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The first time it happens, Chenle thinks Renjun is going to faint from stress. He can’t help but feel bad when they pass by the older boy’s room and Chenle takes notice of the disorganised mess on his desk, from notebooks to photocopies to textbooks sprawled out on the desk, but Renjun simply waves a hand at him and tells him that he comes first (Chenle prides himself in his ability to contain the blush threatening to rise through his cheeks).
To be honest, Renjun is overreacting just a bit, but he had learnt to expect that already. The older boy had barely given him any time to take off his shoes, insistent on dragging him towards their bathroom to clean his wounds. It wasn’t anything too bad, just an ugly scrape on his knee that he had obtained after tripping and falling to knees in a basketball match with his friends, but it burned like hell and Chenle could barely walk after that, so the obvious limping and the bruise on his knee had brought up Renjun’s neurosis.
The older makes him sit in the bathtub, cleaning the bruise thoroughly and when he’s done, he makes sure to dry his leg gently. He helps Chenle stand up despite the younger being able to walk perfectly on his own. He guides him to his bedroom, where he makes him sit on the bed. Chenle sighs happily at the feeling of the soft duvet against his skin, throwing himself back on the bed and ignoring Renjun’s protests.
He yelps when Renjun starts to apply Vaseline on the wound, the coldness of the ointment surprising him, accidentally almost kicking Renjun in the face.
“Sorry,” he smiles sheepishly as an apology.
Renjun rolls his eyes fondly at the younger.
“Be more careful next time,” he chides, also referring to the bruise on his knee.
Chenle grins at him and even though Renjun looks unconvinced, he doesn’t say anything else about it. He gives Chenle a once over, most likely checking for any other bruises he has to tend to, finding that there’s nothing else he needs to worry about before he’s moving back to his desk to keep studying.
Chenle watches him for a while, admiring his features (Renjun has a very pretty nose, he concludes) for a lack of anything else to do. His phone was completely dead and he didn’t feel like doing any of his pent up homework at the moment, so like any other sensible person, he decides to use Renjun’s phone.
He doesn’t bother asking the older boy for permission. Renjun accepted a long time that anything he owns automatically belonged to Chenle and had stopped nagging at the younger anytime he found something that was his in Chenle’s room, and he looks so focused studying that Chenle doesn’t want to break his concentration for something so stupid.
He tells himself to stop overthinking and turns on the phone, surprised to see his lockscreen had changed since the last time he had caught a glimpse of it. If he remembers correctly, Renjun’s lock screen was a picture he had taken of Donghyuck cuddling Jeno, both of them blissfully asleep. It was a very cute picture that never failed to make him smile, especially when he remembered how much Jeno had whined at Renjun to delete the picture and take it off his lockscreen because it was embarrassing. Donghyuck, on the other hand, had loved it, and even asked Renjun for a copy of the image. Now, his lock screen is a picture of Chenle laid out on the sofa while he watched cartoons on TV, totally engrossed in the show. He feels a sense of pride run through him at the thought of being someone so important in Renjun’s life that the older boy even considered putting him as his lock screen.
(“Why has that been your lock screen for two months?” Jeno whined, chin hooked over Renjun’s shoulder while he watched him play games on his phone. “I thought I told you to delete it.”
“You’re not his boss, Jen, you don’t decide what Renjun does or doesn’t do.” Donghyuck commented, laughing when Jeno stuck his tongue out at him.
“Donghyuck, shut up.” He said, rolling his eyes in fake annoyance. He ignores Donghyuck’s gasp in order to answer to Jeno. “You know… You both mean a lot to me,” Renjun chuckled, embarrassed, the tips of his ears turning an adorable shade of red in Chenle’s opinion. “So I thought you were worth being my lockscreen.”
He kept his eyes focused on the screen until he felt a sniff coming from behind him. He turned around, confused, but his expression quickly morphed into a mixture of fondness and amusement when he realised what was going on.
“Are you crying, Jen?” He laughed when the boy threw himself on top of him, hugging him tight.
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me.”)
The second time Chenle opens the door to their apartment covered in bruises, Renjun is thankfully a little bit less stressed than the last time it happened. He’s not studying this time or cramped up in his room reviewing classes as he usually does in his free time, but that might have something to do with the fact that Jaemin is clinging to him like he hasn't seen him in a long time.
They’re both seated on the couch watching a movie, though Jaemin seems more enraptured than Renjun, who’s staring off into the distance while absentmindedly playing with Jaemin’s hair and running his fingers through it.
They both look up at the sound of the front door opening and Chenle only has two seconds left to breathe before Jaemin gasps, pulling himself up from when he was draped over Renjun’s lap to fawn over Chenle, pulling at his cheeks and asking him too many things at once without giving him a chance to answer.
He’s so distracted by Jaemin angling his head every way possible - Chenle’s face was totally impeccable, Jaemin was just overreacting - that he misses when Renjun leaves the room.
“Hyung, I'm fine,” Chenle tries to speak.
Jaemin ignores him in favour of continuing to squeeze his cheeks. At this point, he's more cooing over him than actually checking if he's uninjured and while Chenle can’t say he doesn’t like it when Jaemin babies him, he’s tired and his knee hurts and he wants to go back to his bed and never leave the safety of his room ever again.
Jaemin gets pulled aside by Renjun, who ignores his pout in favour of guiding Chenle to the couch. He laughs when Chenle sighs as soon as his body touches the comfortable cushions, melting against them happily.
“What happened now?” Renjun asks him, taking Chenle’s bruised hands in his.
Chenle hums, too tired to think. He’s thankful when Jaemin sits down next to him, allowing him to drop his head into his shoulder.
“Jus’ a bunch of kids bothering Jisung.” He feels Renjun’s hands tighten his grip around his own, before slowly letting go.
He can feel the frown on both Renjun and Jaemin’s faces, but he’s too sleepy to tell them to stop worrying. He knows they will ignore him either way, both of them care for Jisung so much they would be willing to break anyone’s nose if that’s what it took.
Jaemin shifts beside him, standing up so Chenle can comfortably lay down on the couch, putting a blanket over him. He smiles when Jaemin pinches his cheek gently, burrowing under the soft blanket.
He’s on the verge of falling asleep when he feels someone else carding their fingers through his hair and a pair of lips pressing a kiss to his forehead. He doesn’t think much of it, believing it’s probably Jaemin, until he hears Renjun’s voice saying ‘Sleep well, Lele. I love you’. He ignores the pounding of his heart in order to fall asleep.
Chenle tries. He swears he tries really hard to stop bumping into things and getting in trouble. He even cleared out his room of any hazardous elements which he could trip on, to Renjun’s visible delight. But Chenle is naturally clumsy, and far too much of a troublemaker to stop being one in just a day. So it doesn’t come as a surprise to him when he falls going up the stairs to their apartment and twists his ankle.
He winces at the pain that surges up his leg when he tries to put his feet on the ground, staring at the stairs ruefully as if that would magically fix all his problems. He considers calling Renjun, after all the chances of him not being on their shared apartment are almost none (Even if Renjun wasn’t a med student swarmed with work to do, he’s sure Renjun would stay holed up in his room either way, and when he does go out, it’s because one of his friends dragged him.), but he doesn’t want to be annoying and he’s sure Renjun is most likely tired of him coming home with injuries, so he shuts down that idea as soon as he thinks of it.
He’s still deciding who to call when Renjun trudges down the stairs looking as if he had just woken up. He’s just about to walk past him, but his brain must catch up to his body and he looks back at Chenle confusedly.
“Lele?” His voice is still laced with sleep and Chenle wonders at what time he went to sleep the night before. “What are you doing in the middle of the stairs?”
Chenle’s answer is a sheepish grin. Renjun gives him a once over, a frown taking over his features when he doesn’t find anything wrong.
“Did you fall?” Renjun narrows his eyes at him, searching his face for any clue as to why Chenle is sitting in the middle of the stairs.
“I wasn’t even running.” Chenle pouts.
Renjun snorts in disbelief, making Chenle jut out his bottom lip even more.
“I’ll go get Jeno, stay here.” Renjun tells him, as if Chenle has any other choice.
“Why don’t you carry me?” Chenle grumbles. He already feels bad enough that Renjun has to tend to Chenle’s injuries every time his clumsiness takes the better of him, he doesn't want to drag Jeno into this too.
" I am not nearly strong enough to carry you five floors up the stairs." Renjun replies, ducking down to press a kiss to Chenle's forehead. "Now, be good and don't move."
Chenle tries to fight down the blush threatening to crawl up his face, thankful that Renjun has his back turned to him. He wishes someone would take pity on him and end his misery now that Renjun has made it a habit to be more affectionate towards the younger. It’s not good for his heart.
"I'm not a dog!" He calls after him weakly, huffing when Renjun laughs at him.
He grumbles under his breath while he waits for Renjun to come with Jeno, pouting down at the rips in his jeans.
It doesn’t take long before Renjun appears, tailed by Yukhei and an obviously very worried Kun. Chenle smiles sheepishly when he catches Kun’s concerned eyes.
“Jeno is no longer my friend, so I brought Xuxi and Kun instead.” Yukhei looks more than elated to be here and Chenle thinks it’s funny how happy he always is. It’s refreshing to be surrounded by him and his positivity.
Chenle squeals when Yukhei climbs up the stairs in pairs, lifting him up with ease. He throws his arms around his neck and prays that the older doesn’t trip on his long legs and makes both of them fall.
“What did Jeno do?” Chenle asks curiously, hooking his chin over Yukhei’s shoulder to stare at Renjun.
Renjun’s shoulder slump at the question.
“He was barking at his dog.” He groans when Chenle breaks into a fit of giggles, obviously embarrassed just by thinking of it.
They make it to their apartment in one piece, thankfully. Yukhei drops him in his bed per Renjun’s instructions, shoving a few pillows under his injured ankle to elevate his leg. Kun enters the room moments later with an ice pack in his hands, gently placing it on top of Chenle’s ankle.
“I’m so lucky to have doctor friends.” Chenle sighs. He smiles when Renjun sits down next to him, his hand finds Chenle’s own. His cheeks redden slightly at the action, ignoring Kun’s knowing gaze.
“Neither of us are doctors yet, Lele.” Kun rolls his eyes good-naturedly.
Yukhei nods his head very seriously, which earns him an amused look from Kun.
“Right, but you and Renjun are studying Medicine, that means you have to be my personal doctor.”
He yells when Kun immediately tries to tickle him, grabbing the pillow his head was resting in to shield himself from the attack. When he’s certain Kun isn’t going to tickle him anymore, he looks up from behind the pillow, surprised when Kun flicks his forehead. He pouts at the older, rubbing his forehead where he had hit, gasping in offense when he sticks his tongue out at him childishly.
His heart thumps on his chest when Renjun laughs at their antics, throwing an arm around Chenle and tugging him into his side.
"Don't worry, Lele, I will protect you."
Chenle has never doubted that.
Chenle seriously missed spending time with Renjun like this. The older boy was always so busy with classes he never got to hang out with Chenle as much as he would’ve liked to, which is why vacations were a gift for both of them.
Currently, he’s in his bed bundled up in a warm sweater, trying to pick a movie on his laptop. Renjun had approached him earlier that day, stating that he was ‘bored out of his mind’ and therefore demanded to have a movie night with Chenle. He agreed on the condition that he would be able to choose the movie, but it was turning out to be harder than he expected. He wondered what Renjun would like to see.
In the end he settled for Moana, hoping Renjun wouldn’t have much problem with his choice.
He snuggles further into his blanket, sighing in content at the warmth surrounding him. He smiles when Renjun enters his room, looking comfy in his pajamas, lifting the covers for Renjun to slide under.
"So, what did you choose?" Renjun asks, shuffling under the blankets until he's laying down.
Chenle lets out a surprised squeak when Renjun rests his head on Chenle's shoulder, snuggling closer to him, not expecting the action.
"Well- If you don't like it, you can change it, okay?- I picked Moana." From his position, Chenle can’t have a good look at Renjun’s face, but the older seems pleased with his choice.
He’s proven correct when Renjun turns to answer.
"Did you know that's my favourite movie?" Renjun moves his head to look up at Chenle with a bright smile. He hopes he doesn't notice his heart skip a beat. "You have great taste in movies, Lele."
Chenle grins at him shyly, giggling when Renjun reaches up to pinch his cheeks teasingly, playfully trying to bite his fingers. Renjun only rolls his eyes amusedly, turning again to press play on the movie.
No matter how enjoyable the movie is, Chenle can’t help but let his mind wander. He can’t stop thinking of Renjun’s arm strewn over his middle, so in an act of bravery, he intertwines their fingers.
He stills nervously, waiting for Renjun's reaction. Would he hate it? He's not sure, Renjun is unpredictable.
After a few torturous seconds — Chenle swears they felt like years —, he hears Renjun hum, squeezing Chenle's hand reassuringly.
Chenle lets out a deep breath, making Renjun laugh against his shoulder. It makes Chenle pout despite Renjun's attention not being on him.
"It's nice to spend time with you when you're not injured." Renjun says after a while. He speaks so quietly Chenle wonders if he was supposed to hear it at all.
While the words put together sound teasing, Renjun sounds nothing but honest, and Chenle feels a bit bad for his own clumsiness. Renjun was always the one to take care of him and it must’ve obviously worried him even if Chenle’s injuries were never grave.
He thinks back of all the times Renjun skipped class just to stay with Chenle, taking care of him, and he feels immensely grateful for him.
He looks down at their linked hands and then at Renjun, whose focus is on the movie again and decides to do the riskiest thing he has ever done in all his seventeen years of life.
“I have to tell you something.” Renjun’s eyes leave the TV screen to stare at Chenle curiously, waiting for him to continue.
When Chenle doesn’t say anything, he lets go of Chenle’s hand to reach up and pinch his cheek. He swears his cheek is going to fall off from how much he likes to do that.
“Well, what is it?” He asks.
Chenle takes a deep breath, mustering up all the courage he can get.
“I like you?” Chenle’s looking anywhere but at Renjun, too scared of the older’s reactions to look him in the eye. “Like- As boyfriends. And friends too, of course, just-”
Renjun cuts off Chenle’s rambling by putting a hand over his mouth. It works to shut him up and make him look at Renjun, whose expression Chenle can’t decipher. He hopes it means something good.
“Slowly.” Renjun says. He lets him go when Chenle nods, sitting up on the bed. Chenle follows soon after to get a better look at Renjun while he talks.
“Would you want to be my boyfriend?” It’s crazy how nervous Chenle is. He’s sure Renjun has feelings for him too, because despite popular belief, Chenle isn’t oblivious, but it’s hard not to question himself, thinking that maybe he’s imagining things and Renjun doesn’t actually like him that way.
He feels as if he’s able to breathe again when Renjun smiles at him, taking his hand gently and rubbing his thumb over the skin. It helps soothe Chenle’s nerves by a lot and once again, he feels incredibly thankful for Renjun.
“Yes.” Renjun replies, leaning forward to press a kiss to Chenle’s forehead. He laughs when Chenle tugs him back to bed, rolling them over so Renjun’s back in on the mattress and Chenle is on top of him.
He can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of his mouth when Renjun rubs their noses together, grinning when Renjun smiles up at him.
He lays down on top of Renjun, wrapping his arms around him tightly. He sighs happily when Renjun starts carding his fingers through his hair, melting against the older in content.
He thinks back to all the times Renjun was there for him, taking care of him whenever Chenle was injured. It’s quite embarrassing that their friendship developed from Chenle constantly getting hurt, but Chenle is sure that if he wasn’t so clumsy, he wouldn’t have an amazing boyfriend now. He wouldn’t change the life he was now for anything in the world.