HIKE

22 | personal nightlight

renjun pulled on the fresh sweatpants and t-shirt as quickly as he could, turning away from the other boy in the shower cubicle so jeno couldn't see how much his cheeks were burning.

"renny, i-"

renjun spun around to face him, both hands and knees trembling, the taste of jeno's lips still fresh on his. "d-don't mess around with me," he begged, "don't play with my feelings..."

jeno's eyes found his, full of questions and answers, struck with pain. "i'm not playing around," he denied.

renjun let out a regretful sob. "you're not gay, jeno, even i can tell that," he snapped.

"we just fucking kissed, renjun," jeno shot back, a frown set deep in his face, "doesn't that say a lot?"

in truth, renjun was scared. terrified to admit the truth that his relationship with jeno was changing. terrified of what it would mean if jeno actually... liked him.

"god, ren, why is it so hard for you to accept that you're just like everyone else?" jeno let out an exasperated laugh, "that you can have a normal relationship too? why-"

"i don't wanna hear it, jeno!" on that note, renjun grabbed his stuff and stormed out of the shower cubicle, stalking out of the shower block entirely.

jeno threw his head back and tugged at his hair in frustration, letting out a deep sigh. he couldn't understand renjun at all. if he didn't want a relationship then he could have just said. maybe he didn't even like jeno, but why would you kiss someone you don't like back?

"fucking huang renjun," jeno muttered under his breath. renjun was driving him insane.

it was too late for him to go running after the chinese boy by the time he left the cubicle, so jeno just picked up his shampoo bottle and trudged slowly out of the shower block. to his surprise, however, renjun was still hovering in the doorway, shivering in the cold.

"stupid renny," jeno murmured, his heart melting a little. "you left your hoodie behind."

renjun glanced at him, biting his lip. the hoodie in jeno's arms was the blue, red and yellow one - the one that belonged to jeno, not him. "it's yours," renjun pointed out quietly.

"you can keep it," jeno told him, pulling the hoodie over renjun's damp head.

renjun opened his mouth to object. "but then it won't smell like-" he clamped his lips shut before he could further expose himself.

"like... me?" jeno smiled teasingly. "i can live in it for a few days and give it back if you want."

"pfft, no," renjun said, embarrassed.

"why are you still here anyway?" jeno asked, "i thought you went back to the tent."

"i..." renjun avoided jeno's gaze, "it's... it's dark."

jeno narrowed his eyes, but began to smile as he understood. "you're scared of the dark?"

"no!" renjun shook his head, "i never said that..."

"you are," jeno taunted, jabbing renjun playfully in the ribs. "renny the pussy."

"yeah, not into that sort of thing, thanks," renjun shot at him, pissed off.

jeno just laughed at him and slung an arm around his shoulders. "i'll walk back with you, it's not that dark," he reasoned.

renjun hesitated, but slowly ventured out into the dark with jeno at his side. at the first sound of a rustle, he seized hold of jeno's hand and clung on for dear life, holding his breath.