The Lodger; Noren NCT

✿*｡ Thirty-Seven ｡*✿

As soon as Renjun enters the house, his arms full of books, he notices Jeno sat at the top of the stairs. The house was extremely quiet, the only sound to be heard was the clock on the wall. He was safe to assume that mrs lee wasn't home.
"What do you want?" Renjun mutters as he unties his shoe laces, neatly placing his shoes into the cupboard.

Jeno scoffs at this, getting up and opting to sit on the bottom step instead, right in front of Renjun, stopping him from going anywhere. "Do you know what time it is?" He asks and Renjun glances over at the clock.

"Nine" he shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest. Jeno didn't exactly look angry but a little...disappointed?

"I thought you were just studying"

At this Renjun bursts out laughing, holding his stomach for support. How can Jeno sit there and lecture him on what he's been doing? If he recalled correctly he was almost certain that Jeno had driven home at 3am drunk out of his mind. Yet he thought he had the right to question Renjun about what he did.

"Seriously? I don't have to explain myself to you Jeno." He snaps, making a move to enter the living room but a hand on his wrist stops him. He looks down at where Jeno had softly grasped his arm, his slender fingers reaching right the way around.
Renjun yanks he hand away "don't touch me"

"You live here, don't I have a right to know where you are?" His voice was surprisingly calm which only seemed to anger Renjun even more. Was this guy listening to himself.

"Who are you? My mother?" The house was dark, the only light coming from a street lamp outside that cast a strip of light across Jeno's face "I live here. I'm paying to live here until I finish my studies and go back home. I did not come here so you could babysit me."

Jeno says nothing, only looks at Renjun. It was almost like he had realised he had messed up again. "I thought we were friends"

Renjun feels a pang of guilt in his chest. Although, he knew he had no reason to feel guilty.
"A friend wouldn't demand to know where I've been. A friend wouldn't try to control what I do, or where I go" he narrows his eyes as he looks at Jeno "maybe if you had been kind from the beginning then we could have been friends."
He pushes Jeno to the side a little so he could pass by but an arm wraps around him, engulfing him into a hug. Renjun's face was pressed against Jeno's chest. The familiar smell of his cologne causing all kinds of memories to come flooding back.

"I'm sorry" Jeno whispers, still clinging to the elders smaller frame "I'm not good at this but I know I screwed up"
Renjun knew he shouldn't feel bad. He knew Jeno was the wrong one here. But the way his heart fluttered slightly at one simple hug frightened him. But he also knew Jeno was a great actor.

He gently pushes Jeno away, not daring to make eye contact. "You also need to stop acting like the victim" he says quietly, hating the fact that Jeno looked genuinely shocked and upset. "I'm going to bed"

Finally Jeno lets him pass by and he practically sprints upstairs into his room, locking the door behind him. He thought the arguments were over. He thought Jeno wouldn't have to try and beg for forgiveness anymore, yet here he was.

"Ugh!" He sits down on his bed, pulling his knees to his chest "I need to get rid of these stupid feelings".