Starlight | Nomin

7

        

             It's when Mark gets pinned up against the bathroom wall at school the next day when he realizes that he had to go back to his reality sooner or later, and that not everything was a fever dream where he was baking cakes with the cute student council president.

A scowl forms on his face, wanting to say something, but instead getting gum spat on his face. Thankfully, it didn't stick and slipped off. "Oh, for fucks sake, Jeno!" He proceeds to say, Jeno only sliding him up further against the wall. It was no joke that Jeno worked out, or that he was ripped as hell. Mark knew he was too, but not as much as the blonde in front of him.

"You are such a fucking disgrace," Jeno hisses, knuckles turning white as he grip on Mark's shirt got tighter. "Fucking around after school with Donghyuck—"

"And you're a fucking dumbass because I was walking home, and he attacked me out of nowhere." The older male interrupts, ripping Jeno's hand away from his now wrinkled tank top eyes burning holes into Jeno's skull.

He was not having it today, not with the pain in his ankle and the annoyance he felt when he saw Donghyuck last night.

Sure, he was appreciative for the bag of pain relievers and snacks, but at the same time, it irked him.

Mark had expressed his want to Donghyuck for a soulmate that cared about him and gave him their undivided attention before he was 18.

Of course, the younger thought it was stupid for him to even want such a thing and that it was useless; soulmates was just government propaganda and that every soulmate would be 'hetero' in his words.

It was just unfortunate that it happened to be Donghyuck, which yes, did catch them both off guard for a moment. Mark can't begin to describe the look on his face when they were fighting on Donghyuck's 18th birthday and accidentally bumped into each other doing so causing the reaction between them.

Unfortunate.

That was the only word Mark could use to describe it.

Since then, he had been put off by the idea of soulmates. Not really wanting one anymore now that the thrill of finding them was gone and more or so that it was someone he didn't really like or cared for.

Donghyuck was the embodiment of everything he didn't want.

Rude, sassy, impulsive, aggravating, just all around bratty.

Now, Mark knew he wasn't exactly the best person either. Hell, he had a tattoo sleeve on his arm, an assortment of piercings, and for fucks sake, he was in a gang. but in truth, sometimes he felt desperate to get out of it. It's like he was forcefully being pushed underwater whenever he tried to come up to the surface to breathe.

That's why when he met and started to befriend Jaemin, Mark finally felt as if he was no longer trapped. It was as if he could finally take a breath of fresh air. Despite still being pulled back under by his feet every now and then, Mark had found a reason to keep swimming towards the top.

Maybe it was a little dumb, maybe it was a little childish. But he genuinely felt as if he could become a better person with Jaemin by his side.

Now, did he want to date him? At this point in time, the answer would be no. Though, it would be a lie if Mark were to his cheeks didn't tinge a baby pink every time he spoke to the younger.

When he finally processes what just happened between him and Jeno, all Mark can do is huff and begin to walk (more or so limp, he didn't have crutches) away. Jeno grabs his wrist and forcefully spins him back around on his heel and in a split second, he's slammed right back up against the wall.