Chapter Text
Haechan wasn’t really sure when it started or why it started. Maybe it was for attention, but he always went unnoticed. Maybe it was a game, because Haechan never wanted to get caught. Either way, the days blended together from before and after. He always wanted to stop, but he never made an effort.
Haechan started stealing little things from his mother when he was very young. If she would take his toys away because he was being a brat, he would take a shoe or a shirt and hide it in his closet. A means of retaliation at first branched into a sort of hobby.
He began stealing things from gas stations when he was just a little bit older. Ten years old maybe. The idea that he would get caught didn’t hold him back for long. If anything, the idea of getting caught pushed his curiosity further. Haechan would see something small and his hands would burn.
The first few times, Haechan felt almost instantaneous guilt. He couldn’t find it in himself to regret it, he wasn’t planning on returning it, but he still felt something was wrong. What if they saw him? What if they knew and just let it go? What if they remembered him and caught him next time?
And then all of those feelings went away. And Haechan did it again. He took and took. Only small things, things he didn’t even need, but had to take.
A chapstick from the convenience store-
A pair of gloves from the mall-
A soda from the grocery store-
A bottle of black nail polish from the drug store-
More often than not, he wouldn’t think twice about the items he stole after they had made it back safely to his house. He would toss them in his drawer or in the closet and forget until he opened it again with a new item.
Haechan was eighteen now and lost interest in stealing from stores. At least, less of an interest. He still occasionally slipped an item into his pocket here and there, but not nearly as often.
Now, his fingers only burned around a certain person. A certain person who Haechan considered his one and only best friend.
Sure, Haechan had plenty of friends and never felt left out at school; but, Mark was the only person who was really there for him. Who understood him and his family and his whole life. Who made him feel like everything was okay and his family situation was okay (It wasn’t).
Mark was also the only person who knew about Haechan’s stealing habit.
Haechan was still under the impression nobody knew, but Mark was fully aware. Mark had never mentioned it or told him to put something down, but the first time he saw it happen he was very confused.
Mark knew Haechan had more than enough money to buy whatever it was he wanted to steal. Mark knew Haechan’s family was well off, so he didn’t really understand. But he didn’t say anything.
Mark didn’t say anything when they left a store and Haechan offered him a drink he just saw him slip into his pocket when they were inside. Mark didn’t say anything when they were back in Haechan’s room and he would toss something into his drawer.
Mark didn’t say anything when he found his own hoodie hidden inside Haechan’s closet.
So yeah, maybe Mark shouldn’t have snooped around Haechan’s drawer and closet when he knew the other was in the bathroom, but he had to see. He just really didn’t expect to find his own stuff there. As far as Mark was concerned, Haechan only stole from stores, not his friends.
Mark did see the patterns though. This was something even Haechan wasn’t aware of, but Mark just understood Haechan.
On days Haechan was especially quiet or stand-offish, he would steal something. Mark could probably attribute this to Haechan’s family situation, but he didn’t want to pry. Mark knew Haechan thought he was in the clear, so he didn’t want to bring it all up at once.
On days Haechan’s anxiety was worse or school was getting hard, he would steal something. Haechan never stole from the store more than once a month, but he had a breaking point. Mark just couldn’t understand why he would choose to cope this way.
On days Haechan would finally open up and tell Mark that his mother was drinking again or ignoring him, he would notice something of his missing. This was more rare, but Mark always noticed it.
One day, when Mark went over to Haechan’s house, he noticed something in Haechan’s eyes. They were both sitting on the bed and Haechan had been staring at the bracelet on Mark’s wrist.
Mark stood up and Haechan broke his gaze away to the floor.
“Do you mind if I borrow a hoodie,” Mark asked, standing in front of the closet, “It’s kind of cold in here.”
Mark glanced behind himself to watch Haechan squirm with nerves. He picked at the skin around his nails but nodded his head anyways. “Yeah sure, just... yeah, no, that’s fine,” Haechan replied hesitantly.
Mark starred for a little bit longer, but Haechan refused to meet his eyes. The air in the room felt thick with guilt. Like Haechan knew he was in for trouble. But he didn’t try to stop Mark.
Mark didn’t understand.
He opened Haechan’s closet and pretended to look around for a hoodie. He pulled his own hoodie out and looked it over for a second. All an act for Haechan.
“Did I leave this here?” Mark asked, feigning innocence. He had to know Haechan’s response.
Haechan didn’t even look up. Like he knew exactly what Mark was holding up at him. He just starred and starred at his nail beds, as if they were the most interesting thing on the earth. “I don’t know probably—“
“Haechan.” Mark cut him off.
Haechan finally looked up.
Mark tossed the hoodie onto the bed and sat down next to Haechan. “You know I didn’t leave this here,” he explained softly.
Haechan’s eyes met Mark’s and then quickly looked away. Suddenly, Haechan’s eyes were welling up. “I didn’t—... Mark, I’m sorry, really, I swear I can explain, I just—,” Haechan suddenly looked down to where Mark had placed his hand over his own.
“I don’t care, Haechan,” Mark mumbled. “Really, I didn’t need it anyways. You can have it if you want it,” he explained. Haechan gave him a blank confused stare. “Just tell me next time,” Mark offered.
Haechan nodded his head slowly, trying to process everything. Mark thought he almost looked disappointed. In himself? In Mark? He wasn’t sure, but he just wanted to help. He took his hand off of Haechan.
That night, when Mark was walking home, he checked for the bracelet on his wrist. Not really to his surprise, it wasn’t there anymore. It was concerning how good Haechan was at stealing.
For the next months, Mark hadn’t noticed Haechan stealing anything from any stores. He even checked the drawer a few times when Haechan stepped out. Nothing was stolen.
It surprised Mark at first, but then he started seeing it. The keychain from his backpack was in there. An old shirt he forgot about was in the closet. Little items of his scattered around hidden places.
So, maybe Haechan wasn’t stealing from stores anymore. But he was still taking things from Mark. Maybe they had made progress, but Mark still knew there was a long way to go.
Haechan was lucky Mark just so happened to think he looked really good in his clothes.