been you | mt+ijb ✓

12

When Bambam goes to Thailand the next winter, Jaebum finds himself dragged to a multitude of Yugyeom's dance competitions. He's the only other one in their group who appreciates dance the way Yugyeom does, although he's nowhere near as good, and he has to admit that Yugyeom really is an incredible dancer.

It's on the way home from one of those competitions that he gets a call from a frantic Jinyoung.

"Hyung," he hears through the phone, "hyung, we need you, it's Mark – "

"What?" Jaebum asks, immediately on edge. He sees Yugyeom's brows furrow in confusion. "Jinyoung, slow down, what happened?"

"I don't know," Jinyoung says, choking; he's crying, Jaebum realizes with a start. "Mark-hyung and Jackson and Youngjae and I went to the park and then M-Mark-hyung collapsed and we don't know what happened – "

"Where are you?"

"The hospital," Jinyoung answers before Jackson and Youngjae's voices sound in the background, panicked and tearful. It does nothing to help soothe Jaebum's nerves. "Hyung, come quickly."

"I'm on my way," he says, and, scared to hear more of the way Jackson is sobbing, hangs up.

"What's going on?" Yugyeom asks.

(Jaebum thinks dimly that only a year ago, Yugyeom would be on the verge of tears in worry, but now he's older, stronger, and he's calm despite the obvious concern on his face. Jaebum doesn't quite know how to deal with his revelation.)

"Mark's in the hospital," Jaebum grinds out. "We're going to go see him."

It's only when Yugyeom puts a hand over his that he realizes how hard he's clutching the steering wheel. "He'll be okay, hyung," Yugyeom says, quiet, an almost painful reminder of the way Mark comforts Jaebum when he's upset. "He's Mark-hyung, you know? He's going to be fine."

Jaebum thinks he knows what Yugyeom means.

When they run into the hospital later, clutching each other's hands in a silent display of comfort, it's all a blur. Yugyeom blurts out Mark's name to the lady at the front desk and barely lets her speak before dragging Jaebum off; the others are in the waiting room when they stumble out of the elevator, all in tears.

Yugyeom's hand is shaking in Jaebum's as Youngjae attaches himself to the latter and refuses to let go. Jinyoung explains tearfully that none of them have any idea why Mark had passed out, but Jaebum wonders if, even though Mark has stopped pushing them away ever since their fight, he's still been working just as hard and forgetting to take care of himself. Maybe it's not that at all and, unbeknownst to them all, something has been seriously wrong with Mark. The thought of it makes Jaebum wants to be sick.

A doctor comes and calls Mark's name, looking slightly overwhelmed when all five boys stand up, and explains to them that Mark is perfectly fine aside from his extreme fatigue. But he also says that Mark is dehydrated, sleep-deprived, and underweight enough that they should be worried, and Jaebum has to swallow the bile in his throat.

They all rush into his room, worried but relieved; Jackson is the first to rush to his side and touch him as if making sure he's real, already in tears again. Yugyeom moves next, climbing onto the bed beside Mark and wrapping long arms around his shoulders. Mark smiles at them all and apologizes, reaching out to take Jinyoung and Youngjae's hands, and they all can't help smiling back at him.

Finally, Mark looks at Jaebum, visibly nervous, and Jaebum feels all of his resentment disappear.

"I thought you were going to take care of yourself," he grumbles, but he slips in beside Yugyeom, craving the feel of Mark's skin beneath his fingers, and holds on tight. "You said you would."

"I know," Mark says softly. "I did, for a while, but junior year's been tough and I – I got carried away. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Jaebum sighs. He slings an arm around Yugyeom, who's laying his head on Mark's shoulder, and thanks whatever entity is up there for letting Mark be okay. Mark hums in acknowledgement and tugs the rest of the boys onto the bed. It's small and bordering on uncomfortable, but none of them care.

They don't move until Yugyeom's phone goes off and he falls off the bed in surprise. They all laugh while he picks up and tells Bambam that, yes, the dance competition went well, and explains what's going on. Bambam then demands to talk to Mark, and Jaebum just about melts at the affection in the Thai boy's voice when he's assured that Mark is fine. He's so in love with his boys.

(When Mark smiles at him, though, he thinks that he doesn't quite love them all the same way.)