"Can I just not go with?" Jeno asks through the phone, sighing as he stood up from the bed and walks over to the window.

"Jeno, sweetheart. I get it, really, but this is for your wedding. Of course you need to come to the wedding planning." His mom replied, equally stressed out as he is.

"But mother, I already said my opinions on what I agreed on for my wedding." He grimaced at the last part, already imagining his mother rolling her eyes at him.

"Yeah, but we're talking about tasting cakes, ring shopping, decorations, and ooh~ clothes shopping." Mrs. Lee coos in excitement, sounding more enthusiastic unlike the actual person who's going to get married.

"You're just excited to spoil us." Jeno deadpans to which he earned a huff right after.

"Honey, I'm going to stop spoiling you after the wedding. Because I know Jaemin will start spoiling you anyway." Mrs. Lee teased.

Rolling his eyes, "he's not my sugar daddy or something. And I won't accept anything from that asshole." He retorts.

Hearing a pause of silence, he waits until his mother starts speaking again. "Have you told him?" She asks, a more gentler approach, feeling cautious on her words that might ignite Jeno's small flame in his stomach.

Scoffing in instinct, "of course I did. I was forced out on it. The day you brought Jisung with you, hence of my red puffy eyes." He muttered.

Mrs. Lee pursed her lips, although Jeno couldn't see her. "Sweetie, remember, if he... Hurts you–"

"Not like he already has."

"Okay, uhm, if he hurts you now or makes you cry again, tell me, yeah?" She said, not quite sure on what she's saying anymore towards her stubborn son.

(A/N: actually, it's because the author is braindead and has a small headache ( ◜‿◝ ).)

She's not surprised when all she received were grumbled words to which she couldn't make out of.

"Listen, I have to go and arrange more plans for your marriage life, okay? Also because Woozi is having another argument with Hoshi right now, I'll call again later, alright?" She said.

Chewing on his lower lip, Jeno lets out a tired sigh. "Yeah." He mumbles out, "I have to go grocery shopping, I think, anyway. Bye mother." before he ends the call right after.

"I'll come with." A deep voice startles him from behind, turning around so fast he almost slips, regaining his composure the next second.

He glares at the person, "no thank you." He quickly rejects. Inserting his phone back in his pocket.

Jaemin clicks his tongue, "I'm not taking a 'no' for an answer." He said sternly.

The way he said it made Jeno gulp dryly, felt something else in his heart before he brushes it off and says. "Well too bad, I'm not five."

He walked passed the elder before he was grabbed by the elbow and pulled back to face the man, making him let out a squeak in return.

"Too bad, you're acting like one." Jaemin stares at him with a strict look, before adding off. "And I'm coming with you to help you, Jisung as well. I'm not leaving you alone out there."

Jeno managed to knit his eyebrows together to make him look atleast a little bit irritated, but in Jaemin's eyes, he looked adorable with the pretty shade of pink on his cheeks.

Don't tell Jeno he thought about that, he'd get hit or something if the younger ever found out.

"That's why we have bodyguards for a reason." He fakes a smile to mock the elder.

Jaemin rolls his eyes, "and that's also why I'm still coming with. They're your bodyguards, not your fiancè or husband." He grits his teeth.

Again, it's something about how the elder said it as if he was being protective or possessive about him, resulting that fast beating again in his heart.

Not like Jeno finds it somewhat hot. Ew, no. An asshole like Na Jaemin is not a good person to be attracted to.

As he was about to say something to make Jaemin finally give up and just back off, Jisung enters the room with his toy dinosaur in hand.

"Papa? What's going on?" He asks, completely confused of the scene he walked in to, his papa's elbow being held by that Mr. Na guy who's been living with them for a reason he still doesn't know of.

It was then where the two men realized the position they were in, the close distance made Jeno mad at himself for letting it happen and letting the elder go near him like this.

"Why didn't I push him earlier? Ugh, he's so fucking annoying!" He scolds himself silently.

Jaemin stumbles back a bit when the younger did push him away, the grip he had on the boy's elbow was forced to let go and he really didn't like that.

He wanted to hold Jeno close to him, be his shield, his knight, his home. But the younger wouldn't let that happen.

Just because of what happened years ago, the big mistake he did that resulted Jeno to get hurt. And grew so much hatred and held a grudge towards him.

He wants to fix that.

Hence, why he couldn't help but say– more like demanded, to come along with the younger on doing some groceries. With Jisung too.

He thinks it might be an opportunity, the first step he could take, to atleast spend some actual time with his family, instead of being pushed away and being in separate rooms unless it's time for bed.

It could be a small family thing, grocery shopping with his wife (don't ask, he claims he likes to call Jeno his wife and has confidently shared it to his parents, Mrs. Na was ecstatic.) And his son.

It still feels weird and shocking to call Jisung his son, not in a bad way of course, more like... Foreign. He's not used to it, but would love to along the way.

"Uhm, nothing, baby." Jeno forces out a smile and immediately approaches his little boy, crouching down to ruffle his hair. "Do you want to go on a grocery adventure with papa?" He asked to change the topic.

Jisung lights up at that, "yeah!" He bounces on his feet. He looks behind his papa's shoulder and tilts his head, "is Mr. Jaemin coming along?" He knits his eyebrows.

Curse this day, Jeno hates this. He shuts his eyes and bites back an irritated groan, already sensing a smile from Jaemin behind him. "Yeah..." He mumbles out in defeat.

"Why yes, Jisung. Your papa has asked me to join your grocery adventure, and hopefully we'll work together to finish our missions, yeah?" Jaemin spoke up, approaching them with a wide grin.

Jisung nods his head, looking at Jaemin up and down, scanning him as if he didn't know him. Well, in a sense, yeah.

"What will Mr. Jaemin do, papa?" He turns back to Jeno who sighs deeply.

Before he could answer his son's question, Jaemin answers it for him. "I'll be you and your papa's knight."

Jisung gasps at him softly, "I wanna be papa's knight too!" He squealed.

Jaemin smiles at him softly, "then we'll both be your papa's knight, shall we protect him really well, sir Jisung the knight?" He plays off.

The little boy nodded happily, "I'll fight the evil monsters who will hurt papa!" He said in determination.

Laughing, Jaemin reaches to ruffle his hair like how Jeno did, the little boy only smiles at him before Jeno tells him to go grab his small backpack so they could head off.

Watching Jisung run off to his bedroom and grab the said backpack, Jeno sighs and grabs his own small bag, walking out the room afterwards.

As he steps out, his breath hitched and his body flinched when he felt a hand on his lower back.

"I'll try to make it up to you by protecting you this time, sweetheart." Jaemin whispered, voice low right through his ear.

And Jeno officially hates himself for feeling his cheeks heating up.