Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Thank god this is over soon.

That’s Jeno’s thought when he’s carrying the last moving box up the stairs. It’s just like his luck that the elevator in his new home building is broken on the same day as he moves in. Not that he would be moving with tons of stuff, but carrying all those boxes to the third floor is hard enough.

When Jeno finally steps on the third floor, he’s dripping from sweat. His hair is sticking on his forehead, making it a bit too difficult to see where he’s walking. Maybe it’s because of that, or the box being high enough to touch his nose, but after a few steps, Jeno slams against something – or someone.

“I’m so sorry!” the black-haired man hurries to say and turns sideways to see the damage. There’s a young man in front of him, around his age, holding a hand in front of his face. “Oh my god, did I hurt you?” Jeno asks, in a slight shock, looking at the person with a worried expression.

The man doesn’t say anything but walks past him to the stairs. Jeno turns to look after him, frowning as he does so. What a weird person. He apologized in a good manner, and that man didn’t even say anything. It’s not like Jeno would have stumbled on him and his face on purpose. What a jerk.

As Jeno walks down the corridor to his door, he cannot help but wish that person wasn’t living here as well. He had his fair share of rude neighbors at his old place. Hopefully it will be better here.

The black-haired man struggles to snatch the keys from his pockets. Finally, he manages to get them and open the door, a smile appearing on his face when he steps in. This is his new home, and weird or not, it already feels like one.

Jeno had moved from another city after getting a new job. Thankfully, he was already familiar with some places, since a couple of his friends are living in the same city. He wouldn’t be all alone, which seemed to be his mother’s biggest fear.

Not that Jeno minds being alone; he’s a classic case of an introvert. He has a few friends, but he also loves to spend time on his own. That’s why home is a very dear thing to him. Home is where he can relax and be comfortable, being completely and a hundred percent himself. So even though this apartment is now filled with box piles and a few plastic bags, Jeno is more than excited to make a nest for himself. He would be happy here.

He places the box from his hands on the floor and pulls the door shut. The moving truck left already, so Jeno doesn’t have to go anywhere for a while. For sure, he needs to hop to the nearby convenience store to get some dinner, but he could do it later. Now he could even take a nap if he wanted. It’s Saturday, so he doesn’t even need to work tomorrow.

As the black-haired man straightens his back and puts his hands on his hips, Jeno smiles, feeling genuinely happy. This little two-room apartment would turn out amazing; he has a good feeling about it. Here he would make wonderful memories.

A very annoying noise stirs Jeno awake from his dream. The man groans as he sits up on the mattress on the floor. He rubs his neck, eyes still closed, a tired sigh leaving his throat. His muscles are wailing in pain, making him feel at least ten years older than he really is.

Jeno opens his eyes when he finally realizes where the noise is coming from. He gets up from the mattress, glancing at the window as he walks out of the bedroom. The sun is shining brightly even though it should be evening. That’s strange.

The black haired man heads to the front door. Without checking who’s ringing the doorbell like a maniac, he opens the door, eyes still half closed because of interrupted sleep. “Welcome home, boy!” a bit shorter male yells in the corridor.

“Chenle, shut up”, Jeno shushes the other and pulls him inside by the shirt sleeve. The Chinese huffs, mimicking offended. “Come on, is this how you greet your friend?” Chenle mumbles and kicks his shoes off. “No, this is me preventing you from getting me into trouble on my first day here”, Jeno says as he closes the door.

“Isn’t it practically your second day though?” Chenle asks as he walks to the fridge and opens it. “What?” Jeno says in a confused tone. He looks at how his friend loads groceries to his fridge. “I literally carried the last box up here an hour ago. You woke me up from my nap.”

Chenle turns to look at the other and lets out a laugh. “Damn, you must have napped good”, he says, looking amused. “Your moving day was yesterday. You must have slept around the clock, my friend”, the shorter one states before taking two coffee cans from his grocery bag.

Jeno stares at him for a while, without saying anything. Now it all clicks, why it’s so bright outside even though it should be late already. He turns to look at the clock which is still laying on top of some boxes, waiting for its moment to get on the wall. It’s nine in the morning. “Jesus”, Jeno mutters by himself, still looking baffled.

“You must have been pretty exhausted yesterday”, Chenle says and gives one of the cans to the other one. “But I’m here to help now. There’s some breakfast in the fridge so maybe you should start with that”, the man says with a fond smile and opens the can in his hands.

The taller one couldn’t be happier that he has a friend like Chenle. They have known since university, they were living in the same dorm back then. Jeno remembers how he thought that the Chinese felt too energetic, too over the place. He really couldn’t stand him at first. But as they really got to know each other, Jeno noticed there’s something else as well. Beside being loud and dramatic, Chenle is also a very good listener and loyal to his friends. He’s always ready to help, putting his matters to the side if his friends need him. That’s why he probably is here right at this moment.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you yesterday. We had a crazy day at work”, Chenle says before taking a sip of his coffee. “And that one fucker didn’t even consider changing shifts with me. I’ll remember that next time when he asks a favor”, the man mumbles. It makes the older one chuckle.

“It’s okay, I managed to get everything here by myself”, Jeno says and looks at the can in his hands. “But thank you for coming. And getting breakfast”, he adds, sounding genuinely thankful. “Dude, don’t thank me. It’s the least I can do”, Chenle offers a wide smile. “I’m just glad I have you here now.”

Jeno and Chenle had kept contact through messaging almost every day, but it had been quite a long time since they saw each other last time. If Jeno remembers correctly, it happened a year after their graduation. Chenle had visited him after breaking up with his girlfriend, brokenhearted and in need of a shoulder where he could lean to.

Their friendship had always been like that. They didn’t need to see each other's faces every week, every month or even every year – their relationship would remain the same, no matter the distance or time between them. Those two knew the other one would be there when needed.

But now Jeno is living in the same city for the first time after their university days. Those two friends would have more chances to meet whenever they want. When Jeno thinks about it, the idea of it feels more than nice.

“I’m glad to be here too”, Jeno replies with a soft smile, his eyes looking like two crescent moons.

The morning goes by in a smooth atmosphere. Jeno fixes them some breakfast from the groceries Chenle brought him. At the same time Chenle empties the moving boxes one by one, taking his friend’s things to their right places. After eating they keep unboxing together, a comfortable chit-chatting filling the apartment. When Jeno is standing on a stool and putting the curtains on his living room window, Chenle’s stomach makes a noise.

“I guess it’s lunch time”, the Chinese man laughs and holds his tummy. Jeno grunts as he strains himself for the last time, attaching the last curtain clip up. “Sounds good”, he wipes the sweat off his forehead and steps down from the chair. “Should I cook something? I need to go to the store first though.”

“No need, I’ll handle the meal”, Chenle says and cleans the dust off his hands on his jeans. “There’s a restaurant nearby and their food is to die for”, the shorter one explains over theatrically, making the chef kisses with his fingers. “Oh really? Then we should order in”, Jeno smiles at his friend’s gestures.

“Oh no no no, the place is so popular that it will take forever before the food courier gets here”, Chenle says as he takes the phone out of his back pocket, checking the time. “I’ll get lunch for us, it’s quicker that way.” Jeno watches as his friend goes to put his shoes on. “Are you sure? Isn’t that too troublesome?” he asks carefully.

“Nonsense. You can search plates and chopsticks for us while I’m gone”, Chenle chuckles joyfully and pats his other pocket, making sure he has his wallet with him. “I’ll be right back!” the man says before heading out, closing the door behind him.

Jeno stays there, smiling by himself. He lets out a pleased sigh, turning to look around him. They managed to empty so many boxes, the apartment starting to look a little bit like home already. He’s so grateful that Chenle managed to come help him today, making his weekend a little bit easier. Maybe the apartment will be all done by the time he starts at his new job tomorrow.

Like the shorter one proposed earlier, Jeno gets to work and starts to search through the boxes. He’s pretty sure he remembers where he packed all the kitchen utensils. When Jeno finally finds a pair of spoons and bowls, he hears a faint knock on his door. Maybe Chenle forgot something; he couldn’t be this fast, right? Or maybe the restaurant is closer than Jeno thought.

The man walks to the door and peeks from the peephole, seeing no one in the corridor. That’s strange, Jeno thinks to himself. When he’s already turning around to get back to search for some chopsticks, he hears the knocking again. What the hell, are there some kids pranking or what?

Jeno returns to the door, this time opening it with a full swing. To his surprise, there’s a young girl looking at him with her big eyes. “Sorry, I must have knocked on the wrong door”, the girl says shyly and pushes some of her hair behind her ear.

She can’t be older than a high schooler, Jeno thinks as he smiles at the girl. “Don’t worry”, he replies. The girl bows down at him and walks back towards the stairs. Jeno looks after her for a while before closing the door. Before he manages to step away, the man hears a faint knocking from the corridor. Ah, the girl must have found the right door.

What’s weird is that the knocking keeps going and going and going on. Jeno frowns as he presses his ear against the front door, listening to how that kid violates the wooden surface. He can hear how the girl talks by herself, but the words get all muffled. What on earth is going on…

Finally Jeno opens the door again, peeking carefully outside. “Please open the door”, he hears the girl pleading between the knocks. She’s standing at the other end of the corridor, close to the elevator and stairs. After a while her tone changes. “I know you’re there”, she says in a much more stern manner. Jeno furrows his eyebrows even more. The more he follows the situation, the more it looks like that teen isn’t here to meet her friend.

Jeno clears his throat and opens the door fully. “Excuse me”, he says, stepping into the corridor. The girl turns to look at him, a surprised expression on her face. “I think there’s no one home. Maybe you should go”, Jeno adds. He doesn’t know who this girl is or how she knows his neighbors, but the way she acts doesn’t seem normal.

“I can’t go”, the teen replies, her eyes more cold than earlier at Jeno’s door. Well, what should the black-haired man do? Wrestle her? He takes a step closer, trying to look as adult as he can. Adults can intimidate kids like these, right? The girl's expression changes a bit, so Jeno decides to walk even closer.

“Then I’ll call the security”, the man states, surprised by his own stern voice. The girl looks at him for a moment, clearly hesitating about what to do. Finally she makes a decision to leave the door and head to the elevator. Jeno decides to stand there and watch closely, to make sure that the person actually leaves. As the teen steps into the lift and the door closes, he wonders if he really should call the hallway security, just to be sure.

Jeno is ready to turn around and go back to his apartment, when the door next to him flings open – the very same door which the strange girl banged a moment ago.

“Please fucking leave or I will call the cops!”

There’s a man standing in the doorway, staring at Jeno in an angry manner. The latter stares back at him, the confusion painted on his face. “Uhm…what?” he manages to ask quietly, totally lost in the situation.

“You heard me. Go or I will call the police”, the man repeats, the anger dripping from his tone. He has brown hair, the color resembling the fallen autumn leaves. He’s about the same height and age as Jeno and his broad shoulders almost touch both sides of the doorway. And damn he’s handsome.

“Oh, no need to. I was just going to–”, Jeno tries to reply before the man slams the door shut. Now Jeno is the only one standing in the corridor, blinking as he stares at his neighbor’s door. “What the fuck..”, he mutters by himself.

It takes a few seconds before Jeno can move his feet and walk back to his apartment. He’s really confused about the situation. Like who was that girl? And why was his neighbor yelling at him? In the end, he was the one who chased that kid out of their building.

After closing the door, the man sighs deeply. He really hopes this was just a one time incident. He appreciates peace and the real estate agent had reassured him that this building would be a quiet environment. His two first days here tell otherwise though.

Suddenly the doorbell rings, making Jeno jump on his spot. Did his neighbor follow him, to shout at him even more? Or did the lunatic girl come back to seek her sweet revenge? Either one, Jeno is ready to fight back. He opens the door, looking more than pissed off.

“Just fuck o–”, the sentence gets cut off when Jeno sees his friend looking at him in confusion. “Oh, it’s you”, the taller one lets out an embarrassed chuckle. “Yes, me”, Chenle replies before stepping into the apartment. “Earlier you said that I’m going to get you in trouble but I think you manage to do it by yourself”, the Chinese says as he takes his shoes off.

“You might be absolutely right”, Jeno mumbles and closes the door. His friend’s stare tells it all – he wants to know what happened while he was gone.

When Chenle shares the food into two bowls, Jeno tells about the girl on his door, the banging on the corridor and the angry man yelling at him. Once they’re finally sitting on the floor by the tiny coffee table, Chenle laughs out loud. “I’m gone like, I don’t know, twenty minutes and you get into that kind of mess in that time”, the shorter one snickers and takes a bite of his meal.

“Like I intended to do that”, Jeno mumbles and tastes the food. Chenle was right, it’s delicious as hell. “I guess you have only two options”, the Chinese says and takes a sip from his water glass. “Either you live scared of your neighbor or you go back to talk to him.”

The black-haired man scoffs and glances at the other. “To that yeller? No way, I’m not suicidal”, he says and takes another bite of his lunch. Damn it tastes good.

“Don’t be a pussy”, Chenle snorts and points at Jeno with his chopsticks. “He probably thought it was you who banged his door”, he explains himself. “You need to correct the misunderstanding and tell what really happened”, he adds.

Jeno eats his mouth empty, wrapping his mind around Chenle’s suggestion. Well, maybe he’s right. He knows he’s a good neighbor and that he didn’t do anything wrong – in fact the complete opposite. Also, it would be a pity to start his life here like this.

“I’ll go later tonight”, Jeno mumbles and stuffs the food into his mouth. Chenle smiles brightly at him. “Good boy.”

Later in the evening, when Chenle has already left, Jeno takes a deep breath. He’s standing behind that cursed door, the one which that girl banged like a maniac. It shouldn’t be hard, all he needs to do is ring the doorbell and introduce himself like a decent neighbor.

But the thing is, Jeno truly is a classic case of an introvert. He can nod as a greeting and smile when he passes people in the hallway, but actually going behind his neighbor’s door to say hi…it feels horrible. The bonus in this one is the possibility to get yelled at again which wasn’t nice at all.

Jeno sighs and gathers up his courage before pressing the doorbell. He hears the faint chiming sound from the inside, making him feel a bit more anxious. Everything is going to be alright, the man inside is not going to eat him – possibly.

It takes a few minutes before the door opens. The same man from earlier peeks outside, looking irritated. “I’m serious about calling the police”, he says bluntly. When he tries to close the door, like by instinct Jeno grabs a hold of it.

“Wait!” the black-haired man yelps, holding the door with all his strength. His neighbor stares at him, the disbelief decorating his features. “Are you also trying to break in? You’re one crazy bastard”, the man mutters before taking the phone from his pocket – probably to call the cops.

“What the fu– no!” Jeno says in a loud voice, looking at the phone in a slight panic. “I came to explain what happened earlier, because I really think there’s a misunderstanding”, he blabbers in high speed. The man on the doorway stops and looks at him, frowning as he does so. “Who are you?” he asks with a cold tone.

“Lee Jeno, I just moved to your neighbor”, Jeno introduces himself as quickly as possible, pointing at his apartment door at the end of the corridor. The man glances at the direction, like wondering if he should believe the other. “And why were you banging our door?” he shoots another question.

“I didn’t”, Jeno replies, catching his breath between his explanations. “Earlier today there was a girl. She came to my door first, but it seems she picked the wrong one first.”

“A girl?” the brown-haired male asks as he keeps looking at the other one. “Yes, a young one. Like a high schooler or something”, Jeno hurries to tell. “After leaving my door she came here, knocking your door”, he recalls the events from earlier.

“And why did I find you behind our door instead of some girl?” the neighbor asks, a sceptic expression on his face. Jeno catches how he said ‘our’. Maybe there’s a family or a couple living in that apartment. “I asked her to leave because she seemed suspicious”, Jeno explains, nibbling at his lower lip.

The man stares at him in a way that makes Jeno feel nervous. His neck starts to feel damp as those eyes drill straight into his soul. “Yeah right”, the brunette finally says. Jeno blinks at that. “Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry, but you need to practise your storytelling a bit more”, the man says. Jeno blinks his eyes a few more times. “..what?” he stutters in disbelief. Now his neighbor straightens his posture, looking at him like a cheap item. “Do you really think you’re the only one who disturbs us with silly stories like that? I know you’re here just to see even a glimpse of us”, he says, his face completely serious. “Although I must say, moving in the same building is something the others haven’t done before. You’re way more shameless than anyone else.”

Jeno stares at the man, his eyes wide and lips slightly open. What in the hell this man is talking about? Is he completely nuts? When the first state of shock is easing a little bit, the black-haired man furrows his eyebrows. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” he spits in frustration.

“Excuse me?” that man asks on his turn. “As if you don’t know who I am”, he scoffs.

“Nope, never heard or never seen”, Jeno blurts. His neighbor has a weird expression, like his reply would have been the biggest news flash in this decade. This guy must be a narcist or something, Jeno thinks to himself as he turns on his heels.

“Hey, where are you going?” the man asks in confusion. “Home”, Jeno replies and starts to march towards his door. “Sorry for bothering you, won’t happen again”, he manages to half yell before going inside.

Once he slams the door shut, he takes the deepest breath he has ever done. He can’t believe this, his neighbor is the biggest jerk ever. He only hoped to live a peaceful life, enjoying his time in the new city. Oh well, maybe that’s possible, if he keeps his distance from that nutcase.

“Jesus fucking Christ”, Jeno mumbles as he decides to call it a day.

Jeno’s first day at work is amazing, and he’s not even exaggerating it. His boss is a middle-aged man who has the driest sense of humor ever. Despite that, Jeno enjoys his day and new job to the fullest. He has his own desk next to a window, the nearest coworker being at least two meters away. He has at least a little bit of privacy and what’s more important, he can work peacefully.

During lunch time he meets a bunch of his work mates, some of them actually being very nice. Especially one guy, a couple years younger than Jeno, seems friendly to him. In the afternoon Jeno accompanies him to get some coffee from their downstairs cafe.

“On Fridays we go to eat outside, on those benches”, the man says once they’re queuing for the beverages, pointing outside. Jeno turns to look in the direction, seeing a small park with a couple trees and flower plantings. “I mean if the weather is nice, of course”, he chuckles and turns to make his order. Jeno makes a mental note to bring his own lunch every day.

“By the way, I’m not sure if I heard your name earlier”, Jeno says once he has made his coffee order as well. “Park, Park Jisung”, the young guy introduces himself and offers his hand to the other, smiling rather shyly. Jeno takes a hold of it and shakes it softly. “Lee Jeno”, he says instead.

The more they talk, the more Jeno feels relaxed around him. It must be a good sign to find a person like this on your first day. He has a feeling that they could become rather good friends.

When the clock hits 5 pm, Jeno marches out of the office. The weather is nice, the sun is shining brightly. It’s the beginning of May, so the wind feels a bit brisk from time to time. Otherwise it’s warm enough to walk home without his coat.

Jeno is on his way to the train station when he checks his phone. He should have time to get some groceries before heading home. The delivery men should bring a new couch for him later in the evening and Chenle had promised to come to test it right away. Jeno had asked him to not call it like that when they were just supposed to have an actual movie night, not Netflix and chill.

It’s kind of a running joke that Chenle and Jeno seemed like a couple sometimes. It all began back in school when some of their mutual friends actually thought those two were dating. Some of them even held an intervention, trying to make Jeno admit their secret relationship. But the truth is, and has always been, that those two are just friends.

The black-haired man actually once thought that he had some kind of feelings for the Chinese. But when he looked at that person, he realized that it’s nothing romantic or even sexual. He would have his Netflix and chill with someone completely else.

In fact, Chenle had declared to be his official wingman, despite him being a hundred percent hetero. In Jeno’s opinion it was kind of sweet that his friend was so invested in his love life. Not that he needed any help though. Jeno isn’t that much of a relationship type of man. In his mind, dating equals drama and that didn’t fit in his peaceful life. But if he wants someone in his bed, he would usually find the right person without too much trouble. It’s so much easier this way.

Jeno had known about his sexuality for a long time. He remembers having his first crush on a boy when he was just fourteen years old. The same boy was the class president and he had girlfriends for every finger he had. Still, one summer evening, Jeno had his first kiss with that class president. Back then he was sure that he had found the biggest love of his life. Unfortunately the young president didn’t want more than those few summer kisses.

In university Jeno had his first boyfriend – an actual boyfriend, not Chenle as a fake boyfriend. They dated for a year before Jeno saw his sweetheart kissing someone else at a dorm party. After that, he had a couple shorter relationships, all of them ending in a fiasco. Based on these, Jeno decided to settle for casual interactions which wouldn’t last more than one night.

After getting everything he needs from the supermarket, Jeno heads back home. Luckily the elevator works again, making it so much easier to go to the third floor. While passing that one particular door, Jeno makes a wry face.

He hadn’t seen that unstable neighbor after he visited behind that door. It has been only one day since then, but still, Jeno is glad he hasn’t seen that face anymore. His blood is ready to boil even just by remembering the incident in the corridor.

Shrugging his shoulders, Jeno gets to his own apartment door and takes his keys to get in. He shouldn’t use any bit of his energy to think about that jerk. Ugh, Jeno hates to feel this annoyed. Once getting inside, he takes a deep breath and kicks his shoes off. This is home, this is a happy place – here he shouldn’t dwell in negative thoughts. Now he should concentrate on preparing the snacks for tonight and let the delivery guys in when it’s time.

Jeno changes his office clothes to something more comfortable, rolling his sleeves as he starts to cook tacos for their movie night. When the doorbell rings for the first time, Jeno smiles cheerfully. His new couch must be here.

The black-haired man goes to the door and opens it. He was right, his new black couch is waiting in the corridor, one of the delivery men showing him a receipt for signing. After writing his name, Jeno lets the men in and watches how his new furniture gets moved into the apartment. As he’s looking at the wheezing delivery guys, he hears a knock from the open doorway.

“Looks like my timing is perfect”, Chenle says joyfully as he walks in. Jeno turns to glance at him and smiles widely. “It is. Did you choose the movie yet?” he asks. The Korean gets a thumbs up as a reply which makes him chuckle.

In thirty minutes the delivery men are gone and those two friends are sitting on a brand new sofa. “This is nice”, Chenle compliments while getting his feet on the couch as well. “I love it”, Jeno says quietly, feeling the fabric on the armrest. Somehow getting the new furniture makes the place feel even more like home. Now he only needs to get a new bed frame.

“Oh oh oh, by the way!” Chenle suddenly exclaims, sitting up properly. “You never know who I saw on my way here”, the man starts his story, the excitement painted all over his face. Jeno turns to look at him a little bit interested. “Uhm..your ex?” he makes his best guess.

“You think I would be this happy if I saw someone I used to date?” Chenle frowns and slaps Jeno’s thigh. The latter makes a little whine out of pain. “But seriously, if you already knew about this and didn’t tell me, I’m going to punch you, like for real”, the Chinese continues. Jeno gives him a weird look. “About what?”

“That you have celebrities living here!” Chenle says, almost bouncing on his seat. Jeno stares at him for a while. “Like who?” he finally asks, a disbelief showing on his features. He has a hard time believing that. This building isn’t particularly fancy and the neighborhood seems quite normal. Why would any celebrity live here of all places?

“The Dreamers!” Chenle says so loudly that Jeno flinches. “...who?” the latter asks after a few silent seconds. It results in another slap on his thigh. “You’re unbelievable”, Chenle sighs as he looks at how Jeno massages his painful leg muscle. “You must know them. Everyone does!”

“Well I’m not everyone”, Jeno scoffs and glances at the younger one. “I don’t know things like these. Who are they? Trot singers?”

Chenle laughs out so loud that the black-haired man is sure his every neighbor hears him, even the yelling one. “Trot singers, what the fuck”, the man laughs so much that there’s tears in his eyes. “They’re idols, four male pop singers! They debuted like a year ago and now they're like super popular!”

Jeno rolls his eyes at the younger one’s excitement. He has never really understood idolizing anyone. Those are normal people like everyone else – they just do their job, just like everyone else. “And how did you come to that conclusion that they live here? Did you read it from some gossip forum, huh?” he asks, sounding sceptical.

“It's public information that they live together in a dorm, but no one really knows where. But now!” Chenle points Jeno with his finger, making the taller one cross his eyes for a moment. “Now I saw one of the members!” the Chinese says the rest of his sentence.

“That doesn’t mean he’s living here. Maybe he was visiting”, Jeno rationalizes and sits up to take his beer bottle from the coffee table. He’s not a big drinker, but he surely enjoys drinking a beer or two with his friends. “You’re such a party pooper sometimes”, Chenle mumbles and frowns as he looks at his friend. “It’s like it’s your hobby to ruin all the fun things.”

“Maybe it is, who knows”, Jeno laughs and takes a sip from his bottle. There’s a moment of silence between them before Chenle keeps talking. “But think about it, how cool would it be if they lived here?”

“I don’t know because I wouldn’t probably notice them”, Jeno chuckles. He almost takes another sip, but the doorbell interrupts him. “Are you expecting someone?” Chenle asks, looking at the front door in curiosity. Jeno stands up with a beer bottle still in his hand and sighs. “I swear, if it’s that crazy girl again, I’m going insane”, he mutters before walking to the door.

Without taking a look at the peephole, Jeno opens the door. When he sees who’s standing behind it, he feels an urgent need to close the door right away.

“Uh, hi”, the man in the corridor says. It’s the same man who yelled at him yesterday. It’s the same man with those ridiculously attractive shoulders and handsome face. It’s the same man who lives at the other end of the corridor. In other words, the neighbor whose face Jeno doesn’t want to see ever again.

Jeno looks at him with a blank face, not knowing what to say. He’s mentally screaming, asking in his mind what the fuck that person wants from him. To break the uncomfortable silence, the brown-haired man decides to keep talking.

“I, uhm, came to apologize”, he says and flashes a photogenic smile. Oh god it irks Jeno so much. “I think we had a little misunderstanding earlier”, the man says, clearing his throat. Jeno scoffs at that. “You think so?” he says, his tone dry like a desert.

“Well, uh, yes. Actually, I asked the security guard about that girl and it seems you told the truth”, the brunette says and rubs his neck, looking very much embarrassed. Jeno lets out an amused snort. “Oh really? Did you ask the guard to check the security cameras?” he asks mockingly. The uneasy silence after that is a clear answer. “You really did”, the black-haired man mutters.

“It’s only reasonable when you’re in my position”, the neighbor defends himself, looking the other cautiously in the eyes. “Oh”, Jeno scoffs and leans his shoulder on the doorframe. “We’re back at the ‘don’t you know who I am’ topic.”

The brown-haired man looks at him with a weird expression, Jeno can’t really read it. “You really don’t know who I am”, he repeats quietly, a hint of amusement in his voice. What’s with this person, like really??

“Okay, if you don’t have anything else, me and my friend would like to continue with our evening”, Jeno sighs in frustration, taking a hold of the door. “Wait!” the man says, stopping the door with his hand. Jeno looks at him in confusion, surprised by his strong reaction.

“I didn’t apologize properly yet”, the man insists, making the other frown. “Leaving is apology enough”, Jeno mumbles, ready to throw some fists soon. His thoughts get interrupted when Chenle walks next to him.

“What’s goin o– OH MY GOD”, the man suddenly shrieks so loud that Jeno almost falls on his knees, making the man in the corridor jump as well. “Chenle, what the fuck”, the black-haired man turns to look at his friend, worried about his mental state at this point. His confusion grows even more when he sees the shorter one pointing at his neighbor with his finger.

“Y-you..”, Chenle stutters, his eyes wide and mouth gaping like a fish on dry land. This is completely out of his character, Jeno thinks to himself. “It’s..he is..oh my god”, the Chinese keeps blabbering, not able to form a proper sentence. When Jeno’s neighbor chuckles at his friend’s reaction, Jeno is completely lost in the situation. What on earth is going on?

“Well, it looks like I’m not going to lose my job after all. At least someone still recognizes me”, the brown-haired male laughs. Jeno jumps again when Chenle suddenly shouts at him. “You don’t recognize him?? What’s wrong with you, have you lived in the barrel the past years??” the shorter one exclaims.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Jeno looks at both of those men in utter confusion. He feels like he’s being filmed for candid camera. “That’s a fucking Na Jaemin”, Chenle says, making it sound like Jeno’s neighbor would be the president of South Korea or something. And he’s not, Jeno knows at least that much. “Who?” the black-haired man makes a mistake asking.

“Who??” Chenle shrieks in a way that Jeno is sure he’s going to rip off his hair any minute. Instead, Jeno notices his neighbor offering his hand.

“Maybe I should introduce myself properly before the whole building hears us”, the man chuckles. Jeno hesitates for a moment before taking a hold of that hand. The brown-haired male squeezes him firmly, but not too hard. His skin is exceptionally smooth.

“My name is Na Jaemin”, the man says and smiles softly. “A member of The Dreamers”, he adds, a grin growing on his face. Jeno stares at him quietly before connecting the dots. The Dreamers as in the pop group Chenle was talking about earlier, Na Jaemin as a celebrity who lives in his building.

“Oh”, is everything Jeno is capable of saying.

Chapter Text

“I can’t believe you yelled at Na fucking Jaemin”, Chenle mutters as he walks a circle in the middle of Jeno’s apartment. “How do you know he’s fucking?” Jeno jokes, getting a gentle slap on the back of his head.

“Is there a single serious bone in your body?” the Chinese says as he looks at his friend in disbelief. Jeno glances at him and rolls his eyes. “No offense, but usually I’m the serious one, not you”, he replies.

“True, but this is beyond my understanding”, the shorter one says in an overly dramatic tone. “Do you even realize how embarrassing that is? You have yelled at a top list celebrity!” he adds, waving his hands in the air. Jeno just rolls his eyes one more time. “You almost slammed the door against his face!” he hears the other one exclaiming.

“You make it sound like I’ve committed a first class crime”, Jeno mumbles and drinks from his bottle. The situation at the door had resolved pretty quickly. Jaemin had bowed one last time before walking to his own apartment, leaving the friends to stare at each other in confusion.

Their confusion wasn’t the same kind though. Chenle was mostly shocked about Jeno’s lack of knowledge about pop culture and even more than that, about his lack of interest to correct this wrongdoing. Jeno on the other hand was still a bit surprised that the yeller actually came to apologize to him. Not that he would forgive him that easily.

The Korean flinches in surprise when Chenle suddenly touches his shoulder, making him spill the beer on his shirt. Just great.

“The man I saw earlier outside”, the blonde declares like he just had the most mind breaking realization ever. “He wasn’t Jaemin, but he was definitely one of the members”, he continues, tapping Jeno’s shoulder excitedly at the same time.

“Could you stop?” Jeno mutters and tries to move his friend’s hand away. Unfortunately, it just makes Chenle grab his both shoulders firmly. “Oh my god, it must have been Huang Renjun! No, he was too tall to be him”, the Chinese mumbles the rest of his sentence. Jeno makes another effort to move away from the other.

“Shouldn’t you recognize them since you’re such a fan?” the black-haired man mocks a little, moving himself to sit on the other end of the couch. “You should educate yourself, you’re basically living with them”, Chenle shoots back. “...not really, they’re my neighbors”, Jeno corrects him.

It seems like the shorter one isn’t listening to him at all. “Oh, now I know! It must have been Donghyuck! He’s Lee as well”, the man says excitedly. “You two could become friends!” he adds. Jeno stares at him for a moment. “Because we have the same surname?” he asks for a clarification. When his friend nods a smile on his face, Jeno rolls his eyes.

“You know, if that logic would actually work, I would have a lot of friends”, Jeno says dryly. “Do you have any idea how many Lee’s there are in this world?” he adds. “You’re missing the point here”, Chenle huffs. “The surname is a conversation starter. You could be like ‘hey, what’s up Lee’ or something like that.”

“...I’m speechless”, Jeno says quietly as he stares at his friend. He takes a long sip from his bottle, making a note that it’s almost empty. “Besides, I think they appreciate peace. Being celebrities, I guess they already have enough people tailing them”, the black-haired man says as he looks at the bottle in his hands.

He doesn’t get it, why does Chenle get so excited about those people? Jeno has met only one of them and honestly, the first impression wasn’t the best. He wonders if that kid in their corridor was a fan or something. That’s what Jaemin accused him for, right? For trying to see even a glimpse of them.

Jeno lets out a sudden groan, leaning his head backwards. “What now?” Chenle looks at him with a surprised expression. “I’m just afraid that those neighbors are going to bring trouble”, Jeno mumbles, rubbing his temple with his index finger. “I just want to live peacefully and now there’s a chance some fans are parking their asses behind my door as well.”

“You’re the most negative person I’ve ever met”, Chenle shakes his head in disbelief and finally sits on the couch. “Think about it this way. Because they live here, the security must be a bit better than somewhere else, right?”

That’s probably true. Jeno had been amazed when the real estate agent told him that they have their own guard in the hallway. Now that he thinks about it, the security must be that good just because of the pop group.

“I still think you should try to be on their good side”, the Chinese adds. “There could be crazy benefits in it!” he says excitedly, the sudden passion flaming in his eyes.

Jeno throws a sofa pillow at his friend. “You’re unbelievable”, he laughs a little. “Just put that movie on, it’s already a goddamn time.”

It’s just like Jeno feared. There’s times when he walks home, only to find some random girls standing in their corridor. Each and every time he goes back downstairs to inform the guard. Usually he waits in the hallway until the security has escorted the intruders out, sometimes he walks to his door while listening to the screams of resistance.

Sometimes he gets stopped by reporters or paparazzis, all of them asking if the idols are really living there. Sometimes he needs to wait outside so the celebrities can walk to their van which is waiting for them in front of the building. It would be fine if there were just a van and the idols, but usually there were also other people swarming around. All of it feels so damn tiring and bothersome.

The best feeling is when Jeno gets into his apartment and closes the door tightly behind him. Here he can breathe, here he has peace and more importantly – here aren't any trivial celebrities. Here all things truly matter.

It’s one of those evenings when Jeno has just arrived home, still wearing his office attire. He rolls his white sleeves up and opens the top button on his collar, letting a deep sigh escape his lips. He had such a long day at work, in fact the first tough one since he started this job.

His new friend, Jisung, had patted him on the shoulder at one point. Jeno remembers him saying that they would have time to rest in a grave. It must have been the most depressing thing Jeno has ever heard.

The black-haired man places his hands against the kitchen counter and leans on it, letting his head hang down. His shoulders are in so much pain. Only if there would be someone to massage them.

A faint smile forms on Jeno’s face. He could get someone to massage him if he wants. All he needs to do is to check all the potential contact numbers he has on his phone. The man stands up straight and looks at the sink thoughtfully. Should he really bother to invite someone here? Because then he would need to pay it back somehow. Well, not just somehow – he knows how those men want him to thank them.

Jeno takes a phone out of his pocket and scrolls through his contacts. He needs to choose wisely, because it can’t be anyone who wants something more from him. He doesn’t have the time, energy or heart to play that kind of game.

Soon he stops and clicks a name. He writes a quick message – nothing fancy, nothing superfluous. Just asking if that someone could come up and help with an issue. Feeling a little bit flirty, Jeno adds one more sentence.

Ps. I’m not saying ‘no’ to a bottle of wine.

The black-haired man waits for a moment. It doesn’t take more than five minutes before he gets a reply, asking for his new address. It truly comes handy to know people in different cities, the benefits of his previous job which required traveling sometimes.

After giving his address, Jeno puts his phone on the counter and starts to unbutton his shirt. Sometimes he wonders if the way he handles his man businesses sounds bad. Chenle’s ex-girlfriend had once called him a man slut. Jeno can’t lie, that name stinged a little.

Still, Jeno doesn’t see this as a bad thing. As long as everyone is on the same page and there’s no unnecessary feelings involved, it’s a win-win situation. Why should he feel bad about it, Jeno thinks to himself as he takes his shirt off.

Jeno walks to the bathroom, a quick shower in his mind. He’s a gentleman like that, serving himself as clean and smooth as possible – which weirdly makes him think about his neighbor. Jeno remembers wondering as he was shaking Jaemin’s hand, how his skin was so soft. He must use some super expensive lotion, something containing gold or unicorn tears. The idea makes Jeno chuckle by himself as he turns on the shower.

When Jeno finally steps out and wraps himself with a bathrobe after washing himself, he hears the doorbell ringing. That was fast, he thinks to himself. He was so sure he would have time to dress up something, boxer briefs at least. But oh well, maybe they will get sooner to the point if there’s nothing to undress.

The black-haired man walks to his door and opens it without thinking about it any further. “I never thought of saying this, but thank god you are fas–”, he says before cutting the sentence in the middle. “What are you doing here?” he finishes instead.

Jaemin stands in the corridor and smiles widely. He looks a little bit like a mischievous cat, planning on something weird or evil. “Being a good neighbor”, he replies. He has his hands behind his back, the sight making Jeno frown. “What are you hiding?” he asks bluntly.

“Ah, you noticed it right away”, Jaemin laughs and moves his hands, showing what he has. “It’s a thank you gift”, he says. Jeno looks at the object, blinking his eyes a few times – it’s a wine bottle. It’s like he’s having some weird kind of deja vu moment going on.

“Thank you for what exactly?” the black-haired man asks, looking at the bottle suspiciously. He can’t think of any good reason for the singer to thank him. “I heard you were once again chasing some weirdos out of here”, his neighbor explains, a genuine smile on his face. Jeno hums at that. “Well, to be exact, it wasn’t me who chased them but the guard”, he mumbles. “Also, I did it for me.”

“For you?” Jaemin repeats, sounding surprised. “Yeah, I don’t want any unnecessary people behind my door”, Jeno says. He wonders if he sounds a bit too mean with that, trying to throw a hint in the air. Apparently not, since Jaemin just keeps smiling at him.

“I’m truly sorry you need to endure some things because of us”, he says. Suddenly his expression gets even brighter. “I almost forgot. The others sent their gratitudes as well.”

Jeno raises one of his eyebrows, leaning his shoulder on the doorframe. “The others?”

“Yes, my coworkers. And flatmates”, Jaemin says, letting out a cheerful laugh. Jeno nods in a slow motion. “The..other singers?” he asks in clarification. “Yes, them”, the brown-haired male smiles and shows the bottle to the other. “They signed this. It’s collectible now”, he chuckles.

Jeno looks at the glass bottle, an unamused expression on his face. There truly are signatures on the label, four names written with black marker. One of them has a star drawn next to it, the others looking more like a scribble made by a two year old toddler. Collectible, sure.

“I’m not sure what to say”, Jeno says. That’s the truth, he has no idea what to say. Because those signatures seem so ridiculous to him, but obviously he can’t say that out loud. He isn’t rude like that.

“Thank you is a good option”, Jaemin says smilingly and takes a step closer, giving the bottle into Jeno’s hands. The latter takes a hold of the gift and looks at the other. He notices that Jaemin has some makeup on, maybe he also had a work day. “Well, thank you, I guess”, he says quietly.

“I wasn’t the only one you invited?”

Oh fucking no. After hearing someone talking, Jeno turns to look towards the familiar voice. There he is, the guy he invited over – the one he was waiting in his bathrobe.

“No, he’s just..”, Jeno tries to speak when the man interrupts him. “I see he brought a bit better wine than me”, he scoffs. It makes Jaemin look at the bottle in a baffled manner, the very same he and Jeno are both holding at the moment.

“Next time try to remember if you have already texted someone, so I don’t need to bother coming here”, the man adds before turning on his heels, returning to the elevator. Jeno looks after him in a slight confusion – what the fuck just happened?

“Is he..your friend?” Jaemin asks carefully, curiosity sounding in his voice. Jeno turns to look at him, feeling somehow annoyed. “No, not my friend. My masseur”, he mutters. How can there be so much drama even if he’s not dating?? The black-haired man takes the bottle completely to himself and turns to go back inside.

“Masseur?” Jaemin asks, sounding surprised, and looks after the other. “He didn’t look like one though”, he adds. “Oh Jesus Christ”, Jeno mutters and turns to look over his shoulder. “Thanks for the wine. I need to go now and do something on my shoulders if I want to work tomorrow”, he says, giving all the hints that his neighbor should go away.

“Maybe I can help?” the brunette suddenly suggests. Jeno looks at him for a moment. “Like how?” he asks. He really needs that massage. Not like he would die without it, but he surely feels like he could. “We help each other almost on a daily basis”, Jaemin replies and nods towards his apartment, referring to his flatmates. “We are professional dancers, we know pretty much everything about muscles.”

That’s probably true. Jeno bites his cheeks as he stares at that man, trying to make up his mind. Just a while ago he was cursing that neighbor, hoping that they wouldn’t meet anywhere. But on the other hand, Chenle was the one who talked about staying on the good side. It was something about benefits, right?

“Okay fine, come in. But just for a moment”, Jeno sighs and walks further into the apartment. He can’t see it, but Jaemin follows him with the widest smile.

Jeno hears how the front door makes a clicking sound as he puts the bottle on the kitchen counter. “You can pour me one as well”, Jaemin says as he looks around the apartment. “Huh?” Jeno asks dumbfoundedly and turns to look at the other. The brown-haired male smiles at him. “Pour me a glass as well”, he repeats. “Please”, he adds, trying to look and sound as sweet as possible.

Jeno opens his mouth to say something, but closes it before anything comes out. He would want to make a comment about how masseurs can’t drink while on duty. But then he remembers that the original practitioner was going to do the exact same.

“Okay”, he sighs and turns around to take two wine glasses from the cabinet. Maybe one glass of wine isn’t bad. He could use that as an hourglass – when the glass is empty, it’s his neighbor’s time to go home.

“You have a nice home”, Jeno hears the other saying. “Thanks”, he replies as he opens the bottle. Jaemin keeps walking around in a peaceful manner, stopping to look at the bedroom door. “It’s smaller than our apartment.”

Jeno rolls his eyes. He has always had this prejudice about celebrities; they’re all uppish and boastful – real stuck-ups. Now there’s one in his apartment, already boasting with the size of their home. “It’s big enough for me”, the black-haired man says and pours the wine.

“I wish I could have a place like this one day”, Jaemin suddenly says, making the other glance at him in surprise. “What?” Jeno asks.

“Living with three dudes can be a bit too much sometimes”, the brunette laughs and turns to look at his neighbor. “I’m in my twenties and I need to share a bedroom with my coworker. Like a kid with his sibling, you know?”

Jeno blinks as he looks at the other. Okay, maybe he was a bit too fast to judge Jaemin. Maybe he isn’t as stuck-up as the other celebrities.

“Why do you guys even live together? My friend said you’re popular or something”, Jeno says as he walks over and offers a glass to Jaemin. “Aren’t you like, I don’t know, filthy rich and stuff?”

The way Jaemin suddenly laughs out loud makes Jeno jump a little. “Oh boy, not yet”, he giggles and drinks from his glass. “We debuted just a year ago. I owe so much to our company that I need to work my ass off first before even dreaming about my own place”, the brown-haired male explains after swallowing the wine.

“Oh”, Jeno just says and tastes the wine. Huh, it’s really good.

“By the way, you know that you can’t run to the reporters and tell them about my debts and stuff, right?” Jaemin suddenly asks. It makes Jeno blink in confusion. “Why should I care to tell anyone about things like that? It’s not my business”, he simply states. Jaemin smiles widely at him. “You’re really built differently than the others”, he says.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jeno asks and frowns before taking another sip. Jaemin chuckles joyfully. “We were talking about you the other day, me and Donghyuck. He’s one of The Dreamers as well”, the brunette explains. “He said that you’re a dream neighbor because you don’t mind us in any way.”

“Well that one he got right”, Jeno snorts and drinks his glass empty in one gulp. Jaemin looks at him eyes wide. “Damn, what’s the hurry?” he asks, looking amused. “I need to go put some clothes on before you can do the massage”, Jeno replies and walks to his bedroom.

He closes the door after him, but not fully, so he can hear if his guest says something. Apparently it was the right choice. “Do you mind if I ask something?” Jaemin makes a question as he takes a couple steps closer to the bedroom door. “You already asked”, the black-haired man replies while undressing the bathrobe.

Jaemin waits for a while before continuing. “Why were you waiting for your masseur like that?” he asks. Jeno sighs as he takes a fresh pair of boxers from the wardrobe. It seems like his neighbor is one nosy guy. “Like what?” he asks instead.

“Well, practically naked”, Jaemin explains and glances toward the door. Seeing one of Jeno’s bare buttocks through the crack of the door makes him bite his lip. “I was showering before you rang my doorbell”, Jeno gives his explanation and puts on the underwear. “I didn’t have any time to dress up.”

“Oh, okay”, Jaemin says and turns around to look at a framed poster on the wall. “You seem to like movies”, he keeps talking and sips the wine. Jeno dresses in training shorts and sleeveless top before coming out of the bedroom. “I do, yeah”, he says and glances at the wall as well. It’s an advertising poster of his favorite film, Dead Poets Society.

“I haven’t seen that one”, the singer says thoughtfully. Jeno glances at him, wondering if he should offer to show it to him someday. Probably not, he’s not that close with his neighbor, nor he wants to. “Where do you want to massage me?” he asks instead.

Jaemin turns to look at him, letting his eyes wander from head to toe. “Where does your masseur usually work his magic?” the brown-haired idol asks smilingly. Jeno stares at him for a moment, trying to come up with some answer. Maybe honesty is the best even though the answer might sound a bit weird. “On bed”, he blurts.

“You shouldn’t pay for that kind of service, bed is too soft for that”, Jaemin shakes his head and drinks the rest of the wine. “I don’t p–”, Jeno tries to protest, but the singer cuts him off. “Do you have an exercise mat or something? Yoga mattress?”

Jeno pouts for getting interrupted but still nods. “I do”, he replies. “Perfect. You should lay on that”, Jaemin says while smiling wide. “And take that shirt off, it’s on the way.”

The black-haired man looks down at his shirt before sighing. There’s something that makes him regret agreeing to this. Why didn’t he just send the man away and go to the bath or something instead? Nevertheless he takes a hold of that shirt and undresses it.

Jaemin walks to the kitchen counter and puts his empty wine glass on top of it. “Do you have body oil or something like that?” he asks loud enough so the other hears him. “Uhm..no?” Jeno replies while getting the yoga mat from nearby the closet. “Body lotion is fine as well”, Jaemin adds as he walks back.

“I don’t need any fancy massage, regular one is just fine”, Jeno mumbles as he lays the mat on the floor. Jaemin chuckles at that. “It’s not for being fancy. It’s just easier to massage with some, you know, lubricant”, he says. The black-haired man snorts at that. He surely has something lubricant back in his nightstand drawer, not that he could say about it. He’s not sure if the celebrity would handle a joke like that.

It’s not like Jeno is hiding his sexuality, he just simply makes a decision where or who to tell – would it be wise or necessary. For example, a work place is out of the question. He wouldn’t need any kind of trouble when he tries to build his career. But his friends and family, they all know. Do they all understand or be happy about it? No, but that’s not Jeno’s business. He just wants to live his life peacefully.

“I have some lotions in the bathroom”, Jeno says as he lays on his stomach on the mat. “Choose your weapon or how do they say it”, he adds. Jaemin looks around him and once seeing the door with a tiny toilet sign, he walks to the bathroom. “Do you like rose scent?” he shouts after a few seconds.

“Kind of. Why?” Jeno shouts back as he tries to find a comfortable posture. “I have never seen a man with so many rose scented things before”, Jaemin chuckles. “You even have rose soap. And a candle!” the man adds with a laugh.

“Just pick the lotion, okay? Don’t go through my stuff”, the black-haired man snaps a little. He knew this could be a mistake, letting this person into his home. At least a one-night stand would fully focus on him and not snoop around.

After a moment Jaemin walks back with a pump bottle in his hand. “Okay rose boy, are you ready?” he asks joyfully. Jeno just rolls his eyes. He’s not sure why his neighbor acts so friendly with him, like they’re friends or something. Because that’s not the case, not at all. They’re just neighbors and Jeno is still salty about the incident which happened during his first days here.

Jaemin walks next to Jeno and soon enough the latter can feel the weight on him. “Uhm..what are you doing?” Jeno asks and turns to look behind him. He sees the other sitting on the back of his thighs, pumping the lotion on his hands. “I need to sit firmly so I can do this right”, the singer says, flashing a genuine smile at his neighbor.

Jeno looks at him for a moment before he decides to let it go and lay back down. He’s starting to wonder if Jaemin is mentally stable at all. First he was yelling at him for no reason, and now he’s sitting on him, ready to give him a massage. Or maybe he’s just feeling bad about the yelling. Deserves him right, Jeno huffs as he thinks to himself.

The black-haired man listens to how Jaemin spreads the body lotion between his palms. He cannot but wonder how life can be so unpredictable. He was supposed to have some fun tonight, but instead he’s laying on his apartment floor, a celebrity sitting on his thighs. Chenle would be green with envy, Jeno is sure about that.

Soon Jeno feels how the singer presses his palms on his bare shoulder blades, making the man hiss quietly. His shoulders really are stiff. “Do you like rough or gentle?” Jaemin suddenly asks, making the man under him raise one of his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“How should I massage you? Gentle or rough?” Jaemin repeats himself as he starts to move his palms on Jeno’s back in circular motions. “Uh, whatever you prefer. I just want this pain to ease up even a little bit”, Jeno replies and closes his eyes. Yup, Chenle won’t believe him when he tells about this.

A sigh escapes Jeno’s lips as Jaemin presses his thumbs against his back muscles. It hurts, but at the same time the sensation is almost heavenly. Jaemin was telling the truth, he knows how to do this. As those thumbs rub the same spot over and over again, Jeno realizes that he can’t tell this to his friend. Jaemin asked that just a while ago, didn’t he?

“Ah shit..”, Jeno groans as Jaemin moves to massage a stiff spot under his shoulder blades. “What do you do? Like for a job?” the singer asks and corrects his posture a little bit. “I’m..fuck…financial analyst”, the man on the floor replies between the pained whines. Jaemin eases his strength a little bit. “Sounds like an office job”, he says and keeps massaging the other with gentler moves. “You need to stretch while working or you will turn rock hard.”

Another snort almost escapes Jeno’s mouth. He’s not completely sure if the other one does that on purpose or does he choose his words like that accidentally. If Jaemin would know that he’s sitting on top of a hundred percent gay man, talking about rough, rock hard and lubricants, Jeno is sure the celebrity would evacuate from the whole building instantly.

“My coworker said the same”, Jeno says quietly as he closes his eyes tightly. “I could teach you something”, the brunette says and presses the muscles a bit firmer, letting out a small grunt as well. “Like some basic moves, to make it at least a bit better.”

“No need t– ah!” the black-haired male whines as he tries to keep himself as relaxed as possible. Not that it would be easy though. Jaemin chuckles at the voices the man under him makes. “Sure, you sound exactly like you don’t need any help or advice”, he mocks.

Jeno decides to refrain from answering his neighbor. Instead, he tries to focus on warm summer days, tasty cups of coffee or mind blowing sex – basically anything else than the pain on his back. Slowly the stiffness eases and at one point Jeno lets out a pleased sigh.

“Feeling any better?” Jaemin asks as he spreads the lotion across Jeno’s skin, from shoulder to shoulder, once in a while dipping lower on the back. “Yes..”, the man under him whispers, sounding slightly euphoric.

The black-haired man feels like he could melt like candle wax. The way Jaemin moves his palms on his back and presses all the right spots, it makes him feel so relaxed. Maybe because of that he actually feels like talking to the other one.

“By the way”, he starts and lets out another pleased sigh. “You said you are in your twenties”, Jeno manages to finally say. “Correct”, Jaemin replies, looking at the man under him with a smile. “So how old are you? Like exactly”, the black-haired man asks.

“Still 24, but my birthday is in August”, Jaemin replies and moves to massage near Jeno’s neck. “How about you?” he asks instead. “Older than you”, Jeno smirks a little bit before letting out a quiet groan as Jaemin presses some painful spot. “25, my birthday was last month”, he adds the details. Somehow he feels like a winner for being at least a little older than his neighbor, childish or not. The brunette smiles somewhat happily. “We’re basically the same age. Then I guess I can speak comfortably with you”, he chuckles. “I guess so”, the man under him mutters, feeling too good to resist.

Just a few more minutes before Jaemin finally stands up. “That should help at least for now”, he says smilingly and goes to the bathroom to wash his hands. Jeno stays still on the floor, not really wanting to get up. “Thank you”, he groans when he finally realizes that he can’t stay there, in the middle of the floor, all night long.

“You’re welcome”, the celebrity says as he walks back. He has an amused expression on his face while looking at how Jeno tries to get up. “Do you want some more help? Cane maybe?” he jokes, a mischievous grin on his lips. “Not funny”, Jeno huffs and straightens his back once he’s standing properly on both of his feet.

“But seriously, I can help you anytime”, Jaemin suddenly says with a more serious tone. “It’s the least I can do when you help us to live here peacefully.” Jeno turns to look at his neighbor, a thoughtful expression on his face. The way Jaemin chose the word ‘peacefully’ warms his mind, because that’s exactly what he wants as well, to live a peaceful life.

“Also, I don’t want to turn you into an alcoholic, so I can’t bring you as many wine bottles as there’s times when you help us”, Jaemin chuckles. It makes Jeno smile as well. “You guys don’t need to worry about it. You don’t owe me anything”, he says and takes his abandoned shirt. “Like I said, I do it for myself mostly.”

“Still”, Jaemin insists and looks at the clock on the wall. “Oh, it’s pretty late. I should probably get back, early morning tomorrow”, he says and turns to smile at the other one. “You should come by and visit us someday. The rest would want to meet you as well”, he adds.

Jeno knows he should feel happy about the friendly invitation, but at the same time it makes him hesitate. The world of celebrities seems complicated. Also, he doesn’t want those creepy fans to think he has something more to do with that idol group. In the worst case, they start to ring his doorbell as well – more than they already do by accident.

“Uh, let’s think about that sometime later”, Jeno offers a hesitant smile. It’s like Jaemin would understand the hint this time, because to Jeno the singer looks somewhat sad. “Yeah, let’s do that”, Jaemin replies before moving to the front door.

The black-haired man follows the other, like escorting him out. “Thanks again for the help”, Jeno says, trying to soften the sudden weird tension. “It’s not a big deal”, Jaemin replies and opens the door. It’s only now when Jeno notices that his neighbor didn’t come with his shoes on. That’s probably the benefit when you visit your next door neighbor by the same corridor.

“Good night”, Jaemin turns to smile at Jeno and waves his hand in a small manner. The latter raises his hand for a goodbye as well. “Night”, he simply replies, watching how the brunette leaves his door and walks to the other end of the corridor.

Jeno peeks from the doorway, following the celebrity with his eyes. As Jaemin steps into their dorm, Jeno decides to close his door as well.

Even though he was worried about regretting this, now the feeling is completely different. In fact, when he thinks about it, now he can actually go to sleep early. That wouldn’t have been the case with the original guest. This was, and is, actually nice.

Humming to his thoughts, Jeno goes to clean up the yoga mat from the floor. He kind of wishes he could tell about this to Chenle – only to see his friend’s jealous expression of course.

Chapter Text

It’s the next day when Jeno sits by his office desk, looking out of the window, completely lost in his thoughts. Jisung had asked him if he slept poorly last night. Apparently the black-haired man looked like it, being absent minded all day long. But the truth is that he slept better than in a long time, probably because of the massage.

But something weighs on him, a weird feeling Jeno can’t quite grasp. He hasn’t felt like this for a long long time, so it takes over half of his shift to even understand what it might be about. He remembers having the same feeling in the beginning of university, when it felt like all the dating doors and gay bars were open for him. Back then Jeno fucked – a lot.

When the clock hits three in the afternoon, Jeno comes to a conclusion; the feeling is a need. He’s in need of touch, in need of someone else, in need of sex. He hasn’t felt it so strongly in a long time, maybe that’s why he didn’t realize it sooner.

Jeno lets his eyes wander on the front yard of the company building. He sees a couple walking hand in hand until the man moves his hand on the lady’s buttock and squeezes through her skirt. Gross, Jeno thinks to himself.

That squeeze makes him wonder why he’s feeling like this all of sudden. The black-haired man cannot come up with any other reason than his canceled plans from last night. Even though he invited the guy mostly because of wanting the massage, maybe Jeno’s body and mind protests because of the undone activities. Also having his neighbor sitting on him, having the taste of the weight on top of him, that must have triggered something in Jeno. Yup, that must be the explanation.

“So, are you coming?”

Jeno turns to look next to him, blinking his eyes as he sees Jisung. When did he appear next to his desk? “What?” he asks, confused because he doesn’t understand the context. “The dinner, tonight, after work”, Jisung repeats himself, looking baffled. “I just told you about it.”

“Oh, right. Uhm, yeah. Why not”, Jeno rambles, feeling a little bit embarrassed. He wonders how long the younger one had been standing there, talking to him without realizing that Jeno didn’t listen to him at all. “Where are we going exactly?”

“The Japanese restaurant about two blocks away from here”, Jisung says, looking very pleased. “I hope you like sushi, because the way they make it, it’s the best”, he adds excitedly. The way the younger one talks makes Jeno smile. His coworker seems like a sweet person, also genuinely happy that Jeno would accompany them tonight. So cute, he thinks to himself.

Later in the evening Jeno finds himself sitting in a restaurant. He had chosen the seat at the very end of the table. It would be much easier to escape later on, if he wants to leave earlier than the others. Jisung is sitting next to him, thank god, so he doesn’t feel that awkward. Across from him is sitting his coworker from another department. He’s a bit older than Jeno, he has short black hair and he’s wearing glasses – and Jeno can’t remember his name at all.

What really confuses the company’s newest employee, is how that man stares at him all night long. At first Jeno tries to ignore it, avoid even. When Jisung focuses on another conversation going on at another end of the table, Jeno glances at the man across from him. He’s still staring, a faint smile on his lips. It starts to irk the younger one a little bit.

“Is there something on my face?” Jeno blurts, feeling a little bit tipsy after a few shots of sake. The man looks taken aback and chuckles quietly. “No, not at all. I was just thinking that I know you from somewhere”, he says, taking a sushi roll between his chopsticks.

“I doubt that”, Jeno replies and looks at how the other one dips the maki on soy sauce. “But I’m so sure I’ve seen your picture”, the man says before eating the sushi. He chews his mouth empty and swallows. “Do you still use Binder?” he suddenly asks.

Jeno stares at that man with a blank expression. Yes, he has used that queer dating app for a long time. Yes, he has found most of his contacts from that application. But is this a topic which needs to be talked about at a company dinner? Absolutely no.

But one thing is sure; that man can know about the app only if he, or someone he knows, uses it as well. Either way, one could think he doesn’t want to out Jeno. Or does he?

“Don’t worry, they won’t hear a thing”, the man says with a chuckle and points at their coworkers with his chopsticks. Jeno glances at the rest of the group and sees how his boss is drinking a big glass of beer on one try, the rest of the employees clapping their hands in a rhythm and chanting excitedly.

Jeno turns to look at the older one again, squinting his eyes. “Are you using it as well or what?” he asks this time. “Of course, how else would I have seen your picture there?” the other replies, eating another piece of sushi. “It’s nice to know there’s someone else like me in our company.”

“Yeah..”, Jeno replies thoughtfully. He looks at the man, leaning his elbows against the table. He has an idea, but deep down he knows it’s a bad one. But on the other hand, he’s tipsy and usually people do stupid things while intoxicated.

“So”, Jeno starts and clears his throat. “Do you have someone special? Are you dating?” he shoots the questions. The man looks at him with amusement. “Straight to the point, I see”, he chuckles and takes a sip of his sake. “Let’s put it this way”, he hums and looks Jeno straight into his eyes. “I’m working on marketing. Open markets are my specialty”, he says with a smile.

Jeno smiles back at him. That’s exactly what he wanted to hear. The man isn’t that bad looking. Also, having someone so close could be useful. In the end, they’re not at least working in the same department.

“Marketing sounds interesting”, Jeno says and takes chopsticks into his hand. “Finance and marketing have lots of similarities”, he adds and picks up a nigiri from his plate. “They do”, the man agrees and eyes Jeno’s features. “Cooperation in those fields can be important.”

“Very important”, Jeno smirks a little. He needs to be subtle, because of his boss and other employees. Otherwise the decision has been made – the decision that this man is coming home with him.

“I have a feeling that we should discuss this a little bit more”, the older one says, downing the rest of the sake to his throat. “Oh yeah, definitely”, Jeno nods with a knowing smile.

There’s a possibility that he would regret this in the morning or many other times in the future. But right now he wants to fulfill the need he had been battling with all day long. He could do rational thinking some other time.

“I think I should go home”, Jeno turns to say to Jisung, catching his attention. “Already?” the younger one asks with a surprised expression. “Yeah, it was kind of a long day”, Jeno smiles back at him.

He turns to look at the man across from him. “You said you live somewhere near me, right? What about sharing a taxi?” Jeno asks, trying to sound as innocent as possible. The older one replies with a smile that hides so much more in it. “Sure, that sounds perfect”, he says.

To be honest, Jeno doesn’t have any idea where his coworker is living. He realizes that he doesn’t know his name either, or just doesn’t remember it. He definitely needs to ask it when the timing is right.

They both get up from the table, leaving cash for the final bill, and say their goodbyes to the rest of the joyful group. As they walk out of the restaurant, Jeno can feel his coworker guiding him by placing his hand gently on his lower back. How daring, Jeno thinks to himself.

In the taxi only Jeno gives his address to the driver, which makes him smile even more. Now it’s all clear that they want the same thing. As the scenery and city buildings pass by, the younger one turns to look at the man next to him. “I think I haven’t officially introduced myself”, Jeno says with a smile. “I’m Jeno.”

“Nice to meet you, Jeno”, the man replies and places his hand on Jeno’s knee. The shivers travel all the way up on the latter one’s thigh. “My name is Youngho”, the man says and squeezes the knee softly. “Nice to meet you too”, Jeno replies with a whisper.

Jeno has some principles. One of those is that he won’t let men get handy on him until they’re inside either one’s apartment or a motel room. But sometimes even Jeno can slip from his own rules. Because what else can he do when they’re finally in the elevator and his new acquaintance stands behind him, groping his ass with those big hands? Is there any other solution than to moan quietly when that man named Youngho places kisses on Jeno’s weak spot aka his neck.

When they get out of the lift, Jeno turns around and grabs the older one’s tie. “You seem impatient”, Jeno says under his breath. He loves power like this – when someone is under his spell, eager to have permission to touch him. It makes Jeno’s otherwise dull life feel like another story, like another life.

“I am”, Youngho mutters and places his hands on Jeno’s waist. “Which door?” he asks before kissing the younger one’s neck. “The ah– last one”, Jeno sighs, keeping the man close to himself. Thank god it’s already late, it would be embarrassing to see any neighbors in a state like this.

Youngho starts to push Jeno slowly backwards, the latter taking careful baby steps as they move towards his apartment. Little gasps and sighs can be heard in the dim corridor as those two manage to reach the right door. “God, you’re amazing”, Youngho says quietly, pinning Jeno’s back against the wall, right next to the younger one’s front door. It makes the latter chuckle. “Just wait until we get inside”, the man mumbles and kisses his coworker with all he has.

“Well good evening”, someone says and turns on the light in the corridor.

Jeno ends the kiss and turns to look towards the voice, squinting his eyes because of the sudden bright light. There’s two figures, one of them closing the familiar door. Jeno’s face turns all blank as he recognizes the person who still has his hand on the door handle – it’s Jaemin.

“Uh, evening”, Jeno clears his throat and stands up properly, pushing Youngho a couple steps backwards. The latter looks a bit embarrassed as he straightens his jacket, letting his eyes wander on the corridor walls.

“We didn’t mean to interrupt anything”, the man next to Jaemin says and lets out an amused chuckle. He has brown hair and he’s maybe a little bit shorter than Jaemin. Something about his round face resembles a teddy bear.

“Donghyuck, let them be”, Jaemin says with a low voice, nudging the other one’s arm. “Yes yes, I’m sorry”, the man says and laughs again. He’s probably the only one who finds the situation so funny, Jeno thinks to himself. “I was supposed to introduce myself when we meet, but we’re on our way to somewhere”, Donghyuck says and waves his hand at Jeno. “So let’s leave that to the next time. Bye!”

Jaemin waves his hand as well and gives somewhat a weird smile before they both leave. Jeno stares at his neighbors’ backs when they walk into the elevator, waiting until the door closes. There’s so many things to unfold that he doesn’t know where to start.

“Those..were your neighbors?” Youngho asks carefully. “Unfortunately”, Jeno sighs and shakes his head. “I’m sorry about that”, he apologizes while turning to look at the older one. “Should we go inside? I think the corridor isn’t the best place for us”, Jeno laughs quietly.

“I think I should go”, Youngho suddenly says. “My wife messaged me like a minute ago and asked me to bring something from the convenience store”, he adds, looking uncomfortable. Jeno stares at him with his eyes wide. “..what?”

“Yeah, so.. yeah. See you at work”, the man clears his throat and just leaves. It feels like Jeno is living in some kind of time loop, because once again he watches some man leaving while he’s standing at his front door. Suddenly he has an urge to yell. “What about those open markets, huh?!”

His coworker disappears to the stairs without saying anything, walking fastly towards the first floor. When Jeno doesn’t hear his steps anymore, he turns around and searches the keys from his pocket. What the fuck was that even, did he really say he has a wife? Jeno opens the door and steps inside, sudden anger filling his lungs. What’s with his luck lately, huh? Is there some karma or god preventing him from having sex? Or is it because of this place, is this apartment haunted after all?

Jeno throws his jacket to the rack and kicks his shoes off. As he does so, he realizes something. Both times when he has almost lured a man into his home, there was also one more person present – his celebrity neighbor Jaemin.

The black-haired man groans and walks to the bathroom to wash his face. He knew there would be problems, that those neighbors would bring trouble. But he would have never thought it could be like this.

Screw those cockblocker idols.

“This is serious, don’t laugh!” Jeno whines as he cuts the vegetables by the kitchen counter.

Chenle is sitting on the couch and wheezing from laughter. He looks and sounds like he has never heard anything funnier.

“Listen to yourself, you can’t say that seriously!” Chenle says and wipes the tears off his eyes. “You can’t blame some random idols for ruining your sex life”, he manages to add between the giggles.

“Oh now they’re randoms. Earlier you talked about them like you would actually know them”, Jeno huffs and puts the diced carrots in a pot. It's the weekend and he decided to celebrate his day off by inviting Chenle for homemade dinner.

“They are random to you, Mr. I-live-a-happy-but-sexless-life-in-a-barrel”, Chenle giggles. “But seriously, you should thank them”, he adds while getting up from the couch. Jeno glances at him, disbelief painted all over his features. “Thank them for what? For preventing me from having sex?”

“From having sex with your coworker”, Chenle explains and walks closer. “You’ve said so yourself, that you don’t want to mix your work and personal life. It will get messy”, the Chinese recalls his friend’s words. “And that guy has a wife. That sounds extra messy.”

“You’re right..”, Jeno sighs and takes a potato in his hand. “But this wasn’t the first time this happened”, he mumbles. Chenle comes to peek in the pot. “Considering you've lived here for such a short time, you've had time to get in trouble relatively many times”, the shorter one says and picks up one of the carrot dices before putting it in his mouth. “So, what happened the first time? I think I haven’t heard about it yet.”

Jeno sighs again and starts to cut the potato in pieces. “I promised Jaemin to not tell anyone, but I guess you’re capable of keeping your mouth shut”, he mutters. Chenle chews the carrot and looks at his friends funnily. “You promised Jaemin? Excuse me, but now you’re the one who sounds like you two are friends or something”, he chuckles.

“We’re neighbors and that’s it”, Jeno huffs and drops the potato pieces into the pot. “He’s just almost the same age as me so we decided to speak comfortably to each other”, he adds. The man next to him lets out a laugh. “We decided? Oh my god, this sounds like a coming of age drama or something”, he giggles and picks up another piece of carrot.

The black-haired man slaps his friend’s hand to make him drop the pieces. “I’m never done with this if you already eat half of the ingredients”, Jeno scolds and takes the second potato. Chenle pouts as he looks at his fingers, probably thinking about whining about the slap. Soon he forgets all about it when he turns to look at the taller one with an expectant expression. “But hey, you were going to tell me about the first time. Go on.”

Jeno sighs and puts his knife down for a moment. “Actually, it happened one day earlier than this one”, he says and shakes his head. Somehow he’s feeling like he’s spilling out a secret, something too private. Maybe it’s because Jaemin actually asked him to not tell about his life and doings to reporters or stuff. “I asked one guy to come over to give me a massage”, he starts the story.

“Somehow I feel like he was coming to do something else as well”, Chenle laughs a little and takes a glass from the cabinet. “Obviously”, Jeno mutters and takes the knife again. “But before he arrived, Jaemin rang my doorbell”, he adds. The younger one glances at him while filling the glass with tap water. “Why?” he asks, sounding curious.

“He wanted to thank me so he and the rest of their group sent me a wine bottle with signatures”, Jeno lets out a small laugh. The signed label still seems so funny to him. “For real?” Chenle looks at him properly, his eyes sparkling brighter than earlier. The older one kicks his ankle softly. “Try to focus, fanboy. The autographs aren’t the main point”, Jeno huffs.

“Okay okay okay”, Chenle whines and steps further from his friend. “So what happened? Did you give him a thank you kiss or something?” he asks, taking yet another step back just to be safe. Jeno turns slowly to look at his friend, taking a deep breath. “Chenle, for the fear of God, could you just listen to me?”

“It’s the love of God”, the shorter one corrects him. “It’s fear if we’re talking about you”, Jeno points at the other one with his knife before getting back to cooking. “Anyway, Jaemin was at my door, giving me that bottle when that guy arrived as well. And of course he misread the whole situation completely wrong”, the black-haired man sighs.

“He thought you asked two guys to come over at the same time?” Chenle blinks and lets out a loud laugh. “Well, at least you know now that he’s not into threesomes.”

“I surely do”, Jeno mutters. “But see, because Jaemin was at my door with a wine bottle, he scared the other guy away. And now that situation with my coworker”, Jeno says, sounding annoyed. “It’s like I’ve been banned from sex ever since I moved here”, he mumbles and puts the rest of the potato pieces in the pot.

“Yes, indeed. And you don’t sound overly dramatic at all”, Chenle snickers and moves next to his friend to pat his shoulder. “I’m pretty sure it’s just bad luck and your new home is curse free”, he says smilingly. “Or should we call a shaman?”

“You’re just making fun of me”, Jeno mutters and takes another vegetable before slicing it. “Maybe a little bit”, Chenle admits and takes a sip from his water glass. “I think you should observe this from the bright side. Your neighbors seem to be okay with your sexuality”, he suddenly adds.

“I’m not sure why I should care about their opinion about my sexuality though”, Jeno mutters and hisses when he accidentally scratches the tip of his finger with the knife. “I know you don’t care, but remember what happened with your old neighbor? The old lady?” Chenle says in a much more serious tone than Jeno expected. And oh yes, he does remember.

Several years ago Jeno had a neighbor, a sweet old lady who sometimes appeared behind his door, always something edible with her. Sometimes it was fruits, sometimes bread fresh from the oven and sometimes seaweed soup. The woman always remembered to mention how handsome Jeno is and he resembles her own son.

Over time Jeno learned that the lady had lost her son in some way. The black-haired man thought it was an accident or maybe illness, but he never dared to ask directly. In the end the truth got revealed.

Jeno remembers how a guy he was sort of seeing at the time, was leaving his place in the morning. When he was walking out of the door, Jeno grabbed his sleeve and stopped him. That was something they did to each other when they wanted to catch one last kiss before separating ways for a while. That moment wasn’t exception, so the guy turned around and gave the longest and deepest kiss Jeno had received until then. Unfortunately they weren’t alone.

The next door lady had seen them. When Jeno’s date had left, the woman came to his door, begging him to not ruin his life. Jeno remembers how he was staring at his neighbor with his eyes wide, totally lost in the situation. Finally the lady said the words that Jeno can’t ever forget.

“Don’t be like my son, save yourself.”

After that there was no more seaweed soup or fresh bread. Instead, the woman would randomly burst into tears when seeing Jeno. After some time the tears changed into bitter yelling from afar. Jeno listened to those insults and bashing for a couple months before deciding to move away.

So Chenle was practically right, he wouldn’t want to experience that again. Even though he doesn't care what the others think about him, he still wants to live a peaceful life. Homophobic neighbors don't belong in it at all.

“You’re right. Dong..whatever his name is, he seemed only amused by the situation”, Jeno sighs and turns to put the rest of the vegetables into the pot. “Donghyuck”, Chenle corrects him once more and drinks from his glass. “Yes, him”, Jeno rolls his eyes and smiles. His friend is such a fanboy it’s actually kind of funny.

Something about the incident still bugs Jeno’s mind. He suddenly remembers the odd expression Jaemin had on his face and the weird hand wave when they left the corridor. Suddenly it makes Jeno think – could Jaemin be uncomfortable by Jeno’s gayness?

A week goes by when Jeno doesn’t see his celebrity neighbors at all. Instead, he gets to know the family which lives below him and the old married couple from the first floor. All of them seem extremely friendly, very nice neighbors indeed.

By this time Jeno had gotten used to his new job as well. The tasks are like a routine, but not boring at all. He really likes the atmosphere and the responsibilities he has in this company. He hadn’t even seen Youngho even once, which was actually a very good thing.

Also, it really feels like Jeno and Jisung are getting closer to each other. Jeno had remembered to pack his own lunch everyday so he can spend the lunch break with his new friend. The older one really likes to talk with his coworker, because he’s really built differently than the others. Usually they end up sitting by themselves in the cafeteria or outside by the benches, and Jeno listens to the younger one’s babbling about something space related.

So yeah, one could say that Jeno’s life is kind of blooming right now. Everything is well at work and home as well, he’s feeling happy and peaceful. Or that’s at least what Jeno thought on his way home from work, until he sees a familiar figure waiting at his door.

“Hi”, Jaemin smiles a little when he sees the older one and waves his hand. Jeno walks to him and searches the keys from his pocket. “I think you have the wrong door”, the black-haired male says without greeting properly back. “Ah, yes, kinda”, Jaemin laughs a little. “I came to ask a favor.”

Jeno opens the door with his keys and turns to look at the other. “What favor?” he asks, raising one of his eyebrows as well. There shouldn’t be anything he could offer to the singer. “I left my keys at work”, Jaemin says while rubbing his neck. “The others are coming back later when they’re ready with their photoshoots and our manager is busy with helping them”, he keeps explaining. Jeno just stares at the other for a minute. “So you can’t go back and get your keys”, he says in conclusion and Jaemin nods to it.

“And what does that have to do with me?” Jeno blurts the question, making the singer blink his eyes. “Well, um, I was wondering”, the brunette shifts his weight from one foot to another. “Can I stay at your place until someone gets home?”

“My place?” Jeno looks at the other in confusion. “Are you like…serious?” he asks again. It makes Jaemin chuckle a little. “I don’t have any other place to go, at least on my own, so...”, he replies, looking at the other one with the biggest puppy eyes Jeno has ever seen. Oh hell.

Jeno sighs and opens his front door fully before stepping in. “Come in”, he says and takes his black leather shoes off. Jaemin follows him inside, this time actually wearing shoes that he can take off. “Are you hungry after work? I can order something, as a thank you”, the younger one offers.

“Save your money, I need to cook anyway”, the black-haired man says and throws his coat on the couch as he walks further into the apartment. The giggle Jaemin lets out makes him turn around. “Sorry, that was just so funny. Or at least I assume I have a better paycheck from the two of us”, he says with a chuckle.

Jeno stares at the man in silence, his temple twitching a little bit. He remembers how he thought that maybe Jaemin isn’t like he imagined celebrities being, boasting with useless stuff. Maybe he thought wrong.

“You’re the one who said being in debt to your agency, not me”, Jeno blurts and loosens the tie around his neck. He needs to calm down and watch out for his tongue or he will say something mean. He’s just a human, just like me, Jeno thinks to himself.

Jaemin hums as a reply and follows the other with his eyes. “What are you going to cook?” he asks with curiosity, clearly trying to change the topic. “Kimchi stew”, Jeno replies as he opens the top button from his collared shirt. “Ah, I can’t eat very spicy food”, the younger one sighs, sounding desperate. Jeno rolls his eyes as he walks to his bedroom. “Then don’t eat it”, he replies with a huff. Seriously, he’s feeling way more annoyed than he should.

“Well, maybe I can eat just a little”, he hears Jaemin replying from the other room. Jeno shakes his head a little while undressing his work clothes, finally feeling like he can breathe. He loves his job, but gosh he feels stiff like a stick in these clothes.

“So how was your day?” Jaemin asks, his voice sounding more near now. “It was fine”, Jeno simply replies while taking a white t-shirt from the wardrobe. “Tell more about it”, the other one keeps asking behind the door. Jeno raises his eyebrow in confusion while choosing sweatpants from the closet as well. “Why?”

“I’m interested”, Jaemin insists, his voice sounding joyful. Jeno doesn’t get why he’s interested in his job, but on the other hand, his neighbor seems a bit odd in many ways. “I calculated a lot of numbers and ate lunch with my coworkers”, he ends up telling while dressing up. “That’s it?” he hears the singer asking.

Jeno steps out of his bedroom, almost hitting Jaemin with the door. “Yes, that’s it. I’m just a regular office worker, so my days aren’t particularly fancy”, he says bluntly while walking past the other.

The black-haired man hears how his neighbor follows him all the way to the kitchen section. “Do you want to hear about my day?” Jaemin asks behind Jeno’s back. Jeno resists taking a deep breath, it would probably make him seem very rude. But honestly, how does this guy have so much energy to talk at this time of a day? Isn’t he tired after work?

“If you want to tell, go on”, he mumbles and opens the fridge to take out everything he needs for dinner. Jaemin moves to stand next to his neighbor, trying to see what he’s going to do to all the ingredients. “First I went to a gym. Do you like to work out?” the brunette asks, glancing at the man next to him.

“Sometimes”, Jeno replies as he moves to another side of Jaemin and bows down to take a pot from the bottom cabinet. The brown-haired male follows him with his eyes, humming a little as a comment. “You look like you do that quite often though”, he says, making the older one sigh quietly. “Just tell me about your day”, Jeno reminds the other one to go back on track.

“Right”, Jaemin chuckles and turns around to lean on the kitchen counter with his lower back. “We had an interview today, for a magazine. It was nice, even though the reporter made me a little bit nervous at first”, he goes on with the story. “Why nervous? Aren’t you used to that kind of thing?” Jeno asks while walking to the stove, placing the pot on it.

“I am, but something about her eyes made me feel a little bit scared, I guess”, Jaemin mumbles. It makes the older one laugh out loud. “Scared? She must have been a very scary reporter”, Jeno says and taps Jaemin’s arm. “Please give me the cutting board, it’s in the top drawer.”

Jaemin turns to look in the right direction and does as he’s asked to. “You don’t even have an idea what kind of people I need to interact with in my job”, he defends himself with a pout on his face. “Sure, I don’t know. I only work with numbers”, Jeno snickers.

“I’m serious”, the brunette huffs and frowns as he looks at the other. Jeno decides not to say anything about the matter anymore, he just keeps smiling as he starts to cut the meat for the stew. Jaemin seems a bit silly to him, like their perspectives on life wouldn’t match almost at all.

Jeno keeps cooking in silence, Jaemin watching his hands without saying anything. The older one wonders if he made the singer feel bad with his laughing. Before he manages to ask about it, Jaemin speaks up again.

“Why you’re not living with your boyfriend?” the celebrity suddenly asks. The question almost makes the other one cut his finger. Jeno turns to look at Jaemin, his eyebrows almost touching his hairline. “My what?”

“The man me and Donghyuck saw with you the other night”, Jaemin explains himself, looking at the older one with curiosity. It’s like he has already forgotten the previous topic. Jeno stares at him for a moment before getting back to cutting. “He’s not my boyfriend”, he states bluntly.

“Oh”, Jaemin replies, watching him with a surprised expression. Jeno glances at his neighbor before putting the meat into the pot. “Oh what?” he asks, suddenly feeling irritated. Jaemin sounds almost like his mother who’s not-so-secretly judging his lifestyle.

“Nothing. I just didn’t think you would be single”, Jaemin says and offers a smile. Jeno would like to ask what he means by that, but decides to stay quiet. He has zero intentions to explain to his neighbor why he has decided to live without a relationship aka drama-free.

There’s another set of silence when Jeno picks up the kimchi and chops it for the stew. Once again it’s Jaemin who breaks the silence. “I bet you’re popular, based on your looks”, the brunette says. It makes the older one let out a dry laugh. “I don’t know about that”, he decides to reply.

“It’s so hard to be a famous person, you know”, Jaemin suddenly continues and sighs deeply. “You know, there’s people in line, just dying to be with me, but I can’t do anything”, he adds. Jeno turns to look at him. Is this guy serious?

“Are you boasting about how many people would want to be with you?” he asks, amusement sounding through his voice. “I’m not boasting, it’s the truth”, Jaemin states and crosses his arms against his chest. “Have you seen what people write about me online?”

“No and I don’t care”, Jeno shakes his head and drops the kimchi into the pot. “Well I do. I got nominated on the 100 most sexy men in the world -listing”, Jaemin turns around again and leans his elbows against the counter. “Did you actually end up on that list?” Jeno asks with an amused voice. The next few quiet seconds make him chuckle. “The voting is still going on”, Jaemin mutters.

Jeno doesn’t know much about his neighbor, but he knows at least that much, that he’s a mixture of vanity and silliness. He’s something like Jeno assumed celebrities are like, but at the same time he’s so odd, so random. But nothing prepared him for the next question the singer makes.

“Would you vote for me?” Jaemin asks, smiling innocently at the older one. Jeno turns to look at him, the sudden shiver running on his spine. “How would I know? I haven’t seen the other nominees”, he says and clears his throat. Sure, Jaemin is good looking, but Jeno doesn’t want to boost his ego by admitting that.

“I can send you the link”, Jaemin says cheerfully, fishing the phone from his back pocket. Jeno keeps adding the spices in the food, holding up another sigh inside. Soon Jaemin turns to look at him. “I don’t have your number”, he states matter-of-factly.

“That’s right”, Jeno replies and continues with the cooking, not giving a single glance at the other. “Can I have it?” the singer asks, clearly trying to sound as sweet as possible.

The black-haired man makes a quick math in his mind. He decided ages ago that he wanted to keep his distance from the pop group, so he could live as peacefully as possible. Giving his phone number doesn’t sound wise in that context.

“No”, he simply says, making the man next to him pout. “Why not?” Jaemin asks, now definitely sounding more like sad. “I don’t give my number just like that”, Jeno gives his answer, glancing at the younger one. The look on Jaemin’s face reminds him of a puppy who’s ready to do anything to please his owner.

“What should I do then?” Jaemin asks a bit too excitedly, standing up straight. Jeno glances at him once more before concentrating to stir the broth. “I only give it to my friends”, he says. It’s a lie, because all those men in his contact list are definitely not his friends.

“So I need to become your friend then”, the brunette says smilingly. The happiness in his voice makes Jeno shake his head slightly. It feels like a regular thought already, that his neighbor is unbelievable.

“Can you just help with cooking and be useful for a moment?” Jeno sighs and points at the cutting board with his finger. “You can slice the carrot, we need to put it in soon.”

“Sure”, Jaemin smiles widely before getting to work.

Chapter Text

Jeno lays on his mattress, staring at the ceiling. Something makes him feel uneasy and he’s having a hard time falling asleep. He turns to look at the alarm on his nightstand, noticing that it’s almost two in the morning.

Jaemin had left after eating dinner with Jeno. His group members had come home a bit earlier, so he was finally able to get into their apartment. Even though Jeno learned that Jaemin was quite nosy and curious about everything related to his neighbor, he must admit that the evening was nice.

The singer had his moments when he felt a little too much diva-ish to Jeno’s taste. Usually those moments contained him telling about the people he knows or the fancy events he attends. Not to mention that apparently he’s so used to being fed by the others that he doesn’t even know how to slice a carrot. Jeno sighs when he recalls the moment from his kitchen when he had to help the other.

Something makes Jeno think about that moment even longer, like his tired mind wouldn’t be able to move on. When the black-haired man closes his eyes, he can visualize the scene once more – how he had to take a hold of Jaemin’s hands and show him how to use the knife. All that time the younger one had just smiled, like he would have been pleased about the aid.

A deep sigh escapes Jeno’s mouth as he opens his eyes once more. He can’t get those damn hands out of his mind. Jeno would like to sleep, in fact he needs to sleep, but instead he’s thinking of those thick fingers and large palms. Only now Jeno realizes how manly hands Jaemin has, despite his pretty face.

The man shakes his head and covers his face with his own hands, letting out a low groan. He needs to do something about his sexless life, because apparently it’s already affecting his brain.

In the end Jeno sits up, looking towards the window. It’s completely pitch black outside, only some street lights illuminating in the darkness. He wonders if he should just get up and make some tea. Maybe that would calm his overworking mind.

When the man actually gets up from the mattress, he turns to look at his bedding. He should definitely make some time to get that bed frame, sleeping just on a mattress makes him feel like a kid who’s having a sleepover.

The black-haired man walks to the kitchen counter, takes a kettle from the cabinet and fills it with water, in the end putting the vessel on a stove. Standing there and staring at the kettle, waiting for the water to boil, makes him remember the time when he was still living with his parents and sister. Every time Jeno couldn’t sleep, his mom would get up as well and make them some tea. If she was extra nice, she also took some biscuits from her secret stash for them to eat.

Thinking about his mom makes Jeno smile. He hasn’t seen his family for quite some time. Jeno’s sister had gotten married last year, so she was living with his husband in another town. His mom and dad are still working, so they are all kind of busy with life. But that doesn’t change the fact that Jeno kind of misses his parents, especially his mom.

Jeno takes a cup from the cabinet and yawns. He surely would prefer sleeping, but maybe he would be able to do so after the soothing drink. He picks up a tea bag, giving it a little sniff. Oh how he loves the smell of roses. Rose tea is definitely one of his favorites.

The smile on his face disappears immediately when he remembers that one familiar face, the same one that has occupied his mind all night long. He remembers how Jaemin made fun of him for liking rose scent so much, laughing at his lotions, soaps and candles. Damn that neighbor.

Shaking his head, Jeno pours the hot water into his mug. He needs to try to focus on other things, trying to empty his head from that ridiculous pretty faced celebrity. Huffing in annoyance, Jeno takes his mug and heads back to his bed.

In the morning, all that staying up late backfires – Jeno oversleeps. Not so much, but enough to make his morning fully chaotic. He’s running from place A to place B, pulling his black pants up at the same time. He doesn’t have time to eat any breakfast if he wants to be at work on time.

Like trying to make his life extra hard, his doorbell rings all of sudden. With a loud groan, Jeno runs to his front door and swings it open. “What?” he asks in a much more angry manner than he intended to. Oversleeping doesn’t suit him, he notices.

Jaemin blinks his big eyes as he stares at his neighbor. “Um..good morning?” he says and chuckles a little. “Did you get off on the wrong foot or something?”

“I’m in a hurry. Did you have something important or not?” Jeno sighs and buttons up his pants. He notices how Jaemin’s eyes lower on his bare chest. Right, he didn’t have time to put on his shirt yet.

“I tried my luck to see if you’re home. I have some breakfast”, the singer says and shows the coffee holder with two cups in one hand, a bag of something extremely delicious smelling in another. Jeno is hungry like a lion, maybe that’s why he’s acting weak.

“Come in”, he mumbles and turns on his heels, walking back inside. He should find a fresh pair of socks and his belt – and that damn shirt. Jaemin steps behind him, closing the door after himself. “Are you going to work? To count all the numbers again?” the brunette asks and goes to place the cups on the kitchen counter.

“Most of the people in this country have a normal job which requires office hours, you know?” Jeno says, regretting how rude he might have sounded. He walks around the apartment, searching for his clothes. He's sure he took them somewhere here, out of the bedroom at least.

“You look like you work at the strip bar though”, Jaemin shoots back as he walks to check the kitchen cabinets. He takes a plate and turns around to see his neighbor. “Should I teach you some dance moves?” he grins mischievously.

“Oh shut up”, Jeno groans and finally finds his shirt from the couch. He puts it on and buttons it up at the speed of light. Jaemin just laughs joyfully as he takes freshly baked pastries from the paper bag he had with him. “Now now, come and eat something or you’ll be grumpy all day long”, the brunette says and turns to make a quiet ‘pspsps’ sound at the older one, like he would be calling a cat or something. Is he trying to annoy me on purpose, Jeno thinks to himself.

Jeno tucks the shirt in his pants as he walks to his neighbor, eyeing the goodies on the counter. The smell is so delicious that his mouth is actually watering. “Why do you do this?” he asks before taking one of the takeaway mugs. “I went to a cafe to get breakfast on my way home from work”, Jaemin replies. “I just thought I would thank you properly because I caused you trouble last night.”

The black-haired man frowns as he looks at the other. “You came from work just now?” he asks in a baffled manner. “Yup”, Jaemin smiles and takes a bread roll from the plate. “We were filming our new music video and finished it like…around 4am, I think?”

“You were filming all night long?” Jeno asks and blinks his eyes. “But..you spent the evening here and went home pretty late”, he recalls last night’s events. “Correct”, Jaemin takes a bite of his bread. “I just grabbed some things from home and then left to the filming site”, he tells while munching the bread, his cheeks full. At the moment he looks like a rabbit, Jeno thinks to himself.

Jeno stares at the singer for a while, calculating the info in his mind. “So…you haven’t slept in…what, over 24 hours?” he asks and takes a sip of his coffee. Damn it tastes good. “Something like that”, the younger one replies and eats his mouth empty. “You should eat before you need to go”, he suddenly says and points at the bread rolls.

“Dude, go to sleep before you faint or something”, Jeno says, sounding somewhat upset. He’s not sure why he feels like that over his neighbor who isn’t even close with him. “I will, when you have left. Eat while I help you out”, he says matter-of-factly and wipes the bread crumbs from his hands on his jeans.

“Help me out how?” Jeno looks at the other in confusion but still takes the bread in his hand. Oh god, it’s so soft and still warm. “I see you’re still missing socks and…probably a belt as well, right?” the celebrity replies as he walks to the couch and bends over to pick the black leather belt from the floor. “I’ll get you everything, you can focus on the breakfast.”

Jeno follows the other with his eyes while eating the bread just like he was asked to. He watches how the brown-haired male moves around his home, peeking under the coffee table and behind the curtains. “Can I go to your bedroom? To get socks”, Jaemin finally asks.

“Uh, sure”, Jeno replies after swallowing his mouth empty. It kind of amazes him that Jaemin actually asked for permission to go there. He has some good manners, even though he’s an idol and stuff.

The younger one doesn’t hesitate to walk straight to Jeno’s bedroom, still keeping the belt with him. After a moment Jeno hears him shouting from there. “Where’s your bed?” Jaemin yells. Jeno raises his eyebrows as he drinks his coffee. “What do you mean? It’s there”, he replies before taking another bite from the bread.

Jaemin walks back to the same room with him, bringing the belt and a new pair of socks. Jeno would need to find the previous pair later in the evening. “That’s not a bed, that’s a mattress”, Jaemin comments. “And I sleep on that mattress”, Jeno argues back while frowning, still taking the socks and belt into his hand.

“Your dates must be confused when you take them here”, Jaemin suddenly says and shakes his head. Jeno looks at him in confusion and puts his coffee mug on the counter. “What, why?” he asks, at the same time really not wanting to know the answer.

“Are you seriously having sex there? Like a teenager at sleepovers?” Jaemin chuckles. The black-haired man stares at him in silence. It’s not his neighbor’s business, but in reality Jeno hasn't had any sex in that bedroom setting, not yet. Just because the celebrity, who’s living next door, had interrupted him every single time. “What if I do, huh? How does that concern you at all?” Jeno huffs and puts the belt on.

“I just think it’s funny”, Jaemin smirks, clearly happy for getting under Jeno’s skin. “You’re weird”, the older one mumbles and puts on his socks as well. Suddenly he realizes that he would be even more late if he doesn’t leave right now.

“Oh shit”, Jeno curses and takes the mug and half eaten bread before sprinting towards the front door. “Don’t forget to put your shoes on”, Jaemin says after him. “You know you have to leave my apartment as well, don’t you?” the black-haired man peeks over his shoulders as he slips into those leather shoes.

“I’m not that crazy I would try to use the same door with you right now. You’ll crush me if I accidentally step on your way”, the singer chuckles and takes his takeaway mug. “You go first, I’ll lock the door once I leave.”

Jeno stares at him in a baffled manner. Should he really let some half-stranger stay in his apartment while he’s away? On the other hand, the clock on the wall is staring at him in an angry manner – he wouldn’t have time to argue with Jaemin.

“Ugh, fine”, Jeno groans and puts the rest of the bread in his mouth. “I know it’s you if something is missing”, he says in a muffled tone while grabbing his bag and coat. “Yes yes, go before it’s too late”, the celebrity hums and drinks his coffee.

The older one runs out of the front door, eating his mouth empty from the bread and keeping the coffee mug tightly in his hand. It feels uncomfortable to leave like this, but he doesn’t have any other choice.

Well, at least he knows where to commit murder if Jaemin does something weird in his apartment.

The day goes by as chaotic as it started. When Jeno arrived at work, he realized he was already late from the first meeting. After apologizing to his boss and bowing so low his head almost touched his knees, Jeno somehow struggled through the review session.

Once lunchtime arrived, Jeno realized he had forgotten his meal home. Jisung had patted his back and said that things like this happen even to the best of us. It must have been meant to comfort him, but it didn’t make him feel any better.

Later in the afternoon Jeno spilled coffee all over his desk, forcing him to save all the important documents and notes from the hot liquid at high speed. His boss pointed out later that there was a coffee smudge on his white collar shirt. Today isn’t his day at all.

When it’s almost time to clock out from work, Jeno feels his phone vibrating in his pocket. The man fishes the device in his hand and looks at the screen. One of his eyebrows rises so high it almost touches the ceiling.

xxx: Hi Jeno! How was your day at work today? :)

Jeno looks at the message for a while, then moving to stare at the number that had sent it. It’s someone he doesn’t have saved in his phone. The man tilts his head as he tries to figure out who reached out to him. It’s definitely someone he knows, because they used his name. Oh well, there’s only a few ways to find out and texting back is probably the easiest one.

Jeno: Who are you?

Jeno puts his phone on the desk and looks out of the window. It’s almost summer, which is very nice. He absolutely hates cold weather and winter in general. Maybe he should try to make the best out of this summer, enjoying it as much as possible. Usually Jeno works a lot because he rarely has any plans, but maybe this year he should do something special.

The buzzing noise against his desk makes Jeno look at his phone again. The man takes the device, a frown forming on his face right after.

xxx: Why should I tell you, when you didn’t answer my question? Rude. :(

Jeno wonders if it’s actually wise to message with this person. He doesn’t know who he is, and that person doesn’t seem to have any will to tell about themselves either. On the other hand, what else does he have to do? With a sigh, he decides to write another reply.

Jeno: My day has been bad. Who are you?

The black-haired man waits for a moment. He stares at the screen, adjusted for a new notification to pop up. When the text finally appears, Jeno lets both of his eyebrows rise in surprise.

xxx: Do you wanna tell what happened? Friends are for listening. :)

Could this person be Chenle? He’s at least calling himself a friend. Maybe the Chinese is pranking him with a new phone number or something. While Jeno thinks about the option, another message arrives.

xxx: Maybe I can make you feel a bit better, who knows.

Jeno tilts his head again. Chenle is one of the friendliest persons he knows on this planet, but somehow this doesn’t sound like him. Actually, this doesn’t sound like any of his friends. The frown deepens on his features as Jeno tries to figure out who he is texting with. In the end, his fingers start to tap the letters again, creating another reply.

Jeno: I’m not friends with strangers. Now please tell who you are.

The reaction he gets from that unknown person makes Jeno blink his eyes. His phone screen gets filled with sad emojis, some of them actually crying. Did Jeno offend him somehow? Suddenly the emoji spamming stops and Jeno sees proper words.

xxx: That was a bit too much, Jeno. Maybe we’re not friends yet, but I’m not a stranger either. I even fed you this morning, so ungrateful of you!! :(

The black-haired man stares at the message for a very long time. He tries to process the message and what it means. In a few seconds, he says the conclusion out loud, in much more volume than he intended. “Jaemin??”

The man hurries to text back, mixed feelings welling inside. How on earth did his neighbor get his number when Jeno specifically didn’t want to give it to him??

Jeno: Jaemin?? Why do you have my number????

xxx: For emergencies :)

Jeno: What emergencies? Who gave my number to you??

The final reply from the celebrity makes Jeno roll his eyes. Why must Jaemin be so insufferable, like he isn't able to give any serious answer?

xxx: Your mom :)

Jeno glances at the clock on the wall, it’s already past 5pm. Somehow Jaemin distracted him so much that he ended up sitting too long at work. The black-haired man stands up and takes his bag and coat before sprinting out of the building.

On his way to the station, Jeno’s mind goes back to his neighbor. He doesn’t know what to think or feel about the texts. He clearly said no when Jaemin asked for his number. Regardless of that, the singer still went through some kind of trouble to get his contact info. But the more he thinks about it, the younger one’s actions feel indifferent and rude for not respecting his boundaries.

Even when sitting in a train, Jeno cannot but think about the singer. The annoyance in him is building up little by little, making the black-haired man bite his cheeks. He really should talk with Jaemin properly, making it clear that celebrities aren’t the only ones who want to treasure their privacy.

Jeno can’t stop thinking about how to bring up this matter. The black-haired man thinks about it so much he doesn’t even notice that he’s already arriving at his door. Glancing at the dorm’s direction, Jeno picks up the keys from his bag. Maybe saying things as they are is the most efficient way, the man thinks to himself. As he’s trying to put the key in the lock, the door opens and makes Jeno jump in surprise.

“Oh dear, welcome home!” a short elderly woman says with the most kind smile, her eyes forming two moon-like shapes. Jeno stands in the corridor, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. “...mom?”

“I came to visit you, isn’t it nice?” the woman says joyfully and pulls his son inside the apartment. After the door is closed, Jeno looks as she walks to the kitchen counter, peeking in a pot on the stove. There’s a delicious smell spreading all over the apartment, she must be cooking something.

“Uhm..mom. How did you get in?” the black-haired man asks as he takes off the leather shoes. His socks are feeling sweaty, leaving a damp mark on the wooden panel floor. Jeno should buy some new pair of sneakers for summer, something neat for work. Otherwise he would sweat his toes off in those leather shoes.

“Oh that lovely young man let me in”, the woman says as she sprinkles some spices in the pot. Jeno frowns as he walks further into the apartment. “What man?” he asks in confusion. Only Chenle has his spare key and even he’s not allowed to use it without asking first.

“The one that was here earlier. He had a very beautiful family name”, Jeno’s mother mutters and tastes the sauce she’s making. A thoughtful expression decorates her features as she smacks her lips together. “Still too bland”, the mother says, completely lost in her thoughts.

“Mom, please focus on me for a moment”, Jeno sighs and pushes some of his hair back. “Was someone here when you came? Like in this apartment?”

“Yes yes, that young man”, she repeats as she chooses more spices from the little shelf. Suddenly the lady turns around to look at her son. “I’m kind of envious of his eyes. Why do men need so long and beautiful eyelashes, like what for?”

Jeno stares at his mother in a baffled manner. He wonders if she’s older than he realized or at least acting like a bit senile? Because she doesn’t seem to think it’s weird that there was some random man in his son’s apartment – that worries Jeno a lot.

“What are you looking at? Go change your clothes, you can’t stain those with dinner”, mother says, referring to her son’s office attire. Jeno shakes his head in disbelief as he does just like his mother told him to do. The man walks in his bedroom, unbuttoning the shirt at the same time. When he pulls the collared shirt off and puts it on the hanger, Jeno finally realizes something.

In a hurry his fingers roam the insides of his pants’ pockets, searching for his phone. As he finally pulls the device out and opens the messages, his eyes get fixated on that one particular text.

xxx: Your mom :)

So Jaemin wasn’t joking, he wasn’t trying to mock him in any way. Jaemin was just genuine and honest, just like people really should be. Usually those traits are wished and welcome, but now they just make Jeno fume in annoyance.

Jeno throws his phone on the mattress and huffs. As he thinks about it more, it seems like Jaemin didn’t leave his place right away in the morning. He doesn’t have any idea how long the celebrity had stayed in his apartment, doing god knows what. Jeno pulls his belt off and undresses the black pants, revealing his bare legs as he does so. Maybe he should take the belt with him when he confronts the neighbor.

After dressing loose college shorts and sleeveless shirt from the wardrobe, Jeno snatches the phone from the mattress. He marches back to his mother, opening the web browser on his way. “Did the man look something like this?” he asks with a low voice, writing the search words on his phone at the same time – those words being the name of his neighbor.

Jeno’s mother turns to look at the phone screen, smiling as she sees a familiar face. “Yes, that’s him. But he didn’t have any makeup on, thank god”, the woman says before shutting off the stove. “I don’t get why men should use lady products like that, it makes them look girly.”

The man makes a fast calculation, should he make the effort to explain to his mom once more how anyone’s appearance or makeup isn’t her business at all. Soon he comes to the conclusion that he would need to do that some other time. Now he has some more urgent matters in his hands.

“I’ll go out for a moment”, Jeno mutters and stomps his way to the front door. “But the dinner is almost ready”, his mom shouts after him. “I’ll be right back!” the man yells back just before he rushes out of the apartment.

Jeno walks down the corridor, stopping only after getting behind that one familiar door. He takes a deep breath before knocking the wooden surface. There aren't any noises coming from the apartment. Maybe Jaemin doesn’t want to open the door, since he must know how pissed off Jeno could be at this moment.

A loud noise echoes in the corridor as Jeno decides to knock the door even harder. “Jaemin, open the door”, the man demands in a stern voice. He decides he will continue the banging until someone actually comes and lets him in. At the same time he realizes, what if there’s no one home at all?

Right at that moment the door opens and Jaemin peeks outside. He has never seemed so small and fragile as now, squinting his sleepy eyes and hair sticking here and there. The singer must have been finally sleeping after working all night long. Jeno shakes his head, thinking how he shouldn’t let the sight fool him.

“Oh hi”, Jaemin says with a drowsy smile, brushing some of his hair behind his ear. “Oh hi to yourself”, Jeno huffs and looks at the other straight to his eyes. “You really asked for my number from my mother, didn’t you?” he blurts the question.

“Yes, that’s what I said earlier”, the singer yawns and rubs his face with one hand. Jeno looks at him for a moment, waiting for some kind of further explanation. When the younger one doesn’t say anything and only looks at him, he almost explodes.

“But why? Why did you talk to my mother and why did you ask for my number? And how the hell did you let her in??” the black-haired man suddenly yells, making the other one jump a little.

“Hey hey hey, don’t talk to me like that”, Jaemin instantly defends himself, looking at the older one in confusion. “I was just leaving your place when she came to ring the bell”, he gives a quick reply.

“And you just allowed her to come inside just like that? Are you crazy??” Jeno raises his voice, looking like he could rip the singer in pieces. To his surprise, Jaemin takes a hold of his shirt and yanks him into the apartment.

“You’re the crazy one. Why are you yelling like a maniac in the corridor?” Jaemin pulls the door closed with a slam and turns to look at the other, his eyebrows knitted together. “And excuse me, but do you have a bad family history or why shouldn't I have let your poor mom in?”

Jeno is feeling baffled about the fact that he’s now standing inside the dorm. He has an urge to take a peek inside, but that feeling doesn’t last long when he remembers why he’s mad at his neighbor.

“You don’t know me or my mother. What if she was some stranger and not my mom at all?” Jeno shoots another question, the angry expression on his face. The chuckle escapes Jaemin’s lips, making Jeno flinch in surprise. “Come on, you two look exactly the same”, he snorts, taking a step closer. “Anyone can see you two are related, so don’t whine about it.”

“Don’t whi– what the fuck is your problem??” Jeno shouts, stepping forward as well. He has no intention to look intimidated by his neighbor, not even a bit. Too bad that the neighbor in question looks exactly the same, his expression so neutral that it almost makes Jeno sweat out of his skin.

“I don’t have any problems, but you do”, Jaemin blurts, staring the other one straight into the eyes. ”You clearly have something against me. I don’t know what or why, but it’s stupid”, the celebrity states.

Now it’s Jeno who snorts and glances elsewhere. “One part right, I do have something against you”, the man admits and turns to look at his neighbor again. “But it’s not only one thing, there’s several”, he adds with an annoyed smile on his face.

“Several? Have I done several awful things for you to act like that?” Jaemin scoffs. “Yes, several”, Jeno repeats and takes another step closer. “First the yelling, when I was just trying to help you out”, Jeno recalls the past events. “That was a misunderstanding”, the younger one quickly replies.

“Is not respecting my boundaries a misunderstanding as well?” Jeno lashes out. When the brunette looks at him like he doesn’t know what Jeno is talking about, the older one decides to keep going. “I said you can’t have my number, but you still went and asked for it”, he snarls, the black hair falling in front of his eyes. “On top of that, you asked for it from my mom. Out of all people, my mother!”

“I thought you were kind of joking”, Jaemin frowns as he keeps looking at his angry neighbor. “I don’t think I disrespected your boundaries. You’re taking this way too seriously”, he huffs. Those words make the other one stare at the celebrity, every cell in his body flaming in annoyance. How can someone be so arrogant, Jeno thinks to himself.

It feels like all the emotions are boiling inside him, making every bit of his sanity slowly mushing up. To Jeno it sounds like Jaemin has never needed to think about the others, their rules or borderlines. It makes him mad as hell, wanting the younger one to know the feeling as well.

Maybe it’s because of that when Jeno finally snaps. Maybe he wants to shock the other, to show him how it feels when someone doesn’t respect your privacy – to really irk him to the edge, just to say ‘see, this is how it feels’. Maybe that’s why Jeno grabs both of Jaemin’s cheeks and clashes their mouths together, making the brunette yelp in surprise.

This is probably the first time when Jeno hopes a man will be disgusted by him while kissing. He hopes from the bottom of his heart that Jaemin would feel nasty and appalled, that he would feel outrageous for Jeno’s actions. Maybe this hungry kiss would make him realize what it means when someone doesn’t respect your boundaries.

As Jeno is practically trying to eat the singer alive, he goes through all the possible scenarios – what could happen next? He imagines Jaemin pushing him away, yelling at him in a shocked state. He can see vividly how the singer would throw him out of the apartment. Jaemin doesn’t seem aggressive so hopefully he wouldn’t punch him in the face – that would be unfortunate to explain at the office.

What Jeno didn’t expect is to feel Jaemin grabbing his sleeveless shirt and pulling him closer. Any of those scenarios didn’t include the younger one kissing him back, trying to win this eat alive competition. It didn’t even cross Jeno’s mind that in the end the celebrity would push him against the wall and taste his tongue.

Chapter Text

At least a thousand thoughts run through Jeno’s mind as he’s pinned between Jaemin’s body and a rather uncomfortably hard wall. His hands are still placed on Jaemin’s cheeks, like they would be glued on the younger one’s skin. The hot breathing against Jeno’s lips makes his mind spin a little. What on earth is happening??

Jaemin’s hands start to roam lower on Jeno’s body, finding their way on his waist. A firm squeeze makes the older one gasp out loud, opening his mouth even more than earlier. That’s when the singer’s tongue takes its chance, slipping into the warm wetness. The open mouthed kisses make both of them close their eyes, as a drop of saliva drips on Jeno’s chin.

Jeno wants to stop, he really does. Because why would he want to makeout with this insufferable person? The only reason for him to kiss the other was to revenge him, to make him respect other people’s boundaries. But at the same time it feels like his lips are living their own life, not reacting to his rational thinking.

It must be because of all those canceled and ruined dates, it must be. He had felt so weird for so long already, the need burning his insides since the night he met Youngho. It must be that same need that makes it so impossible to stop the kiss, and makes it so easy to pull Jaemin even closer.

Jeno isn’t quite sure what makes Jaemin act like this though. He definitely didn’t get any gay vibes from him, not at all. On the other hand, Jeno mostly focused on his annoying features, maybe he missed all the pride flags meanwhile. Or maybe the singer is just acting on that same need as Jeno. After all, he had told about the queue of people who wanted to be with him, but he couldn’t do anything with them. Yeah, that must be it.

After a while Jaemin lets Jeno’s lips free, pressing their foreheads together. “I thought you were mad at me”, the singer says under his breath, eyes still closed. Jeno knows exactly what the other one is referring to. “I can promise you, that’s a hundred percent hate boner”, Jeno mutters as a reply.

That results in a chuckle from Jaemin’s side, making the older one open his eyes. He’s used to one-night stands and hooking up with random people. But for the first time he’s not quite sure what to do. He just smooched the hell out of some famous idol’s lips, the idol who’s also his neighbor.

He doesn’t have that much time to think about that, because sooner than he realizes, Jaemin takes a hold of his hand and pulls him further into the apartment. “Excuse me, but what are you doing?” Jeno asks with a shocked whisper, too afraid that the rest of the idol group could be home as well.

“I’ll apologize that hateful boner properly so you don’t need to throw any more tantrums”, Jaemin replies with a grin, leading his neighbor to one of the bedrooms. Jeno looks at the other one with wide eyes. Apparently he wouldn’t need to think anything since Jaemin has everything planned out already – or at least he’s acting like that.

“Uh..actually my mom is waiting for me”, Jeno tries to say as he steps into the room. There’s two beds on both sides of the room, two wardrobes and two nightstands. It reminds him of his old university dorm room. “What are you, five?” Jaemin says as he closes the door and turns to look at the other properly.

“No, bu– ah!!” Jeno yelps as Jaemin pushes him on one of the beds. The black-haired man lands on his back, instantly trying to get up. “Are you going back to your mama with a tent like that? I’m not sure what she would think about that”, Jaemin says with a mischievous smile while getting on his knees on the floor.

Jeno stares at the other with heated cheeks. Jaemin is absolutely right, he couldn’t go back and have dinner with his dear mother when his shorts are all wonky because of the hard on. His mother would probably have a heart attack or call a priest.

Also, the possibility to get rid of this bothersome need sounds a bit too intriguing. That in mind, Jeno stays on the mattress, leaning on his elbows as he’s still laying on his back.

The older one bites his lower lip as Jaemin takes a hold of the waistband, pulling his shorts and boxers lower with a quick jerk. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Jeno asks a bit worriedly. He’s not sure what Jaemin has in mind, but he also has no clue how inexperienced the singer is.

“You have a bad habit of making assumptions about me, have you noticed?” Jaemin suddenly says and wraps his fingers around Jeno’s shaft. His palm feels cold against the older one’s length, making the latter one hiss quietly.

“I don’t..”, Jeno disagrees, his eyes fixated on Jaemin’s thick fingers around his hardened organ. The moment is absolutely absurd, because when he left from work, things had gone in the most unexpected way possible. Who would have thought he would end up in his neighbor’s apartment, dick standing in need while his mother is cooking at the other end of the corridor.

“Don’t argue back, not on this one”, Jaemin says before licking his lips. The sight makes Jeno’s cock twitch in anticipation, his cheeks feeling boiling hot. The first moan almost slips out of his mouth as the younger one bends down, giving a small swirling lick on the tip of Jeno’s manhood.

“Oh dear god..”, Jeno whispers as he stares at his neighbor. Jaemin lands teeny tiny kisses all over his boner, making the man on the mattress shiver with every single new one. When a drop of precum finally slides along the length, the younger one dips down and mounts his lips around the shaft.

Finally the moan escapes Jeno’s throat. He can already feel the neediness in him spreading under his skin, making his body hair stand up like after having electric shock. The sheets rustle softly as he grabs them, squeezing the fabric tightly in his fists.

The feeling caused by Jaemin’s lips sliding up and down on Jeno’s manhood, it’s sensational. The suspicion of Jaemin not knowing what to do, it’s long forgotten – he has definitely done this before. With whom, Jeno doesn’t know, he doesn’t even want or need to. But dear lord the singer has a skillful mouth, in other ways on top of singing.

Jaemin slides his fingers on Jeno’s sensitive skin at the same rhythm with his lips, the saliva sticking on his hand as well. Jeno cannot but stare at his neighbor’s features – his eager mouth, his hollowing cheeks, his fluttering eyelashes. Suddenly Jeno understands what his mother meant with the comment she made earlier. It is actually kind of unbelievable for a man to have such beautiful and long eyelashes.

It’s been a while since someone was eager to please Jeno like this. It’s a bit sad to admit, but usually Jeno’s companions assume him to give – his mouth, his hole, literally his everything. Don’t get him wrong, Jeno likes those things very much, he really does. But what Jaemin is doing to him right now, is an extremely positive surprise.

As the tip of Jeno’s cock touches the back of Jaemin’s throat, the older one leans his head backwards, letting out a low moan. He spreads his thighs as wide as possible, giving the singer all the space he needs. It doesn’t take long until the euphoric feeling starts to build up on his lower abdomen. Just a few more strokes and he would cum…

Suddenly Jaemin’s lips slide off the length, making a juicy ‘pop’ sound as Jeno’s dick is left standing on his own. “Do you think it could forgive me?” the younger one asks, smiling at the other. Jeno raises his head once more, looking at the other in confusion. “...what?”

“Your hater dick. Is it able to forgive me now?” Jaemin reforms the question as he stands up on the floor. Jeno would want to answer something cheeky, but the words get tangled on his tongue when he looks at the other. Jaemin undresses his t-shirt, revealing his bare chest as he does so. “Holy..”, Jeno mutters when his eyes focus on the abs in front of him.

Jaemin clearly notices how the older one is staring at his body. He grins and tosses his shirt on the floor before getting rid of the next clothing – his pants. “Are you clean?” Jaemin asks while kicking out the pajama pants he was wearing just a moment ago.

“What?” Jeno asks again, his brain malfunctioning very badly as he enjoys the scene. He must admit, Jaemin has the best body he has ever seen. The singer must be taking care of himself way more better than anyone Jeno knows.

“Just a moment ago you were so quick-witted. What happened?” Jaemin laughs and bows down to reach under the bed. Jeno hears some noises, like some box would be opened. “I’m asking if you have anything suspicious going on with that hater stick. You know, STDs or something”, Jaemin explains himself before standing up again. He has a blue tube in his hand.

“Wha– no, I’m clean”, Jeno clears his throat while blinking his eyes. “But aren’t you a bit late with that question? You already sucked me”, he reminds the other. “Right”, Jaemin hums before getting on the bed – or more precisely, on top of Jeno.

“All my rubbers are expired”, he says matter-of-factly while seating himself on Jeno’s stomach. The latter swallows hard as he looks at the other. The situation is so weird, like so so weird. Jeno was supposed to whoop the singer’s ass for being too much, but now it looks like ‘whooping the ass’ has a completely different meaning.

“Are you okay with that?” Jaemin asks as he looks at the man under him questioningly. Jeno blinks his eyes, raising them to meet Jaemin’s stare. “Uh, yes, yes it is”, he replies and nods, trying not to choke on his own saliva. It’s so absurd how Jaemin asks if it’s okay to sit raw on him, but he didn’t ask if having sex in general would be okay. Oh well, Jeno could have said no if he really wanted to.

Jeno can’t look elsewhere when Jaemin opens the tube and squirts the transparent liquid on his palm. Usually it’s him who needs to prepare himself for the others. Now it’s his turn to follow Jaemin’s hand with his eyes, watching as the person in front of him hides his lubed fingers inside himself. Of course he can’t see it clearly since Jaemin is facing him, but the voices and expressions the celebrity is making tells everything needed.

“Fuck it has been long..”, Jaemin groans and takes support of Jeno’s clothed chest. The man under him bites his own lip as he tries to think if he could do something for the other. When he opens his mouth to say something, Jaemin lets out a frustrated groan. “I can’t wait any longer”, he mutters and leans back to take a hold of Jeno’s shaft. Jeno stares at the other, his eyes wide, wondering if his neighbor is actually a little bit crazy.

The wondering stops like hitting the wall. All Jeno can think of is the feeling of his cock pressing against Jaemin’s entrance, pushing past the rim little by little. The man on top of him is so tight, so tight that Jeno is afraid something will break soon – either his dick or Jaemin’s hole. “Oh my god, take it easy..”, Jeno whines as he catches breath.

“Oh fuck...”, Jaemin mutters, shutting his eyes so tightly that his eyebrows are knitted together. The singer stops for a moment, clearly trying to relax the best he can. Jeno decides to lay properly on his back, placing his hands on Jaemin’s thighs. “Hey, you need to breathe”, he says quietly, trying to keep himself and the other sane.

Jaemin gasps for air, like he would have been without oxygen for too long. At the same time, like out of nowhere, he sits all the way down, taking every inch of Jeno’s manhood inside him. The man under him makes a sound that resembles some kind of animal.

“Holy shit..”, Jaemin hisses, arching his back as he leans on Jeno’s chest with both of his hands. Jeno breaths heavily as he stares at his neighbor, holding his juicy thighs firmly at the same time. If someone would ask Jeno if this is real, he would say no – he actually feels quite delirious.

Jeno’s eyes wander all around the celebrity – his flushed cheeks, the sweat dripping on his collarbones, his tense abdomen and shivering thighs. In the end Jeno’s gaze focuses on the erected manhood, twitching in front of him. It literally looks like it’s ready to burst and explode by a single touch. Is Jaemin really feeling that good?

The black-haired man moves one of his hands towards the organ, but gets stopped by the other. “Don’t touch it”, the man whispers, holding Jeno's wrist firmly. “But–”, Jeno tries to protest, but gets cutted off soon enough. “I want you to fuck me first”, the man says in a quiet but low voice.

Jeno stares at his neighbor. His chest feels extremely tight, his lower abdomen even more. It’s insane how this insufferable person makes him feel so alive, so good and so vivid. Maybe that’s the thing, maybe Jeno is such a complicated person that the annoyance he feels for the other one actually turns him on.

While holding Jeno’s wrist, Jaemin starts to move slowly. The older one feels how the room temperature air touches his length as Jaemin moves up. Soon the warmness consumes him again as the singer sits back down. Both men let out pleased sighs like in unison.

“Fuck..”, Jeno whispers as he squeezes Jaemin’s thigh, the incredible feeling possessing him. He forces to keep his eyes open – he needs to see the expression on Jaemin’s face, how his mouth hangs open and lower lip trembles from the whimpers he’s making. The scene urges Jeno to raise his hips to meet Jaemin’s movements.

“Ah, fuck me..”, Jaemin sighs, raising his butt a little, like making room for the other to move. Jeno takes a hint, starting to pound into his neighbor in a steady rhythm. His forehead is sweating like crazy and his lower back is aching from the sudden bursting movements, but all he can focus on is Jaemin’s face. Because oh fucking lord how sexy he looks right now.

The brunette has closed his eyes, looking like he has a hard time controlling his expressions. He’s probably as sweaty as the man under him, small drops dripping from his forehead to Jeno’s shirt. The small bedroom is filled with different types of gasps and sighs, making the air around them feel like burning hot.

It takes only a few more thrusts before Jaemin suddenly moans in a low voice, trembling on top of Jeno so hard that the latter thinks he would pass out. The younger one squeezes his thighs against the other, at the same time letting the white streaks fly and land on Jeno’s shirt. The scene is so overpowering that Jeno cannot but follow the other’s example, moaning out loud and releasing himself into the warmth of Jaemin’s hole.

“Shit..”, Jaemin mumbles when he finally sees something other than stars. He’s breathing so heavily that it sounds like his lungs are close to burning. Jeno is still staring at his neighbor, being the breathing mess as well. He tries to understand what the fuck just happened. Well, of course he knows what happened, it just happened so fast, so unexpectedly, that his mind is still trying to understand it all.

They stay like that for a minute, Jaemin sitting on top of Jeno, the singer still holding his neighbor’s wrist. When they hear the front door making a clicking sound, Jaemin moves carefully to sit on the bed. “Someone came home”, he says and bends down to pick up his boxer briefs from the floor. “It can be my roommate so you better pull your pants up”, he adds matter-of-factly.

Taking a hold of the waistbands, Jeno dresses his underwear and shorts properly before sitting up. It’s confusing how calm Jaemin is in this situation, like this would be one of the most normal things in his daily life. The black-haired man wishes he could be the same. Instead, his head feels like there's a wasp nest in place of his brain.

“Sorry for messing up your shirt”, Jaemin says as he stands up and puts his boxers on. Jeno cannot but notice how there was a streak of semen sliding from between the younger one’s buttocks. “Oh, yeah..don’t worry about that”, Jeno mumbles and glances at his sleeveless shirt. It looks like it has been some time since Jaemin has released himself the last time. Because to be honest, the mess is huge.

“Just leave it, our housekeeper will wash it”, the celebrity suddenly says. “I’ll borrow you something so you don’t have to go back half naked”, he adds. Jeno shifts his gaze at his neighbor, blinking his eyes in confusion. “Are you saying I should leave my shirt here?”

Jaemin turns to look at the other and chuckles. “What? Do you think I will sniff it before sleeping or something?” the man asks and laughs a little bit more. “You will get your shirt back. I just thought you don’t want to explain to your mother where you got it dirty like that.”

Damn it, Jaemin is right once again. Jeno sighs before pulling the shirt off. “I’ll come and get it later then”, he mutters, feeling a little bit uneasy about the fact that now he literally needs to meet his neighbor again.

“Sure”, Jaemin says and walks to the wardrobe. He opens the doors, looking at the clothes thoughtfully. After a few seconds he picks up a shirt and tosses it to the older one. “That should fit”, he says with a smile.

Jeno catches the shirt from the air before taking a look at it. It’s a pink shirt with a white cat print. “You gotta be kidding, right?” he asks, sounding baffled. “What? It’s one of my favorite shirts. You should feel honoured”, Jaemin replies and proceeds to wear more clothes. “I expect you to take very good care of it.”

The black-haired man glances at the other, making another note about how well built the singer is. He takes a deep breath before dressing the shirt on. If his mother doesn’t ask a single question about the clothing, it’s the newest miracle in the whole world.

“I’ll go handle my friends so you can slip out”, Jaemin smiles as he straightens the hem of the shirt he’s now wearing. The situation is just like straight from Jeno’s university days. Back then he also tiptoed out from dorm rooms after spending naughty time with someone. But reliving this at this age feels a bit too much.

Jaemin walks out of the room first, shouting his loud hellos to the someone who came home just a moment earlier. Jeno waits for a moment before peeking through the doorway. He hears the conversation going on further in the apartment, one of the voices belonging to Jaemin. Maybe this is his moment to go.

As quietly as possible, Jeno sneaks himself out of the apartment, closing the front door after him. He stands there in the corridor for a moment, taking a deep breath. His mind is still spinning, making everything feel overwhelming.

He takes a look at the pink shirt he’s wearing, letting out another sigh. How on earth did he get himself in a situation like this…

“Where have you been?? The food is as cold as your grandparents’ grave!”

Jeno looks at his mother with a shocked expression. “Mom!” he shouts back, not really believing what he just heard. He had just come back to his own apartment, only to find his mom standing there, her arms crossed against her chest.

“I can scold you as much as I want. You said you would come back right away”, the elderly lady keeps berating before walking back to the stove. “Also, why don't you have a proper dining table? Where are we supposed to eat?”

“I haven’t had time to get one”, Jeno sighs as he walks to his mom. “I usually eat on the couch while watching television. It’s comfortable like that”, he explains himself right away after her mother gives him a weird look.

“Oh dear”, the woman sighs and turns on the stove again. “I’ll reheat this, you get us some plates”, she commands her son. “Yes, mom”, Jeno rolls his eyes and does as he’s asked to.

In the end they get seated on the couch, plates on the coffee table and some historic drama rolling on the TV screen. Jeno takes a bite of the meal his mother had made, letting out a pleased hum. “This tastes so good”, he says after swallowing his mouth empty.

“Eat as much as you want, I made plenty of it”, the mother says smilingly. Eating his mom’s cooking makes Jeno happy. The meals taste like childhood which brings up good memories. “So, tell me about your new job”, the woman continued the conversation.

“I like it very much”, Jeno says after eating another spoonful. “There’s enough challenges and responsibilities. And the pay is good”, he adds thoughtfully. His mother listens to him, nodding at the same time. “Are your colleagues friendly?” she asks another question.

Jeno nods as a reply. “One of my coworkers is really nice. He’s a couple years younger than me”, the man tells about Jisung. Even thinking about him makes Jeno smile. At this point Jisung feels like a little brother to him, someone he wants to look after.

“Are you two dating?” Jeno’s mother suddenly asks. The question surprises the black-haired man so deeply that he almost chokes on his food. “Wha– no, we’re not”, Jeno wipes his mouth as he turns to look at his mother in a baffled manner. “Why did you think something like that?”

“You smiled so much just now. I hoped you finally found someone stable”, she replies and takes a bite from her plate. The answer makes Jeno roll his eyes. His mother knows about his sexuality, has known for a long time already, but she also knows that Jeno doesn’t want to commit to anyone. Once in a while his dear mother would bring up the topic, wishing him to find the right one.

“Jisung is just my coworker and that’s all”, Jeno sighs. “If I ever find someone who I decide to stay with, I’ll tell you right away. You don’t need to ask about it all the time”, the man mutters before taking a water glass from the coffee table.

The mother just hums as she looks at her son. “By the way, where did you go earlier?” she changes the topic. “You stormed out so fast I thought a hurricane hit the building.”

“I…needed to get something from my neighbor”, Jeno lets out a white lie. He really did get something from his neighbor, so practically he’s speaking the truth. But he doesn’t have any intentions to explain to his mom that the thing he got was a piece of ass.

“The one who let me in earlier?” the woman asks, looking at how her son nods as a reply. “He seemed so well mannered. Really nice young man. You should date someone like him”, she adds thoughtfully. It results in Jeno almost choking – once again.

“Mom, please drop the topic. No more dating wishes, okay?” he groans before taking a long sip of water from his glass. “You’re so tense”, the lady shakes her head and sighs. “I swear it’s because you’re wasting your time alone. Dating would make you mor–”

“Mom!” Jeno cuts her off, staring at the woman with a pleading expression. “Okay, okay”, his mom sighs again. She glances at her son, her eyes focusing on Jeno’s clothing.

“I didn’t know you like pink”, she comments on the shirt. Jeno feels like he’s ready to die any second.

Later in the night Jeno walks home from the bus station. His mom had left home after spending the whole evening at Jeno’s place. He wished his mother would have informed him about the visit or maybe do it on the weekend. It would have been nice to spend a bit more time with her.

Jeno sighs as he walks along the street, looking at the houses and restaurants around him. The past event from earlier that day haunts his mind. He feels like an insecure uni student who’s not sure if he did the right thing, having no clue what he should do next.

Jeno has always had strict rules for himself, guidelines to follow so his life would be as easy and peaceful as possible. That’s why he doesn’t date, that’s why he only has sex with men who don't want anything more with him or aren’t too close. Youngho was a drunken mistake though, but luckily nothing happened in the end.

But having sex with his neighbor sounds too risky, especially if the man in question is a famous idol. There’s paparazzis outside their building every other day, the so-called fans roaming their hallway and corridor from time to time. Having sex with someone like that is totally out of the question.

Plus, Jaemin is insufferable, Jeno cannot forget a fact like that. The singer had so many bad traits that Jeno can’t even properly count them. He also let someone in Jeno’s apartment and asked for his number without permission. There’s too many red flags.

Jeno realizes that he’s feeling regret. He’s regretting having sex with Jaemin, he regrets kissing the younger one in the first place. What did he think back then, teaching him a lesson like that?? When he thinks about it now, it sounds so stupid.

The black-haired man sighs as his head feels heavy with all these thoughts. Maybe it would be better if he doesn’t meet his neighbor anymore. They can nod as a hello in the corridor, but nothing more.

It’s kind of a pity though, Jeno noticed thinking to himself. Because he must admit it, the sex was good. He doesn’t remember anyone else being like that to him – giving himself, but also showing how much he wants Jeno. Usually the men Jeno has sex with just assume and take what they want. There hasn’t been anything non-consensual, thank god, but the sex with Jaemin still felt different. But the fact that Jeno could want more, it’s not right.

Even thinking about wanting more makes Jeno’s skin tingle a little. He needs to shake his head as he tries to clear his thoughts. The sex was spontaneous, ending almost as fast as it started. Jeno can’t remember being that aroused for a while, but like he was thinking already earlier, it must be because of the dry season he has been struggling with lately.

When Jeno walks into the familiar building, he takes one more deep breath. He greets the security guard in the hallway before getting into the elevator, making his way to the third floor. The corridor is all dark which makes Jeno feel much easier. That means he’s alone and he’s able to go home without interacting with any of those idols – especially with Jaemin.

The man walks to his door and pulls the keys from his pocket. As he’s putting the key into a lock, he hears another door opening. Oh shit.

“Hey”, he hears a familiar voice talking to him. Jeno turns to look in the right direction, seeing Jaemin at the dorm’s doorway. “Did you send your mom home?” the singer asks, smiling at the other in a friendly manner. Jeno just nods at that.

“Are you going to sleep already? Or would you have a moment to talk with me?” Jaemin asks another question. Shit, this is exactly what Jeno is supposed to shun from now on, spending any time alone with the younger one. Still he finds himself replying something completely opposite.

“Sure”, Jeno says quietly, mentally kicking his own ankles. He watches as the celebrity steps to the corridor and pats his pockets, probably checking if he has the keys with him. After closing the apartment door, Jaemin walks to the other one. “I guess your place is more peaceful”, he chuckles quietly. “Yeah”, Jeno simply admits and opens the door for them.

Both men get themselves into Jeno’s apartment, the older one leaving his shoes by the doorway. “Pink suits you”, Jaemin suddenly says next to the other. Jeno glances at him before rolling his eyes. “You’re mocking me”, he states back, walking further into the apartment.

“Not at all”, Jaemin smiles widely as he follows his neighbor. “I didn’t bring your shirt back yet, it’s still drying”, the singer adds. Jeno walks to the kitchen counter and takes the kettle, filling it with fresh water. “Did you really make your housekeeper wash it?” he asks, sounding condemning.

“When I thought about it again, it felt a bit too much”, Jaemin chuckles as he comes to look at what the other is doing. “Maybe washing my cum from my neighbor’s shirt doesn’t belong in her work duties.”

Jeno shrugs at the younger one’s words. He isn’t used to how straightforward his neighbor is yet, but when he talks about their sex in such a nonchalant way, it confuses Jeno extra much. The black-haired man puts the kettle on the stove and turns to look at the other.

“What did you want to talk about?” he asks bluntly. It’s better to deal with this now, make it fast and efficient. That way Jeno can go back to his peaceful life.

“You’re not a fan of small talk, aren’t you?” Jaemin snickers and leans on the counter with his lower back. “I don’t have anything particular in mind. I just thought people usually talk after something we did.”

Jeno stares at the singer's features, his expression so neutral that you could think of him being a robot. “You wanted to talk, but you don’t know about what”, he says out loud the conclusion he made from Jaemin’s talk. “Pretty much, yes”, Jaemin admits, smiling joyfully.

After each passing moment Jeno agrees that keeping distance from the celebrity sounds like a good plan. His head hurts already even though they have been talking just for a couple minutes. The black-haired man sighs deeply before turning the stove on. “I won’t tell anyone about it, if you’re afraid of that”, he then says. “It’s not my business and I don’t want to mess with you even more.”

“What do you mean by messing?” Jaemin asks, tilting his head as he looks at Jeno. “Sure, you left a mess between my cheeks, but I’m not mad about it if you’re worrying about that”, he adds, a mischievous grin on his face. Jeno glances at him and lets out a loud groan.

“Wha– you’re just like Chenle, you both are incapable to act seriously even for a moment”, the older one huffs as he takes a cup from a cabinet. After a second thought, he takes a second cup as well.

“Do you enjoy serious sex?” Jaemin shoots another question, making Jeno drop those cups on the counter. Fortunately both remain intact. “Don’t ask something like that so suddenly”, Jeno snaps and takes a deep breath right after. He should keep himself calm, he can talk about sex with his celebrity neighbor with no problems – if it means he can get that person out of his apartment as soon as possible.

“I thought you’re more easy going”, the singer states and crosses his arms against his chest. “Not my problem”, Jeno sighs and looks at the kettle, wishing for the water to start boiling quickly. “Are you this uptight with those random men as well?” Jaemin asks. He’s really getting under Jeno’s skin at this point.

“No, I’m not. But the difference is that I plan to have sex with them, unlike with you”, the black-haired man mumbles and takes a box full of tea bags from the cabinet. He would need at least ten cups of rose tea after this conversation.

“So the problem is spontaneous sex?” Jaemin says and turns to look at the tea box. “I’m a bit surprised. In the end it was you who jumped on me”, he adds. “I didn’t jump on you”, Jeno groans, pushing some of his hair back. It makes Jaemin chuckle.

“You didn’t? Then care to explain why I found your tongue in my throat in the middle of our conversation?” the celebrity laughs, turning to face the other properly. “I didn– fuck”, Jeno huffs and turns as well, now looking at the other straight into his eyes. “I tried to teach you a lesson”, he explains, trying to sound as calm as possible.

“I’ve had my part of sex education already. Thanks for the class though”, Jaemin raises his eyebrow a little, letting out another chuckle. Jeno stares at him, chanting in his mind how a murder is a serious crime and he shouldn’t do such a thing. “Jaemin, I think we shou–”

“Should do it again, I agree”, Jaemin cuts him off. The older one blinks his eyes at least thrice. “...what?” he asks quietly. He was supposed to say how they shouldn’t meet anymore because otherwise Jeno would strangle his neighbor.

“I think we should do it again. Have sex, I mean”, the singer explains himself, the smile never leaving his face. “Think about it. We live close to each other so you wouldn’t need to call anyone to come here and I wouldn’t need to risk anything”, he adds. Jeno blinks his eyes again, because the situation seems even more absurd than the moment in the dorm earlier today.

“I know you can keep a secret and there’s nothing suspicious if I meet up with my friendly neighbor”, Jaemin keeps talking, seemingly proud of his idea. “And you enjoyed it as well, right?”

Jeno nods in a slow motion, still confused about the offer. “Uh..you mean we would…have some kind of arrangement? Like..neighbors with benefits?” he asks for clarification. Jaemin laughs out loud at that. “Oh my god, that sounds fantastic! Neighbors with benefits, I like that.”

The older one can’t argue back, Jaemin has a point in his proposal. It would be convenient and at least Jeno knows that dating would not come in question with a celebrity like Jaemin. Plus, the sex was good, Jeno had thought about it the whole evening. Still, something makes him hesitant. Maybe it’s Jaemin’s insufferable personality.

“Also, we could plan it ahead if it’s more pleasurable to you in that way”, the singer suddenly says. “Although, I kinda liked the spontaneous side of you”, Jaemin adds and takes a step closer to the other one. Something in his neighbor’s eyes makes Jeno swallow. “Oh..”, is the only thing he manages to say out loud.

They stay there for a while, standing face to face and looking at each other. The water starts to boil in the kettle, the steam filling the air between those two men. Maybe that’s why the room temperature feels so hot at the moment. Yeah, that must be it, Jeno thinks to himself.

Suddenly Jaemin takes a hold of the pink t-shirt he borrowed for Jeno, pulling the latter closer by the fabric. “Kiss me already so we can get to business”, the younger one whispers. Those words unlock something in Jeno, something vulgar, something feral. Something that makes him clash their mouths together one more time.

Chapter Text

Jeno sits by the office desk and stares at his computer screen. He’s supposed to make a presentation about the data he has been gathering for the past week. Instead of typing the numbers on the Powerpoint-show, his fingers won’t move even a bit. In fact, even his eyes are unfocused, his stare being completely blank.

He had slept for a rough three hours last night, all because of his neighbor. He had told it to Jisung as well, who luckily thought he was suffering from a noisy neighborhood. But no, he wasn’t sleep deprived because of noise pollution. The actual reason was the mindblowing sex he had until two in the morning.

The black-haired man turns to look out of the window. It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining brightly and the weather is quite warm. On a day like this, it would be nice to go somewhere. Maybe get a cup of coffee and head for a walk. That sounds more than nice, Jeno thinks to himself.

While looking outside, Jeno finds himself thinking of his neighbor – again. Or more specifically, he’s thinking about the last night.

After their mouths had clashed together, Jeno had felt like he couldn’t get enough. The whole apartment had filled with quiet gasps as those two were kissing each other senseless in the heat of the moment. When the kettle had started whistling, Jaemin had turned the stove off. After that, everything felt unstoppable.

They had moved to Jeno’s bedroom, their clothes decreasing one piece at a time. They had stumbled against the doorway, making one of Jeno’s framed posters fall from the wall. Somehow the crashing sound didn’t make either of them jump, or even flinch a little bit – that’s how occupied they were on each other's lips.

Jeno remembers how they fell on the mattress, Jaemin crawling on him. He remembers how the singer had assured him that there was no preparations needed, that he was still loose from the earlier. Those words had made Jeno almost ejaculate right there, right at that moment.

He also remembers how good it felt, in every aspect of it. He remembers so vividly how great Jaemin felt on top of him, riding and bouncing on him with his eyes fluttering. He remembers how the singer arched his back once again, wondering if it’s something that Jaemin does if he’s feeling extremely good.

The black-haired man remembers rushing over the edge not once, not twice, not even thrice but even more during that night. Whenever they stopped for a while to catch some breath, one of them had started moving again, making the other whine in overstimulation. They had kept going so long that both of them were a literal mess, laying on top of each other. And somehow, in that delirious state of mind, Jeno had agreed to become a neighbor with benefits.

Jeno bites his cheeks as he wonders if he would regret this later. Sure, having sex should be much more effortless now. They could meet up with Jaemin whenever they have time and the singer could just tiptoe across the corridor to Jeno’s apartment. But something about the younger one feels so unsettling, somehow intimidating, that it makes Jeno feel goosebumps all over his body. Oh well, at least Jaemin would talk less if they focus on kissing.

Ding.

A chiming sound makes Jeno look at the table. The screen on his phone has lit up, a notification appearing on it. The man takes the device in his hand, reading the text thoughtfully.

Mess: Am I the only one who’s ready to die because of lack of sleep?

Jeno looks at the message, a tiny smile forming on his face unknowingly. He had saved Jaemin’s number on his phone right after the singer had left his place at night. They would probably be in contact in the future anyway. Being a little bit paranoid, Jeno didn’t want to save it with Jaemin’s real name. Since Jeno felt like he was in the middle of the mess, what could have been a better name for him.

Jeno: Hmm, I guess not.

Texting with the younger one still feels weird. Last time they were messaging each other, Jeno was ready to rip Jaemin into pieces. Maybe that’s why he feels hesitant to write too much, anything too deep. Not that talking about tiredness would be that deep.

Jeno still has their chat room open when an image pops on the screen. It’s a digital coupon, a one you can cash a takeaway coffee with.

Mess: Here, hopefully it helps.

The black-haired man raises his eyebrows as he looks at the message. He’s at least a little bit surprised about the gift. Jeno didn’t realize their arrangement would include something like this, or at least he didn’t think so.

Jeno: Thanks? I hope you know I can buy my own coffee.

The next text makes Jeno’s cheek turn bright red in one second, or even less.

Mess: And here I thought I would pay back for the nicest dick I’ve had for a while. :(

The singer is an absolute lunatic, that’s for sure. Jeno turns the phone upside down on the desk, turning to look out of the window once again. He’s already feeling it, the regret. There’s a bad feeling tickling his guts, making him worry how this mess would turn out.

This is why Jeno prefers one-night stands. He doesn’t like to feel uncertain or shaky. He doesn’t like the way Jaemin makes him feel those emotions. He wants something simple, something that won’t require anything from him. He wants to feel steady with everything in his life, but Jaemin feels like an earthquake which makes everything unpredictable.

The black-haired man sighs deeply. He would definitely feel better if he could talk about this to Chenle. The Chinese is such a good listener and even though it sounds almost unbelievable, he offers great advice. But Jeno had made a promise to not tell anyone. He would need to think this through all alone.

It’s not that he doesn’t like compliments, who wouldn’t? Jeno isn’t just used to that kind of usage of words, something so straightforward and bold. And to be honest, he’s not sure if he would handle it if Jaemin is going to be like that now and forever. The singer is literally too much to handle.

Jeno turns to look at his laptop before resting his forehead on the edge of the desk. His head feels so heavy, but at the same time so empty. There’s no hope to write that presentation, not at this state. He takes a deep breath before sitting up straight, frowning as he looks at that empty slide on the screen.

Without thinking about it more, the black-haired man gets up from his seat and closes the computer. He packs his belongings to his bag, putting the laptop there as well. He can’t just ditch his work, but he could ask if he can work remotely for the rest of the day. Maybe after taking a walk Jeno would feel at least a little bit better or even close to sane.

A minute later, Jeno knocks on the office door. Almost instantly the man inside calls him to step in. Jeno opens the door and bows at his boss. “I’m sorry to disturb you so suddenly”, he greets the older man, keeping his head down for a while. Better be extra polite if he wants to get permission to leave.

“Did you get the presentation done already? Hell, you’re the fastest financial analyst I know”, the middle-aged man says with a laugh. Jeno smiles back at him before shaking his head gently. “Unfortunately not, but that’s what I wanted to talk about”, he replies. “Would it be possible to finish up the presentation at home?”

“Why? Are you sick?” the boss asks, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Something like that, I’m afraid”, Jeno nods in a small manner. Sick in the head, he would like to add. “But you’re sure you can finish the presentation by tomorrow?” the man asks, sounding thoughtful. “Yes, of course. I just don’t want to get everyone here sick”, the younger one lets out a white lie. He definitely wouldn’t want anyone in the office to feel like him.

“Well, alright. If you are unable to come to the office tomorrow, send the presentation in email”, the older man says and waves his hand at the other. “What are you waiting for? Go go go, my mother-in-law won’t stand me if I caught whatever you have”, he says, sounding a bit frustrated. Jeno bows once more before backing off from the office.

It won’t take even fifteen minutes before Jeno walks out of the building, happy to head home early. He doesn’t like to lie, but practically he was speaking the truth. There’s no way for him to get anything done at work when his mind was all over the place, or all over his neighbor. One more reason to call off this stupid arrangement – in the worst case it could cost him a job.

Instead of taking a train, Jeno decides to walk for a bit. The sun is shining so warmly that he doesn't need the coat. After getting around the corner, leaving the company building behind, Jeno’s steps are already feeling lighter. This was definitely a great idea.

The black-haired man had put his phone on the ‘do not disturb’ mode, just in case the singer would try to contact him again. Jeno would handle the talk with him later on, for example when that damn presentation is ready. Now the only thing he wants is to enjoy the warm weather, sunshine and maybe a cup of coffee.

Without even noticing, Jeno makes his way close to his neighborhood. On his path he sees a park with high fences, all kinds of trees and flowers peeking through them. It looks so beautiful that Jeno decides to change his route and walk through that park area.

Even though Jeno is now living in a big and busy city, which is full of noise and all kinds of pollution, once stepping into the park he feels like breathing the freshest air in the longest time. He takes deep breaths while walking in the area, looking around him. There’s mostly mothers with their children at that time of day, also students who have already left school.

In the middle of the park Jeno sees a pink coffee truck. There’s an open window on its side, a delicious smell of fresh brewed coffee and donuts spreading out of it. The black-haired man stops to look at it – it looks like it’s straight from some old movie.

This is definitely one of the small things Jeno enjoys a lot. Discovering a new place like this and breathing in a heavenly scent makes the man smile widely. This is a peak example of the things he finds nice in life. With that thought, Jeno steps closer and orders a bag of donuts and one cup of coffee. He would definitely serve some of those glazed pastries to Chenle.

As Jeno is waiting for his order to get ready, his eyes get focused on a group of girls sitting around a nearby table. They’re wearing school uniforms and if Jeno guesses right, they’re probably high schoolers. Their giggling fills the area as they’re looking at something from one of their phones. Oh to be that young and worry free, Jeno thinks to himself.

The man almost turns to look elsewhere, but his ears catch one familiar name. He turns to look at the girls again, listening to them now more closely.

“Oh my god, did you see Jaemin’s new Instagram update? He looks SO good”, one of the girls chimes happily. “I know right! Like how it is even possible to look so handsome?” the girl next to her agrees.

“I think he’s more cute than handsome. Jaemin looks too girly for my taste”, the third one says. The loud gasps make Jeno chuckle quietly. “Too girly? Have you seen those abs??” a girl with long black hair exclaims, searching for something on her phone. “Look!” she finally shouts and shows the screen. Jeno cannot but peek, trying to see the picture as well. And holy shit, that picture should be age limited, Jeno thinks to himself, his cheeks suddenly turning pinkish.

There’s a photo of Jaemin dancing on stage, a light pink hair sticking on his sweaty forehead. He’s wearing a silver button-up shirt, but it looks like the buttons have given up on their lives a long time ago. The shirt is open all the way down, revealing the firm muscles on Jaemin’s lower abdomen, the sweat running down along those lines on the idol’s skin. Jeno has to admit, he looks insanely good.

“I wish he wouldn’t reveal himself that much to other people”, one of the girls sighs. “To other people? Do you think he should reveal himself just for you?” her friend laughs a little. “Well, I wouldn’t mind that”, the first one replies with a dreamy smile.

“The one he’s banging at night must have been a good person in her past life”, the long-haired girl sighs. Jeno bites his cheeks as he turns to look at the barista. Those girls wouldn’t believe that the one who banged their favorite celebrity last night, stands right next to them.

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have anyone. Don’t they have those dating bans and all?” a girl with glasses asks thoughtfully. “Also, he looks pretty sexually frustrated to me. Why else he would act so slutty on stage”, she adds.

Jeno almost chuckles at the frustration theory, but the last sentence makes him frown. He has been called a man slut as well and it didn’t feel nice. Who are these girls to judge anyone? They probably have zero experience plus they’re the ones who are drooling over some idol’s images. Shame on their words.

Luckily the barista calls Jeno to pick up his order. The man bows in a small manner, saying thank you before walking away with his treats. He puts the donuts in his bag and takes a sip of that hot beverage. Damn that tastes good.

As he keeps walking to the other end of the park, Jeno’s mind rushes back to those girls and that photo of his neighbor. It’s somehow funny how Jaemin is idolized, bathing in fame and adoration. To Jeno he is just a neighbor and apparently someone to have sex with. The black-haired man shakes his head – he needs to correct his thoughts. Jaemin is someone he had sex with. Not anymore, because it would be stupid as hell.

With that in mind, Jeno heads home, trying to keep his thoughts clear and together.

Coming home early and working on the presentation after that might have been the best idea Jeno has had in a long time. It’s nearly six in the evening when the man finally reaches his hands as high as possible, stretching like a cat after the long hours by the laptop.

Somehow he was able to empty his head from all the unnecessary thoughts and focus on the task. Now Jeno can close the computer and rest a little. He deserves it, because even if he’s saying it himself, he did a good job with that data research. As the man stretches towards the roof, he closes his eyes and smiles happily. He’s feeling surprisingly peaceful, even though his mind was a total mess earlier today.

After putting his hands down, Jeno turns to look at his phone on the coffee table. As soon as he came home, he had placed himself on the couch, the coffee table serving as a work desk for the rest of the evening. Suddenly he realizes that the mobile device hasn’t made any kind of noise the whole evening – no buzzing, no chiming, nothing. It’s rather odd.

The black-haired man takes his phone, opening the screen lock. Ah, that’s right, he forgot to turn off the ‘do not disturb’ mode. Now when he opens the notifications, there’s at least a dozen messages from Chenle and one call from Jisung. The latter was probably confused why he disappeared from work.

Jeno scrolls though his friend’s texts, trying to keep up with the tea the Chinese had been spilling in the messages. It was about his new coworker who apparently was already seeing someone in their office. Jeno smiles as he reads the story. His friend is definitely living for gossips like this.

As he keeps reading text after text, Jeno gets up from the couch, letting his feet guide him to the kitchen counter. While thinking of Chenle, he remembers the donuts he bought from the park. What could be more perfect timing for rose tea and those glazed treats than while texting with your friend? That’s right, there’s nothing better.

Jeno is about to take the kettle from the cabinet where it should be. But after opening the door, he finds an empty spot on the shelf. That’s when the unnecessary memories flood back in. Of course the kettle isn’t in the cabinet, because the last time he used it, he never got the tea. Because the last time he used it, Jaemin was here. Because the last time he used it, they were kissing so deeply that there was no room for tea at that moment.

The black-haired man turns to look at the stove, finding the damn kettle on it. Suddenly using it feels somehow dirty, something that he should resist. With a deep sigh, Jeno takes the tea pot and fills it with water. It’s just a kettle, for god’s sake. He should stop overthinking before it gives him a stroke.

As the kettle is once again placed on the stove and Jeno is waiting for the water to boil, he takes another deep breath. He should talk with Jaemin soon enough, to make it clear that there isn’t any arrangement, that they should definitely be neighbors without any kind of benefits. It would be wiser, for both of them.

Like hearing his thoughts, the doorbell rings in a sudden manner. It makes the black-haired man jump a little, holding his chest in surprise. He has a bad feeling about who it might be, because there’s literally two people in this world who could appear behind his door without telling about it. Well, three, if you count his mother in as well.

Jeno peeks at his phone, checking if Chenle has mentioned about visiting him tonight. The doorbell rings again, making Jeno tense a little. He can’t find anything about seeing his friend today from those messages, so yeah, it must be his neighbor.

Now that someone behind his door changes to knocking. Jeno sighs deeply, already feeling frustrated. Is Jaemin obsessed with him or what? Even if they would have that ridiculous arrangement (which they absolutely don’t have), that doesn’t mean they need to see every freaking day. Jeno needs his privacy, for the love of god.

The black-haired man goes to his door and opens it with a big swing. He plans to tell the other one to go away, being hundred percent strict with the singer. But before he can even open his mouth, Jaemin barges in already.

“Thank god you were home”, the brunette groans over dramatically. “Please say you don’t have anything important to do right now”, he adds once stopping in the middle of the apartment, covering his face with his hands.

Jeno blinks his eyes as he stares at the other. He was supposed to close the door in front of the younger one, but for some weird reason, Jaemin still found his way in. “Um..well, I just finished my work”, he says, sounding a little baffled as he gives in and closes the door. “Has something happened?”

“There’s a war at the other end of our corridor”, Jaemin sighs, rubbing his face as he says so. “Renjun and Donghyuck are quarreling about something stupid and I couldn’t take it anymore”, he mutters against his palms. Jeno chuckles as he looks at the other. The singer surely looks a bit stressed, his hair messed up and forehead all wrinkled.

“Can’t you handle some little quarreling?” Jeno hums and walks back to the kettle. The water is slowly starting to boil, thank heavens. “That back there, that’s not little quarreling. Renjun literally looked like he’s ready to throw some fists”, Jaemin argues back in a whining manner. “I had to escape so I wouldn’t lose my mind!”

“And you decided to escape here?” Jeno rolls his eyes a little and almost opens the top cabinet, only stopping once seeing two cups on the counter, the very same ones he took out last night. This must be a sign that Jaemin comes over way too often.

Jaemin goes to the couch and slumps on his back, letting out another sigh. “I don’t have energy to go anywhere far. Not that I would have many other options”, he mumbles, staring at the ceiling at the same time.

Jeno glances at the singer before picking up two tea bags and prepares the drinks for them. It sounds like Jaemin doesn’t have that many friends outside of his group, The Dreamers. Suddenly it feels wrong to chase him away. “I have an early morning, but otherwise you can stay here for a while”, the black-haired man mutters. He doesn’t notice it, but the celebrity glances at him with a happy smile on his face.

“What were you doing before I came?” the singer asks, resting his hands on his stomach. “Tea”, Jeno replies rather dryly, scolding himself inside his head. If it’s true that Jaemin doesn’t have friends to hangout with, he could try to be more understanding – or even friendly. But that’s something he could think about, not a must.

“Rose tea?” Jaemin asks, following Jeno’s movements with his eyes. The latter glances at him, one of his eyebrows raised. “If you’re going to mock me about roses again, I won’t give you anything”, the black-haired man huffs. “Anything?” Jaemin tries to resist the grin. “Am I banned from using the joystick as well?”

Jeno turns to look at the other one properly. “First of all, stop with that kind of language. It’s…it’s too much”, the man shrugs as he makes his request. “And I wanted to talk about the..matter as well”, he adds before taking the cups and placing them on a wooden tray.

“Matter? I may be too straightforward, but you can’t even mutter out the proper words”, Jaemin chuckles and decides to sit up on the couch. Jeno, in return, decides not to reply to that. He can use the proper words, he can be straightforward as well. Hell, he can even dirty talk if he wants. But the things that have happened between him and his neighbor, those are like real life Voldemort to him – something that shall not be named.

The older one takes two glazed donuts from the paper bag and puts them on a plate. “I don’t know if you are on some crazy diet, but I bought these today so..”, Jeno mumbles, setting the plate on the tray as well. “I can have a cheat day once in a while”, Jaemin replies with a smile.

“Good to know”, Jeno says and wonders right away why he replied like that. Why would it be good to know? It’s not like he’s planning to treat the other one regularly. Shaking his head a little bit first, Jeno takes the tray and brings it to the coffee table. “The tea is still hot”, he says, sounding like his mother. Oh Jesus, what’s wrong with him today??

“Thank you”, Jaemin says, sounding genuine as he looks at the pastries. “These look amazing. Where did you get them?” he asks before taking one of the donuts. “I saw a coffee truck on my way home today”, Jeno hums and sits on the couch as well. “By the way, something funny happened when I bought them.”

“What?” the singer turns to look at the other one, taking the first bite at the same time. The way his expression melts must mean that the donuts are tasty as fuck. “I saw some high school girls and they were talking about you”, Jeno starts the story as he takes one of the tea cups. “They said you look handsome.”

“Do you agree with them?” the younger one suddenly asks, making Jeno look at him in a baffled manner. The latter chooses not to answer, once again, but decides to say something else instead. “One of them said you’re too girly.”

“I hear that a lot”, Jaemin hums and takes another bite, munching his cheeks full. Jeno raises both of his eyebrows. The fact that comment didn’t seem to affect his neighbor at all kinda amazes him. “But then again, I’m the nation's princess”, Jaemin adds once swallowing his mouth empty. “I’m quite happy with that. Who wouldn’t want to be treated like a princess?”

The last sentence makes Jeno chuckle. That’s something he should have expected to hear from a spoiled celebrity like Jaemin. The black-haired man takes a sip from his cup, staring at the hot liquid in it afterwards. “They were also thinking if you have someone. Or if I quote them, the one you’re banging at nights must have done something right”, Jeno laughs a little.

“The one I’m banging”, Jaemin repeats thoughtfully. “I haven’t banged anyone in ages”, he suddenly states matter-of-factly, making Jeno look at him. “Although, someone has been banging me so they’re not completely off the track”, the singer hums and takes the third bite.

Jeno keeps his eyes at the other. Jaemin talks about his sexuality and sex life in general so naturally. There’s nothing too deep, nothing messy – just genuine facts. To prevent himself from praising Jaemin too much, Jeno opens his mouth. “They also said you look sexually frustrated on stage.”

“Sexually frustrated??” Jaemin turns to look at the older one, almost choking on the donut. “Oh no no, I look sexy, not frustrated”, the singer corrects the allegation with a little head shake. His reaction makes Jeno laugh brightly.

Somewhere between the giggles he realizes that the mood around them feels rather comfortable. He’s able to laugh a little and the weighing anxiety regarding their sexual encounters doesn't feel heavy on his shoulders. So maybe he should push the benefit topic to be dealt with later, just a little bit. It would be kind of stupid to ruin the mood and end the day with such a serious conversation – especially when Jeno has no clue how his neighbor would react to it.

“Do you wanna watch something?” Jeno finds himself asking. Jaemin turns to look at him, somehow looking a little surprised. “Watch what?” he asks back. “I don’t know, a movie? Netflix series?” the older one gives the options as he places the tea cup on the coffee table, taking the remote in his hand instead.

“Oh my”, Jaemin suddenly says and places his hand on his own chest. “Are you suggesting…Netflix and chill? How spontaneous of you”, he says with a breathy voice. Jeno turns to look at him with a blank stare before slapping his arm softly. “To me it actually means watching Netflix and chilling, literally”, he huffs after hearing pained whine from the other.

“No need to be violent”, Jaemin mutters, rubbing his arm with a pout on his face. “No need to exaggerate it”, the man next to him replies while turning on the TV. Because the mood is rather comfortable, Jeno doesn’t want to ruin it by any means. That includes being strict to his decision to cancel this ridiculous neighbors with benefits thing. Aka, even if Jaemin makes flirty jokes, tonight is completely sex free.

“Have you seen this?” Jeno asks as he clicks a series open from his saved list. Jaemin squints his eyes as he reads the synopsis from the TV screen. “Doesn’t sound familiar. Is it new?” he asks, quickly forgetting the pain on his arm. “Quite. I was thinking of starting to watch it tonight. Do you mind?” the older one turns to look at the other.

“No no, it’s cool. I’m the one who ran here without any warning”, the celebrity waves his hands in a small manner. “Good”, Jeno hums and chooses the first episode. He sits more comfortably, focusing his eyes on the TV. Jaemin eats the rest of his donut, letting out a pleased sigh next to the older one.

“You need to tell me the exact park you bought these from. I need a collab with them”, the singer says before licking his lips clean from the glaze. Jeno glances at him, biting his cheeks as he does so. Couldn’t his neighbor use a napkin like a normal person and not lick his lips like some siren? That’s a hundred percent unnecessary.

“I’ll try to check the name tomorrow”, Jeno mumbles and turns to look at the screen again. The opening theme is rolling in, the flamboyant music filling the apartment. “You better. I bet Renjun would love these as well”, Jaemin says smilingly, sounding cheerful.

The silence forms between those two. They don’t talk about anything for a while, both watching the television in concentration. The only noises in the room are made by the actors, delivering their lines one by one.

To be honest, the pilot episode is quite boring – but aren’t they always? Jeno has wondered many times, if the idea of a pilot is to make a hit, to make sure that the series can air someday, why are they usually ponderous as hell? It doesn’t make any sense to him.

There’s also one slight distraction, making it somehow difficult to focus on the plot. Usually he’s watching TV alone, sometimes with Chenle. The black-haired man is used to having this peaceful atmosphere around him, giving him freedom to lay on the couch if he wants and to react to the plot twists in any way, without needing to think of someone else.

Now on the other hand, he’s indeed thinking of someone else. That someone is sitting beside him, occupying the other end of the couch. It’s not that Jeno would be willingly thinking of Jaemin, it’s just way too hard to not ignore him. Apparently tired of silence, the singer makes comments about the characters, occasionally telling how he has personally met some of the actors before.

It gets worse when Jeno glances at the other for the first time, listening yet another story about his neighbor’s celebrity friends. He couldn’t care less about the story, in all honesty it makes the other one sound so vain. Still, what catches his attention is Jaemin’s long eyelashes.

Jeno turns his head, gluing his eyes back on the TV screen. He gets a serious stack of flashbacks from the other evening, the one when his mother was also visiting. That same evening Jeno stared at those very same eyelashes, mesmerized like a fool. But Jeno isn’t a foo, not at all. He’s a rational person, who can keep the unnecessary emotions away. There’s no time in Jeno’s life to be awed by some pair of eyes.

Soon Jeno needs to look at his neighbor again (totally unwillingly), because Jaemin shows some friendsie photo with one of the actors from his phone. He barely notices the photo itself, because his eyes get fixated at Jaemin’s facial features instead. His neighbor is good looking, like for real. Why wouldn’t he be though? Jaemin is a famous idol, so isn’t it like part of the deal to be madly handsome as well?

At some point Jeno lowers his gaze to Jaemin’s mouth. The latter should use lip balm, because those plump lips are still dry. Jeno remembers how the dryness almost scratched the sides of his own mouth when they kissed at the dorm.

“Are you listening?” Jaemin suddenly asks, looking at the black-haired man at the same time. Jeno blinks his eyes and nods in a small manner. In reality he has no clue what the other one has talked about the past five minutes. He doesn’t even know if he has missed something important while the series keeps rolling on TV.

A silly idea pops into Jeno’s mind. He knows he has the rules and he knows he made the decision to cancel the stupidity called having sex with Jaemin. But on the other hand, Jeno is just a human, he may break some rules every now and then.

What comes into the cancelling plan, he didn’t talk about it to Jaemin. So in theory nothing has been called off yet. So maybe, just maybe he could be a little silly tonight. Jaemin said he can have a cheat day from his diet once in a while. Maybe Jeno could have a little cheat day as well.

Jaemin is still talking about something, Jeno isn’t sure about what. He sees his neighbor’s mouth moving and his eyes looking at the phone, the same device that his fingers are touching. Jeno swallows. He would rather have that mouth on him, those eyes looking at him, those fingers touching him. Fuck.

Without thinking about it too much, Jeno stands up from the couch. He’s surprised how the younger one won’t even lift his gaze, giving zero reaction to him. Jaemin is truly hypnotized by his phone, captivated by his own monologue. Well, maybe Jeno’s next move will give him even a tiny amount of attention.

The black-haired man steps closer before sitting on Jaemin’s lap, straddling him face to face. The singer stops talking, but only for a while, raising his eyes to meet Jeno’s stare. “Um.. what are you doing?” Jaemin asks quietly.

“Chilling”, Jeno replies equally quietly, taking a hold of Jaemin’s chin in a gentle manner. One could cut something with a jaw bone like this, he thinks to himself. “Oh”, Jaemin replies, licking his lips nervously. “Didn’t you say chilling literally means just chilling to you, though?”

“Did you know that you talk awfully a lot?” Jeno asks instead, raising Jaemin’s chin with his touch. There’s definitely something different in the singer this time. Usually his neighbor is boosted with undying confidence. Now he looks somehow timid, nervous even?

“I know I teased you earlier, but, uhm, I think my ass needs a free day. Just for today, you know, definitely not longer”, the younger one keeps rambling. It makes the man on his lap smile. Cute, Jeno thinks to himself. This side of Jaemin seems very likeable.

“I don’t need your ass”, Jeno says as he rubs Jaemin’s chin softly with his thumb. The way Jaemin parts his lips, letting out a small sigh, makes the older one shiver. “Then what?” Jaemin asks, looking Jeno directly into his eyes.

“It’s been a long time since I got the nicest dick”, Jeno quotes the text message he got from the other one earlier today. “Do you have one?” he makes the question, a small smile decorating his lips. He wouldn’t want to admit it, but seeing the celebrity metaphorically crumbling before him is a real turn on.

“You, um, you want me to..you?” Jaemin asks, clearing his throat. The surprise on his face is so adorable that it makes Jeno’s chest feel funny. “Yes, I want you to fuck me”, the black-haired man laughs quietly. Jeno isn’t sure if he should regret this, if this is a mistake. But he’s feeling so light at the moment that he doesn’t care.

A sudden yelp fills the room when Jaemin takes a hold of his neighbor, grabbing his buttocks with both of his hands so firmly that there’s a possibility of bruises tomorrow. “You’re truly the best neighbor I’ve ever had”, Jaemin whispers. Jeno responds by taking his chance to bite his neighbor's lower lip, gentle enough to make the other kiss him in hunger.

Yeah, let’s call it a cheat day.

Chapter Text

Jeno lies on his bed, fully awake. The room is all dark, the only streak of light coming from the window. He forgot to close the curtains before getting to bed – or more like he didn’t have time for that.

The reason for it lies beside him, breathing peacefully with his mouth open. Jeno turns to look at that reason who’s no other than his neighbor Jaemin. His eyes linger on the younger one’s facial features, studying how the hair strands poke his eyelids and freckles decorate the skin on his nose.

Jaemin had stayed in after coming over last evening. It was mostly by accident, of course, because they definitely weren’t close enough to have pajama parties. But what led them to this situation was something else than a basic sleepover. It all started with that damn Netflix-series.

Jeno’s cheeks feel warm when he thinks about it. He sees it clearly in his mind, being able to relive each moment like it would be happening right now.

He remembers how Jaemin had kissed him breathless on the couch, how he glued himself to the idol’s body. He remembers how Jaemin had slid his hands into Jeno’s pants, groping his buttocks under the fabric. He also remembers how their clothed organs pressed against each other, causing friction every time Jeno moved on the other one’s lap.

The older one wonders if his other neighbors heard anything, like when he gasped loudly as Jaemin had teased his entrance, dipping his fingertip in and out. There were also other moments when Jeno remembers being embarrassingly vocal.

One of those moments was when they got up from the couch and Jaemin had grabbed his ass cheeks so firmly that Jeno was sure there were nail marks left behind. At this point his pants were yanked lower, his buttocks being bare for touch. Jaemin had carried him to his bedroom, crashing against the nearby wall and the doorway on their way. Each hit made Jeno groan in want.

Jeno turns on his side so he can watch the other properly. For the first time he can actually see some imperfections on the younger one’s skin. There’s not a lot of course, but some. Like a few tiny wrinkles on his temples. Well, it’s normal to have some even as that young, being an idol isn’t probably the most stress free job in the world.

He lowers his gaze, fixating his eyes on the other one’s lips. Their dry surface makes Jeno think about last night even more, how Jaemin had kissed him without mercy. When they had finally reached the bed, Jaemin had crawled on top of him, devouring not only Jeno’s mouth but his neck and collarbone as well.

While thinking about it, Jeno touches his own lower lip. He can still feel and taste Jaemin on him, their night was so intense. The older one wouldn’t want to admit it, but he hadn’t had a sex like that in a long time. So overwhelmingly fantastic, that it shook his whole soul.

It was the first time other way around, as Jaemin had fucked Jeno instead. The latter blushes by himself as he remembers how it felt to have his neighbor inside of him. He had asked if Jaemin has the nicest dick, referring to the younger one’s weird ass text message. But indeed, he really does have the nicest dick – and he knows how to use it.

Jeno has no clue how long they had been hustling on the sheets. He remembers being on his knees, on all fours, and even laying flat on his stomach. He also remembers how it all ended with them being face to face, lips locked together as Jaemin had rammed in him. Jeno remembers whimpering embarrassingly loudly when Jaemin had shot his seeds inside the older one’s hole, some of it dripping between his ass cheeks.

The absolute grande finale had been the gentleman act by the celebrity. After getting over his own wave of climax, Jaemin had focused on Jeno completely. He had wrapped his fingers around Jeno’s shaft, sliding them with long strokes, making Jeno pant his lungs empty. He did that all the way until Jeno reached the peak of his pleasure as well, releasing the white outcome on Jaemin’s hand.

Even after that the idol had kept pampering his neighbor. When Jeno had tried to get out of the bed, Jaemin had pushed him back on the mattress. “I will get the tissues”, he had said, threatening to not let him sleep at all if he sees the older one getting up. So Jeno had obeyed him, feeling confused but somehow pleased when the other had cleaned him up before sleeping.

Usually Jeno wants to sleep alone, chasing off the men he slept with. But maybe it’s because of all that gentleman behavior why his neighbor gets a rare pass to stay in his bed, sleeping soundly, not making a fuss about anything. It’s one more thing Jeno wouldn’t want to admit – that sleeping next to someone feels quite nice. Only if he would be actually sleeping.

Jeno sighs and turns on his other side, his back now facing the younger one. His alarm is set to wake him up in a few hours, but sleeping feels impossible. He has too much going on in his mind, his chest feeling funny as he stares at the window.

Maybe it was a mistake to let the other stay over at his place. Jeno is pretty sure he would be able to sleep if he was alone, even though the warmth of Jaemin’s body behind him feels comfortable. Now he’s feeling restless, like he couldn’t relax enough to catch the train to dreamland.

While fidgeting the seam of the blanket between his fingers, he hears a soft rustling behind him. Jaemin is probably just turning while sleeping, he thinks to himself. But after a few seconds, a sudden touch makes Jeno hold his breath.

There’s an arm wrapping around Jeno’s torso, pulling him closer to the younger one. Jeno can feel Jaemin’s nose against his nape, exhaling warm breath on his skin. He shivers all over, his body hair standing up like being electrified.

“Uh..what are you doing?” Jeno asks with a whisper, after remembering how breathing works. The room stays silent, even the noises from outside pause for a moment. The older one peeks behind him cautiously, trying to see why the other won’t answer to him.

Jaemin is still asleep, the pace of his breathing being peaceful and soundless. Jeno bites his lower lip, trying to figure out what to do. They’re absolutely not that close that they would sleep in a spoon like this. Should he wake up the other then? That would be a pity as well, the celebrity probably has a busy schedule planned ahead anyway.

Jeno decides to just close his eyes, pressing his lips in a firm line. There’s only a few hours until the alarm goes off anyways, so the best he can do is to just try to fall asleep. To his very own surprise, which he can’t recall afterwards, the sleep actually catches him fast after that.

When the sun rises, the alarm clock sets off the nastiest sound ever known by mankind. Jeno groans as he reaches out to press the button, to make that evil machine quiet. As the room gets silent again, he sighs in relief.

That’s also when he remembers that he’s not alone. A warm breath is still tickling his neck, the hair on his nape feeling a little damp. Jeno opens his eyes to glance lower on his body, seeing Jaemin’s arm still wrapped around him. They really slept like that, in a spoon all those hours. Jeno can’t remember when he did that the last time.

Apparently the horrible wakening sound stirred the celebrity from his sleep as well, based on the tightening grip around Jeno’s torso. “Good morning..”, Jaemin mumbles against Jeno’s nape, making the older one shiver. “Morning”, Jeno replies after clearing his throat. “Could you, you know, maybe take your hand so I can go and prepare for work?”

“What time is it?” Jaemin asks instead of answering the other. His voice is low and husky after sleeping, inevitably making Jeno’s skin tingle a little bit. “Enough for me to get out of bed”, Jeno replies, nibbling his lower lip as he stares at the window. It scares him how natural it feels to be held like this.

A sudden gentle kiss on his nape makes the older one gasp in surprise. “What happens if you won’t go? If you take a day off?” Jaemin asks, placing another peck on Jeno’s skin. The man in front of him swallows hard. “Can you easily take some extra days off whenever you want?” he asks instead. “No”, the celebrity mutters before pressing his nose against Jeno’s hair.

“See, me neither”, Jeno replies, closing his eyes. Oh dear god what he would do to actually skip today’s shift and just stay here. Once realizing what he's thinking, Jeno bites his own lip. This is clearly getting out of hand.

“But”, Jaemin starts another sentence before kissing Jeno’s hair. “What if you’re sick? Then you should stay in bed and rest”, he continues with that sinfully low voice. The younger one’s hand moves lower under the blanket, finally reaching Jeno’s bare stomach.

Jeno isn’t sure where he’s supposed to find the willpower to say no. As he feels Jaemin’s fingers sliding even further, now touching his still sleeping dick, a quiet sigh escapes his lips. “I think I wouldn’t rest if I stay”, he gasps the answer.

“But you would feel better”, Jaemin smiles against Jeno’s nape. “I promise that”, he purrs like a feline. Jeno is so close to losing his mind.

“God damn you”, Jeno mutters, his eyebrows knitted together. He holds the seam of the blanket in his hand, clenching the hand into a fist. He feels how the younger one starts to caress his organ, massaging the life in it. His cursing only makes the other chuckle.

“You know, you could call your boss right now..”, the idol says between the kisses he lands on the other one’s skin. “Isn’t it polite to inform them about your sick day as soon as possible?” he adds with a smile.

“I can’t speak to my boss while your hand is on my dick”, Jeno mutters, his cheeks feeling hot. Jaemin moves to kiss his shoulder. “You didn’t protest anymore”, he states matter-of-factly. When Jeno opens his eyes and peeks behind him, looking confused, Jaemin smiles at him. “About staying home today, I mean.”

Dammit, Jeno thinks to himself. He swallows while looking at the other in the eyes, trying to figure out a cheeky comeback – but his mind stays completely empty. “You can’t do anything while I call him, do you understand?” he says in the end. “Or I will literally kill you.”

“Of course”, Jaemin smiles after his victory in this battle. Jeno turns his back at the younger one again, reaching for his phone from the nightstand. He doesn’t know if he should feel ashamed or something. He never misses his work, because even in the nastiest flu, he will work at home at least. Now he’s going to skip his work day for what, the sex with his neighbor??

Jeno dials the right number and puts the phone on his ear. He feels so nervous for lying to his rather new boss that he could actually puke. When the man finally picks up the call, Jeno makes his best effort to sound sick.

“Uhm, good morning, sir”, he starts the call, clearing his throat right after. “Uh, about coming to the office today..”, he stutters a little bit. “Don’t tell me you’re still sick?” the man on the other end asks. “Well, uh, it seems like it”, Jeno replies, letting his eyes wander around the walls.

“Is it bad? How are you feeling?” the boss asks question after question. “Well”, Jeno starts the explanation before gasping suddenly, his eyes growing wide. Unlike his neighbor promised, his hand continues to massage the older one’s length.

“Uh, uhm, I..I have some fever”, Jeno rambles, trying to wiggle the other one’s hand away at the same time. “Hopefully I didn’t catch that yesterday”, the boss mumbles on the line. At the same time Jaemin wraps his fingers around Jeno’s half hardened shaft, squeezing it softly. It makes the latter let out a groan.

“What? What did you say?” the middle-aged man asks. “No, nothing! I just, uh, I feel quite terrible”, Jeno blabbers, peeking behind his shoulder and shooting a death glare at the other. Jaemin just smiles at him, starting to stroke the older one’s dick at the same time.

“Well you sound like it”, the boss agrees with a hum. “Okay, you better take this day off”, he finally states. Jeno almost slips out a curse word when Jaemin’s thumb rubs the tip of his manhood, making him bury his face against the pillow. “Th-thank you, sir”, he manages to say before letting out a muffled moan. Dear Jesus fuck, he will actually kill his neighbor for this.

“Make sure to send the presentation though”, the man says sternly. “We need it by 9am, you got that?”

“Yeah, of course..”, Jeno whispers against the pillow, resisting the urge to move his hips at the same pace as Jaemin’s hand. The celebrity continues to shower Jeno’s skin with feather-like pecks, here and there, all over the shoulders and upper back.

The boss clears his throat, sounding a little bit uncomfortable. Jeno prays for the god and miracle that he wouldn’t recognize the voices he’s making. It would be awkward to go back to work later. “Okay then, rest well”, the man says. “Yes, tha– ah, thank you”, Jeno says with a breathy voice before hanging up the call and tossing his phone on the floor. Right after, he turns to look behind him with a furious expression.

“What the fuck are you doing??” he asks with an angry tone. “Don’t be mad at me”, Jaemin purrs again like a cat, smiling at the other. “I couldn’t resist at all”, he gives a weak explanation, pressing his hips against Jeno’s butt at the same time.

Jeno’s cheeks turn red. Jaemin is hard like a rock, his dick poking between the older one’s cheeks in anticipation. Jeno’s head feels like a mush, like he couldn’t form a single clear thought. When he had become so weak for a dick??

“You’re one horny menace..”, Jeno mutters before turning to look in front of him. He won’t admit it out loud, but the other being so turned on by him so early in the morning flatters his ego quite much. “Agree”, Jaemin says quietly before biting Jeno’s shoulder softly.

The older one sighs out loud, the slight pain on his skin making him shudder. At this point he wouldn’t mind if the idol would practically eat him alive. Even though he’s still mad about the stunt Jaemin pulled during the call, he feels the want much much stronger.

“You smell so nice”, Jaemin mumbles against Jeno’s shoulder, inhaling the scent before and after. “You don’t need to butter me with compliments”, the older one sighs. “Just..get into the action. That’s why you wanted me to stay, right?”

To Jeno’s surprise, Jaemin moves his hands away from his dick, placing it all the way up on Jeno’s chin. “You need to know one thing”, Jaemin says while making the other look at him over the shoulder. “The sex with me includes compliments, always”, he adds, looking the other straight in the eyes.

Jeno blinks his eyes, feeling flustered by the other one’s comment. His neighbor is truly something different than any other man he has slept with. “But I said you don’t ne–”, he tries to argue back but gets cut off soon enough. “Always”, Jaemin repeats before kissing the older one on the lips.

The brown hair falls against Jeno’s forehead, tickling his eyebrows. Jeno closes his eyes as he’s kissing the younger one back. He wonders what kind of compliments the future will bring to him, now that he didn’t break their arrangement after all. Hell, the sex is too good to be denied from his life.

As the kiss deepens, Jaemin also presses his shaft firmer against the other. His hand leaves Jeno’s chin, like trusting that his neighbor won’t escape anymore, placing it now to guide his dick to tease Jeno’s hole. The latter gasps between the kisses as the tip touches his rim.

The idol pushes his other arm between the mattress and Jeno’s side, pulling the older one closer this way. He’s so good at manhandling, Jeno thinks to himself, obediently leaning his back on his neighbor’s chest.

“Fuck..”, Jeno whispers in a pleased manner against Jaemin’s lips as the latter pushes his dick inside, slow but steady. “I’m trying to”, the other chuckles with a breathy voice. Jeno would want to punch him for a bad joke like that, but he’s way too busy to feel good right now.

“Ah..does..does it hurt? Do you want lube?” Jaemin asks when Jeno lets out a low groan, turning his face against the pillow once more. “No, no no no”, the man in his arms repeats after taking a deep breath, grabbing the bed sheets in his fist at the same time. “Just keep going, please..”, he pleads.

Jaemin does as the other one asks him to. He holds Jeno close to himself with one arm, the other hand placed on his neighbor’s hip. He pulls out slowly, only to push back with a faster pace. Every hit into Jeno’s hole makes the man whine in pleasure.

“Oh my god..”, Jeno moans against the pillow, the pleasure dripping in his voice like honey. He feels his thighs trembling after every push, the waves of ecstasy flushing over him. This must be the best reason to be a bad employee and skip work for a day.

“Fuck, you feel good..”, Jaemin mutters against Jeno’s nape, breathing heavily as he fastens his movements. Jeno would want to say the same, but he can’t get a single word out of his mouth, only low moans and deep groans. The idol is truly a keeper.

They keep going, the younger one drilling himself into Jeno’s hole again and again and again. Sometimes he hits the jackpot, finding the magic spot which makes the other one’s toes curl. Sometimes the celebrity misses it, making Jeno almost hiss in agony. If the latter could decide, Jaemin would jump on that spot all day long, making Jeno’s manhood leak the precum all over the sheets. Not that he wouldn’t do that already, make the bed sheets dirty I mean.

“Just..ah, just a little bit..more”, Jeno says out of breath, his forehead glistening with sweat. He can feel how the pleasure keeps pooling on his lower abdomen, how his abs are getting tight. Just a few more pushes and he would get to the climax.

It all gets even better when Jeno suddenly feels those thick fingers around his length again. Jaemin is matching his strokes to the same pace with his own dick, making it deliriously good for the other. “Come for me, baby..”, Jaemin pants against his neck.

Jeno isn’t sure if it’s a surprise reaction to what the other just called him or just the peak of the satisfaction, but he feels his muscles spasming, making him squirm almost uncontrollably when the orgasm hits him. He lets out a loud whimper as Jaemin pulls him even closer, keeping him firmly in his embrace.

“Oh god you sound so fantastic”, Jaemin mumbles near Jeno’s ear, still moving inside of his neighbor. The older one shudders from the slight overstimulation, licking his lips as he tries to remember how to breathe. The whole momentum ends with Jaemin’s groan, the idol quickly pulling himself out just before releasing himself on Jeno’s lower back.

They both lie there quietly, still tangled in each other. Or not quietly, more like trying to catch the oxygen that has escaped from their lungs, the sound of heavy breathing filling the bedroom.

It’s Jeno who tries to move first, only getting pulled back. “My back is all sticky..”, he complains with a whisper, too tired to really resist. “I’ll help you clean up later”, Jaemin mumbles, pressing his face against Jeno’s hair. The man in front of him bites his own lower lip, suppressing the smile on his face. His chest is feeling funny. Hopefully he’s not really getting sick or anything.

“Don’t you have work today?” the older one asks quietly while looking at the window. The sun has risen almost fully already, the birds chirping somewhere nearby. “I do”, Jaemin hums, finally letting go of Jeno’s manhood. “But not until late afternoon”, he states, placing a gentle peck on his neighbor’s shoulder blade.

Jeno turns to look over his shoulder, a thoughtful expression on his face. “By the way, do your…um, colleagues know where you are?” he asks, the frown growing even bigger. “What are they to you, by the way? Co-workers or flatmates?”

“Friends”, Jaemin chuckles, looking back at the other with a smile. “And now that you mentioned it, they probably don’t know. I left while the fight was still in the beginning”, he adds thoughtfully.

“Aren’t they worried about you? You stayed here all night”, Jeno raises his eyebrow in disbelief. Back when he was still in university, Chenle would have killed him if he didn’t inform where he was spending the night, just for safety reasons.

“Maybe, I don’t know”, Jaemin hums and leans his forehead against Jeno’s skin. “I guess I will find out when I go home”, he adds with a chuckle. Jeno rolls his eyes as he turns to look at the window again. “And when is that, exactly?” he asks with a hint of humor in his voice.

“Hey, I asked you to stay home today. Do you think I would leave your bed this early?” Jaemin exclaims, trying to sound hurt. “It’s barely pushing nine in the morning, it’s still so freaking early”, he huffs. It results in a laugh made by the older one. “No need to be upset, it was just a question”, he snickers.

“And you call me a menace”, Jaemin mutters, wrapping his both arms tightly around the other. Jeno wonders if it’s okay to feel good to be held like that. Well, maybe just for today it’s okay. As he closes his eyes, he realizes something, shooting his eyes back open instantly. “What did you say about the time?”

“That it’s just nine in the morning”, Jaemin repeats softly. He sounds like he would be ready to nap some more. “We can sleep some more and wash up and then continue the healing activities”, he mumbles before kissing Jeno’s skin.

A loud yelling fills the room as Jeno suddenly jumps out from the bed, making the younger one stare at him like he just got scared shitless. “Oh my fucking god oh my fucking god OH MY FUCKING GOD”, Jeno keeps screaming as he runs to the living room. “What’s happening?” Jaemin shouts after him, sitting up on the mattress, more baffled than ever.

“The fucking presentation!” Jeno yells back. “I needed to send it to my boss by nine, FUCK!”

This would definitely be the last time he skips his work because of the weakness for dick. It’s simply too dangerous.

After running around the apartment like a headless chicken, Jeno could pass out from the embarrassment. He doesn’t know what he should be ashamed about the most; him sprinting out of the bedroom without any clothes on, his very chaotic and unrepresentative behavior and screaming or the fact that he almost missed the deadline because he was having sex with his neighbor.

While he’s sitting on the floor next to the couch, closing the laptop with a deep sigh, he hears steps getting closer to him. “Did you make it?” Jaemin asks thoughtfully as he walks to the other. “Yes..”, Jeno mutters, not even glancing towards the celebrity. The warmth and comfort he felt earlier has vanished completely, like he would have shaken those off as he jumped out of the bed.

“Then everything is great”, Jaemin says softly. He squats next to the older one, smiling at him in a genuine manner. “Hey, let’s go and take a shower. I’ll give you a massage again”, he says in a comforting manner. Jeno turns to look at him, his eyes focusing on his mouth. It must be horrible to have such a beautiful smile, a true tragedy.

“And clean me”, Jeno mutters, his lips pouting without him realizing it. “And clean you, I promised that already”, the idol chuckles, standing up again. Jeno raises his gaze as well, this time stopping at the other’s groin. Jaemin is very well equipped, he thinks to himself.

“Hey perv, get up and show me all your rose scented soaps”, the younger one smirks at him. Jeno rolls his eyes, his cheeks feeling hot. Of course the other noticed him staring at his dick, of course. And of course Jaemin makes fun of him and his rose soaps. “Shut up”, Jeno mutters before standing up.

To his surprise, Jaemin takes a hold of his hand, pulling him towards the bathroom. As they walk there, Jeno’s eyes linger on the back of Jaemin’s head, on that brunette hair that is messy after spending time in the bed. He’s feeling like a university student again, throwing himself recklessly on this kind of relationship. Or is it even a relationship? Isn’t it more like an arrangement?

As they reach the destination, the celebrity pulls the older one under the shower before turning the water on. Jeno hisses when the water hits his skin, feeling way too cold at first. But as the temperature rises and the fine layer of steam fills the small room, it feels much nicer.

“Show me that dirty back of yours”, Jaemin says, a smile tugging the corners of his lips upward. Jeno would want to say something about the comment, but in the end, he doesn’t bother. Because that’s the truth, right? He for real has a dirty back, thanks to his neighbor.

Jeno turns his back at the other, leaning on the wall with his palms. When he feels Jaemin’s hands on his lower back, a relaxed sigh leaves his lips. “Did you get turned on that easily or are you just happy in general?” Jaemin makes a joke.

“I don’t know about you but every breath I take doesn’t mean I do that out of horniness”, Jeno mutters, closing his eyes so the running water wouldn’t blind him. “I was just teasing you”, the celebrity laughs joyfully. Jeno just hums at that.

The older one feels how the other starts to wash his back, hands caressing his skin and wiping off the cum. At some point Jaemin squeezes shower gel on Jeno’s skin, soaping his neighbor’s back all over. “That feels nice..”, Jeno says quietly.

“It seems I need to wash your back more often”, Jaemin replies with a smile. Jeno frowns before opening his eyes and glancing over his shoulder. “No it doesn’t”, he says so fast that even he’s surprised by it. But the truth is, he doesn’t want to get too comfortable with the younger one. They’re just neighbors with a mutual…activity. That’s all.

“You’re so uptight”, the idol sighs but keeps washing the other. “I’m not, I just…take care of the boundaries”, Jeno shoots back and turns to look at the wall. “What boundaries?” Jaemin asks, sounding genuinely curious. “Do we need some? Boundaries, I mean?”

“Of course we need some”, Jeno mumbles, biting his lower lip as Jaemin moves his hands to massage the older one’s shoulders. “Arrangements like this can’t work if there’s no boundaries”, he adds thoughtfully.

“Arrangement sounds so cold though”, the younger one hums while massaging Jeno’s stiff shoulders. “That’s what we have been calling it from the very beginning”, the latter replies, hissing as his neighbor finds a slightly painful spot. “From the beginning… That sounds like we would have been doing this for a very long time already”, Jaemin smiles widely. “What has it been? Four times in what, three days?”

“Don’t make me regret this”, Jeno mutters, closing his eyes. That’s right, they haven’t known each other for a long time. He just simply cannot get too comfortable with the celebrity. It feels like he needs to remind himself that he in fact dislikes futile things like idols and such. Ugh, how on earth did he end up being involved with one?

“You were in much better mood in bed”, Jaemin says, suddenly wrapping his arms around Jeno’s torso, hugging him from behind. “I think it means we should spend much more time in your bedroom, right?”

“You’re unbelievable..”, Jeno says quietly, trying to resist the smile forming on his lips. There’s no special reason to smile, he has been hugged by men before as well. He needs to get a grip of himself – even though the other one’s firm chest against his back feels quite nice.

“But seriously, I think this is a good thing”, Jaemin suddenly says. “What thing?” the older one asks as he turns to look down at his toes. It looks so unfamiliar to have two pairs of feet in his bathroom at the same time. “This arrangement, like you want to call it”, his neighbor replies. “To be honest, I feel more relaxed now. Even though this just started.”

“What do you mean by more relaxed?” Jeno asks curiously, still feeling a bit cautious. For some reason the conversation feels like playing with a fire. “I don’t know. I guess I don’t think about work at all when I’m with you”, Jaemin replies matter-of-factly. “Like I can put some steam off, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, by putting that steam into my ass”, Jeno snorts at his own sudden joke. For the first time it’s Jaemin who slaps at him for bad humor, leaving his butt cheek tingling in pain.

“Wha– don’t slap my arse, thank you very much!” Jeno yelps while looking fiercely over his shoulder. It results in a wide grin on Jaemin’s face. “You deserved it”, he says with a laugh. The older one turns to look in front of him with red tinted cheeks, the color probably matching with the bottom cheek.

“I’ll send you home before you even notice it”, Jeno mumbles with a low voice. “Okay okay, I won’t slap your butt anymore. At least today”, the younger one chuckles before taking a step back. “Can I borrow your shampoo?” Jaemin asks as he looks at the shower rack.

“Won’t your hair be ruined if you use common people’s products?” Jeno asks, still muttering. He didn’t mean to sound mean or anything, it’s just that his buttock still stings. “My hair won’t probably fall off after one use”, Jaemin chuckles and takes a bottle from the shelf.

Jeno looks over his shoulder, watching how the other starts to wash his hair. “You would probably look ugly with a bald head”, he says matter-of-factly. Jaemin looks back at him with a surprised expression before bursting out laughing. “Thanks”, the younger one keeps laughing, whining once the shampoo foam from his hair drops on his eye.

“No playing around in the shower, haven’t your mom taught you that much?” Jeno huffs, a tiny smile on his face. He cannot but feel a little bit malicious as he turns around to see the other properly. “Let me help you”, the older one says before wiping Jaemin’s eye clean from the shampoo.

“I’m going blind and you’re making fun of me”, Jaemin whines with a small voice. “Are all the idols as dramatic as you?” Jeno asks instead, proceeding on rinsing his neighbor’s hair as well. As Jaemin closes his eyes, frowning as he does so, Jeno cannot hide his smile. The younger one looks like a wet kitten, all sad and tiny.

Jeno washes his neighbor’s hair in a comfortable silence. They both keep quiet, Jaemin standing still with his eyes closed. But even when all the soap has left the idol’s hair, Jeno keeps his hands on Jaemin. He’s just being thorough, he keeps telling himself. At the same time his eyes study Jaemin’s relaxed features. If the celebrity were a real cat, he would probably purr at this point.

“Are you staring at me?” Jaemin suddenly asks with a whisper. Jeno flinches a little, looking at the other with a surprised expression. “No? Absolutely not”, the older one replies quickly. He drops his hands down, leaving those brown locks in peace. It feels like he just got caught stealing an apple or something like that.

“You can stare at me if you want”, the idol chuckles. “I’m used to it. My handsomeness won't be worn out by it”, he adds with a grin and opens his eyes.

Jeno slaps his arm, not as hard as his neighbor did to his butt, but more softly. “Stop blowing your own horn”, he mumbles before taking the shampoo as well. The older one decides to focus on washing himself. The faster he gets out of the shower, the less likely the atmosphere will turn more awkward. He really needs to get a grip of himself.

But at the same time he cannot but notice the funny feeling on the bottom of his stomach – how it feels nice to be close to someone like this.

After their shower, those two headed back to bed to catch some more sleep. Jeno can’t remember when was the last time he had slept so much, without an alarm on top of everything. This time he had also remembered to close the curtains, making his bedroom dim and cozy.

The way he finally woke up was no surprise – or more likely the reason he woke up didn’t surprise him at all. It was Jaemin’s lips on his shoulder that stirred him from his sleep, making him open his eyes in a sleepy manner.

The idol kept his word, they really did stay in bed and kept going with their healing activities. “Just to make you feel better, since you’re sick today”, Jaemin had said. If Jeno is completely honest, he doesn’t remember when someone had showered him with so much attention as his neighbor did all those hours they spent between Jeno’s bed sheets.

At some point Jaemin’s growling guts made Jeno get up from his bed and head to the kitchen. He cooked something simple for lunch while Jaemin changed the sheets (which by the way surprised the older one quite a bit, because Jeno assumed a celebrity like Jaemin wouldn’t even know how to do that).

Rest of the afternoon those two neighbors sit on the couch, deciding to watch the same pilot episode all over again while eating their meals. For some reason, they didn’t remember the plot that well anymore…

When the clock on the wall hits four in the afternoon, Jaemin pulls his clothes properly on. “Do you need to work late tonight?” Jeno asks as he collects their plates and carries those to the kitchen sink. “Probably”, his neighbor hums as he puts the phone in his back pocket. “Why? Already thinking when you will meet me again?” he asks, a grin forming on his face.

“You wish”, Jeno rolls his eyes as he washes his hands. “I just asked out of courtesy, I’m nice like that”, he adds while walking the other one to the door. His hand on the door handle, Jaemin turns to look at his neighbor. “That’s true, you’re nice. You’re also nice to tease”, he chuckles.

Jeno rolls his eyes again, crossing his arms against his chest. He’s only wearing an oversized t-shirt and a fresh pair of boxers. He figured out they’ve done enough so he could relax and hang out in an attire like this around the younger one. “Go before you’re late”, Jeno mumbles, pushing some of his black hair behind his ear.

“Yes yes”, Jaemin laughs and opens the door, still looking at the other. “I will text you later, okay?” he says before stepping forward – only to crash to someone. “Wha–”, the celebrity says loudly as he looks in front of him, a surprised expression on his face.

Jeno takes a peek in the corridor as well, only to stare at the person his neighbor bumped at just a moment before. His eyes are wide, probably even wider than on the person who’s standing outside his apartment. “What are you doing here?” Jeno asks, more baffled than ever.

“I– I came to..uhm..I came to check up on you”, Chenle replies, rubbing his chest with his hand. It probably hurt a little when those two walked into each other, Jaemin’s rock hard chest doing its damage. The Chinese looks at the idol in question with a shocked expression, too stunned to even say hi.

“Ah, sorry. Should have been more careful while exiting the door”, Jaemin laughs a little, bowing well-mannered. He peeks over his shoulder, smiling at Jeno. “I will leave you with your friend then. See you!”

That’s all what Jaemin says before walking along the corridor, back to his home. Chenle turns to look after him, staring at the celebrity until the dorm’s front door closes. Right after, the younger one turns to look at his friend, staring at him in bewilderment from head to toes.

“Why are you spending time half naked with the damn Na Jaemin?” he asks quietly.

Chapter Text

“You don’t look sick to me”, Chenle says matter-of-factly, looking at the other with squinted eyes. Jeno doesn't know what to say. He’s staring at the kettle, waiting for the water to boil in it. “Why did you even think I was sick?” he decides to ask back in the end.

“I went to your company during lunch time. I thought I could surprise you by treating you today”, Chenle replies, his words sounding dry and a bit hurt. Jeno bites his own lower lip. He knows what the younger one is thinking. Chenle only tried to cheer him up, make him happy with the surprise lunch, but Jeno even wasn’t there. That must have been disappointing.

“I asked about you and some nerdy young guy told me you were having a day off because of fever”, Chenle explains further how he managed to learn about his friend being sick. “Apparently yesterday you also left early”, he adds. The Chinese must have met Jisung, Jeno thinks to himself. Or at least the description of a nerdy young guy fits him like a shoe.

“Ah, yes.. I wasn’t feeling that well so I left early and did the rest at home”, Jeno clears his throat. The kettle makes a whiny sound, like crying because of the boiling hot water bubbling inside of it. The man takes the kettle and pours the water in two cups, making them some tea to drink.

“So, what’s wrong? Are you actually sick or not?” Chenle asks, sitting on a couch with a thoughtful expression. The older one swallows hard. He doesn’t know why it feels so hard to just admit that yes, he did indeed skip work like a teenager would skip school. Or maybe it’s hard because Chenle knows him so well, he knows that Jeno wouldn’t normally do things like this. The Jeno he knows is a diligent and hard working, not ‘skip for a dick’ type of person.

“It’s…hard to explain”, Jeno mumbles while carrying those two cups to the coffee table. Now he’s at least wearing proper pants, feeling too awkward after his friend’s surprise appearance. “It’s not, I literally asked you a yes or no question”, Chenle groans and pushes his hair back. “Jeno, what’s going on? What you’re not telling me?”

Jeno sits next to his friend, thinking hard about what to reply. He cannot tell the truth, that’s for sure, even if lying to Chenle feels awful. “I wanted to take a little break”, he says in the end, staring at those tea cups in front of him. “From what?” the Chinese asks in confusion.

“I’ve been..I don’t know, kind of a…mess”, Jeno says. That’s the only word that comes to his mind when he’s thinking of the situation with Jaemin. Well, that’s his neighbor’s contact name in Jeno’s phone as well. “But there’s nothing to worry about. I felt a bit worn out yesterday and decided to rest today”, the older one turns to smile at his friend.

Chenle keeps looking at him with a frown. He has that one particular expression which Jeno knows very well – it’s his ‘I don’t believe you’ face. “Then what’s up with your celebrity neighbor? Why was he here?” the younger one asks. “I know you’re like on a first-name basis, but you literally seem to hate him.”

“I don’t hate him”, Jeno mutters, taking the cup from the coffee table. Hating someone and having sex with them sounds too toxic, even for Jeno. “Sure, you’re just rolling your eyes for no reason everytime I mention their group”, Chenle huffs. “Also, have you noticed how much you nag about him?”

“It’s not my fault if he’s acting insufferable”, Jeno shoots back, glancing at his friend before sipping the tea. He sees how the Chinese turns to sit sideways on the couch, now facing the older one properly. For some reason it makes him super nervous. “You wouldn’t hang out in your underwear with anyone insufferable”, Chenle states, staring at the other one sternly. “Come on, spill it. What’s going on?”

Jeno turns to look at the shorter one, swallowing hard. Lying feels pointless when someone knows you better than you do. Also, at this very moment, Jeno feels like he’s been chased to the corner – there’s no escape.

“We..have gotten to know each other a bit. Jaemin came to watch a Netflix show with me, that’s all”, he tries to lie for the last time. He promised the idol that he wouldn’t tell anyone about what they were doing. He could at least try to keep that promise.

“Jeno Lee”, Chenle says with a blunt voice. “You’re hanging out with an A-list celebrity, binge-watching some series with him, and you haven’t told me? Are we even friends anymore?” he asks, the disbelief sounding in his tone. “You’re as dramatic as him..”, Jeno mumbles.

“What? What did you say?” the younger one scoffs. “Are you referring me to your idol friend? Are you as close to him as we are?”

When Jeno stays quiet and takes another sip from his tea, Chenle stares at him. Suddenly, a loud gasp fills the room. “Oh my fucking god, you gotta be kidding me”, he shrieks, making the older one look at him a bit scared. “...what?”

“Please tell me you didn’t just spill some NDA secret half purposely”, Chenle stutters as he stands up from the couch. Jeno blinks his eyes as he keeps staring at his friend. “Chenle, sit down, you’re sort of scaring me.”

“I’m not sitting down!” Chenle shouts back, raising his hands on top of his head, like trying to keep himself calm (without good success). “Jeno, you’re fucking insane if you’ve done what I’m thinking of..”, he mumbles, backing further away from the couch.

“Well I can’t confirm anything if you don’t use proper words”, Jeno sighs, putting his cup back on the coffee table. He has a bad feeling about this though. Chenle is not stupid, and he knows Jeno like his own brother. It won’t take too long for him to count one plus one if he wants to.

The Chinese stops in the middle of the floor before speaking up again. “Jeno, are you…oh my god I sound so stupid when I say this out loud”, he groans, taking a deep breath right after. “Are you fucking with him?”

Those two stare at each other, not even a single word rolling out of either of their mouths. What’s there to even say? Chenle already stated the bare truth in a form of a question, revealing the secret just like that. Jeno can just press his lips into a thin line.

It’s Chenle who breaks the silence first.

“Jeno, what the fuck?!” the younger one shrieks, looking at the other, his eyes as big as plates. “Shut up, you can’t scream like that”, Jeno tries to shush at the other one in a slight panic. His other neighbors don't need to hear this conversation.

“Seriously, bro”, Chenle says while looking like he’s ready to hyperventilate. “You’re more insane than I’ve ever been. You can’t fuck with an idol!!”

“Can you fucking breath or something? You’ll pass out otherwise”, Jeno hisses back with a whisper. He has never been more stressed about the noises reaching the wrong ears. “I didn’t even know he likes men, but that’s not important at all”, the Chinese keeps blabbering as he starts to walk around the room again. “I know I said befriending him could be beneficial, but I didn’t mean it like this!”

“Can you stop for a minute so I can explain the situation?” Jeno pleads, the frustration growing in him. It’s not like his friend would be personally affected by his sex life, even if it includes his celebrity neighbor. He doesn’t really understand why the younger one is reacting like this.

Chenle stops, turning to look at the other straight in the eyes. “Do you understand that you two can’t have any kind of future together?” he suddenly says, making Jeno blink his eyes. “I’m sorry…what?” the older one asks in a baffled manner.

“I know you’re not interested in any kind of entertainment news, but haven’t you seen any dating scandal articles?” the Chinese says with a serious tone. “It’s always a mess, idols just can’t date anyone without people getting angry at them, without someone getting hurt”, he explains himself further.

“But I’m not dating him”, Jeno says with a confused expression. “Not now, but also never”, Chenle sighs as he walks back to the couch. He sits down, looking at his friend thoughtfully. “Also, if someone knows, you’ll be in big trouble. Can’t you understand?”

“Chenle”, Jeno starts the sentence, taking a hold of the shorter one’s hand. “I appreciate the way you care about me, but there’s no need for that. Okay?” he says, looking at his friend’s worried expression. “I promised him to not tell anyone, but I’ll tell you. You can keep a secret, right?”

The Chinese nods, looking even more worried. With a deep sigh, Jeno decides to tell it all. In the end, this is his best friend, the one who he can share anything with.

“It’s…arrangement. Not any kind of relationship. And it will never be, just like you said”, Jeno says after thinking how to form his thoughts into words. “Arrangement?” Chenle repeats, his eyebrows rising to the hair line. “Is he…paying you or what?”

“Oh god no, I’m not a prostitute”, the older one says in a hurry. “It’s..how do I explain this… It’s not friends with benefits, because obviously we’re not friends. So we call it neighbors with benefits”, he says in the end, rubbing his neck with the other hand.

“So you’re fuck buddies”, Chenle blurts, still staring at the older one in slight disbelief. “But how? I know you’re a little twisted sometimes, but you literally despise him.”

“I don–”, Jeno almost argues back before closing his mouth in the end. Why does he even feel the need to say that he doesn’t despise his neighbor? It’s not a secret that he doesn’t like pretentious things like celebrities or whatever. There’s more important things in life.

The taller one pushes his black hair back and sighs, gathering his thoughts again. “It has been going on less than a week, so not long”, he starts to explain the timeline. “We, uhm…we got into an argument. And somehow in the heat of the moment, I kissed him”, he mutters.

“...you guys were arguing and you decided to kiss him? What the fuck, Jeno?” Chenle looks at him in confusion. The older one hasn’t seen an expression like this on his face ever before. “I was angry, okay. I was stupid and angry and I kissed him”, Jeno groans and lets go of his friend’s hand.

“Then what, next you jumped in bed with him because you were feeling furious?” Chenle keeps asking, trying his best to understand what his friend had been thinking. “Well, not really, but…yes, we had sex”, Jeno mumbles.

“Oh dear lord..”, Chenle sighs and looks elsewhere. He sounds like an old lady who’s frustrated with his rascal son’s behavior. “It was Jaemin who wanted to keep going, you know”, Jeno says, like trying to save the situation. “We thought it would be convenient to both of us since we live so close to each other. There’s nothing strange if he visits his neighbor every now and then..”

“We thought or he thought?” the Chinese asks as he turns to look at the other again. “You know, the more you tell, the more it sounds like you really are his prostitute or whatever”, he adds dryly. Jeno stares at him in a slight shock. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. And you know what? I really thought you would be wiser than that”, Chenle huffs, turning to look at his hands. “Your taste in men is kind of a disaster, but this…you can’t gain anything from this. It sounds like he’s using you.”

Suddenly Jeno feels something bubbling under his chest – and that something is anger. He never feels this with his best friend, not until now. “Fuck you”, Jeno says under his breath, so quietly that he wonders if Chenle even hears it. But oh boy, he does.

“What?” Chenle turns to look at the other with a surprised expression. “I said fuck you”, Jeno repeats, his face being all blank. “You have been the one who has been giggling about how awesome it is that there’s celebrities living next door. You’re the one who said that I’m uneducated when I didn’t know who Jaemin is”, the older one let out the angry words. “Are you maybe jealous or something?”

“Jealous??” Chenle asks loudly. “Why would I be jealous? I don’t like men like that”, he says with disbelief. “I don’t know, you tell me”, Jeno shoots back and stands up from the couch. “I just don’t understand why you can’t trust me when I say that there’s nothing fishy going on. You can’t judge what we’re doing together with Jaemin when you don’t know even half of it”, the taller one spits out.

“Okay okay okay, I’m sorry”, the younger one raises his hands to calm the other one down. “Let’s not argue, not us. We never do that”, he says with an apologetic face.

Jeno stares at him quietly for a moment before huffing. “Then don’t act like a mom. It’s really not your place to call out Jaemin for something he hasn’t done”, he says with a low voice. “I know, I’m sorry”, Chenle says again, patting the couch surface next to him. “Sit back, please..”

The older one takes a deep breath before sitting back down. “He’s not using me”, Jeno states one more, his tone now more soft while his lips form a slight pout. “I believe you”, Chenle replies, looking at the other thoughtfully. “So..there’s no feelings involved then?”

“You know I don’t want anything like that”, Jeno says while glancing at the other one. “Yes, I know”, Chenle replies quietly. “You need to promise me something though”, he adds.

“What is it?” Jeno frowns a little when he looks at his friend. He wishes Chenle would just calm down as well and not act like a mother hen, because there’s literally no reason for it. “Be careful, okay? I was serious when I said you will get into trouble if you two ever get caught”, the shorter one says cautiously.

“I promise”, Jeno says, a tiny smile forming on his lips. Now it feels so stupid to be angry at his friend, who’s just caring for him. Chenle might be overreacting a little bit, but he still cares.

“So”, Chenle suddenly says with a much brighter tone. “Now that I know the secret, just spill the truth. Is he good in bed?”

“You can’t ask something like that”, Jeno looks at the other in shock. “Of course I can. And I bet he is. You wouldn’t agree to this whatever benefit program if he sucked”, Chenle laughs cheerfully.

“You two are so much alike..”, Jeno says while shaking his head. It results in another laughter which escapes from Chenle’s mouth.

Later in the evening Jeno lies on the couch, looking at the television. Chenle had left an hour ago, leaving him in the middle of his thoughts. They had talked about the arrangement he has with Jaemin, Chenle asking whatever popped in his mind. Finally the younger one didn’t seem to overthink it, being more calm about it when he had left home.

To be honest, Jeno is still a bit surprised about the way Chenle reacted to the news. Whenever the older one told him about someone new he was fooling with, only having fun and nothing serious, the Chinese had just rolled his eyes and asked a few safety questions about this guy. Jeno would have never thought of them actually arguing over something like this.

Ding.

Jeno turns to look at his phone. It’s on the coffee table, its screen bright when the notification appears on it. The man reaches to take the device, reading who’s messaging him. A frown forms on Jeno’s features when he just sees a link.

Jeno: What’s that?

Before he can even put his phone away, the familiar contact name appears on the screen again.

Mess: You promised to vote for me. The 100 most sexy men in the world, remember?

Jeno snorts after reading the message. To be honest he didn’t even remember that contest anymore, not that his neighbor was a nominee for one.

Jeno: Did I? Can’t recall.

Mess: Hey… :(

The man smiles while looking at those texts. He knows he has spoken kinda roughly about his neighbor, thinking he was rude and full of himself just because of his occupation. But the more he gets to know that person, the more humane he seems. Maybe because of that Jeno decides to click that link and give his vote to that one particular celebrity.

When he turns to look at the television again, his phone makes another noise. Jeno opens the lock screen once more. Now he lets out a chuckle. There’s an image of Jaemin, making a goofy face. His neighbor looks like he’s almost dying.

Jeno: What’s wrong? What happened to your face?

The reply arrives faster than the wind.

Mess: It’s so damn boring here. Please entertain me.

Jeno sits up on a couch, looking at the photo more thoughtfully. They are clearly at some kind of studio since there’s cameramen and lights in the background. Somehow Jeno feels a bit curious about what he might do there, in a setting like that.

Jeno: Shouldn’t you focus on working and not texting?

Mess: I’m still waiting for my turn. I think I will be the last one.

Right after another photo pops into the conversation. There’s someone standing, posing for the cameraman. Jaemin is clearly sitting somewhere far from them.

Jeno: Is that your friend?

Somehow Jeno feels a bit stupid. He would want to ask something more proper, something more interesting. But he doesn’t know anything about Jaemin’s job or about him in general. Jeno huffs at his own thoughts. Since when has he felt like this while texting some man? This won’t do, not at all.

Mess: Yeah, that’s Mark. I think you would like him actually.

Jeno frowns at the message. What does that even mean? Like in what context?

Jeno: Are you trying to be a wingman or something?

Mess: Maybe? Are you interested?

Jeno blinks his eyes as he stares at the message. He can’t believe what he just read, not at all. What in the world is the younger one even thinking? That Jeno would be interested to sleep with their whole floor??

The man puts his phone back on the coffee table and turns to look at the television with a huff. What’s with everyone today, for real? First Chenle made ridiculous assumptions, and now Jaemin. Screw them, god.

There’s a long pause before his phone makes noise again. Jeno glances at the device, trying to be strong and not even take it to his hand. When it says another ding, Jeno gives in and reaches to take it from the table.

Mess: It was a joke, Jeno.

Mess: Hey, I’m sorry. Let me correct, it was a bad joke.

Even though the younger one apologized, Jeno still feels irritated. Maybe he should let the other one know about it as well.

Jeno: Do you realize what that sounded like? You think I’m someone you can just pass to your mates, like hey try this one, I tried it too.

The man stares at the screen of his phone, feeling the irritation under his skin. Suddenly the conversation he had earlier with Chenle pops in his mind as well, multiplying the annoyance. Seriously, what’s wrong with everyone today??

Jaemin’s next message makes him pause for a bit though.

Mess: Can I call you?

Jeno looks at the text, blinking his eyes. Why would Jaemin call him? He’s in the middle of work on top of everything. What would he even want to say to Jeno?

Before he can think about it too long, the phone already rings. Jeno feels hesitant to pick up the call. But wouldn’t it be super rude to just ignore it as well? In the end, he presses the green button on the screen and places the phone on his ear.

“What’s wrong?” Jaemin asks instantly. Not a single hello, hi, good evening – just straight to the point. Jeno bites his lower lip as he realizes the tone of Jaemin’s voice. It’s not angry, it’s not frustrated. It’s just genuinely worried. Maybe Jeno needs to be genuine to him as well.

“Your text..”, the older one starts his sentence, looking at the television screen at the same time. He doesn’t have time to finish his thoughts though, since Jaemin cuts him off. “I think we need to have a little talk, don’t you think?”

That line never sounds good. Jeno uses it when he wants to end something, a relationship usually. Hearing Jaemin saying it to him, it makes him frown. “About what?” he asks cautiously. Jeno doesn’t even know why he feels so cautious. Like Chenle said, he isn’t the biggest fan of his neighbor anyway and all they have is an arrangement.

“First of all, I wasn’t offering you to have sex with my group member”, Jaemin says quietly. Jeno can hear steps and muffled voices from the background. His neighbor must be walking somewhere else to have his call. “You weren’t?” Jeno asks, sounding a little surprised.

“Nope. When I said that you’d like him, I meant it as friends”, Jaemin explains himself. “I think you two are somehow similar, like for real”, he adds. Jeno lowers his gaze on his bare toes on the couch, nibbling his lips. Was he just overreacting?

“What about being the wingman then?” the older one asks bluntly. He feels like he needs to prove it somehow, that he wasn’t the one who did wrong here. “You said it first, didn’t you?” Jaemin asks back. The background noises are all gone now. “I thought you were joking so I went with it as well.”

“Oh..”, Jeno replies, curling his toes as he watches them. So he was the one who read the whole message wrong from the very beginning. “I’m not blaming you for anything”, Jaemin says and clears his throat softly. “But for someone who’s strictly thinking this is just an arrangement, you reacted pretty roughly.”

A realization hits Jeno’s mind. He’s the one who has always wanted a drama-free life. That is literally the reason why he doesn’t date anyone, why he only has one-night stands or some regular bed buddies. But now, at this moment, he’s the one who created unnecessary drama.

“Oh my god…”, Jeno groans and covers his face with his other hand. “What now?” Jaemin asks, sounding a bit amused. “I’m so sorry..”, the older one mumbles, the embarrassment dripping from his voice. “I hate drama and suddenly I’m the one who creates it, fuck..”

The joyful chuckle on the other end of the line eases his anxiety a little bit. “Don’t worry. To be honest, I liked it”, Jaemin says with a snicker. Jeno frowns at that. “You…liked it? That I overreacted like an ass?”

“I liked how you don’t care that I’m an idol”, Jaemin explains matter-of-factly. “How should I say it… Usually people don’t show their true emotions or thoughts around me. Like I would be some kind of royal”, he hums.

Jeno stays quiet, listening to the other carefully. Well, when he thinks about it, Jaemin must be speaking the truth. He’s famous so people must treat him differently than some normal person.

“But you don’t care about that at all”, Jaemin says, the smile sounding through his voice. “It’s kind of refreshing to see someone being pissed off at me”, he chuckles at the end. “I’m still sorry”, Jeno mutters softly. “I feel so stupid..”

“It’s okay to be stupid sometimes”, the celebrity hums. “Also, I want to add something.”

“What is it?” Jeno asks quietly, closing his eyes in post-embarrassment. Even though Jaemin forgave him and they cleared the misunderstanding, he feels like a fool. It’s like he forgot his own rules, own principles for life. There’s something really messing his head these days.

“I don’t share”, Jaemin states with a soft voice. Jeno frowns a little. “Share what?” he asks, genuinely having no idea what the other is talking about. “Men”, the younger one simply replies. “If I find someone nice, I wouldn’t offer him to my buddies. Just so you know.”

Jeno opens his eyes, just to stare at his toes. He’s not sure if he heard it right, what Jaemin just said. And if he did, he’s not sure what to think of it. Maybe he should just be happy, because that’s literally what he got mad about to his neighbor, about the possibility of matchmaking him with Jaemin’s friends. In the end, he only lets out one single word, if you can even call it a proper one. “Oh…”

“Anyway, are you home tonight?” Jaemin suddenly asks. The older one blinks his eyes in confusion. “You know I am.. I literally faked being sick today”, he says in a baffled manner. “Right”, the idol laughs at the phone. “Can I come over when we're finally finished here? It can be a bit late though.”

Jeno blinks his eyes again. “Why?” he asks quietly. “I mean, why do you want to come here? We just spent the day together”, he mumbles, feeling somehow flustered. “I want to see the second episode”, the younger one replies matter-of-factly. “And I can’t watch the series alone. I want to watch it with you.”

The man on the couch bites his cheeks. He wonders if their arrangement is getting too risky, based on his overreaction and his neighbor’s demand to watch the drama together. But on the other hand, it somehow makes him feel a bit happy.

“Only if you bring some snacks with you”, Jeno mumbles. “Of course, I’ll bring something tasty”, Jaemin promises before ending the call.

Watching the series together evolves to a tradition between those two neighbors. Whenever Jaemin has free time and Jeno is home alone, one of them (usually the idol) sends the first text, asking if they could watch yet another episode.

At first, Jeno was sure that his neighbor wanted to come over for some more erotic purposes. But to his surprise, their meetings don't always include the arrangement part – sometimes yes, but not always.

Usually they sit at the couch and watch the television in silence, sometimes making a comment about the plot or the actors. They don’t even necessarily touch each other, keeping their respectful distance. But somehow that silence and the feeling the couch dipping from both ends soothes Jeno’s nerves.

Sometimes, if Jeno has had a rough day at work, he picks his feet up and places them on Jaemin’s lap. At those moments he nudges Jaemin’s thigh with his heel, making the other look at him. After a few times, Jaemin knows what it means – that he needs to take a hold of the older one’s leg. Or not even hold him, even a touch is enough. If the celebrity is feeling generous enough, Jeno might get a foot massage.

There are also times when it's the other way around. Sometimes Jaemin’s working hours are crazy, Jeno really doesn’t get how the younger one even manages it. A few times the celebrity appears behind Jeno’s door, looking more tired than ever. Those times Jeno doesn’t even ask why he’s visiting without any notice, he just lets the other step inside. Those nights Jaemin usually sits on the floor, leaning his back on the couch while the older one tries to massage his shoulders.

It’s a regular Friday night when Jaemin sends yet another message. The older one has just gotten back home from work, carrying a pizza box with him.

Neighbor: I heard steps in the corridor. Was it you?

Jeno: Are you stalking me? And yes, it was me.

Jeno shakes his head when he kicks his shoes off and walks to the kitchen counter. He’s pretty sure his neighbor not only heard his steps but also smelled the pizza through the walls.

It was a few days ago when Jeno changed Jaemin’s contact name. Somehow the idol didn’t feel such a big mess anymore. Now the relationship between them felt more normal, more mundane – almost like friends, but not quite. The most neutral name he came up with was simply ‘a neighbor’.

A soft ding makes Jeno glance at his phone after putting the pizza box down on the counter.

Neighbor: Are you alone?

A tiny smile forms on Jeno’s face. He’s amused how the younger one didn’t get straight to the point. At this point Jeno knows that Jaemin wants to come over, but for some reason he doesn’t want to ask about it right away.

Jeno: Yes and yes you can come here. I have pizza.

Jeno leaves his phone on the counter before walking to his bedroom. His bed is now an actual bed, the mattress now resting on top of a new bed frame. Jaemin hadn’t seen it yet, since the last couple times the younger one had visited him, they didn’t even go to the bedroom. Looking at that bed frame makes Jeno smile – he kinda wants to show it to his neighbor, and maybe test it too.

While changing into some more comfortable clothes, Jeno keeps thinking of that particular neighbor. To be honest, he has been thinking of Jaemin a lot lately. He has been thinking if they see each other too much, if it’s okay to feel so comfy in each other’s presence. If Jeno is a hundred percent honest, the nights with the idol feel almost domestic – and that’s a little bit scary.

There are of course times when he doesn’t get the younger one at all. He still gets annoyed by him from time to time, usually when Jaemin talks about something related to his daily life and sounds a bit too much like a diva. But usually they resolve those moments, trying to understand each other’s view of points. Maybe that’s one more thing to be scared about.

It’s been almost two weeks since their phone call, the one when Jeno felt like an idiot. Two weeks ago spring was at its finest, now the season changing to summer. It’s hot outside whenever the sun shines from the bright sky, the temperature being rather high inside Jeno’s apartment as well.

The doorbell rings once the man pulls a sleeveless shirt on. Jeno walks to his front door, opening it with a small smile. “Are you hungry?” he asks with an amused expression. Jaemin smiles back at him, nodding in a tiny gesture.

“Will your nutritionist kill me if you drink a beer?” Jeno asks while he walks to the fridge, taking two cans from it. “I bet my nutritionist doesn’t even know you”, Jaemin jokes as he follows the other, peeking at the pizza box on the counter. “And I hope you won’t tell him either”, he chuckles.

“I will keep the secret”, Jeno hums as he brings one of the cans to his neighbor. “Can you take the plates from the top cabinet? I’ll bring the dinner to the couch.”

“Sure”, the idol replies, taking the can and then fetching the plates. The older one picks up the delicious smelling box and takes it with him to the couch. He’s pretty sure tonight is like the many nights before; they’re going to tune in to the Netflix drama, eat and sit in silence. A lazy Friday night is just what he needs and for once, he actually enjoys having some company over being alone.

“How was your day?” Jaemin asks once following the other to the couch. “Fine. A bit tiring”, the older one replies as he sits down. He has set the pizza box next to his beer can on the coffee table. “What did you do today?” he asks instead.

“Just meetings, which are also tiring”, the celebrity laughs a little. “Donghyuck and Mark were arguing which songs we should perform next week”, the man explains and puts down the plates. “Are you attending some music show again?” Jeno asks while glancing at the other. Now that Jeno thinks of it, most of the time he has no idea what his neighbor does at work, singing and dancing is his best guess.

“We’re having a concert in Japan”, Jaemin replies matter-of-factly. Jeno turns to look at him properly as the younger one gets seated next to him. “Japan? Oh wow”, he says, an amused expression on his face. “I thought you didn’t mind things like that”, Jaemin chuckles and leans closer to take a slice of pizza on his plate.

“I don’t”, Jeno hurries to say, feeling somehow embarrassed. It almost feels like he slipped out of his character, being genuinely interested in the other one’s business. Which he is not, at all.

“In fact, that’s why I wanted to come by”, Jaemin says before taking the first bite. The older one turns to look at him questioningly, he has no idea what the concert trip has to do with him. “Why?” he ends up asking, sounding baffled.

“I ordered a plant”, Jaemin starts the story, making the other look at him dumbfoundedly. “A plant?” Jeno repeats, trying to figure out what on earth the younger one is talking about. “Yes, because I heard taking care of one reduces stress levels”, Jaemin explains himself. “But the thing is, it should arrive when I’m not home.”

“...okay?” Jeno keeps looking at the other, reaching out to take a pizza slice as well. “I wanted to ask for your help”, Jaemin smiles at his neighbor. “Could you go to our place when the delivery guy comes and receive it for me?”

“Your place?” the older one raises his eyebrows. “Yeah”, Jaemin nods and puts his other hand into his pocket, fishing something out. In a second, he offers a small metallic item to Jeno. “This is our spare key”, he says while giving it to the other.

“To your..dorm?” Jeno blinks his eyes and looks at the key on his palm. “Uhm..is it even okay for me to have this? Is your manager going to shoot me or something? And what about the other guys?” the man asks question after question.

“Why would our manager shoot you? And what’s with all those imaginary scenarios of someone killing you?” Jaemin stops eating and looks at the other confused. “Well, I don’t know. You’re not supposed to host a giveaway with your apartment keys”, Jeno blabbers. He doesn’t know why, but having access to his celebrity neighbor’s home feels way too much.

“Jeno, I’m not hosting a giveaway. I’m giving it to you”, the idol knits his eyebrows together in confusion. “All I ask is that you could be home that one evening, go to our place and open the door for the delivery guy. If you can put the plant in my room it would be great but not necessary.”

The older one stares at the other, keeping his mouth shut as he listens to Jaemin. “What evening?” he asks in the end, now more calm (at least externally). “Monday”, the idol simply replies. “I’ll leave on Sunday.”

Jeno lowers his gaze to look at the key once again. Usually giving out the key means something big – that there’s a huge amount of trust between two people. “Okay”, the older one says in the end. “I’ll be there.”

After putting the key to the safety of his own keyring, those two finally put on the regular show, focusing on watching and eating. Or at least they try to. Jeno glances at his neighbor from time to time. Every time Jaemin looks relaxed, munching the Friday treat with his cheeks full. Jeno on the other hand feels very much restless.

At one point he opens the beer can, taking a quiet sip from it. The man cannot but think about the key. Yes, it’s just a key, a simple item for doing a simple favor for his neighbor. There’s literally nothing weird or extraordinary in it. But since Jeno wouldn’t trust his own key to just anyone, he feels a high level of gratitude to the other. Which leads him to think, would it be respectful to give his key as well?

“I agree with you”, Jaemin suddenly says, making the older one flinch from his thoughts. “Huh? About what?” he asks in a baffled manner. “That this episode is quite boring”, the idol turns to smile at his neighbor. “I noticed you’re staring at me more than the TV.”

Jeno turns his eyes towards the television screen, his cheeks getting tinted with rosy color. He didn’t intend to look at the other in such an obvious manner. Gosh, he’s feeling embarrassed.

“What were you thinking?” Jaemin asks after eating the rest of his current pizza slice. “Just…things”, Jeno mumbles back to him. It’s clearly not enough for his neighbor. “Hey, spill it. You can tell me”, the idol says, looking at the other properly.

The older one looks back at him, thinking how to express himself. “I was just thinking about the key..”, he says thoughtfully. “If it’s too much, I can ask if someone from the company could come on Monday”, Jaemin cuts him off, making the other blink his eyes.

“No no no, that’s not what I meant”, Jeno waves his hand in the air. “I’m probably overthinking it but, uh, I just thought that it would be more fair if you had my key as well”, he rambles his thoughts finally out.

“Well, that’s only logical”, Jaemin smiles while looking at him. “If you ever leave your keys at home, you can always get the spare one from me then”, he says matter-of-factly. “If you’re home”, Jeno mutters and rubs his neck. Somehow talking about exchanging the keys sounds so intimate, but it’s nothing like that. They’re just neighbors, for god’s sake!

“Yeah”, the celebrity chuckles. “But I think it’s a good idea. It’s practical”, he adds with a smile. “It is”, Jeno clears his throat and takes a sip from the can.

It’s only practical and nothing more.

Chapter Text

It’s Monday afternoon when Jeno arrives home after spending a long and tiring day with the numbers. He checks the phone as he drops his bag on the floor next to his shoes – there’s no messages from his neighbor. Jaemin had left the country yesterday, sending one final text from the plane to confirm that Jeno remembers to take care of the plant delivery the next day.

Jeno decides it would be better to go and wait at the other side of the corridor than listen next to his door when the delivery guy arrives. It wouldn’t harm anyone if he just hangs out at his neighbor’s place, right? He walks to the bedroom and changes his clothes, putting his office attire to the closet as neatly as possible before dressing up in a comfortable outfit.

In a few minutes, Jeno is already out of the door. To be honest, it feels more than weird to walk behind that familiar door and pick up the keys from his pocket. He hasn’t even knocked this door in such a long time, since Jaemin always comes to his place. The man chooses the right key to undo the lock, feeling somehow nervous as he steps in.

For the first minutes Jeno just stands in the hallway, not being sure if it was a good idea to come here after all. Maybe it would have been more appropriate to wait at home? Taking a deep breath, Jeno takes a few more steps inside, peeking inside the apartment.

It looks like a completely normal home. He recognizes Jaemin’s room, seeing the door right next to the hallway. Further he sees a kitchen and the living room next to each other, both clean and tidy. That must be because of the housekeeper. He doesn’t have that much fate on four young men to keep their home in order all by themselves.

At the end of the apartment, he sees one more door. That must be the other bedroom, the one where two of Jaemin’s group members sleep in. Jeno can’t lie, he has an ultimate urge to look around the dorm, of course not the second private room though. But the thought of roaming their living space, even the kitchen, it sounds too much, too intruding. He decides to go to the only room that is already familiar to him.

Jaemin’s room looks just like he remembered. Those two beds are still standing at the same spots as previously, two wardrobes and two nightstands being exactly the same. Jeno bites his lower lip as he looks at the bed that he used to lie on for once. The memory feels so crazy, he really can’t believe it really happened.

Jeno’s eyes wander to the nearby nightstand. There’s a picture of Jaemin with some elderly lady. It could be his grandma, Jeno thinks to himself. The man hums by himself as he realizes that at least now he knows they actually used Jaemin’s bed, and not his roommate’s. Not that Jaemin would have made them do so, even if the younger one has a somewhat wild side.

The man sits on the edge of the mattress, looking around the room. Now he has more time to actually study the surroundings. Last time he was a bit occupied with his neighbor, if you could say so.

There’s a photo on the wall, four men standing next to each other in it. They’re literally glowing with their neatly styled hair and polished make-up, some kind of stage structure showing in the background. It must be The Dreamers, the pop group Jaemin is part of.

Jeno squints his eyes to see the people in the picture. He recognizes Jaemin, the trademark smile decorating his face and eyes glimmering like always. There’s a slightly shorter male standing next to him, the man’s hands placed on Jaemin’s shoulders. Jeno realizes he has seen that guy before – he must be Donghyuck then. The other two don't seem that familiar but they must be Renjun and Mark.

On the other side of the room there’s posters on the wall, including Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson. Jeno’s eyes get fixated on the teddy bears on the bed, one of them staring at him straight to the eyes. “What are you looking at?” Jeno mumbles as he frowns at the stuffed animal.

After a few minutes, Jeno falls down on his back. He stares at the ceiling above him, listening to the silence in the apartment. It’s quite nice to visit here after such a long time. It somehow gives a sense of equality.

Jeno rolls on his side, picking his feet up on the bed. As he does so, a familiar scent reaches his nostrils. A musky, but a clean scent, something that has been smelling in his sheets for some time as well.

The man presses his face against the blanket, inhaling the stunning aroma into his lungs. Before he can even realize it, a smile appears on his lips. The odor is somehow so soothing, making him feel warm inside. But when the realization finally reaches him, it hits him a bit too hard – the scent belongs to no other than his idol neighbor, Na Jaemin.

Jeno opens his eyes, biting his lower lip hard enough to make a little cut. There’s a tight feeling under his chest, fighting with that soothing emotion from earlier. It has been quite a long time since he has felt like this – and he’s not sure if he likes it.

He doesn’t have enough time to wonder about the problem before the doorbell rings. Jeno shoots himself up from the bed and hurries to the front door. Peeking outside, he sees the delivery person.

“Good afternoon sir. I have a parcel for mister Na”, the man says with a smile you only see on such people’s faces who have just started at a new job, full of excitement which hasn’t been ruined yet. “Ah, yes. He’s out but I’ll take it”, Jeno smiles back to him.

Soon there’s a quite heavy object in Jeno’s hands. It’s wrapped in brown paper and there’s a bow made from paper strings on top of it. Jeno can feel the pot under all the wrappings as he tries to take a good hold of it. “Have a good night, sir”, the overly happy man says before disappearing into the corridor.

Jeno steps back into the apartment before frowning a little bit. Jaemin asked him to put the plant in his room, but isn’t his neighbor going to stay in Japan for some time? Wouldn’t the plant basically die from dehydration before Jaemin comes back? The man looks at the wrapped item and frowns. What should he do…

After a moment, he makes a decision. He turns around on his heels, checks his pockets for the keys and steps out from the apartment. Jeno pulls the door closed, making sure it’s locked for sure. He would be doomed if someone would break in just because he was neglectful. Soon Jeno walks into his own apartment, taking the plant with him.

Jeno isn’t sure if he’s the one who’s now breaking the boundaries. But in the end, taking care of his neighbor’s plant baby can’t be nearly as bad as Jaemin letting someone unknown into Jeno’s apartment – even if that someone was Jeno’s mother. The man walks to the kitchen counter, placing the heavy object on it.

“Maybe I’ll just take this off and let him know..”, Jeno mumbles to himself. He starts to tear the wrapping paper, revealing the plant under it. Once completing the task, the man stares at the green thing in front of him.

The plant has multiple stems sticking out of the soil, the whole thing standing in a pearl white flower pot. The plant is covered in long thin leaves, basically bathing in bright green color. It looks a little bit like a palm tree in Jeno’s opinion.

The man fishes the phone from his pocket and takes a photo of his sudden guest. Without further thinking, he sends the picture to his neighbor.

Jeno: We’re having a slumber party. You can pick him up when you come home.

Jeno puts his phone on the counter as well, letting his eyes study the plant. Should he water it? Or just let it be? Suddenly it feels very tempting to just carry it back to the idol’s dorm.

The phone buzzes, making the owner look at it with curiosity. To Jeno’s surprise, Jaemin’s name appears on the screen. Why on earth is the younger one calling him?

“What is it?” Jeno asks once answering the phone. “Are you trying to kidnap my plant?” Jaemin asks back, his voice full of humor. “Oh, yeah, sure. Because I absolutely want a plant like this”, the older one huffs, a smile forming on his face. It’s nice to hear Jaemin’s voice after a while.

“I knew it. I should have asked someone from the company instead”, the celebrity chuckles. “But seriously, why did you take it home? I’m not angry but just wondering”, Jaemin asks, sounding amused. “Well, you’re going to be away for a few days, right?” Jeno asks back, letting his fingertips trace those green leaves. “Your new family member would die if there’s no one taking care of it.”

“I see”, Jaemin hums at the other end of the line. “Do you know how to take care of it then?”

“No..”, the older one mumbles, frowning at the fact. “But if you tell me what kind of plant this is, I can google it”, he offers the solution. He hears a snicker from the phone. “It’s parlour palm”, Jaemin replies. “It should be easy to care for, or that’s what the seller promised me.”

“Okay”, Jeno nods as he sticks his finger to the flower pot. The soil feels damp, so maybe he doesn’t need to water it yet. “Uhm..how..how are you by the way?” he suddenly finds himself asking, trying to keep up the conversation.

“Fine. Tired, but fine”, Jaemin simply replies. Unlike the last time they talked on the phone, there’s no other voices in the background. “You guys must have been busy”, Jeno says and rubs his fingertips together, dropping the tiny soil crumbles back to the pot. “Pretty much yes”, the idol hums. “Tomorrow will be an extra long day because we have the rehearsal for the concert. Luckily we have some time off tonight.”

“Do you have any plans or are you just going to sleep?” Jeno asks before walking to the couch and slumping on it. He lets out a quiet ‘ouch’ as he lands on his back. “I’m talking to you”, the younger one chuckles, making the other blink his eyes. “That’s your plan for a free night? To talk with me?” Jeno asks, sounding a little bit confused.

“What else should I do?” Jaemin hums. “I’m too lazy to go anywhere and I can use the room service if I get hungry”, he explains himself. It sounds like the sheets would be rustling somewhere near the phone. Jaemin must be in his hotel room.

“Well.. Don't celebrities usually have girls waiting for them in every country? Or boys in your case”, Jeno says thoughtfully. “You finally have your own room, you should make use of it”, he states matter-of-factly. The chuckle on the line makes him frown a little.

“Do you think I can bring anyone to the hotel, just like that?” Jaemin asks instead. “And you must be thinking of some rock stars. Or at least I don’t have girls or boys waiting for me”, the idol says with an amused tone.

Something about that sentence makes Jeno bite his lower lip. He almost slips out ‘what about me’ before he realizes to stop himself. He’s in fact not waiting for anyone, not even his neighbor. Such silly thoughts are prohibited in simple arrangements like they have. That’s until Jaemin says the forbidden words.

“Of course there’s exceptions like my dear neighbor”, Jaemin says, the grin sounding through his voice. Jeno huffs out loud, feeling how his cheeks are getting a lot warmer. “You wish”, he replies with a mutter. He feels the need to deny such allegations which simply aren’t true.

“I agree on something with you though”, Jaemin suddenly says. Jeno swallows as he wonders if he should ask what the other means. “What is it?” the older one ends up asking. “That I should make use of this room”, the idol says bluntly. For some odd reason, Jeno’s chest stings when he hears the words.

“Yeah, you definitely should”, Jeno says and turns his gaze up to the ceiling. He should definitely do some kind of mindfulness sessions tonight, to get his damn mind straight. It feels like his head has been all over the place today, making him think and feel weird things about his neighbor.

“Have you ever tried phone sex?”

Jaemin’s question makes the older one’s eyes grow wide. “Ex..excuse me what?” Jeno asks, sounding more than just surprised. “You heard me”, Jaemin laughs. “So have you?”

“I, uhm, uh..”, Jeno struggles to get the words out of his mouth, so he decides to swallow first. “I have not”, he finally replies. “Me neither”, his neighbor says, humming as he rustles the sheets at the other end of the line. The idea of him on the hotel bed, talking about phone sex, is literally crazy.

“Why, uhm.. why are you..”, Jeno sighs when his words get all tangled together. “I mean, um..do you…uh, want, you know”, the man keeps struggling. In the end, he covers his face with his other hand, slapping himself mentally for being so embarrassingly awkward.

“I would”, Jaemin replies cheerfully. “I mean, if you were trying to ask if I would want to have phone sex with you”, he explains himself better. The older one feels like he’s ready to choke on that couch.

“You're a lunatic, did you know that?” Jeno mumbles, the heat on his cheeks getting worse. “Usually people say I’m handsome, cute or sexy”, the celebrity laughs joyfully. “Why are you being so coy? It’s not like we haven’t fucked for real already.”

“Yeah, but on the phone..it..it’s different”, Jeno mutters quietly. He’s not sure if his heart can survive from all the surprises the younger one throws at him. Maybe he’ll die by a heart attack, at such a young age. Such a pity.

“How is it different?” Jaemin asks, sounding curious. “It’s more personal”, the older one shoots back right away. The man sits up and pushes his hair back. Why is it so damn hot in his apartment??

“How can it be more personal than our dicks in each other’s butts?” the younger one asks dumbfoundedly. Jaemin’s choice of words never stops surprising the other one. “Well, you know”, Jeno sighs, scratching his scalp in a slight frustration. “You can have sex with some stranger but would you have phone sex with someone unknown?” he tries to explain his point of view.

“I can’t have sex with strangers, it would be a scandal”, Jaemin states. Jeno rolls his eyes, resisting the groan. “You know what I mean..”, he mumbles.

“But I want to have sex and phone sex with you”, Jaemin continues. His neighbor stares in front of him, nibbling his lower lip. There’s a moment of silence between them when Jeno tries to gather himself mentally. “Uh..you want that? Like want want?”

“I’m not sure what you mean by repeating the same word, but yes, I want want”, Jaemin replies. “Also, I was thinking about you earlier today”, he confesses.

Jeno stares at the other end of the apartment, his chest feeling a little bit tight. It’s different from the earlier though, now he doesn’t feel like dying. “What were you thinking?” he asks cautiously, like he’s afraid to hear the answer.

“Your pretty buttocks”, Jaemin replies, his tone being now more low. Something about it makes Jeno’s skin shiver. “I was thinking how they always feel so soft but firm under my palms”, the idol adds.

“Why were you thinking something like that?” Jeno asks with a whisper, his ears being bright red by now. He likes to hear compliments, he really does, but something about this feels too dangerous.

“We had an interview today and the reporter asked what kind of girls we like”, Jaemin chuckles. What a stupid question, Jeno thinks to himself. “I told her that physical touch is important to me so I would prefer someone with a soft skin”, Jaemin keeps going.

“Your skin is softer..”, Jeno replies with a quiet mumble. And it’s true, Jeno has thought about it many times, how his neighbor must use some expensive body lotion to keep his skin so delicate and creamy. It’s like a real wonder to him how Jaemin’s fingertips run so smoothly on his body, leaving no scratches behind.

“But I don’t feel as excited to touch myself as when I’m touching you”, Jaemin hums with the same low tone again. The older one swallows hard. He’s more shy than usual, surprised by this turn of events. “But you need to touch yourself while having phone sex, didn’t you know that?” he asks, licking his lips somehow nervously.

“Only if you ask me to”, the idol says back, making it hard for Jeno to breathe. “Come on, can we? I would want to try”, Jaemin almost purrs on the phone. It takes a few deep breaths before the older one can answer him. “Sure, yeah, if you want”, Jeno mutters.

“Great”, Jaemin replies. Jeno can hear how the other one is probably smiling from ear to ear. “Uh.. what do you want me to do?” he asks, rubbing his neck with his hand. “Well, are you comfortable? Can you lay down?” his neighbor asks.

Jeno follows the order and lies back on the couch. “Yes”, he says while his eyes are once more staring at the ceiling. He has done a lot of things with a lot of men, but this is the very first time he’s trying something like this. Being a first timer at something makes him nervous, just like when he was a virgin.

“Where are you? On your mattress?” Jaemin asks. Based on the sounds in the background, he changes his position on his hotel bed as well. Jeno wonders what kind of bed the other has. “Couch”, Jeno simply replies, resting his other hand on his stomach. “By the way, it’s not just a mattress anymore. I have a bed frame.”

“Really? Since when?” the younger one sounds curious. Something about his tone makes Jeno smile. “Since a while. I haven’t had time to show it to you”, the man says, then biting his lower lip softly. “In fact, whenever I’ve wanted to, you’ve kept me on this couch. I think you have a thing for it.”

“Oh, I absolutely have a thing for your sofa”, the idol hums. “It’s the place where we spend time together the most.” The sentence makes Jeno blush a little bit. He’s not sure what Jaemin meant by that, but it surely sounded a bit…romantic?

“You were talking about my pretty buttocks”, Jeno clears his throat as he tries to get the conversation back on track. “Right”, Jaemin says, the smile sounding right through his tone. “Guess what else I was thinking during that interview?” the idol asks another question.

“I guess you’re going to tell me soon enough”, Jeno lets out a quiet chuckle. He’s not sure why he’s even laughing, maybe his nervousness is making him act weird. “I was also imagining the sound you make every time when I squeeze your buttocks”, Jaemin says, sounding somewhat serious. It makes Jeno’s skin shiver all over.

“What sound?” the older one asks, swallowing the drool that has pooled into his mouth. “That little mix of whine and gasp”, the idol hums. “It makes me go crazy every single time. I really need to calm myself down when I hear it.”

Jeno closes his eyes and takes a deep breath through his nose. Usually he’s complaining about the younger one’s choice of words, but damn, he can also choose the right ones. The ones that make Jeno’s mind completely mushy.

“Why do you need to calm yourself..? Aren't those the moments when you actually don’t need to calm down?” the man on the couch asks. There’s a moment of silence on the phone line, which makes Jeno open his eyes once again. “Hello? Are you still there?”

“I am”, Jaemin clears his throat in a small manner. “I was just thinking how to word this.” Jeno listens to his neighbor and licks his lips nervously. He has literally no idea what the other is going to say.

“At those moments…if I don’t calm down, I fear I could ruin you”, Jaemin says in the end. His voice is so low, so manly, that it makes Jeno almost breathless. “You seriously have no idea how attractive you are or what kind of power you have on me”, the younger one adds, this time his voice being breathy as well.

“Oh...”, Jeno whispers and grabs the fabric of his shirt into his fist. He’s still staring at the ceiling, trying his best to keep himself mentally in one piece. They stay silent for a while – or not completely, since suddenly Jeno hears a quiet grunt.

“Jaemin..?” he asks, blinking his eyes in slight confusion. The chuckle he receives as an answer makes him frown. “Just thinking of you…ah, it’s hard”, Jaemin mutters. The older one raises his eyebrows, being even more confused. “Thinking of me is hard? Thanks”, he huffs.

“No, thinking of you makes me hard”, Jaemin corrects the other with another chuckle. Jeno lets the words sink in, making him gulp at the same time. “You’re..hard? Right now?” he asks carefully. If his ears weren’t bright red enough before, now the color would match perfectly with Santa’s outfit.

“Yes”, Jaemin sighs. There’s more rustling, the one like when clothes and sheets move against each other. It makes Jeno wonder if the other has undressed himself while being on the phone.

Even the thought of his neighbor being half dressed, laying on the hotel bed, makes Jeno’s brain activity stumble on short circuit. Add a vision of that said idol with a full blast boner and Jeno’s brain is ready to scorch by itself.

At that moment, Jeno feels a rush of adrenaline, making him speak before thinking.

“Jaemin, can you touch yourself? While thinking of me?” he asks, resisting to let out a sigh himself. For a very short moment, like half a second, the man regrets saying such a thing. But the voice from the other end of the line makes the regret vanish into thin air.

“Jesus..”, Jaemin groans in a low tone, like he would have waited to let it out. “I was already going to, but you asking for it.. it’s so hot”, he mumbles on the phone. Jeno’s cheeks burn with heat while he stares at the roof, squeezing the shirt in his fist even harder. His neighbor sounds insanely good.

Jeno listens how the younger one makes voices one after another – sighs, groans, low panting. He closes his eyes and bites his lower lip. It almost feels like Jaemin would be making all those deliriously tempting noises in the same room with him. And at the same time he can imagine it so vividly, the idol massaging his own organ, stroking it with pleasure.

“What about you..?” Jaemin asks, his voice husky with need. “Are you hard as well?”

The older one doesn’t need to check on it, because he can feel it very well – he is indeed rock hard.

“Yeah”, Jeno replies with a whisper. He has already let go of his shirt, now sliding his palm inside the loose college shorts. When he finally finds his manhood throbbing against his lower abdomen, he cannot but take a hold of it firmly. “Fuck..”, he breathes out.

“I wish I could..”, Jaemin mutters with a low voice. “I wish I could put my hand on your length instead of mine”, he adds. Jeno listens to every word with anticipation, need and lust. Because oh god how he wishes the same, that Jaemin would be here and lay his hands on the older one.

Jeno presses his thumb against the crown of his cock, making himself whine in pleasure. He holds the phone tight with his other hand, his knuckles turning white. “I wish you would be here right now..”, the words escape from his mouth.

“If I could be there.. what would you want me to do?” the celebrity asks, carefully but with curiosity. Both of the men are sighing from time to time, letting the other hear how they’re enjoying themselves.

“I.. I want you to kiss my neck”, Jeno moans as he circles the thumb around the tip of his manhood. “I want you to kiss every inch of me”, he adds with a shaking voice.

“Oh, I would definitely do that”, the younger one replies, sighing at the imagination. “Especially your dick, I would kiss it until you can’t do anything else than come over and over again”, Jaemin keeps talking with that sinful tone. This time it’s Jeno who whines at the vision.

“I- I can feel it.. your mouth on me”, Jeno gasps. The previous nervousness and shyness are now completely gone, not even a trace of those lingering on the older one’s words.

“Jesus..”, the idol mutters by himself on the other end. Jeno can hear how his breath is hitching and the words are getting stuck at the roof of his mouth. “Jaemin..”, the older one calls instead, the need dripping from the name. The next words drop from his tongue a bit too easily. “I want you.. so badly..”

“Me too.. fuck”, Jaemin mutters. Jeno can imagine his neighbor, the sweat glistening on his forehead and those plump lips slightly apart. If he just could, Jeno would catapult himself to that hotel room and eat the younger one alive.

The next sentence makes the man on the couch almost choke on his own spit though.

“Jeno.. can you.. ah..finger yourself for me?” Jaemin says between the heavy breaths. “I would do it myself, but..I’m too far away”, the man chuckles right after. Jeno can feel how his lower lips tremble from the suggestion. The whole situation is just way too hot.

He moves his hand from his length, taking it out of his shorts just to raise his ass and pull the clothing down to his knees. “I bet your fingers feel so much better than mine..”, Jeno mumbles as he reaches his hand between the butt cheeks.

“But your fingers feel amazing. I know it by experience”, the younger one purrs at the phone. Jeno’s brain is malfunctioning real bad.

The older one touches the rim, rubbing it gently with his index finger. “It has been so long..”, he sighs at the sensation, receiving another one from the other as a reply. “Be gentle with yourself, okay? I want to take care of you and your beautiful butt”, Jaemin says with a whisper.

“Now the whole butt is beautiful, not just the cheeks?” Jeno asks with a sudden snort. “Well, not just the butt, the whole man is kinda damn beautiful”, the idol laughs lightly. Something under Jeno’s chest crumbles into tiny pieces.

“You talk way too much”, the older one mutters back, his cheeks feeling funny. He cannot see it, but his whole face is decorated with rose red color. “Jeno, this is phone sex. Of course I talk”, Jaemin laughs now more loudly.

Jeno bites his lower lip as he listens to his neighbor’s laughter and tries to push his finger past the rim. Somehow it feels too difficult to reach that far. “I..I can’t”, he says in a small manner, the frustration sounding through his voice. “I can’t put my finger in..”

“Hey hey hey, now breathe”, Jaemin hurries to say. He probably hears how close to giving up his neighbor is. “Put the call on speaker, babe”, the idol says in the most soothing way Jeno has ever heard anyone speaking to him. It’s so calming that Jeno can’t even register the name the celebrity used on him. Instead, he does exactly what the younger one asked him to do.

After putting the call on speaker, Jeno places the phone on the coffee table. “Okay, it’s on speaker..”, he says and nibbles his lip. Once again he’s not sure what the other has in mind.

“Good boy”, Jaemin coos in a way that pinches Jeno’s guts in a good but also annoying manner. “Now, turn on all fours”, the idol keeps giving instructions.

Jeno swallows before doing so. He sits up, turns around on the couch and gets down on all fours. Jaemin’s voice sounds a bit metallic, thanks to the phone speaker, but also so confident that it makes Jeno trust him in this one. “What next?” the man asks quietly.

“Put your head down and that beautiful butt up in the air”, Jaemin chuckles. Jeno flushes at the request, his cheeks feeling overly warm when he presses one of them against the couch surface.

“How I wish I could see you.. and maybe spread those beautiful buttocks”, the idol suddenly lowers his voice. It sends shivers down on Jeno’s spine. Biting his lower lip, Jeno reaches his hand behind him once more. Oh how he wishes for Jaemin’s presence as well.

“If you would do that..could you resist doing more?” Jeno asks with a whisper, tightening his lower abdomen as he presses his index finger once again against the muscle ring. “Oh god, no, no I wouldn’t”, Jaemin hurriedly replies. “I would be face first down eating out that beautiful ass”, he chuckles.

The imagination of it blurs Jeno’s vision as he inserts his finger into his hole. He didn’t think phone sex could be so dirty and oh so good – and turn him on so freaking easily. Jeno circles his finger inside him, first crosswise for a few, then clockwise for another few laps. And Jesus fucking god it feels so good.

“Jaemin..”, the older one moans, his voice being whiny and dripping with need. “Is it already inside? Your finger?” Jaemin asks instead, the low panting sounding between the words. Jeno just nods, not realizing that the other can’t hear that.

“Baby, I have one more request”, the younger one says, listening to his neighbor’s heavy breathing. “Curl your finger for me.. I want to hear it when you do it.”

And Jeno curls. He curls his fingers toward his bellybutton, like calling someone to come closer. When his fingertips touch the walls, it makes his toes curl instead. “Fuck..”, he groans against the couch.

“Such a good boy.. do it again”, Jaemin clears his throat while listening to the other. Jeno can hear how the sheets rustle and some wet-like sound from the other end of the line. The older one does exactly what Jaemin tells him and curls his finger again and again and again.

He keeps repeating the motion, increasing the pace as the pleasure builds under his lower abdomen. The man on the couch feels like he could suffocate from that feeling.

“I’m.. I’m coming”, Jeno whines as he squeezes his eyes shut. The sensation keeps getting bigger, like filling every vein and cell in his body. The wet fabbing sounds on the phone makes it even worse – or better, depending how you think of it. Jaemin must be beating his shaft into his fist like a madman by now. Even thinking about it makes Jeno want to squirm out of his own skin.

“Come for me, babe.. come so hard that..that I can hear you all the way to Japan..”, Jaemin says between the panting, his words getting tangled a little bit.

And that’s the cue for Jeno to jump beyond that pleasure, letting the feeling consume him from inside out. That’s when his fingertip taps on that one special point, making him clench the rim around his fingers. That’s when he lets out a deep long moan, muffling it against the couch surface. That’s when the white streaks ruin the fabric, his dick twitching angry red as it spurts the outcome on the furniture.

As Jeno is still in the same position, finger in his ass and face hidden against the black couch, he tries to catch his breath. It feels almost impossible, because at the same time he can hear how his neighbor groans loud enough to make his skin shiver one more time.

After a few quiet minutes he hears the idol murmuring.

“Just wait when I get back home…”