𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴; renmin

s•ix

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jeno lazily stacked cans of coke and fanta into the small fridge by the kiosk of the local petrol station. his eyes were set on his task, yet it wasn't what he was focused on. his mind wandered farther and farther away, and it was only one in the afternoon. it was days like today when he questioned why it was he bothered to work so much, because his bed seemed so much more appealing.

"hey, jeno," his colleague called across to him from the shelves down the back, "have you counted the money in the cash register yet?"

"nah, i was gonna wait 'til later." he rolled out his neck and closed the transparent door over. the sun was warming the glass of the storefront, which only encouraged the moderately sized space to act as a heat-trap and encase the boys in sweat. "when's your break?"

"psh, now. see you in half an hour, dude." the other male waved cutely before heading back into the staff room. jeno blinked in a daze and with slight confusion before eliciting a desperate whimper. ugh, i'm so sleepy. as he was about to return to stacking shelves once more, his coworker popped his head out from around the door a fraction and chuckled airily. "one other thing."

"what is it? i swear to god if you've left the ice-cream machine to me again i'll—"

"no, no. something easier for once."

"spill it. what extra work are you thrusting into my arms this time?" he grimaced, although it was friendly and he really didn't have that much of a problem with it. jeno had grown to be a very patient and tolerant man, what with the nature of his life and who he chose to keep in it. his colleague reached back into the staff room for a moment before extracting a bottle of chilled water from presumably the vending machine and chucking it halfway across the shop to land in the handsome boy's arms.

"take that out to the new mechanic out back."

"huh?"

"y'know, the one in the garage?"

"wait, i thought he was in hospital with an incurable disease," jeno frowned. "there's a new one?"

"mhm, a young guy too. apparently he's working here now, so go and introduce yourself and pass him that water. the boss doesn't want any of us fainting from heat strokes."

"seriously? there's no air conditioning in the garage~"

"boohoo, it's like five minutes. begone, child."

you're the same age as me, he wanted to snip back, but refrained from doing so and instead glanced down to the label of the plastic bottle in his hand. the clear liquid within sloshed with the aid of gravity as he pondered on his life choices and considered what it was this was all for. he just wanted to go home and cuddle nana...

the sooner i get this shift over with the better, he decided before straightening his posture triumphantly and twisting around to head out into the sun. it wasn't really the point in the year for hot temperatures, yet over in these parts it never really was. the weather tended to fluctuate a great deal between rain and glorious sun. snow to fog. nothing stuck around for long enough to discern real seasons.

the garage where customers pulled their cars up and requested for fixes or spare parts was all part of the petrol station. its crude exterior wasn't painted well, made entirely of metal and had a slide-down door to close and lock when needed. the vehicles laying around in pieces within it were unsettling, but the college student chose not to care too much. he merely had a mission here, and that was to introduce himself and throw the bottle of water over.

this would've been a lot easier though had the mechanic himself not been a child of aphrodite.

jeno froze up on the spot just at the large, open entrance. his eyes shifted over the back of a man wearing a large t-shirt and ripped jeans, tanned arms exposed to the sun and light, blonde hair tucked under a cap for the most part. when the boy turned around slightly, he wore a beautiful smile covered in black smears from oil.

stunning.

"hi," he chirped, rubbing off a wrench with a cloth. "what's up?"

the older had to think through his words for a moment, having expected a dude in his late thirties or even an antisocial engineer like they usually hired. not a tanned beauty in the same age bracket as himself. "hi?"

the pretty boy hummed softly as he placed the tool down with the rag and pulled his cap off to allow his gentle curls to line his forehead and temples. "no car?"

"huh?" he glanced at the bottle in his hand and groaned at his own stupidity. no wonder jaemin never looked at him twice. "oh, no i'm not here for repairs. actually, i work in the shop."

"ah, a potential workmate then," he chuckled and leaned against the side of a car with no wheels in the centre of the space. "is that mine then?"

"is what yours?"

"the peace offering?"

the taller wore the dumbest expression he could possibly possess and glanced down at the drink again. "oh fuck, yeah it is. sorry, my brain is melting today from lack of sleep."

"happens to the best of us, man," he smirked and caught the container hurled at him. "lee donghyuck. you?" 

"lee jeno." the ravenette watched as the other unscrewed the cap and started to gulp down the fresh aqua eagerly. it was apparent why he was so thirsty though, since there was no humane way of keeping cool out here in the heat or warm during the cold days. "when did you start working here?"

"two days ago, i believe," hyuck hummed and closed the bottle once more before picking up a spanner and fiddling with it as he pottered around the workshop. "i only just moved to town, you see. maybe one of these days you'll show me around," he winked.

he winked.

the energy and ease flowing from the guy was phenomenal, and it was sending all sorts of signals to a man who usually didn't pick them up. his mind was filled with jaemin, jaemin, and more jaemin. sometimes, when the moon was full and blue, he'd think about renjun and how that little shit was ruining everything. yet right now, he was making an acquaintance without any conscience.

it was...refreshing.

"maybe."

"see you around, jeno," he smiled softly, sending a small wave as well before getting back to work. he was quite intriguing already — a mixture of brave and flirtatious with enigmatic tendencies and withholding. an interesting combination.

"mhm, don't overwork yourself."

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