𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐨𝐰 || 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐨

Chapter 10 : Were You Staring?

Life without volleyball sucks. It sucks even more because Mark has to deal with a big ass cast that reaches his whole leg and restricts him from doing almost everything. Mark wants to throw his crutches into the sun.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Jaehyun inquires as he sits next to him. He lifts his hand and points to Mark while yelling “poor baby, he’s lonely!” when Taeyong demands him to take his ass to the court again. Actually it’s just the perfect coverage for a sneaky rest.

After staying caged in his dorm for days, Mark decided that fuck it, he needed to get out of his dorm or he would become crazy — mostly because Jaemin took that as an opportunity to talk even more about Donghyuck, like if he didn’t do it on a daily basis anyway. So Mark determined he pretty much prefers to be in the gym watching the team even if the green monster crawls in his insides.

Yuta joins them as he pats Mark’s back, ignoring Taeyong glaring from the distance. “Admit it, you can’t live without us.”

“In what universe?”

Mark is thankful he has that stupid cast because Yuta is more than ready to give him a taste of his fist. Yuta retracts his lifted hand when Jaehyun murmurs ‘he’s an invalid, you can’t hit an invalid’.

“I’m not an invalid, what the hell,” No one pays him attention because they’re discussing whether if he still deserves it.

Looking past those two bickering fools, Mark spots Jeno making his way to them and immediately gulps. Heat creeps up Mark’s collar reaching his ears when the other gives him a small smile.

The thing is: Mark is screwed.

It’s not like he has been avoiding Jeno for the past two weeks — but he kind of was.

Mark was embarrassed as hell when his thoughts were finally in place after the unfaithful long day and realized his actions. Mark’s not one of making skinship easily and there were too much for someone that just started a friendship. It didn’t help either that Jeno sent him a message during the night asking how he was feeling. Mark felt his insides stirring up uneasily as his face grew brightly red. Jeno caring and worrying over him made Mark feel unsettled.

“Hey,”

“Hi.” Mark replies, hand coming up as a greeting. It’s awkward and he’s making it even more awkward with his hand up there. He tries to dissimulate and takes it down, ruffling his own hair.

Instead of looking mad, Jeno seems amused — maybe it’s because Mark’s face may look like a tomato by now. Mark would protest but he deserves the embarrassment.

“How long?” Jeno nods towards Mark’s casted leg.

“Four months,”

Jeno clicks his tongue, “Sorry for that.”

Squatting down, Jeno places his chin on Mark’s good knee and looks up to him, shiny eyes boring on his own. Mark wishes he could stop blushing for once but even the roots of his hair are burning. The restless feeling is back and everything is just too much. Help.

“You okay?” Jeno asks as if sensing his tangle of thoughts.

It’s the same question Jeno asked him almost two years ago and still he doesn’t have an answer for it.

Mark’s glad Jeno doesn’t ask him what happened during those two weeks when he declared himself dead and out of reach.

“It’s me or we’re being blurred in the background?”