∆∆

"The fuck do you want?" Mark opens his door, eyes blinking tiredly at the blonde boy standing in front of him.

Jeno rubs the back of his neck nervously, eyes not meetings Mark's. "I- I came to talk."

"About what?" The cold voice told Jeno that this was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

Jeno takes a breath, calming himself before talking. "I'm sorry." Mark raises a brow, but lets Jeno continue. "And I came to ask permission."

"For what?"

"To make Jaemin mine again," Jeno says quietly. Mark nods and opens the door wider, letting the younger man into his dorm room.

"How'd you find me anyway?"

"I live about 3 rooms down."

"Ah." Mark sits on his bed and gestures for Jeno to do the same. He waits a moment before speaking. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because you're the closest thing to a brother that Jaemin has. And I figured that I had to make sure you and Chenle and Donghyuk were ok with it before I actually started again."

"Start what?"

"To make Jaemin mine again. I never wanted to leave him." Jeno clasps his hands together in his lap, looking down at his crossed legs.

"I know you didn't want to–"

"And I regret not telling him, or not trying to work it out. I just thought maybe if I disappeared, it would be easier on him. I didn't want to hurt him anymore. Stupid of me though."

Mark shakes his head. "It wasn't stupid. You guys were in a tough situation, and Jaemin knows that. I think it's just the scale of the whole matter that's gotten him like this."

Jeno turns his head to Mark in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"He loves you. That's a fact. He never stopped loving you. And so, when the 3rd person in his life that he loves with all his heart disappears and leaves him, it breaks him. The only difference is that he was able to accept the fact that his sister and mom are dead. But you Jeno..." Mark sighs. "He didn't know if you would come back. He couldn't tell himself that you were gone for good because he didn't know. And it just complicated everything."

"I know, and I want to fix it. I don't want to be the person who breaks him anymore. I want to be there for him, for real this time."

"I know you do Jeno."

"And that's why I'm here! I want to make sure that you'll let me try and enter Jaemin's life again."

"I know." Mark looks at his lap.

"And I want to let him know that he can trust me. Trust that I won't abandon him again. That I won't hurt him again."

Mark nods, smiling. "You're genuine, I'll say that much kid. As pissed as I am at you, I can't deny that Jaemin loves you. He cares for you and being with you was probably the happiest I've ever seen him." Jeno smiles proudly. "You can have my 'blessing'. But," he pauses. "It's not me you need permission from." Mark eyes Jeno carefully. "It's Jaemin. What I agree or disagree to doesn't matter, because, in the end, it's his life and his heart. And he chooses what to do with it."

Jeno nods. "I know. I'm going to try my hardest." He stands. "Thank you, for even letting me talk."

Mark stands as well and leads him to the door. "Good luck Jeno, and please treat him well."

"That's the plan."

∆

"Get out of my way." Jaemin glares at the boy before him and walks off.

"Jaemin please."

"I said go away Jeno." He doesn't stop walking, and only ignores the boy talking beside him.

"Please Jaemin, I just want to talk."

"Well, I don't." His cold voice makes Jeno stop in his tracks. Jaemin, not caring, just continues walking towards his car. Jeno had been trying to talk to him for the past week and he wasn't having any of it. He kept telling himself to stay strong, but it was hard; he's stopped himself more than once from running straight into Jeno's arms.

"I'm sorry!" Jeno's booming voice makes Jaemin slow his walk until he eventually stopped moving altogether. He sighs, head facing his feet and tears threatening to fall.

"I know Jeno," he whispers to himself. "I know you are."

But he doesn't look back. He keeps moving forward. He must stay strong.

∆∆ ∆∆

∆oop- it's been a while! I hope you all are doing well, and I'll see you soon. Also thanks for over 200 reads :) I love you guys∆