The oldest smiles with mirth as the leader cracks his knuckles and signals to the snack with his eyes.

The commotion that ensues manages to stir Youngjae from his sleep.

- 6 -

Bambam frowns comically, sticking his tongue as far it can go to show his indignation to his hyungs, who are headed to the roof for their monthly dongseang-free chitchats, or as the Thai likes to call it “Hyung Gossip Time that Would be Sooooooo Much Better with Bambam Around”.

Jaebum quirks his eyebrow, shaking his head at him as he catches the can of beer thrown his way.

“Sorry Bam,” says Mark with a grin that clearly shows he isn't sorry. At all. “Don’t worry, we won’t talk about your crush on Min noona-“

"Much," finishes Jaebum.

A pillow is promptly launched at their faces.

- 5 -

"Suzy-ah!"

Youngjae looks mortified as Jaebum and Mark call out to the younger girl, who turns at the sound of her name and smiles when she spots the three of them, waving friendlily. But then Jaebum is beckoning her over, and Youngjae musters all the self-control he can in order not to pinch him.

"Congratulations on your new movie!" says the leader, grinning as he throws an arm around the main vocalist. "Youngjae wouldn't stop talking about it"

"Really?" says Suzy, laughing prettily.

"Yeah, he kept going on and on," adds Mark, unusually talkative, and all Youngjae wants to do is go to the practice room, hide behind the couch, and not come out.

"He always lets us know what you are up to."

This time he doesn't stop himself from burying his face in his hands.

- 4 -

Jinyoung isn't stupid. He knows the wheels have been turning in Jaebum’s head ever since he -ahem- accidentally -ahem- spoiled the ending of Me Before You for him last week. I mean, it had been a harmless joke, right?

Wrong.

Because now every time their eyes meet, Jaebum smirks at him mysteriously. It’s almost unnoticeable really, but Jinyoung knows the older man too well and for far too long to not know that something is definitely up.

In fact, the leader is doing it right now, smirking at him as they both stand in the kitchen, waiting for the instant popcorn to get done so they can go watch the movie Mark picked out.

"You are up to something," says Jinyoung, narrowing his eyes at his friend. Jaebum looks at him in disbelief as he points to himself.

"Me?" he says innocently, and if he wasn't convinced before, he definitely is now. "You're just paranoid, Jinyoungie."

He keeps an eye on him as they return to the living room, watching as he plops down next to Yugyeom with a huge grin on his face. Jinyoung shakes his head at the ridiculousness of it all, taking a seat next to Bambam as Mark plays start.

They are thirty minutes into the movie when he finally realizes what they are watching, and then he is up, toppling over the entire bowl of buttery popcorn on poor Bambam. Jackson, Youngjae, and Yugyeom are looking at him as if he's finally lost it, but he is too busy looking at Jaebum and Mark, who are high-fiving each other and laughing their asses off.

Divergent keeps playing in the background, and all Jinyoung can think about is how his untouched copy of the book is laying in the corner of his room, exactly where he had place it in order to read it in the future. Before watching the movie.

"You two are SO dead!"

- 3 -

"What are you two doing," says Jackson, looking suspiciously at the two forms huddled in the corner of the sofa. It’s a weird side to behold, since the two oldest are the most inclined to stay in their rooms for hours at a time. Mark’s computer is nestled on their laps, and they have matching grins plastered on their faces as they watch whatever is playing on the screen.

His suspicion increases when Jaebum looks up, sees him, and falls on his side in hysterics. Mark just laughs in his face.

Youngjae, who has been sitting quietly in the corner with his iPad, spares him one glance before returning to his tablet.

"They have been watching JackJi videos for the past hour," he says nonchalantly, scrolling through his news-feed.

"THEY WHAT?!?!"

- 2 -

He is seething, jaw set tight and knuckles going white from how hard his hand is gripping the microphone. His muscles are tense, his whole body going on overdrive as he tries to keep a tight grip on his emotions.

Their manager is trying to calm Jackson down, whose face is painted with frustration and something akin to agony. It kills Jaebum a little inside, and he turns away because he can't breath and looks at Jinyoung, who has seated the three youngest and is explaining the situation in hushed tones. He can see the emotions dance in their eyes even from far away.

He feels like running away, just hiding in a empty room so he can get a control over himself and think of all this without the worry for six others weighting down his shoulders.

But then Mark is next to him, gently prying away the microphone from his hands and looking straight into his eyes. There is no exasperation or defeat there, just a calm reassurance that almost knocks the younger man off his feet. But Jaebum knows what that look means, has known it for a long time now.

I wish you could see yourself from our eyes, Mark had told him once when he was sitting on the floor of their shared living room, going through last minute checks on his tablet, trying but failing at battling his own demons as he prepared for an important one-on-one meeting with the head of the company. It had caught him off guard, because Mark wasn't a man of many words, even when it came to his closest friends. Jackson isn't lying when he calls you the best leader.

You can do this.

Jaebum closes his eyes and breaths, feeling the oldest take his hand in his. He lets the warmth melt away bits and pieces of his fury.

- 1 -

His heart is thumbing loudly against his rib cage, beating incessantly with the thrill that seems to have wrapped around him as soon stepped out of the office. He is holding a simply manila folder, hand trembling with the sudden heaviness of dreams he hadn't really allowed himself to get lost into.

“I passed.”

The shrieks start simultaneously, so boisterous that it fills Mark with an exhilaration he hasn't ever felt before. Jinyoung is screaming with joy and crushing him into a hug, excitement bubbling out of every pore of his body. Jackson is doing a victory dance with Bambam, sharing this moment with him despite being unsure of his own future. Brian is laughing with the rest, and Jaehyung is throwing him a cheeky thumbs up. He sees Jaebum walking towards him, grinning so wide Mark is sure his cheeks are probably going to start hurting soon.

And then Jaebum is pulling him into his own embrace, grip firm but comforting and Mark can feel a burning at the back of his eyes as his smile widens and he hugs him back. He remembers the very first time he rested his forehead on this same shoulder, back when this world was still unfamiliar and it seemed to crumble under his feet. He remembers the solace of Jaebum's presence when he was falling apart, and how he had pieced him back together not with words, but with silent companionship.

"Guess you are stuck with us then." Mark hears him say, and when their eyes meet he can tell that the memory running through Jaebum's head is the same, pride evident in his gaze even as he shoves his shoulder playfully.

"Guess so."