Dance For Attention | Nomin

☆04☆

"Hey, why are you still in bad anyway?" Jeno fixed his hair in a reflective surface across the room as he spoke, his tongue getting caught between his teeth in concentration.

Jaemin deadpanned. "I'm sick."

The older raised an eyebrow. "No you're not. You-- oh hang on. Your face was red."

"I think I'd know if I was sick, Nojaem. And I am. So you can close the door behind you when you leave. Go."

Jeno rolled his eyes before smiling his usual crescent moons and stunning Jaemin for a few moments.

"Ah!" The older leaped forward and grabbed his friend's face. "You're red again!"

Jaemin wanted to punch him square in the face. "I said, leave."

"Actually you said go." A smile crawled on his lips as he sang, "Go! Go, go go! We be screaming go! Go - aah!"

The brunette did the next best thing and threw a pillow at the centre of the other's forehead, and even though it was the fluffiest and softest one he owned, Jeno stumbled onto the floor with his legs outstretched in front of him, pouting.

"Ugh. I came to tell you that we need you for dance, but Mark said it's not even on."

Jaemin pulled his fluffy, blue duvet around his shoulders and puffed out his cheeks. "Well I think I'd skip it today anyway."

What was this? The Na Jaemin who would jump at any chance to be within even a mile radius of the perfect Huang Renjun refused to meet him? The same Jaemin that flew five hundred miles to see Renjun when he got jealous of Jeno accompanying him? Now Jeno knew that the other must definitely be ill.

"Well, I'm going to leave you with all my get-well-soon wishes and imaginary kisses--"

Jaemin stuttered, "N-No wait," and slowly got to his feet, swaying side to side and spreading his arms out to steady himself. His face tinted pink, and if he had been on his feet all by himself any longer, Jeno knew he would faint.

"Okay then," the older mumbled before swooping in to catch his friend. One arm secured their waists close together, and the other cast a hand into his chocolate locks to protect his head. "That's not such a good idea." Jeno softly lay Jaemin's body on his fluffy bedsheets, fighting away a thundering heartbeat at how close they were.

This was the third time they were so close, and something weirdly thumped in Jeno's heart, quickening with the loss of each centremeter between them.

Jaemin's eyes scrunched shut. "My head..."

Jeno smiled gently. Maybe he wouldn't be leaving just yet.

~♡~

A week passed and the choreography was almost perfect. Jaemin had recovered and improved his moves, Jeno had conquered his footwork, and Renjun's praise had sent them both onto a different planet.

"I'm in the clouds right now," Jeno daydreamed and prodded his fruit salad.

Jaemin rolled his eyes. "I'm on the moon."

"Jupiter."

"Pluto!"

"Eh? Pluto isn't a planet!" Jeno triumphantly stood up and fist-pumped the air, winning his battle with his younger friend.

Jaemin clicked his tongue. Turning his face to the side, he scanned the kitchens for a specific person, his eyes lighting up when he found him. "Taeil! Come over here a second!"

Ten seconds later, standing in front of Jeno was his older friend, Moon Taeil, dressed in an orange turtle-necked jumper and grey jeans, paired with a frilly, pink apron over it all.

"Help me out here, Taeil."

The oldest of the three raised an eyebrow but smiled nonetheless. "Sure?"

"You are a human like the rest of us, yes?" Jaemin inquired, earning an odd look from both his friends.

Jeno opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Jaemin's index finger against his lips. Eyes widened and mouth a perfect circle, he allowed the younger to continue.

Taeil answered, "Yes."

Clearing his throat, Jaemin added, "And you're small."

Taeil deadpanned. "Really? I cook your food and you cheek me?" Folding his arms across his chest, he scoffed and said, "Why I do the things I do for you disrespectful children is beyond me!"

Jeno laughed, and Jaemin slapped his arm. "Listen!" He shouted at his friend before turning apologetically to the oldest, and, well, shortest. "Are you short?"

Taeil sighed heavily. "Yes."

"Shorter than everyone here?"

"...Yes."

"Shorter than the average?"

"You're pushing it, Na Jaemin." Raising a wooden spoon into the air and tapping his 'child' rather harshly on the head with it, he huffed, "I guess."

Jaemin smirked proudly and rubbed the top of his head. "And yet you're still classed as a human. Now, Jeno," he shot a powerful glance at the aforementioned. "Don't you think Pluto should still be classed as a planet even though it's smaller than average? Or are you going to say no and deny Taeil here his rights as a human being?"

Taeil also looked at Jeno, and the latter gaped. Treason! "W-Well, he is still a human-- but it's not the same thi--"

"Acceptance is the first step to recovery."

Taeil turned on his heel and left the two bickering over whether Pluto was a planet or not. These two, he thought, really act like an old married couple. Hang on. He blinked and halted in his tracks. Were they a couple?

He tipped his head to the side and prodded his lower lip when an arm fell around his shoulders.

"What's up, baby?"

Taeil looked up at his boyfriend with a scowl tempting his lips. "Johnny, not in public."

The tall American looked at his surroundings as he said, "But Ten can pounce on Taeyong as much as he wants?" The hand on Taeil's shoulder tightened.

The latter blushed. "F-Fine."

There was a small pause of Johnny trying to shuffle as close as possible to his boyfriend, consisting of the taller burying his face into the top of the other's perfectly auburn hair and then even so far as to sneak kisses onto his scalp.

"J-Johnny!" The older exclaimed, tearing his eyes off the suspected couple he was determined to get together. "Instead of exposing us, I need you to help me with something."

"What is it?" The younger asked, twiddling Taeil's hair between two fingers.

"Operation Nomin."