Doubler || NCT || Completed

22

While the guys jumped up and ran out of the living room as soon as they heard Taeil's voice, Yujin stayed seated on the floor. Her grip on the glass tightened even more, she hadn't expected him to return so soon. It'd be awkward to get scolded by him in front of everyone.

"Are you okay?" Jeno's words surprised her.

Yujin looked up and saw him standing next to her. She had thought that all of the guys had hurried to welcome their eldest brother back and hadn't noticed him staying behind.

"I'm hoping that seeing all of his friends will soften his heart and then he won't be as angry with me", she admitted.

Jeno held out his hand. "I'm sure it'll be alright. I've never seen him stay mad for a long time. He's just concerned about you and maybe offended because we haven't been completely honest."

Yujin smiled a bit and placed her own hand in Jeno's palm, allowing him to help her up. His hand was warm and comforting.

"If you say so", she said when she was back on her feet.

Jeno didn't let go of her hand right away, instead he squeezed it lightly, the same way they had done when they'd escaped from the hunters together. It was a reassuring gesture, the kind that told her that it would work out. For a moment, they stared into each other's eyes and Yujin was certain that she had never seen anything quite as warm and kind as his dark, narrow eyes.

"I think that I have to go face my purgatory", she said quietly before the curious silence between them grew too heavy for her. "The quicker I accept his anger, the quicker it'll pass."

Jeno smiled and let go of her hand slowly, almost reluctantly. His fingertips brushed against the palm of her hand as he pulled his hand back.

"Good luck", he mused.

Yujin followed the noise through the kitchen to the entrance hall of the apartment. All of the guys had swarmed the tiny entrance area and were even louder than before. Haechan was clinging to Taeil's torso while some of the others were hugging his arms. Johnny had circled around him and was hugging him from the back, his long arms encircling Haechan as well.

Everyone was speaking and laughing at the same time and no one seemed to care that Taeil was evidently pissed off. He, however, didn't push any of his younger friends away and even patted Haechan's back when the brat started wailing about how he had missed his sweet hyung too much.

"Don't leave us ever again", Chenle demanded and snuggled against the loud pile of hugging guys. He wasn't even touching Taeil but seemed content hugging the closest arm he could find.

"Everyone, stop being so dramatic", Taeil scolded them. His voice was serious but Yujin saw him petting Taeyong's baby pink hair when the leader reached out for him.

Even Renjun was part of the cuddle mess, Yujin noticed, when she saw a tuft of white hair peeking behind all of the arms and backs.

"Our reunions are very manly and impassive, as you can see", Jeno, who had followed Yujin, commented. A soft smile was etched to his lips despite the mocking tone of his voice.

"You can join them, I won't judge", Yujin promised. "Isn't cuddling a Samoyed thing?"

Jeno made a face at her.

"Yujin", Taeil's voice boomed through the room, making her cringe. She hadn't thought about him hearing her words.

She turned to him and saw that all of the other guys had retreated from the hug the second he spoke up, and were now standing against the walls. The room was definitely too small for all of them but no one left. Either everyone was too afraid of Taeil's anger or too curious about Yujin's fate to leave. Possibly both.