"Would you guys stop teasing me?” Youngjae prolongs that last vowel, whining, letting his bandmates know in that way how pissed he feels now. Being the first one who crosses the boundary entrance door, the dark-haired slips off his trainers quickly and leaves them anywhere in the hall before stepping on the fake-wooden floor. 

Got7 is finally at their not that spacious but comfy dorm after a long day of work. The enterprise doesn't care if it is Sunday, after all they are newcomers at the music industry and have received a more than good response from the public, especially young girls -of course. So the profits JYPEnt. will squeeze from them will take arduous days, weeks, even months. And if they are lucky enough, years.

“You must admit it, Youngjae. It was hella funny the way you fell.” Behind Jaebum, a raspy voice yells one more time the already famous phrase between the boys, whose author is not anyone but Youngjae. “Martial... aaaarts~” At the moment, Bambam gets carried away by the joke and pulls his body backwards, imitating the shameful way the main vocal fell that day in the practice room. Only that the Thai doesn't make his buttocks kiss the floor.

“It was hella funny the first hundred times, I admit it. I may be tired now.” Youngjae clucks when he only gets low chuckles from his bandmates. “You even did it on the episode 9 of Real Got7!”

“But we didn't mention that your clumsiness was the queen of that glorious moment.” Yugyeom bothers to friendly remind the main vocal about that fact in their defense, still grinning. Mark limits himself to just pat slightly Youngjae's back twice, shrugging after as he shows a fitting but amused half-smile. He ensures to make use of this moment as revenge of that awful day, when Jackson spat out about that morning he woke up too on for the day. Since they got a new toy, it looks like everyone has already forgotten about that.

Uncounsciously the eldest one can't help but drive his eyes to Jackson after remembering about the said incident. This time he is clever enough to avoid thinking (again) about that night; he has been doing it during the whole weekend. The Hong Kong boy is lying now on the sofa with his arms and legs all around Bambam in some kind of punishment, while the other writhes trying to break free from the elder. It seems that the Chinese has just proclaimed himself as new Youngjae's protector, totally forgetting how a minute ago he was still stuck to repeating the teasings towards the main vocal. 

Well, these kind of things stop mattering when we talk about Jackson.

Mark sometimes thinks the male can do whatever he wants and behave as he feels like. People will just laugh and smile at it; like if they allow him everything. On the other hand, Mark feels trapped in a narrow crystal box, having to tread carefully: his personality seems to be predetermined since the beginning and he must follow the patterns Korean society has drawn about people like him. Shy and quiet, handsome, expressionless up to a point and cool. And what does that even mean, cool? 

The redhead is starting to understand: everything but Jackson. As fans see it, Jackson is real posh on stage, but honestly who wouldn't? That's the power of Kpop industry, it doesn't matter who you were before, you are an idol now and not always thanks to only voice or dance skills. The real thing is yourself in daily routine. Or better said, the way you sell yourself to the public. That's the key. 

Although it's likely impossible to pretend all the time, so it is indeed inevitable to show, at least, a piece of your own way of behaving. It's true that nobody has told directly to any of them how to be in front of the cameras, but they are aware of the pressure from expectations. Something Jackson seems to have almost completely forgotten about. And Mark wants to forget about too.

Currently it's only natural for them having the shortest one being all derp and showing his 4dness without hesitation, only two months after debut. And he was supposed to act all 'wild&y', pf. Mark laughs in his insides, and not because he scoffs at his bandmate but because he wishes he could be like that, in some way. He can't help but still feeling anxious and tensing his muscles a bit every time he notices a hundred eyes on himself through camera lenses (and if it's more he doesn't want to think about it, at all). As far as he sees it, being like Jackson must be really easy, so easy that even the redhead is dragged along with the brunette despite his well-kwon reserved personality. Sometimes Mark finds himself laughing out loud with the Chinese, a pretty common picture since he came to Korea and met for the first time the self-called wild&y. 

It's always natural and cozy when it's about him, huh?

“Let's grab some dinner together, ah?”

Mark freezes when he hears Jackson, who is now standing as he fixes his hair before putting on back one of his countless snapbacks. Maybe it's not always 'natural and cozy' anymore, even though the elder blames himself for that fact. He tries to move and don't stand just there, stunned, hoping for his bandmates not to notice his recent discomfort. Yugyeom laughs a bit and runs to the sofa to embrace Bambam, who is playing dead after Jackson's punishment. “I pass, hyung.” States the maknae. 

“Me too...” Bambam raises his right and fake-shaky hand, eyes still closed. 

“Yah, do you two want me to smash you?” An intimidating Jackson starts to approach them, faking an angry expression on his face -the boy is really good at holding his laughter- while he pulls up to his shoulders both short sleeves of his basket T-shirt, looking threatening. 

“Yah, yah, yah~,” a motherly Jinyoung sticks to his back and passes his hook-shaped arms under Jackson's to stop him, while the boy grins in amusement along with the two youngest. 

And now the female orangutan tries to protect her dear breedings from the brute male... Mark clears his throat trying to hide his chuckle because of his ingenious mind. The red-haired is sure that inside his head the joke's much funnier than out loud; plus explaining it would be a pain in the .

“You probably don't know, hyung, since you were sleeping the whole time, but Bambam and I have already eaten something on the van, on the return journey.” Informs Yugyeom the male orangutan. Once Jackson is again free from Jinyoun's embrace, he narrows his eyes to look at the maknae line  before turning back to the omma orangutan, pouting instantly. A silent plea.

“Nah, I'll pass too. I have also eaten a lot of mandu after coming back, I'm not really hungry.” The black-haired just shrugs with an apologetic look and, despite Jackson's whimpers, he picks up his bag from the floor, where he placed it a few minutes before, heading back to his single room. It's then when Mark spots his opportunity. 

“Jinyoung, wait.”

Both Jackson and Jinyoung eye at the elder at the moment he hangs his knapsack on his back, following Jinyoung's steps towards the only single room in the dorm. 

“Sorry, I'll pass too.” Mark puts all his effort to sound neutral, casual, but the way Jackson lowers his gaze and sighs on the sly tells the elder he didn't achieve his goals this time. He knows. He knows how hard I'm avoiding him. He may have never accomplished his goal at all. “I-I've been wanting the whole weekend to play to that... game you told me about. Numbers or something, yeah. Mind if you show me now?”

Jinyoung blinks twice with his widened eyes, a bit lost owing to the sudden interest the elder shows for a game the black-haired spoke about hundreds years ago. “Oh, 2048 Game; yeah, yeah, sure. Come in.” Jr opens up his room door before entering and Mark passes by Jackson to go inside too, forcing himself not look at the shorter. 

“Tsk, is anyone going to dinner or shall I do it all alone?” The Chinese raises a bit his voice in total frustration, heading himself already to the kitchen, when the voice of salvation answers his prayers. 

“Wait, pal; it's your lucky night. Youngjae and I will keep you company.” The mentioned one and the leader come out of their room, where they have entered before to leave their daily stuff and change clothes to more comfortable outfits. Oblivious to the fact that Mark is still looking at him, Jackson puts his hands up in the air as he waits for both males to reach him, so he can rest his hands on his bandmates' shoulders respectively. The eldest boy looks away abruptly at the sight of Jaebum's left arm sliding around Jackson's waist; a bittersweet that Mark doesn't want to experience and less face.

“So? What's the matter?” Jinyoung's curiosity seeps into Mark's ears at the precise instant the latter closes the bedroom door. 

The elder blinks and plays his role, as he is almost used to do. “That I'm bored and I want to try that game you made a fuss about.” Mark smiles and giggles a bit at the same time he looks at Jinyoung, who is already lying with his belly against the mattress and his head up, since he is supporting his own weight on his elbows. The judging glare that crosses the room from the younger's eyes makes Mark lower his head as he drops his stuff in one corner against the wall. 

“And does that have something to do with you sleeping in my room for already three nights?” The black-haired is determined to know what is really happening. At that direct question, Mark sits wordlessly on the floor, resting his back against the bed. Jinyoung must move closer to the edge of the mattress to be able to peek the redhead's face.

“What, are you telling me I am a nuisance?” The elder laughs, answering the questions with another one, but he knows he won't fool anyone with his poor dissimulation skills.

“Don't change the topic, you know what I mean. Did you two guys fight or something?” Jinyoung, away from biting his own tongue, continues the interrogation while he turns up to leave his back resting on the mattress, facing the ceiling.

“What are you talking about? Of course not, it's... nothing like that.”

“So it's something like...?”

“Nothing. It's nothing, seriously.”

After a few seconds of silence -maybe a minute-, Jinyoung sighs and decides to give movement to his tongue, since the other male won't say a word.

“You know, sometimes fights are inevitable. Because we are living together and everything... but it gets better if you talk about it.” The black-haired doesn't earn an answer, so he carries on with his speech. “Back then Jaebum and I quarrelled a lot; we honestly get along, but our personalities differ greatly in... some important points. Being just the two of us was a bit tiring. Sometimes.”

“Really? I don't think I've seen you fighting.” Mark can't hold his surprised tone and raises his head in order to look at the one who is speaking.

“Yeah, well, because we are seven now. We don't have to stand each other if we don't feel like doing it, there're five more people.” Jr jokingly chuckles, but Mark is able to feel something aching in the other male's voice. Maybe he is not a master of expressing himself, but he can be confident about his ability to read people emotions. 

“Do you miss those times?”

“Nah, I don't think so,” Jinyoung gives his reply when a few short seconds have passed. That doubtful lapse of time shows Mark how insecure is the former. “I mean, at the beginning I thought I would miss it or I would feel down, wondering why 'JJProject' was not enough... But I love Got7.” Jr turns his head to look at Mark. When he discovers the elder is making eye-contact too, Jinyoung can't hold a peaceful smile that makes his eyes disappear and turns them into two thin black lines. “I enjoy a lot the time we all spend together and I do think now we are better as a team of seven.”

The redhead feels touched and nods softly, starting again to loosen his muscles. But, on the other hand, confusion grows in Mark's head; Jinyoung's words are sincere, he feels they are. So maybe that drop he spotted before in his voice wasn't rancor? Maybe it was mere nostalgia, or his imagination. It's possible that his worries for Jackson and everything that concerns him are beginning to take a toll on the redhead. He is not sure anymore but the elder only needs an instant to erase everything in his mind; Mark is tired of thinking.

“You really sound like a mom.” Mark ducks his head after his reply and hears the laughter that the other male exclaims.

“Of course, have you ever thought I wasn't a real mom? Tsk.” The red-haired answers with a chuckle as he shakes a little his head; but he's unable to hold back a plaintive sigh at the end. Aware again of the fact that Mark won't say anything about his issues, Jinyoung talks one more time, once he sits on the edge of the mattress with his head lowered to eye the elder. “Whatever you need, you can rely on me, got it?”

Mark nods and raises up his mouth corners, looking back at Jr. “Yeah, thanks...”

“So... should I prepare the spare mattress for you again?”

The red-haired fakes a pout and bites his bottom lip at the same time he dedicates a begging gaze to the black-haired, who just sighs and rolls his pupils. “Ok, ok. Stop looking at me like that.”

“Thank you. This will be the last night, I promise. I just want to try that game.” Spinning around the matter, Mark concludes that Jinyoung is right in one point: better talk about it. Anyway he can't keep avoiding the male or sleeping in any rooms but himself's. Even though it seems like Jr is the only one who has noticed something's rather strained between Jackson and him, Mark won't be happy if anyone else could see it too. It won't make any good for the group; so he'll try to fix it. But not today, he needs to gather some courage, after all.

“Oh, yeah, the game. I almost forgot about it. Take your mobile, I'll show you how to be a real mathematical strategist.” Jinyoung states as he takes out from the trousers pocket his cellphone. 

“Yeah, wait.” Mark crawls towards his rucksack and gets his mobile from it, but he frowns as soon as he looks at the screen of the telephone. “Oh, .”

“What's the meaning of that?” Jinyoung arches only an eyebrow after hearing his bandmate cursing. 

“My phone battery is totally dead.” 

“Seriously... Then go and get the charger, aigo.”

Jinyoung stands up and opens inmediately his big closet, where is stored the spare mattress, trying lazily to take it out. Mark's sure that if he leaves Jinyoung alone preparing everything in that soulless way, he will end up breaking something. “I'll help you with it and then I'll get the charger.” Decides the elder. 

But he doesn't know yet it will be something to be regretted later.

***

“How can the fridge be this full but I don't fancy a ?” Jackson keeps frowning as he scans every rack in the white refrigerator. 

“And you were the bore who didn't stop complaining about how alone he felt having dinner by himself.” Jaebum sighs, chuckling as he peels two tangerines to eat later.

“Just take an apple already.” Youngjae looks in amusement how his bandmate racks his brains to pick something for dinner. 

“I'm not feeling like eating that.”

“What about tangerines?” Youngjae suggests while he devours his peanuts, already free from their shells.

“Nope, I took the last two. Sorry.”

“Nah, I didn't want them anyway.”

“There's still ice-cream.” Jaebum finally takes a tangerine slice to his mouth as he raises his head to look at Jackson.

“Really? Caramel?” The main vocal's eyes widen when the leader informs about that fact.

“Uh-un, I think Jinyoung finished it. There's only chocolate left.” Youngjae pouts and Jackson sighs. Suddenly he really wants caramel ice-cream. Friggin' Jinyoung.

“Whatever, I'll take an apple.” The Chinese picks something finally, closes the fridge door and heads an instant later to sit on a chair next to Youngjae, both of them facing JB, who is sitting on the worktop.

“Told you.”

“Are you only eating peanuts?” With a raised eyebrow, Jackson sinks his teeth in the apple, without bothering to peel its red skin. Cold and consistence send shivers through Jackson's gums, but the Chinese keeps chewing while he wipes a juice drop that was falling down through his chin. Damn Jinyoung. How much he wishes a caramel ice-cream now.

“Yeah, it's like the third time I have dinner today; better if I only eat this.” The crack of shells breaking from Youngjae's fingers swamps the room.

“Weird.”

“So? Why are you that weird?”

Jackson blinks twice at Jaebum's question, trying to search memories about him being weird. Nothing but the usual comes to his mind. “What?”

“Yeah, what?” Youngjae frowns, probably more lost than Jackson.

“Haven't you noticed?” Jaebum widens his eyes as he looks at the main vocal and then just sighs in disbelief. “You're really oblivious. I kinda see you off recently. Did something happen in Hong Kong or?” The leader now speaks looking at Jackson again.

“No. Why would you say that?” Jackson keeps his head down, seemingly focused on passing his fingertips around his bite marks on the fruit between his hands.

“I told you. You're sorta moody after the recording of C-Radio program, this one with Jia and Fei noonas and-”

“I remember.” Jackson interrupts the fair-haired in a non-intentional curt tone. It just came out from his lips, but he won't trouble to try to sweeten his words; he feels now really pissed at everything, but with a special intensity at Jinyoung and the lack of caramel ice-cream.

“See that?”  An indignant Jaebum eyes at Youngjae, who only shrugs looking serious. Jackson sighs before speaking in reply.

“It' nothing, I just need to sleep. Tired.” 

“It must be so. I'm sure tomorrow will be a wonderful day for our fencing machine.” Youngjae tries desperately to cheer up his friend, pulling a broad grin; the boy is this kind of person who cares way too much when someone in the group doesn't feel as high spirits as always, something that shares with Yugyeom. The crucial difference is that while the maknae catches everything on the fly, Youngjae seems trapped in his multicolor world full of happiness and butterflies. Jackson wonders what will happen the day Youngjae really feels down. Apocalypse, probably.

“But I'm not keen to sleep now... I slept a lot in the van.” Jackson leaves the apple on the worktop, next to Jaebum. His stomach has suddenly closed. 

“Try to do something to hang out. Like composing. You do like it, that way you may fly away all that hatred.”

“Tsk, stop being a butthurt, I didn't talk to you that bad.” The brunette rolls his eyes when Jaebum victimizes himself again; but the idea he gave the Chinese isn't that crazy, after all. He will consider it.

“I'm the appa of the group who carries you all on my back and, even injured, you don't treat me as I deserve...,” JB murmurs as he narrows his eyes.

“It's only a slight sprain.” It's Youngjae the one who answers at Jaebum's whimpers. “And served you right; it was karma.”

“But it hurts like hell now, you know?” The leader keeps complaining, showing his bandaged finger.

“If you weren't that stubborn and didn't take the bandage during Real Got7 9 recording, you will be surely cured by now.” 

The main vocal calmly replies everything the fair-haired growls about and Jackson starts to feel like being in the audience of a tennis match, since he keeps moving his eyes from one to another. He doesn't care and, from the bottom of his heart, he is relieved for once to stay out of the conversation. The Hong Kong native isn't in the mood for dealing with his personal problems right now. 

“You just wanted to look cool, despite all the stupid things we usually do while recordings.”

“Well, what can I say. I have an image. 'Chic', remember?” The leader now pouts, using a velvet tone in his voice.

“Don't be so lame, trying to put that puppy face.”

“You know what's lame? 'Martial aaarts'.” Jaebum is soon uncovering that embarrassing moment that makes Youngjae lose a bit his wide smile. Now the main vocal is losing again in the discussion, like always. And he doesn't like it when it's against Jaebum. The leader wants always to win, it doesn't matter what it takes.

“I'll be voting for Jackson as new leader as soon as I get the chance.” States the main vocal.

But when he turns his head towards the one who was sitting by his side, Youngjae only finds an empty chair, since Jackson has already left not long ago.

***

“Finally.” Mark curses himself in a hiss for being such a disaster of human being. But it's not like schedules leave him much time to tidy his shared room. He wonders what his mother would do if she saw the hell he has as bedroom now. 

I need to tidy this chaos right now.

 With the charger between his hands, the click from the door handle pushes him out of his thoughts. Please don't let it be. And ignoring his prayers, the only one entering the room is nobody but Jackson. Who else could it be? . 

“Oh, are you staying here tonight?” The brunette abruptly asks, not trying to hide his grumpiness. Mark only shakes his head, a bit overwhelmed by the other's current mood. And if it was not enough, the elder is unable to unstick his gaze from the floor or, at least, look at the younger for more than two seconds.

“No... I've already promised Jinyoung to sleep in his room tonight. Again.” 

 The other male just nods, without uttering a word, and  maintains his eyes lowered to his feets. The redhead bites his bottom lip and he knows he must say something, but he isn't ready. I mean, this was supposed to happen tomorrow, not now. Only hearing the breath of both males in the heavy silence, the elder panics in his insides and, before screwing everything more than it already is, Mark chooses to approach the exit to leave the room. When a firm muscled arm stops him before he is able to open the door. 

“Hyung ...”

 The taller takes a few seconds to calm himself and turns his head towards Jackson in a very slow motion; the tone the shorter lets go it's rather sad and gloomy, not as vexed as before. He won't punch me, right? Mark meets then his big dark eyes, which show an expression full of confusion and doubt. He can sense how worried his friend is and shame starts to grow painfully in the redhead's chest. 

“Hyung , stop avoiding me. I don't know what else I should do to prove you that I value our friendship. I swear I didn't mean to hurt you, can't you forget what I said back then? You know how big my mouth is...”

A sharp pain full of guilt squeezes Mark's stomach. 

“You don't have to keep showing anything, I really know about it. B-but I told you, I need time. To get over it.” His deep voice sounds tremulous and the moment Jackson takes slowly his arm away, it's when Mark is aware of how close they are standing. So close he can see all the details in Jackson's wet lips, surrounded by very few small black dots, indicating that his poor beard is starting to grow again. Will he be able to hear my heart hamming? Mark forces himself to take away his eyes and change the lewd path his thoughts are following, redirecting them to the direction of the fact that their friendship is falling apart and he really feels like the villain in that situation.

Not the time to think about making out with my best friend, hella crazy mind.

“Uhm... Jinyoung's waiting for me but,” Mark tries not to think about how lame his lies sound. “But I was hoping that we could talk tomorrow, since we are in charge of cleaning duties we will be alone during that time; so... maybe...”

 To be honest, Mark wasn't planning something that suicidal; he wanted to clean as fast as possible and, perhaps, talk about the damn issue on their way home, on the street, with people and managers and stuff. Just my luck and my mouth and my ty behaviour.

The Chinese seems greatly surprised after the other male's words, something Mark finds rather satisfactory, because a part of the darkness that dominates his countenance has been replaced by expectations.

“Oh. Good... yeah.” Is Jackson himself who opens the door for Mark, shooting a last sad look. “Then... see you tomorrow.” 

Maybe it's just fatigue , but Mark can't fool himself, why does he even try? 

“Yes. Good night, Jackson.” Truly wishes as he leaves the room, his heart aching non-stop.

(A/N): Yo~ As I promised, longer chapter! Hope you like it and always thank you for your kind words♥