mark hummed softly as he came in with the groceries, calling out to his fiancé. "hey hyuck?"

when there was no response, mark checked the time and laughed at himself. "he's still at work. it's way too early for him to be home."

and that was true, yes, it was only three in the afternoon, and donghyuck didn't ever come home before five.

hyuck was a banking manager for the largest bank in south korea, and mark was a freelance writer. both of their spheres didn't seem like they'd mesh, but they did.

they'd known each other for years, actually, and they were so in tune to the point mark would have been able to tell hyuck walking through a crowd of a thousand people.

so when the door opened, he knew it wasn't hyuck. however, it was later than it had been. and so mark went to check it out, and found his brother standing there instead. "jeno?"

"mark." jeno's voice wasn't strong, but it wasn't weak either. "how are you?"

"i'm doing fine." a silence stretched as mark waited for jeno to ask about hyuck, but he didn't. "and hyuck is doing well too."

"i -" jeno blinked, then sighed. "yeah. i know."

"oh? did you talk to him?"

"yeah, on the way here. mark, are you coming out tomorrow?"

"oh no, me and hyuck have a date."

"mark," jeno's voice wavered, and mark's eyebrow raised.

"is something wrong?"

"mark you know -"

"don't say lies." mark spat, knowing what jeno was going to say. "hyuck is fine."

"mark he's not -"

mark heard footsteps, familiar footsteps, and smiled smugly at jeno. "see, he's right there. hi babe!"

there was no response, but mark heard their bedroom door open and close. "he must be tired."

jeno pressed his lips together, his hands shaking.

"mark, there's nothing there. i heard nothing."

"your mind is also full of jaemin and renjun all the time, so i don't blame you for not hearing," mark teased, but his brother's face didn't lighten. "oh come on, you heard it."

"no, i didn't mark." jeno seemed to want to say something more, but the words weren't escaping his lips.

and mark wasn't sure he wanted to hear the words jeno wanted to say.

instead, he stood up and swallowed his words. "just think about coming out with us."

"if hyuck wants to cancel the date, i'll let you know." mark hummed. "however, it is our tenth anniversary."

"i still can't believe you two started dating at thirteen and made it," jeno laughed, and mark pretended not to notice the tears in jeno's eyes. "he was lucky."

"he is lucky, i don't know why you keep talking in past tense about him." mark scoffed, and jeno just sighed, tired of this conversation.

"i have to go now."

"alright, i'll see you around."

when jeno left, mark went to check on his fiancé. the blankets were crumpled, but mark could tell hyuck was under them. "hey baby, jeno wants to know if we want to cancel the date and join them tomorrow."

there was no answer, and mark sighed.

"asleep already i see. well, i don't know what you want for dinner so i'll make something for myself. i love you."

there was silence, as there was to be expected of someone asleep, and mark left the room that he and hyuck shared to the silence.

-

the chapter titles are a poem :)