𝓕𝓪𝓿 | 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐜𝐤

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟖

The sun was shining brightly, and there was a crispness in the air as Haechan stood outside the front door of their new home, taking it all in. It was officially move-in day, and everything felt like a fresh start. The house was quiet for now, boxes scattered around as they prepared to settle in, but it already had the makings of a place they could call home.

Mark appeared behind him, carrying a box labeled Kitchen with a grin on his face. "It's move-in day," he announced, his voice light with excitement.

Haechan turned around, smiling brightly. "Yep! And you know what that means? No more listening to my neighbors making weird noises at 3 a.m."

Mark chuckled as he set the box down on the floor. He gave Haechan a teasing look. "Well, we could be the ones making noises now—with no complaints."

Haechan's eyes widened at Mark's cheeky comment, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "Oh?" he managed to say, trying to hide his surprise behind a playful smirk.

Mark laughed, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around Haechan's waist, pulling him in gently. "What? It's true. We've got all the privacy we could ever want now."

Haechan rolled his eyes, though his smile didn't fade. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Mark leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Haechan's forehead. "I know. But that's why you love me."

Haechan couldn't help but smile wider at that, resting his head against Mark's chest. "Yeah, yeah. I do."

For a moment, they stood there in the entryway of their new home, holding each other, the reality of this new chapter settling in. It was just the two of them, in a house that was all theirs. It felt surreal, but also perfect.

Mark pulled back slightly, looking down at Haechan with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Come on, let's finish unpacking so we can make this place ours. I'll take care of the heavy stuff, and you can tell me where you want everything."

Haechan grinned, grateful for Mark's offer. "Deal. But you better listen to my interior design ideas without complaining."

Mark laughed. "No complaints here. Whatever makes you happy."

With that, they got to work, moving boxes, setting up furniture, and slowly turning the empty house into a home. There were moments of laughter, teasing, and the occasional playful argument over where certain things should go, but everything felt right.

As the afternoon stretched into evening, they finally collapsed on the couch, exhausted but happy. The living room was mostly set up, and though there were still boxes to unpack, the house was starting to feel like theirs.

Haechan leaned against Mark, his head resting on his shoulder. "You know, this feels pretty good. Our own place."

Mark wrapped an arm around Haechan, pulling him closer. "Yeah, it does. I'm glad we did this."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. Everything felt new and exciting, but there was also a sense of peace that came with knowing they had taken this step together.

Haechan turned his head slightly, looking up at Mark. "Thank you for making this happen."

Mark smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair out of Haechan's face. "Thank you for being here with me. I couldn't imagine doing this with anyone else."

Haechan's heart swelled with affection, and he leaned up to press a soft kiss to Mark's lips. It was a simple, quiet moment, but it was everything.

As they pulled away, Haechan grinned. "So... about those noises you were talking about earlier..."

Mark raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. "Oh? You're bringing that up again, huh?"

Haechan laughed, playfully nudging him. "I'm just saying, you might've been onto something."

Mark's eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned down, his lips brushing against Haechan's ear. "Well, we've got all night, no neighbors to worry about..."

Haechan's laughter filled the room as he pushed Mark back slightly, his cheeks flushing. "Alright, alright. Let's take it slow, okay?"

Mark chuckled, nodding. "Of course, whatever you want."

Just as Mark and Haechan were about to settle into the quiet of their new home, the front door suddenly burst open. In walked Jaemin, Renjun, and Chenle, their voices carrying through the house before they even made it into the living room.

Jaemin took one look at the two of them snuggled up on the couch, a smirk forming on his lips. "You freaks," he teased, his voice dripping with playful mockery.

Renjun stifled a laugh as he followed behind Jaemin, crossing his arms. "Did we interrupt something?"

Haechan nearly jumped out of his seat, his face immediately flushing red. "Oh my God! Couldn't you have knocked or something?"

Chenle, already laughing, flopped onto one of the empty chairs, totally unbothered by the situation. "Why would we knock? This is like prime entertainment right here."

Mark rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. "Seriously, do none of you understand personal space?"

Jaemin shrugged, completely unfazed. "Personal space is a myth, Mark. You should know that by now."

Haechan groaned, covering his face with his hands. "This is not how I imagined spending the first night in our new house."

Renjun finally took pity on them, shaking his head at Jaemin and Chenle. "Alright, alright. Let's give them a break. You guys are ridiculous."

But Chenle wasn't done yet. "Ridiculous? This is what we call friendship! Besides, we came here to check out the place, not just to catch them in... whatever this is."

Mark laughed, sitting up a bit straighter. "Okay, fine. Since you're all here now, I guess we can give you the grand tour."

Jaemin glanced around with a mock-critical expression. "Yeah, about time. We need to make sure you didn't turn this place into a love shack or something."

Haechan threw a pillow at Jaemin, who dodged it with a laugh. "Can you be serious for, like, two seconds?"

"Never," Jaemin responded with a smirk, clearly enjoying himself.

Mark stood up, gesturing toward the rest of the house. "Alright, come on. Before you all start making assumptions, let's get this over with."

As they walked through the house, Jaemin, Renjun, and Chenle made all kinds of comments, ranging from playful jabs about their decorating choices to actual compliments.

When they got back to the living room, Chenle flopped onto the couch. "Okay, I have to admit, the place looks good. You didn't completely mess it up."

Mark laughed. "Thanks. I think."

Jaemin gave Haechan a sly look. "Now, about those noises you were talking about earlier..."

Haechan's eyes widened in horror as he quickly cut him off. "Stop right there. Don't even think about it!"

Jaemin burst out laughing, and even Renjun couldn't help but chuckle. "You guys are way too easy to mess with."

Haechan groaned again, but despite the embarrassment, there was a warmth in his chest. This was his family, his friends. And no matter how chaotic or teasing they could be, he wouldn't trade them for the world.

Mark wrapped an arm around Haechan's shoulders, pulling him close. "We might be freaks," he said, looking pointedly at Jaemin, "but at least we're happy freaks."

Jaemin rolled his eyes dramatically. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever makes you sleep at night."