Black and Blue | Markmin

𝙾𝚗𝚎.

A fist connected with Mark's face and pain spiked through his jaw, a sickening crack echoing around the alleyway.

He ignored the pain blooming in his jaw for now and crouched down, throwing his own punch out and hitting the forearms of the kid who thought he could win this fight. Mark spit blood into the kid's face and, the other boy not expecting it, jolted back.

Just enough time for Mark to kick his leg out to connect with the boy's left kneecap.

The boy's legs collapsed under him and he fell to the ground, his hands hitting the ground with enough force that Mark heard a small pop. Without waiting for the boy to stand back up Mark pulled his leg back and kicked it out, the ball of his foot connecting with the guy's face. A loud crack filled the empty alleyway and a shout of agony followed.

"Maybe you should think before you challenge me to a fight," Mark snarled viciously, his eyes unmoving as they looked at the pitiful sight cowering on his knees before him.

"Shit man," the guy sniveled and stumbled to his feet, wincing as he cradled his bloody face, "You didn't have to take it so far." Mark frowned as he took a step closer to the boy, his hand shooting out to grab the boy's blood-stained collar.

"Maybe you should take your beating like the punk bitch you are," Mark spat into his classmate's face and pushed him back down onto the ground, walking out of the alleyway without looking back at the other.

Mark pulled his almost empty pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket and his lighter out of the other. With much familiarity he lit the cigarette and shoved the extras back into his pocket for later, taking a relieving puff of his own personal addiction.

He winced as he walked down the street, lightly touching his face where he had been punched, periodically taking puffs that he would expell into the air in a steady stream of smoke. He stuck his hands into his jacket pockets and his eyes drifted from face to face of everyone who he passed by.

Occasionally he saw a couple of people who would frown and take a huge gulp of breath, holding the air in their lungs until they were well past Mark. He bit back a snide remark and chewed at the inside of his cheek.

It wasn't long before the neon signs and crowds thinned down to bleak and empty streets, the people he saw beginning to look more and more dangerous. As he turned a familiar corner he threw his cigarette to the ground, stepping on it with the ball of his foot and shoving his now free hand into his pocket.

The shop he had arrived at seemed closed. Lights off and door locked.

But Mark knew better.

He wandered around to the back and as he neared the backdoor entrance he heard whirring gears and strums of music. The singular light above the backdoor illuminated only a bit of his face but as the door swung open to answer his knock it was enough for him to be beckoned inside with a hearty greeting.

"Markie what's happening?" his friend grinned, mechanic goggles placed haphazardly on his head and his hair pulled into a short ponytail. The grease smudges on his face stood out to Mark and he grimaced at the uncleanliness the other displayed.

"Nothing much Yuta," he answered dismissively, squinting his eyes at the other who had now walked ahead of him, back into the supposedly closed shop. He followed passively, watching the moonlight from the windows reflect off of the piercings that adorned the other's ears, as well as the dozens of rings slid onto his fingers.

"Well, from that bruise on your face and the blood on your chin, I wouldn't say it was nothing," the older remarked lightly, giving Mark a pointed look as he led him past the couple of cars he was working on, switching off the old radio playing in the corner, before arriving at the door that seperated Yuta's mechanic shop from his appartment.

He gestured for Mark to enter first, the younger boy walking into Yuta's appartment like normal, hoping that Yuta would have some ice unlike last time.

"It's nothing, just the usual," Mark finalized and he turned to see Yuta put his hands up in mock surrender, his sleeveless hoodie adjusting slightly from the movement. Instead of replying to Mark he just moved past the younger once they entered the living room, going straight to the kitchen for what Mark hoped was ice.

Much to his disappointment, Yuta just walked back out of the kitchen with two beers, tossing once to Mark who caught it with ease.

"You know, as much as I say it, you should stop getting into fights," Yuta began his standard speal as the two sat down on the old brown couch he had, reclining with ease onto the cushions that had melded to fit their bodies. "If not for you then at least for your poor soulmate."

Mark rolled his eyes at the statement, popping the lid off with a twist and taking a swing of the burning alcohol. He never liked it much but it helped to keep his mind off of the pain. Just like the cigarettes did. "You know that's just bullcrap. Besides even if it was true, I don't have a soulmate."

"Ah, there you go again," Yuta chided in a low tone, perhaps not wanting Mark to hear the snide comment. But Mark frowned and turned to face Yuta more as the older took a sip of his own drink.

"Oh come on Yuta, as much as I want to believe it no one loves me enough to fit me perfectly. Hell, you don't even have soulmate. What am I suppose to believe?" Mark winced after the last comment, watching Yuta's face carefully. He hadn't ment to throw such a low blow.

"Well in some ways I'm glad I don't have a soulmate. I mean, not after having burned and injured myself so much after working on cars and motorcycles for so many years," Yuta laughed lightly and Mark relaxed a little.

The conversation died after that and Mark stayed long enough for the two of them to finish their drinks. After reassuring Yuta that he would be fine for the night and that he didn't need to stay over, Mark waved to the older as he walked out of the backdoor.

Then he turned his head back to face the opressing night. He stared it right in the face as he continued down the street, a cigarette already nestled neatly into his mouth as if it had always been there. And so he continued to walk on, his chin still aching from pain but duller now.

Everything was duller now.

Just the way Mark liked it.

__________________________

8/20/2020

Hello everyone and welcome to my new story. I'm just putting the date down here that I finished the first chapter since I don't know if or when I'll be publishing this book.

I'm not sure how exactly this idea popped into my head and I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with it but when you see this I will have figured it out.

So please enjoy my new story, I look forward to reading all your comments <3

- Hannah