Ships Passing In The Night ｜Markhyuck (OT21 AU)

Chapter 37

TW: Panic attacks. Mild, but be warned.

(Also, I briefly discuss the research and background of my approach to polyamory in the ending author notes for this chapter over on AO3. Check that out if you're at all interested.)

"Injunie, you're overthinking this again."

"But, what if...?"

"Stop. It's going to be great. Trust me." Despite his misgivings--and he had many--Renjun had to admit that Donghyuck was right. The disembodied voice of his best friend, piped into his ears via the substandard sound system in his car, was speaking nothing but reason, which was something he needed a whole lot of right at this moment.

"I'm nervous," he admitted, letting his forearms rest lightly on top of the steering wheel as he stared out into the busy street beyond his dash. He'd been holed up in his car for at least ten minutes at this point, having arrived in plenty of time for his date with Jeno, only to allow the inevitable march of time to tempt him into chickening out altogether.

"I know." Donghyuck broke up for a few seconds and Renjun missed the start of the next sentence, but it was the same thing the younger boy had been saying to him for days. He knew, way down deep inside where the sun didn't shine, that Jeno had absolutely no idea what had occurred between him and Jaemin a few days earlier--why would he? It wasn't like any of the three of them would have told him--but it was hard to persuade the tightly-wound, emotional side of him of that. Renjun was terrified that Jeno would take one look at him, sense the conflict within, and run for the hills. "...put it all out of your mind today and just try to have fun."

"I'll do my best, Hyuckie." Renjun took a deep, centering breath, which escaped in a rush as he spotted a familiar head of dark hair weaving through the crowds on the sidewalk toward him, and knew that his time to panic was over. He would take Donghyuck's advice and push everything else aside today, he assured himself. He would let himself have some fun with his crush, enjoying the date he'd imagined so many times over the years. It wouldn't be perfect--nothing ever was--but it could be a great memory, if he allowed it to be. "I've got to go. He's here."

"I love you--" Renjun cut off Donghyuck's profession, tapping his phone to disconnect the call just as Lee Jeno tapped on the driver's side window and peered in through the glass. Plastering a broad smile onto his face, the older boy pushed up off the wheel and turned to face him, flicking the lock so that Jeno could pull open the door that stood between them.

"Hi." Jeno's whole face lit up as he stared down at Renjun, one arm propped casually against the exterior of the metal chassis. At that, Renjun felt some of his remaining anxiety flee, because Jeno looked genuinely delighted to see him. There were no signs of trepidation on his end, not even the faintest hint of doubt in his dark eyes, and that meant that he hadn't yet seen through Renjun's thin veneer of calm. He could work with that, he reasoned, channelling Jeno's enthusiasm until it felt like his own--until it was his own.

"Hey." Renjun grinned up at Jeno, a touch more genuinely this time, and made quick work of unclipping his seatbelt. Jeno stepped back to allow him space to vacate the vehicle, leaning in quickly to rescue Renjun's keys when he almost left them behind, and then waited patiently while the older boy retrieved his winter coat from the back seat. It was chilly, the season still teetering on the precipice of winter, so Renjun had come prepared. Jeno had given away no clues as to their itinerary, other than to tell him to dress warmly, so he was taking no chances.

"Ready?" Jeno offered Renjun his arm, one elbow crooked pointedly in the other boy's direction, but, when Renjun just stared at him for a long moment, he flushed and pulled it back into his chest. "Never mind."