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

·twenty two·

The five of them sat in a somewhat messy circle surrounding the bed Donghyuck was currently perched upon. Jaemin sat beside him while Jeno was on the floor with his leg stretched out. Renjun slumped against the chair that the albino had previously occupied and Chenle took up the single bed that was positioned diagonally across from the other one.

A thick silence had settled over them, room filled with tense air as everyone shared glances.

"Soooo..." Jaemin had started, "what was it that you want us all to talk about Jen?"

"This."

Jaemin let out an exasperated breath at the elder's single-worded reply and decided to try and get this over with as soon as possible. He stretched a little, the hands that he'd been leaning back on raising up into the air as he yawned.

"Well then, let's start with explanations first, yeah?" he asked, "why did you suddenly start giving us attitude?"

Chenle shot Renjun a worried glance, to which the elder returned a small smile of reassurance. He cleared his throat before looking back at the others with a solid glower, "because of the disrespect you all showed towards Lele."

Jaemin blinked once, before his lips parted and he let out a confused, "sorry?"

Renjun pointed at the blonde who sat with his hands balled up in his lap, bottom lip tugged between his teeth as he stared at the white sheets underneath him like they were the most interesting things on Earth.

"Chenle," he started, "my best friend."

Jeno's gaze shifted towards the younger as he tried to process the new information.

Best friend?

Is that why Renjun was so defensive over him? It explained why they were all over each other during lunch yesterday. It explained why Renjun may have been pissed at them too, but Jeno wasn't really thinking logically as he spoke his next words, a quite murmur of 'he isn't important enough to get into fights for'.

His friends' heads snapped towards him in shock; even Haechan had realised why Renjun had acted the way he did towards them. To be honest, he understood perfectly because if anyone had ever tried to harass Jeno and Jaemin, he would have happily snapped their neck without so much as a second thought.

So he couldn't really understand why Jeno was suddenly being so insensitive. Especially so, when he was the one that wanted to talk things out in the first place. Currently, the albino was only worsening the situation.

At this point Renjun had jolted to his feet, chair scraping against the white-tiled floor and creating a loud squeaking noise. Chenle had curled in on himself, eyes closed as he muttered silently under his breath. Praying that all of this would just end quickly.

Can't they just talk to each other normally, for once, without fighting?

"You bastar-" the ravenette was cut off when Donghyuck stood and blocked his view of Jeno. "Get out of my way," he spat, glaring daggers at the poised male in front of him.

"Renjun, just listen to me this once," the boy's name left Hyuck's lips with slight difficulty as he continued on, "he didn't mean it. I'm pretty sure he's just a little stressed. Jen's like that when he feels frustrated, it wasn't directed as an attack towards Chonlin."

Silence ensued after Donghyuck had closed his mouth. Renjun arched one of his perfect brows and Chenle stifled a smile.

"Uhhh... Hyuck? It's Chonlor not Chonlin," Jaemin corrected.

(Well, Jaemin tried at least).

A heartbeat passed - an all too familiar dolphin laugh sounding through the air as Renjun and Chenle burst into a fit of laughter.

"C-Chonlor. I-" Chenle wheezed, falling back onto the matress below him, voice wavering with the light and consistent rise and fall of his chest as he giggled.

Renjun wiped away a stray tear and voiced through his chuckles, a loud, "it's Chenle you idiots," and Jaemin and Donghyuck gaped. Even Jeno couldn't help but crack up at their stupidity.

The brunet who was sitting idly until now, recovered from his momentary shock and smiled wide. Contented that some of the strain in the atmosphere had dispersed.

‣‣

They settled after a while, Renjun and Donghyuck retiring back to their seats as the last laughs died down.

"Okay, you guys are dumb and that was funny, but it changes nothing. You still made Chenle feel like shit and that isn't something I'm gonna tolerate," Renjun was aware of the way Chenle's mouth opened in protest, but carried on anyway, "so let's make a deal."

Jeno perked up at the word 'deal', curious as to what the elder was planning. He'd figured that it'd be best not to speak after what he said though, already beating himself up mentally for not keeping a level-head.

Chenle was intrigued as well since his best friend was never the type to sit and talk out his problems rationally, he wondered what the other had up his sleeves. Although, he was definitely happy that Renjun was making an effort, perhaps they could find even-ground now.

"It's simple actually, I want all of you to stay away from Chenle and if your paths ever do cross, I'd expect you to be nothing but nice and hospitable towards him. In return, I'll stop with the attitude and leave you three alone."

Jaemin deflated a little, "but Injunnie, I want to be your friend," he whined.

Chenle felt a sharp pang in his chest and frowned at the way the brunet addressed his Renjun so familiarly. He didn't like it. However, it wasn't like he was going to make his jealousy known to everyone, he knew that his best friend didn't like clinginess. He knew that Renjun thrived off of freedom within all aspects of his life and he wasn't about to try and take that away.

And even though it hurt, he could live with the pain if it meant the elder's rapture.

He left his train of thought when he heard Renjun snort, "Jaemin, let's face it. It's gonna take more than a while for me to forgive you three and even if I do - don't expect everything to be perfect. The little part of me that said I could trust you guys is dead now, getting that back is gonna be hard," he chanced a look at his blonde friend's downcast face and went on, "things like this take time and though I really would prefer it if you left us alone, if you're sincerely sorry, I won't push you away. But that's only because Chenle wouldn't want me to. Know who you owe your chances to and be grateful towards him."

With the last things he wanted to say off of his chest, he stood and motioned for Chenle to follow him as he travelled to the door. The blonde obliged, gripping Renjun's hand in a soft hold. One that was being scrutinised under the stares of three pairs of envious orbs.

Jaemin sighed as he watched them leave and flopped down onto the bed, "I guess we're taking the chance we've been given boys, I just fell deeper in love."