Hatred: Nomin

To be or not to be : 25

"Jeno?"

Mark's head quirked in the way it does, voice jumping an octave in the way that made everyone so fond.

Jeno felt It was like a breath of fresh air. To be greeted with anything but scorn and disdain.

Mark was immensely confused.

He felt emotion rising in the back of his throat and cutting off any words he could've said.

Jeno had been a breathe of fresh air to him.

But over time he became just another complexity in his life of complexities. He'd felt like Jeno was jumping over hurdles and diving under arches with his feelings and it started to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. He was almost happy when jeno had just... left him alone.

But now here he was, standing on his doorstep in the pouring rain on a cold soggy evening.

"Sorry, I didn't know where else to go."

Oh, Jeno had thought. So that's what it feels like. Oh how sadly poetically familiar this situation had become.

Mark fumbled over his words until it seemed common sense got the better of him, and he finally ushered Jeno in.

Mark shut the door behind him and Jeno watched droplets of water from his shirt begin to pool on the floor. The air was stale and mark peered curiously, his brows furrowed.

"What are you doing here?"

Jeno frowned. "It's... a long story. I feel like all the people i knew best... or thought i knew best,  are keeping me out of the loop. You're the only person i knew to come to."

Mark watched as jeno's eyes grew bloodshot and dampened, knowing the feeling of holding back tears- one he was far too familiar with. 

"I just," jeno sniffled a bit and his hands and legs started to shake. "Why is everything so confusing all of a sudden? I don't know who to trust anymore."

Mark didnt need another cue. He'd never been good at comforting people, and he was awful at giving advice, but the pain in jenos face... it was so familiar he knew just for a moment what was needed. He scooped jeno into his arms just as he'd begun to collapse, sliding to the floor.

"Hey, hey," mark buried jenos sopping wet hair into his shoulder, cradling the boys suddenly very fragile feeling form. After he finally felt jeno start to let out the tension in his shoulders and steady his breathing he pulled his head back, massaging his nape just like he'd done for many of his football players with nerves.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Mark said with a small smile, cheeks blossoming a bright shade of pink. Jeno loved marks smile. His cheeks and eyes went all puffy and even if he was smiling in pity it made you feel warm inside. Just like someone else's smile.

***

Mark was lightly strumming his guitar, humming trying to calm the weird feeling in his stomach. 

1 new notification : Dad

Hey son, ill be home soon. Do you want me to pick up anything from the store?

He smiled to himself, placing the guitar on his bed and falling back to stare at the ceiling. Now, was he in the mood for noodles or pizza? A tough decision.

"You stopped," Jenos voice resounded with increasing proximity.

"Stopped what?" Mark replied, eyes still on the ceiling, thinking very intensely about his pizza vs noodles debate. Maybe only because jeno was in his room. He pushed the thought away.