𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 [NoMin]

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 39

This time Jeno is the first to arrive. He had been too nervous to wait around at home and decided to get to the park earlier to bask in the afternoon sun and the sound of the fountain water running. The past few days have been too much of a whirlwind, so coming here was definitely a good way to calm down and do some thinking. What will he say to Jaemin? What will Jaemin say? 

After a couple more minutes of waiting, Jeno registers a sound of footsteps. Whipping his head around, he catches sight of a now ashy blonde Jaemin, looking tired and unsettled. That with the way he kept picking at the edges of his flannel shirt and the heavy eyebags on the otherwise flawless skin. Jeno stands up to meet him halfway.

"Hey," comes his breathless greeting. Jaemin nods in acknowledgement, for once being the one to remain mum. "Is it okay if we walk for a bit?" 

"Yeah, let's do that."

They walk around the park in silence admiring the greenery and feeling the cool breeze brush their skin. It does wonders to relax Jeno's erratic heartbeat, and he's convinced it helps Jaemin too as the mentioned let's out a heavy sigh. 

"I know," Jaemin says after a few minutes. Jeno stops to look at him. They've reached a small garden secluded by tall bushes and filled with lanterns. The sun has gone down enough for them to shine and reflect on the small pond in the middle. "I know about your Instagram. You've been the faceless guy I kept dm-ing."

Jaemin's eyes pierce right through Jeno's searching for a reaction, but he only replies with, "I figured you did."

Jaemin purses his lips unsure of what to say next. Jeno spots a bench and ushers the other towards it. After sitting comfortably he decides to stare at the fishes dancing in the pond.

"Why? Why all of the secrecy? Was it all a joke?" Jaemin decides to speak again, his eyes searching for Jeno's almost desperately. Jeno had to swallow the knot on his throat. All the feelings he's been avoiding exposing these past weeks need to come to light. Not unless he wanted to keep hurting Jaemin or himself. But why was it so hard to let them out?

For as long as he could remember, he'd always been bad at feelings. Afraid to hurt others, yet here he is doing just that. How exactly did he get here? If only he had followed Donghyuck's advice maybe he wouldn't be stuck in this mess. To be fair, he never thought he'd get this far. To him, Jaemin was going to be another passing crush, someone that would probably pass by him and not acknowledge his existence. Imagine Jeno's surprise when he was paired up on a project with the object of his affection. The world just seemed to fall of its axis. Just like right now. Where he feels like he's going to tumble down the mountain after climbing up so far.

"I promise that everything I said to you was real," Jeno looks down trying to avoid the other's gaze. "I was just scared you'd be disappointed," his voice wavers slightly at the end. There, he finally said it. Weeks of doubts and insecurities summarized into few words. Jaemin shakes his head.

"What could I be disappointed at?" An unsure hand comes to rest on Jeno's knee. Seeing the boy isn't going to push it away, he gives a tight squeeze. It sends a wave of fondness that settles on Jeno's heart, giving him enough confidence to look up. His eyes clash with soft ones and a gentle smile. "You're amazing, Jeno. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed that it's you, specially not myself."

And the way he speaks so firmly leaves no room for argument. Jeno's heart soars, a smile tugging at his lips. Leave it to Jaemin to make anyone feel like the most important being in the universe. Maybe there's a way to continue climbing up the mountain, only if Jaemin is willing to hold his hand. But first things first. 

"I'm sorry," he whispers. Jaemin tilts his head confused. Jeno straightens on his seat before continuing. "I'm sorry for confusing you and hiding behind a screen. It wasn't my intention to hurt your feelings. I only considered my own. I was so scared that this flirting thing was just a joke to you as well. That the second I told you it was me you'd laugh in my face."