You're Mine - Nomin

10

The sun invaded the room, announcing it was a new day. Jeno was still wrapped around Jaemin's arms. The blonde guy tried moving but he didn't want to wake him up. His clock read it was already 9:00am. He had to get back home to finish some designs he had been working on. Jeno finally woke up, complaining about a headache due to last night's champagne.

"We need to get up, Jeno. It's already 9:00am and I'm sure you have work to do." Jaemin kissed his forehead before getting up from the bed.

"I'll cancel my agenda. Have breakfast with me?" Jeno smiled with his eyes still closed. Jaemin hated to reject his offer but he really wanted to finish those designs.

"I have work to do. Raincheck?"

"You owe me one." Jeno said. When he was about to hide between the sheets, his phone rang; it was Mark.

"It's 9:00am on a Saturday. What do you want?" Now he was in a bad mood.

"Ah yes, that's the man I know. Good morning to you too, Mr. Lee. Would you care to check your email? I just got off the phone with a brand that wants you to make an appearance on their event. I forwarded you the details."

"When is this?" Jeno loved events, but hated last minute invitations.

"It's this Friday. I would appreciate it if you checked the information so I can confirm or cancel your invite."

"I'll check it out. Call you in a bit." Jeno grabbed his bag to look for his computer. He had planned to stay for a couple of days so he brought his work stuff. Searching through his computer he found the information Mark had mentioned. A men's underwear brand wanted Jeno to open their activity. They had just launched a new collection and they needed someone with a body like his to represent them. Jeno was very interested in attending. "Looks like I might need an outfit."

"Really? What's the occasion?" Jaemin sat back down on the bed to listen to the model.

"It's a brand that designs male underwear. Their target market is people from high society and celebrities. I have no idea what to wear? Would you mind checking out the specifications? I'm going to take a quick shower before we leave."

"Sure, I'll be here brainstorming." Jaemin grabbed the computer when Jeno left. He was scrolling through the invitation, reading carefully what the brand was asking for. It seemed to be a semi-formal event where everyone would wear nude shades. Jaemin was pretty fast in the creative process when it came to design for his muse. He was taking some notes when Jeno got another email. Jaemin wanted to close the window but accidentally he clicked on it. He was about to press 'Exit' when he read his name on the text.

"Greetings Mr. Lee,

We reiterate the honor it was to have you in our event. As we discussed before, we are trying to contact you for a possible interview with your designer, Mr. Na Jaemin. We are still recruiting new talents for our intern program here in New York City and we are interested in hiring him. Please, feel free to contact our Administrative Assistant to provide Mr. Na's contact information; we'll take care of the rest.

Kind regards,
The NYFW Team"

Jaemin's heart stopped for a second. These people were considering him for an intern program in their main headquarters. Between the excitement he felt confused. The person who sent the email was talking like this wasn't the first conversation they had about him. Why wouldn't Jeno say anything about it before?

Jaemin was a very grounded person, but every now and then his impulses got the worst of him. He opened the email's search bar and typed his name. The computer took a while to load, making him think there were too many emails to open. When the email finally ran the data, he saw multiple emails from different brands. High end brands. All of the emails were forwards from Mark. He scrolled down and the names he saw made his jaw drop: Balenciaga, Ferragamo, Fendi... The list went on. All the emails contained the same request: companies were looking for Jaemin due to his creation of Jeno's outfit.

"The water is so good, you should go shower before we go." Jeno was drying his chest when Jaemin looked at him.

"Would you mind explaining this shit? Because I really hope you tell me I got it all wrong." Jaemin felt a lump on his throat but he wouldn't allow himself to crumble in front of his boss.

"What is it? You didn't like the concept of the event? You know we don't have to go if-" Jeno spoke casually without noticing the shift of the room's energy.

"Why is your email filled with brands trying to contact you to get my information? Actually, unreplied emails." Jaemin moved the computer closer to show Jeno what he was talking about.

Jeno's face didn't even fake a reaction; he knew exactly what Jaemin was talking about. For the last few weeks Mark had been telling him about brands trying to get in contact regarding Jaemin's unique work. He had read every single email, but he refused to let go of Jaemin. He knew it was very possessive of him to think this way. Truth is, he refused to let go of the only person that saw his true self and stayed.

"I can explain, Jae..."

"Please do. I want to hear the excuse you're about to give me. It better be good." Jaemin stood up to meet Jeno in the middle of the room.

"Since the moment you stepped in my studio I felt something pulling me towards you. You might think I'm just trying to gatekeep you for your job, but the truth is I like you way too much to let you go."

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit. You don't like anyone, not even yourself." Jaemin walked around the room from side to side collecting his thoughts. "Do you have any idea of what you just did? You literally ended me."

"Jaemin, are you listening to yourself? I can just call them and they'll give you that interview. It's not that serious honestly."

"Don't try telling me how to feel about this situation. I have been working so hard for this very moment, and as expected, you made this about yourself. Jeno, I left my luxurious life in Korea to go after my dreams. I started my career with nothing, all I wanted was one person's attention to sky rocket my job." Jaemin's eyes were now watery. He couldn't believe he actually thought Jeno would change. He gathered his things while Jeno looked at him.

"What are you doing? Are you leaving?" Jeno tried stopping him but Jaemin managed to escape his grip.

"I can't even look at you right now. People like you deserve to be alone. And listen to me, I will never forgive you for this one."

"Jaemin please, just give me a chance to show that I've really changed. After last night everything between us changed. You have no idea how much I-"

"Love me? What do you know about love? You can't even look at your reflection because you don't love yourself."

"You don't have to go that far. I already understood how mad you are. I know I can be a piece of shit at times but I do like you and everything I said for the past days has been real." Jeno grabbed Jaemin's face to make their eyes meet.

"I'm sorry but it's too late. Whatever you thought was going on between us is over." Jaemin removed Jeno's hands. "Don't come looking for me. I officially don't work for you anymore." The blonde guy grabbed his jacket and exited the room, leaving Jeno with his heart broken once again.

When Jeno decided to reject the emails it felt wrong. Jaemin was a very talented man who deserved to be recognized by the world. In his modeling career he had never met someone so dedicated and inspiring with their job. He was afraid the world would take him away from him, just like what happened with Kun. Jeno made a terrible mistake, an irreparable one.