Arcadia 11

Twenty-Two

"Jackson." Jaebum called softly, his voice seeming so loud in the empty lounge. The younger sighed, looking at his friend before taking the few steps to reach him, immediately falling into his arms. Surprising no one when he began crying again. His emotions getting the best of him, now that he was with a member and in a safe place. Jaebum wasted no time wrapping his arms around the male. He felt each shuddering breath as silent sobs wracked his body there was nothing either could do except hold each other up and cry together.

After half an hour Jackson finally pulled away, his face a mess, eyes red from not only the tears but the aggressive scrubbing of his own face, his throat raw from keeping everything quiet. Not that he cared, he was more worried about keeping this from the younger members than he was his personal feelings. It was a trait he seemed to share with the eldest member. Jaebum kept one arm around the younger leading him to his room, the silence suffocating, but he couldn't bring himself to break it. His need to help the younger the only thing keeping him going, he'd cried enough in private, he needed to be strong now.

"They told me that I had to leave. He's too weak to be awake for longer than an hour at a time. His heart isn't strong enough right now and they're going to keep him sedated as much as they can so that he'll recover. They're saying that he was hours away from collapsing, and that Mark-hyung is going to be there for at least a week." Jackson whispered, eyes glued to the floor in front of him. "I was trying so hard to... He's just so small. I... How..." The elder of the two kept his silence, wanting to give his friend time to arrange his thoughts. "Jisoo-hyung promised to stay with him, he told me he would keep me updated. I hate leaving him there but..." He trailed off, eyes skirting around his room. Half of the room looked so bare, Jackson's side the exact same as he'd left it. His bed still messy and clothes left on the floor from his rushed packing, even his phone cord was still plugged into the wall. But the other half was empty, the extra bed made perfectly, no cords left out, jewelry no where to be seen, all the pictures of his family and friends taken off the wall, all the trinkets he'd collected, gifts from fans, small things that made it his room were gone. Seeing it so bare made both men freeze, when had Mark taken everything down? Where was it? With the state of the bed, they even asked if he'd been coming back and sleeping. The elder questioned if he'd seen Mark eat in front of him since Jackson left.

"Has it always looked like this?" The leader whispered, his heart breaking further at the thought of his Hyung not feeling comfortable with them. His reply was a head shake, his friend setting his luggage onto his own bed and crawling into the oldest members instead. He looked so small, his body curled into a ball with his head resting just below the pillows. "I know all you want to do is sleep, but go shower before getting into Hyung's bed." He half-heartedly said, his eyes roaming over the empty side of the room, looking for just one thing to prove Mark lived there and wasn't just a guest in the dorm they'd been in for years.

Nodding, the blonde stood slowly, his eyes still on the ground making it impossible to see the emptiness around him. Opening his cupboard he barely stopped himself from crying out loud. All of Mark's shirts were folded neatly, his suit coats hung up, and pants tucked in as well. All the jewelry that usually sat on his night stand was in the intricately made box his sister had mailed him two years earlier, hidden under one of his shirts. The only evidence of their Hyung sharing this room. Grabbing one of Mark's oversized t-shirts and a pair of his own sweats he left to go shower, not looking at the man standing in the middle of the room. His tears falling slowly, he was biting his lips in the hopes of keeping the sound in.

"It's going to be okay, we'll get him back and show him that he doesn't need to hide. Especially his Little Space. I will fix this Jackson." Jaebum said, reaching out to touch his dongsaeng's arm. The pledge not only to Jackson but also to his own conscious. There was so much he needed to do for his Hyung and he wouldn't rest until he fixed it. He was the one responsible for his members, he was supposed to be keeping everything together, he would not mess up again.

Jackson nodded again, his silence unsettling even if there was a definite reason for it. He lifted his head, wiped his eyes, and squared his shoulders before opening the door. Quietly making his way out of the room.

Jaebum waited until he heard the door shut. His knees giving out underneath him as he sank to the floor, his grief pulling him down. His heart not satisfied with the pain he was feeling, wanting the rest of his body to hurt as well. Thoughts and images of his Hyung sickly and unmoving flowing through his head, it was his fault. He'd pushed him to this, after everything they'd been through, all the late nights talks where he'd poured all his fears, frustrations, and worries on to the eldest, never once taking the time to listen to him. He had used his brother until he broke, and then pushed him further. This was a mistake he needed to correct, he needed to prove to his Mark-hyung that he could be there for him, that he could be his support system now. He would need Jackson's help, he knew from experience Mark-hyung could hold a grudge, and he refused to think their relationship had come to that.