Picking Up His Fallen Daises

Chapter 08

Mark could feel Jinyoung tracing circles on his back as they both slept on his bed. Shifting around to face Jinyoung he slowly opens his eyes and could barely make him out through the light emitted from his blinds. Through the small amount of light though he found a pair of round eyes staring at him.

"Did I wake you up?" Jinyoung whispers out as if afraid if his voice got any louder it would cut the silence in the room. Raising his left hand it goes to cup Mark's right cheeks as his thumb goes to caress his cheek comfortingly. Pushing all his negative thoughts on pulling back, Mark leans into Jinyoung's hand instead. As the younger male caress his cheek a few seconds more he found the warmth of his hands and thumb gesture comforting. It felt nice.

When Mark had let Jinyoung into his apartment a few hours ago he would not have picture Jinyoung to be sharing the same bed as him. Jinyoung did suggest he'll just go home but that didn't sit well with him. Then he offered to take the living room couch, but that didn't sit well with him either. So he ended up telling Jinyoung to just sleep in his bed with him. That left the younger male flustered standing by the edge of his bed with his face all red. Mark had to reassure him it was okay multiple times before he gave in and crawled in beside Mark.

"No," Mark whispers back groggily which betrayed his words making Jinyoung chuckle softly as he pulls his hand away. "Jinyoung?" The younger male goes to make eye contact with him as he lets out an 'hmm' in question. "Wonpil said you're afraid of taking the bus home alone at night. Why is that?" Jinyoung stared at him with bewilderment, he could not believe his best friend had told Mark one is of his secrets. He laughs dryly as he shifted his head down avoiding Mark's gaze. It must have been the two in the morning honest talk that he decided to share his secret.

"Back in college I was living off campus and I always studied on campus late into the night. I normally crash at a friend's dorm, but that day I didn't want to stay over at any of my friend's dorm. I figured taking the bus wouldn't take that long. So on my way back to my shared apartment I...I got robbed. I tried to fight back. Only thing was I wasn't a good fighter and there were three of them. The guys did a good number on me. I ended up at the hospital with a black eye, broken rib, and a dislocated shoulder. So now whenever it's night time, I fear to take the bus and walking home alone."

"I'm sorry, for what happened to you...and not walking you home today. I didn't think-" Mark apologize feeling the guilt of not walking Jinyoung home tonight. The thought of Jinyoung getting off the bus stop and walking back to his apartment scared, checking behind his back every few seconds in case of an attacker had Mark feeling more guilty.

"Mark, you didn't know it's okay." Jinyoung goes to cup Mark's face again with his hand. A gesture that seems to calm Mark down successfully. "Besides I can say I'm less afraid now. I kind of ran all the way to your place didn't I?"

"Jinyoung?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you know where I live?" The question must have caught him off guard as his hand resting on Mark's cheek slackens a little.

Pulling his hand away, "I swear, I'm not a stalker Mark." Flustered Jinyoung brought back down his hand from Mark's cheeks avoiding his gaze. "I might have asked Jackson where you lived once..." He trails off while Mark didn't seem surprised that his best friend would give away his home address away so easily.

"It's okay, I'm not surprised Jackson would do something like this behind my back. I can just use this against him as blackmail." Jinyoung looks up at Mark with a raise of his eyebrow fascinated by what Mark had just said.

"Who would have thought Mark Tuan has this devious side of him?" Breaking out into a smile as Mark couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me Jinyoung."