Ships Passing In The Night ｜Markhyuck (OT21 AU)

Chapter 51

TW: Discussed/mentioned homophobia 

"Well, shit."

Jaemin's words were little more than a whisper, hanging in the air between them like a wispy cloud of panic, but the silence that followed was thick and uncomfortable. Chenle and Jisung couldn't seem to look away from Jaemin's stricken face, while Renjun's eyes darted back and forth between the three of them so fast that Donghyuck suspected he'd soon start to feel dizzy.

He desperately wanted to say something to ease the tense atmosphere that had been created at their table--so at odds with the bustle and vibrancy of the rest of the student body around them--but he didn't want to make things worse. While Donghyuck was tangentially involved, by virtue of his friendship with all four of them, it was Renjun and Jaemin's story to tell, if they so chose. This almost certainly wasn't how they would have planned on revealing it to Jisung and Chenle, but whatever followed was not something Donghyuck had any right to dictate or interfere with.

"I'm sorry." Chenle was the first to break, wrapping his arms protectively around his waist as he dropped his gaze to the untouched tray of food in front of him. "I should never have said anything in the first place."

Jisung followed Chenle's lead almost immediately, looking away from Jaemin and leaning into his friend's side in a comforting gesture that Donghyuck would wager he wasn't consciously aware of. As he shifted, Jaemin let out a long gust of trapped air, like he'd suddenly been released from a spell holding him in suspended animation, and dropped both hands heavily into his lap.

If one of said hands found its way back to Renjun's thigh just a few short seconds later, Donghyuck certainly wasn't going to bring it up, but he did take note when Renjun turned his gaze resolutely onto Chenle instead. He looked more confused than worried now, which was a small comfort, but the conversation was far from over.

"Why are you sorry?" Renjun asked, turning in his seat so that his whole body was angled towards the middle of the table. In doing so, he shifted back along the bench towards Jaemin a little, who visibly relaxed with each inch of increased proximity. "You didn't start those rumours."

"No," Chenle conceded shyly, still not looking up from his food, "but it was my idea to ask if it was about Jaemin-hyung and Jeno-hyung. Sungie told me that it was a bad idea, and that it might make you all uncomfortable, but I did it anyway." He blinked away what looked to be a tear, and Renjun's expression softened in an instant.

"It's okay, Chenle-yah. We're not ashamed of our relationship." He glanced over at Jaemin, who quickly nodded in agreement. "You just surprised us, that's all. Not everyone would be as supportive as you two are."

"So I was right?" Jisung peered up at Renjun, who looked taken aback by the sudden eagerness in the usually passive teenager's voice.

"Right about what?"

"That the three of you are..." He paused, scrunching his nose adorably as he looked from Renjun to Jaemin and then back. "...you know."

Jaemin smirked then and, to Donghyuck, it was like the sun rising after a particularly dark winter's night. His lips curled up at the corners and continued to spread rapidly, until a surprised bark of laughter burst from him. "Jisung, what are you? Five?"

"Hyung!" Jisung scowled half-heartedly at the older boy, who couldn't quite school his face quickly enough to hide his glee. Jaemin just shrugged dismissively, still smirking, and Jisung huffed. "I'm not that much younger than you."

"You're young enough," Jaemin retorted. "Especially when you say things like that. Somehow, you were bold enough to call me out like that in front of Hyuck and Junie and yet, now, three minutes later, you can't even say the word relationship." He grinned impishly at the freshman again, and then nudged Renjun's shoulder with his own. "You were right though, Jisung-ah. We'd really appreciate it if you didn't go and spread it around the whole 10th grade, but you were right."