─────── • ❥ • ───────
Two years ago...
"Jeno, if I was an ugly crab, would you still love me?" Donghyuck enquired as he crouched over a rock pool and poked a few barnacles inside with a stick.
"Who says I love you now?"
"God."
"I see," the taller watching over him scoffed with a small smile and gazed out over the rest of the ocean they'd all chosen to see together. "What else does God tell you?"
"Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you—"
"Now you're just reciting the fucking Bible. I'm concerned about you."
"No need to be concerned," the male chuckled with profound amusement and stood up before dropping the stick and patting off his shorts. "I'm a perfectly heathy, functioning young adult."
"Functioning, you say..."
"Oh piss off. But still, you never answered my question," he smirked and glanced quietly towards Mark, Chenle and Jaemin by the shore as they splashed water at each other mercilessly even whilst in their clothes. "Would you love me if I was a crab?"
"Honestly, no. I don't think I'd even love Nana if he was a crab, Hyuck. I'd eat you."
"Mhm, I'd be a delicious crab and you'd enjoy me."
"Why are we discussing this?!"
The smaller boy burst into a fit of giggles and nudged Jeno into the direction of their companions. As they made their way over to the chaos in session, the younger cared to elaborate. "I saw it online. Girls like to ask that sort of thing, apparently, and Mark lied to me. If I was a worm, he said he'd still love me."
"That's a massive lie."
"Indeed. But I appreciate the sentiment."
"Did you ask the others?"
"Hell no, they'd say the same thing you did. I only posed the question to you because you're not our boyfriend yet and I was curious to see your response."
Jeno kept his eye on him from his peripheral vision and felt a slight ache in his chest at the way Hyuck had put it. It wasn't like they were going anywhere, but he did need to speed up the process of dating them. He was well on his way to loving them all equally, even if he was still eliminating the remaining bias towards Jaemin. He wanted to spend the rest of his youth with them, and perhaps even more if things could always be this way.
"You two should've been here," Chenle giggled excitedly and sprinkled one last handful of water over his oldest lover. "Nana got sand in his eyes and this random kid asked if he was getting vibe checked."
"Probably was," Jeno commented before receiving a hard punch to his shoulder from the victim of the situation.
"Try me, Bitch. I don't need divine power to bodyslam you into Mother Nature's asscrack—"
"It's getting windier," Mark noted before the playful banter actually evolved into a childish fight. He had his head tilted towards the sun which was low in the sky now, and the breeze off the water was pushing his fringe back. "It'll be cold soon..."
"I don't want to go home yet," Donghyuck quickly added though, playing with a strand of his hair, "The car journey just to get here sucked and we haven't tried the beach restaurants yet."
"All in favour of staying the night in a hotel," Chenle grinned deviously and stretched her arms up before listening to the satisfying pop of her back. "I can cancel work tomorrow and everyone else is free, so..."
"My manager wanted to chat to me, though," Jeno pouted. "I'm not in a position to turn my nose up to work."
"Join me in my life of the sugar baby," Hyuck suddenly took the man's hand in both of his and wore these ridiculously glittery eyes and wind-swept hair, "Where a certain someone pays for your life and all you have to do is look cute."
"Ew, I would sooner sell my lungs on the black market than be a sugar baby. I'm not even cute."
"Well," Chenle arched her brow before quietly sizing him up for a moment with her hand doing some, strange motions along with each thought. "I would give you a seven out of ten for cuteness. There's something about you..."
"Can I rate your annoyingness?"
"Oh, I've been rated for that!" Jaemin winked, "I'm an eleven."
"Hotel it is," Mark interrupted swiftly before shoving them all in front to start moving off the beach. They gathered their belongings from the old towel they'd laid on the sand and shoved them into the backpack on the oldest's shoulders and the satchel over Chenle's neck.
The wind did indeed pick up to whistle past their ears and rustle their clothes. The feminine member of the group squeaked when her dress started to fly around her and the straps along her shoulders slid around dangerously. Jaemin laughed from behind and held it all down, switching after a moment or two to cuddling her as they walked towards the car.
"I want to walk along the shoreline when the moon is up," Donghyuck hummed absentmindedly as he somehow had obtained yet another stick and was peeling off the thin bark as they placed their stuff into the vehicle. "You know, like in the movies."
"Movies are overrated," Mark rolled his eyes and closed the driver's door once he'd retrieved his essential items and popped them into his damp pocket. "The romance genre glorifies moments like that when really, it's the couple themselves who—"
"I have a pointy stick and I want that walk. Option one; you—"
"Let's eat dinner first, okay? Then we can walk when it's actually dark."
"You're so thoughtful, Daddy."
"He's really going to let that slide...?" Jeno whispered to Chenle and Jaemin as the trio followed the other pair towards the first beachside hotel in sight. They just passed a look to each other and as usual begged him not to dwell on it. The first rule in this relationship was to leave whatever the hell the original two did alone.
"I don't exactly know how they properly met, how they fell in love and what circumstances they've had to jump over in order to be this way; this close...but..." Jaemin murmured and folded his arms as they neared the front, rotating doors, "I think if soulmates really did exist, they'd be it. I've never seen chemistry and aura like theirs before, and I'm sure I never will again."
"I'm actually more than honoured that they let me in at all," Chenle smiled with genuine content written all over her gorgeous face. "A love like theirs is sacred, I feel, and honestly...making them happy in my own way, along with you two just makes waking up each day a treasure. They've trusted us all with their fragile, insecure hearts and it grows evermore dangerous with each addition to the relationship. Don't you feel blessed that we've all met under fate's crazy, grand design?"
"Of course," the host nodded enthusiastically and held the door open for them before all three were standing merely metres away from the front desk while their lovers (and soon to be lovers) discussed the details of a room. Jeno bit his thumbnail in thought and couldn't help but agree with them. The points were all valid and even though he wasn't a huge believer of destiny, he did feel this was all meant to happen — that from the moment he came of age, he and these men and perhaps others in his future were meant to be together to defy norms and live freely.
"You're both nutty," he ended up scoffing quietly and earning himself two irritated nudges to his biceps and whinges about how they weren't wrong. He knew they wanted to think the world worked in their favour, and he'd let them if it made them happy...but he was realistic. They were all going to face Hell and hardships to keep this ship above water, and if more boys like himself came their way and weren't quite so open to try, then heartbreak would ensue.
But for now, they had this perfect five. Just five young men with too much time and money on their hands as well as emotions and hormones that couldn't be contained. They saw forever in each other's eyes, and long may that last.
"They really tried to give us two rooms," Donghyuck scoffed in utter disbelief as he and Mark wandered back over with triumphant smiles. "But in the end we managed to coerce a double bed and two singles out of her. We have some rearranging to do, so let's go."
"Did she question the whole..." Jeno tried to ask, hand waving around the popular actor's face as though he carried the plague. "Famous...thing?"
"I was weary of that, but she didn't seem to notice. Luckily not everyone binges television, huh?"
They all thankfully agreed to that and felt that this night couldn't have gotten any better. The lift took them to their designated floor and before anyone was able to tell him to be conscientious of other rooms, Hyuck sprinted out of that small space and darted down the hall with the key in hand. He found the room in a matter of moments, but the remaining five were pretending they didn't know him until they got there.
"Y'know, fun thought," Chenle gushed as they all flooded into the room and flopped onto random mattresses to unwind. "We don't have spare clothes or pyjamas."
"That's fine, we can just go naked and change into these tomorrow..." Mark yawned from the double and curled over onto his side before he had to start thinking about dinner.
"What about Jeno?" Chenle persisted, tilting her neck up and eyeing the said boy from another bed. "Are we finally gonna lay eyes on what you've been hiding, Sir?"
"Is all you guys think about...sex?"
"Yes," they all responded simultaneously without even a hint of hesitation. Proud adults that they were.
"Don't get all shy and prudent on us now, Lee," Jaemin smirked dryly as his eyes scanned the expanse of the ceiling. "You're literally paid to look sexy on camera and, due to your talent, have plots so that it isn't pure smut."
"And yet somehow it's me beating you all back with a stick, huh? Desperation doesn't suit you."
"Denial is a river in Egypt."
"Jaemin, shut up," Jeno chuckled and sat up to view them all in their various locations. "You know that rule you all have? The one about not sleeping with people who aren't members of the relationship?"
"That's a rule?"
"Again Jaemin, shut up," Mark smacked him with his shoe from beside him. "What's this about, Jen?"
"It's so restrictive sometimes...because we all clearly like each other. Not to be a princess, but when are you going to ask me again?"
"Jen..."
"I may not harbour the exact feelings just yet, but I have fallen for each of your endearments. With fondness and lust will grow love, right? I'm learning that now..."
"Guys," Donghyuck also sat up and crossed his legs excitedly. "Is this it? Are we getting our man or am I about to hyperventilate over nothing?"
"Please don't get excited..." Jaemin whined with a prolonged, annoying groan to match.
Jeno watched with shining eyes as they all got up in a panic and firstly engulfed him in a crushing hug, welcoming him along before also sprinting to Donghyuck and shaking his pretty limp body while he wore a spaced out expression. Their first night together may not have been how it panned out in all their imaginations...
But it hadn't been bad at all.
─────── • ❥ • ───────
honestly i just read a few chapters ahead and i'm not ready at all for the last section of the book. cling onto this fluff now while you have it, my dudes, and cherish it before the late seventies/early eighties