Run Away | NCT NoRen

VI

"I can... walk you home?" It sounded more like a question than an answer. Renjun blushed, shaking his head.

"No, it's-it's late and-well..."

"You might get taken advantage of by an Alpha." Jeno replied back, making him look up at him. "You're flowering so you might get jumped by one."

"And you won't?" After blurting it out, he used his good hand to cover his mouth. A laugh from Jeno reassured him, looking back up to him.

"I would never do anything like that to you, Renjun. Not in a million years."

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"Um Jeno?" He called out, seeing the other turn around to look at him. They had been walking back home from practice. They had left early from Jeno's burn and Renjun's flowering pheromones that could attract unwanted attention. With Jeno walking him home, he would be a way safer than being alone.

"What's up?" He asked him, stopping in his track to not get separated too much from Renjun.

"Can we stop by the convenience store?" His small and shaking finger pointed to the store nearby, seeing the taller nod and follow him right behind. He saw the looks Renjun got from others sitting nearby or those loitering around. Jeno frowned at them, walking right besides Renjun and tugging on his sleeve.

"Stay close to me. They're tryna see if they can get you alone." He whispered, seeing the smaller give a shy nod. He honestly didn't understand why the others were staring at him with other intentions when Jeno was being so kind and sweet to him.

"Um... just stay nearby while I buy something." Renjun turned to him, seeing him furrow his eyebrows in confusion.

"I can stay next to-"

"No!" He stopped himself from raising his voice, looking down sheepishly. "It's... well... embarrassing." He mumbled, seeing Jeno not quite understand.

"I don't get it." Jeno replied back, standing a little too close for Renjun's liking.

"I- I have to... buy my slick liners..." His voice trailed off into a whisper, only seeing Jeno smile a little.

"What's so embarrassing about that?" He asked back in a calm voice. Renjun was shocked to hear that, imagining he would be weirded out by him and what he needed to buy like everyone else would be. It was embarrassing to say to an "acquaintance" that he had to buy something that would prevent his pants from getting wet with slick.

"Just... Just stand at the end of the aisle and wait for me." Renjun mumbled seeing how he tried to run off. Jeno stopped him for a second, glancing back at the group of boys that used to be outside. He had noticed how weird they had been acting, loitering around and looking around the area for their next target.

"Put this on." Jeno gave him his sweater, seeing Renjun not question it but nod. Jeno went to another aisle, watching the group of boys from afar. They seemed to be in their first year of high school, being two or three years younger than both of them.

Jeno saw one of them laugh with his friends and head over to Renjun who was about to grab a packet of liners. Renjun was slightly bent over, leaning his hand down to grab it from a shelf near the bottom. The other boy slid his way in front of him, seeing Renjun touch the side of his thigh.