Sunshine | Markhyuck

55: Taeyong already knows Johnny's a prick

"Hyung?" Mark furrowed his brows as he stepped on to his roof only to be greeted by his brother's presence.

Taeyong turned his head back, sending the younger a small smile before looking back at the stars. "I forgot what it's like to be here."

Mark chuckled, sitting down beside him with his knees curled in front of his chest. He looped his arms around them as he glanced up, "still pretty?"

"Mm," Taeyong hummed with a warm smile, staring up with soft wondrous eyes, "as it ever is."

Mark looked to his brother. "How come you're here, hyung?" 

Taeyong shrugged, "I dunno, things just seemed to be moving forward too quickly."

"Is that bad?" Mark asked, with curious eyes.

Taeyong shrugged once again in response as he turned his head to him. "I don't know yet," he pursed his lips into a smile, looking down to the chipped tiles.

Mark inhaled the night, staring out to the buildings of the city in the crevasse between. "Last time, Johnny hyung was the one who came out here."

"And what did he say?" Taeyong asked.

Mark frowned, "he honestly just teased me like 90 percent of the time."

Taeyong chuckled, breaking into a wide smile as he looked at the sky, stars twinkling in his eyes.

Mark giggled a bit himself, sighing as he brushed his fingers across the tiles, bits fraying under his touch. "He also didn't really like the idea of Dongyoung hyung back," he said, half frowning.

Taeyong nodded, shrugging a bit, "makes sense, if I were him, I'd feel the same."

Mark looked to him in confusion, "why don't you then?"

The elder smiled, chuckling as he looked at the younger boy, "cause I'm not Johnny." He sighed, looking down before he continued, "Nono seem okay?"

Mark scratched the base of his head, "Dunno...I think he's worried about Jaemin if anything."

"Yeah," Taeyong nodded, "probably."

Mark glanced down the strip of houses to his side, breathing in the quiet night and loud thoughts. "I think...Jeno's getting nightmares again."

"I know," Taeyong replied, biting his lip with an uncertain look in his eyes, "he came into my bed last night." He rubbed his chin as he looked back up to Mark. "He still gets scared when the house creaks or when the flame gets too high."

"Don't blame him," Mark exhaled sharply, "be glad he wasn't there when you were cooking a few months back."

Taeyong laughed softly, "yeah." He gulped, blinking down at the roof, "he found out though."

"He was okay though," Mark reassured Taeyong, patting his back, "just wait for Jaemin to settle down, Jeno will get better, he's done this twice now."

Taeyong hummed in agreement. He looked up, ruffling Mark's hair, "how about you? You still worry about house creaks or high flames?"

Mark laughed, "yeah, hyung, I'm fine with house creaks."

He watched Taeyong's face fall slightly, quickly averting his eyes away from him in order to stop the guilt eating at him. It's not his fault fire still caused him to sweat. Not his fault fate turned him to this, turned on him.

Taeyong moved his hand, clearing his throat as he changed the topic, "how's Donghyuckie?"

Mark broke into a smile, "he's good, we're good."

"You looooove him?" Taeyong laughed, wiggling his eyebrows. Mark pushed his shoulder, chuckling himself as he blushed.

"I dunno," Mark rubbed the nape of his neck, "I like him a lot, and I'd probably be really hecking upset if he left or something."

Taeyong bit the inside of his lip as Mark looked down smiling giddily.

"You afraid to lose him?" He asked.

Mark laughed, "constantly."

Taeyong clicked his tongue, "then it's not love."

Mark furrowed his eyebrows, "woah, hyung," he waved his hands in front of his face before slamming them down, "part of loving someone is most definitely fearing that you'll lose them. What you look for is trust, trust that they won't."

Taeyong chuckled, nodding as he pinched Mark's cheek, "good, I taught you well."

Mark rolled his eyes, "I'm afraid I'll lose you, are you saying I don't love you?"

"Yes, you're the worst sibling I could possibly have," Taeyong scoffed with a smile.

Mark moved his head back, dramatically placing his hand on his chest, "well fuck you then, get off my roof before I push you off."

Taeyong snorted, kicking his leg playfully before curling back up in a ball.

Mark flicked his shoulder in retaliation, "still claiming you don't know what love is?"

Taeyong's cheeks became slightly pink, giggling quietly to himself, "fuck off man."

"But you still love Dongyoung hyung, don't you," Mark asked, hope bubbling in his chest so rapidly his voice came out rushed in excitement.

Taeyong's smile faltered ever so slightly, Mark's face falling as the elder man decided to explain himself.

"He knows me well, sometimes better than I know myself." He smiled to himself, mindlessly brushing his finger against the outside of his thigh as he spoke. "He knows how to calm me, how to listen to me, how to hold me, how to care for me." His smile fell, exhaling as he gripped at his thigh, pulling at his sweatpants, "but I can't say I love him unless I trust him."

Mark sighed, "you don't trust that he won't just leave you again."

"Yeah," Taeyong whispered, the word getting slightly caught in his throat.

Mark nodded as he understood, tapping his legs. He swallowed, looking down. "It's fair to worry about that, you don't know when the people you care about will be taken away from you," he exhaled a stuttered breath, staring forward with glossy eyes.

Taeyong's head shot up, looking to his brother in concern. "You know-"

"I know, hyung, don't worry," Mark smiled, shuffling closer to him to bump his shoulder, "I came to terms with it a long time ago."

Taeyong nodded, patting his shoulder and pulling him into a side hug. Mark sighed, lying his head on his shoulder.

"Just don't leave me yet...please," he muttered quietly, curling his knees to his chest.

Taeyong smiled warmly, looking to the city as he rubbed Mark's shoulder, "of course."