Black and Blue | Markmin

𝙽𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗.

Mark was walking down the street with a winter coat wrapped around his lean body, his trembling hands stuck in his pockets as he tried to fight off the cold and his withdrawal temptations - again.

"Fucking cigarettes," Mark grumbled under his breath, a puff of smoke accompanying the words as his warm breath hit the cold air. Here he was again, struggling to quit his horrible addiction after his momentary slip. But he would just have to keep going, as Yuta had continuously told him, relapses happened and recovery wasn't linear.

His heart ached at the thought of his older friend who he still had yet to talk to, but so far he didn't think anything had happened as a result of the rumors. Which was relieving enough.

Mark's eyes caught on the daycare building up ahead, picking up his pace to get out of the cold. He looked at his phone clock, it was almost 18:00 so he would just have to wait inside for a moment or two. He, of course, had realized the problem with his plan on the walk to the daycare.

They couldn't really bring up the topic of soulmates in front of his little sister who, as a young kid, was obsessed with the idea and might let it slip to anyone that her brother and his 'friend' were soulmates. Maybe she wouldn't though. But that wasn't a risk that they could take.

The bell rang plesantly as he opened the door, involuntarily sighing at the warmness circling the interior of the building. The giggles of small children reached his ears and he grimaced. He hated children, save for his little sister. She was the only exception to his unwavering dislike for small blobs that ran around and cried.

He looked around and walked further into the building, greeted almost immediately by a boy with light green hair. The boy smiled and Mark just faintly remembered him from when he had come the last time to pick up his sister. "Hello, My name is Chenle," the boy said cheerfully, balancing a box filled with various action figures on his hip, "What can I do for you?"

"Hello, my name is Mark Lee, I'm here to pick up JiJi," he said calmly and the green-haired boy nodded, beckoning Mark to follow him back farther to the play room. When he walked into the playroom he felt his heart stop at the scene in front of him.

His sister was giggling hysterically as Jaemin crawled around on all fours, mimicking the sounds of a cow. Mark had to bite back a laugh but he couldn't stop the smile that rose on his face at the cute scene in front of him.

"D-do a-a-a...uh, horse!" His sister said between breathless giggles, laughing as Jaemin gave her an exasperated sigh. Disappointingly, Chenle interupted the scene, catching the attention of the two.

"Mark is here to pick you up JiJi," Chenle said happily and Mark smiled as his sister came running towards him to throw her arms around his leg. But he couldn't help himself from sending an amused look in Jaemin's direction, the poor boy's face bright red from embarrasment.

"Markie did you see Nana's impressions!" JiJi exclaimed excitedly, tugging on the bottom of his coat. Mark nodded, laughing quietly.

"Yes Ji, they were very good," he said and bent down to lift the four-year-old into his arms. He looked at Jaemin with a raised eyebrow. "Do you want me to wait outside?" Jaemin shook his head, patting his cheeks lightly as he tried to stop his face from burning.

"N-no that's okay, I just have to grab my stuff from the back room," he said and turned to walk to the back room, Mark bouncing his sister lightly as they both watched the blue-haired boy disappear out of sight.