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Two days passed them by in a flash, and the whole issue was dropped like a hot potato. Renjun was more than prepared to relax for two weeks until the winter break was over and the idea of doing absolutely nothing made his heart bubble with joy.

He had that date with Jaemin tonight, however, and as much as Chenle and Donghyuck had been pestering him to show off his 'nightclub clothes', the older boy consistently declined. He only had a bare minimum of exciting outfits and one of them was used up going to that premier. He didn't want to ruin the surprise of any others.

"Ah, Renjun!" Donghyuck called up the staircase in the early afternoon when a few of the other residents in the complex had gone to work save for Jisung, Jaemin, who was sleeping the day away until the evening, and the pair in question. The blonde-ravenette yawned sweetly as he descended and joined the other at the foot of the steps, ruffling his own hair lazily and wondering what it was he wanted for lunch.

"Why'd you call?"

"When are you going out tonight?"

The shorter furrowed his brows in wonder and then proceeded to purse his lips. "Nine. Why?"

"Don't give me that look," the brunette gasped and shoved him playfully. "What? You think I'll follow or some shit?"

"Wouldn't put it past you, quite frankly," Renjun chuckled and brushed past him to sit on the sofa.

"Well, you're wrong on a series of levels, but we won't get into that. This innocent boy wants to watch a movie and he would profoundly adore your company, oh wise one." 

"God, why didn't you just start with that? C'mere, Idiot," he tapped the space beside him and shuffled over a little. Hyuck pouted cutely and did as suggested, wandering along the back before reaching over to grab the remote and sliding onto the plush surface.

"You're so skeptical, y'know that? I'm starting to think you don't like me."

"Be serious, of course I like you."

"And yet you were this close," he pinched his fingers and shoved them in the smaller's face, "to labelling me as a stalker. This close."

"You're clingy! It's not a secret!"

"You're damn lucky I'm not hyper today. That would've upset me any other time."

Renjun rolled his eyes and leaned against the male's shoulder, both going quiet as they scrolled along Taeyong's Netflix which he'd set up for them and intended to take down once other people started moving in. It wasn't as though they didn't have one, but this was a convenient account on a television that wasn't theirs.

The rising and lowering of Donghyuck's chest as he flicked along different descriptions was soothing. Something about it had the Chinese boy smiling to himself and refamiliarising his senses with the scent of jasmine and linen. The subconscious desire to just fall asleep there on his shoulder made him realise something.

Something a bit scary.

Hyuck was actually quite masculine when he wasn't a little or whinging like a grown-ass child. His arms weren't as soft as Renjun had assumed they were and his expression whilst focusing on a task was rather serious and...sexy? I need to get my head out of my ass, the older thought desperately and sat up in one quick motion...regretting that afterwards.

"Woah, am I that uncomfortable?" Donghyuck scoffed. "Nobody's ever rested against my shoulder before, so I'm probably tense as hell."

"No, that's not it. You're fine..."

"That's so genuine. I love your honesty, it's my favourite part about y—"

"Hyuck, do you have any memories of your regressions after your come out of them?"

The brunette paused, resting the remote on his lap within his small fingers and glancing his neighbour's way again. "Where's this coming from?"

"Nowhere specific. Call it curiosity."

He arched his brow inquisitively but seemed to be open to discuss it anyway. His attention returned to the television and he wound up choosing the film without asking for a second opinion. Something Disney related. "Some things. Not really..."

"So you just...snap out of it? No recollection of ever regressing at all?"

"Sort of. It's a comfort thing, I think. That's what the doctor said, anyway. I instinctively return to a moment in my life when things were just right and relive that headspace. I think."

"You don't seem to know much about it. Don't you get curious?"

"Look, as long as Mark and the others are making sure I don't grab knives and can entertain whatever it is that I do when I'm little, I really don't care. It's not something I chose, it just happens."

Renjun hummed and rested himself further back against the sofa's backrest. His eyes scanned the opening credits of the movie, but he wasn't all that invested in what was on. He was too stunned at his own mind believing that Lee Donghyuck just got hotter the more serious he became. It was like he was purposely being stupid just to hide the fact that he didn't need protection as a young adult. He probably wanted it twenty-four/seven regardless of the mentality it was in.

He was a manipulative little genius.

"Excitement triggers it, right? What kind of excitement?"

"Renjun, I love you deeply but I'm getting suspicious with all these questions. What's up?"

"If you don't want to answer I won't twist your arm..."

"Don't give me those eyes!"

"What eyes?!"

"Those ones! The 'I'm just an cutie who wants to know all your deepest darkest secrets' eyes. You have a look when you're interrogating us."

"Yeah, well everyone else was more open than you."

Hyuck bit into his lower lip and shook his finger at the other's face with this 'you cheeky bastard' expression. But he was giving in easily purely, purely because it was Renjun and he had no logical choice in this cruel world but to obey his puppy eyes. "Arousal's a trigger. So is extreme happiness, extreme depression and physical pain."

"What, seriously? Pain?"

"Randomly enough, yes. Doctor says it could be genetic or it could be linked to the nasty fuckers messing with me when I was a child star. Not sure really, but pain is a trigger. Arousal was new though...new when I met Mark, more specifically. Everything else just made sense."

"And depression? What's that usually caused by?"

"When potentials leave," he sighed airily and flopped back to stare at the ceiling. "Honestly, I take everything to heart and to me it's always my fault, you know? When someone's upset, it's because I did something. When someone's angry, it was me. I did it."

"Hyuck..."

"My parents fucking hated me. This whole 'yearning for adult attention' is definitely because of that. If not genetics anyway. If it's biological then it could be their faults after all," he tried to chuckle, but he wasn't at all amused. In fact, he hated talking about this and Renjun was starting to see why.

"Sorry I pestered you so much. I get so pushy when I want an answer and I should've known better..." he murmured shamefully and pulled his legs up to cross them. Now he wasn't sure what to do; he finally had most of his questions solved but a part of him wished he didn't know.

He wouldn't feel so shit about Hyuck's history had he not.

"It's all good though. Remember, it's all in the past. The whole little thing is something I've come to accept and even if I don't remember a lot of what goes on in those moments...I just know it feels good. Right, even."

"But surely...sex," Renjun bashfully turned beet red and stared at the movie, "That's odd, right?"

"Not when my hormones are still those of an adult. Aaaww," he cooed and pinched the smaller's pink cheek, "Is that the holdup? You don't wanna do it in case I regress?"

"Not to sound uncultured, but yes. You're so childish when you're like that. I couldn't..."

"But I could."

"What?"

"Taking control, I mean. As long as you don't go all subspace on me and I don't regress then we could have a perfectly healthy experience."

Subspace, Renjun went even more fuchsia than before. Oh God, I'd almost forgotten. I've been questioning him all along and I still don't know a damn thing about myself.

"Junnie?"

"Mhm?"

"Chill," the brunette smiled with a hint of hidden laughter. He pulled his neighbour in by the shoulders and forced him up onto his lap. "If life was supposed to be so straightforward, it would be. These little differences we have as humans make the world colourful."

"I feel like I'm getting better judgement on your character now. You play dumb don't you—"

"Wow, I love this scene!" The younger squealed with mock excitement and pulled Renjun into his chest tightly to cover the words up. The blonde-ravenette was a little taken aback at first, but giggled quietly into his shoulder thereafter and just cuddled like that for a while.

The sly smile growing over the tanned boy's cheeks was mischievous, but very much impressed. He'd never been so fond of a potential so early in the game, and now this was ridiculous.

"Hyuck...?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the movie?"

"No idea."

I knew it, he grinned inwardly and snuggled up to have a much needed rest.

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