I wake up to my head pounding, an empty bottle of vodka on the table and my face not on the couch. “About time you woke up,” I hear Mark’s voice boom. “I didn’t want to wake you up.” He says softer this time, a slightly pained tone to his voice. I’m taking it we both got pretty drunk last night. “Do you remember anything?”

“Not really,” I mutter getting up. Heading to the bathroom, I wave for Mark to follow me, “Dear god, how much did we drink?” I ask grasping my head. I try to think of what we did, trying to tell if we did anything we shouldn’t have or said things that should have been left unsaid. “I remember we were playing Truth.”

“Yeah, I remember that much, but once we got further into the game it kind of just goes.” Mark mutters, both of us stumbling down the hall. In the bathroom I pass him a bottle of ibuprofen. “I think we have some bread, we can have some toast.” I mutter swallowing two tablets handed to me.

“Sounds fine to me,” Mark mutters. “Is Julia usually home around now?” He questions as he looks around.

By the sounds of the apartment I’d say it’s just us. “Depends how much we do the night before when we hang out with the others. Dayoung, Julia and I will crash at Cheonmi’s apartment if we do a lot of drinking or something. If that’s the case Julia will probably spend the day there.” I explain quietly.

In the kitchen Mark and I attempt to make toast as quietly as possibly, keeping the lights off we fend off some of the harsher effects of the day after. “Is it alright if I just crash here for the day?” Mark mutters while eating his toast. “Or do you need the space?”

“Stay, it’s fine.” I mutter while shrugging my shoulders. “We should have ordered food before we left JYPE.” I say frowning slightly. “Anyways, if you can you can sleep in my bed, I’ll take Julia’s.” I say as I grab a bottle of water, happily drinking the contents. “I’m exhausted.” I mutter heading down the hall.

“You don’t mind?” Mark asks hesitantly.

I again shrug my shoulders. “So long as you don’t puke in my bed I really couldn’t care less.” I tell him simply. “Besides I’m pretty sure we’re both equally at fault for our current conditions.” I say while yawning. “Julia not being here just confirms that I don’t have schedule.” I murmur opening the door to our room. “This is my bed, I have some guy sweat pants, but they’re a small and some big shirts if you want to change.” I tell him as I pick out clothes for me to change into. “They’re my dance clothes, so they should be pretty comfortable.” I offer up. “I think I might have a pair of guy athletic shorts too, Julia and I bought a couple since Dayoung recommended them.” I explain as I pick a white tank with a navy blue anchor on it and then a pair of sleeping shorts.

“If you don’t mind,” Mark murmurs, when I look back at him I see him rubbing his head. I grab the shorts and a random big shirt and pass it to him. “I’ll change in the bathroom.” I tell him leaving the room and shutting the door behind me.

In the bathroom I brush my teeth and then change, mostly just to make sure Mark is done changing. By the time I head back the door to the room is open and Mark is sitting on the bed. “Thanks for the clothes.” He says gratefully.

I simply nod my head as I get in Julia’s bed. “If you leave while I’m asleep, just send me a text or wake me up so I know.” I tell him as I get comfortable under the covers.

“Sure thing,” Mark says mimicking me. “Though I kind of doubt I’ll wake up before you.” He says sounding much more comfortable now.

Turning over I face away from Mark and look at the wall instead. For a while I can’t sleep, I keep trying to think of what happened last night, a familiar yet distant feeling at the back of my head tells me that Mark and I did something we shouldn’t have. There isn’t any obvious evidence of whatever it was we did so I’m at a loss as to what it actually was. And if Mark knows, he isn’t sharing.

~~~

“Holy , think you could have texted me that you and Mark drank our good vodka?” Julia says waking me up, jolting awake I look to my bed where Mark is simply snuggling closer into the covers. I glance to Julia and get up groggily. “You guys drank a whole bottle together?” She asks this time; Mark gets up and looks around.

“Yeah, we did, trying to sleep it off.” I mutter stretching. “What time is it?” I ask while yawning, feeling much better with some sleep, though very hungry.

“Nearly midnight,” Julia says pointing to the clock on her half of the room. “I texted Jaebum and let him know you’re here, might as well stay for dinner, you can have that bed tonight too.” Julia says as Mark gets up as well, stretching as he does so.

We follow Julia into the kitchen where she’s ordered chicken and various other sides for dinner. “What did you guys end up doing?” Mark asks getting plates for us as I gesture towards the higher shelf.

“We went clubbing, but by the looks of it you both had way more to drink than any of us did.” She says smirking. “What happened to, I’m just gonna hang out solo?” Julia asks raising a brow to this.

“We lied,” Mark says simply. “Mel and I started talking again and headed back here. We were supposed to get dinner, but well you saw.”

“Yeah, Melody gave up her precious bed to you, so I’ll give you props Mark. Not just anyone can even look her bed.” Julia says smirking, both turn to me. “Well?”

“Christ, I’m hungry and hungover let me recover.” I mutter as I grab some chicken to put on my plate, walking to the table I take my seat and let out a content sigh as Julia places a cup of water in front of me. “I figured since we got drunk together, enough for me to black out parts of the night, I must like you enough to sleep in my own bed, plus I wasn’t sure how Jules would take to finding you in her bed.” I tell Mark and Julia, and then I happily drink the water.

I pick at my food eating slowly and happily. “Jaebum is gonna come and pick you up tomorrow morning, you have a schedule or something so it’ll be at nine or ten when he swings by.” Julia says taking her own seat, Mark on the other side of me.

“Thanks,” He says genuinely. “Did you stay with Cheonmi last night?”

Julia nods her head while she eats very lady like. “Yeah, I had a few too many to trust myself to drive home, it was that or calling Jiyong or someone to pick me up, and I wasn’t about to do that the state I’d been in, Dayoung and Cheonmi, they’re um, interesting when they aren’t puking drunk.” She says amusedly. “Anyways, I’d love to hear about you two.”

I glance to Mark and shrug my shoulders. “We get along on our own.” I say simply.

Mark nods his head to echo my answer. Julia however simply nods her head in a sort of I-can-hardly-believe-it-way. As we finish eating Julia gets up to get Mark the spare tooth brush and set up the bathroom for guest seeing as I didn’t, while we do the dishes. “She hates doing dishes.” I tell Mark while rolling my eyes.

“I noticed.” Mark says chuckling. “She did pretty much everything else.” He says looking at the clean counters and the food put away. “Are you sure I can take your bed?”

“Yeah, I’ll just share with Julia.” I say smirking. Mark matches my smirk, I find myself slightly entranced by happy and pleased Mark. “We must have gotten along last night.” I say quietly.

Mark looks at me questioningly as Julia comes back into the room. “Alright, so you can take a shower and I’ll get a load of laundry started so your other clothes are clean.” Said friend says happily. “Mel, will you take the trash out?” Mark thanks Julia as he goes while I grab the trash. Julia comes out with the rest of it and walks with me to the trash shoot. “You have bothered look. Did something happen?” Julia asks worriedly.

I nod my head as we head back to our apartment; I stop Julia in the entry hall. “Later,” I tell her simply when I hear my phone go off. After washing my hands I check to see who it is, my stomach drops seeing the missed call from Nichkhun. It’s strange, why wouldn’t I be excited?

“Mel, you can take your shower now.” Mark says sounding rather refreshed, as I look up I see him smiling at me.

“Yeah, thanks.” I say trying to figure out what has changed exactly between us. The relationship just seems a bit more off than it usually does and in a different kind of way that what it usually is. I pass by Mark calmly, though I don’t feel so calm, the chest pounding I can do without, especially when I have no idea what exactly is going on.

In the shower I try to think back to what exactly Mark and I were doing. I remember us drinking to avoid answering or explaining our answers to our game of Truth, but after a while I can’t really recall anything for certain. Just us asking questions neither of us wanted to answer, I don’t like blacking out like this.

It’s like part of me remembers but the other part of me won’t.

I wrap the towel around me, heading down the hall and to my room I stop short remembering why I was supposed to grab clothes. “I’ll wait in the living room,” Mark says getting up and exiting the bedroom quickly. “Sorry,” He mutters as he passes me.

I grab his arm stopping him in front of me. “You’d tell me if you remember anything from last night, right?” I ask feeling more bothered by not knowing than being in just a towel. “Mark, I remember you saying you know I’m seeing Nichkhun again.”

“And I remember you saying you’re not sure how the relationship works or what it is.” Mark mutters, flushing red while looking away from me. “I really don’t remember all that much.”

I let go of his arm, as Mark walks away I watch him. “Sorry, it’s just, I like knowing especially when it comes to you.” I say worried I’ve now messed up our tentative and very unbalanced friendship of sorts.

“It’s fine, but the same to you.” Mark says glancing back at me, his face still red. “Get some clothes on.” He says teasingly with a smirk as he heads back down the hall.

I chuckle rather enjoying this side of Mark, the friendly and joking Mark. I get dressed into a change of sleeping clothes. I then walk back out to the living room where Mark is texting on his phone and Julia is reading a book. “Jules can you toss me my phone?” I say holding my hands up for it. She tosses it haphazardly at me, I run to catch it, jumping over the side of the couch to crash into table to catch it; I would have if Mark hadn’t caught me by my waist to stop me from falling. “Julia!”

“What, you caught it.” She says smirking to me. “Besides I think this friendship you two have is rather interesting.” She says amusedly.

Mark’s hands readjust slightly, rubbing over my bare skin; a flash of his hands on me goes through my head, the same pleasurable jolt runs through my body. “Thanks Mark,” I say as I sit on the couch next to him.

“No problem,” He murmurs quietly. “Though if I were you I wouldn’t go diving head first to catch things over furniture in the future.” He says with a slight chuckle.

I just nod my head, dazed from the feeling of his hands on me, the way he’d so casually teased me, and his laugh. I get up and stick my tongue out at Julia. “I’ll have words with you when we don’t have a friend over.” I say jokingly.

“Yeah, I’d like to see you try, half-pint.” Julia says back just as teasingly.

I turn around and point at her. “You are like only half an inch taller than me!” I say accusingly. “It is hardly anything!” I say fired up from her tease.

“Cool down hot shot, wouldn’t want to pull my height or anything, but I’ll put you in line if I have to.” Julia continues to tease me rather happily.

I pout slightly and head back to the room calling Nichkhun as I go. “Hey, sorry I was doing some chores for my slave driver of a leader!” I call back to Julia.

“Rather sloppily too!” She cheers back, probably with a smirk.

Before I can answer Nichkhun’s laugh distracts me, but not in the I’m lost in it kind of way, in the it’s off putting and not quite the same kind of way, it doesn’t sound the same to me. “I see, well I’m glad to hear you alive and well. I just wanted to see how you’re doing. We didn’t get the chance to talk yesterday.” I walk into my bedroom and close the door.

“Yesterday as in Sunday or Saturday?” I ask curiously. “Because Sunday I was sleeping a hangover off,” I say dryly and not at all amused by the chuckle I get.

“Saturday, I ran into Jaebum and he said that you’d ditched them to go off on your own.” Nichkhun says sounding a bit worried. This had been one of the only things I dislike about dating, people checking up on me, seeing what I’m doing, by accident or not.

“Checking in on me,” I ask not bothered, but not happy about it either, neutrally, though I know it doesn’t come out that way. “Why?”

Nichkhun lets out a sigh. “Because it happened to come up with him, no need to get so defensive.” He says seriously. “I’m a bit worried that you had a hangover since you mentioned it.”

“I was just hanging out in the dorm, no need to fret.” I say simply, I choose to ignore the short tone he’d used with me. “And I wasn’t getting defensive. I was just asking.”

“Yeah, I get it. Freedom, we’re not actually dating, I know Melanie.” Nichkhun says letting out a long and tired sigh. “Look, I just called to talk to you, not argue.”

I click my tongue, a bad habit of mine, as I take a seat on Julia’s bed. I’m annoyed by Nichkhun’s obvious jab at my hesitance to be in an actual relationship, to define what we’re doing. “No, no, let’s talk about that. It’s obviously bothering you.” I snipe, peeved.

“Not over the phone Melanie.” Nichkhun says in his I’m-older-than-you-and-know-better voice, the one he used to keep me from causing a lot of trouble back when I was still a trainee. “Not like this.”

“Fine, night,” I say annoyed by how I’d acted, by how Nichkhun acted, but mostly that I didn’t at all feel like Nichkhun and I were who we are when we talk. I hang up before Nichkhun can say anything else. Setting the phone down I lean back onto the covers, I place my hands over my face trying to hold in the feelings, I push them away. After a few moments they’re gone and I’m not nearly as irritated.

I hear a knock on the door, Mark. “Come in,” I call; I bite my lip a bit nervously as he enters. “Was I loud?” I ask letting out a sigh.

“Not particularly,” Mark says taking a seat. “It was mostly muffled, but you did sound kind of angry.” He says honestly as Julia comes in, she however doesn’t acknowledge and sit on her bed. “Anyways, see you in the morning.” He mutters lying back down on my bed under the covers.

I lay back and stare at the ceiling for a bit, I have a hard time falling asleep. This time sleep isn’t restful at all.

“Are you alright Mel?” Julia whispers her hand wrapped around me, she sounds worried. “You’ve been muttering in your sleep.”

“I’m just going to get some water.” I say getting up, giving her hand a squeeze, grabbing my phone as I go I leave the room silently. I walk through the dark halls into the kitchen, grabbing a glass I pour some water into from the pitcher we have.

I feel almost haunted by not remembering Saturday night. I know something happened, I know I started drinking because I talked about Theo, I know that Mark and I made Truth into a drinking game, I know that Mark knows somehow that Nichkhun and I are seeing each other again, and I know that I’m not so sure that’s what I want now.

“You look torn,” Julia says coming out, I turn to see her entering the kitchen. “Mark and I overheard bits of what you said.” She says quietly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t know what I want anymore.” I tell her simply. “I don’t know how it even happened, but I don’t know and I don’t like not knowing. I don’t like it at all.” I mutter letting out a heavy sigh. “Why would it suddenly be like this?” I ask her quietly.

Julia comes over to me and wraps an arm around me. “I don’t know, it is unlike you,” Julia says while rubbing my arm comfortingly. “Mel, sometimes people just get a bit lost. Things might seem better tomorrow or even next week.”

“I hope so,” I mutter as I lead us back to our room, I let Julia get in first. I sleep facing Mark this time. I dream about how his hands had felt on my waist, how nice it felt, the warmth, and how smooth they are. Why would that be familiar to me, when would Mark’s hands been on my like that before? The only time would have been Saturday when we were absolutely wasted. It sort of hits me, flashes of Mark kissing me, me kissing Mark, his hands running along my torso, mine on his.

I jolt awake, I get up and walk across the room, and I tug on Mark’s arm. It’s early; the sun is already up so he needs to wake up anyways. I press my fingers to my lips and nod for Mark to follow me out of the room. I head out first waiting in the hall for him.

He does so after a few minutes, I fight the amusement of why he’s probably waiting to follow. “What?” Mark mutters, following me out to the living room I stare at him for a moment. “What?” He repeats a bit grumpily.

“We kissed,” I say not bothering to beat around the bush, Mark looks fairly surprised before nodding his head a bit dazed. Saying it aloud like this also reinforces why I’d been so short with Nichkhun about something that would just mildly annoy me ordinarily.

“Now what then?” Mark asks sighing slightly. “Are you going to talk to Nichkhun about this?” He asks hesitantly, he watches me warily.

“I’ll have to.” I say quietly. “I just, I wanted to be sure.” I say quietly. “I want to be sure it was a memory and not a dream.” I say stepping closer. Mark gives me a quizzical look as I continue forward, I peck his lips, soft and in fact very kissable, and I pull away and bite my lip. “Sorry, that was just,” I mutter trying to figure all this out.

“It’s fine,” Mark says quietly. “Anyways, I’m going to get ready to leave.” I nod my head and watch him go.

I walk back to my room, throwing my clothes off, I change into a pair of jeans and a plain dark grey t-shirt. Tossing my hair into a bun, I take my turn in the bathroom before I head to slip some shoes on. I send Julia a text saying I’ll be out for a bit and I’ll meet her at the studio. “Mark,” I say catching his attention. “I’m gonna head out first, we better get along next time we hang out.” I say pointing at him.

“Sounds fine to me,” He says watching me go. I head down the hall. My mind made up about one thing for sure. 

Oho, another chapter completed my friends.
I hope you guys enjoy. (: