The thing about having no friends was that it gave you a lot of time to observe people. The way they acted around their friends, around their teachers, and the way they acted when they thought no one was around.
Jinyoung’s heart raced to dangerous thresholds when his plane finally landed on Korean soil. The entire time he was away seemed to be drastically turned into a shape of butterflies straight to his stomach when he realized what was waiting for him outside.
His hands were sweating like crazy when he set foot off the plane. By the time he reached the landing area, his eyes started to incessantly search for a familiar face, and when he finally found it, it was like a black and white world suddenly becoming completely colored in his eyes.
It was almost a year separated by a way more bigger distance than it actually was. Psychologically, things were exactly like he was coming back from the other side of the galaxy. He often thought about quitting. Packing all his things and just come back home, leaving an almost unique opportunity of exchange study program to trash. But his boyfriend’s words, always caring and reasonable through the phone kind of helped the difficult ‘pass through everything I’m missing’ thing.
But it all seemed a distant and insignificant past when their eyes met again. He is so beautiful, Jinyoung thought astonished, as he could possibly have forgotten for a moment. He felt a welcome warming in his chest when he gazed Mark’s grin and precious eyes sparkling like they’re about to burst into fireworks.
He could stay for the rest of his life wrapped on that embrace. Mark’s hair was a shade lighter than he remembered before, but the scent was the same. It was so incredibly good to feel something familiar and so close again. That feeling was a final proof that he was indeed at home.
Jinyoung felt funny when Mark instead of leave the hug, he just intensified it, shaking Jinyoung’s back in a weird way, almost as if he was trying to analyze the perimeter more properly with his fingers.
"You’ve gained weight." Mark let him out, not before squeeze a pointing finger on Jinyoung’s belly.
The newcomer scoffed, putting the best offended glare he could on his face. “Ten months and the first thing you say to me is that I look fat.”
"I didn’t meant like that!" He laughed, trying to reach Jinyoung for another hug, but the other pushed him away raising both eyebrows.
"Do that again." He uttered.
Mark took a step back seeming suspicious and almost concerned, but he asked anyway. “Do what? Call you fat?”
"No. Do the laugh again." Jinyoung clarified smiling. "I just realized how much I’ve missed it."
His boyfriend rolled his eyes, trying to hide an eminent smile to suddenly appears and the blush on his cheeks that followed a second after.
"Alright. Say something stupid."
With a smirk Jinyoung stepped forward, getting close enough to be able to whisper into Mark’s ear. ”I really want to kiss every inch of you, right here right now in front of all these people.”
And Mark laughed again, loud and shamelessly for Jinyoung’s pleasure. He shook his head letting out something like ‘idiot’ between a small kiss he put on Jinyoung’s lips, who dramatically pouted over the short and unfair duration of the contact. And before he could protest for any longer, Mark grabbed his heavy bags with one hand and also entwined both their fingers with the other. “Let’s go home, fatty.”
Jinyoung once said Mark was unable to understand some of his feelings. And not that they were complicated, or required more than the three years of experiences they already had together; The problem was in Mark. He simply couldn't see through.
Mark only could eye a few shades; Blue of happiness, sadness in gray, the red of passionate nights, the quiet green mornings when you wake up next to who you like. But the nuances that existed between them? Mark couldn't fully capture.
Not everything was a primary panel of colors, flat and well defined. Sometimes that blue wasn't quite a blue. Sometimes the day was colored in so many hues it would take a lot more than a single glance to understand it.
Jinyoung said that one day, perhaps, Mark would capture all colors their relationship could possibly be portrayed. Mark just shook his head and said that his colorblindness was genetic. No cure at all. As white as a frame days before being painted.
"Mark," Jinyoung murmured against his mouth. "Mark."
Mark grinned, placing another soft kiss on Jinyoung's mouth. Then another, because he couldn't help himself.
"Yeah?" he asked quietly, rocking his hips forward a little, just so he could hear Jinyoung gasp, just so he could have Jinyoung moving restlessly against him again, seeking just a little more friction between their bodies. "You want something?"
Jinyoung groaned, leaning in to chase Mark's mouth when he pulled back. "Fuck, you're killing me here."
Mark grinned at him, pressing his fingers to the pulse point at Jinyoung's throat, feeling it thrumming beneath his fingertips. "Funny, you don't look dead."
"Ok," Jinyoung said, rolling his hips up again. "Just... come on, Mark." Mark smiled but he doesn't kiss him again, he just let his hips move with Jinyoung's until they're moving together in this slow rhythm that's not going to get either of them off, but it'll make Jinyoung's cheeks flush even more, which is an excellent sight, far as Mark's concerned. "Do something, please, I'm going insane here."
"I am doing something," Mark pointed out, and he was. They were in bed together, Mark straddling Jinyoung's hips, and he was currently preoccupied with seeing just how far he could go, winding him up, seeing just how insane Jinyoung could get.
Mark's ears could be mistaken, but it was happening. He is actually quite surprised it took so long. He certainly knew that Jinyoung wasn't a fucking obnoxious piece of shit to vehemently avoid what everyone could see with their eyes closed, so Mark thought that his friend just needed a chance in a perfect time to bring the subject up to the surface, and for sure that night couldn't be more appropriate.
They were alone in Jinyoung's dorm chatting, with a bag of chips and lots of weed. As the only two members who were into smoking, they used to have those kind of moments often. Probably because they're the most stressed ones. It was almost medicinal, as they've been trying to convince the leader, and it was quite nice to have some time just for both of them. Mark really enjoys Jinyoung's presence and looks like it's reciprocal. They laugh a lot and talk about all sorts of things, even when they're not high at all. Mostly is Jinyoung talking about something that happened to him, or some weird story that he heard or saw on the internet. Then Mark always makes those acid or smart comments, only to spoil everything up with an stupid and inopportune joke after that. His excuses are always that Jackson is taking control over his mind somehow, and Jinyoung agrees with a smirk.
Mark really likes when Jinyoung smiles like that.
There was so much in common going on, even when it seems not to. They've become more close after their debut and there are certain things that Mark would only speak with Jinyoung, things that he thought the other ones wouldn't understand, or even care. Things that he could share with only one person. Like that joint.
That was like love -love-, wasn't it?
He raised an eyebrow, pondering about that not-as-surprising-as-I'm-trying-to-show-you-question again, while handing Jinyoung the pot. "Can you ask me that again sometime later when I'm not high as fuck so that I could think about a good way to lie to you?"
Jinyoung's smile is pretty condescending over that shamelessly avoidant answer, but also full of teeth and white smoke flowing between them when he says softly. "Sure. Take your time, redhead."