Rest, It's Alright
Mark Lee x Reader
Word Count: again I have no idea how to check but it's not too long
Tags: comfort (kinda), fluff?, angst only if you squint super hard
Trigger Warnings: None
[18:00] Your tutoring session with Mark still had an hour left, and as he worked out a few more problems with your aid, he suddenly sighed and dropped his pencil.
"What's wrong? Do you need help figuring out the rest of this question?" you asked, with a slight tone of concern, while looking up from your own studies. The boy in glasses simply sighed again, and this time he put his head down onto the table was between the two of you.
"Sorry, I'm just so tired" he mumbled, stifling a yawn. It was no secret that he was exhausted, as even his glasses couldn't mask all of the dark circles under his eyes.
"How much sleep do you even get?" you ask, while attempting to move his papers and any other school supplies away from his head.
"I have early morning practice everyday from 4:30-6:30 for swim practice...even if I wanted more sleep I wouldn't be able to. Can't risk missing a single practice...they might not let me participate in tournaments if I skip even one," he responded, lifting his head back up and rubbing his eyes.
"What about after our session? You can just go to sleep at home after we're done, right?" you suggested, also now trying to avoid looking at his ruffled and messy hair, as you found it oddly charming and cute. Although you tried your best to not make it obvious, you've always had a slight crush on Mark, which in all honest, has grown alot ever since you agreed to tutor him in math. Breaking your chain of thought, Mark let out a chuckle and shook his head.
"After we get done here, I go straight to work. I work the night shift at our local convience store. It's all money that's going towards my college funds... since my parents aren't doing that well right now financially. I'd rather they spend their money for my younger siblings' educations than me, when I can just make my own right now. And obviously I'm not doing the greatest in certain classes right now so trying to get a scholarship to cover the finances is kinda out of reach," he explained.
"When does your shift end?" you asked.
"Around midnight." he replied.
"That would mean you only get around 4 hours of sleep at night...thats terrible" you say, your eyes widening a bit. Mark laughs again, without much enthusiasm.
"It's fine, really. I've gotten used to it by now," he said, running a hand through his messy hair. With a sigh, you get up from your own side of the table and sit right next to him.
"Hey, put your head down on my lap" you say boldly, clearly startling him. The black haired boy's face turned a deep shade of red.
"W-what?" he stuttered, clearly flustered. You just let out another sigh, and as you stretched out your legs, you made him put his head down on your lap. Surprisingly, he didn't resist, even as you slowly took off his glasses and set them on the table.
"You won't need these" you stated. Mark repositioned himself a bit to make himself more comfortable on your lap, his head creating warmth on you.
"So...uh,, why are we doing this?" he asked, his ears also having turned red. He was staring to the side, as if trying to not look up at you directly.
"Mark. We have an hour left. And within that hour, I want you to sleep, without any interruptions." you tell him softly, while staring at his long eyelashes, also trying to avoid direct eye contact.
"But what about the math? We haven't finished it all yet" Mark added.
"Screw the math. You don't even have calculus tomorrow so just don't worry about it. Don't worry about anything, actually. Just clear your mind and rest here for a bit. Close your eyes... just focus on my voice. I wont wake you up until it's time for you to leave" you explain, not letting him get another word in while you spoke.
"Well...alright. Since it's you...I guess don't really mind. Thank you by the way... I actually really appreciate this. I haven't felt like I could breathe for a long time." he responded, letting another heavy sigh out, but this time it meant relief. Now it was your turn to turn red, hoping he doesn't notice.
"Okay now hush." you say, and you start to use one hand to run your fingers through his soft hair in a soothing manner. As you do so, he slowly takes your other hand and intertwines it with his own, and softly smiles. Although his eyes were still closed, he could tell you were smiling right back at him. Mark quickly falls asleep as you repetitively stroke his head. Your hand was still intertwined with his, and a small smile was still on his face. He looked so peaceful, which made you happy. Without thinking twice, you quickly pressed a light kiss onto his forehead, and you could've sworn his smile grew a bit larger.
