be dead?" Renjun asks. He walks over to the otherside of the room and takes a seat on the bed, looking across at Jaemin. He sat so straight and he held his head high, Jaemin was a little surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, one day I was walking with Jeno and he got snatched and up until he answered your room door, I thought he was dead," Jaemin states honestly. His grip starts to tighten, but he tries to take slow breaths. (Renjun didn't need to know how this situation was making him feel.) Renjun isn't saying anything, and Jaemin wants to yell. He wants to get up and walk over there and shake Renjun until he's spilling out words, but he knew better. Forcing Renjun to speak would get them nowhere.

"Well, he's not dead."

"Not exactly," Jaemin mutters under his breath. He wasn't dead the way Jaemin originally thought he was, but technically he was dead. Undead.

Renjun's gaze flickers from his hands to meet Jaemin's eyes. His gaze is steady and his eyes are a smokey dark just as Jeno's had been. Exactly as Jeno's had been, he thinks. It's not the usual soft brown that they had been.

"You mean that you know," Renjun says firmly.

Jaemin frowns. "Know what?"

"You know about Jeno," he states in a matter-of-factly-tone. "It's written behind your words." Of course, Jaemin thinks. As a major reader, he would be able to read through whatever it was Jaemin said.

"What do I know about Jeno?" Jaemin asks, and then, as if a light bulb flickers on above his head, he narrows his eyes. "What do you know about Jeno?"

A pause hangs in the air. Jaemin can tell this won't be their usual evening get together or a happy little reunion. Renjun isn't looking at him and fuck because Jaemin just needs him to look at him again. He needs to look into his eyes and actually see Renjun, but for the entire pause, he doesn't look up. Not even as he replies, "I know what he is."

"What do you mean?" Jaemin frowns. His heart beat increases and he can feel his blood pumping through his veins. His entire body is stiff as he watches Renjun. He's scared. Scared that maybe Renjun does know which means he'll be in danger. Knowing vampires are never a good thing.

"I mean I know he's not human," Renjun states simply.

Jaemin shakes his head, refusing to believe this. He's shaking now. "I thought you said you don't believe in this kind of thing," Jaemin retorts. He wants him to lie; he wants Renjun saying that he doesn't believe in these things.

"I never said I don't believe," Renjun informs him. "And it's not like I always believed in these sorts of things. Not until I had no choice other than to believe" he adds as an afterthought.

"What do you—" As he processes what has been said, he doesn't know when or how, but he's standing and shaking his head. "No."

"Jaemin—"

"No. You're lying. You have to be lying." The desperation echoes through his voice and it feels like he's trying to convince himself more than he is Renjun. Renjun looks confused, and Jaemin is close to an actual breakdown as he murmurs, "You're a vampire?"

Slowly and reluctantly, Renjun nods. "I'm a vampire."

"No!" Jaemin practically yells. He's shaking more than before and he has to clench his hands to keep from doing anything stupid. He wants to hit himself. "Why? Why are you telling me this? Why now?"

Renjun sits still. They lock eyes, and he sighs. "Because I thought you knew," he mutters. "I thought you put the pieces together, but clearly not."

Jaemin steps back and Renjun stands. "Don't," Jaemin says sternly, eyes narrowed. "Don't step near me."

"Jaemin, please," Renjun pleads. "Let's just talk."

"I don't want to talk to you, Renjun."

Renjun's face pulls and there's a flash of pain in his eyes, but Jaemin chooses to ignore it. He steps closer and Jaemin immediately steps back.

"Jaemin, I'm still the same person I was before you knew," he tries to assure. "I'm still your boyfriend."

Hand already on the door, he takes one look at Renjun and shakes his head before turning away. "You are not my boyfriend, and you are not a person," Jaemin's tone is hard and clipped. "You're a monster."

He doesn't spare a glance as he leaves.