Chapter Text
Zhong Chenle was never a complainer.
Here he sat three years later in the arms of Park Jisung, who was positively crushing him, but he didn’t have the heart to move an inch. They were in a cozy house in China, nestled into its own spot just outside the busiest city, a perfect blend of open hills and bustling life.
Huang Renjun, Na jaemin, and finally, Lee Jeno thankfully joined them when they decided to fly to China to escape the events and the mental toll Korea had taken on all five boys.
Chenle was sure the younger was asleep in his arms because his slow breathes were tickling his neck every other second he would exhale softly. Which was perfectly adorable, and Chenle wouldn't dare disturb him for the world. He did, however, shift his head slightly to the left out of the crook of Jisung's neck.
Through the two big windows of the living room, the neon sun melted into an orange mesh just behind the hills, which gave the room a cozy glow. It was the calmest it's been in a while, and Chenle always found himself always getting lost in moments like this.
Blinking into the dying sun, another day was coming to a close. And for once, he knew he would wake up the next day and not feel remorse, rotting guilt, or loneliness. Because he would open his eyes, and see the life he has built with the first boy who ever gave him the chance to do so. Park Jisung.
"Chenle-ah!"
And his new family.
A whisper broke the reflective silence, and Chenle barely turned his head to the other side to see Jaemin, who's hair was now a light sandy brown. His addiction to lollipops was still the same, because of the stick currently between his lips. The smirks and smartass replies were still just as common, if not even more so incorporated into their new everyday lives. And of course, the motherly instinct to protect Chenle and Jisung from anything that could minorly threaten any aspect of their beings was very much still there. He hadn't changed much in that area.
But you certainly wouldn't have recognized him now because of how cleaned up he looked in fitted clothing. God, Jaemin loved the term street fashion.
"Yeah, hyung?" Chenle answered quietly.
Jaemin took a step closer to make sure he was being quiet enough to not wake the quite literal giant sleeping beauty in Chenle's arms.
"I'm ordering food from the noodle place. Do you want what you and Ji normally get?"
Chenle nodded gratefully with a small smile, "Yes please, Nana-hyung."
Jaemin grinned, blowing a little kiss at the two before moving back into the kitchen, where Chenle heard Jeno resume talking about some kind of magical experience he had at work today. Jeno had found a job in retail since he figured out that he was pretty good at bossing people around, not to the surprise of anybody else. He worked his way up to a high manager position at a popular clothing store in Hong Kong, and was very well respected there and looked up to. He has changed a lot throughout the years, Chenle thinks, in only the best ways. But his protectiveness and amusing stubbornness was still a big part of his personality, which was what secured them all. Overall, Jeno carried himself with much more emotion, was more easy-going, and wore a faint smile a lot more than he used to. They all did.
That was when Renjun walked through the front door, a bag slung over his shoulder filled with college things alike.
Huang Renjun continued going to Peking, staying at the top of his class with his grades, and earning countless awards for his excellence. He didn't grow much taller, but he certainly continued to make Chenle laugh just by doing basically anything. When Chenle looked at his best friend at the end of the day, he saw everything he ever is and was. And that was his lifelong connection to happiness, sadness, and all in between. Renjun would always be his comforting nighttime sky, always there, somewhere, and unmoving.
It didn't take more than a couple of seconds before the two idiots scrambled from the kitchen, coming quickly to greet their tiny boyfriend with pecks on the lips and embraces that lasted way longer then they should have.
"How was your day, my love?"
"It was great, but I missed you guys."
Renjun quickly kissed Jaemin and Jeno, giving them each a smile before moving his gaze to his best friend sitting on the couch.
Chenle just waved, Jisung shifting slightly in his arms with the talking that was going on. The head of blue hair soon yawned, before peering up at Chenle with hazy eyes.
"Good evening, sleepyhead."
Jisung just grinned lazily, head butting the older before easing up on crushing his smaller companion, and instead kept Chenle close to his side with one arm.
"Oh, hi Junnie-hyung."
Renjun just chuckled, "Good evening there, Sung."
Chenle grinned, watching the three oldest head into the kitchen in a bustle of conversation. But before he could even make an attempt to move or speak to the now-awake boy by his side, he was being completely smothered in kisses.
"Ah! Park Jisung!"
The younger boy just hummed in content, wrestling the other onto his back against the couch and trapping him there with a lazy grin.
"You’re a big puppy, y'know that?" Chenle grumbled in defeat, pouting.
"You know when I wake up I always need my Lele kisses, we've been through this."
Before Chenle could protest, once again, Jisung stole his breath by pressing his lips against his in a nothing but loving kiss. This was one thing he never grew tired of especially, never wanted to escape from. If he could kiss Jisung all day, his hours would be spent doing just that.
"Zhong Chenle! I missed you while I was in dreamland.”
Jisung put his entire body weight on the older, making Chenle scream out in dolphin, playfully punching the blue-head in the back of the neck.
"Park Jisung, I let you sleep on me for two hours! You are too big for this!"
"You said it yourself, I’m a puppy..."
"Yeah, but not lap dog!"
Jisung just laughed whole-heartedly between his kisses, and all a stubborn Chenle could do was melt into each one without resist. He closed his eyes and got lost in the moment once again, the feeling, the happy warmth and glow spreading in his chest. Next thing he knew, the three words flowed off his tongue like he couldn’t help them.
He was so utterly, sickeningly, undeniably, and forever hopelessly—
"I love you."
In love.
Jisung pulled back promptly at those three words, a smile curving upon his lips, faded blue hair falling in his eyes like it always does and always used to. Chenle gazed back up at the boy, never once thinking he would end up somewhere like this.
From his desolate days of hollowing loneliness, to now—
"I love you too, Lele.”
He was home.