•HIDDEN||nomin•

4.hurt

Jaemin finally caught up to jeno after running a long time. damn that boy could run.

Jaemin realised that the place he had followed jeno to was their hideout. Due to the fact that they couldnt talk at school, most of their conversations had taken place as they walked through the woods. Since they met up so often at this tree infested area, they had found somewhere that they now called their hideout. The hideout being a large oak tree, its branches over grown and draping down to the floor completely covered with large, green leaves. The thick branches added with the large amount of leaves seemed to serve as makeshift walls and made a small shelter, the large trunk of the tree standing proudly in the middle of the space. The boys had found this shelter when it had started to suddenly rain one day, jeno had pushed one of the smaller branches out of the way in order to seek cover and had soon realised that the branch served as a door for the surprisingly large amount of space under the tree. They had continued to come back each time they made their trek into the woods, once finding and pushing a used, red sofa into the hideout.

Jaemin pushed a branch to the side, entering the hidout, seeing jeno sat on the tornup sofa staring at his feet. He held a small frown on his face silently continuing to stare at his dirt-tinged shoelaces, seemingly having a lot on his mind.

"Jeno are you okay" jaemin said softly approaching jeno and taking jenos hand in his own.
"I don't know" jeno said sternly yanking his hand away from jaemin, pulling the sleeve of his hoodie over it. Jaemin sighed, quite used to the changing behaviour of the other boy. At one moment, jeno would let himself be completely vulnerable around jaemin whilst the next he was extremely guarded and sometimes not even want to explain what he ate for lunch. Jaemin had seemed to have enough.
"What's wrong?" Jaemin sighed kneeling down next to jeno and looking at him, trying to get a response. Upon not hearing even a peep, jaemin grew to get more frustrated.
"I dont understand jeno. I thought we were fine. What's wrong please tell me." Jaemin pleaded once again, now placing a hand on jenos knee.
Jeno responded by grabbing jaemins hand and placing it onto the sofa away from touching him.
"What's the point in us?" Jeno said quietly looking up slowly and meeting the gaze of the smaller boy.
"huh?" Jaemin spoke quietly afraid of what jeno meant.
"Why do we do this when in the end it was never and will never turn out well for us?" Jeno spoke at a now normal tone staring at jaemin to see his reaction.
the words rang in jaemins head. Jeno couldnt leave him. He couldnt be alone again. He needed jeno.
"what's that supposed to mean" jaemin shivered still speaking in a very quiet voice
"I mean that at the end of the day we'll both end up getting hurt. You need someone who wont hurt you and will be able to be there for you without them being bothered by their stupid reputation," jeno said, his eyes softening upon seeing jaemins reaction.
By this point, jaemins eyes had started to water uncontrollably, even the thought of jeno leaving him causing immense pain and emotions to heighten.
"You cant be serious" jaemin forcefully laughed, cheeks completely covered with his own tears, "I need someone who wont hurt me?" Jaemin stood up backing away from jeno, his eyes squinting as he looked down at jeno. "When have you ever hurt me? When have I ever needed anyone else other than you? You really think me being with you is hurting me? God jeno, the thought of losing you is tearing me apart. Cant you see? You cant leave me Jeno, I wont let you" jaemin was a complete bluddering mess, he was bright red and the back of his hand was now soaking wet at a weak attempt of trying to wipe his own tears away.

Jenos silence was enough to get jaemin to continue on with his rant. " jeno, I love you you cant leave me please" he had completely broken down, trying to catch his breath between sobs.

Jeno stood up slowly making his way towards jaemin, hesitantly placing his hand on jaemins arm "I'm trying to help you, I cant have you hurt" he whispered, an attempt to console the broken boy.
Jaemin laughed another broken laugh, "help me?" He grabbed jenos hand and removed it forcefully from his own arm "what do you think you've been doing for the past months? How do you think you've been making me feel jeno? Have you not realised how much you've helped me recently?"
"NaNa" jeno whispers his eyes filled with tears, reaching to touch jaemins arm once again.
"I need to leave" jaemin steps back before jeno has the chance to touch him once again. He takes one last look at the brown haired boy before sprinting out of their hidout and back home.

Jeno gasped for air, his own tears now rolling down his cheek. He stumbles back landing in the dirt-covered sofa, sobbing, hands over his face. He couldnt protect NaNa.
Edited