Sometime later your eyes fluttered open. You heard the flush of the toilet in the ensuite and glanced at the clock quickly.
11pm
Before the bathroom door opened you faced the wall again and feigned sleep hoping Mark wouldn’t feel the need to wake you.
You knew you should tell him how this trip was making you feel but bringing him down to your level wasn’t exactly something you wanted to do. Ruining his trip would only push him further away.
Everything would be fine as soon as you got back to Korea where Mark would miss his family so much he’d have no choice but to love you.
A sigh left you lips slowly. Even as you said the words your stomach dropped. You didn’t want Mark to be unhappy.
He felt him slide under the covers with you and his hand fell gently onto your side. He gripped your hip a little before bringing his arm around you fully and squeezing you tight against him.
You had to stop the cry that threatened to leave your lips. How could he want to be so close to you yet alienate you so much.
You felt him nuzzle against your back and the raise and fall of his chest before you slowly turned in his arm. Mark had this amazing ability to fall asleep almost instantly so you weren’t bothered about waking him.
Maybe you’d been wrong about him not caring about you. Maybe he was just overexcited about seeing his family you slipped his mind for a second. But then again the way he acted towards you earlier…
You lifted his hand slowly and tucked it under his chin before sliding down to the bottom of the bed before grabbing a pair of socks. The room was so quiet that his sudden husky voice made you jump slightly.
‘Where are you going?’ his eyebrows pulled together as you got off the bed.
‘Jeez Mark give me a heart attack why don’t you’ you breathed deep with your hand on your heart.
'… sorry’ he shifted awkwardly and sat up.
‘I’m gonna go sleep on the couch’ you stated and headed for the door.
‘But why?’ he brought his shoulders up in a shrug and lay back against the headboard. He was still frowning and as confused as he was right now you really couldn’t fathom how he hadn’t noticed the distance between you both.
‘There are too many answers to that question Mark and I don’t feel like going through them with you’
'What does that mean?’ He stared at you with his perfect eyes making you feel so exposed that you had to avert you gaze.
It dawned on you that this was the first conversation you’d had with him since you got there. It didn’t even have a nice topic. You should have been wrapping his arms around you and squeezing him, letting him know how much you cared. But why should you. He hadn’t hadn’t exactly shown you affection these past few days and now he wants you. Or at least he wants you in his way. Not the way he normally does. A tear came to your eye which you quickly erased with your hand.
'You really haven’t noticed have you?’ You halved the pitch of your voice but he still heard loud and clear.
'Noticed what?’
'When did we last speak. I can’t remember’
He laughed and became lost in thought.
'Yesterday. I asked you about our old school’ you nodded and smiled slightly.
Mark had asked you about that 4 days ago. The day you arrived actually. He really hadn’t noticed. ’_____. -ah what’s up?’ You shook your head and smiled.
'Nothing I’m just gonna sleep downstairs’ and then you took off muttering something about it being to hot in the bedroom.

The living room was quiet as you made your make shift bed out of blankets and pillows Marks parents kept in the closet under the stairs. You fanned out one more sheet before throwing a pillow at one end and a bigger cushion at the other. If you hadn’t been working in such silence you might not have heard Marks footsteps in the hall. But you were so you did.
'Mark stop hiding. You were never that good at it as a child’ you spoke without directing you gaze at him and smiled slightly.
'You were never that good at hiding either’ you frowned in confusion and faced him.
'What are you talking about I was awesome at hiding’
'Maybe… but you could never hide anything from me’ you dropped the smile and gulped when the deeper meaning behind his words set in. ’____-ah-’
'Please don’t do that Mark’ It came out as a beg more than just a request.
'Do what?’
'Say my name like you’re on my side’
'I wasn’t aware there were sides’
'Well there are’ you said matter of fact.
'Right… so me and you vs my parents?’ You shook your head. 'Vs your parents?’ Again you shook it. 'Vs my sibli-’
'Vs you… Me vs you, Mark’
'Sorry you lost me… why are we fighting?’ You threw the sheet down about to give him a piece of your mind but the look on his face prevented you.
'Never mind. Just leave it’ Mark nodded but stayed put. You threw another cover down. And another until you became to impatient to ignore him. You stared at him incredulously and he shrugged.
'What?’
'Err bed’ You scoffed.
'Are you coming up?’ He pointed to the stairs and your eyebrows pulled together.
'No Mark I’m not… I’m sleeping here’
'Well I’ll stay with you’ you placed a hand against his chest when he came towards you and pushed slightly.
'You obviously can’t take a hint’ he continued to stare at you like you were insane until you pushed him further towards the stairs.
'I can’ he insisted and looked  down at your hand that lay gently against his chest. 'I was just hoping you’d change your mind’ you sighed and hung your head.
'Mark…’
‘I read your diary…’ You blinked at him, slightly confused until the words set in. There were flashbacks of you leaving it on his desk before you fell asleep. How stupid of you to leave an unlocked book within Marks reach.
'You read my diary! What the hell Mark that’s like friendship 101. You don’t read their diaries’
'Which rule is that? Does it come after tell your best friend everything or before, I forget?’
'Are you actually trying to tell me how to be a friend?’ You in a breath, ready to put him in his place. 'For 5 years-’
'You’ve been a safety net for me… I know’ you stuttered and cleared your throat.
'I was going to say a rock but whatever. No ones keeping score’ you flicked your hands out and bit the inside of your cheek.
'But I am. I am keeping score ____-ah. I’ve been keeping score since before you moved to Korea’
'Keeping score on what?’ You scrunched your nose up and pulled you eyebrows together.
'You, me… us’
'Our friendships not a competition Mark’ you stated feeling a little sick at the thought of him keeping count of all the times you’d been nice or evil to him.
'And it never will be but you can’t deny that you’re a better person than I’
'Watch me’ you laughed and frowned again. 'How many Maths classes did you pull me through’ you stated before smiling.
'How many Korean lessons did you give me and not once did you ever get angry at me?’ He retaliated and you huffed.
'You stopped that girl from hitting me’
'You took me in when I moved to Korea’
'Rather then letting you sleep on the streets yeah’
'Exactly. I could have just let that girl bully you. Heck I could have watched you crash and burn in Maths class… but I chose not to. Because at the end of the day ____-ah we have a choice to be together and you’ve never left my side’
'I left to go to Korea’
'Yeah but I let you leave because it was for your own good’
'Is there anything I’ve done to you that’s bad’
'Yeah… you didn’t tell me I’d hurt you’
'Because I didn’t want to hurt you’
'You’re stubborn’
'You’re persistent’
'And we go hand in hand’ he laughed and you couldn’t help but smile back. Mark looked you over before sighing and cupped your face gently. 'Why didn’t you tell me?’ You brought your shoulders up in a shrug.
‘You are… my Mark. I am fully prepared to hurt anyone who tries to take you away from me but when that…  when the perpetrator is you I don’t know what I’m supposed to do… do I hold up a front and act as strong as you. Act as though our silence means nothing to me. Like I can go a day or two without speaking to you’
‘You can go a day wi-‘
‘Not after you moved to Korea I can’t. I haven’t been able to go more than 24 hours without speaking to you. You’re telling me that you don’t notice the space?’ Mark signed and raised  his eyebrow. 'I just wanted to be near you but I couldn’t pull you away from your family or your friends. I’m not like that Mark’ you blinked and felt a few stray tears fall. 'You haven’t needed me since we got here so I just… stayed away’
'Okay first of all I will always need you. I’ve needed you back when we were 10, I need you now I am 21 and believe me I’m gonna need you when I’m 70’ he your face and sighed. 'I didn’t think you were happy here’ you looked at him with a quizzical gaze. 'Korea runs through your veins I can understand if your homesick’
'It may be in my blood but its not where my family is. Where my home is. I want to be happy here Mark but I started missing having you to myself’ your cheeks grew warmer having admitted something so selfish. Every opportunity Mark got to see his family was a great one. For him and for you. He noticed how flustered you were and smiled.
'My parents are kinda clingy at the minute. Do you know my moms kissed my face about 40 times today’ he laughed and shrugged. 'I was hoping you’d be awake when I got up but I guess you got sick of waiting for me… so I did the next best thing’
'What was that?’ You breathed.
'I wrapped my arm around you and held you. Kinda keeps me grounded’ you bottom lip trembled and you nodded.
'Okay’
'Okay what?’ Marks eyebrows pulled together in confusion.
’… I forgive you’ you smiled and pushed up on tiptoes to feel his lips against yours. You loved the slight hesitation from Mark because it meant you’d taken him by surprise yet again.
'Will you come to bed now?’ he asked burrowing his eyebrows.
'Nah I think I’ll sleep here still’
'What?!’ Mark looks at you incredulously as you burst out laughing and placed your hands against his chest again.
'I’m joking. Jeez don’t get your knickers in a twist’ you slapped his arm gently and sniggered.
'Don’t get my kn- who do you think you’re talking to’ he grabbed you and slipped his arm under your legs before carrying you off to his bedroom all the while you were trying your hardest not to scream.