A/N: I am SO SORRY that I've disappeared again! I've just started school again, plus I was moving into a new dorm. My classes are kicking my right now, but I'm pretty sure I'll adjust soon. I hope you all can forgive me for my infrequent updates! I'm promise they'll be more timely again as the term goes on. Love, your author

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Jaemin was like the sunshine, Jeno knew that for sure. His hair was freshly dyed a peachy pink and the way the sunlight filtered through it was like rays of pure warmth. His eyes had their own sparkle and his skin had its own glow. His pretty lips were always turned up in a grin. Luckily Jaemin wasn't actually the sun, so Jeno could stare as long as he wished without hurting his eyes. 

Even though it was the dead of December Jaemin smelled like summer; sticky sweet popsicles and salty ocean water and that warm smell that you forget exists until you get a whiff of it. Jaemin's voice and breaths were gentle yet bright, like a glass of cool lemonade bought from a kid's stand on a surburban street. He talked loudly and constantly but it was never bothersome, no it ate up the stale cold silences that sometimes happened in conversations. 

Jaemin loved to touch and be touched. He wasn't a weak person by any means but his touches were always delicate, gentle kisses on the cheek or tight hugs with heads resting on shoulders or shy brushes of his fingers against Jeno's. Jeno wasn't used to this sort of attention; so at first he'd try to squirm away when Jaemin reached out for him. But Jeno quickly realized Jaemin didn't mean anything by it, he just loved to be touched, and Jeno wanted to see that smile on Jaemin's face when he reciprocated his actions. Now, Jeno could trace Jaemin's skin from memory, and the inside of his palm felt like home. Jeno knew he was privileged to know how Jaemin's mouth tasted. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, usually cherry chapstick or whatever he'd just ate that day, but Jeno was happy to know he was the only person in the world who knew it. It was a little piece of Jaemin that he could call his own. 

The two of them were walking in the park that day, doing circles along the pavement. Despite the fact that it was winter it was strangely sunny, so of course Jaemin dragged him outside to go hang out. Normally Jeno would've just stayed inside but he was simply happy to be anywhere with Jaemin. Jaemin had his own light; his own glow, and Jeno would never miss an opportunity to soak some of it up. 

Suddenly, Jeno had a flash of himself here all those months ago with Renjun. Before the whole soulmate thing had began, before he knew the magic that was Na Jaemin. When things were so much more innocent and his heart had never been broken. 

Knowing what he knew now, obviously this little date with Jaemin here was much better than his date with Renjun. But mostly it was just different; his relationship with Renjun was dominated by quiet, understandings and interactions without words. Being with Jaemin, things were very different: Jaemin had a habit of talking Jeno's ear off; he didn't mind silence but with Jaemin around, silence was impossible. Jaemin prefered things to be out in the open, to display rather than hide his bright affection. And Jeno loved it, even though he thought he wouldn't. He loved it because it was who Jaemin was and he loved every miniscule piece of him. 

By that point Jeno had zoned out of the coversation, instead all his attention focused on who Jaemin was. Jeno was staring at him and watching the way his lips moved, the way his eyes looked when he loved, the way their legs brushed together and their hands were entangled. 

Jaemin suddenly stopped, tugging on Jeno's hand. 

"Hello?" He said, waving a hand in front of Jeno's face. 

"Huh? Oh, yeah, hi," Jeno responded, flushing with embarrassment. 

"Why aren't you listening to me?" Jaemin whined, continuing to walk and crossing his arms at his chest. Jeno frowned, missing the warmth of Jaemin's slightly sweaty hand with his. 

"You're too pretty. I got distracted," Jeno admitted, sort of honestly. He didn't want to say he'd been waxing poetic about Jaemin inside his head; they weren't even official boyfriends yet. Jaemin simply rolled his eyes at Jeno, a small smile on his lips, kept on walking. After a moment Jeno jogged a bit to catch up, rubbing Jaemin's arm softly. Jaemin sighed jokingly, letting his arm down so Jeno could hold his hand again. 

"Anyways..." Jaemin continued. "I was just saying some really nice things about you when I noticed you weren't paying attention." 

"What were they?" 

"No way, I'm not gonna tell you now!" 

"Come on," Jeno responded. "I'll give you a kiss." At that, Jaemin slowly grinned. 

"Fine."

Jeno leaned closer and pressed his lips to Jaemin's cheek, his soft skin brushing against Jeno's slightly chapped lips. But when he pulled away, Jaemin only met him with a glare. 

"I thought you meant a real kiss," Jaemin complained. 

"You want a real kiss?" Jeno asked. 

"Duh," Jaemin responded. 

"Fine then, a real kiss it is." Jeno stood in front of Jaemin, holding both of Jaemin's hands before moving his left up to cup Jaemin's cheek. Both of them flushed at the gesture, so affectionate and serious where as they were usually playful. But neither of them minded, Jaemin smiling gently as Jeno kissed him right there on the pathway of the public park. Jaemin held onto his waist, giggling into his mouth and smiling as their noses brushed together. They'd finally adjusted to the feeling of the soulmate sparks, igniting every physical interaction, however slight, that they shared. It felt nice; it felt so damn right.

After a moment of looking at each other and smiling they pulled away, holding hands and continuing their walk, Jaemin silenced for one moment in life. 

"That was a really nice kiss," he admitted, with a sideways glance at Jeno. 

Jeno chuckled shyly. "Yeah, definitely," he responded. "Now, what were those compliments you were saying?" 

Jaemin laughed softly. "I was just saying how...you're just such a nice guy, most of the time...so kind and loyal, no matter what...you treat everyone you know so well. I like how....introspective you are, you know? But you know how to have fun too. It's a nice balance...and...you're just so cute and hot! Like, you're both at the same time! Like how is that possible?" 

"Jaemin..." Jeno trailed off, unused to being showered with so many sweet words. He shyly rested his head on Jaemin's shoulder, trying to hide his blushing face. "You're so sweet." 

"Thanks...I mean, I'm just telling you what I think about you..." Jaemin looked at Jeno who still had his head on his shoulder. 

"Where is all this coming from?" Jeno asked, looking at Jaemin and smiling wide. Jaemin looked down at the ground, brushing his hair out of his eyes. 

"Well...." He started, stopping midway. "Well, the whole soulmate...thing happened a while ago...and you and Renjun aren't a thing anymore, and we kiss and hold hands and stuff, and we've been going on dates for a couple weeks now. So I was just, uh, wondering, if....you and I could...be official? Like, boyfriends? Boyfriend and boyfriend?" 

Jaemin looked over at Jeno bashfully, his tone so nervous, completely unusual of his typical confident personality. It was all just so adorable to Jeno that he barely even registered what Jaemin had asked him until a few moments later. 

"Omigosh! Uh...of course! Of course Jaeminnie," Jeno said, stopping Jaemin to hug him tightly. 

"Oh thank god," Jaemin breathed, hugging him back too, squeezing him tight and resting his face on his shoulder. They hummed softly, tilting their heads up for a delicate yet passionate kiss. The intensity of the kiss was so overwhelming that Jeno stumbled a bit, taking Jaemin with him, the two trying to regain their balance until they almost fell down. 

They broke away from their hug, giggling and laughing loudly, kissing each other one more time. 

"I'm so glad I can call you my boyfriend now," Jeno spoke after he pulled away, tucking a lock of Jaemin's hair behind his ear. 

"Me too," Jaemin responded. "I've been trying to find the right time to ask you for ages." 

"And today's the perfect day. It's beautiful out....just like you." 

"Stop!" Jaemin whined, laughing loudly and tugging Jeno along in the pretty park. 

They'd gotten only a few paces when the two boys froze in their tracks, their hearts sinking and the smiles torn off of their faces. Standing right in front of them, also walking along the path, was Renjun and his new girlfriend. 

Jeno had planned on ducking behind a bush with Jaemin to avoid this entire situation but Renjun had noticed him too. They shared a grimace; now, they couldn't avoid it. The two of them walked towards each other, still holding hands with their current partners and making sure not to have any eye contact.

"Hey..." Renjun said awkwardly. 

"Hey," Jeno responded, nodding uncomfortably. The former couple looked at each other and their partners; none of them had any idea what to do. 

"Can we talk?" Renjun finally asked. Jeno immediately looked to Jaemin and Jaemin nodded. The two boys walked away, Jeno's hands shoved in his pockets, and Jaemin watched them stand under a tree just off of the pathway. Jaemin sat down at a park bench and crossed his legs.

Although he couldn't hear what they were saying, Jaemin watched the two of them speak. Immediately he was struck by just how handsome Jeno was: dark, fluffy hair, adorable nose, those crinkled up crescent eyes, and the most loving smile Jaemin had ever seen with his own two eyes. 

Jaemin thought the coming winter was Jeno's perfect season. Being near him felt like the kind of warmth you could only experience when you're at home, in front of the firelight, the snow softly falling on the window outside. He was that thick blanket and those flannel sheets you brought out to keep yourself cozy. He smelled like cinnamon and cookies and trees, their scent increased be the freezing breeze outside. His mouth tasted like hot cocoa with the mini marshmallows melted inside (that was a lie, actually Jeno's mouth only tasted like that one time and it usually just tasted like boy mouth. But that kiss had been one that stuck in Jaemin's memory, so Jeno's lips will forever taste that way in his mind). His kisses felt like that first slide of the warm chocolate down your throat, after you'd almost freezed your off outside and rushed into the house for something to keep you warm. His voice was gentle and unassuming,  like the falling of snowflakes onto white soft grounds, and he didn't talk that much but he laughed constantly. He could be wary of constant touches but Jeno loved cuddles, like family all crowding around to watch holiday movies when they were stuck inside and there was nothing else to do. He was comfort, he was love, he was home. 

Jeno looked ferocious but he was made of pure sweetness and kindness, and Jaemin almost felt like he didn't deserve Jeno, not one bit. But they were meant to be, so he would just accept his good luck.

Watching Renjun and Jeno talk, Jaemin could not completely repress all of his jealousy. But he knew Jeno now, and a smile even graced his lips. Jeno was the most loyal person he'd ever known, and they were nothing without trust. 

~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey," Renjun repeated. Jeno and Renjun were now standing under a tree in the park, Jaemin staring off into the distance a little bit a way. Jeno wasn't sure what to feel; and he had no idea what Renjun wanted to talk to him about. 

"Hey," Jeno repeated back. What else was he supposed to do?

Renjun sighed. "I just....I guess I just...I just wanted to apologize to you," he spoke. "I...I never said sorry for that. It must have really, really hurt you. I could see it all over your face when it happened, I... I'm sorry. You were nothing but nice to me and you didn't deserve that." 

Jeno didn't want to say 'it's okay', because it wasn't. What Renjun had done had hurt him for a really long time. But now, he was finally over it. 

"I forgive you," Jeno finally responded. That was the truth of how he felt. 

Renjun sighed with relief. "I...probably don't deserve that," he admitted with a laugh. "Cheating on you was the worst mistake I ever made." 

"I'm over it though," Jeno spoke. "I'm really happy with Jaemin." He smiled over at Jaemin, and Jaemin returned the grin. 

"Believe me, I'm very happy with my girlfriend too. By saying that I don't mean I wanna get back together or anything. I just...I know it was a really awful thing to do," Renjun responded. 

"I'm glad of that," Jeno said. He didn't wish anything ill for Renjun. "I...don't think it's okay, but I know about the chemicals. I get why you did what you did. I forgive you for it." 

"I'm really glad you for give me, to be honest," Renjun admitted. "It makes me feel a lot better. But still, I definitely should have just broken up with you before doing anything with her." 

"That's for sure," Jeno responded with an uncomfortable chuckle. Renjun returned the chuckle and they shared another uncomfortable look at each other. It was fascinating to Jeno how he could feel nothing for the person in front of him, whereas not so long ago he'd cared about Renjun deeply. Giving Jaemin another glance, he could understand why. Now that Jaemin was in his life, it was kind of like nobody else in the world existed, especially on a romantic level. 

"You know, I think maybe we could be friends," Jeno spoke. Thinking about it, it might be nice. They definitely had stuff to talk about together. 

"We probably should've just stayed friends in the first place," Renjun responded. "I don't think we were ever meant to be a couple." 

After a moment of thinking, Jeno nodded. "You're right. I agree." 

"Injunnie!" Renjun's girlfriend called, and the two boys turned their heads to look at her. "Your ice cream is gonna melt!" She was right; a trickle of Renjun's ice cream had already made its way down her hand and onto her arm. 

"That's my cue," Renjun said. 

"I'm glad we had this talk." 

"Me too," Renjun responded, and with a wave goodbye, he and his girlfriend were gone. 

Jeno made his way back to Jaemin, a massive smile on his face. He helped Jaemin stand and took his hand, giving him a big grin. 

"So, how was it?" Jaemin asked. 

"So, so good," Jeno responded. "I feel so free. More free than I ever have before. That chapter of my life has finally been completely and utterly closed. Now, I can devote my thoughts and energy to what really matters in my life." 

"And what would that be?" Jaemin asked, a sly smile on his lips. 

"You," Jeno responded firmly, planting a kiss on Jaemin's soft cheek. Jaemin giggled loudly, pecking Jeno's cheek back. 

"Sometimes I think I like you too much," Jaemin admitted softly. 

"Never," Jeno responded. "If you like me too much, than I must like you way too much." 

"Then we're both ed," Jaemin spoke. 

"That's for sure," Jeno responded, and the two shared yet another smile. 

"God, Renjun and his girlfriend made me crave ice cream so bad," Jaemin spoke. 

"Ugh, I know. Me too," Jeno responded. They looked at each other and immediately walked out of the park, heading towards the ice cream shop. 

"My treat today," Jaemin said softly. 

"No way," Jeno responded. "You had to put up with me and my ex's drama." 

"That was the entire first month after we met; I'm used to it." 

"Low blow babe, low blow," Jeno complained. 

"Oh my god, never stop calling me babe," Jaemin said. 

"Alright babe," Jeno responded, and Jaemin squealed like a little girl. Jeno laughed and they headed inside. 

They each picked out their flavors (Jaemin got strawberry, Jeno got chocolate, both got waffle cones) and fought each other over who would pay, both trying to stick their credit cards in the register first as the cashier watched on like they were crazy. Jeno won out in the end, Jaemin giving him a fake glare as they grabbed their cones and walked back into the park. 

Instead of walking around they sat down, right in the middle of the grass, the hot sun shining down on them. They sighed, just enjoying the taste of the ice cream for a few moments. 

"I'm glad it was you," Jaemin admitted under his breath, surprisingly quiet. 

"Cheesy," Jeno teased. 

"Like you haven't been guilty of being cheesy before," Jaemin responded. "You were being cheesy like five minutes ago!" 

"Still...cheesy, babe," Jeno responded, taking a of his ice cream. "But," he continued, his voice dropping low and quiet. "I'm glad it was you too." 

"See, we're both cheesy," Jaemin cried, waving his arms around so much that the scoop rolled off of his cone. He screamed, saving the scoop just in time in his hand. Jeno and him squished it back down into the cone, laughing at Jaemin's clumsiness the whole while. 

Even though their dirty fingers had just touched the ice cream Jaemin it like it was no issue. He looked over at Jeno and found the boy already staring back at him with the most loving of smiles. 

"Forever?" Jaemin asked. 

"Forever," Jeno responded.