there's a flashback in this chapter. the beginning and end of it will be italicized, and it's not written in present tense. you'll know it when you see it. :)
***
Jaemin wakes up the next morning to a suffocating weight on top of him. He can't free his arms from where they rest at his sides, gunting in frustration and blinking his eyes against his sleep to see what was on him.
He snorts shortly after opening his eyes, forgetting about freeing himself and relaxing back into the comfort of the mattress when he realizes where the weight is coming from.
The bulk of Jeno's body weight rests on top of Jaemin, the only exception being his legs—although, they are entangled with Jaemin's.
Jaemin laughs quietly at his predicament. He remembers having gone to bed being the one clinging to Jeno, the older pushing him off and pretending to not want his affection.
Oh, how the tables have turned. He thinks to himself.
He stares at the ceiling, content with the situation he's in while fighting off another wave of sleep. He combs his fingers through Jeno's hair after managing to free one of his arms, smiling at how even in his sleep Jeno pushes his head back to meet his hand.
When his eyes begin to close, sleep beginning to overtake him, he stops the languid stroke of his hand.
"Why'd you stop?" Jeno grunts suddenly, not surprising Jaemin that he'd woken up because he stopped petting him.
"Go back to sleep." Jaemin shushes him with his eyes closed.
Jeno huffs, lightly knocking his head against Jaemin's chin. "You're the one who woke me up."
"You started it."
"Did not!"
"Stop being so loud," Jaemin scolds, but there's no heat behind his words. "They could still be sleeping." He reminds him.
He feels it when Jeno moves to look at him, pressing his arms against his chest to steady himself. Jaemin groans, opening his eyes to glare at him but stops short.
Jeno is smiling at him. His stupid, dopey grin that he knows he could get away with murder with because Jaemin adores it.
The early morning sunlight shines through the window, momentarily blinding Jaemin before Jeno blocks the light with his head. The light spills through the black strands of his hair. Jaemin reaches to tangle his fingers through the strands, delighted at the sight of Jeno's grin brightening.
"You're such a simp." Jaemin teases with a grin of his own.
"For you?" Jeno leans in to place a peck on Jaemin's forehead. "Absolutely."
Jeno rolls off of him without another word. His action gets a whine out of Jaemin who moves to cling to his side, hiding his face in his neck.
Jeno chuckles at his behavior, but does nothing to separate himself from Jaemin's clinginess. "Now which one of us is the simp?"
"Shut up." Jaemin kicks him, still refusing to remove himself from Jeno's side. "I just missed you."
Jeno is silent for a moment. Jaemin looks up to find a sad smile on his face. Jeno shifts on the bed so that he is lying down facing Jaemin. He stares at him silently, observing him through his lashes.
The Jaemin from last night was not something Jeno loved to see. Not that he wasn't happy to see him—he was, more than anything in the world—but it was like he was a completely different person. He was used to Jaemin being bright eyed and smiling the smile Jeno fell in love with all over again whenever he saw it. The Jaemin from last night was nothing like what he was used to. It was as if the life had been sucked out of him.
