👽nana👽

“I didn’t know you played the guitar.” “Haven’t touched her in a while,” Jeno admitted, softly plucking the strings of his acoustic guitar while Jaemin sat down next to him, wrapped up in one of his fluffy cardigans and fuzzy socks on his feet. He hadn’t noticed how much he had missed plucking the strings of his guitar that had been collecting dust in your shared bedroom. “Somehow this really suits you,” Jaemin grinned, softly nudging his friend with his shoulder. At that, Jeno could only snort as he tried to tune his instrument. “Quite melancholic isn’t it?” “Playing depressive songs on your guitar while your girlfriend is out partying?” Jaemin quipped playfully. “No need to say it out loud.” 

For a while, the two friends sat in silence, while Jeno gingerly plucked the strings of his worn guitar, going straight off of muscle memory while watching the insects of the night swarm around the neon lights of the Indian restaurant on the other side of the street. “Something is bothering you though,” Jaemin spoke slowly, pulling his cardigan tighter around his frame to shield himself from the cold of the night. He had gotten some of his weight back in the past weeks, his cheeks filling out again but his fluffy cardigans still seemed to swallow his lean frame. “I know I can trust her,” Jeno argued, his fingers stilling. “It’s Donghyuck you don’t trust,” the other concluded. “It’s stupid,” he groaned, burying his face in his hands, “She’s probably been friends with him for a long time and has been going to parties with him and all her other friends, I don’t know why I’m so insecure all of a sudden.” “He’s nice,” Jaemin shrugged it off, “I’ve talked to him on campus a couple of times. The popular type. Lots of friends.” “Bongsik hates him.” 

At that, Jaemin barked out a laugh and Jeno couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto his lips as well at the sound. “That’s a valid reason to distrust him of course,” Jaemin smiled, mischief sparkling in his eyes. “She loves all of her other friends,” Jeno sulked, “And she immediately liked you as well.” “Bongsik is a cat, Jeno. She probably didn’t like his perfume or something.” “I trust her judgment. She went out of her way to climb on top of the fridge. And she kept hissing at him.” “You know you sound like an insane cat lady, right? I think all the nicotine finally went to your head,” Jaemin laughed. He was doing it more often these days, laughing freely and making silly little jokes. Small steps of progress each day. It was like unwrapping a present, slowly getting to know the real Jaemin more and more. “He’s harmless, trust me on this one.” 

“Hmm,” Jeno just hummed, going back to strumming his guitar. “Didn’t she have male friends in high school?” “Oh, plenty,” he laughed, “The locker room talk was awful. A bunch of hormonal teenagers.” “But they didn’t bother you?” “They were. But I knew we two had something. Like. A connection. It sounds silly when you say it out loud but what were the odds of her coming back to our hometown and falling for me? It felt almost like…” “Like destiny,” Jaemin agreed, his voice sounding a little far away. “No matter how hard I tried to keep her away, she was so persistent,” Jeno smiled at the memory, his fingers playing a familiar tune he had played a lot for you back then. “She’d climb onto my roof every night until she climbed her way into my heart as well.” “Sounds lovely,” the smaller of the two friends sighed, sagging against his friend’s broader frame, “But why did you try to keep her away in the first place?” “I was a very angsty teenager,” Jeno just shrugged it off. 

“You’re no stranger to pain,” Jaemin concluded, his dark eyes finding Jeno’s. “It can’t be compared to yours, Nana,” he sighed, leaning his head against his friend’s, “I’m good.” “Is that why you wanted to help me? Because you knew my pain?” “I saw that you were hurting, Nana. And it only got worse and worse. Was I supposed to just look away?” “Everyone else did,” Jaemin shrugged weakly before he snorted. “Sad, isn’t it? I managed to chase all my friends away until it was only me and my girlf- my ex-girlfriend and a total stranger had to help me.” “Jaemie~,” Jeno sighed, carelessly putting his guitar down so he could wrap his arms around his friend again. 

“Do you have any idea how thankful I am for what you did for me?” Jaemin mumbled into the fabric of Jeno’s sweater. “I just did what I thought was right.” “You did much more than that, Jeno,” he argued, “And I’ll never know how to repay you.” “You don’t need to repay me for anything.” “But I want to, Jen. Please.” With that, Jaemin pulled away from the hug, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. “Then be my friend,” Jeno smiled, “I don’t need anything else from you. I just haven’t had a best friend in a while.” “I’ll be the best friend you’ll ever have,” Jaemin promised enthusiastically, a bright smile splitting his face. 

“You already are,” Jeno smiled softly, picking his guitar up again, “Any wishes?”