This Love (and the one and the other)
5/?
Park Jinyoung/Mark Tuan
Soulmate AU
Mark won’t let his love for Jinyoung be defined by a mark on his wrists and the print on his love’s back.
The week moved slowly from then on for Mark. He went to class on the days he was to go to class, took his brother out for meat on Wednesday but, all he could think about was the phone call he was to receive from Jinyoung. Maybe, he was stood up, the thought had hairs on his neck standing up and, perhaps Mark was head over heels but he stared at his phone more than once waiting on a call. Or a text, or anything that would allow Mark to know if Jinyoung was still alive. Jackson, even though he had started to come around again, kept his distance. It was like Mark had refused to be Jackson’s soulmate, Mark didn’t understand where all of his hostility and anger was coming from. Until he caught Jackson with a guest in his room.
“What the hell Jackson!?” Mark screeched as his gaze fixed on the figure lying next to him in bed. Wrapped tight in Jackson’s dirty duvet and the room for once looked a little neat. Mark scratched through his scalp in confusion blinking a couple times as he stared at the boy.
“Oh god, this is embarrassing.” Youngjae whispered ducking his head under the sheets of the bed and Jackson laid still, his face flushed and his fingers restless.
“Jackson he just graduated! He’s a kid!” Mark closed the door behind him stepping inside. Of course Jackson would preferred he leave but Mark was willing to talk out whatever this was. Choi Youngjae was Park Jinyoung’s little brother, it was like he was looking out for him, right?
“Hyung shut up! He’s 18 and last time I checked you were in the exact same situation! It’s not like he’s a baby, and I don’t need relationship advice from a confused sap who can’t even decide if he likes his own soulmate or not!” Jackson resembled that of an angry mother, his angry mother as he yelled at a timid Mark. The confidence that danced in him earlier was lost as he slumped on the wall feeling the impact of the words Jackson shouted at him.
“So this is a relationship?” Mark looks in disbelief. The fact that Jackson had kept this from him simmered in his thoughts. He explained to Jackson his situation with his soulmate’s(?) brother and all he could do was scream and shout out of pure anger for the situation that wasn’t even his own. He took it personally and Mark didn’t get any help from his best friend when he needed it.
“Get the hell out of my room, Mark!” Jackson drops his head back onto the pillows in exhaustion. His eyes rolling back in his dead, Youngjae like a dead weight doesn’t move. They all stand in the silence for a moment, as it stirs the room a bit Mark finally reaches for the doorknob.
“Wait, Mark hyung! Jinyoung hyung keeps talking about you. Something about a date? Which is weird because I thought he liked Jaebum hyung, they’ve been friends for years. Hyung practically clung to him when they were younger I remember thinking they were always hooking up after school in his room, because back then they were all so sec-”
“Get to the point Youngjae ah…” Mark sighs cutting the younger short. Youngjae really was a perfect match for Jackson with his big mouth.
“Well, hyung lost his phone and I guess he was coming up to your house today to talk to you but I don’t know when so just watch out, okay?” Youngjae blushes from the realization that he’s spoken so much. He sends mark a wary smile which is returned with a warm genuine one. Youngjae was a sweet kid, Jackson needed to treat him right.
“Thanks Youngjae, I’ll look out for him.” Mark nods finally getting out of Mark’s stupid bedroom, that hit him with a stench of skin and sweat. The fresh air surrounding the area filled his nose as he left Jackson’s apartment. Thankful, he walked into his own and cracked a window.
The street air had a tint of burnt rubber and car exhaust that drifted into the room as he settles into the couch. Lowly his eyelids flutter closed. The room feels weird, like a pair of eyes are peeking at him as he sits there.
“Hyung, you should really pay attention more.” A familiar whine breaks out from the chair opposite the window in the room. Mark’s eyes open wide in shock, his body rocketing up to look at the owner.
Park Jinyoung sits diagonal from him, petite legs crossed and tight smile plastered on his face. A car alarm goes off outside that sends them both yelping. Embarrassed, Mark sighs looking at Jinyoung with tired eyes. The latter beams a smile back at him as he walks over and sits himself right next to Mark.
“I lost my phone.” Jinyoung pouts before Mark even has a chance to greet him. His face still frozen in shock as Jinyoung pulls his feet up on the couch to get comfortable.
“Youngjae told me. I was expecting you a little later.” Mark laughs a little too dry. He clears his throat in an effort to clear the air.
“So?” Jinyoung twists his face an awkward way that shows he's anticipating Mark’s words. His fingers dangle between his legs knitted up together. The weight of the air surrounding them isn’t very light like Mark had expected.
“Do you want to go on a date?” Mark’s bloom a little red and Jinyoung snickers when he faces him. He must look like an idiot. Jinyoung grabs his fingers and intertwines them with his own. The older sits a bit restless as his foot taps repeatedly on the floor.
“I already asked you that, it’s why I’m here.” Jinyoung whispers before he bubbles out in laughter next Mark’s ear. Mark’s never known he could love a sound so much.
The grins that break out on the pairs face almost mirror each other, Mark looks into Jinyoung’s eyes for a moment.
Maybe the mark doesn’t lie.
“Shall we go now?” Mark murmurs and he’s admittedly a bit embarrassed, maybe because Jinyoung just looks so good and the idea of an us sounds kind of nice.
“No, I can’t Jaebum hyung asked to come over like an hour ago. You took forever at Jackson’s house. I really hope you guys don’t have a fling.” Jinyoung teases and pokes Mark’s cheek to which he scrunches his nose in disgust, because Jackson’s a barbarian. Before he even gets a chance to respond, Jinyoung is up on his feet leaning over on top of Mark a bit.
“Don’t worry, I know he’s fooling around with my brother.” He winks pushing himself upright again to put on his own shoes.
Mark might be gaping at the younger, but he can’t see his face so he doesn’t really know. Jinyoung does that laugh again, it makes mark shiver as Jinyoung opens the front door.
“Bye, hyung. I’m coming back tomorrow, wear something cute to match your face.” Jinyoung says cutely but Mark is completely enamoured and left in shock as he leaves. Only partially because Jinyoung is a cute bastard, mostly because he realized he was all his if Mark wanted him. All his and going to see Jaebum.
//
Mark’s insecurities didn’t lie in crisp white sheets, no one’s did. His insecurities laid in soiled cloths that crumpled under his weight. They lied with him, walked with him. It was no secret that they followed him everywhere he went. His mind always seemed to run at the peak of revelations, leaving his words in the dust and it more often than not allowed feelings of inadequacy to creep into him. The immense amount of time he spent with Jackson and his brother didn’t help either. Both incredibly friendly and loud bodies caused for him to feel drowned out in his own mind. Like he didn’t exist there either.
Mark allowed those feelings to drive him away as he stared at the clock waiting on Jinyoung’s arrival. He glanced over at his clock 4:09. The night slipped through his fingers as he stayed up thinking of all the things he was supposed to do the next day. All the things he could do wrong, there were so many things. He’d try to turn away from the window to relax and sleep but he quickly grappled that the light wasn’t the problem to begin with.
Mark sat up, chugging a glass of old water he’d left in his room. It tastes of the air and stuffs Mark like an olive with the smell and now the taste of dust and dirt. It wasn’t pleasant but Mark’s not a picky guy, so he doesn’t mind. The contents of the glass he’d left swirled around in a frenzy as Mark watches on, combing a hand through his hair calmy. It was the last thing he tried before he dozed into a sleep.
When he woke the next morning, his mother and Joey are arguing. Maybe about his future, Mark doesn’t know, but escalates and before he gets the chance to ignore it the voices are only getting louder and Mark hops out of bed. His feet make a light thud, it’s enough to still the argument. Something turns into harsh whispers when Mark opens his door.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Joey’s head snaps in Mark’s direction, his face a bit red. Their mother sighs and takes a seat at their counter.
“Hyung, can we go out?” Joey gives Mark a pleading look, one that feels like a calling he couldn’t possibly ignore. Mark nods shortly, throwing a look to his mother. Her face wears exhaustion, streaked with tears. He goes to ask what’s wrong with her, despite hearing the argument from his room, Mark is still clueless.
“Take him out somewhere nice, he needs it.” She walks slowly towards her room. Mark rakes a hand through his hair, going to take a shower.
Mark isn’t sure what’s happening with his brother and mother anymore. Joey’s graduation had naturally made their mother a bit anxious, since he was to go to university soon. Mark was a foreigner so moving on campus was a big request, but Joey had grown their his entire life. His entire life had been in Korea, and it shocked Mark when he realized that his brother had never known his hometown. It was knowing they were brothers some way, but not how. The only connection they’d ever really had was their mother and the relationship on the rocks only made the three of them grow apart.
Now, in such a situation Mark should be a man and step up to mend his family troubles. But he feels like there is a bigger issue, at hand. That may be his downfall.
//
“You have a stray at your door, hyung…” Jackson is pratically cackling in his ear over the phone, he can hear Jinyoung grumbling, maybe it brought the faintest smile to his face.
“Sorry, I’ll be there soon Jinyoung ssi.” The formalities were Mark’s way of feeling in control of his situation. Maybe, if he called him something strictly professional it held the younger at a distant in a blantly unprofessional situation.
“Ah, hyung don’t hurt his feelings.” Mark could imagine Jinyoung whining about being called such a name. Jackson comforting him and spilling some of Mark’s secrects in the process.
Mark jogged home with Joey following suit.