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it’s clear mark pays close attention to what you say and do- after hearing you perpetually complain about your back aches and seeing you slump down into a structureless figure on your desk chair, he begins to notice the fact that you are always very slightly hunched forward.
not that it was ever too noticeable, but after realising this, everytime he sees you slouch it awakens an innate desire in him to straighten your back, like one wishes to remove any kinks from a wire.
one day, as you stand in the kitchen waiting for your food in the microwave, he creeps up behind you, poking you right smack in the centre of your spine.
“you should try improving your posture.” he says, as a matter of fact, “it’ll probably help your back pain.”
you arch your back like a cat, wincing from the discomfort.
it’s sweet that he notices, and even sweeter that he consistently tries to look out if you’re standing or sitting up straight. sometimes he pokes you in the side when he’s sitting next to you in the library- which might’ve caused you to yelp a few times. you glare at him, but it does the job in making you flinch and aligning your spine as he points out your hunched back.
once, he even lightly taps the pads of his fingers down your spine, sending you shivers down that very bone. he drums on your back playfully before casually landing his hand around your waist as you stand side by side, waiting at the bus stop.
when you queue in line to buy food he puts his hands on your shoulders to bring them backwards and literally fixes your posture himself- letting out a brief, muttered reminder to “stand up straight, babe.” you can hear the small pout and whine in his voice even though he sounds so nonchalant.
he gives you multiple massages even if he isn’t particularly good at them, but he’s improving and tries to remember the perpetual, specific points on your back that are culprits to your pain, rubbing, kneading with tender care into the knots.
“woah,” he chuckles, “this one feels so stiff i can feel your pain.” his fingers are going deep into your skin, one hand holding your bare left waist in place while the other pokes its knuckles into the crevices of your back.
mark also likes to survey for your customer experience- “does it feel better? rate my performance on a scale of one to ten, y/n. i feel like i was more helpful than i was the last time.”
“not bad, mark! i give you a seven this time. where’d you learn that thing where you pressed down with your elbow? it felt really good.”
“i watched a youtube video on it. you know, when i was looking, i stumbled across this back massage asmr channel. it’s really weeeird. but it’s kinda cool at the same time.”
his antics hit a soft spot that melts you into a puddle of joy and a constant state of gratitude that he wants to do so much, wants to relieve the persistent tension in your spine even though he carries a massive weight atop of his own shoulders.
you feel that the distance between you two is the smallest it’s ever been in these moments- you feel him most intimately when he grabs your shoulders to pull them back and his fingers graze your neck after it taps your chin gently and slip away. moments like that. they feel better than even the static shock when your pinkies link, an electric force that binds your hands together.
maybe it’s because there’s a clear intent to look out for you. in comparison to mere fingers pining to and reaching out to intertwine, it shows a deliberate effort to care. maybe mark wants you to stop whining about your pain. maybe mark just wants you to stop hurting. maybe mark wants for you not to damage your backbone so your health isn’t affected when you grow old together. maybe that’s a reach.
but what you know is that it’s more touching to have someone care this way- maybe more touching than a meaningless peck on the lips or a hug that could last forever.