Thief

46

The two strolled back to Jackson's penthouse hand in hand, taking their time alone to admire the quiet night and each other. Once they got back, they both quite literally crashed, collapsing onto Jaebum's bed in one another's arms and almost immediately falling asleep.

Jaebum was the first to wake the next day, the main thing on his mind being coffee. He left Jinyoung to continue resting from their long night as he got up and made himself a. cup. Mark, also being an early riser, smelled the aroma of coffee and shuffled into the kitchen, taking a seat and pulling out a cup for himself.

"Jaebummie get me some~" Mark requested, startling Jaebum with his sudden appearance.

"I'm exhausted..." Jaebum complained, grabbing Mark's cup and filling it with the hot brown liquid along with his own mug.

Mark sighed, taking the coffee from Jaebum and taking a sip. "Well imagine being tied up in a fucking bathroom. That's now a story I can tell my grandkids."

Jaebum chuckled, though in the moment he sure didn't find any of it funny. "At least we can laugh about it now. That shit was scary though."

Mark nodded, grimacing at the bitter taste of the black coffee. "Yeah... but I'm glad it's over. I can finally go home, you can go home, we can resume our natural lives and act like none of this fucking happened."

Jaebum took a sip of his own beverage, thinking over what Mark said. That was true, they could all resume their old lives again now that Shadow wasn't an impending threat, but Jaebum honestly didn't like the sound of it. "But... I don't want that."

Mark furrowed his brows, cocking his head to the side. "What?"

"My normal life was... boring. And lonely. These past few weeks showed me that. My life is so much better with Jinyoung in it; it's fun and exciting and filled with twists and turns. He motivates me to do more, and I want to succeed more for him. I want to make him proud of me." Jaebum stated, his cheeks dusting a light pink as he gushed over his significant other.

Mark scoffed, giving Jaebum a playful tap on the shoulder. "You are whipped for this kid. Literally whipped."

Jaebum rolled his eyes, shoving Mark in the arm. He couldn't deny it though, because he truly was whipped, and he loved it. "Shut up... it's not like you and Jackson are any better. You say you can finally go home, but is that what you really want Mark? Or do you wanna stay in this penthouse with him?"

Mark's eyes suddenly fell to the table, his fingers tapping the side of his cup. "I... haven't decided yet, okay?"

Jaebum shook his head, not believing that for even a second. "You already know your decision. It's okay to like him Mark. And it's okay to commit and settle down. You should find love too."

Mark was quiet for a moment, his cheeks matching Jaebum in their rosy pink color. He sighed, looking up to glare at Jaebum. "Fuck you Jaebum. I'm the one who usually gives the relationship advice."

"Well you obviously want to stay with Jackson but you're hesitant. I'm just saying, you should do what your heart wants." Jaebum stated, knowing that he's seen Mark much happier when Jackson's around. That must be how Mark sees him and Jinyoung, and honestly it was nice to see Mark find joy in Jackson despite the incident in the past. "If you're worried about me and how I feel, I told you already that I don't care. I have Jinyoung. He makes me so happy, and if Jackson makes you just as happy then I'll support you two. Fuck the past, that was back then. We're good enough friends now to get over stuff like that and move on."

Jaebum caught a hint of Mark's lips curling up into a smile, the elder covering his mouth to hide his happiness. He obviously did want to be with Jackson, and all he needed was Jaebum's approval, though he completely refused to admit how grateful he was for Jaebum's words due to his pride. "Th-This was about you and Jinyoung, not me and Jackson."

Jaebum smiled, glancing down at his coffee. "Me and Jinyoung are just fine. We... said I love you..."

Mark's eyes widened, leaning his body forward over the table. "Seriously? You said it? Like, those three words in that exact order?"

"Yes Mark! Is it that unbelievable?" Jaebum asked, not expecting Mark to have such a surprised reaction.

Mark sat back in his chair, a smug expression on his face. "Well, the Jaebum I once knew denied every single feeling of attraction towards Jinyoung. But now you're over here giving love confessions. What a great character development."

Jaebum rolled his eyes, chuckling a little. "Oh shut up... I just sort of said it because it felt right... but I did mean it."

Mark nodded, genuinely proud of how far Jaebum had come as a person. He was glad Jaebum found Jinyoung, he liked this happier side of Jaebum a lot and wanted him to stay. "That's cute. I have a good feeling about you two. It's gonna last Jaebum, trust me."

"I hope so." Jaebum mumbled, imagining spending the rest of his life with Jinyoung. It felt like a dream, and Jaebum hoped it would turn out to be reality.

Mark smiled, nodding his head. "I know so."

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(*Idk what to write here lol. I want to write uwu but I'm sure you guys get the point so... sksksk idk.*)