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

·thirty one·

"I know you said you'd be late, but it's literally been three hours," Renjun said as soon as Chenle had walked into the bedroom.

The ravenette sat on the bed with papers sprawled out all around him and a phone held up to his ear. Chenle would've thought that Renjun was addressing whoever was on the other end of the line if it weren't for the fact that he was staring straight at him and so he let out a small 'sorry' before escaping into one of the bathrooms to shower.

When he had returned, Renjun was still on the phone and the blonde was curious as to who he could have been talking to for so long, raising a brow at the elder.

"Wait a minute Jaem, I'm putting you on speaker," he laughed lightly, pressing onto the screen once and setting the phone down, "Chenle's here."

"Oh, hey Chenle!" and as Jaemin's voice rang throughout the large room, the younger turned around and started to go through some files that he'd left on his desk, not wanting Renjun to notice the way he was gritting his teeth.

"Yeah, hi..." he greeted, not even half as enthusiastically as the elder - jealousy overcoming him in waves.

So he may or may not have been a little insecure around Jaemin, but that was only because his gege had seemed to genuinely like him before he'd found out about his whole involvement in Chenle's situation. He really couldn't help it, especially after finding out that they'd been on the phone for so long; Renjun hated calls.

"We were just talking about how we're gonna go about this whole project thing, we still have a lot to sort out, but we've discussed a few ideas," he spoke again and Chenle really didn't like the way he could spot his ge smiling from the corner of his eye.

"Yup! I've jotted down some notes while you were out so we can go over them whenever," Renjun gestured to the papers around him, "we were waiting for you so we could start a conference call with all the others- Chenle what's wrong?"

"Did something happen?" Jaemin's voice piped up from the other line.

"Nothing- nothing's wrong, I just feel kinda sick, make some room for me, please?" his voice quivered as he turned back to face Renjun.

The older immediately started clearing up some of the sheets around him and shifted to one side so that Chenle could slip into the bed. He checked his temperature as soon as he got in and frowned when he felt heat rising from his skin.

"Lele-"

"I'm fine, don't worry, I think I just caught a cold. What were you saying about a group call?"

"Ah yeah, Hyuck's online now as well so we can start one if you're up for it?" Jaemin's voice asked.

"Yeah, let's do that then."

‣‣

"Chenle!" Donghyuck's voice was slightly muffled coming from the other end, but the younger immediately jolted up at the sound of his name.

"Hyuck! Did you get home safe?" he questioned, snatching the phone away from Renjun's hands and holding it close to his mouth.

"Ye-"

"Woah, woah, woah- when did you two get so close?" Jeno's voice echoed from the speaker before a loud crash was heard from one of the other lines.

"What the hell is happening?" Renjun raised his brows.

"Wait, it's all good, I'm good, kinda just slipped on an ice cube but I'm fine!" Jisung's voice screamed.

"WHAT THE FUCK DONGHYUCK, WHY DID YOU JUST THROW A KNIFE AT ME?!"

"Oh God, Mark are you okay? What did Hyuck do?" Jaemin screeched.

"HE THREW A KNIFE AT ME-"

There was lots of shuffling from their end of the line before Donghyuck's voice spoke again, "it was an accident, he's so dramatic."

"How the hell do you throw a kni-"

"Shut up, Jeno."

"-fe at someone by accident," he finished.

"I regret this already," Renjun facepalmed, Chenle's familiar dolphin-screech drifting through the air.

‣‣

"We had a heart-to-heart," Donghyuck spoke into his phone, "Mark get off of me."

"Oh?" Renjun inquired, looking down at Chenle, who was snuggled up to his chest, in question.

"We kinda stayed behind after school and talked. Which was why I came home so late, sorry about that gege," the younger Chinese giggled, leaning up to stare into his best friend's brown orbs and place a quick peck on his lips, "forgive me?" he asked cutely.

"I'll always forgive you, Le-"

"Okayyy, I think that's enough sappy shit for today," Jeno could be heard saying through his mouthful of food.

"Right, back to my point, Donghyuck cried and-"

"You cried as well! Don't just slander me like this-"

"Hyuck cried? Tell me more," Jaemin suddenly butted in and Mark could be heard cackling in the background alongside more crashing noises from Jisung's line.

"I'm good! Just slipped on some apple juice!"

‣‣

It was eleven pm in the night by the time they had all ended the call; not really getting much discussion done about the project because they were too busy making fun of each other. Mark had suggested that they just talk about it at school instead and with that, they all bid their goodbyes.

"So, you and Donghyuck, huh?" Renjun finally broke the silence that had engulfed the room, he sounded distant and there was a blueness in his tone, a sad one — one that made Chenle's heart clench.

"Me and Donghyuck," the younger reinstated, cupping the ravenette's cheeks and drawing his face closer, "but you and I sounds better," he whispered before sealing their lips together in a kiss full of love and passion.

Renjun's hands immediately rushed to wrap around Chenle's waist as he pulled the other closer and they stayed like that until they needed to part for air.

"Gege, you know that I love you, right?"

"I do."

"And you know that will never change for anyone, so please don't doubt it."

"Hmm," the the elder pretended to think, "give me another kiss first."

And once their lips collided together again like the Sun crashing into the Moon, Renjun realised.

Chenle really did love him.