When Jeno had agreed to drive you and one of your friends to yet another party on the other side of town after his shift at work, he had expected to be met with one of your many girl-friends. But the person sitting on his living room sofa like they were owning the place was distinctly male. “Hi..?” Jeno asked slowly, clearly confused as he put his keys and wallet down to shimmy out of his leather jacket so he could neatly hang it up, fishing out his pack of cigarettes and lighter right after to stuff them into his back pocket instead. “Are you the infamous boyfriend?” The male on his sofa asked instead of returning Jeno’s greeting, squinting his eyes as he scanned over Jeno’s outfit: Just a simple, worn black band tee he had found in a thrift store and ripped jeans, his feet clad in his beat-up black converse that he toed off to throw them into the pile of shoes near the door. You'd probably nag at him later for not properly putting them away. If he were to guess what the state of his hair was, chances were high it was a mess of inky strands from the short drive in his car. “I guess?” Jeno answered the question, running his hands through his hair to get it in at least some kind of order. He really needed a haircut. Talking about good first impressions… “Hi, I’m Donghyuck,” the other finally introduced himself, jumping over the backseat of the sofa, a bright smile on his face and skidding over on sock-clad feet to shake Jeno’s hand. “Jeno,” he mumbled as an answer, a little overwhelmed with the tan boy’s approach. 

“Hyuckie, I can’t find it anywhere, I’m sorry. We gotta- Oh, you’re home already,” you immediately interrupted your rant about the necklace you had been searching for when you spotted your boyfriend in the living room, seemingly a bit lost. Smiling widely, you quickly wound your arms around his waist to press a kiss to his cheek, delighted when all he smelled like was his cologne and not the stench of cigarettes. He had been trying to cut it down again and it seemed like he finally was able to get through a work shift without a smoke break. Or he had gotten better at hiding it. But you chose to believe the first option.   “Hi babe,” you giggled happily, “You’ve met Hyuckie already?” “I wasn’t expecting your friend to be male,” he confessed quietly, one of his hands easily finding home on your waist to squeeze it softly, “No offense to you, Donghyuck.” “None taken,” the boy with the honey-brown hair waved it off, “Even though your cat does hate me.” “What?” Jeno immediately frowned. Bongsik usually couldn’t wait to inspect new people, rubbing her fur all over any of your friends until they complained about it clinging to their clothes. She’d immediately curl up to Jaemin whenever he was over as well, loudly demanding pets and ear scratches. “She’s hiding on top of the fridge,” you sighed, “And she won’t stop hissing at me when I try to coax her out.” “I’ll go get her,” Jeno sighed, pressing a kiss to your temple, “When am I dropping you guys off?” “In an hour or so is fine,” you smiled, letting go of your boyfriend’s waist so he could go and get your cat out of the kitchen where she wasn’t supposed to be in the first place. 

Slipping into the kitchen, Jeno couldn’t even make out a single whisker of his kitten. “Bongsik?” He asked lowly, quietly approaching the fridge so as to not scare her further, “Hey my princess.” Even when he was standing on his tiptoes, he could barely make out the white patches of her fur in the darkness between the top of the fridge and the cupboard hung overhead. “Come out, it’s me,” Jeno cooed, softly tapping his fingers against the fridge to get her attention. For a while it was quiet, before Bongsik let out a very soft meow, turning so he could see the light reflecting in her eyes. “Come here,” he repeated himself, carefully extending his hand with his palm up to let her smell him. Not even a second later, he found himself with an armful of kitten, the small animal purring loudly as she nuzzled into his neck. Chuckling, Jeno scratched the fur behind her ears, coddling her like a baby until she went boneless in his grip. “What’s with you, huh? Hissing at people? That’s not how I raised you.” Since Bongsik still was just a cat and could neither understand Jeno nor answer him, she just innocently blinked her eyes, still purring loudly. Shaking his head, he let her rest over his shoulder, one of her favorite places to perch so she could see the apartment from a different point of view. “That’s my girl.” 

“I don’t know what happened for her to hide like that, but she seems fine to me,” Jeno announced, walking back into the living room with Bongsik still perched on his shoulder, attentively scanning the room like she had never seen it before. “She was hissing like crazy when I tried to approach her,” Donghyuck said with a pout on his lips, “I just wanted to pet her.” “She usually likes people, I really don’t understand why she didn’t like Hyuckie,” you sighed, slowly approaching your boyfriend to reach out for the kitten who calmly let you stroke through her fur. “You sure she doesn’t have a twin or something? This seems like a completely different cat,” Donghyuck joked from his spot on the couch, making you giggle and Jeno frown. If Bongsik didn’t like him, something must be up with him. “Nope, just this one,” you smiled, scratching the kitten’s chin, “Jeno saved her from the streets.” “And she just let you?” “She’s very docile,” Jeno explained, holding her a little tighter when Donghyuck got up. But your friend didn’t even manage to come close enough to pet her before Jeno felt her tense up in his grip and her claws pierced through his shirt and into his skin. Hissing from the pain, Jeno took a step back from Donghyuck. “I’m sorry, she just doesn’t seem to like you at all.” “Did she..?” “I’m okay, bubblegum,” Jeno simply smiled, letting Bongsik jump from his hold to dash somewhere to your bedroom, adding some more scratches to his skin in the process. 

“Cats are such weird little dudes,” Donghyuck tried to divert the tension that seemed to build in the room. Biting his tongue to not give a snarky comment to defend his kitten’s honor, Jeno simply shook his head. He was not about to start a discussion over his kitten not liking your friend and how it probably was his fault and not hers. Good first impressions, good first impressions… “Did you eat already?” He ended up asking instead. “Yes, we did,” you dragged out your words, rolling your eyes at your boyfriend. “Hey,” he giggled, playfully digging his fingers into your sides, “I’m just looking out for you and your alcohol tolerance.” “I know, you idiot,” you laughed, batting his tickling hands away to throw your arms around his neck instead. “Just want you to be safe,” Jeno whispered into the small space between you, wrapping you up in a warm hug and pressing a kiss to the tip of your nose. “We’ll be fine,” you smiled, carding your hands through Jeno’s hair, “And I can always call you.” “Always. No matter the time,” he reminded you, his breath ghosting over your lips, “No matter how drunk you are.” Before you could either make a snarky reply or reassure him, he closed the distance between you to press a sweet kiss to your lips. “You sap,” you chuckled softly, kissing him again just because you could, smiling into the kiss when Jeno held you just a little tighter against him.

“Hey, eh, uhm,” Donghyuck coughed, interrupting the moment, “I’m still right here, you know?”  Visibly flinching, you untangled yourself from Jeno who only awkwardly scratched his neck. “Sorry, Hyuckie we didn’t mean to make you uncom-” “It’s all good, I get it,” he tried to laugh it off, “I’d do the same but we still gotta get ready because you’re not going to a party in that outfit.” “What’s wrong with that outfit?” Jeno asked, smoothing out the back of your shirt. He really liked to color on you. And if he wasn’t mistaken, the jeans were one of your favorite pairs. “Nothing’s wrong with it but I have something else in mind,” you smiled, pressing a quick kiss to your boyfriend’s cheek before you took Donghyuck’s hand to pull him into your bedroom. “But you’re not going to…” Jeno trailed off, gesturing into the general direction of the room to get his point across. “No, I’ll leave when she changes,” Donghyuck cleared up, holding his palms up in defense, “But I’ll help her choose.” Jeno didn’t like the way your friend’s lips spread into a grin as he spoke. Not one bit. But for the sake of not wanting to ruin your evening, he swallowed down the jealousy clawing at his throat. “I’ll be outside if anyone needs me,” he gritted out instead, opening the window so he could climb out onto the fire escape. He really needed a smoke. 

“I’ll pick you up at three,” Jeno reminded you when he dropped you and Donghyuck off at one of his friend’s houses, the music already loud even on the street in front of the house. “Yes, Jeno, I’ll be out,” you smiled, leaning through the window of his car to kiss him softly. “Don’t drink weird stuff strangers give you and call me sooner if you want to leave or get a cab.” “I’ll be careful, I promise. Don’t worry.” “I always worry, bubblegum,” Jeno sighed against your lips before he claimed them again, tasting the sweet cherry of your lipgloss that left his lips sticky. “I’ve got Hyuckie and the others with me, we’re gonna keep an eye out for each other,” you reassured him again, “Go watch your stupid horror movies with Jaemin.” “I’ll get you to watch one with me eventually,” Jeno grinned, starting his car again, “Be safe.” “I will,” you playfully rolled your eyes at him. 

Jeno had barely driven a couple of meters when you felt Donghyuck attach himself to your back. “We’re gonna have sooo much fun tonight,” he promised. “Then lead the way,” you giggled, letting him pull you after him by your intertwined hands so he wouldn’t lose you in the crowd that was already inside. Expertly maneuvering through various bodies, Donghyuck took you to the kitchen first, grabbing two cups to mix some concoction for both of you. “Drink up and then we’re gonna dance,” he challenged you, drowning his own drink in record time. “Shouldn’t we look for the others?” “Is now a good time to make a confession?” Donghyuck looked almost bashful, looking up at you from below his long lashes, “It’s just the two of us tonight. The girls didn’t feel like coming all the way out here. But I didn’t want to go alone and your boyfriend always drives you to all the parties regardless of where they are.” You just sighed and gently bumped his shoulder, not really having it in you to be mad at your best friend. Especially not if he jutted his bottom lip out in a small pout. “You could just have told me before, I would have come regardless.” “But we’re here now,” he pouted, already refilling his cup, “So let’s have fun.” Shaking your head at his antics, you quickly drowned your first cup as well to have him refill it again with the questionable mixture that burned down your throat. 

“But you do know the people throwing this party, right?” “Don’t worry your pretty little head,” Donghyuck grinned, “I went to school with the guy living here, he was my senior. Let’s drink up and dance.” Rolling your eyes at him for good measure, you threw back your second drink, barely managing to keep your whole body from cringing when you felt it burn down your throat. “Don’t you dare lose me in this crowd,” you threatened, holding out your hand to him. “I won’t. Promise,” your friend smiled, interlacing your hands to drag you to the living room turned dance floor. 

You had lost track of time after a questionable amount of drinks and dancing until your feet hurt, only remembering laughing and drinking even more with Donghyuck, his smile lighting up the dimly lit room. But after the last colorful shot that one of Donghyuck’s friends had handed to you, the stuffy room began to spin around you, your knees giving out beneath you as you stumbled right into Donghyuck’s arms, trusting him to catch you. “You alright?” Your friend giggled, tightening his grip around your waist as his fingers dug into your overheated skin where your shirt was showing off your midriff. “I think I need some air,” you panted, hooking your arms around his neck to hold onto him a little more securely even if the denim of his clothes scratched your bare skin. “Hold on tight,” he rasped, pulling you flush to his body so you could feel the heat his body seemed to radiate through your thin clothes. “Hyuck-,” you gasped, instinctively tightening your hold on him as the room only started to spin harder. “I’ll take care of you,” he promised, slowly making his way through the crowd, his hold on your waist tight. 

Once he managed to get you both outside, you took a deep breath of the chilly air of the night, still heavily leaning into Donghyuck’s hold. “Let’s sit you down,” he spoke quietly, his breath sending shivers down your spine as it tickled your skin. Suddenly feeling very breathless, Donghyuck’s familiar perfume clouding your senses, you could only nod. A gentle smile spread on your friend’s handsome face before he mouthed an ‘okay’ and slowly lead you over to the edge of the porch where he helped you sit down. “Stay here, I’ll get you some water. Don’t move.” “I don’t think I can,” you giggled, a dopey smile on your lips. “Stay,” he said again like you were some kind of dog he was training, tripping over his own feet on his way back into the house, making you snort out an unattractive laugh. “Don’t laugh,” he called over before slipping back into the house. 

Once you were alone in the backyard, you sighed loudly, tugging a hand through the mess that your hair had become. God, the night air really did nothing to sober you up, if anything it made more of the dizzying feeling rush to your head. Sighing, you let your body fall backward onto the wood of the porch, looking up into the starry sky. It somehow made you think of all the nights you had spent with Jeno under these stars. Or under different ones back in your hometown. Would they be the same? You didn’t know but were sure that Jeno must know the answer and would explain it to you with a gentle smile tugging at his lips. Jeno… You sighed loudly, a smile spreading on your lips as your insides seemed to heat up. You really were stupidly, absolutely irrevocably in love with him. You had to giggle at the thought. 

Jeno. Perfect Jeno. With his gentle heart and crescent eyes. Always being nothing short but the world’s best boyfriend to you. Always knowing what you needed without you even having to tell him. Gently holding you in his arms after a stressful day at uni and pressing kisses to every inch of skin he had access to until you were smiling and squirming away from the tickling feeling. Bringing back little treats from the bakery he passed by on his way back from work every once in a while for you to enjoy. Singing to you while playing his guitar when you asked him to. Even watching stupid romance movies with you even if you knew that he didn’t like them, too cheesy for his taste. Or studying for your tests with you. Attentively reading over your notes as you recited the answers to him and never losing his patience no matter how bad you were doing. Driving you to uni on the days you had tests just so that you could sleep a little longer after cramming the whole night. Which of course you had only stopped because he had coaxed you into bed and wrapped you up against his chest so you could fall asleep with the sound of his heartbeat beneath your ear. And what did you do? All you knew was how to take, take, take. When had been the last time you had done something nice for him? You couldn’t remember. But what you did remember was how Jeno had woken you up this morning with sweet kisses when he had to leave for work, whispering sweetly how you had to get up to go to your classes and that a steaming cup of coffee was awaiting you on the kitchen counter. 

You hadn’t even noticed that you had started crying, only realizing it when you tasted the salt on your lips. Just then a sob clawed its way up your throat, whacking through your body. Crying even harder, you rolled onto your side, hugging your knees to your chest. You were truly a terrible girlfriend, how did you even remotely deserve someone as loving and kind-hearted as Jeno? You weren’t just a terrible girlfriend but a terrible human altogether, exploiting Jeno’s kind and loving heart. Why did he even stay with you? What did you even have to offer to him in return? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You were just some bubblegum girl and he was- well he was him. Jeno. Perfect Jeno. 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Donghyuck’s voice pulled you from your spiraling thoughts, “Breathe for me. Take a deep breath.” Heaving through your sobs, you tried to do as he told you, feeling your world spin on its axis as you were pulled up and into his chest. “Hyuckie,” you hiccuped, tightening your fists in his shirt. “Hey, what happened?” He tried to soothe you, rubbing your back in a comforting manner. “I’m worthless.” “Hey, hey, hey. Who told you that?” Instead of answering, another sob whacked through your body, thoughts of how loving Jeno was and how he never wanted anything in return running through your mind. “You need to calm down, please,” Donghyuck begged, cradling your face between his palms to force you to look at him, “Breathe. Take a deep breath.” “Hyuck-” “Shh, focus on breathing,” he cut you off, gently stroking your tears from your cheeks, “You’re beautiful inside and outside. You’re so far from being worthless. You’re- You’re such a precious friend to me. You’re smart and so incredibly pretty. And caring and warm. And one of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met. And you always put your friends first, are there when we need you. You’re funny. Like actually hilarious. Maybe not as much as me, but I love- I love laughing with you. And being around you. You’re a good person. A very good person. A person worthy and deserving of love.” 

“Hyuckie, stop,” you laughed through your tears, “Or I’ll cry even more.” “No more crying,” Donghyuck declared firmly before he pulled you to his chest in a tight hug. “Okay,” you mumbled where you buried your face in his neck, allowing yourself to pull comfort from his embrace. Reveling in the little kisses he pressed to your hair. “What happened?” He asked quietly when he felt you relax in his hold, the tension leaving your body. “Got lost in my head,” you admitted. “And you came to the conclusion you’re worthless?” You only barely didn’t wince at how harsh Donghyuck’s words sounded. Like he was scolding a child and he was truly disappointed in you.  “Because you’re not. Okay?” He emphasized again, pulling back so he could see your face again. You must look like a mess, makeup smeared down your cheeks and nose snotty but his honey eyes bored into yours nevertheless. “Okay?” He asked again. “Okay,” you whispered, no confidence behind your statement. 

“And now again like you actually mean it.” “But I- I’m not sure,” you sighed, letting your body sag against your friend’s, not able to bear seeing his eyes pierce into yours like that. “You want to talk about it?” “It’s... It’s about Jeno,” you admitted shyly. “What?” Donghyuck exclaimed, his eyes going wide, “He better not treat you like anything less tha-” “That’s not it,” you immediately shut him down again, waving your hands in front of him, “It’s... It’s the exact opposite. He’s... He’s perfect, Hyuckie. He’s caring, he’s understanding, he makes me feel so loved, and he’s always there for me when I don’t even know I need him. He makes me coffee in the morning, brings my favorite cake back from his work at the diner and he’s the world’s best cat dad. And don’t even get me started on how in bed he-” “I don’t think I want to know,” Donghyuck was the one to cut you off this time, a grimace on his face. “But Hyuckie, the way he-” “No. Do not want to hear it,” he emphasized, pressing the cup of water he had gotten you to your lips to shut you up. Tentatively, you took the cup from him to feel the cold water smooth out the roughness that had built up in your throat both from the stuffy air inside the house and from crying. 

“But Hyuckie-” “No, I really don’t need to know what happens behind closed doors.” “But you-” “I know I’m the king of oversharing,” he giggled, “But I really do not want to know what your boyfriend is like in bed.” At that, you just pouted, the sight smoothing out the furrow in Donghyuck’s brow and you could tell that a smile was tugging at his plush lips. This was unfair when Donghyuck would always go on and on about his hookups. Both the good ones and the ones that had ended in a mess. “Stop pouting, dummy,” he jokingly slapped your naked arm, “Let me protect my virtuous image of you. Bad enough that I know that you do the dirty.” “You do the dirty all the time, this is unfair.” “Shush,” he silenced you with a finger pressed to your lips that you gently nipped at, making him squirm away. “Behave.” 

At that you just pouted again, taking another sip of your water. “And this is not what we were trying to discuss here, sweety.” “I don’t wanna talk about it anymore, it’s stupid,” you sulked, turning your body away from him to curl into a little ball. “You’re the worst when you’re drunk,” Donghyuck laughed, simply laying down next to you. “I’m not drunk,” you mumbled, swallowing half of your words. “Sure, if that makes you feel better.” “I’m nooot,” you whined, turning around all at once to slap his chest but it turned out not only to be a bad idea because the slap ended up half-assed at best but it also made your head spin violently, pulling bile up to your throat. “Hey, take it slowly,” Donghyuck comforted you, tucking your hair back into place as you groaned loudly, pressing your eyes shut tightly to fight back nausea. 

“I hate this. Why did you let me drink so much?” “Where’s the fun in partying if neither of us is drunk?” He just laughed it off. “I want a new best friend, you’re horrible,” you whined, hiding your face in his chest. “You love me,” Donghyuck giggled softly, wrapping you up in his arms again. You didn’t answer him, at least not verbally, simply seeking the warmth his body always radiated liberally. 

“You going to tell me now how you ended up making yourself sad to the point of crying any time soon? That can’t have been it,” He mumbled after a while. Of course, he’d bring it up again. Sighing, you nodded, hands playing with the frayed hem of his well-worn shirt. “I just,” another sigh, “I just thought about how he’s just. He’s just so perfect and I’m just. Just me.” “No one is perfect, darling.” “No. He is. Like. He’s perfect for me,” you tried to explain, “He always knows when I’m sad and just need a hug. He brings me back my favorite food from the diner, he always goes along with what I want to watch on TV. Hyuckie, he even plays me songs on his guitar if I ask him to. And I just. I don’t do any of that which means I am a terrible girlfriend.” “Hey. Easy. Take a breath,” Donghyuck immediately noticed when your breathing picked up again, soothingly running his hands up and down your back. “But Hyuck-” “Stop, sweetie,” he sighed, softening his voice down again like he was talking to a wounded animal. 

“You don’t get it,” you sighed in defeat, trying to wind yourself out of his embrace. “Hey, stop.” “No. You stop.” “Shh,” Donghyuck shut you up, gently cradling your face between his palms to make you look at him, his eyes boring into yours before his features softened again. “God, you look fucked up,” he giggled, clearly trying to ease the tension that had built between you as he used his thumb to gently wipe away the black streaks of tears on your cheeks. “You’re the worst,” you sniffled but leaned into the comfort of his touch anyways. “You’re not worthless okay?” Your friend reminded you, carefully tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “But-” “No ifs and buts. You are worthy of love,” he repeated himself, pulling you close so he could press his lips to your forehead in a fleeting kiss. “You hear that?” He whispered, “You’re worthy of being loved. Of- Of you know- Jeno’s love. You probably don’t even realize how much you’re doing for him in return. Like that time when you made us all wait outside that record store because you saw a vinyl he might like? Or when you ditched us so you could be the perfect housewife to surprise him at home with his favorite meal because he was having a rough week. Or when you chewed my ear off about how you found the perfect cat tower on the side of the road and needed me to help you get it into your apartment for the cat he rescued? And those are just the things that I know about.” “Hyuckie…” “No. What I mean is. You’re probably doing all kinds of things for him and you don’t even think twice about it and he’s probably the same. He’s- He- Jeno seemed really in love with you,” he pressed out in one breath, his voice trailing off at the end until it was barely audible. “You think so?” “I wouldn’t lie to you,” Donghyuck promised, running a hand through your hair, “Not about something like that. You are lovable.” 

“Thank you, Hyuckie,” you sighed, winding your arms around his torso and pressing your head into his chest, “I’m sorry for ruining the night.” “You didn’t ruin anything, darling. If we hadn’t gone outside, either of us would probably be puking our guts out right about now,” he joked, gently working out the knots in your hair. “Should we- Should we find a phone and call Jeno?” “Let’s stay like this for a little longer,” your friend whispered, holding you just a little bit closer to shield you from the cold of the night. 

“Good morning, bubblegum,” the deep baritone of Jeno’s voice slowly coaxed you from your sleep. You could only groan, your throat dry and your head pounding with a headache as you tried to bury yourself deeper into your fluffy pillow and blankets that enveloped you with the smell of home and comfort to block out the light of the sun. “You gotta get up, baby. I made breakfast. Well, technically lunch,” he chuckled, the sound like music to your ears. When he yet again didn’t get any reaction out of you, you felt the bed dip next to you with Jeno’s weight. “Come on, bubblegum,” he tried to coax you out again, prying the blankets back that you had pulled tightly around your body, “If you’re not coming out, I’m coming in to your little burrito.” “Jeno,” you whined but let go anyways, not enough strength left in you to fight him off. “Stop fighting me,” he laughed hoarsely, snaking his arms around you to pull your back against his chest so he could nuzzle his face against your neck, pressing small kisses to the skin. “Not fighting you,” you sighed, going lax in his hold, just basking in the attention he was showering you in. 

“You feeling okay?” He asked after a little while. “Headache,” you grumbled, intertwining your fingers where he had them splayed out on your stomach. “You were pretty drunk when I picked you up,” Jeno mumbled lowly to not agitate your headache any further. “‘m sorry…” “No need to,” he reassured you, pressing a kiss to your shoulder, “You were mostly tired and already fell asleep halfway back home. But you- you looked like you had cried.” 

That made you tense up in Jeno’s arms, memories of last night flooding your brain: Of crying in Donghyuck’s embrace, of feeling stupidly worthless and like a terrible girlfriend to Jeno, and of Donghyuck’s comforting words and touch. “Hey,” Jeno gently called out when he felt your body locking up, lifting himself up onto his elbow so he could look down onto you, his kind eyes filled with worry. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, bubblegum,” he immediately reassured you, gently stroking your matted hair from your face. “I just,” you tried to explain it, your voice cracking both because of how dry your throat was and because of the raw emotion in Jeno’s gaze. “Wait. Here,” he interrupted you, carefully grabbing a bottle of water with electrolytes from the bedside table and opening it before he handed it over to you. “Thank you,” you smiled, grunting as you sat up against the headboard, your stomach fluttering with butterflies instead of nausea when your smile was mirrored on Jeno’s face, his eyes just slightly curling into the crescents you loved so much before you took a sip from the drink, the cold liquid doing wonders for your sore throat as well as calming down your upset stomach just a little bit. 

“You look like shit,” Jeno laughed softly when he took the bottle back from you, maneuvering around so he was sat next to you against the headboard of your bed, throwing an arm around your shoulder to hold you close. “Geez, thank you,” you chuckled, letting your head fall back against him. “I didn’t do a good job at cleaning your face,” he snickered, “You look like a little raccoon.” “You cleaned my face? And I didn’t wake up?” “I think you did once after I had carried you all the way up the stairs and put you into bed already,” he chuckled, “Smacked my hands away and mumbled something I couldn’t catch before you hugged my pillow like your life depended on it. Had to sleep without it until you decided it was better to hug me than to suffocate yourself in my pillow.” “I’m sorry,” you pouted, feeling your cheeks heat up with embarrassment, “I don’t know why Donghyuck and I drank so much last night.” “I’m just glad you called me,” Jeno simply said, “And that you were safe out there. I mean. Except for the crying thing…” “Yeah- I- I just- I drank too much and then started thinking and I- I was getting worried and overwhelmed and got lost in my head,” you tried to explain what had happened without worrying him any more than he probably already was. 

Jeno simply hummed to indicate that he had heard you, pressing a kiss to the side of your head. “I don’t know what else to say,” you mumbled, curling your body further into his, craving the comfort his touch always brought you. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, bubblegum,” he reassured you, winding his arms around you so you could climb onto his lap to bury your head in his neck, your thighs bracketing his hips and inhaling the smell of your laundry detergent mixed with Jeno’s perfume. “I just- I want- Jeno, I-” “Shh,” he gently shushed you, running his hands up and down your back, not unlike Donghyuck had done yesterday just that Jeno knew exactly when to squeeze a little tighter and when to simply leave featherlight touches to calm you down. After a little while, he let his fingers slip beneath your shirt which you only now realized actually belonged to Jeno. It was one of his favorite big, baggy graphic tees, the print already fading with how often he had washed it. Encircling his arms around your naked waist, he pressed you even closer together until you swore you could feel his heart beating in tandem with yours. “You listening?” “Of course I am,” you could feel Jeno’s voice rumble against your chest, “I’m here for you. Always.” “I just- I need you to know that I-” Taking a deep breath, you threaded your fingers into the long strands of hair at the back of Jeno’s head. “Need you to know that I love you. I love you, Jeno. I love you so much. And I appreciate everything you do for me. When you make breakfast and when you pick me up from parties in the middle of the night and when you-” 

“Hey, hey, hey,” Jeno interrupted you, prying your face from his neck so he could look into your eyes, “I know.” “You know?” You sniffled, fighting back the tears that were blurring your vision. “How could I not?” He smiled, gently stroking his thumbs over your skin, “You remind me every day. When you nag me to bring a jacket because it’s going to be cold when my shift is over. Or when you hide my cigarettes and lighter. Or when you whine about how much you miss me after not seeing me for the whole day. When you try to fuse our bodies together on the sofa when we’re watching one of your romance movies. When you play with my hair so I can fall asleep faster. And when you listen to the little mixtapes I make for you.” “Jeno,” you mumbled, feeling how your bottom lip started wobbling. “Hey, don’t start crying on me now,” he chuckled, “I hate seeing the love of my life crying. Especially because of me.” “You can’t call me that and expect me not to cry,” you sniffled, quickly closing and opening your eyes over and over again so your tears wouldn’t spill. “What? The love of my life?” “Yes, that, you idiot,” you whined, weakly hitting him in the chest, a smile spreading on your lips when you saw his grin. “But it’s true,” Jeno smiled, gently cupping your cheek, “You are the love of my life, bubblegum. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything.” “Please stop,” you whined, feeling your face heat up beneath his palm. “Make me then,” he spoke softly while his smile turned mischievous. “You’re the worst, Jeno Lee,” you chuckled, leaning your forehead against his. Up close like this, you were able to count each of Jeno’s long eyelashes that you’d forever be jealous of. “And yet you love me.” “I do. So, so, so much.” 

You didn’t give him a chance to say it back, instead pressing your lips to his in a featherlight kiss. “Love you too,” Jeno breathed against your lips when you parted before catching them with his own again, “Love of my life.” “Stop,” you sighed but fell into him again, languidly moving your lips against his and winding your arms around his shoulders to press yourself against him until not even a sheet of paper could have fit between your bodies, the dark thoughts of last night fading into the back of your mind, behind the little door those feelings were usually locked up in to be replaced by thoughts of Jeno and Jeno only. How solid his body felt beneath your fingertips, how his bangs tickled your face, how he let out these little sighs into the kiss and how his fingers were caressing your skin. Right now, beneath the midday sun peaking through your curtains, sitting on Jeno’s lap, surrounded by him and his love for you, everything was perfect and it felt like Jeno and you were the only people to exist, made for each other to stay like this forever.