always ↬ leading me on || l.dh • h.rj • z.cl

·two·

The two boys had just about made their way into the kitchen before they had two pieces of toast flung at their faces. Jeno had somehow caught his before it fell and started munching on it as he walked to the fridge to get some milk. Jaemin, on the other hand, was now staring unfortunately at the piece of toast that lay on the porcelain tiles of the kitchen floor.

He looked up at Mrs. Lee, who was giggling silently. The boy looked like a kicked puppy and the way his eyes had widened animatedly — a glassy sheen coating them — was enough to make the woman stop immediately and put more bread into the toaster.

"Thanks, Mrs. Lee," Jeno spoke through the toast in his mouth, milk bottle in hand and bag slung over his shoulder as he crouched to pick up the food from the floor. He disposed of it and nodded towards the elderly figure as she replied to him gratefully.

By the time Jaemin's toast was done, Jeno had finished and he was sitting on the sofa sipping at his milk as the younger sat at the table, contentedly munching away at his 'breakfast'.

(Let's face it, a single piece of plain toast wasn't really a great breakfast, but Mrs. Lee knew that the boys would pick up actual food at the café nearby on their way to school so she didn't put in a great effort.)

A beat passed and then the slamming of a door could be heard as footsteps pattered down the stairs.

The sunshine child had finally decided to bless the world with his presence.

"Oh look, shithead finally decided to join us," Jeno murmured, resulting in a smack to the back of his head.

"Shut up you asshole, I need my beauty sleep."

The blonde simply rolled his eyes and stood, making his way to the door and wearing his trainers. Donghyuck glared at him all the way, but was interrupted by a cough.

He turned to look at both his mother and Jaemin giving him an incredulous look.

"What?" He questioned, as if he hadn't just walked down the stairs wearing a massive 'I LOVE LEE JENO' sticker on his hoodie.

(He did.)

And when he looked down it finally dawned on him — so he did the only thing he knew to do. He screamed and ripped it off, flinging it at Jaemin's face before running to Jeno and hitting him again.

(Well, he tried to fling it at Jaemin's face, but it kind of just fluttered around in the air before getting stuck to the floor.)

A chorus of laughter came from the kitchen, but Jeno was busy trying to choke his best friend. Why was he being tortured so much this morning?

"JaEmIn, hElP mE i'M dYIn-"

Jaemin stood by the kitchen entrance with a grin, leaning against the doorframe casually as he watched the scene play out in front of him. Jeno wasn't letting him go, hands wrapped around his neck, while he shook him violently; not to worry though, it was normal. Jeno and Donghyuck's special way of saying they loved and cared for each other was through their constant play fights so even as Mrs. Lee came out into the hallway with another piece of toast in hand, she wasn't really worried either.

"Donghyuck, stop bullying poor Jeno. He works so hard to wake you up every morning, be grateful," with that she flung the (slightly-burnt) toast at her son and went back into the kitchen.

Jeno had finally let go of the younger to let him eat his food, which he did albeit with an attitude, "Mum's so biased, I was the one being attacked."

Jaemin came over and patted both the boy's heads while slinging his bag over his shoulder, "it's okay Hyuck, I'll beat up Jeno for you."

Donghyuck stopped pouting and stuck his tongue out at the elder and put his trainers on. He went outside first after saying goodbye to his mother and was followed by Jaemin who ruffled his hair with a smile saying that he suited 'the messy-look'.

‣‣

Jeno was the last to come out of the house, closing the door once he'd exited. The two boys waited beside him as he tied up the lace of his white combat boots. They were his signature look and everyone understood why. They accentuated the strong build of his legs and hugged his calves perfectly, he looked like a Prince in them. Obviously, neither of the two would admit it to him, but everyone else did so Jeno knew.

The silence that had settled between them was broken by Jeno huffing as he stood. Some of his platinum blonde locks falling out of place as he stretched, basking in the warmth that the sunlight provided.

"Hyuck?" Jaemin whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You should've told us you had a thing for Jeno," he said, trying to stop the giggles escaping his mouth. "It would've been eas-" he was cut off by one of Donghyuck's white Adidas trainers hitting him square on the nose. What was it with people throwing things at him today? His poor beautiful face.

"It wasn't mines you ass."

"Oh really? Who's was it then?"

Jeno dodged before the younger could throw his other shoe at him and grinned, patting his back in reassurance.

"I'm sorry," he laughed, "I may or may not have stuck it to your hoodie while you were in the bathroom."

Jaemin raised a brow at that, not really knowing when he managed it, but he wouldn't doubt the Jeno magic; the boy was a master at doing things unnoticeably.

"Alright guys, I'd love to chat more, but we really are going to be late at this rate." The brunette stated, albeit with little care in his voice. After all, no one would dare do anything about it even if they were late, staff or students — they all knew the amount of power the three held within the school.

That, in addition to the fact that Jaemin and Jeno arrived two hours before the start of school, as they did every weekday, just to wake their best friend up and have enough time to go to their favourite café on the way. Really they weren't going to be late at all — Jaemin was just desperate for his coffee.

"You heard the old man Hyuck, let's go!" and then the duo ran off (Donghyuck somehow slipping his trainers back on) as Jaemin chased after them in mock anger.

In these moments, with the wind blowing through their hair and the sun beating down on them, life felt beautiful. It was perfect just the way it was, the three of them against the world.