Mark Me

<24>

<ok I feel like Jaemin has been such a victim so here's some ansgty~ish Jeno for ya :))>

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Jeno stops writing down his homework when he hears the front door close. He waits a moment before going back to his work once he hears his mom enter her room. Her footsteps were louder than normal but Jeno assumed that she was just heavily drunk and not walking straight.

He stops again when he hears laughing. But it wasn't just his mom's drunken hiccups, it was deep. Like a man's voice. Jeno sits up straight, his eyes wide. His mom brought someone home. His mom brought a man home. She brought a complete stranger into his house.

Jeno stands abruptly, tears stinging his eyes. His mom was already bad and neglectful enough but this? Completely disregarding her and her son's safety? Jeno didn't know what to feel. He didn't want to feel.

Jeno begins to shake as his tears silently come down. His mom probably met the stranger five minutes ago on the sidewalk and just invited him in. She probably forgot about Jeno being home. Heck she forgot about all common sense. It's one thing to get acquainted with someone at a party or club and then leave. It's another thing to bring a random stranger from the street right into your home.

Jeno opens his door cautiously, wiping his tears. His mom's door was closed and he could hear faint talking and laughing from the other side of the door. He sighs and runs back to his room. He takes out his phone and dials the first person he could think of. Mark.

"Jeno? Hey man what's good?"

"Mark. I need you to come to my house, through my bedroom window."

"Why?"

"I'll explain when you get here...please...just hurry." Jeno tries not to let his voice crack from the tears but fails.

"O-ok...I'm on my way. I'll see you in a few minutes ok?"

"Ok. Thank you." Jeno nods, even though Mark can't see it through the phone call.

"Of course. I'm here for you." Mark hangs up and Jeno grabs a duffel bag from under his bed. He couldn't stand living here anymore. He just couldn't do it. Maybe in a few weeks or months, he'd come back to see if his mom was even alive anymore, but for now, he had to get out of here. Out of the house. Out of neglect. Out of the memories. He just couldn't handle it anymore.

He looks up from packing his clothes when he hears a knock on his window. He stands and goes to unlock it, pulling Mark inside.

"Jeno," Mark dusts himself off and looks around the room. Jeno's clothes were sprawled around the duffel bag, the door was open a crack. The boy himself was standing in front of Mark with puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. "What's going on?"

Jeno shushes him and gestures Mark to follow him to the door. They peek their heads out and Jeno signals for him to listen. After a few seconds, Mark hears a man and a woman laughing in the bedroom next door. He and Jeno step away from the door and close it.

"Oh my god...Jeno..."

"I can't keep living like this Mark. I don't know what'll happen if I leave, but all I know is that I have to. I have to leave. I can't stand this anymore, Mark." He turns and goes back to packing his clothes. Mark rushes over.

"I'll help you out, ok? You can stay at my place for now. I'm gonna make a quick phone call ok? Then I'll help you pack." Jeno just nods and Mark turns away. He takes out his phone and dials a number.

"Hey Hyuk?"

<AHAHAH I BET YALL THOUGHT IT WOULD BE JAEMIN AHAH NOPE>

"Mark? What's wrong? Is Jeno ok?" Donghyuk asks worriedly, he was staying over at Mark's when Jeno called.

"Yeah...he's gonna be staying at my place for a while. Family stuff came up..." He turns and looks back at Jeno who was finishing zipping up his bag. Jeno turns to his backpack and continues packing. Mark sighs. "Could you maybe prepare the guest room? Please?"

"Yeah of course. Do the bed sheets need to be changed?"

"Not sure...but do it just in case."

"Ok...should I call Jaemin? Bring him over here?"

Mark takes a moment before answering. "If you think it's a good move, then yeah, call Jaemin."

"Alright. I'll see you two in a bit, give Jeno a hug for me ok?"

"Will do. Bye, I love you."

"Love you too."

Mark hangs up and turns to Jeno. "Ok, what do you need me to pack?"

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Jaemin closes his laptop and picks up his ringing phone with a sigh.

"Hello?"

"Jaemin, uh, are you doing anything?"

"Does reading on my computer count as 'doing anything' Hyuk?" Jaemin asks, sitting up.

"No. Ok good. Look, I need you to come to Mark's house. Like now." Donghyuk says urgently.

"Why?"

"Jeno."

"...what happened?"

Donghyuk sighs. "I'm not sure, but something big. He's going to be staying at Mark's for a while. I figured you should be here when they arrive. Mark is at Jeno's house helping him pack."

"Ok. I'll be there soon. What's the address?" Jaemin asks, putting his shoes on. He takes a pen and writes the address down on his arm before grabbing a jacket. "I'll see you soon Hyuk."

"Ok. Take the bus to be safe."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye." Jaemin hangs up and rushes downstairs. He turns to the kitchen seeing Taeil, Taeyong, and Jaehyun all there.

"Hyungs, I'm going to Mark's house. Something's come up with Jeno. I'll text you my schedule and when I'll be home. I have my wallet and backpack." He says quickly, clearly in a rush.

Taeyong turns from the stove, raising an eyebrow. He slowly nods. "Ok...just be careful, alright? I don't want a call from the hospital about you getting hit by a car that couldn't see you in the dark." He says in a serious tone. Jaehyun and Taeil both nod, not facing the teenager.

Jaemin smiles. "You got it hyung. I'll be back soon. I love you!" He shouts from the door. A couple 'I love you!'s were heard before he made his way to the bus stop.

Sitting on the bus, Jaemin only had one thing running through his head. 'Please be ok. Please be ok. Please be ok.'

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<Hi i'm backkk. I feel like i haven't updated in FoReVeR, yet i did like yesterday lmao. Anyways, the plot is slowly thickening. I've never been good with hard angst, but I can do some 'moments' of "oh shit what's gonna happen". Lmao I hope you're still reading this- and i'm glad you still like it. Thank you so much for such positive feedback, I really mean it. You guys mean the world to me. I love you my Lovelies! See you soon>