Jeno didn't get a good look at Renjun's back during their walk, too engrossed in his own turmoil to notice such glaring details. But when they stood at the front door of Donghyuck's home, Jeno took notice of the tattered material of Renjun's uniform shirt. Observed the splattering of blood painting the inside of the bleached shirt. Inspected the raw skin peeking out from underneath their curtain of navy feathers.
The sight was disturbing, but not in the gut-wrenching, grossed-out kind of way; it was more like his-friend-went-through-a-life-changing-process-a-matter-of-minutes-ago kind of way. Plus, a little voice in his head pointing out, And I wasn't there to witness it.
It wasn't until Jeno was scuffing his shoes off and sliding into a spare pair of slippers when he realized he shouldn't be feeling excluded. It was such a private process—falling in love. Why should he be involved? He wasn't nearly as bothered when Mark and Donghyuck snuck around. So, the question begged itself, yet again: what about Renjun ticked him off?
Jeno scowled and inspected Renjun from the corner of the couch, watched as he went about his fresh-eyed, awed investigation of his newly-grown wings. Gentle and wary, yet intrigued and eager. Much like how Donghyuck had first reacted with his own pair.
Speaking of Donghyuck...
Jeno's gaze flitted toward the kitchen, which Donghyuck was rummaging through in search of snacks. Jeno watched as Donghyuck occasionally paused to look over his shoulders and smile fondly at the smooth feathers that peered back at him. As Donghyuck reached behind his back with wild urgency, only to relax and become placid while stroking his wings.
There was a moment of hushed silence between their group. Mundane tasks and enrapturing sights stealing away their usually smooth flow of conversation.
Jaemin nudged Jeno with his elbow. Jeno turned toward him, startled and put-out by the sudden intrusion.
"I think Hyuck's looking for that bubble tea we saved from last week," Jaemin said. "But, I drank it all after crashing here last night."
He nodded his head toward the door.
"Wanna buy some more with me?"
Jeno frowned.
"Why should I help cover you?"
Jaemin grinned and rested his head atop Jeno's shoulder, batting his eyelashes coyly.
"Because we both know you can't stand to be around these two right now."
Jeno couldn't deny the obvious.
So, not bothering to be subtle about it, Jeno excused himself from the living room and made his exit through the front door. He heard Jaemin following behind him with close comfort and was quick to fall in step with him once they were trudging out onto the sidewalk.
"Was I that obvious?" Jeno asked.
Jaemin snorted and knocked his shoulder into Jeno's.
"Don't worry," he said with a smile. "I doubt they noticed. They were too busy fawning over their wings—"
"And each other," Jeno muttered.
"To pay much attention to us," Jaemin continued. "And chin up, no-jam. They'll get over this star-crossed-lovers act of theirs soon enough, and will probably be back at each other's throats within a week."
Jeno raised a brow.
"That soon?"
Jaemin shrugged and held the store's door open for Jeno to pass through.
"The honeymoon phase is a short one."
Jeno prayed that Jaemin's words held at least a sliver of truth to them. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if Renjun and Donghyuck continued to act as though they were the only two in the room while talking.
Jaemin pulled ahead of him, wallet in hand, and gazed up at the menu.
"Same thing as last time?" he asked.
"Nah, that stuff was too sweet."
Jeno approached Jaemin's side and inspected the menu's contents.
"I'll try the Winter Melon one," he said after a moment.
"Two Winter Melons, one Coffee Milk, and one Strawberry Milk Green Tea," Jaemin informed the cashier.
He turned back toward Jeno once the price was paid, a frown tugging on his lips.
"Do you know why you feel so bothered by Donghyuck and Renjun's relationship?" he asked, all concerned and sympathetic.
Jeno startled and felt a guilty flush pool into his cheeks.
"No," he answered with a mumble. "And that's the problem. Because I didn't have an issue with Mark and Donghyuck being together, but something about Renjun just...makes me uncomfortable."
Jeno met Jaemin's gaze. Jaemin scrutinized him for a moment, eyes jumping across the flustered features of his face before his rough edges smoothed over with an empathetic smile.
"I see," was all he had to say.
Teas secured in a drink carrier and grasped between Jeno's palms and his chest, they left the store in a stilted sort of silence.
Jeno and Jaemin didn't talk. They didn't look at one another. There was no opening to initiate a conversation, to exchange a look of understanding between one another.
When they stood outside the door of Donghyuck's home, Jeno's arm straining against the prolonged weight of the tea, Jaemin paused in his entering. Jeno released a curious noise, peering around Jaemin's form to see what the hold-up was. Maybe Donghyuck had locked them out as a prank? It wouldn't be the first time.
"Jeno," Jaemin spoke, startling Jeno back into his original posture of impatient waiting.
"Jaemin?" he ventured when Jaemin ceased to continue.
Jaemin turned around toward him slowly, carefully, and fixed him with a gentle smile.
"If Donghyuck and Renjun really start to get to you," he said patiently, "just know you've got me by your side."
Jeno stared at him for a moment before snorting and conceding with a nod of his head.
"Well, thank God for that."
Jaemin didn't look entirely pleased by his flippant response: a pinch of skin between his brows, his smile deflating into a grim line. But Jaemin didn't push any further and finally opened the door. "We brought tea!" he shouted as he entered, slide-shuffling back into his pair of slippers.
There was another shout in reply, probably from Donghyuck, for he suddenly appeared and tackled Jaemin down to the ground. He bemoaned of being robbed and whined about the injustice of stealing another person's snacks from their own home.
Jeno avoided the confrontation and shuffled into the living room, where Renjun was still hiding away. He no longer sat in a silent marvel of his own wings and, instead, fixed Jeno with a bemused grin.
"You don't look too happy," Renjun said, standing from the couch and approaching Jeno.
Jeno felt his frown deepen upon Renjun's comment.
"Just trying to figure out what to do with you and Hyuck," he replied eventually.
Renjun laughed, startled and obviously off-kilter.
"What?"
Jeno shrugged.
"I dunno, honestly. I'm still working it out in my head."
He motioned the tea-filled carrier toward Renjun.
"Want one? I've got dibs on a Winter Melon."
Renjun paused and fixed Jeno with a scrutinizing glare, something Jeno was becoming uncomfortably familiar with. He eventually shook his head in apparent disapproval and tugged the other Winter Melon free from the carrier.
"I didn't take you for the sort of guy that would be uncomfortable with your friends dating each other," he said, straw balanced upon his lips.
Jeno bristled at the accusation.
"I'm not," he muttered. "I mean, I didn't think I was. Donghyuck and Mark being a thing didn't bother me, so I don't get why you and Donghyuck getting together is such a problem for me."
Renjun placed the straw between his lips, sipped up his tea in silent contemplation.
"You got a problem with me?" he asked around the straw.
Jeno paused and stared at Renjun incredulously. He parted his lips, ready to deny the obvious quip, to derail that path of mischief carved within Renjun's glimmering eyes. But he stopped short. And realized that he didn't inherently have a problem with Renjun. He didn't have any issues with Renjun or Donghyuck. The dilemma laid within their relationship with one another.
Because, as Jeno stared at the symbol of the enigma—at Renjun's fluttering wings of navy, he realized that his own sprouts had long since taken root underneath his skin.