Work Text:
Mark doesn’t know what this is, he thinks as he gets ready to throw his clothes back in and rush out the door. Johnny is still laying down in bed, even though he is pretty much just laying in the mess they left there a few hours ago. Disgusting. Mark thinks as he bends down to look under the bed and see if he might be able to find his missing sock there. No such luck.
“Yo dude, have you seen my sock?” Mark asks as he is almost half-way crawling under the bed and thinks, that the actual monsters under beds older family members all other the world caution about, probably look just like the suspicious pile of shit growing under Johnny’s bed
“Try by the entrance door, I think I remember you being a little desperate to reach the bedroom”
Mark loudly scoffs and doesn’t have to look up to know Johnny is sporting a smug look. God how much Mark hates him. Hate, like, whatever. But that is for another day. Right now, Mark needs to find his sock and bolt. He already overstayed by at least 10 minutes and things will start getting weird soon.
Mark finds the rest of the clothes in the room and dresses up quickly. The only item missing is the one sock which he does find next to the entrance door. He hastily puts on with only mild embarrassment. He needs to practice his chill.
They have been doing this, whatever this is for months now. 3 months to be exact. Well, 4 if they count the one month where they couldn't make it back inside an actual house. But nobody is counting, he definitely is not counting. Just like he is not counting the additional time he just wasted by the door thinking about months and this. Which his mind continues to unhelpfully italicize.
The process is clear from there. He will finish getting dressed up, will jump to the bathroom, wash his face, brush his teeth with the toothbrush he always carries in his classic backpack (always carry it, never leave it behind or ask for one, he knows that is not what this is), and then yell his goodbye to Johnny from the door, who usually is still laying in bed by then. No goodbye kisses or lingering touches, just a clear goodbye without a promise for next time which he knows will happen anyway.
Before Mark is able to finalize the last step of their usual morning routine, Johnny steps out of the room but stays near the door, clad only in his grey sweatpants. The grey sweatpants, Mark looks to the sky and begs for mercy. He has a plan he needs to stick to, and the grey sweatpants are putting a dent to said plans. Mark notices Johnny is about to say something, but he is faster, he will not be the reason why this becomes weird.
“Yo I’m just about to get out of your hair, I found the sock” Mark lifts his right foot off the floor and shows it to Johnny who looks at him with a grin and eyes Mark cannot decipher, and will not try to do while he is trying to rush out the door.
“No worries dude, you’re always in such a hurry. I was just about to ask you if you wanted to-“
Before Johnny can finish, Mark loudly interrupts him
“haha well, had fun yesterday gotta go now, bye” Johnny doesn’t even have the chance to ask Mark if he wants to spend the night before Mark is already out of the door.
Johnny walks out to the living room, slumps himself on the couch, looks up to the ceiling and wonders what this is.
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4.5 months earlier (nobody is counting)
As with almost every disaster in Mark’s life, it all started thanks to Donghyuck.
“For the last time, Mark Lee, I go by the name Haechan, stop trying to make Donghyuck happen.” Donghyuck will often argue, and Mark will simply answer he is not trying to make anything happen, his parents made it happen and Mark is carrying the legacy. In any case, Haechan is always the cause, and even the consequence considering that they have been friends for over 12 years because Mark decided to listen to Haechan one (1) time and suddenly got stuck with him forever.
They agreed to meet up at the fancy cafe just off campus, close enough you can get there with only 3 tram stops, but far enough from campus for the cafe owners to sell overpriced coffee and tiny overpriced pastries. Mark lets it go only because they are actually good, and because Haechan promised to pay once Mark complained. Mark doesn’t know what’s with all the secrecy. He was only told to show up and “wear a clean shirt for God’s sake” Mark left his house once with a ketchup stain on his shirt and apparently it became a personality trait.
In any case, Mark noticed Haechan had been acting weird (more than usual) for at least 1 month. Blowing up their unofficial movie dates, which consist of meeting up during random days when one texts the other to say they are bored, being “busy” all the time and the last time they met up, Haechan ate a SALAD. That was all Mark needed to see to know something was happening. To prepare in advance Mark did some research, but unfortunately nothing of interest came up in his search when he looked up “what to do if my friend suddenly starts eating kale?”
Mark arrived at the cafe first and took a table close to the window. The perks of going to fancy cafes was the location. This one was located in a nicer part of the city, and people watching was more entertaining. There were only so many sleep deprived students you could project yourself into before you went crazy.
Mark glanced up and saw Haechan. But he did not only see Haechan, he saw Haechan holding a guy’s hand. A guy who suspiciously looked like the dude they saw at the gym a few times doing a weird weight routine. Haechan said he looked like a butterfly, Mark said he looked like an uncoordinated puppet.
Haechan slowly made his way to the table and with a quick glance up and down Mark, he seemed to decide Mark was presentable enough.
“What?? Marcus Lee?? What a coincidence!” Haechan said while giving Mark a pointed look.
If Mark was a better friend, he would play along to whatever Haechan was trying to achieve, and he usually was, but not at this moment. The casual desperation in Haechan’s eyes imploring him to play along sparked in him the need to just, not.
“Dude, you told me to meet up here. Literally told me you would buy me coffee and snacks” In reality Haechan only promised coffee, but Mark saw the opportunity and took it. Donghyuck would not deny him this when the puppet dude was standing there with an amused look on his face.
Mark saw Haechan’s eyes twitch and suck in a quick, but soft breath. “Right, I forgot about that, no wonder I felt like I really had to come here today” Puppet tried to hide a smile behind a cough, but Mark could tell he was trying his best not to laugh.
“I take it that you are the great Marcus Lee I always hear about? Donghyuckie’s ride or die, bestie for life and platonic soulmate” Puppet said -Mark really needed to stop calling him that.
“Yeah that’s me, it was time Donghyuckie gave me the title I deserve” Mark said the name without breaking eye contact with his platonic soulmate, if only to see the way Haechan simultaneously blushed and shot daggers at him with his eyes. Mark thought he could take it further by dropping a “and who are you? Never heard of you?” but he was not that shitty. Considering the way Haechan was acting, he could tell this guy was important to him.
Turning to Haechan he said “So about that coffee and pastries??” Haechan then put himself together and while still holding Taeil’s hand he moved to go towards the cashier, already knowing Mark’s order by heart but he was stopped by Taeil. “Baby, why don’t you tell me what you guys want and I’ll go place the order?” Taeil said sweetly and Mark saw Haechan melting. “I think you need a few minutes to work out the story with Mark” then proceeded to wink at Haechan and drop his hand. Haechan was left a blushing mess, which Mark filed for later, but Mark decided he liked the dude.
“You’re a fucking asshole Mark Lee. I gave you the look, you know the look, I’ve been using the same look for years” Haechan glared at him and Mark simply shrugged “sorry I didn’t notice, I am not wearing my glasses”
“You’re literally fucking wearing your glasses, not even contacts, you’re wearing your stupid-ass Harry Potter ones you fucking menace” Haechan somehow managed to shout but whisper at the same time, Mark thought that was an interesting skill to have “oops” he shrugged again and didn’t say anything else. They both stared at each other in silence for a long minute before Haechan cracked.
“Jesus Christ ok he’s the guy I’ve been seeing for like a month, but it is nothing serious before you get any weird ideas. I am still sexy, free and single and ready too, bingo”
If Mark already has a coffee at that point, he would have definitely spit it all out across the table.
“Did you really just quote a super junior song to describe your relationship status?”
“Yes, I quoted a suju song, and no, did not describe my relationship status because there is no relationship”
“Sure thing Donghyuckie” Before Haechan could launch himself at Mark, the dude came back holding the vibrating thing to pick up their order and a receipt.
“Yo dude, how much was it, I’ll pay you back” Mark might be a bitch to Donghyuck but not to strangers. Before Mark could open his backpack, he was stopped.
“Don’t worry man, I am happy to buy for Donghyuckie and his friends” The guy said with an easy smile and Mark could tell he was genuine and the more time passed, the more awkward he felt to not know the guys name. There are only so many times you can call a dude, dude before it gets weird.
“Thanks dude, that’s mad nice”
They made easy conversation for a few minutes until their order was ready and the dude went up to pick their orders.
“For fucks sake Haechan, what is his name? If I call him dude one more time I will grow a snapback on my head” Haechan just cracked up but still did not say the name
“Serves you right for acting like a little shit” Mark, not one to back down from a challenge (at least with Haechan) comfortably set himself with his back plastered to the chair and propped both his arms behind his head, the ultimate asshole stance. “Well I mean, I can ask him. I’m sure he’d love to know that the ride or die of his baby has never heard of him before'' Mark finished with a smirk and a single eyebrow raise. Right at that moment the dude, Taeil, as Haechan so loudly yelled when he stood up to help him place the drinks down on the table, arrived.
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4 months earlier (unofficial beginning of this thing nobody is counting)
With Haechan and Taeil becoming official, they all started hanging out more often. Mark usually tried to give them their space since it was a new relationship and he did not need to see Haechan being grossly in love so up close and personal, but as it was, they usually found themselves studying together at the library or at the cafes inside campus. Mark learned Taeil was double majoring in sport education and music, which was a very odd combination but Taeil had plans with it, so it all made sense. He was 25, 3 years older than Mark and Haechan but he started university one year later and the double major set him behind one year so he was now a senior in their university just like Mark and Haechan. Mark, who was also majoring in music, wondered how they never ran into each other at school and Taeil explained he takes only early morning classes. Considering that Mark will not take a class before 10am unless forced to, he understands why they never saw each other.
It was during one of this study sessions that Taeil invited them to the bar to celebrate a friend of his getting a, as Taeil called it “real adult job”
“Oh man it’s nice of you to invite me but I don’t want to get in the middle of a friend's celebration, plus I don’t know anyone there” Mark tried to turn down the invitation politely. Though he appreciated the invite, he really did not feel comfortable barging in just like that.
“Come on, Hyuckie will be there and he also knows all my friends, right baby?” Taeil patted Haechan’s cheek and smiled. This was no longer the sexy, free and single guy. Now, as per Haechan’s own words he was just “sexy and cuffed” if you know what I mean, he told Mark once. Mark did not want to know.
“Yeah Marcus, just come, it will be fun. They are all nice people” so Mark agreed. No harm in expanding his friend circle.
The bar was crowded when he arrived and he wondered if Taeil really knew this many people, but as it turned out, it was just the usual Friday night crowd. Haechan, Taeil and his friends were at a table in the corner already sitting 5 people. As soon as Haechan caught his eye, he waved widely at Mark so he could see them.
Mark sat down in the only empty chair, in between Haechan and a very, very tall and he might dare say, fucking hot guy with long, soft looking blonde hair almost reaching his shoulder. The guy looked at him and smiled, Mark only casually swooned before taking a sit.
“Guys this is my friend Mark. I’ve told you guys about him” Haechan said while looking at the rest of the table and then turned to Mark.
“The beanpole next to you is Johnny” Johnny, Mark repeated in his head. Sexy hot guy is Johnny, got it.
“And these are Jaehyun and Yuta” Mark looked in the direction Haechan was pointing and felt his breath leave his chest. What the fuck is up with Taeil and having only hot friends
Jaehyun smiled at him and his dimples were so prominent, he looked like an angel, a model, could be a model for a potential Victoria’s Secret male line, he would- ok Mark chill. It's like he’s never seen hot people. But then he was reeled back in when he set eyes on the other guy, Yuta who has silver or purple, silver purple long hair and looked like another fucking model. Damn Taeil really only had model friends.
He heard a snort next to him and realized he said that out loud. Great.
“Of course he only has model friends, have you seen him? Have you seen me? Haechan interrupted Mark’s mental plan to escape and change cities, get a new identity.
“I have seen you, so I guess you’re the only exception” Everyone on the table, sans Haechan laughed and thus the awkwardness was dispelled. From the corner of his eye, Mark saw Johnny looking at him with a smile and Mark knew this would be a good night.
And a good night it was when he found himself pressed to a wall in a dark street being groped and kissed within an inch of his life by Johnny. Gods, Mark wanted to scream his name in pleasure, but they were in public, and Mark had more decency than that. The hand Johnny had inside his shirt pinching his nippled begged to differ, but Mark was dignified.
Somehow what started as a few friendly drinks in the bar, where they were celebrating Johnny getting a real adult job, ended with them bar hopping and settling in a club downtown. Inside the club things were still chill, dancing and laughing with friends, until he was left alone with Johnny. The couples, yes Yuta and Jaehyun, the models from hell (heaven) were a couple as well, all disappeared to do their own thing and suddenly Mark was left behind with the object of his (dick’s) affection. They danced for a while, just jumping around laughing and having fun, doing stupid dance moves, Johnny attempting to twerk and Mark choking on his vodka soda (courtesy of Johnny by the way, who had been supplying his drinks for most of the night, to the delight of his colleague student budget). Things only took a different turn when the music turned sensual, with Johnny grabbing Mark’s waist to pull him closer and whispering in his ear “Come on Markie, there are better things to choke on” then slowly released him.
Mark did know there were better things to choke on, but at that moment his body chose saliva, and it sent him into a coughing fit so strong his eyes started watering. After he calmed down, and before he had the chance to be embarrassed, Johnny gave him a bottle of water and asked him if he wanted to step outside.
Which led him to the wall in the dark alley. Johnny kissed him with passion and Mark wanted to melt into him. With every stroke of his tongue, every caress on his bare skin and the strong grip on his waist, Mark’s insides were burning, he wanted more, he wanted his bare skin on Johnny’s, wanted to touch and feel and lick and taste every inch of Johnny’s body. Johnny pressed him further into the wall and lifted him off the floor as if he was weightless and Mark immediately wrapped his legs around Johnny’s. He could feel where Johnny was burning, and he wanted nothing more than to feel that flame consume him. In a moment of clarity, Mark remembered they were outside and despite what his body wanted, he was above public sex. While still kissing Johnny, he started dislodging himself to gain his footing back and Johnny chased his lips, not wanting to part from him.
Mark could fucking combust.
“Hey” he tried to get in between kisses when Johnny moved to his jaw and neck. “Let’s take this home” Mark managed to say and Johnny looked at him with fire in his eyes and Mark wanted to bend right there and then.
“Let’s go” Johnny easily agreed while trying to recover his breath. At the same time both their phones went off.
The bane of my existence:
Dude, stay away from the apartment for a few hours. Or don’t, if you wanna watch ;)
Fucking Donghyuck.
Bro (derogatory):
Bro I know I told you last time would be the last time, but this is really the last time. Can you like, not come back for a few hours? You can blame Yuta.
Bro (derogatory):
Definitely blame him
Fucking Jaehyun
“Let’s go to your place?” Both of them spoke at the same time, and understanding went through their eyes.
Fucking roommates.
“You wanna get back in? We can kill some hours at least” Johnny suggested and Mark agreed, having nothing else to do. Johnny pressed Mark against the wall once more and kissed him deeply, hand making a quick detour to feel up his ass, before letting go, holding his hand and bringing him inside.
Mark was above public sex, but he was not above bathroom sex. It didn’t count as public if there was a door, right?
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Present time (nobody is counting because there is no reason to count)
Mark short of runs out of the apartment the moment he says goodbye to Johnny. What they have is fun, sexy, hot, and casual. He will not ruin it by being weird. Would he like to stay in bed for longer than a few minutes to recover his breath, snuggle into Johnny, lay down his head on Johnny’s warm chest and hug him until they fall asleep? Maybe. Has he thought about this particular scenario for a concerningly amount of time? Yes, but that is neither here nor there. Everyone likes a good snuggle buddy. Snuggle bro-ddy. Mark says this in his mind and laughs, and then understands why his life is the way it is.
Fucking Donghyuck, this is all his fault.
In his haste to escape Johnny’s apartment, where he now lives alone after moving out from his and Jaehyun’s previous apartment 1 month into their thing, Mark realizes it is 4am and the buses will start again only at 5:30am. So he now has 1.5 hours to kill, cool. Exactly what he needed, overthinking time. Before he is able to jump into this though, his phone vibrates with a new message from Johnny the Tiger, a nickname he gave Johnny after Taeil showed him a picture of a few years ago of Johnny dressed up as Tony the tiger for Halloween
Johnny the Tiger
[Photo]
U forgot ur toothbrush. U trying to come back so quickly? (〜￣▽￣)〜
Mark's first reaction is to laugh. Gods, for such a tall intimidating looking dude, Johnny has the most ridiculous personality. Where does he even get those emojis from?
His second reaction is panic. Fuck, he broke rule number one from the friends with benefit or whatever they are manual. Do not leave material positions in said friend's house.
Despite the mortification, Mark opens the photo and sees his toothbrush not on top of the sink where he assumed, he left it, but inside the fancy toothbrush holder Johnny owns. Harmlessly just sitting next to Johnny’s own toothbrush.
Markie💕
Fuckkkkk dude my bad. I didn't realize I left it there. U can just throw it away haha
As soon as he sends the first message, Marks starts typing a second one, telling Johnny he will buy him a new toothbrush
Johnny the Tiger
Lol dude chill. I won’t throw it away, you can just use it next time you come here (o゜▽゜)o☆
“Use it next time I go there??????” Mark says way too loud at 4:15 am on a deserted bus stop.
Markie💕
Haha k dude. Gonna go sleep now, i’m mad tired. G'night
Johnny the Tiger
Good night, Markie (￣o￣) . z Z
Mark locks his phone and proceeds to stare into space. Johnny just suggested he could leave his toothbrush at Johnny’s place, use said toothbrush next time he goes there and potentially continue to leave the toothbrush there. Mark doesn’t think he can handle this right now so he unlocks his phone, gets an uber and decides to rid his mind of thoughts until his ride arrives.
Minutes after Mark ran out of the apartment as if his life depended on it. Johnny stands up from the couch and heads to the bathroom to wash up before going to sleep. In there he sees Mark’s toothbrush on top of the sink and with a fond smile, picks it up and carefully drops it inside the toothbrush holder, right next to his.
Mark and Johnny do not only hook up and call it a day, above all they are actually quite close and in their now combined friend group, they were the ones to hit it off fast and easily (maybe their physical connection had something to do with it, but this is something only for Johnny and Mark to know). They never intended to keep it secret, but it somehow ended up that way. Mark thinks it is easier anyway. They don’t need people to know or to have opinions on their relationship. Besides, Mark is aware of the precarious state of their bond and he wants to keep it safe. It is Mark’s first time doing friends with benefits, but if fiction and tv has taught him anything, it is that these relationships could easily fall apart, and he doesn’t want that to happen with Johnny. The tiny voice of reason in his head tells him to accept the reality that he likes Johnny like more than a friend and wants way more than a fwb relationship, but he doesn’t know if he is ready for that yet and he doesn’t know why. He’s had relationships in the past and it was ok, they just ended out of mutual agreement and without hurt feelings, no traumatic experiences or anything worth speaking about. But when he thinks about a serious relationship with Johnny, he panics.
As he gets closer to Johnny’s apartment for their bi-weekly movie night where they all get together, just 1 week after the toothbrush incident, Mark tampers down those thoughts and focuses on the present. He doesn’t even knock on the door, just inputs the door code, which Johnny told him the code a few weeks ago, lets himself in and finds the living room still empty.
“Yo Markie, good timing. I need your help over here” Says Johnny from the kitchen. Mark quickly takes off his shoes and heads to the kitchen where Johnny is just closing the oven door. Mark leans on the kitchen counter and just stares. Johnny has a very fine ass, he is almost obligated to look at it every time it is in front of him. Even after Johnny stood up and now faced him, Mark stayed transfixed thinking about Johnny’s butt and how it feels on his hands when he’s flexing it to thrust deeply inside Mark. With a shudder, Mark wakes himself up from his daydream and looks at Johnny.
“You little pervert, what were you thinking about?” Johnny says with a smirk and Mark blushes deeply. Damn Johnny and his ability to read Mark like an open book.
“What did you need me for? Everything looks pretty much done around here” drinks and glasses were already on the counter, bowls filled with chips, plates of cookies and brownies, 3 XL pizza boxes on the side, the usual for movie nights. Their arrangement for movie night is that the host gets everything ready and then they all evenly split the costs, but Mark knows that whenever it’s Johnny turn to host, he foots almost half of the bill on his own with the excuse of finding a good discount.
“Yeah, everything is ready but I was bored and lonely. I missed you” Johnny says with a pout and Mark doesn’t know how Johnny manages to look like the emojis he always sends, but he somehow does.
“You really are just a big baby, right?” Make jokes but gets closer to Johnny to give him a hug. Their relationship somehow evolved into this. They will cuddle platonically, but never after sex. Mark tried once, but after sensing Johnny’s body going tense, he didn’t do it again.
“Yes, I am. Your baby” Johnny says fondly and hugs Mark tightly while at the same time rocking him from side to side. These are Mark’s favorite moments. The sex is amazing, but these moments when Johnny is just holding him tight, while wearing an apron in his kitchen, are the ones that fill his heart with deep, unadulterated joy.
“Sure dude, not like you easily tower over me, but go on baby” Mark jokes and Johnny whines into his hair while holding him tighter. Amongst many things, this is one of the things he likes the most about Johnny.
Johnny is a big dude. North of 6ft, with strong and well defined abs, powerful arms and legs, sharp eyes and jawline. He commands attention everywhere he goes. But in reality he is a big softie who despite his looks, loves to be pampered and taken care of. Mark is constantly having whiplashes with Johnny. Soft Johnny exits the stage in the bedroom, coming out only on special occasions, and appears again on moments like this, with his face buried in Mark’s hair and giving him a soft kiss in his temple, then bending down so Mark can also give him a kiss. Mark’s heart is soaring and before he is consumed by his emotions, he changes the subject.
“But yo what did you throw in the oven? We already have so much food”
“I made some pigs in a blanket for you, Markie. I know you say that you’re fine eating the crust of the pizza, but that is not a proper meal. So I made your favorite snack” Johnny said this while still holding him and with such happiness and, would Mark dare say, fondness in his eyes, that Mark wanted to cry. His emotions just reached a new level.
At this moment, Mark really wants to say something, wants to break the status quo, wants to define this. A fwb would not go out of their way to make you fucking pigs in a blanket right? Mark is not delirious; this has to mean something.
They continue to stare at each other, and even though Mark doesn’t know the type of look he carries in his eyes, he feels they might reflect the look he sees in Johnny’s. Their small, special moment is broken however by the doorbell ringing. With a final look into Mark’s eyes and a soft, lingering kiss to his forehead, Johnny steps away and goes to open the door.
Mark quickly goes to the bathroom to put himself together and when he looks at his toothbrush, still standing next to Johnny’s, he could not help but let the smile on his face grow.
With the living room already full, the movie loaded on Johnny’s ridiculously big smartv and all consumable items within accessible reach, including Mark’s pigs in a blanket, for which he will fight tooth and nail with anyone who dares even breathe near them (Jaemin was already a victim, that bitch better get his disgusting hands away from his food), he is ready to settle down on his usual spot on the floor near the small table, just within reach of the food and close enough to the tv, the ultimate spot. However, as he is about to sit, Johnny drags him to the loveseat which is hands down the most comfortable sitting place in Johnny’s place, and successfully kicks out Jaehyun and Yuta.
“Bro, we were sitting here first!” Jaehyun argues with mock offense and Johnny just rolls his eyes at him.
“Well, consider this a small payback for all the times you kicked me out of my own apartment, at least this is only a chair you asshole” Jaehyun could not say anything to that, so he settles for taking Yuta’s hand and sitting together on the floor “one day I will buy you a loveseat baby” he says softly on Yuta’s ears and then yells “AND JOHNNY WILL NEVER TOUCH IT”
Usual movie night, except for the part where Johnny drags Mark to the chair and cuddles with him in front of everyone.
This is fine, this is cool, I’m cool, snuggle bro-ddy shenanigans, nothing out of the ordinary. Mark keeps these thoughts in his mind until just before the movie starts and when he finally thinks he’s got everything under control and relaxes, he sees Haechan looking at him with narrowed eyes.
Fucking Donghyuck, it’s always him.
Throughout the movie, to which Mark pays no attention to, Johnny snuggles him closer and closer to the point Mark feels like he is about to sit on his lap, which would be totally acceptable in other circumstances. But now, with the whole friend group there, including Renjun and Jaemin, another fucking couple, this is not quite so appropriate. While everyone knows they are close, no one really knows they are this close. Mark tries to put some distance between him and Johnny, and after noticing Mark squirming, Johnny lets go of his shoulder and scoots to the other side of the couch.
Mark immediately feels offended.
The fuck?? The audacity? Unprovoked? Why is Johnny moving away and leaving him completely Johnny-less? So Mark turns to look at him with his best stern face to set the mood and then gives him the coochie eyes. No one is immune to those. Mark adds another point to the scoreboard in his mind when Johnny gives in. Though instead of draping Mark all over himself again, he scoots a bit closer and interlaces their hand under the throw blanket that goes as a package deal with the loveseat.
Oh fuck. It was provoked alright, but still, the audacity. Now Mark is blushing and smiling just as someone shoots the main character in the movie, definitely not a good timing for giggling, and of course, Donghyuck notices.
Once the movie is over and the food is all but demolished, Mark casually removes his hand from Johnny’s hold and makes a beeline for the kitchen to grab some water. At that same moment, Haechan gets up to go to the bathroom and Mark panics. That fucking bitch knows about his travel toothbrush, the one he only keeps in his backpack, the one he takes for his booty calls, the one that is currently sitting in Johnny’s bathroom. So before Haechan can enter the bathroom, he runs in and locks the door. “Gotta piss” he yells behind the closed door and swiftly takes the toothbrush and puts it inside his pocket. His toothbrush has a cover, thank you very much, so he is safe from contamination.
Once he comes out, Haechan looks at him like he is a fucking weirdo, but that was to be expected. With that emergency averted, he goes back to the kitchen to drink his water and calm down.
One by one, or couple by couple they start leaving until only Taeil, Haechan and Mark are left. Originally Mark planned to spend the night, but with Haechan on his case, he could not risk it. Mark is not embarrassed of his possibly budding relation with Johnny, especially if they actually start meeting with good feelings, but he needs time to assimilate it. They need time to work things out and he doesn’t need Haechan in his business. So with an apologetic look, Mark bids Johnny farewell and as he is about to exit his house, after Haechan and Taeil are already outside, Johnny smiles at him, softly holds his hand, whispers “I had a good time Markie, next time let’s watch a movie just the two of us” and then softly kisses his hand before letting go.
That same night, after Johnny finishes cleaning and putting everything away, he thinks about the time 3 weeks ago when after a particularly satisfying lovemaking session with Mark, he laid down next to him, with a full heart and soul, happiness reaching every part of his body, and Mark got close to him, threw an arm across his chest and carefully laid his face on Johnny’s chest, but he froze, he could feel as his heart was about to come out of his ribcage, but before Johnny pulled himself together, Mark had already stood up and began dressing up.
In the middle of reminiscing, Johnny makes it to the bathroom to wipe down a bit and realizes with a sinking heart that Mark’s toothbrush is no longer there.
“We will talk about this” Johnny thinks out loud. He knows there is something there. “We will figure this out”
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Even though Mark and Haechan live in the same apartment, Mark manages to avoid Haechan for a record 3 days before he is cornered on the toilet, where Mark is literally taking a shit.
“Excuse me?????” Mark says exasperated “The bathroom is fucking busy in case you cannot tell” Haechan gives him an unimpressed look and reaches under the sink to pull out the air freshener and spray all over the bathroom and by default, Mark.
“You should be more worried about your gut health than me walking in while you’re taking a shit. The fuck are you putting inside your body Mark Lee? It smells like someone died in here” Before Mark gets a chance to defend himself and explain he was fucking lured by a cheese pretzel, Haechan continues
“I know you’ve been avoiding me. You’re literally the worst at pretending, so what the fuck is going on and what does it have to do with Johnny?”
Damn, he hit that nail right on the head.
“Dude I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about and this is very uncomfortable. This is an invasion of privacy and a violation of human rights” Haechan replies by spraying more air freshener on the vicinity of Mark's hair. “Dude fuck, stop that, stop it you’re gonna poison me” Mark struggles but he couldn’t quite get up yet, he still has some unattended business after all.
“Tell me what the fuck is going on between you and Johnny”
“Nothing is going on, stop fucking inhaling essential oils”
“Look bitch, we can do this the hard way or the good way. You choose” Mark would normally be afraid of Haechan’s threat, but with the smell of shit surrounding them and his bare ass on the toilet seat, he fears no one.
“Fuck off”
Haechan raises a single eyebrow at him, smirks, points the spray bottle at his face and slowly takes out his phone from his back pocket. “Then I guess you wouldn’t mind if I sent your senior high school picture to Johnny. I’m sure he will be digging the fake nose ring, thick eyeliner and your straight black long emo hair, right?”
Fucking Donghyuck he knew he should have cut off the friendship the moment it was forced upon him.
Admitting defeat was easier than fighting it.
“I will confess everything, just please let me shit in peace and go away. Can’t believe you really threatened me with poisonous water and my dark past, you demon”
Haechan laughs, sets the spray bottle back under the sink and from the other side of the closed door yells “the spray bottle only has water and lavender essential oil, but I don’t think even that is enough to purify the bathroom”
Mark drops his head in his head and wonders where he went all wrong.
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Now in their living room couch, properly dressed and with the disgusting smell of lavender surrounding them (Mark could not get it off even after taking a shower) Mark explains it all and for once, Donghyuck just listens.
“Look, it is not like I was hiding this from you or anyone, and I am not embarrassed about what I have going on with Johnny, but this is important to me and I really don’t wanna mess it up. I don’t even know what we are, but I want it to be something, and before I said it to anyone, I wanted to clarify things with him first” In an usual display of honesty, Mark bares his soul to Haechan entirely and tells him everything. Almost everything, his growing interest for Johnny’s hand harshly spanking his ass is only between him, Johnny and God. And the neighbor who yelled at them across the hall to ask them to shut up.
Mark talks about the start, the current status and the toothbrush, the damn toothbrush who might make or break his budding relationship with Johnny. Just the morning after the movie night, he woke up to a text from Johnny
Johnny the Tiger
You took back the toothbrush? (┬┬﹏┬┬)
Markie💕
Haha yo i realized i had this toothbrush for more than 3 months, I had to change it to I threw it away
Mark knows he is a fucking looser.
“Alright, so let me get this straight. You are doing some fwb bullshit with Johnny, but caught feelings and now want to meet with good intentions, right?
Both him and Donghyuck need to stop reading dating news from Dispatch.
“Yeah, pretty much” Mark easily admits, there is nothing else left for him anymore
“K, so what’s stopping you? Do you think Johnny doesn’t want to meet with good feelings or…?”
“That’s not it, I also think he wants to, at least his actions tell me that. He is always so sweet with me, but I don’t know if he wants to take the next step and honestly, I am afraid of messing things up between us. What if he only wants to stay as fwb and then I go and ruin it with good feelings?”
Haechan patiently listens to Mark and then after he is done, stays silent for a couple more minutes, letting the information settle in.
“Look, I don’t know what you two have going on since I am not part of it, but if you like Johnny and want something more, you have to go for it. Staying in this ambiguous situation will only make it worse for you” Mark agrees with it, he doesn’t think he can handle the uncertainty of what they are.
“I mean, I guess, I’ll just have to shoot my shot haha”
“I’m sure you have done that on more than one occasion” Mark launches himself at Haechan and tries to choke him on the couch “oh kinky, is this what you’re into?” Even while losing his breath, he’s still an asshole.
After some time, Haechan manages to release himself from Mark’s hold and with a sincere smile looks at Mark and says “But in all honesty dude, I say go for it. You really like him and deserve to be happy. I’ve never heard you talk about any of your exes in this way, I can tell he is different. And for what it’s worth, I think you too would make a cute couple. Second only to Taeil and I”
Fucking Donghyuck, Mark thinks, but this time with a smile on his face.
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His opportunity to speak with Johnny comes sooner rather than later with a single message that makes Mark’s excitement and hope grow exponentially.
Johnny the Tiger
Hey baby, are you doing anything on Saturday?
Baby. Mark internally squeals. Yes, he knows they call each other baby sometimes, but never over text. Baby is reserved for in-person conversations, mostly playful ones, but this feels very real, and Mark is very happy.
Markie💕
I don't have anything planned yet, why
Yes, Mark knows that is a very dry text but he is panicking.
Johnny the Tiger
I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out with me on saturday? Meet up in the morning and spend the day together? What do you think?
Markie💕
Yo, are you asking me out on a date? That was smooth bb
If Johnny thinks he can come in and make Mark a flustered mess, then he is very right, but he will not go down without a fight.
Johnny the Tiger
Sure am, baby. What do you say? Wanna go on a date with me this saturday? (✿◡‿◡)
Johnny the Tiger
I want to spend the day with you, take you out for a nice meal, and then bring you back home for dessert (〜￣▽￣)〜 what do u say?
Mark cannot help but loudly squeal into his pillow and trash around the bed as if possessed, he even manages to throw the comforter to the floor and his phone becomes collateral damage when he drops it by mistake while in a fit of giggles.
Fuck why is Johnny so fucking cheesy, I like him so much why am I so fucking whipped for this man, back off.
Mark knows he has no game and also that Johnny will kill him one of these days, but he will gladly meet his demise
Markie💕
Damn dude that’s a line haha. But yes, I also wanna go on a date with you
Markie💕
💛
Mark sends the heart as a last minute choice and then proceeds to throw his phone across the room, which fortunately fell on the thick, fluffy carpet by the door.
On the other side of the line, Johnny smiles fondly at Mark pretty much telling him he fed him a line and then short circuits when Mark sends him a heart. His phone also suffers the same fate as Mark’s, though unfortunately he did not have a carpet to ease the fall.
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With Saturday arriving, the jitters also arrive, but Mark has not practiced yoga for 5 years to let something as small as a date with the potential love of his life get the best of him. That’s what mindfulness and all that shit is for, he is chill, zen, so calm. So when the doorbell rings and he jumps and drops his poor phone once more, it has nothing to do with Johnny, he was just in deep meditation.
Johnny had told Mark to be ready by 10am and he would pick him up then. Mark checks his phone which surprisingly did not crack and sees that it is exactly 10am. A punctual man after his heart and with a car. Yeah, Mark is cuffing that ass and not letting it go. He does a final check in the mirror by the door and decides he did his best. Mark usually enjoys his shorts and sweatpants but when faced with a potential life-changing situation, he has to pull out the major guns. So here he is, skinny black jeans which may or may not accentuate his ass, with one tasteful rip just above his knee and upper thigh, dark brown suede boots he pilfered from Donghyuck, and a simple graphic t-shirt which fits a little bit tight tucked into the jeans with a matching dark brown belt. Mark already knows by now that Johnny has a thing for his waist, has seen Johnny’s eyes go crazy for it more than once, especially when Mark is riding him and Johnny holds tightly onto his waist while he frantically jumps up and down Johnny’s di-
Focus, Mark Lee, focus.
In any case, he is dressed to impress, Johnny doesn’t know what’s coming to him.
When Mark opens the door, the first thing that greets him is a small bouquet of beautiful, colorful flowers and a blinding smile, and Mark Lee is doomed.
“Baby” Johnny greets him and Mark is swooning in so many directions he might pass out from vertigo. “You look beautiful” as Johnny finishes speaking, he leans down and drops a sweet, chaste kiss on Mark’s lips. Nothing like the kisses they are used to, and Mark can only slightly push his lips on Johnny’s to receive the kiss. Once Mark is over the original shock and the flowers are in his hands, he quickly goes in to put them on a base with Johnny following close behind. As he is doing this, he realizes he hasn’t said a single word so when he turns around to finally speak and stop being a fucking weirdo, he almost loses it once more after fully putting his attention on Johnny.
Johnny’s hair is pushed back and parted in a way that some of it could fall on his face, while the other part was delicately tucked in behind his ear, roots now visible on his blonde hair, but still stylish. He wore a white shirt and threw in a soft v-neck cardigan on top, as if Johnny needed anything else to make him seem like the softest human alive, and then paired it all with blue jeans and squeaky-clean sneakers.
God Mark wanted to bury himself in his chest and never come out from air
“You can do that, but only if you continue breathing” Johnny extended his arms and Mark considered choking himself on the flower water.
Why does he keep doing that for fucks sake, it has to be a disease. Brain-to-mouth malfunction or some shit.
Johnny notices the distress in Mark’s face and goes up to him to envelop Mark in a tight hug and Mark promptly begins to melt and hug him back
“Dude, I keep embarrassing myself in front of you. I have like, zero game” Mark whines into Johnny’s chest but doesn’t let go
“You’re cute, baby. You say you have zero game, but somehow I can’t seem to escape you” Johnny drops a kiss on Mark’s burning red cheek and then lets go, but only after securing Mark’s hand on his
“Ready for our date Markie? I have a full day planned for us” Mark smiles up at Johnny and nods his head.
Hand in hand and on the way to Johnny's car, Johnny's phone gets a notification so he quickly pulls out his phone and turns off the sound.
"Can't have anything distracting me from our date today, baby" Johnny confidently winks at Mark and then tries to pocket his phone but Mark catches something out of the ordinary.
"Yo what even happened to the screen? It was fine just the other day" Johnny clears his throat and quickly pockets his phone. And is that… a blush Mark sees on his cheeks?
"I dropped it by mistake the other day"
"Klutz" Marks laughs and then gracefully gets on Johnny’s car past the door Johnny so kindly holds open for him and before closing the door, Johnny holds his hand once more and after dropping a kiss on top of it whispers, just low enough for Mark to know he's not supposed to hear it "I really can't escape you, Markie"
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The first stop in the full-day date is that same coffee shop just off campus where it all kinda started for Mark.
“Let’s get some drinks to go, I already have everything else we will need in the back of the car, but I need my coffee fix before starting my day” Johnny says as he parks the car and quickly runs to the other side to open Mark’s door for him and offering his hand for Mark to take.
“Dude I think you are taking it a bit far” Mark argues, though the blush on his face says otherwise. He is thoroughly enjoying the wine and dine experience with Johnny, but he wants to act nonchalant for once in his life.
“I am treating you just as you deserve, Markie” Mark blush intensifies and steps out of the car to make their way to the coffee shop hand in hand.
Johnny pays for coffee, as Mark expected and while they are waiting for their coffees to be ready, a large iced americano for Johnny and large mango hibiscus cool drink for Mark, he remembers what Johnny said just before.
“Wait, what did you mean you have everything you need in the car? Where are you taking me”?
“It’s a secret” Mark knows better than to try to dig deeper, he also wants to be surprised by Johnny, so he hums and accepts this is as much as he’ll get from Johnny.
“Do you know that it was in this cafe that Donghyuck introduced me to Taeil? So I guess, indirectly, he also introduced me to you that day” Mark’s voice wavers a bit at the end, while he says this as a regular conversation starter, he is now actually realizing the strength behind those words. This, whatever lovely and beautiful thing is starting to bloom between him and Johnny, somehow started because of Donghyuck. Mark makes a mental note to buy him some fancy essential oils.
“I really have to thank him for that then” Johnny says with a small smile and looking directly at Mark. “My life has just gotten a thousand times better with you in it” Gosh, Johnny and his sweet, smooth personality, how did Mark even make it this long before dropping on one knee and proposing. “And before you say anything as I know you are about to do, this is not a line Mark, this is how I really feel” and with that, he goes to the counter to retrieve their drinks.
Mark laughs because he, indeed, was about to say something stupid.
With their drinks now in hand, they make their way back to the car and start driving to the next destination. On the way, they talk about mundane topics, but it makes Mark’s heart soar. Even though they’ve spent so much time together, they’d never talked about their interests and now, in a 2-hour drive, Mark learns about Johnny’s music taste, the movies he likes, his reason behind dressing as Tony the Tiger “honestly, frosted flakes is a great cereal, I was just paying homage to it” and in turn, Mark opens up to Johnny. This is the first time, Mark realizes, he craves to be seen. He wants Johnny to know him and understand him, wants Johnny to like him, all of him.
By the time they reach the place, it’s already noon and Mark is now face to face with a huge display of nature. Mark’s heard about city park before, but he’s never been. Afterall, it is quite far from campus and he does not own a car. He is surprised however, that out of all places for a potential date, Johnny brought him to a park.
“Going to the park on the first date might not be a conventional choice” Johnny starts while they are still sitting inside the car “but so much of our time together has been spent indoors, that I wanted our first date to be somewhere outside, a change of scenery and all that. What do you think? Did I blow it?” Mark sees Johnny is laughing, but a hint of nervousness is still visible in his eyes so Mark takes the initiative this time. He takes Johnny’s right hand now anxiously tapping on the steering wheel, brings it up to his lips and drops a soft kiss. “I love this, Johnny. I would be happy to be with you anywhere” Mark calls his victory when he sees Johnny blushing furiously. Mark might be an awkward mess, but he will pull all the stops if it means he gets the chance to make Johnny feel the same butterflies Johnny often makes him feel.
“And then you say I’m dropping lines on you. Didn’t know you had it in you all this time”
“This is not a line, these are my real feelings” Mark throws Johnny’s words right back at him and internally high fives’ himself when Johnny chokes on air.
“Mark Lee, if you keep this up you will sweep me off my feet”
“I am planning on doing just that, baby” Now it is time for Johnny to swoon internally.
Johnny makes his way out of the car and goes to open Mark’s own door and lead him outside.
“I just need to grab something from the back” Johnny says before leaving Mark’s side and coming back with a full-on, huge picnic basket”
“Dude, where did you even get that from?” Mark laughs because the thing is ridiculous, it is a typical picnic basket but if the picnic in question was for a 3 day stay.
“I borrowed it from my mom. She used to take this whenever we went to the beach. I think going overboard rubbed off on me” Johnny then takes Mark’s hand and leads him towards the park. Originally Johnny wanted to hold the basket alone, but the logistics of holding the basket, his coffee and Mark's hands simultaneously proved to be impossible, so they are now each holding a handle of the basket and their respective drinks. The height difference makes for a bit of an uneven hold, but they make it work.
They walk for 15 minutes looking for the perfect spot. Johnny swears there is a great area with tall trees that will let them enjoy the sun, while still having some shade. In the 15 minutes it takes them to get there, Mark gets kisses on his cheek at least 4 times, and one sneaky kiss on the corner of his lips. He is glad Johnny did not try to full on kiss him on the lips because he could not even begin to try controlling his smile.
Eventually they made it to their destination which was indeed just as Johnny described it and Johnny proceeds to take the basket out of Mark’s hands and starts to set things down. The size of the picnic basket starts making more sense when mark sees the blanket that comes out of it and it is now on the grass, followed by a spread of sandwiches, fruits, nuts, brownies and even a bottle of alcohol free sparkling wine “sorry I cannot provide alcohol for you right now, but I am driving so by default you are also stuck with the glamourized kid sparkling water”
Once everything is strategically set up on the blanket, Johnny invites Mark to take off his shoes and join him in where they promptly start to dig in.
The meal is a simple affair, but it doesn’t escape Mark that Johnny used lactose-free cheese and avoided cucumbers. Mark is incredibly touched that Johnny went through the lengths of preparing all this for him and also even made some heart shaped sandwiches especially for him.
In between bites, they get some conversation in and Mark learns about how Johnny landed his first adult job “I was actually pretty lost after college, I’ve had some experience from internships but I doubted myself a lot. I didn’t feel like I was good enough or ready to apply to all these big tech companies, so for a few months I just took small freelance jobs, built a few websites, helped out some people here and there, but nothing major you know? Taeil and Jaehyun helped me out a lot during that time and helped me regain my confidence, so I took the chance and applied to the place where I am now. And I am honestly very happy with it. Now I love what I do, my colleagues are great, and I feel like there’s always a challenge there for me to solve, you know? It is stressful at times, but I am happy with it”
Mark listens and absorbs everything in. Johnny who always looks so confident and put together, Johnny who owns an air fryer and a Dyson vacuum cleaner and actually uses them. The same Johnny who makes Mark blush constantly, is just another 20-something young adult trying to get by despite the self-doubt.
And Mark falls for him even more.
So in turn Mark opens up. He tells Johnny about how his family was not entirely supportive of his career choice, but he persevered. How he worked really hard, did many part-time jobs, internships, chased down producers until they accepted him as an apprentice, and it is this that landed him the job he will have right after graduation.
“I still have a long way to go. Eventually I would like to be a full-fledged producer and songwriter, but for now, being the assistant of one is good enough” Mark says contently. He has worked really hard and is incredibly proud of all he has accomplished.
“You are incredible, Mark. Just from listening to you, I can tell how hard you work, and how passionate you are. I’m sure you will only go up from here” Mark’s eyes water from the honesty he hears from Johnny’s voice. God he is in deep for this man. He tries to play it cool by changing the subject, but Johnny doesn’t let him
“I mean it Mark, I am very proud of you”
Deciding that he doesn’t have to play it cool in front of Johnny, Mark makes his way to Johnny’s and holds him tightly with both arms around his chest and face on the crook of his neck. “Thank you” is all he can say. Silently, Johnny brings them both down on the blanket with Mark’s head resting on his chest and his arm thrown across Johnny’s torso. The next couple of hours pass by with them holding each other, making small conversation and more often than not, letting a pleasant silence consume them. Outside, they hear the sounds of birds, kids playing and the wind. Inside, they hear their own heartbeats creating a new song only they can hear.
After a while, Johnny sits up and brings Mark up with him.“Let’s go baby, it’s time for our next activity” Mark whines because he does not appreciate being separated from Johnny, but the prospect of more fun date activities sounds like a good enough reason to get up. He will have more opportunities to cuddle Johnny in the future.
Johnny packs everything back and they walk another 5 minutes until they reach a bike rental place and gets them a tandem bike. Johnny leads Mark to sit in the front and he sits in the back
“I will go anywhere you take me Markie” and then proceeds to cringe and laugh out loud because even he could realize how cheesy that was.
“Sorry dude, that was really a line” Mark is still laughing but makes his way to the bike and they start pedaling. They exchange a few jokes here and there, but mostly they enjoy the ride. The sun is out but not strong enough that it blinds them, it only makes for a beautiful picture of clear, blue skies and shining, warm sun. They follow the bicycle lane around the park going through the small pond where they see ducks leisurely swimming on the surface and Johnny almost loses his shit when he sees turtles sunbathing on top of a rock. That’s how Mark learns turtles are Johnny’s favorite animals. Before they realize it, the sun is slowly beginning to set and they head back to return the bike, pick up the basket which they left at the counter and start their journey back to the car.
“Part 3 of our date is dinner,” Johnny says as they are walking. “I know we are quite sweaty after the ride and a bit grassy, but the place is not really fancy, and I got us outdoor sitting. You’re ok with that or you’d rather go home to change?”
“Let’s go have dinner, I’m actually a bit hungry now” . With that, they get in the car and start to head back to the city.
“If you’re really hungry, I got a granola bar in the glove compartment, you can eat that” Mark, not one to refuse food, gets the granola bar and after taking a bite, offers a bite to Johnny as well who takes it gladly.
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As Johnny said, the restaurant is not fancy at all, it is quite casual, and the outdoor sitting is made out of wide wood chairs with cushions on top. Mark appreciates the simplicity of it all.
At this point, Mark is debating with himself if he should offer to pay for their meal. He is quite enjoying the princess treatment, but he also wants to do something for Johnny.
“Don’t worry Markie, let me wine and dine you properly. Besides, dessert is still waiting for us later tonight. Maybe that’s something you’ll want to get on with?”
Yes. Yes, that is something Mark wants to get on with. So, Mark easily agrees, and they start looking at the menu.
Both of them order hamburgers, as suggested by Johnny who’s been in that restaurant before and then they wait for their food to arrive. Mark tells him a story from high school and Johnny speaks about his love for turtles and after a beat of silence, Johnny re-starts their conversation.
“You probably know this already, Mark, but I want to tell you directly” Johnny holds Mark's hands on his own and looks directly into Mark’s eyes across the table.
“I really like you”
Mark freezes and the butterflies in his stomach start flapping wildly.
“I know we started in a bit of an unorthodox way, but the months we’ve spent together have filled my days with happiness, and I would like us to live many more months like that. I don’t want this sort of ambiguous relationship anymore. I want to be with you, hold your hand, openly cuddle you during movie nights, go on dates with you, help you choose essential oils for Haechan while you help me choose new weights for Taeil, I want you to be my boyfriend, Mark and I really, really hope you want the same”
By the end of it, Mark is left speechless. He can only look at Johnny in surprise, but unbeknownst to him, the smile that now adorns his face is blinding. His hold on Johnny’s hand changes as well and he is now interlacing his fingers with Johnny, holding him tightly.
“Holy shit dude, wow” Sometimes Mark surprises himself with how eloquent he is.
“Damn like, that’s wow haha” Goddamit Mark Lee, pull yourself together. Mark worries his attitude will make Johnny shy away from him, but Johnny only smiles at him and doesn’t interrupt his ramble. But this is not enough. Mark wants Johnny to know. He needs Johnny to know that what Johnny wants, is exactly what Mark wants as well, so he just blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind
“Holy shit dude, I like you so fucking much” and as it usually happens to Mark and his never-ending series of unfortunate events, the waiter comes around and drops their food on the table all while trying to maintain a polite smile on his face.
“Enjoy your food, let me know if there’s anything else I can get you” and then goes back to tend to a different table.
For a long moment, which was probably less than 15 seconds, they look at each other and don’t say anything until Johnny starts laughing and Mark, despite the embarrassment, joins in with him.
“Alright awkward, but this is just what you’ll have to deal with from now on”
Johnny stops laughing then and looks expectantly at Mark.
“I also really like you Johnny and I want you to be my boyfriend. I want to cook breakfast with you, I want us to go on adventures together, I want to go on double dates with Donghyuck and Taeil and get Taeil to tell me your embarrassing high school stories. I want it all with you”
Johnny silently holds both of Mark’s hands in his own, food forgotten on the side, and brings both of them to his lips, eyes never leaving Mark’s. “I want it all with you too, Mark”
Mark realizes then that this, was easy to define
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Once their bellies and hearts are full, Johnny pays the bill, and they head back to Johnny’s place.
“I know I joked a lot about dessert, but we had a long day, so I’d be more than happy with a shower and some cuddles, baby. That would be just as sweet as anything else” this is the first thing Johnny says once they reach his apartment.
Under other circumstances, Mark would complain. After all, they have been teasing dessert all day and Mark really wants to know what it would be like to have the full extent of their feelings manifest themselves during their intimacy, but he knows they will have plenty of time for that later. So, he agrees to a shower and cuddles.
They get a little frisky in the shower, but it doesn’t go too far, both content to simply enjoy each other’s company.
Now squeaky clean from the shower and wearing a pair of pajamas Johnny lent him, Johnny reaches for the upper part of the bathroom shelf and pulls out a brand-new toothbrush.
“For you, baby. Leave this one here from now on”