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

·sixteen·

His slim fingers skimmed the surface of the polaroid photo, clear liquid gathering at the corners of his eyes as he looked back towards the sleeping boy stretched across the bed.

‣‣

After a few hours, Renjun and Chenle had exited the room, the younger boy's cuts now clean. He'd taken Chenle up to his bedroom and made him lie down, telling him to rest. Chenle wouldn't let him leave the room though, saying that he couldn't sleep if the elder wasn't by his side.

Renjun rolled his eyes before pulling out a chair and sitting down, to which Chenle made a confused face and asked him what he was doing.

The green haired boy threw his covers back and patted the spot next to him, telling Renjun to join him. Said boy huffed out a sigh but joined him nonetheless, Chenle immediately snuggling up to him as he pulled the covers back over them.

Renjun had woken up the next day to Chenle clinging onto him tightly. Legs wrapped around the ravenette's torso and arms secured around his neck, hair tickling the side of his cheek.

He groaned as Chenle cuddled closer to him, lips brushing against his collarbone, "Chenle," he tried to wriggle out of the boy's hold, but he couldn't, "I want to eattttt," he whined. He just couldn't shake the younger off.

The door squeaked open and Mr. and Mrs. Zhong walked in, a butler and maid following them with two trays of food in their hands. Chenle's father sat on an armchair positioned diagonally to the door and his mother made herself comfortable on one of the two loveseats in the room.

Renjun fought his way out of Chenle's grip on arrival of his parents. He wasn't really embarrassed, it was a common occurrence to find the two tangled together like the way they were now, his heart and body just jumped up at the sight of food and he promptly snatched the tray out of the maid's hands and started devouring the spread on it.

Chenle's head was now falling off the side of his lap, arms loosely clasped around his waist as he snored loudly. Chenle was a deep sleeper. A very deep sleeper.

Mr. and Mrs. Zhong laughed at the black haired boy's antics and watched him adoringly as he ate.

(Their son's meal had been taken back downstairs and disposed of, they'd make him a new one when he awoke - couldn't have him eat food that wasn't fresh, even if it was only a few hours old.)

Once he'd finished, putting the tray to the side so that the staff could get it later, he looked at the seated duo.

"He got into a fight yesterday..."

‣‣

Renjun retold the story to them as he had heard it from the younger, fingers trailing through his soft locks as he stared upon the bruise that had started to form on one of Chenle's cheekbones. He was beautiful.

His Chenle was so beautiful.

‣‣

When Chenle had finally woken up, it was late in the evening, Mr. Zhong had pushed them out the door of the mansion, directing them towards a business acquaintance's house. He told them it was their daughter's birthday, told them they should loosen up a little and enjoy the outside world more.

They weren't expecting what they walked into, to say the least. It looked more like a club scene than someone's 16th birthday, but they weren't about to criticise another person's tastes. After all, the majority of Renjun's birthdays were Moomin themed and all of Chenle's were Renjun themed.

(Yes, he liked Renjun that much even back then. He wasn't a very stuck up or spoilt child despite his upbringing, but he would throw a massive tantrum if they'd plan anything for his birthday that didn't involve Renjun's face or name. To be completely honest, the green haired boy's birthdays always looked like they were made for his best friend instead.)

At that time, loads of girls had thrown themselves at the two, trying - and failing — to flirt with them. Chenle didn't like it, so he stuck to Renjun's side throughout the whole event, never once straying away, with a grip so tight on his arm, it had probably left bruises on his papery skin.

Chenle's father had come to pick them up after two hours had passed, itching with worry when Renjun hadn't replied to his text. He thought that something bad had happened to the two. He'd sent them out to relax, but they could've been in trouble and if they were, the man wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing that they could've been hurt.

In actuality however, Renjun hadn't even seen the text because Chenle had stolen his phone, complaining that he was paying too much attention to it and then buried his face into Renjun's neck.

"Gege, it's really loud here," Chenle's words kissed his skin. Renjun pulled the younger away from him with concern painting the edges of his face, "do you want to leave Lele? Are you okay?"

Chenle shook his head, bringing his face closer to Renjun's, guiding the ravenette's hand to caress over his slightly swollen cheekbone. They drew closer to each other, Chenle let his hands wrap around the other's neck as he brought their foreheads together.

They were so close that Renjun could see the little wisps of light brown that swam around in Chenle's irises. He lost himself in those endless pools, like running earth. The world around them spun into blackness, neon lights that flashed in bright colours fading into nothing as they gazed into each other's orbs.

The tears finally fell free as Renjun recalled all the feelings from back then, all the emotions that were trapped within the shiny paper. It was suffocating him to see how much he'd let slip away in these years apart. What he'd given up when he let the distance take a reign on his friendship with the blonde.

Chenle's lips parted slightly, only to whisper, "Ge, it's really loud here, but it doesn't matter, because the way I love you and the way you love me is louder."

Snap!

And that was the moment that the photo had captured. Renjun's attention shifted from Chenle's soft and plump lips to Mr. Zhong who was standing not too far from them — smile wide on his face as he looked at the picture he just took.

"Dad!" Chenle whined as he detached himself from his friend. His smile twitched slightly and although he said it in an embarrassed way, he was more disappointed and sad than anything else.

That was his chance and it just flew away from him.

‣‣

Renjun swallowed painfully, fingers tracing over the purple that spread across Chenle's face on the photo.

"Renjun ge?" A raspy voice interrupted his ministrations and Renjun quickly dried his eyes before turning to the blonde that was now sitting up on the bed, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, Lele?"

"Come back to me," he said, patting the spot beside him, "you know I can't sleep properly without you."

Renjun's eyes glazed over again, but he looked down while making his way over so Chenle didn't see.

Somethings didn't change. Somethings never will.

"I'll always come back to you Chenle. Always."