Angel ✦ Nomin

27

⊱ ─── { Jaemin } ─── ⊰

Jaemin examines himself in the mirror in great detail, feeling immense horror at the sight.

His face was sinking in, his cheekbones protruding so much that it gave Mark a run for his money. But it wasn't attractive. Not when the entirety of his skull was prominent as well. His eyes are dark and sunken in, and Jaemin has to lightly press down on the bone of the socket to confirm that it was in fact real.

He raises his forearm out in front of his face. It looked like skin and bone. His joints having the biggest width of his entire arm. He practically looked like a walking skeleton in the most literal sense.

Jaemin was a fairly skinny boy, but he was much more fit prior to the incident with Jeno appearing in his room. Since that night, he's been unable to keep his weight steady. It keeps dropping and dropping, no matter what he does. He only ever lost weight when completely and utterly depressed, but this was different. He questioned if maybe he had some type of medical condition, now, but he was too afraid to ask his aunt. Not that she's shown much semblance of sympathy towards his deteriorating physical health. To be honest, Jaemin wondered if she was just counting the days until he died from being so emaciated.

As for Jeno, he hadn't really spoken to him in two weeks. He would appear on the sidewalk nearly every night, waiting for him, but he only ever stayed long enough to kiss him, then disappear without any sort of explanation. No matter how hard Jaemin tried to get him to talk, he would give him the cold shoulder, mumble some type of incoherent response, or shut him up with another kiss.

Had declining his proposal to run away together really hurt him that much?

So why even come by to make out?

It made no sense, but Jaemin couldn't deny that any love and attention from Jeno was better than nothing. Maybe he was needy in that sense, but he didn't care.

He just wished Jeno would speak to him again and let him know he still loved him.

It was odd, though. Almost every encounter with Jeno left him either weak or severely depleted to the point of passing out the second he got inside his home. Jaemin kept telling himself causation is much different than correlation, and he was really faint and weak lately in general, but it seemed much worse when Jeno was around.

He really needs to go to the doctor.

He looks like death incarnate.

Jaemin's phone starts buzzing on the countertop beside the sink. He looks at the caller's name.

My Angel.

He picks it up and answers, though he doesn't immediately speak. He simply breathes, waiting for him to say something first.

"Jaemin, I need your help," Jeno speaks hurriedly.

"What is it?"

"It's Xiao. He wants to meet me at the cemetery. Can you meet me there so I have backup? Jisung's not well. He's been bed ridden for a week, and I can't get in touch with Mark or Donghyuck," Jeno pleas.

"Okay, I'll get there as soon as I can," Jaemin replies weakly, hanging up the phone.

He then tries to swish his hand to allow himself to transport directly to the cemetery.

But it doesn't work.

He tries it again.

Nothing

And again.

Nothing.

He clears his mind and focuses on the feeling of Jeno's arms around him. The warmth he gives off, though intense and nearly scolding at times. He focuses on how calm and safe he feels when he's around, no matter how little of that he's been feeling lately.

He swishes his hand again, but, as expected, he remains in his bathroom upon opening his eyes once more.

"Fuck!" he hisses.

He was left with no choice. He had to walk to the cemetery.