The Lodger; Noren NCT

✿*｡ Thirty-Nine ｡*✿

"An emergency?" Sicheng asks "what kind of emergency means you have to stay here for 'approx a week'?" He asks, reading out what Renjun's text message had said.

Renjun sits down on the foot of the bed, burying his face in his hands "I told Mrs Lee you were going away and I was looking after the shop all week, and that it would be easier if I just stayed" he mutters, his words muffled by his hands but Sicheng understood. Finally he looks up, his eyes a little watery and instantly the elder engulfs him in a hug "I'm sorry"

"Don't apologise, I don't mind you staying here" he reassures, giving the younger small pats on the back "do I need to ask what happened or can I take a guess that is was Jeno?"

Renjun only nods, biting his bottom lip and telling himself not to cry. He didn't want to cry, especially not over Jeno.
"I'm so sick of this. I just wanna go home"

"Come on, you've only got a few weeks left. You've come this far you may as well finish it" Sicheng wipes away one of the tears that rolls down Renjun's face. "I do have a question though, why are you getting so worked up over him? He's such a waste of time".

The blonde nods, gratefully accepting the tissue that Sicheng hands him. "I know, and no matter how much I tell myself that I just..." he hesitates, taking a shaky breath to help himself calm down a little "I guess I'm just hopeful that maybe he is worth my time".

Sicheng rests a hand against Renjun's shoulder "oh god you're hella whipped"

"No I'm not!"

"Well why else would you have forgiven him so many times?" He points out "there's nothing wrong with liking someone but if he makes you feel this shit then he ain't worth it"

Renjun only shrugs "even if I did like him it would never happen, he's an asshole, he pisses me off too much" he admits, watching as Sicheng stands, rummaging through his closet for his fold out mattress.

"You do like him though right? So there must be something about him that draws you to him" the elder rolls out the mattress on the floor, looking back up at Renjun.

The boy thinks for a moment. Why did he like Jeno. Was it the sex? At first it was but they stopped that and Renjun hadn't thought of it much since. Maybe it was the small acts of kindness Jeno showed that seemed to make Renjun's heart flutter out of his control. The fact the he had offered Renjun a ride on his first day rather than letting him ride his broken bike, the fact that he had looked after Renjun after he had gotten drunk, the fact that he had come looking for him in the middle of a thunderstorm, the fact he had paid for his bike to be fixed, even when he had bought those ice lollies just because it had reminded Renjun of home. All these things were the reasons why he couldn't seem to get over Lee goddamn Jeno.

Maybe he had overreacted last night, was Jeno actually worried about him? Even if that was the case, there was no denying that Jeno went the wrong way about it.

"Let's just go downstairs, maybe working will take my mind off it".

•••••

Jaemin ʕᵔᴥᵔʔ:
Renjun where are you? Did Jeno upset you again?

Jaemin ʕᵔᴥᵔʔ:
Wanna meet up? I'm worried about you x

Renjun reads the messages, sighing a little. He found it strange that Jeno hadn't told Jaemin where he was. Unless Mrs Lee hadn't told Jeno, but that was unlikely.

He thinks for a moment before unlocking his phone, ready to type.

Renjun ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ:
I'm at work, meet me in like 20 mins x

With that he locks his phone and stuffs it back into his pocket, going back to wiping down the tables.

It was already dark out and the shop had been closed for the night. Renjun had said that Sicheng could go early since he was finally going on a date with Yuta. He had promised to close and clean up the shop.

He mainly did it because he secretly thought him and Yuta made a cute couple.

A few minutes pass by before Renjun hears the jingle of the bell above the door. As soon as he looks up he sees the familiar pink haired boy smiling at him. He takes a seat opposite Renjun who pushes a cup of steaming hot coffee towards him which he gratefully accepts.
They were quiet for a moment until Jaemin decides to speak up. "Are you okay?" He asks, a worried look in his eyes. It's strange since they weren't that close yet Renjun felt like he could trust Jaemin.

He only nods, looking down at his hands under the table. He seemed to be wearing the same old jumper with the holes in the sleeves. "Yeah I'm fine"

"Jeno wanted me to make sure you're okay" he adds and at this Renjun looks up, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Then why isn't Jeno here checking for himself?" Renjun mutters, picking up his own mug ad taking a sip of the warm, sweet hot coco. He never did like the bitterness of coffee.

Jaemin laughs a little at this, getting a little more comfortable in this seat, resting his chin on his palm. "Because apparently you told him to leave you alone" when hearing this everything seems to make a little more sense. "He said he didn't want to anger you further and that he's trying to prove that he's sorry." Jaemin's picks up his mug, a smile on his face "on the bright side, i guess you got that apology you wanted. Lucky you"

There it was again. The feeling guilt eating away at him. How the heck can Jeno be a total ass yet still make Renjun completely weak at the knees for him.

"Yeah" He sighs, his gaze once again on the holes in the cuff of his jumper "lucky me"

•••••
A/N: I seem to have an obsession with listening to Troye Sivan when I write