dicey ↬ nomin

Ch.28

"Let's go back upstairs," Donghyuck said protectively after they had gotten a drink. He took Jeno's hand gently and led him away, following Chenle out of the kitchen, while Jaemin fell behind and put his hands on Jeno's shoulders. He turned around right before they exited the kitchen made eye contact with Jaewoo, who was smirking as he leaned against the sink.

When they filed out, Jaewoo thrummed his fingers against the counter top. "Interesting..."

Jaemin kept Jeno very close the whole way up the stairs, no one saying anything as the silence lapsed for the return to the noisy room. Jeno was still limping slightly, having forgotten the pain while hearing his thoughts spiral and feeling the hand pressed gently against his back. Before they opened the door, Chenle turned around to face the other three in the dark, barely visible.

"Jeno," he began hesitantly and looked down. He stepped towards him and wrapped his arms around his waist for a tight, assuring hug. He hated it when he wasn't there to help his brother. "Jeno, Donghyuck has known for a while now."

At this, the black haired boy tensed and looked at Hyuck's face, although being unable to do so as he was nothing more than a silhouette. "Y-you told him?" He whispered hoarsely with a hint of confusion in his tone. "I-I told you I could handle myself..."

Chenle sighed, followed by a small exhale from Donghyuck. "He didn't tell me. I found out pretty much the same way Jaemin did," Donghyuck murmured, turning to Jaemin.

The other boy just kept close to Jeno and felt his heart crack right down the middle. He put his arms around Jeno's waist and gave him a much-needed back hug, to which the boy startled but eased into. The other two didn't notice since it was too dark, but Jaemin and Jeno were encompassed by the moment. This was like a wake up call for the pink haired boy - the bruises around his frenemy's neck, the scabs, the couple of days taken off school here and there, the hesitance to be himself around Jaewoo. It made him feel sick and he was so angry that it hurt.

But a tingle up his spine, spreading from his arms wrapped securely around Jeno, made his mind cease all thought and he leaned into the feeling. Jeno felt it too - the spark. It was an odd sensation, and it travelled around his body from Jaemin's warm embrace.

The door clicked open and washed light over the solemn expressions of the returnees. "Ah, they're back," Jisung chirped as he and Renjun sat attentively. Mark was more observant and had noticed the atmosphere.

"Yup, now where were we?" Chenle thought aloud and took his spot in the circle. "Jaemin's girlfriend, right?"

Donghyuck was also reverting back to normal, but Jeno looked like he had knocked over a precious vase while Jaemin was back to resting his hand on the boy's back. He was quite silent, still in shock and wanting to give Jeno a huge hug. He wanted to tell him that it was alright, but why would his words even mean anything when he'd been going through this for a while? His feet moved without his knowledge and took the two of them back to their places on the floor.

"I really want to hear Mark's secret," Jisung mentioned and smiled brightly. The candle had been blown out because the light was turned on.

"Mine isn't for innocent ears," Mark responded coolly and earned a round of whoops from the group. "But Jaemin has to spin it. Go for it."

Jaemin tentatively looked at the plastic yoghurt bottle and reached forward, spinning it and watching it loop and slow down. He leaned back to sit straight and looked to the side at Jeno, feeling this guilty sheet drape over him. It still stabbed him that he hadn't put two and two together, but he nearly had. He had been convinced that something was up, he just needed more time to realise. He placed his hand gently on Jeno's back. The bottle stopped on Donghyuck, who was wide-eyed and head tilted. "Well then, I guess I have to pick someone."