Mark

"You're gay" he asked softly, Jackson never spoke softly.

He could only nod, scared to death of what his best friend would say.

"Oh" Jackson choked out "uhm"

"But that doesn't make me a different person" he tried.

"But how can I know you won't try to hit on me" Jackson asked in an uncertain tone.

"I'm your best friend" he said, but it sounded more like it was a question.

"Uhm yeah" he said scratching his head "I''ll er, I'll see you later I guess" he said and he hastily walked off.

He sighed and sunk down against the nearest wall he could find. First his parents, and now his best friend. He had hoped Jackson could accept it, but people around here weren't easy with those kinds of things. Back home it wouldn't have been a problem. He buried his face in his hands and sighed again.

His body felt heavy and tired as realisation sunk down on him. He had just lost his best friend. He felt like he wanted to cry and at the same time he felt too tired to even lift a finger. He didn't want to go home. His parents had finally started talking to him again but they just completely ignored the topic, like it was a phase he would grow out of, like he had never even said a word about it.

He got up and stalked out of school, his hands buried deep inside his pockets. He kept walking with no fixed destination. He passed couples holding hands and people walking their dogs, all looking happy. Their lives were normal, they weren't odd like he was, they didn't have to be afraid of being themselves. He halted in front of a small pub. He hesitated for a moment and stepped inside.

He dropped himself on a stool in front of the bar. The barman threw him a look and slowly came his way.

"Can I get you anything" he asked with an awfully cheery smile. He only shook his head and hid a little deeper into his jacket. The barman gave him another strange look and turned away.

"No wait" he said "uhm, a coffee please."

The barman nodded and dissapeared again. Minutes later he pushed a steaming mug of coffee towards Mark and left again. He sighed and took a small sip. The heat of the coffee warmed his body, but he couldn't help but still feel cold. He had no idea how long he was sat there, but it felt like he had finished his coffee ages ago.

"Mark… Mark Tuan?" He heard someone ask behind him. He turned his head slightly and came face to face with a tall handsome boy with dark hair and eyes that were watching him carefully. He looked familiar.

"Uh, I'm Jinyoung, we have chemistry together" the boy, Jinyoung said slowly "and math…. and English, uh and Korean" he continued.

"Yeah, I know who you are" he answered the mumbling boy.

"I just saw you and uh- are you okay" he asked examining Mark's face closely.

"Yeah, I'm fine" he answered.

He knew Jinyoung, one might say he even took a liking for him at some point. Of course he would never admit that. People hated people like him. He still couldn't help it though, Jinyoung was undoubtedly extremely handsome.

"It's getting late and they're closing soon" Jinyoung informed him. He hummed slightly.

"You don't have anywhere to go" Jinyoung stated almost factually. Right, how could he forget, Jinyoung was also incredibly, and very attractively, smart.

"No not really" he admitted with a sigh, looking away from Jinyoung's intense gaze. It stayed silent for a while.

"If you want, you don't have to of course, you could stay with me if you really have nowhere to go" he offered with a straight voice. He looked back at Jinyoung who didn't look nervous or guilty at all even though his offer seemed quite out of the blue. They didn't know each other well and he didn't understand why Jinyoung would offer something like that so easily.

"Oh no, that's not necessary, thanks" he quickly said. What if Jinyoung found out. It would be better to not get involved at all.

"Alright" Jinyoung answered "just remember I have the space if you need it" he added with a smile before slowly walking out of the pub. He stared ahead of himself blankly. Then it dawned on him. Even if he didn't want to go home, he couldn't. There was no one there. His parents were out of town for the week and didn't want him staying home alone. He would have been staying with Jackson but…

He shot up and charged out of the pub. In no time he reached the black haired boy.

"Hey Jinyoung" he called making the other turn around "is that offer still valid" he asked and Jinyoung smiled at him and nodded softly. He quickly reached him and they continued walking.

"Do you live alone" he asked, actually very curious about Jinyoung's situation.

"Yeah" Jinyoung said with a little sigh "my parents are away for work often so they decided to get me my own place. My uncle's here to look after me, he owns the pub" he said.

"Do you like it" he asked. Jinyoung didn't sound like he was extremely content with the idea of having his own place.

"Well, it's okay. The first weeks were great, but I guess after a while it just starts feeling kind of lonely" he admitted. He hummed in agreement.
"Here it is"

They arrived in front of a huge apartment building that was, by the looks of it, pretty expensive.

"This is where you live" he asked in disbelief. Hardly anyone of their age owned their own place, let alone something this expensive.

Jinyoung huffed almost uncomfortably, the confidence from just a while ago gone completely.

"Like I said, my parents arranged it" he uttered coldly.

From what he could tell Jinyoung also didn't really get along with his parents. It felt more like they had set the whole thing up and Jinyoung was to accept it, without question.

"Are you sure you're okay with me staying over. I mean it's kind of last minute and you barely even know me. It's fine if you're not, I'll figure somethig out" he quickly filled the growing silence.

Jinyoung looked at him with a small smile that lit up his features.

"Of course, this way you get a place to stay and I don't have to be so alone for a few days. It's not like I don't have the space anyway" he stated. He smiled a little too.

"Thank you" he said quietly. It was safe to say his trust in people wasn't doing that well lately. He decided that whatever happened, he would avoid Jinyoung finding out about him at all costs. He wasn't about to ruin the only chance at maybe making another friend. He seemed to need it after all.

Jinyoung just nodded and disappeared into the building.

He followed after taking another quick look around.

~

Jinyoung

Mark followed him inside quickly. He seemed a lot more comfortable around him already. He came across as being a trusting person, naive even, but he could be wrong. He contemplated what he was doing over and over. Was this really a smart idea?

When he had seen him in the pub he had immediately recognized him. How could you not, he was hard to miss with his light hair and high cheekbones. The look on his face had put him off though. He knew that look. It was one of sadness, despair and hopelessness, he had looked lost, hiding himself in his jacket as if to escape the world. It was a look he had seen on himself often.

Asking him to stay over was the first thing that had come to his mind. Mark took it surprisingly well, he had just expected him to decline immediately, knowing that he and Mark never really talked. He admitted he hadn't really thought it through and now he was considering whether he really was prepared for someone else living with him, even if it was only shortly.

He quickly turned the key and swung his door open, Mark lingering closely behind him. He stalked in, casually dropping his shoes at the door and hanging up his coat. He hoped Mark understood to do the same as he continued into the apartment.

Mark awkwardly wavered at the door seemingly unsure of what to do.

"You can sit down if you want, make yourself comfortable" he said as he moved into the kitchen trying to decide on tea or coffee.

"Would you like something to drink" he shouted waiting for a reply. Suddenly Mark hopped into the kitchen as well, looking around him intently

"Er" he hesitated. He still seemed slightly uncomfortable.

"Look, if you feel uncomfortable in any way you should tell me and we'll figure something out. I could just take you home, it's no big deal" he rambled, turning to face him. Mark frowned a little at the mention of home.

He internally scolded himself as he remembered Mark saying he had nowhere to go. Home was probably not even an option.

"No it's fine" he said sadly, lifting himself on the counter "I can't go home because I can't really get in, my parents are out of town. I was supposed to stay over at a friend's house but…" he paused. He raised an eyebrow.

"They cancelled last minute" he finally shrugged.

He nodded lightly. It didn't seem like Mark was telling the truth but it wasn't in his place to pry.

"I have tea, coffee or water, and maybe coke in the fridge" he stated as he rummaged through his cabinets.

"Coffee is fine" Mark said quietly. He had a delicate voice, almost always sounding soft when he spoke. He couldn't help the shivers that ran down his back occasionally.

He went to making coffee feeling Mark's eyes burn on his back.

"Hey, sorry to ask, but why did you offer me to stay so easily" Mark asked all of a sudden.

"I don't know" he answered honestly, keeping his eyes on the coffee "I just thought you could use a place to stay" he shrugged.

"Well thank you" he said in his soft tone. Honestly Mark was as clueless as he was. It was true they barely knew each other and hardly ever spoke, so asking him to stay over was not really the first thing he'd think of doing. It kind of just…. Happened. It stayed silent for a while as he finished the coffee.

"So, tell me something about yourself" he said as he turned around with Mark's mug. He immediately wrapped his hands around it and stared into the dark liquid.

"What would you like to know" he asked looking up at him.

Multiple questions ran through his mind. Why was he out all alone? Did his friend really just cancel on him? What did his parents do that needed them out of town for a week? Was he really okay?

But he decided to settle on something light.

"Like, what are your hobbies?" He only realised how lame the question really was after he'd already asked it but Mark didn't seem to mind.

"Uh I like swimming I guess" he muttered after sipping his coffee.

"Really" he asked, hoisting himself on the counter as well "you're not on the team are you" he asked sipping his own coffee. Mark shook his head lightly.

"No, I'm sure they wouldn't want people like-" he stopped mid-sentence.

"People like what" he asked curiously. Maybe Mark had a medical condition that didn't allow him to swim.

"No it's nothing. I just don't really have time for it is all" Mark mumbled and stared back into his mug.

"How about you? Do any sports" he quickly asked, easily directing the conversation towards him.

"I'm a little more focussed on my studies at the moment but I do love dancing" he admitted. His parents would never accept less than perfect scores, so even if he loved dancing, it had to wait. Mark nodded. He wasn't awfully talkative but he didn't mind, the silence wasn't uncomfortable.

"You can stay in my bed, I'll sleep on the couch" he said, eyeing the living room couch silently. Mark's eyes followed his.

"Are you sure, I'm still your guest, I could sleep on the couch too" he argued.

"Yes exactly, you're my guest, you get the bed" he stated.

They argued for a while until Mark gave in and allowed Jinyoung to take the couch. Mark smiled a little. He liked Mark's smile a lot more than the aggravated look he seemed to wear often.

He hopped off the counter and placed his mug in the sink. After he showed Mark his room he went into the living room, pulling some blankets towards the couch. He heard Mark shuffle behind him. He turned around to see him hopping from foot to foot uncomfortably.

"I- uh, I didn't bring any clothes" he said quietly "or anything else for that matter" he continued with an awkward smile.

"Oh it's fine, I always have extra stuff laying around, and if you don't mind you can borrow some of my clothes"

"Yes, that would- that would be great" Mark said with a huff.

"Hey, relax, it's fine. I told you you could stay here, whatever you may need is my concern not yours" he said with an easy smile. He was trying his best to make Mark feel comfortable but he didn't seem as well trusting as he had initially thought.

He quickly walked past him and into his room, pulling out clothes for Mark to wear and then hustled* into the bathroom.

He sighed when he finally settled down on the couch.

This was going to be a strange week.

~

Mark

He woke up in a strange bed, in strange clothes, the scent of food wafting into the unfamiliar room. It took him a moment to realise this was Jinyoung's apartment. He sighed and snuggled into the covers a little deeper. Maybe if he went back to sleep again he'd wake up at Jackson's and yesterday never happened.

He heard shuffling and the sound of the door opening.

"Ah, you're up. I made breakfast in case you wanted it" Jinyoung's melodious voice floated through the room. As much as he didn't want to admit it it put him at ease, which was probably the reason he'd been able to convince him to stay. He finally decided to sit up, realising how rude he was being.

"Yeah, that sounds great" he managed to say as he climbed out of bed. He yawned deeply* and stretched his arms above his head. He heard Jinyoung chuckle before heading back into the kitchen. He flushed a little and pulled his shirt back down.

He walked into the kitchen just as Jinyoung put a plate down on the table. He pushed a mug towards him and he stared down into the black liquid.

"Thanks again for letting me stay" he said, looking back at Jinyoung. Jinyoung simply smiled and sat down.

They ate breakfast in silence.

~

He stared at his tray with food, not really registering anything.

Jackson had simply ignored him the entire day. He had not even as much as looked at him. He rubbed his face with his hands.

"Hey, are you sitting alone" Jinyoung's voice filtered through his thoughts. He looked up at a curious looking Jinyoung.

"Yeah" he sighed out. Jinyoung placed his tray down opposite from him and sat down. He tilted his head a little.

"If you don't mind me asking, did something happen between you and Jackson, you're usually inseparable" Jinyoung mentioned as he picked at his food. He stared at him, a little shocked. Jinyoung was awfully perceptive.

"It's nothing" he said after a while. He wasn't about to tell Jinyoung his best friend now despised him because he was gay. Jinyoung looked up at him with a look that told him be didn't believe him but he didn't ask any further.

Suddenly Jinyoung waved at someone and a heavy body dropped himself in the chair next to Jinyoung.

"Man, I'm wrecked" the guy said as he leaned back in his chair dangerously. Jinyoung chuckled and he couldn't help but smile. It was only then that the guy noticed him.

"Oh, sorry" he uttered slightly embarrassed.

"Mark, this is Jaebum, my self-proclaimed best friend" Jinyoung said with a smile. He nodded as Jaebum waved at him.

"You're in some of my classes right" Jaebum asked as he stole the apple from Jinyoung's tray. He nodded again as Jinyoung smacked Jaebum's arm.

"How'd you guys meet" he asked with a mouth full of food. He gave Jinyoung a desperate look.

"He was at the pub yesterday" Jinyoung explained, not going into further detail. Jaebum only nodded. Jinyoung shot him a reassuring smile.

He felt like Jinyoung knew something but he shook it off quickly.

Of course he didn't.

~

Jinyoung

He was waiting outside of school. He had forgotten to ask how late Mark finished and had realised too late he had to take him home. He sighed as he sank down on the sidewalk, staring at the passing cars.

Suddenly a body dropped next to his.

"You were waiting for me" Mark stated. It wasn't a question. He nodded and they sat in silence.

"What do you do after school" Mark asked curiously. He turned his head to look at him, wrapping his arms around his legs.

"I usually go to the pub, I help my uncle out sometimes" he answered. He didn't like going back to the cold, lonely apartment. He was fine with being by himself but being there too long drove him crazy.

"Does he pay you"

He chuckled softly.

"Sometimes, I don't work there after all" he admitted. He got up and dusted his clothes. He stuck out his hand for Mark to take.

"Let's go"

~

Another day had passed with Mark living with him. It had only been two nights but he hated to admit he was already getting used to his company. He couldn't imagine what it would be like when he went back home. He would come back to an empty apartment every day. Just like he always had.

He sighed a little as he threw his bag on the couch and dropped himself next to it. Mark sat down carefully. He still didn't seem used to living with him completely. They had talked a little from time to time, Mark continuously thanking him for letting him stay over. Still he felt like he barely knew anything about Mark. He wasn't a very open person.

But neither was he.

"Did you know it's Halloween today" Mark said as he looked up from his phone. He was slightly startled, Mark was never the first to start a conversation.

"Uh, no I didn't" he admitted "do you celebrate?"

Mark sighed softly.

"Back in America we would, but here it's not such a big deal"

He often forgot that Mark actually came from America. It made him wonder why they'd moved here.

"Do you miss it" he asked, sitting up straight and crossing his legs. Mark also dragged his legs onto the couch and rested his head on his knees. He sighed again.

"Yeah, of course I do"

"Why did you guys move" he asked curiously. Mark smiled a little sadly.

"Back in America we didn't really have a stable situation. We were constantly moving, my mom working multiple jobs to support the family. Eventually my mom and dad set up their own little company. It grew beyond expectation and apparently Korea was a better market for the products they sell. We had lived here before when I was really young and my parents decided this was a good time to come back"

"Is that why they're out of town so often" he asked. He was surprised Mark had told him this much. He understood Mark's situation, his parents were out working more often than they were home. Mark only nodded.

"So what did you usually do to celebrate Halloween" he decided to ask. A fond smile crept onto Mark's face, flooding his features with nostalgia.

"Do you know what trick or treating is" he asked with a big smile. He nodded. "Me and my siblings used to go around town the entire night, collecting as much candy as we could. When we were done we'd settle in the living room and watch scary movies, or at least the ones our parents let us watch" he explained. Sadness crept onto his face as he realised that he wouldn't be doing anything like that anymore.

"How about we go to the nearest convenience store, get a ton of candy and watch scary movies tonight" he suggested. Mark looked at him in surprise.

"Really, you'd do that" he asked in disbelief. He usually didn't see the use if celebrating Halloween but if it would make Mark happy.

"Yeah of course"

"What about your homework"

"It can wait" he stated. He could see that Mark understood how big of a deal putting homework aside was for him but for some reason he felt more like watching movies with Mark than doing homework for once.

But he nodded happily and jumped off the couch.

"Let's go then, before you change your mind" he said happily. He shook his head slightly and followed him outside.

~

He felt warm and cosy, stuffed with candy and Mark snuggled closely against him. Somewhere during the second movie Mark had buried his head in his shoulder and he hadn't moved from the position since. He had fallen asleep quickly after.

He looked at Mark's sleeping figure. He looked peaceful, with his beautiful eyes closed and his hair falling in his face. He was one handsome human being. There was no denying he had gotten attached to the older's presence and it made him feel almost scared every time he realised there was going to be a point that Mark would leave and he'd be alone again.

He didn't mind the older snuggling against him. And Mark hadn't seemed to mind when he put an arm around him and rubbed his back reassuringly. He had never been this close and cosy with any of his other friends and the thought of it threw him off, but with Mark he didn't mind. Not at all.

He rested his head on Mark's and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.

~

Mark

He woke up snuggled closely against Jinyoung. Their close position startled him and he leaped from the couch quickly. His sudden movement seemed to wake Jinyoung up and he yawned widely. He stared at him with wide eyes. He hadn't meant to cling onto him like that it had just happened. He remembered last night and a big smile crept onto his face. The smile quickly faded as he realised what Jinyoung would think of him after the way he had clung to him. He had really screwed up this time.

"Good morning" Jinyoung muttered rubbing his face.

"Morning" he said quietly. To say he was terrified was an understatement, he was likely to lose his only place to stay. But Jinyoung didn't say anything as he stood up from the couch.

"Coffee" Jinyoung asked making him jump.

"Yeah sure" he stuttered. Jinyoung scratched his neck as he scanned the living room. They'd made quite the mess.

"Would you mind tidying up a bit" he asked pointing at the bags and pillows scattered everywhere.

"No of course"

Jinyoung smiled at him brightly and disappeared into the kitchen.

He turned away, astonished, and sighed in relief. He was good.

For now.

~

He stalked through the hallways, his head hung low.

"Hey Mark" he suddenly heard someone call behind him. He recognized the voice but it didn't sound friendly like it always had. He turned around slowly.

"What's up" Jackson purred venomously**. He lifted his chin slightly.

"Nothing you'd like to know" he stated coldly. Jackson chuckled deeply.

"I heard you're staying with that loner Jinyoung, found yourself a new boyfriend I see" Jackson spat. He looked around nervously to see if anyone had heard them. Jackson seemed to notice his discomfort and chuckled again.

"Don't tell me he doesn't know" Jackson said sweetly as he took a few steps towards him. He unconsciously started backing away. He couldn't believe he felt threatened by the person who had once been his best friend. The look in his eyes must have betrayed him.

"I'd be careful if I were you Mark" Jackson said softly as he stalked past him.

He stood frozen as he followed him with his eyes.

That, that was definitely a threat.

~

He stared up at the ceiling, wide awake. He hadn't been able to sleep after what had happened at school. The scent of Jinyoung's bedding was slightly comforting but it hadn't managed to calm him down enough, it felt unfamiliar again, like it had the first night. He sighed as he rolled over and buried his face in Jinyoung's pillow. He wished he could bury it in Jinyoung's shoulder instead but he knew that that was never going to be an option.

His best friend, threatening him like that.

He sighed again and dragged himself out of bed. He had no idea what he was going to do and had to stay quiet because Jinyoung was probably sleeping peacefully in the other room. Staying in bed just didn't seem like the better option right now.

He quietly opened the door and slipped into the little hallway. He knew the doors in the kitchen led to a small balcony and decided that would be his best shot.

He tip-toed through the hallway and into the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible. He was shocked to see Jinyoung sitting on the balcony, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, head resting against the wall and his eyes closed.

"Can't sleep" he asked quietly. Jinyoung's eyes shot open as he jumped a little. He held back a tiny chuckle.

"God you startled me" Jinyoung said "I guess I'm still not used to not being alone anymore" he mumbled quietly. He smiled at him and sat down against the other wall and sighed out quietly.

"Why can't you sleep" he asked softly, not wanting to break the quiet atmosphere. It was so dark he could barely make out Jinyoung's face but he heard him sigh deeply.

"I usually stay up late studying. It kind of messed with my sleeping schedule" Jinyoung explained. He nodded even though Jinyoung probably couldn't see.

"You?"

"It's nothing" he said softly. There was no way he'd tell the younger about what Jackson had told him at school, because that would mean telling him he was- he was. Whatever.

"You say that a lot you know"

He stayed silent. He realised Jinyoung took his studies very seriously, even putting aside hobbies so he could focus on his grades more. It bugged him to see how much it affected the younger.

"Do your parents pressure you to do well in school" he asked carefully. Jinyoung's head left the wall and he looked at him with sharp eyes.

"Sorry if that was too much of a personal question, it's just you don't seem to get along well and you're so focussed on your studies that I-"

"It's fine" Jinyoung interrupted.

"You say that a lot too" he said with an awkward chuckle.

"You're right" he continued quietly. He liked the sound of the younger's voice, even if he was talking about subjects like these.

"We don't get along all too well. We were never close. I grew up around nannys and tutors, my studies always taking first place. I guess I'm used to it now" he shrugged "I mean if they're out for work so often they think it's necessary to get me my own place then-"

He looked at him intently. Their situations were not all too different. It was just that he didn't talk to his parents anymore because he told them who he was. What he was. They used to be close but that really seemed to be a thing of the past.

"I'm sorry" he whispered for a lack of better words.

"Me too" Jinyoung whispered back.

They stayed silent, looking out at the stars.

"Hey" Jinyoung whispered.

"Yeah"

"Do you mind if I sleep in my bed tonight"

"No, no of course not, I'll move to the couch"

"No I mean, with you" Jinyoung breathed. He avoided Jinyoung's gaze as he stared up at the moon.

He really didn't want to get too close.

"I get it if that makes you uncomfortable, it's just-"

"No it's fine" he interrupted. He couldn't imagine how lonely Jinyoung must be and it pained him to see the dark haired boy in such pain.

He could claim he didn't want to get close all he wanted, but he was already in neck deep.

~

Jinyoung

He woke up with Mark's skinny frame snuggled closely to his. He closed his eyes and inhaled the older's scent. He knew this was wrong, he knew Mark would leave. Today was Friday, his parents would be back by tomorrow. But he still buried his nose a little deeper in Mark's hair and allowed himself to drift off to sleep a little longer.

It was the best he'd slept in years.

~

When they arrived at school he could sense Mark getting nervous. He started biting his lip and was constantly fiddling with the leather strap around his wrist. He noticed he picked up on a lot of Mark's little quirks and habits easily, already being so used to the other's presence around him. His stomach was heavy with the thought of him leaving again.

"Breathe Mark, it helps you survive" he commented as Mark's eyes darted around nervously. Mark smiled forcibly.

"I'll see you tonight" he croaked "Don't wait up for me, I'll be a little later. I have some… stuff to do" he trailed off before quickly disappearing down the hallway.

He shook his head, trying to physically shake off the uneasy feeling he was getting.

There was a lot Mark wasn't telling him.

~

He stared at the door anxiously as he checked his watch again. He knew Mark would be later, but this late. He checked his watch again his eyes drifting to his phone. Did be even have Mark's phone number?

Suddenly he heard the door open. He jumped up and rushed towards the door.

"There you are, I was starting to think-" he started until his eyes fell upon his face.

"Mark?"

He stumbled through the apartment and sank down against the kitchen wall, burying his face in his hands.

He quickly moved and crouched down in front of him. He tilted his head with a few fingers underneath his chin. His eyes widened at the sight of a split lip and a froming black eye.

"What happened?" He asked quietly. He was met with silence.

"You're bleeding" he noticed, grabbing his wrist to examine a cut on his arm.

"It's nothing" he snapled and he janked* his arm away. He sighed. Mark was a closed person, but if he really wasn't willing to let him help him it was his choice and he would know his place.

"Alright" he said softly and he got up to move away. To say he wasn't hurt was a lie but he wasn't going to push Mark. He was going back home soon again anyway, no need for him to pry.

"Jinyoung"

He turned around

"Can you just stay with me" he asked, finally looking up from his hands. All he saw in his eyes was emtpyness.

He sank down against the wall next to him and sighed a little. Mark rested his head on his shoulder, it stayed silent. He wasn't crying, not even silently.

"Who did this, because I swear to god I'm gonna-" he muttered.

"Jinyoung don't" Mark said with a small chuckle.

"Will you at least let me look at the cut on your arm" he asked desperately. He felt Mark nod his head on his shoulder and he slowly got up. He returned with the small first aid kit he owned.

"This will probably sting" he notified Mark. He still flinched as the cold disinfectant hit the cut. He quickly covered it and moved his gaze to his split lip. He ran his thumb across the dried up blood and Mark flinched slightly again.

"Sorry"

"It's nothing"

"You really do say that an awful lot" he muttered. He suddenly realised his thumb was still resting on Mark's lip and quickly retracted his hand. He had not been uncomfortable but he didn't want to make Mark feel worse than he already did.

He rose and offered Mark his hand. His big eyes stared up at him and he weakly took his hand. As pulled him up to his feet Mark suddenly pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you"

There were so many things hidden behind those two simple words.

He hugged him back tightly.

He understood.

~

Mark

When he woke up the bed was empty. For a moment he got scared until he heard Jinyoung's soft humming float through the door.

Images of yesterday flashed through his mind. He could almost feel the kicks to his stomach, the fists against his jaw. He shivered.

His attention shifted to Jinyoung's humming.

He hadn't asked any questions, hadn't judged him. He had simply patched him up and stayed by his side.

He was drowning in his promise to not get close. He had dived in head first without even realising it. And now he was sinking fast.

He was terrified.

Scared to death.

Jinyoung could never know what happened. Because he'd find out what he was. And more importantly, what he felt for him.

~

Jinyoung

Relief flooded his thoughts when Mark finally shuffled into the kitchen. He had almost started thinking Mark would never leave his bed anymore. He resisted the urge to engulf him in a tight hug, instead he threw him a half smile. Mark managed to smile back.

They just stood there, looking at each other.

"Do you want to-"

Mark shook his head. He nodded.

"You do realise you'll have to talk to someone someday right" he asked carefully.

"Will you stop sticking your nose in my business" Mark suddenly snapped. He took a surprised step back.

"What" he asked in disbelief. He frowned at Mark's sudden behaviour.

"You heard me" he said, but it lacked any conviction.

"You know what-" he started off angrily when behind him coffee started flooding the mug.

"" he muttered as he turned around to shut the coffee machine off. He quickly turned back to look at Mark who looked a little scared.

He internally calmed himself down and handed him the mug after he wiped it off, his expression remaining blank. Mark looked at him as if he was trying to tell him something with his eyes, even though his words told him something different. Mark lifted himself onto the counter. He seemed to like it there.

Suddenly his phone rang. He held back a chuckle as Mark almost tumbled off the counter and picked up his phone.

"Hello"

"Hey Jinyoung, how's it going" Jaebum's voice sounded through the phone.

"Alright"

"I was wondering how Mark's doing" he asked sounding slightly worried.

"Mark" he asked as he looked up at the boy sitting on his counter. Their eyes met.

"Yeah, he is there with you right" the concern in Jaebum's voice grew.

"Yeah" he breathed.

"I found him in a pretty bad state yesterday, I made sure he reached your apartment but you seemed so surprised-"

"No he's here" he interrupted him. As the conversation continued he saw Mark's eyes growing wider with fear. He stared him dead in the eye.

"Jaebum what happened" he asked flatly.

"What, he didn't tell you? He got beat up by Jackson yesterday. I'm glad I found him in time, I don't know what would have happened otherwise" Jaebum said.

"Jackson" He asked, his eyes still fixated on Mark's.

"Yeah, it was really weird, Jackson kept saying-"

Suddenly the phone was snatched out of his hand and before he knew it Mark had hung up. He looked at him in disbelief as Mark quickly backed away from him.

"What did Jackson keep saying" he asked quietly as he approached Mark. He looked like a frightened animal, waiting to be hit by his owner.

"What was it Mark" he pushed. It was obvious Mark was scared to death and he wasn't just going to let it slip this time. He wasn't going to back away again. Mark's back hit the wall.

"I can't tell you" he said softly. Even like this the older's voice sounded good to him, ever so soft.

"You'll hate me" he stated. He frowned, what could possibly bother Mark so much that he'd think he'd hate him for it. He took a step back to give Mark some space. He was fiddling with the leather strap around his wrist again. He looked at him directly, carefully trying to persuade him to talk without using words.

"He kept repeating how I was gross, how I was a dirty , how I deserve to die" he whispered. His eyes widened. Was he saying that he got beat up because he's gay.

"My best friend beat me up" he said coldly.

"My parents won't talk to me" he continued.

"You're going to kick me out"

"Hey, I'm going to do no such thing" he quickly interrupted his rambling.

He took a step forward.

"Are you okay"

"Yeah I'm fine"

He gave him a small smile. For some reason Mark being gay made him somewhat.... happy. He hated seeing him broken like this, he hated seeing sadness in his eyes, but for some reason him being gay was like a reassurance to him, a reassurance that his feelings weren't completely strange. But Mark smiled back at him weakly.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble, and for clinging to you, and for sleeping in the same bed"

"Hey, it's fine, I actually didn't mind" he interrupted him again.

"How can you not mind someone like me living with you" he suddenly burst out.

"Because it's not a crime to be who you are Mark" he said agitated "and I'm not going to treat you any different just because you like guys"

"You'd be the only one" he uttered bitterly.

He took another step towards him, trapping him against the wall again.

"Do you have any idea how happy I was to have someone here with me" he said softly "even you who I didn't know at all. You are perfect just the was you are. Don't let anyone convince you that what you feel is wrong" he continued. Mark stared right through him.

"Do you really think that" Mark asked. He sighed a little.

"Yes"

Mark smiled at him widely, a smile that created an eruption of heat in his stomach, a smile that made him want to smile. So he did, he smiled back brightly. He placed a hand next to Mark's head, their faces had unconsciously moved closer together, their noses barely touching each other.

He noticed Mark's breath hitch and he hesitated for a moment. What if Mark didn't want this, after all being gay didn't mean he liked every guy he met. He backed off slightly, suddenly unsure of his actions. Mark frowned a little.

"If you're not going to do it I will" Mark uttered lowly. His eyes widened as Mark hooked his arms around his neck.

"Are you sure" he asked softly.

Mark didn't say anything but just slowly moved in and kissed him ever so gently. He felt the heat course through his body even though the kiss was only short.

"Stay" he uttered meekly. Mark nodded happily. He wrapped his arms around Mark's waist and pulled him into another kiss, holding him close.