RIBS, NCT DREAM

FIFTEEN

MARK VAGUELY REMEMBERS WHAT HAPPENED AFTER DONGHYUCK LEFT HIM ALONE. He remembers being in a trance, quickly sending a text to Taeyong to pick him up. He remembers Taeyong and Jaehyun quickly entering the ice cream parlor, shoving the doors open with force. He remembers crying his eyes out when Taeyong asked him what was wrong. He remembers the two taking him out of the parlor into Taeyong's car.

He doesn't remember arriving to Taeyong's place and being put to bed.

Mark woke up, feeling groggy. He was confused how he ended up in Taeyong hyung's bed. Mark got up from the bed, and went out the door into the living room. When he entered, he saw Taeyong on the couch with Jaehyun on the left of him, watching a movie.

Taeyong looked up when he heard Mark, "Hey Mark. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." He groaned, "How did I end up here?"

"You, my baby," Taeyong extended his arm to reach for Mark, "cried your eyes out in the parlor. You passed out in the car so we just took you here. Don't worry, we texted your mom."

Mark winced at the mention of his parents. He walked towards Taeyong's reached out arm and sat down next to the older. Taeyong wrapped his arm around Mark, and Mark felt a sense of content he hadn't felt in a long time.

Jaehyun interrupted Mark's moment of peace, "So, want to tell us what got you so upset? We were worried, Mark."

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

"It's alright, but I think you owe us an explanation," Jaehyun reached over Taeyong to ruffle Mark's hair.

"Only if you want to," Taeyong reassured.

"I texted you about my friend, right hyung?" He asked Taeyong.

"Yeah."

"That "friend" was me."

"Yeah, bud, I already had a feeling it was you."

Mark blushed, "Well, I didn't know that. I just needed advice and-"

"I get it, Mark, it's alright,"

"Okay, well basically. I started talking to this boy, named Donghyuck. I developed feelings for him. I stopped things with Yeri and asked him to meet with me for ice cream. I confessed to him, but he thought I was joking. He thought it was a joke because I'm "Mark Lee" and he thought I was friends with the homophobic people on the team. When I told him I wasn't friends with those people, he still rejected me because he thought I wasn't ready. I guess he thinks I should spend more time being okay with my sexuality."

"Oh, wow," Jaehyun sighed.

"My poor baby," Taeyong hugged Mark tighter.

"Now I don't know what to do. I like him, I really, really like him." Mark said, looking down into his hands on his lap, "I want to be with him. I'm okay with dealing with the dickheads at school if it means he'll be mine."

"That was romantic. My big baby grew up so well," Taeyong joked.

"Any advice?"

"I think a part of Donghyuck's argument is right. You just got okay with being gay yourself. You have to deal with telling your parents, if you'll ever tell them. Do you want to be open and let everyone know? Do you want to keep your relationship a secret? Is Donghyuck okay with being a secret? There's a lot of things you need to figure out, Mark." Jaehyun explained.

"And like I texted you, if you decide to tell your parents, and they react horribly, my home is always open. God knows I need company and my parents are never home anyways. Plus they love you already." Taeyong pinched Mark's cheek.

"Ow, okay. What would you do if you were in my situation right now?"

"If I were you, and Donghyuck was Taeyong, knowing how strong my feelings are for him, I'd come out. I'd come out and prove to him that I know what I feel, and this isn't just confusion." Jaehyun said.

"It's going to be hard, Mark," Taeyong warned, "Only do this if you're one hundred percent sure."

"I know, but for Donghyuck, it's going to be worth it. Thanks for taking care of me and thanks, just thanks for everything. I have something to take care of."

Mark hugged both of them goodbye. Before he pulled away from Jaehyun, the older whispered in his ear "Good luck, kid,".

Mark needed all the luck he could get.