Blind Date!!!

21

"What is all this?" He asked in wonder as Jeno put his arms around him, pulling him closer. 

"Oh it's not much. Just-" Jeno broke away, holding Jaemin's hands in his. He bent down, getting on one knee as Jaemin's eyes widened. "Jaemin?"

"Yes?" The blue haired boy gulped.

"Will you go to prom with me?"

Jaemin covered his mouth with his hands, shock coursing through his body. He tentatively bent down so he was level with Jeno. He reached out, cupping his face with one hand and only spoke one word, very low only the boy inches from him could hear. 

"Yes." 

☁️☁️☁️

Renjun and Yangyang had begun hanging out more often. The two boys often spoke in Chinese together, Yangyang assisting Renjun with his English. 

"How....areu yo douing?" Renjun asked, wrinkling his nose in concentration, his thick Korean accent affecting his English, making it very cute.

Yangyang grinned and clapped. "Very good." He replied in Chinese, making Renjun crack a weak smile, pushing back his glasses.

"So what do you want to do now?" Yangyang asked, propping his head up on his pillow. The two boys, you couldn't quite call them friends just yet but more of companions, sat on Yangyang's bed chilling in the late afternoon. 

Renjun shrugged, pulling out something from his back pocket. Yangyang felt his heart drop in his stomach as Renjun held out his cherry vape pen.

"Would you mind if I uh...." Renjun trailed off as he caught a glimpse of Yangyang's disapproving face. "Are you okay?" 

Yangyang sighed, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. "Look Renjun. I know you enjoy vaping but it's really not good for you. It can really affect your health and I know it makes you feel better at the time but it won't in the long run." Yangyang paused, making eye contact with the boy in his room. "And I care about your health so we can't have you doing this." 

Renjun blinked in obvious confusion as Yangyang wrapped his fingers around the cherry vape pen, pulling it away from the elder. "Why do you care?" He cocked his head to the side ever so slightly.

"Because." Yangyang put his hands on his hips. "You're my friend. Friends care for each other through thick and thin. No matter what decisions you make, I give my honest opinions. I support the good and steer you away from the bad. And vaping-"he tossed the object into his trashcan "isn't doing anything for you." 

Renjun didn't look angry. He didn't look upset or humiliated or even ashamed. He conveyed no emotion whatsoever making Yangyang want to curl into a ball and hide. Should he have said all those things? What if Renjun didn't like him anymore? Did he want to even be friends in the first place?

"Thank you." 

Yangyang popped up from where he had placed his head in his knees. Renjun had tears in his eyes, visible through his thin glasses. Yangyang immediately untangled his limbs and scooted over to the silently crying boy.

"Renjun I didn't mean to make you-"

"No." He said sternly. "Thank you Yangyang. For caring. Not many people do for me." 

The Chinese younger massaged his companion's back in a hug. The back of his shirt felt damp with Renjun's tears. They sat in an embrace for what could have been minutes but just as easily could have been hours. Once they finally broke apart, the brunette looked Yangyang dead in the eyes and began talking.

"My mom died when I was young, really young. I grew up with my father who wasn't a good man from the get go. He was an alcoholic and the entire town knew. Kids at school constantly teased me, bullied me, and avoided me because of my father. My teachers in grade school treated me like shit, as if I myself went home as a ten year old boy and chugged beer every night." Renjun took a shaky breath and continued. 

"I began putting so much pressure on myself. Not talking to anyone, only focusing on classwork. Staying in at recess and lunch to complete extra credit or clean the classroom, anything to make me look good in the eyes of the teachers at least. And it worked. I became the middle and high school's top student, 4.0 gpa, and even making the basketball team. But I had no friends. I was all alone just like I was at home.

"I went home, locked myself in my room, made dinner, and never spoke a word. Field trips, I had to ask for a signature at pickup at school. No one ever helped me because they just weren't my parents. I felt excluded. Alone. I was destined to be an outcast for my entire life.

"And the what seemed like a miracle, a boy came up to me at lunch in eighth grade. I had forgotten lunch that day and my teacher insisted I go grab something from the cafeteria. I did and much to my dismay, someone approached me. Jeno he said his name was. I didn't know what to do but look at my feet and mumble responses to his questions. I never had a friend before. 

"And then I became more popular. People knew me as the class president but also a basketball star. I'm not any good, usually just a seat warmer but I'm in the team. That's what matters. I made more friends, Shotaro, Mark, Haechan, of course Jeno, but also Felix, and Johnny, I was close with Sungchan. But I felt I had only used Jeno to become popular. Of course I'm his friend but no one truly knew me. Jeno thought he did but the truth is, this is the first time I'm telling someone this story all the way through.

"You see Yangyang, I'm not perfect. I'm scarred and bruised and to be quite honest-ready to just end it all. But I met you. And you gave me another friend. But you were different. Like Jeno, I felt safe talking with you. But I feel even safer with you than Jeno. You give me something worth living for Liu Yangyang. You make me feel happy."

"Wow." Is all Yangyang could say. "I didn't think you would be so, like you said, scarred."

"The pretty eyes hold the most secrets and cry the most tears."

"That's beautiful." Yangyang choked. "I-I don't know what to say. Do I say I'm sorry?"

"Don't." Renjun shook his head. "You don't have to be sorry. All you have to do is stay by my side and actually care about me. Staying loyal I mean."

Yangyang felt a tear fall on his leg. "I don't think that will be a problem. You make me feel happy Huang Renjun. I will never let you down."

"I'm counting on you."

(A/N Jesus that was a long chapter)