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Two years ago...
Okay, so Jeno was usually a very good boy. He was loyal, responsible and always took others' needs into account. But for once in his life, he finally wanted something badly enough that be was tempted to be a bad boy. His devilish face and seductive charms didn't quite fit his personality, but he could make them if he needed to. And by God did Na Jaemin: the definition of sin itself, feel worth it.
One of the random days Jaemin had come to see Mark while he was acting was upon them, and this was the chance the costar was hoping to have. When the director barked at them and said he needed Mark and Kiri to rerun a scene from the mid section they'd left behind three weeks ago, the unneeded star was up and away from the hot stage as fast as he could possibly go.
He wasn't stupid, nor was he clingy. Lee Jeno was cunning and he knew how to move those around him to make it seem less like he was getting what he wanted. Instead of bounding like a puppy straight over to Jaemin like he wanted to, his beautiful self wandered calmly and leisurely towards the stand of fresh water bottles where he took one and threw back a mouthful to quench that dryness in his throat.
It didn't even take as long as he'd predicted. Before he even lowered his head to screw the cap back on, an innocent hand was tugging his arm and there stood one adorable looking blonde with glittery eyes and very alluring clothes. Why Mark would let the boy wander around in tight shorts and a revealing top, he wasn't sure. But freedom to express oneself was important as well, so he supposed he would've as well had Jaemin been his.
"Hi Jen!"
Nicknames? He thought, already trying to suppress a smile and keeping up that usual, calm demeanour he was famous for. "Hey."
"I'm glad you're down, I was starting to get lonely off stage all on my own. You're all doing a great job up there."
"Oh, thanks. I suppose we're down to the nitty gritty parts now that need cleaning up. It'll be boring from here on out, I'd say."
"Ah, you're talking..."
"Hm?"
The slightly shorter adult blushed all of a sudden (and a little out of character) before clasping his hands behind his back and putting that same, defensive smile back on. "Nothing, really. It's just that you're usually quite cold or a little quiet when I talk to you. Is that because of me? Or..."
"You're always surrounded by people," Jeno responded quickly and put his bottle of water down. "I don't like talking to groups of people very much."
Is that so? Jaemin took note mentally and placed his hands on his delicate hips in a cute way. "I see. Well now we're alone. We should get to know each other."
Bing. The alarm waving a red flag at the older was like a siren and he was instantly nervous now that someone's boyfriend was so easily flirting with him without a care. He didn't think they'd get very far, and it was all going to be a little experiment which a part of him assumed would fail. But how was this guy so shameless about it? Could he not be bothered by the fact that his boyfriend was on the stage — maybe even watching them. He was too scared to check. "You're awfully...chatty."
"Mhm, it's my strong point. I'm a host, you see. I chat people up for a living and tell them how perfect they are while they fantasise over dating me. It's quite fun really, and nobody gets hurt."
He's...interesting. "Doesn't Mark mind? Surely he doesn't like that job for you."
"Oh, of course not. But that bonehead woman up there is sucking his face right now as we speak so he has no right to lecture me. I don't care anyway. He's entitled to love who he wants as long as I'm one of them."
And there went another flag. The conversation a few weeks back about polyamory flashed before his eyes and he realised that there were actually a lot of phrases and puzzle pieces he wasn't quite sure of or even aware of. He wanted to understand everything but this was already a headache. "Why do you come to watch him?" The ravenette suddenly uttered without even realising he needed a subject change. "Mark, I mean. Don't you get...bored?"
"Have you ever been in love, Jen?" The blonde merely chuckled in response and guided them to sit down on a set of foldable chairs. "If you have, then you'd understand why staring at someone you find ethereal in every way doesn't get old. I don't like when he isn't with us, so I compromise by coming by to see him now and then."
Jeno pursed his lips and stared off into the distance, his foot tapping restlessly against the ground. It was now very obvious that this guy was mad for his co-actor, but the flirty personality was still a cause for confusion. Nobody who was seemingly that deeply in love would just up and cling to someone else. It didn't make sense. "Mark said something about polyamory before. Loving multiple people, or something..."
"Yeah, I'm surprised he did. It's a pretty big secret, you know..."
"I guess he trusts me with it then." Damn, now I feel horrible hitting on his boyfriend. "Are you?"
"Am I what?"
"Polyamorous?"
"Indeed I am. My interests aren't solely for men though, but Mark's are. So I've just stopped caring about girls to avoid any complications."
"Doesn't that agitate you?"
"Hah, no. Again, if Mark's happy then I am. As well as the others, of course."
"Others..." Jeno clasped his hands together and rested his two index fingers against his lips. He was getting the gist of it now, but he wasn't all that impressed with the lifestyle. It sounded like a whole lot of compromising and sharing when he himself liked to dedicate himself to one individual and spoil them. He understood how it would be a great dose of character development if one could share everything and love many...but he just wasn't built like that. "How are there so many of you though? I'd never even heard of this, yet there are already four of you? Does that mean there are loads of relationships out there like this?"
"Well, again...compromise. Mark and I are poly, but Chenle and Donghyuck aren't. They're just willing to change it up and we have no doubt that they love us all equally. It takes time, Jeno, but it's so worth it."
It sounds like a pain, the older thought dryly and went back to daydreaming again. But he really liked Jaemin. He liked his looks, his voice, his bubbly personality and that drive to do as he wanted. Jaemin wasn't a pleaser at all, and he was clearly in this for the romance, not the bonuses of it. Jeno couldn't help but admire that, and he wished deeply that he'd found this boy first.
"You wanted to get to know me..." he ended up whispering and that was when he finally tilted his head to gaze upon the stunning man once again. "What does that mean?"
"What do you want it to mean?"
"Are you...flirting?"
"I don't know," he smirked and leaned over on his palm which was propped up from his knee, "Am I?"
"You have boyfriends."
"And?"
And I want you on your own, he sighed inwardly and looked away, chuckling softly regardless at the boldness he was seeing.
"Jeno..."
"Yeah?"
"Can I?"
"Can you what?"
"Get to know you~" he smacked his strong bicep and pouted childishly. "Are you even listening to me?"
"I don't know. Can you?"
"Ugh, you're already irritating," Jaemin beamed, giggling a little and nudging the man's shoulder with his own. "If you want, we don't have to involve the others or anything yet. We can just hang out and stuff. I'll admit we all have really big personalities that are hard to handle as a group..."
"I don't want to date more than one person—"
"This isn't about dating. I want to be friends."
And from there the actor somewhat reluctantly agreed because deep down he knew there was more to this than friendship. Not with that sly look in the host's eyes. But what he hadn't known was that Jaemin wasn't cheating.
On the contrary, Mark had told him he was free to try and entice Jeno in. The newest potential.
And so from that conversation stemmed a pretty wholesome relationship. The pair would arrange to meet up every week, be it once or twice, and they introduced one another to the way they lived. Jaemin brought him to the Sapphire Dome a couple of times and on those occasions they'd drink too much and tell stories they'd probably never tell anyone else. Jeno loved the cinema and took the younger to see a movie every other week and on the off occasion, he'd bring him out to eat where they'd blind order for each other and see how close they'd be to understanding each other's tastes.
It was quite fun in the end, and Jaemin really did end up falling in love. He was hopeless, and Mark would always tease him for it...but his heart was so big and he just wanted to share it with people. Jeno had proven to be everything and more that his oldest boyfriend had described, and he could only wish he was able to show the others the sides of Lee Jeno that he was seeing. It was still apparent he didn't want to date multiple men, but there was still time. Still hope.
Weeks turned into two months and Chenle as well as Donghyuck were boiling over with curiosity about him. The way Mark and Jaemin would run off each other with compliments and squeals about a guy they had only seen as a little antisocial and cold was a little weird.
"You wouldn't get it," Jaemin had told them. "He's different when he's with me."
They wanted to believe him. They wanted to imagine the ideal picture of the handsome actor since there was a strong chance at this rate that he'd be joining them. Mark kept warning everyone that it was a long shot, really. He wasn't poly and he didn't understand them at all. Yet Jaemin was determined to make this work.
"Oh, you look different today," the tall, ravenette commented with a placid grin as the shorter jogged over to him in the sunlit park. It was the middle of the day with warm rays praising the ground, and Jaemin had decided to dress up less suggestively for once and instead put on straight jeans and an innocent white button up with slight lace along the collar. Nothing as eye-catching as usual but equally as beautiful when put on this specific body. "What's the occasion?"
"Hmmm, the fact that it's you, maybe. I don't think I need to be so impressive anymore, right?"
He hadn't needed to be as flashy at all for Jeno to fall into his trap, but the older wasn't about to mention that. "I like it. It suits your cuter features like your smile."
"It's hot enough out here without you making me blush, you bastard," Nana gushed and kicked his ankle gently. But he was thankful all the same that he could be truer to himself in his company now. Just like with the others at home. "Where are we going today?"
"A walk."
"A walk? Did I dress appropriately then?"
"Who knows? We're about to find out. A small, even trail was opened to the public last week down near that park on the west side. I figured that and ice-cream were befitting of such weather."
"Yes! Ice-cream~" the blonde hissed loudly and was the first to dash off towards the parlour they'd met in front of. He was a giant kid at heart, a massive crybaby, overly emotional and an attention seeker.
But he had four boys wrapped about his finger somehow. And honestly, how could he not? It was Jaemin after all.
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