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fave markhyuck fics, a1markhyuckfanfic
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Published:
2018-08-04
Completed:
2018-08-05
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22,399
Chapters:
2/2
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Got my heartbeat runnin' away

Chapter 2

Summary:

Jaemin holds on to what he has, and decides, he's never letting go.

Notes:

This is just an extra for some closure on the renmin drama for the original story. I couldn't leave it at that, and felt the need to give some insight.
It fits between the MarkHyuck fast food dinner and karaoke date.

Chapter Text

The café is dark and empty when Renjun returns to pick up his keys. Having forgotten to have taken it with him, when Jeno dropped him home after dinner, he had awkwardly stood in front of the door, shifting his weight from feet to feet until Jeno disappeared down the street. As he sped back to work, he cursed himself for forgetting and therefore, missing the opportunity to invite Jeno inside. Jeno probably thought Renjun was uninterested, or just rude, as the boy seemed like he was expecting something, anything, more when he dropped Renjun off.

Next time, Renjun tells himself. Next time.

He switches on the lights to the dining hall and makes his way to the kitchen, yelping when he kicks open the door and gets a cry of pain in response.

“Jaemin?!”

Said boy crouches to the floor, holding his nose and groaning from the pain.

“Jaemin, I’m so sorry.” Renjun bends down to inspect the wound, “I didn’t know you were here.” He pries Jaemin’s hand away from his nose, “let me see that.”

There’s a drop of blood trickling down to his lip from a nose that’s swollen, and red. Renjun grimaces at the sight.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

Renjun shakes his head, tutting and helping Jaemin up. He sits him by the counter and brings out a bag of frozen peas, pressing it gently to Jaemin’s nose.

“Tilt your head back.”

Jaemin listens, taking the cool compress from Renjun and pressing it to his nose, while squeezing the bridge close.

Renjun pouts, gently pushing Jaemin’s fringe away from his eyes, “I’m so sorry. What are you doing here anyways?”

“Lock up duty.” His voice comes out thin and squeaky, making Renjun crack a smile.

“You sound weird… but you didn’t go out for dinner with everyone else?”

Jaemin shakes his head and shrugs, “I wasn’t feeling it. We were going out for hot-pot and you weren’t there. It seemed wrong.”

That makes Renjun laugh, soft giggles floating throughout the room. “That’s a silly excuse, you should’ve went.” When Jaemin doesn’t reply, Renjun sighs, leaning his head onto the boy’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“No. don’t be. Don’t apologise for your happiness.” He tosses the bag of peas onto the table. The swelling has stopped, and he even wriggles his nose for good measure. “I’m glad you’re happy. Sad that it can’t be me, but, glad nonetheless.”

“Thank you.” Renjun moves away to the fridge, taking out some bread and margarine, salad and lunch-meat. “Let me make it up to you though, with a sandwich.”

Jaemin bounces off his seat and beams, slinking up behind Renjun to peer over his shoulder as he assembles the food. “You’re so good to me Junjunie.” He wraps his arms around his middles, noses the crook of his neck. “Thank you.”

“It’s just a sandwich, but you’re welcome.”

As Jaemin eats, Renjun pulls his sleeves up and dons an apron, deciding to start ahead with the dessert preparations for tomorrow. Morning prep has been gruelling enough with the savoury items for the buffet, so whatever he can ease, he decides now is a good time to do so.

“I’m just gonna start the batter for the mini-cakes for tomorrow.” Renjun says as he pulls out a small stepping stool, trying to reach the flour up on the top shelf. He doesn’t understand why it’s always stored there – none of the cooks are tall.

“Sure.” Jaemin folds the last big bite of his sandwich in half and hastily swallows it down with water, keeping a watchful eye on Renjun, teetering on the stool. “Junie, wait, let me help.”

“It’s okay,” he pushes the flour with his finger to the edge, just enough so he can grab it. “I’ve got –“ He’s cut off by his own scream as the bag tips over the edge, falling flat on its side and pouring flour all over him. “Oh my God.” Renjun sobs, frozen from shock.

“Oh. My. God.” Jaemin parrots, gaping at the white ghost of Renjun before him. He helps Renjun get down, dusting the flour out of his fringe before it gets into his eyes. When Renjun looks up, his eyes are glasses, lips forming a pout – cherry red amongst the white.

And Jaemin starts laughing.

“Hey! It’s not funny.”

Jaemin clutches his stomach, doubling over in fits. “You look hilarious!”

“No…” Renjun whines, shaking his legs, “I want to cry.”

“Aw, baby,” Jaemin coos, reaching out to swipe flour off Renjun’s cheeks. “I’m only joking. You’re still pretty.”

Renjun rolls his eyes, pushing Jaemin away. “I hate you.”

“I’m being nice!”

“You’re laughing!” Renjun stomps his feet, huffing in annoyance.

This only has Jaemin cooing further, coming up to pinch Renjun’s cheeks despite the latter’s protests and cries for help. He swats Jaemin’s hands away and whines to be let go. “Stop it! You’re such an – an –“

“An?”

Renjun bursts, “an egghead!”

“Junie, stop, really. You’re being too cute.”

At that, Renjun sticks his hand out to the carton of eggs on the counter, picking two up in his hands and smashing them on Jaemin’s head. The yolk dribbles down his hair and falls onto his shoulder.

Renjun giggles, “egghead.”

A tight-lipped smile forms on Jaemin’s face as he nods. “Okay. You got me there.” Renjun giggles again, laughter bubbling delightfully in Jaemin’s ears and he tries, very hard, to not let it affect him. “What were we making again? Batter?”

Confusion spreads over Renjun’s face right before Jaemin hauls him over his shoulder.

“Let’s make some batter!”

Ignoring Renjun’s shrill cries of protest, Jaemin lays him down on the counter, pinning him in place. He tickles Renjun’s stomach, turning the screams into chuckles.

“Let’s see, what goes into batter? We’ve already got the flour…” He scratches his head in feigned thought.

“Jaemin, no! Stop!”

“Some eggs.” He singsongs, tapping them on the edge of the counter with one practiced hand and cracking them over Renjun’s body.

The cool, slimy liquid seeps through Renjun’s shirt and spills onto his stomach, as his shirt rides up slightly from all the squirming. “Stop!” He fits between laughs. “Bad Jaemin. Bad!”

“What the hell Junie?” Jaemin laughs as he struggles to hold Renjun in place. “Now, let’s add some vanilla –“

“ – Jaemin!”

“Can’t forget the milk!”

As he reaches over to grabs the milk, his hold slackens and Renjun immediately sits up. “No Jaemin, stop. That’s enough.” Jaemin smiles, but complies, putting the milk back down. “God, I feel disgusting.” He whines, shaking his head as he looks over himself.

“You’ll have to wear the uniform home.”

Renjun looks at Jaemin and frowns, flicking his cheek. “Whose fault is that?”

Jaemin scoffs, “you got flour on yourself first!”

“But you made it worse!”

Jaemin doesn’t argue against that. He helps Renjun off the counter, holding him up so he doesn’t slip on the broken eggs on the floor.

“Woah there.”

Renjun grabs onto his shoulders, keeping himself steady as Jaemin tries to push the mess aside with his shoes. He leans back, and catches Renjun staring; lips pressed into a thin line, eyes scattered over his face. Jaemin colours under his stare, looking elsewhere, then back at Renjun.

Suddenly, everything is too close. They’re too close. Renjun’s body is too close. His lips, too close. Too red. Too plump and plush, and the devil in his head wonders how they’d feel against his. How perfectly they’d press against his.

Eyes half-lidded, he leans down, inching closer to the forbidden buds and –

Renjun clamps his palm over Jaemin’s mouth before he can intrude further. Jaemin looks up, catches the look of fear that flashes through Renjun’s eyes, before they pool with apology.

“Jaemin,” He breathes, and Jaemin closes his eyes, “no.”

Oh. Right.

If only they belonged, between his.

But they don’t.

They’re someone else’s now, and there’s nothing Jaemin can do about it.

“Sorry.”

Renjun nods, but doesn’t reply. Jaemin’s hold on him loosens, and he slips away with the excuse of getting cleaned up.

 

When Renjun returns from a quick shower in the staff-bathroom, the mess is already cleaned up – almost like it never happened. Jaemin is restocking the flour, on a lower shelf this time. His hair is clean of eggs, wet and flat against his head, most likely from the hose in the dish room, Renjun supposes.

“You should’ve waited. I would’ve helped you.”

Jaemin turns around, facing Renjun, who keeps his distance by the door. “No,” he clears his throat, “it’s fine. Most of it is my fault anyway.”

Renjun bites his lip in thought, slowly making his way closer. He unwraps the towel from his head and throws it over Jaemin’s, helping him dry his hair.

“You’ll catch a cold like this.”

Jaemin hums and closes his eyes, letting Renjun rub his head.

“Do you want to go back home now? We can watch a movie until we pass out on the couch?” Renjun suggests, smiling softly when Jaemin nods sleepily.

“That sounds great.”

 

The walk back home is silent. As always, their paces are in sync, never too far from the other, just close enough for their hands to brush past. Whereas before, Jaemin would’ve taken the opportunity to grab it, this time, he doesn’t.

“So,” he starts, blowing out the remaining air from his lungs, so they’re empty and hollow. “Jeno.”

Renjun turns to look at him. “What about him?”

“He’s a good guy?”

“He is.” Renjun says simply, smiling to himself. “He really is.”

“And you really, really, like him?”

They’ve stopped walking, just a few blocks away from home, but without the heart to make it there, yet. Not until –

“Yeah. I really do.” Renjun looks up at Jaemin and smiles. It’s wide, and reaches his eyes. They grow distant, but warm, and that’s enough to tell Jaemin that Renjun’s heart is elsewhere. “I really, really, like him Jaemin.”

Finally, when Jaemin sighs, his chest doesn’t hurt anymore. He lets himself breathe - invites oxygen into his veins. “Good. That’s all I needed to hear.”

Jaemin starts walking again, steady pace towards their apartment when Renjun’s hand finds his. Loosely holding hands, Renjun leans against Jaemin. “I think you’ll like him too. Just, give him a chance.”

It’s then and there that Jaemin decides that he might as well. It’s just the way it’s meant to be.

“You know, I’ll always love you Junie.”

“And you know I’ll always love you back, right?”

Of course, Jaemin knows that. Even if not in the way he wants it, he knows Renjun does. So, for what it’s worth, he holds on to what he has, and doesn’t let go.

Notes:

I enjoyed writing this a lot. Although I wanted to pull my hair out at times, it's still probably the work I enjoyed writing the most.
Thanks so much for reading!
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