Apocalypse ✦ Nomin

50

⊱ ───── { Jeno } ───── ⊰

Jeno kisses Jaemin's cheek for the millionth time in the past ten minutes as he twirls a piece of Jaemin's faded pink hair around his fingers.

"You wanna go watch tv in the other room?" he asks, "I know you have to be bored of lying in bed for hours."

Jaemin tuts and shakes his head.

"I'm never bored with you," he rolls his eyes, "But I'd love to watch a movie with you right about now."

Jeno smiles and slips out of bed. He jogs around to the other side of the bed before Jaemin can do so much as move a muscle. Jeno throws the blankets off of him and scoops Jaemin up into his arms, prompting a groan from him.

"You act like I can't walk," he grumbles with a roll of his eyes as he wraps his arms around Jeno's neck to hang on, "I'm just sore."

"You act like I'm not allowed to carry you just because I want to," Jeno retorts as he takes Jaemin towards the bedroom door.

"Well...no, but you seem like you're-"

"Hey, could you reach for the handle and open the door?" Jeno requests as he purposefully cuts off Jaemin's thought as he squats down slightly.

Without argument, Jaemin compliantly reaches for the handle and turns it, opening the door just enough for Jeno to get his foot through and kick it open.

"Thank you," Jeno hums happily as his eyes glimmer.

"Mmhmm," Jaemin responds as he gazes at Jeno's bright, innocent smile.

Jeno then proceeds to walk out into the living room and heads straight for the couch. He gently sets Jaemin down so that he sits upright. Jeno shuffles a little bit to be directly in front of him. He keeps his knees slightly bent and arms pressed into the cushions on either side of Jaemin. He smiles with his eyes forming cute crescents as his nose barely brushes against Jaemin's. He raises his hands to cup the pink haired boy's face in, and he leans in, softly kissing him as his heart does somersaults in his chest. He only pulls back to begin showering Jaemin in kisses as he pecks every inch of his face.

"Jeno," Jaemin groans.

"What?" he asks as he plants another kiss to Jaemin's lips.

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?"

Jaemin shoots Jeno an unimpressed stare. Though Jeno knows he's seen through his façade, he refuses to break his naïve act. Not just yet.

"You're acting like you're overcompensating," Jaemin remarks flatly.

"Overcompensating?" Jeno questions as he tilts his head.

"Jeno, stop playing dumb. Is this about earlier? Because if so-"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jeno denies as he stands up straight.

"Jeno-"

"I think some strawberries would be nice right about now. Don't you?" Jeno hums, "I think I might make a quick run to the store and get a few things. Do you want anything while I'm out?"

"Jeno, stop avoiding the subject," Jaemin snaps, but Jeno refuses to listen.

"I'll be right back," he ignores him, "Stay there until I get back, okay?"

Jeno strides towards the door and hastily exits the suite. He shuts the door behind himself, then presses his back into it as he shuts his eyes and exhales deeply through his nose. He knows he can't run away from the impending argument he was bound to have with Jaemin over this, but Jeno was desperate for more time to think of how to properly explain himself.

The last thing Jeno had wanted was to make Jaemin uncomfortable, but that's exactly what he did. No matter what he wanted, it was not worth pushing for if Jaemin didn't want it, too. He had apologized, but it didn't seem good enough. He felt he needed to do more to make it up to him, though now it seems like doing so was either irritating him or upsetting him. Maybe another apology was in order...

Jeno determines that he would wait to face the music for just a little bit longer. Whether or not staying away would make Jaemin's anger more intense was a gamble Jeno wasn't entirely willing to make, but he was not prepared to face the situation just yet. He didn't want another round of Jaemin explaining why he didn't like the idea of proposal, yet he knew it was coming and wanted more time. More time to think of how to react. More time to brace himself. More time to consider what the best thing to tell him was.

Hopefully his rejection this time around would be less painful than the first.