CHAPTER FIVE→ a first date

Na Jaemin and Lee Jeno hurriedly entered the school building, very aware that they were already late for class.

"Hey Jaemin," Jeno spoke as the two scurried down the hallway, searching for their lockers, "If the teachers kill me for being late, you can have all my houseplants."

Jaemin scoffed, glancing at Jeno. "What makes you think they wouldn't kill me too?" he questioned, picking up the pace to keep up with Jeno as they walked.

"They won't kill you, you're too lovely to die," Jeno remarked, making sure to send a sweet smile towards Jaemin. Jaemin definitely noticed.

"Well, in Aztec culture they sacrificed the most beautiful people to the gods first," he said, hiding the smile that arose from Jeno's statement. Jeno sighed, his attempt at flirting seemingly shut down by Jaemin's reply.

"We have the same first period class, right?" Jeno asked, Jaemin nodding in confirmation.

"Yep. Why?" Jaemin asked. Jeno simply shrugged; he had just said whatever came to mind in order to change the topic.

Once the two had grabbed their books from their lockers, they began to walk to the classroom. That was, until, Jeno grabbed Jaemin's arm, stopping the boy in his tracks.

"What if we just wait until first period ends? We won't get in as much trouble then," Jeno suggested, awaiting Jaemin's response.

"Sounds good, but... oh god, I just remembered I have Chenle with me in most of my classes. Can we just skip the whole day?" Jaemin complained, not wanting to face his roommate's anger yet. Jeno stared at him, seemingly opposed to the idea.

"Come on. We just started school, and you already want to quit? Listen, just don't pay attention in class, I'll text you the whole time. Deal?" Jeno persuaded, not wanting the both of them to get in any major trouble for skipping school.

Jaemin hesitantly nodded, although he didn't seem entirely happy with the plan. "What if Chenle asks who I'm texting? I probably shouldn't give him your name," he said, not wanting anything negative to happen to Jeno.

The sudden sound of the school bell erupted, the ringing signaling the end of first period. Loud chatter and the sound of students' footsteps filled the hallway as the others began to file out of their classrooms.

"Hmm, if he asks..." Jeno pondered, "just tell him I'm your boyfriend. Okay?"

Jaemin blinked, taking a moment to react to what he'd been told. "Are you sure..." he trailed off as Jeno patted him on the back, wished him "good luck," and immediately walked away before Jaemin could protest.

Shaking off his momentary daze, Jaemin came back to his senses and began to walk to class, still wary of meeting Chenle.

His trip to class went smoothly; no one questioned him, no teachers seemed to know he'd been absent first period, and he arrived on time to second period.

Sitting down at a random desk towards the back of the classroom, Jaemin set down his books and supplies, then pulling out his phone. Typing out a quick message, he sent it to Jeno, who quickly read the text.

Glancing over the response Jeno gave, Jaemin tried to think of something witty to say in return. However, his train of thought came to a halt as a certain person noticed Jaemin's presence.

"You! You better explain to me what the hell you've been up to," Zhong Chenle spoke loudly as he entered the classroom, striding towards Jaemin.

"Chenle, sit down! Class is starting!" the teacher interrupted, Jaemin feeling a wave of relief wash over him. At least he wouldn't have to deal with the Chinese boy just yet.

Truth be told, Chenle was being perfectly rational. He was just kind of scary at times.

Chenle, after begrudgingly sitting down at the desk next to Jaemin, spent the majority of class time glaring at Jaemin. Jaemin, who was still chatting with Jeno, used the distraction as an excuse to ignore Chenle's presence.

Now, this process continued as the day went on. Class period after class period, Jaemin conveniently dismissed Chenle's attempts at interrogation, spending all of his time focused on the screen of his phone.

"Jaeminnnn, can you stop texting for like five minutes and tell me what you're doing?" Chenle whined, exasperated after a day of failed plans to communicate with Jaemin. The last class period had just ended, and a few students were still loitering about in the classroom.

"No, this conversation is important," Jaemin said, although Chenle could clearly see that he was currently in the process of sending some strange meme through the messenger.

"Dude, you don't think anything is important. Don't even try that," Chenle retorted, knowing very well where Jaemin's priorities lay. 

Jaemin almost smirked. This was the perfect time to use Jeno's advice.

"Excuse me, but I consider my boyfriend very important. I have standards," Jaemin stated, glancing at Chenle, a serious tone in his voice. Chenle grinned, amused by the notion which Jaemin had brought up.

"You? A boyfriend? Yeah, right, everyone knows you're single as hell," Chenle commented; the mere thought of Jaemin dating anyone made him laugh hysterically.

Jaemin pouted, feigning offense. "Hey. Just because I didn't tell you about it doesn't mean it's not real," he replied, seeing Chenle's complete disbelief of what he was saying. 

Preparing to prove his statement, Jaemin subtly changed Jeno's contact name, just to be careful.

"Look, here, I'll show you," Jaemin then continued, lifting up his phone and typing out a quick message.

—

New Message To: cute husband <3

Hey baby, uh, random question... we ARE dating, right??

— 

Jaemin really hoped his plan would work out. If Jeno didn't go with it... then, well, he was screwed. 

He took a breath as the sudden reply came, clicking on it as to read the message.

— 

New Message From: cute husband <3

Of course we are?? Where's this coming from, are you okay? 

— 

Jaemin, feeling a swell of pride at his accomplishment, held his phone up for Chenle, letting him read the messages. Chenle, although mildly surprised that the other person actually replied, still wasn't fully buying it.

"Interesting. Well, you wouldn't mind introducing me to this boyfriend of yours, right?" he said, observing how Jaemin's expression suddenly switched from content to nervous.

"Actually, I would mind. A lot," Jaemin said, standing up and gathering his school supplies. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have places to be," he spoke, bidding Chenle farewell and dashing out of the room.

Chenle, disoriented by the sudden exit, quickly regained his wits. "I swear to god, that guy," he muttered, leaving the room in pursuit of him. Wherever Jaemin was going, Chenle wanted to figure out.

"HEY! Jeno! Hurry up and get your stuff, we need to leave," Jaemin ranted, stopping abruptly at Jeno's locker. Jeno, although a bit startled, complied, shoving whatever he needed in his backpack and slamming his locker shut.

"So, what are we running from?" Jeno asked as he trotted alongside Jaemin, the pair making their way out of school and towards the dormitories.

"Chenle. He's onto us," Jaemin said, Jeno struggling to keep up with him as he made a sharp turn towards the West Dormitory's street.

"Ah. I figured that's what that text was about," Jeno mused, thinking back to the recent messages. 

"Really though, you're the best. You totally saved my life back there," Jaemin remarked, knowing that Jeno's unscripted reply was exactly what he had needed to keep the situation light.

"I think I deserve a reward for that," Jeno said, looking at Jaemin while the two approached the West Dorm's building. As the two walked through the doors, Jaemin spoke, questioning what the older boy meant.

"Reward, huh? Like what?" he inquired, although focused on making his way to the elevator in the goal of getting upstairs.

"Give me something. Some money would be nice," Jeno said calmly, stepping into the dorm's elevator with Jaemin. 

"You want me to give you something? Perfect, I have just the thing," Jaemin said, pausing for a second as he chose the correct floor button. As soon as the elevator's doors closed, Jaemin stepped closer to Jeno, thankful there was no one else in the lift.

Deciding to take a risk, Jaemin silently leaned in, leaving a soft kiss on Jeno's cheek before pulling away. "Thank you," he said, but stepped back as a sudden wave of embarrassment fell over him, mentally yelling at what he had just done.

Jeno, however, seemed the most embarrassed out of the two. He seemed to forget how to function for a good moment, instead staring at poor flushed Jaemin. 

"Haha... ha, you're um, you're welcome," Jeno managed to say, fighting off the giddy smile that threatened to appear on his face. 

The rest of the elevator ride passed in silence, both of the boys too awkward now to say anything. They finally arrived at their floor, and the two stepped out, walking quietly to Jeno's room.

"So, um, Jaemin. I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie or something," Jeno finally spoke up, offering the idea as he unlocked the door to his room and swung it open, walking in.

"Sure. Netflix and chill, huh?" Jaemin joked, his sly smile showing he definitely was aware of the connotations. Jeno nearly coughed, not prepared for the sudden thoughts of what was being implied.

Choosing not to respond, Jeno grabbed his laptop and opened it, going online and searching for something to watch. He laid back on his bed, all too aware of how Jaemin then casually joined him, lying close to Jeno. Not that Jeno was complaining.

As Jeno loaded up a movie that seemed interesting, Jaemin's phone loudly rang, alerting him of an incoming call. Jaemin, who didn't feel like answering, stared as Jeno slipped his hand into Jaemin's pocket instead, taking out Jaemin's phone for him.

"Who the hell is 'Dolphin Boi'?" Jeno questioned, reading out the contact name of the caller. Jaemin felt a new surge of embarrassment at the childish name for his friend.

"Oh, that's Chenle. I just name people's contacts by whatever I think of them as, it's kinda stupid..." Jaemin said, sheepishly laughing. Jeno, having waited until Chenle stoped calling, began to scroll around Jaemin's phone. Jaemin raised an eyebrow at his behavior.

"What are you doing?" Jaemin asked, noticing how Jeno seemed intent on finding something within his phone. After a short moment, Jeno paused, reading something on the screen, then smiled.

"Name people's contacts by whatever you think of them as, yeah?" he said, pulling up a certain item before turning the screen towards Jaemin.

—

CONTACT LIST

Contact Name; cute husband <3

ID Name; Lee Jeno

Number; xxx-xxx-xxxx

—

Jaemin almost choked, not knowing how to explain his spur of the moment contact name change earlier in the day.

"Oh my god, that's not... it's just–" Jaemin stuttered as he tried to make an excuse, but Jeno wasn't having his nonsense. 

"Ahhh! You're just too goddamn precious!" Jeno almost squealed, engulfing the surprised younger boy in a tight hug. Jaemin, although admittedly shocked, found himself returning the spontaneous hug.

"Hey... what the hell do you have my contact name saved as?" Jaemin came upon the question, not having wondered beforehand. He felt he had the right to know at this point.

Jeno, not expecting the sudden interrogation, froze. Pulling away from Jaemin, he nervously laughed. "It's not much, really, there's nothing for you to see th–aH" Jeno, now startled, was interrupted by Jaemin swiftly grabbing his phone, navigating to the contacts app.

Finding his own phone number, Jaemin opened the contact. He couldn't help but grin at what he was saved as.

—

CONTACT LIST

Contact Name; ♡baby jaeminnie♡ (!!ALWAYS ANSWER!!)

ID Name; Na Jaemin

Number; xxx-xxx-xxxx

—

Jeno, ashamed at having been found out, hid his face in his hands, not wanting to make eye contact with said boy. Jaemin, on the other hand, was elated, not sure how to contain the bubbling happiness that he suddenly felt.

"Just start the movie already. Come on, your Baby Jaeminnie is getting impatient," Jaemin teased, loving the way that Jeno kept his gaze averted from him. After finding the will to make a retort, Jeno glanced towards the smug Jaemin.

"Be quiet, your husband is trying to get the movie loaded," he sassed as he clicked on the website's refresh button. Jaemin didn't reply, instead subtly cuddling up against Jeno, laying his head on the older boy's shoulder.

Once the film started playing, the pair's chatter died down to a minimal few comments here and there; although, the resting position of the two did evolve into a more comfortable, yet unintentionally intimate one. Jeno could be found with one arm gently laid across Jaemin's waist, his other free hand calmly playing with Jaemin's hair. Jaemin still lay in his close position, although he was now gripping the bottom of Jeno's shirt loosely.

"Hey, would you move in with me? I know we've only joked about it, but I really want you to," Jeno randomly brought up as the movie began to draw to a close, looking anxiously towards Jaemin. Jaemin, a bit taken aback, formulated a reply.

"I thought you didn't want any roommates," Jaemin reminded, remembering a conversation from days prior when Jeno had mentioned his want for personal space. That had changed since then, however.

"I don't want just any roommate, I want you. You're warm and soft and you look really cute in my clothing," Jeno gushed, letting a little bit of emotion seep into his statement. "You wouldn't have to actually transfer rooms, you can just unofficially live here," Jeno persuaded, knowing a scandal would arise if a student officially moved from their dorm to the rival dorm.

Jaemin felt the heat rise to his face, but ignored his shy internal feelings for a bit. "Consider me your roommate already, then. I'm sure Chenle will be glad to get the whole room to himself," Jaemin answered, shifting his position as to wrap his arms around Jeno, just as a subtle display of affection.

The sound of a ringtone went off once more, evoking a sigh from both of the boys. However, the offender this time was Jeno's phone.

"You should answer that," Jaemin urged. Unlike his reasons to not answer the phone, Jeno was not currently avoiding any of his friends. Jaemin figured he might as well answer.

Obeying Jaemin's order, Jeno reluctantly pressed 'accept call,' and put the phone on speaker.

"Hey, Jeno! A bunch of us are going over to get ice cream in a few minutes. You should come with us,"  the caller spoke, his tone holding a certain air of cheer to it.

"Sorry Jisung, but not right now. I'm busy. You guys should just go," Jeno replied immediately, glancing at Jaemin before turning his attention back to the call.

"Really? Well, do you want me to buy you something before we leave? I'll bring it over later," Jisung offered.

Jeno looked towards Jaemin for approval. Jaemin, of course, avidly agreed.

"Yeah, sure. Could you bring me a pint of..." Jeno trailed off, waiting for Jaemin's input. "Chocolate," Jaemin blurted out, a childish grin on his face that made Jeno lightly smile.

"Chocolate it is then. You're the best, Jisung. Thanks," Jeno finalized, mentally relieved that the junior was such a good friend.

"Wait, you're with someone? LEE JENO, ARE YOU ON A DATE?!?" Jisung exclaimed, obviously having heard Jaemin's loud comment. Jeno instantly regretted every positive thought towards the kid.

"Shut up! Oh my god," Jeno replied, knowing that his friends would hear Jisung if he yelled so loudly.

"So you are on a date! Ooh, I'm interested. Who is it?" Jisung inquired, making sure to keep his volume down this time.

Jeno just wanted to smash the phone at this point. "You don't know him, Jisung. He's not in our friend group," Jeno said, attempting to divert the topic of conversation just slightly.

"Can I meet him? Like, when I bring over your stuff later?" Jisung asked, his curiosity suddenly piqued.

"He seems nice, sure," Jaemin whispered, although Jeno looked doubtful. 

"Are you sure?" he asked, Jaemin's answer still being a firm 'yes.'

"Fine. You can come over later. Just don't tell any of the others where you're going," Jeno instructed calmly.

"Yesss! Alright, I'll see you guys in a little while," Jisung rejoiced, having claimed his victory.

"Bye then," Jeno spoke. Jisung bid farewell as well, and promptly ended the call.

"That kid is crazy," Jeno lamented, putting away his phone. Jaemin laughed in reply.

"Really? He seems sweet, I already like him," Jaemin stated. Jeno simply scoffed at the statement.

"Sweet? Sure. Once you meet him you'll change your mind," Jeno said, shaking his head at thoughts of what the boy had done in the past. Jaemin had no idea.

"I don't know, man. Maybe I'll end up liking him more than you," Jaemin joked, smiling at the annoyed expression that formed on Jeno.

"Excuse me? You better not, I will actually fight," Jeno warned, quickly sitting up. Jaemin, who still had his arms wrapped around Jeno, was dragged up along with him, much to his discomfort.

"Hey hey, no need to get all triggered. I'm just kidding," Jaemin said, lazily resting his head on Jeno's shoulder. Jeno quietly huffed, pretending to be upset.

A small pause in the conversation passed. This was when Jaemin decided to ask a question that had been bugging him for a moment.

"So, relating to what Jisung said... is this actually a date, or...?" he asked, his tone going quieter than usual. Jeno turned to catch his gaze, bearing a minorly surprised look.

"I mean," Jeno started, letting a coy smile work its way onto his expression, "I guess it is. This is pretty gay and we've never said 'no homo' even once," he reasoned, his logic infallible.

Jaemin grinned, yet rolled his eyes at the statement. "Obviously. Yet I'm minorly disappointed that I've been here on my first date without even realizing it," he commented passively. Jeno, however, instantly lit up.

"Jaemin, honey, you've never been on a date before?" he asked, not trying to be mean, but rather, curious. Jaemin shook his head in reply.

"Oh my god! Listen, you choose whatever you want to watch on my laptop. I'll go get you all the snacks I can find. I'll get you some fluffy blankets and stuffed animals too, wait there," Jeno ranted excitedly, secretly giddy at the prospect of being able to pamper a certain boy to no end.

Before Jaemin could even say anything, Jeno hopped off of the bed, dashing over to the corner of his room. Picking up a soft blanket and a wad of pillows and plushies, he walked back over to Jaemin, dumping the items next to him.

Jaemin watched as Jeno then walked over to the kitchen area, opening the cupboards and grabbing various bags here and there of chips, candy, and other snacks. Holding as many as he could physically carry, he returned to Jaemin, setting the snacks near the foot of the bed before climbing back on as well, not-so-subtly cuddling up against the younger boy.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you're being awfully nice," Jaemin commented, feeling a bit embarrassed by the sudden attention.

"Just making sure you're comfortable. Wouldn't want you to have a bad first date," Jeno responded, the cute smile on his face nearly giving Jaemin a heart attack.

"Shut up. I'm so soft now, stop it," Jaemin retorted lightly, gently hitting Jeno on the arm. Jeno only laughed. 

"Alright. Now find something you want to watch, I'm okay with whatever," Jeno encouraged, handing his laptop to Jaemin, who took it and began typing. After a short moment, Jaemin pulled up a page for a recent anime, turning the screen to Jeno.

"How about this?" he asked, waiting for Jeno's approval. Upon seeing the choice, Jeno grinned.

"That's perfect," Jeno agreed, noticing how Jaemin smiled before adding;

"Like you."

CHAPTER FIVE→ end.