♧ 7. ♧

                                    

                                          
being back at 127's dorm feels similar to coming home from a vacation. 
while the dreamies' place is always a source of comfort and fun, there's something very puzzle-piece-like about belonging to a space filled with their older members.
not to mention, the constant hotel hopping from city to city isn't exactly the same on either account. 
yet, in the end, mark and haechan still feel the most situated with their hyungs. 
because with illichil, things always fondly remind them of that one thing gone missing that's finally been found. 
it's quite a given being they're the youngest here rather than the oldest, which spells a completely different dynamic. but, even so, due to mark and haechan's views of their hyungs — with their untouchable auras — they're the closest things to parental figures the two are able to be around consistently. 
their big brothers who they truly idolize like no others.
having left both their families behind from young ages to pursue their current success, mark and haechan had to relearn and redevelop their way of living to slot themselves right into their older members' lives (and vice versa). 
they share nothing but gratitude for being taken under their wings and brought up under homes so full of responsibility and care.
being with their hyungs was never too much, but always just enough. 
and as fate would have it, there was always adequate love for them to feel protected against anything, even when it's the little things that don't seem like such a big deal. enough tenderness that they're both okay with being coddled sometimes, even when it can feel suffocating; because they are the youngest duo. enough fun that they never run out of things to do or stuff to talk about with each other. 
with 127, things were just perfectly balanced, the epitome of natural, just as they should be. 
all nine members mesh well enough to create an always-evolving, harmonious unit.
and it's with the ever most naturality that haechan finds himself bundled up between his leader and jaehyun on their large sofa, chatting about old memories and funny moments which happened over the timespan of their last tour.
even taeil is finally back at the dorms after his lengthy time away, and this completion has haechan feeling more full of life and grateful for existence than ever.
pretty much everyone is here right now aside from jungwoo, who's spending the day with his sister; and mark, who has been off elsewhere in the apartment for the past few hours.
haechan assumes he's hiding off in their room, but hasn't questioned anything as of yet. he's simply been trying to continue giving mark the space he's adamantly put up the need for over the last couple of days. 
because unfortunately, mark has been acting kind of dodgy. 
however, it's been especially noticeable today. and at this point, haechan swears he's being avoided.
so, eventually, when yuta announces they should either get a move on ordering dinner or making a home-cooked meal, haechan argues they'd be saving money and spending more time with the latter option. lets johnny know they can get started without him when he wins the battle, and informs taeyong he'll be back in a few minutes to help out. 
then, he leaves his hyungs in the opposite direction of the kitchen to burst into his and mark's room unannounced.
mark's suddenly wild glare only holds contact for a sliver of a minute before he's refocusing on whatever on his phone is sucking up all his attention.