Monopoly | Norenmin

too close.

Renjun huffed, whining slightly as he threw the controller down across the carpet. He pouted over at Jeno who was busy laughing and cheering for his own achievements.
"This is unfair," Renjun whined, headbutting Jeno's shoulder before slumping into the couch. "You play more games than me."
"And that's unfair?" Jeno chuckled, crawling over to his console and taking the game out. He glanced back at Renjun as he grabbed the game case. "It just means I'm more skilled."
"Which makes it unfair!" Renjun yelped back, flopping on to his side in sadness and shame. It's not his problem he actually did his work and assignments properly while Jeno procrastinated. Sometimes he reckoned Jeno should've just dropped out.
Actually if he was being honest, he also procrastinated his work. He just was better at bullshitting than Jeno cause he actually read the content from his classes so he wasn't just reduced to knowing 'the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell'.

Jeno flicked through the box of games he had. "Why don't we play a horror game?" He suggested with an evil looking smile. He grabbed one of them out, showing it to Renjun as he wiggled his eyebrows. "Outlast?"
"Oh absolutely not," Renjun jumped onto his knees and snatched the game out of his hands. He tossed it into the box, his heart skipping a bit in fear. He probably should've been more careful but he would be pretty happy if it broke. "I am never ever doing that again."
Jeno broke into a teasing grin. "Oh why?" He leaned over to Renjun, tilting his head a little. "What's so bad about it, it's a good game."
Renjun flicked Jeno's forehead, glaring at him a little. "Remind me again what happened last time?"
Jeno broke into giggles, "what do you mean? I don't remember anything bad happening."
Renjun bit his lip, trying to keep up his 'angry look' even if he was slowly breaking into a bit of laughter himself. "I spent the entire game hiding behind you," he huffed, grabbing a cushion from behind him and smacking Jeno with it. "What do you mean you forgot?"
He shook his head as Jeno laughed fondly at the memories. It wasn't even that long ago, maybe two years ago. All Renjun was willing to remember from that experience was how tightly he let himself hold on to Jeno, burying his face away as Jeno laughed and played the game with no fear. His knight protecting him from the creepy deformed flesh exposed creatures threatening to pop out of the screen. Who in their right mind came up with such a concept? They should've been arrested in his opinion.

Jeno sighed as he recovered, pushing around the games into a neatened order before moving it away. He slid back over to where Renjun was before curling himself around him, taking the older boy off guard. His head darted over, Jeno physically trying to embed himself into Renjun. His arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, Renjun being able to feel his fingernails pushing into his skin.
This might be a problem.

"Jeno," Renjun asked, moving his arms around him just in case. "What's wrong?"
Jeno shook his head with a smile, moving his legs over Renjun's lap, Renjun now essentially cradling a man twice his size. "Nothing, I just want affection today."
Renjun scoffed, looking at him with a deadpan expression. "I am the last person you should ask for affection from." He huffed, absentmindedly reaching up and carding his fingers through Jeno's hair. Jeno chuckled, just nuzzling into him. It's happened before, it wasn't that he wasn't used to it. It just felt different this time. Jeno cuddled him all the time, but Renjun could see the difference in his eyes, his smile. A mask put up in defence from himself.

"...It's bothering you, isn't it?" Renjun asked softly, Jeno tensing up a little, slightly crushing Renjun's ribs but he didn't mind. He glanced down to see Jeno's eyes had shot open, slightly glazed over. He watched him slowly look up to him, giving him a curt nod in response.
He had noticed it, and maybe if he wasn't so weak for Jaemin himself, he would've been able to stop this ahead. Jaemin really just had to come sweep him off his feet in the midst of his feelings hurricane and now he was trying to recover broken parts and fix everything himself. Cause if Jeno found out, he'd be subjected to a tsunami of dread and fury that would be difficult to clean up. He might as well drown.

Renjun shuffled slightly to be able to see Jeno properly, "You should talk to him, Jeno."
Jeno shook his head rapidly, loosening the hold he had on him. "There's nothing I can do."
"There's nothing you want to do," Renjun sighed, shaking his head a bit. "I thought you loved him."
Jeno looked around, sifting through his feelings in distress. He did still love him. Renjun was sure of it. The plan didn't work. It would never work. He watched Jeno wince slightly as he thought. It shouldn't have worked.
Jeno looked up slowly, "It doesn't matter. You've spoken to him, anyway. If you couldn't do anything-"
"That's cause he doesn't fucking listen," Renjun snapped, cursing Jaemin's name in his head.
Jeno smiled sadly at him, reaching up and delicately pushing Renjun's hair with his fingertips. He drew them down, cupping his face and sighing to himself. "It's okay," He leaned his head on Renjun's shoulder. "I have you."

It wasn't supposed to work.

Renjun grabbed Jeno's hand tightly with fire in his eyes. He didn't want this anymore, this wasn't interesting, it wasn't fun. He didn't like being this person for Jeno, not in this way. He was tired of playing with his feelings, which now really started to hit him.
He hated Na Jaemin. A burning feud fueled by Jeno's unshed tears. He was fed up, he wanted to grab Jaemin and drag his face across a brick wall as he screamed at him. He wanted to be done, he hated this. He hated the person he had become. What use was having Jeno's heart when it was beaten and shattered by his own hands. Maybe Jeno should be the one to beat him to pulp, swing a metal baseball bat at his head hoping wherever he landed he could grow a brain there, grow a heart.

He just wanted them to be okay again. To be hopelessly in love once more, back to a time before it all crashed around them. Before Renjun tried anything. He wanted to fight so hard on Jeno's behalf. To snap him out of his daze, tell him to get a grip and yell at Jaemin (and himself for that matter) for the shit they had been pulling.

He wanted to cry on his behalf. Or maybe he just wanted to cry for himself.

"I am not Jaemin," Renjun said assertively, startling Jeno slightly. He could see Jeno wincing from the grip he had on his wrist but he couldn't care less. He wasn't Jaemin. He wasn't his. He didn't want to be anyone's anymore. "I can't be his replacement, Jeno," he said, his voice trembling ever so slightly. "I refuse to be."
"Why?" Jeno's face fell slightly as Renjun gently pushed him away. "Why can't you be here for me?"
"Because it's not right," Renjun exhaled, shaking slightly. He stood up gradually, feeling discomfort in his throat once more. Jeno looked down, pushing himself away. Renjun bit his lip, noticing the slight frustration. It didn't matter right now. What he needed to do now was get Jaemin to talk to Jeno. Cause if Jeno wasn't going to do it, he'd make Jaemin do it. He'd roundhouse kick him in the face if it meant Jaemin would come to his senses. It was a pathetic thing for them to do to begin with and now he was gonna stop it before it became irreversible.

He didn't want Jaemin and Jeno to become strangers. He let himself go along with it and now he was done. It was time for Jaemin to be done too. He just really damn hoped it would work this time.

Third time's the charm, right?