UNBLOCKED

28 | "tutoring"

"wait, hang on a second, why is im jaebum here?"

"i don't know, mark, why are you in jackson wang's house, hm?"

jinyoung was joking, expecting mark to giggle sheepishly and hang his head. but mark just gulped, looking suddenly rather anxious.

"i've been staying here a few days," mark began to explain. his hands disappeared into the comfort of the oversized hoody sleeves.

"what? why?" jinyoung asked. "your parents-?"

mark nodded. "their fighting was really bad last week, so after the party, i kind of just... didn't go home."

"you've been living here all week?" jinyoung questioned.

"i've been looking after him," jackson cut in, as if jinyoung was some sort of second mom he had to impress.

"it's been really nice here," mark said with a small smile, "jackson's mom is, like, never home, so..."

"she's always away with work," jackson explained sheepishly.

"jinyoung," said mark abruptly, gripping onto jinyoung's arm. "i need you to be honest with me."

jackson quietly led jaebum into the kitchen, and jinyoung and mark were left alone.

"what is it?" jinyoung asked softly.

mark's face grew pale. "i went home this morning to get some stuff i left there," he told him. "and my parents started yelling at me."

"because you left?"

mark shook his head. "i left them a text so they knew, but that wasn't it," he said. "my mom's moving out of town, out to the city, and she wants me to go with her."

jinyoung gaped at him. "mark, that's like four hours away!"

mark nodded miserably. "my dad's staying here, keeping the house. they both want custody over me, and my mom was screaming at me to go with her. i just don't know what to do!"

"look," said jinyoung, trying his best not to freak out, "it's not about which parent is better, okay? just choose to stay or leave, without thinking about who with."

"well obviously i'd rather stay," mark pouted, clasping and unclasping his hands. "you're here, jackson's here, everything i know is here. but mom is going to be really mad if i stay with dad."

"she won't be," jinyoung disagreed, "at least, not for long. it's not her problem anyway. if you want to stay, then stay."

mark nodded slowly, and flung himself into jinyoung's arms. "thank you," he whispered in his ear. "i wanted to stay, i just didn't want to let mom down."

"she'll understand," jinyoung told him comfortingly as they pulled apart.

"i guess so," said mark. then the sly smile returned to his face, and suddenly the old smirking mark had returned.

"i know that face," jinyoung groaned. "don't say it-"

"have you guys fucked yet?"

"-and you said it."

"seriously, though," said mark excitedly, tugging on jinyoung's arm. "what are you doing going around with jaebum?!"

jinyoung gave a long sigh and rubbed his temples. "it's been a long day..."

"someone looks tired," said mark suggestively, giving jinyoung's arm a light punch.

"oh shut up," said jinyoung. "if you really must know..."