wingate gardens -got7 ✓

40- 3 weeks

ruined his life.

well, not ruined perhaps, but made it a lot worse nonetheless.

saying he would take it back did nothing. youngjae had lied to him about his brother dying, and that felt like the worst crime.

he still didn't really understand raymond's intentions. he did all this just to have someone to take care of joey? it really seemed to youngjae that he found out mark had moved on and was happy, and wanted to punish him for it.

but whatever that man was thinking, youngjae hated himself for helping him.

mark continued to cry, and youngjae's guilt only grew.

"you really had a life in korea? a good one?" youngjae asked, as he noticed mark's tears begin to slow. they traipsed down his cheeks almost cautiously, and the sobs stopped.

mark nodded and opened his mouth in a whisper, "yes. i was so happy."

"b-but.. all your friends were criminals.. it looked.. so dangerous."

"that doesn't matter. that place was my home, and they were my family." mark's tears had now ceased, and he looked up at youngjae, immediately noticing how his ex held so much pity in his eyes, "i didn't know them that long... but.. we went through a lot together."

he laughed slowly, "we even went to court together. i've never felt so happy, jae... never." 

youngjae peeled himself away from mark, "not even when you were with me?"

"my brother was dying and my father was an alcoholic... i wasn't exactly happy back then." mark replied, "and then i finally escaped my hell, and you dragged me right fucking back."

the anger was quick to return once the tears had died down, though youngjae had expected no less. noticing how his eyelashes clung together from the wetness of his tears, mark looked to youngjae with that same seething tension he always had, "why? why did you do it?"

"honestly?"

mark nodded.

"i missed you. when you told me you were going to korea, i thought i had lost you for good... so when your dad came to me with a plan, it.. it felt like a sign that i could get you back."

there was no way to describe the feeling in mark's chest. hatred, of course, but something more was there too. he hadn't realised how he too, missed youngjae. that is, the youngjae before minhee- the youngjae he had been in love with.

youngjae shrugged, "if it's any consolation, i wish i hadn't done it.. i-i should've accepted that you were moving on."

trying his hardest, mark pushed down another bout of tears, "i don't understand." he said truthfully, "you cheated on me, if you loved me enough to do all this, why did you and minhee... y'know."

"you were so distant." youngjae didn't dare make eye contact with mark, "you stopped talking to me and.. you stopped kissing me too. and then minhee came along, and i missed sex so much i just- i had a brief lapse of judgement."

"that's all it was?" and mark felt his anger start to dwindle.

youngjae nodded, "yes. and i would do anything to take it back mark, anything."

"just leave."

just when mark thought they were getting somewhere, he changed his mind. why should he forgive youngjae just because he could tell how guilty he felt? he still ruined mark's life, he didn't deserve any redemption. mark promised himself he would hate youngjae for the rest of his life.

youngjae looked upset as mark turned away from him, not that mark cared.

"no."

"youngjae. go. i mean it."

"what if i help you escape?," youngjae blurted, "i know where your dad hid all you stuff."

and mark couldn't say no to that could he? it was all he wanted, so badly. he wanted to kiss jinyoung, long and passionate, to tell him that every second they spent together meant the world to him. which was funny, considering how mark used to hate the man. he wanted to pull jackson and yugyeom and bambam into a hug, appreciate how much they had done for him.

jackson, being the first person he ever met in korea, who had helped him out in his own special way.

bambam and yugyeom who had been the first people he called friends, who had taken him on the tour, and tried their best to make him feel welcome.

hell, he'd even visit jaebeom in prison, and thank him for bringing them all closer together.

with all this in mind, he sighed, "fine. but this isn't because i've forgiven you, it's because i want to leave."

"i know."

"why would you help me?" mark asked, and youngjae replied almost as soon as the words left his mouth.

"because it's the only way i can take back what i did. i told you- i wish i hadn't made you leave korea."

"well go then, get my stuff, i'm leaving today."

youngjae shook his head quickly, standing up from mark's bed and leaning against one of the plasterboard walls, "no no no, we need a plan. we need to get your stuff at the very last second, so your dad doesn't catch on, and we need someone else to buy you a plane ticket, so your dad has no way of finding out.... and... we need him to be out of the house so we can get to the airport...."

"and you can do all that?"

"yes... let me call someone quickly." and before mark could respond, youngjae had already pulled his phone from the back pocket of his jeans and was dialling a number.

the phone rang for about half a minute before the person on the other line eventually picked up.

"youngjae? hello?" mark heard the person ask, very faintly, but he heard it nonetheless.

youngjae smiled, "hi minhee. i was just wondering if you could do me a favour."

minhee.

of course.

a/n

the end is coming my friends.
no more than 5 chapters left- i'm still a litttleeeee unsure but yes.

ahh i can't believe it's almost over