Beautiful // Nomin

~58~

"Jeno, baby, let's go home now." 

Jaemin tried to pick up a wasted Jeno who refused to get up from the ground of the reception room. "I'm tired," the older mumbled and instead clung to Jaemin's legs. 

"I'll take you home so you can go to sleep," Jaemin said in a soothing voice. "Come on." 

Jeno pouted and hid his face. "My Appa will probably get angry because I'm so drunk...can I stay with you tonight?" 

"No," Jaemin said a bit too firmly. 

"Why," Jeno said, looking up at him with his puppy-dog eyes. 

Jaemin bit his lip. "I have some work I need to finish off." 

"I won't bother you," Jeno promised. 

"It's okay. I'll take you back home and sneak you upstairs so that your Eomma and Appa won't won't think anything," Jaemin said with a smile, as if he were talking to a child. 

"Fine," the blue-haired male gave a heavy sigh and reached out his hand for Jaemin to pull him up. He stood upright for about half a second before wombling, and Jaemin had to catch him from falling. "Aigo, you're so drunk," he laughed under his breath. "Give me your arm, baby. You can lean on me." 

Jeno obeyed, and the two finally struggled back toward Jeno's car. Jaemin had his keys, and took the driving seat after carefully placing his love in the passenger seat. Jeno tried to hug Jaemin and kiss his neck, but the younger gently pushed him aside and told him to go to sleep. So sleep Jeno did, and the whole car ride to the house was quiet. 

"Jeno, we're here," Jaemin shook him gently as they arrived at the large house. Jeno woke up with a start, and immediately leaned on Jaemin dependently, hugging him tightly. "Can you sleep with me tonight?" 

"No, baby," Jaemin whispered. He lifted Jeno's chin up and held his face, looking straight into his eyes. "Jeno-yah, I love you so, so much," his voice trembled. A lump formed in his throat

"I know. I love you too," Jeno replied like he was stating a fact. He gave Jaemin a confused look. "Why are you crying? I love you, you don't ever have to doubt that." 

The brown-haired boy bent his head down as the tears starting falling. He pressed his forehead against Jeno's and cried softly. 

"Don't cry," Jeno said in a weary voice. He'd never been good at comforting crying people.

Nana's hands shook as he held the beauty in front of him. He didn't want to let go. Because he knew that the moment he let go of that beautiful face he was holding, he'd be letting go of the beautiful soul in front of him. 

"Th-thank you for coming into my life," he spoke in a broken voice. "Thank you for being my friend when I had no one else. Thank you for loving me when no one else did. Thank you for l-letting me have a glimpse of the beauty in this world." 

"I mean, no problem," Jeno returned, unable to catch on due to his lagging mind at the moment. Why was Jaemin acting so emotional? 

"You. You are the most beautiful person that I've ever met and that I ever will meet on this earth, Lee Jeno," Jaemin stated. 

"You too, baby," Jeno replied softly. 

Jaemin looked back up, and his glassy eyes scanned the lovely face in front of him one last time. Then he gave one last pure smile to Jeno, who returned it with his own smile, so sweet, reaching all the way to his eyes. That smile Jaemin had fallen in love with in the beginning.

"All right, we should go in now," Jeno suggested, before giving Jaemin one last small peck on the lips. 

Jaemin wished he could have made the last kiss a bit longer, maybe a bit more passionate, but Jeno didn't realise that it would be their last one together. So Jaemin accepted the simple kiss, slowly drew away, and- 

And let go. 

And as Jeno stepped out of the car, Jaemin felt as if a huge part was stepping out from his heart as well. 

Nobody would be able to replace that. 

He'd live with that emptiness in his heart forever. 

----

Jeno flopped onto his bed once Jaemin had dropped him off to his room and left. He'd been whining for Jaemin to stay, but the younger was insistent on leaving, so he didn't get what he wanted. 

Lazily reaching for the cellphone he'd thrown onto his pillow, Jeno, in his mindless state, decided to send his love a long, sweet, good-night text. 

He squinted as the bright screen turned on, and he opened his messages, scrolling down to find Jaemin's contact. When he couldn't find it, he scrolled and rescrolled, thinking that he'd skipped over it somehow. 

The letters and little pictures on the screen were starting to get wavy as he focused on them too long, and Jeno shut his eyes as it gave him a major headache. 

Forget it, I can't do this when I'm drunk, Jeno thought. He threw his phone to the side and rolled over into his blankets instead, dozing off to sleep. 

Besides, he could just send his love a long, sweet, good-MORNING text when he woke up. Nana was so kind, he'd be sure to understand. 

Truth was, Jeno was the one who didn't understand.