Sunshine | Markhyuck

17: another day, another call, another complaint

Mark felt around his bedside table to stop the ringing that was coming from it. Lazily opening his eyes, he was greeted by the faint light of his phone.

He sat up slightly, answering the call and putting it on speaker before flopping back down, groggily asking a "what" in the process.

"Why did Jisung tell me that you told him 'operation make Mr Kim cry' was a go?" Haechan's voice crackled through the phone.

Mark groaned, rolling on to his side to glance at the time. "Why are you asking me this at 4 am, what the fuck."

"Cause you didn't talk to me all day and I need you to suffer," Haechan retaliated, "besides, I can't sleep."

Mark sighed, shifting in his now overly warm blankets to get comfortable again, "and this is what came to mind? Making me suffer with you?"

"Yup," Haechan yawned. Faint rustling could be heard on the other side as Mark caved in, sitting up and taking his phone. He pulled the covers over his head, now sitting cross legged on his bed.

"But yeah, why new art dude?" Haechan asked.

Mark squeezed his eyes shut as he adjusted himself to the light of his phone, "personal reasons."

Haechan chuckled, "seems petty."

"Just a lil," Mark exhaled, softly laughing.

"Care to tell me?"

Mark rubbed the nape of his neck, "Taeyong things, that's all, don't worry so much about it."

"Eh?" Haechan responded, "he seemed fine when he met him?"

Mark looked down abruptly, "'met'?! What do you mean 'met'?!"

"Mr Lee came into the class to see him and how he was going since he wasn't directly there when he was hired. I'm guessing they hadn't met yet," Haechan explained.

Mark crawled into himself. Bad. Very bad. Holy motherfucking shit bad. Why did Taeyong not mention it? Mark knows how badly Taeyong took it, that he's still a bit sensitive about it. And now he had to add a bit more professionalism to this relationship and he had no idea if Taeyong would be alright because what if he slips up or snaps or lord knows what. And it's not like Taeil or Yuta or Johnny or even Kun could be there all the time to protect him once again, especially with how easily it is to break Taeyong and-

"ahhHHHHH," Mark whined, grabbing a pillow and quietly screaming into it.

"...I'm assuming something is wrong," Haechan muttered through the speaker.

Mark sighed, moving the pillow away, "yeah, yeah, nah we're good. I think. Maybe. I dunno."

"Is it something you can talk about?" Haechan's voice was so soft and caring and gentle, making Mark just want to burst through his window and jump into his arms. Just scream about everything and anything wrong in his life no matter how fucking petty it may seem to everyone else. Cause maybe, really, he needed someone like that. Someone who could just be there for him to scream to, and that he could be held and told that it would be alright by. Someone to just care about him when he needed a hug and to just cry.

He needed someone. Someone maybe...like Haechan.

Or probably a therapist actually.

Actually yes most definitely a therapist but also would love to have a Haechan who he could cuddle.

Not that Haechan really needed to know that right now.

But right now, Taeyong business.

"It's not my place to tell," Mark's voice shook, "I wish I could, but it wouldn't be right."

A small silence followed where he could only hear Haechan's faint breathing coming through before he responded. "I'll be here for you if you find yourself trapped then, I promise."

Mark curled himself into a ball, bringing the phone closer to himself. "I really don't deserve you, Haechannie."

Haechan chuckled quietly, "you don't need to deserve me. I'll still be here."

Mark shut his eyes. Of course. Of course Lee fucking Haechan made him feel all gross and woozy. He only had to look at everything presented in front of him.

Or maybe he was really damn touch deprived. That could also be an issue.

Maybe he just wanted to be loved.

"I feel the need to ask," Mark opened his eyes, "is there anything you need to rant about at this ungodly hour?"

Haechan giggled, "Nah, my only problem is you."

"What's that supposed to mean."

"My only problem, well that I'm aware of apart from my crippling self esteem, is the fact that now, one of the people closest to me is not even allowed close to me." Haechan sighed.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Mark pushed the blanket off of him as the air became too stuffy, contemplating his next words.

"Well, fuck, what's the worst that could happen."

"Haechan," his voice came out quieter than intended, even taking himself by surprise, "I can start getting preventive treatment for my allergy next year."

"Wait, really?" even through the speaker, Haechan's voice glistened with a small spark of hope which made Mark unconsciously smile.

"Yeah, I might be able to...I guess tolerate more sunlight with this."

"...You could be...closer to me..." Haechan said quietly, "excuse me a sec."

And with that, Haechan muted himself. Mark blinked, taking his phone and just staring at it for a moment when he heard a faint thud from the next door house.

"Did something fall?"

"...yeah that was me," Haechan cleared his throat. Another thud was heard but Mark knew that well at this point as the sound of Haechan closing his window. "I got too excited I guess."

Mark giggled, "good, I'm excited too."

Haechan mumbled something faintly under his breath, something the older boy couldn't pick up on.

"What?" Mark asked.

Haechan sighed, speaking up a bit, "you could hold me, hyung."

Mark smiled, breathing out a faint hum, "yeah, I could."

"Only if you want to though," Haechan spoke frantically, "it's not that you want to, I'm just saying, but that's weird but like-"

"No," Mark cut him off by accident, "sorry. But no, I do want to."

"Oh," Haechan responded, "that's good."

"Yeah, it is."