Archive of Our Own

The train is heaving with students when they pile on the cross-country service, everyone headed home for the holidays now that classes have finished.

This is one of the times Mark feels really grateful for Jaemin’s planning skills, being the organised half of their relationship. Though he’d only asked Jaemin to come home with him for Christmas at the start of the month, he’d made arrangements straight away.

As he understands it, Jaemin had quizzed Donghyuck on whether he was planning to introduce Renjun to his parents so much that Donghyuck actually bucked up and asked Renjun to come home with him more than two days in advance. Which lands them here—Mark sat opposite his childhood best friend, on a train headed two hours west, to introduce their respective boyfriends to their families over the holidays.

Not where he’d thought he’d be at the start of term just a few months ago, but, well—it’s been an eventful few months.

Jaemin puffs up with pride when Renjun mentions how smart he was to get them tickets around a table. “I’m glad you appreciate my efforts. Do you know how hard it is to book four tickets together that are going to different places?”

“Wait, we’re going to different places?” Renjun asks inquisitively, looking over at Donghyuck. “I thought you guys grew up together?”

Donghyuck makes a ‘so-so’ gesture with his hands. “Kind of. We met at the same summer camp when we were like twelve, and realised when we got home our towns were only thirty minutes apart by train.”

“We only spent a lot of time together because the trains were so cheap back then,” Mark says, feeling wistful. “I would go to his house on a weekend, go out places with his family.”

“My dad totally considers you his second son,” Donghyuck says. “He asks me how you are every time I call. You guys will have to come visit over the holidays.”

“I think we could do that,” Jaemin says with a smile. “We don’t have plans aside from Mark showing me around New Axis.”

“Yeah, but there’s plenty to do in New Axis! Don’t promise him all your time, baby.”

“It can’t be more than there is to do in Neo City,” Renjun points out.

“Maybe,” Mark acquiesces. “But Pado is a nice place, it’s by the sea! I’m sure you guys will be doing plenty.”

“You sound like you don’t want to hang out with me, Markie,” Donghyuck says, sniffing dramatically. “What happened to those days we were twelve year old losers and you only wanted to hang out with me?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mark says. “I’m sure we can make time in our busy schedule for you.”

“Your kindness knows no bounds,” Donghyuck says, deadpan.

They say some quick goodbyes before Mark and Jaemin get off the train at New Axis, headed through the small station and out into the thick snowfall, Mark squinting through it in the search for Doyoung’s car.

“Renjun seems tired lately,” Jaemin remarks. “I hope he’s not sleeping badly again.”

“I keep telling Donghyuck to get both of them to therapy, but I think he’s scared to ask his parents to cover the expenses,” Mark says, spotting Taeyong stepping out of Doyoung’s car and waving to them from across the parking lot. “Hopefully he’ll ask over the holidays. I know they’d do it for him.”

“Do his parents know about his powers yet?”

Mark gestures for Jaemin to follow him. “Come on. No, I think that’s the main thing stopping him from asking—he doesn’t want to lie, but none of us have found a good way to explain what happened in the labs without exposing some difficult things.”

Jaemin knows how guilty he feels about that—it’s mostly his fault, after all. His friends are all hiding what happened in the labs to protect Mark’s secret identity, which, by extension, means hiding the fact that Donghyuck can read minds, Renjun can control the weather, and Jaemin has incredible luck.

Sometimes, the lies piled on lies makes him wonder if all the secrets are worth it.

Jaemin rubs his arm comfortingly, conversation trailing off as they reach Taeyong and Doyoung, who step out of the car to hug him and introduce themselves to Jaemin despite the thick snow falling around them.

Two more very important people to Mark who don’t know a thing, and can’t for everyone’s safety.

“This is so exciting!” Taeyong says once they’re all sat comfortably in Doyoung’s Mini. “It feels like it’s been so long, Mark! And we’ve heard so much about you, Jaemin!”

Jaemin has said hello to Taeyong a few times on the phone, and by extension, Taeyong’s boyfriend Doyoung too. But it’s the first time they’ve met in person, and he can tell his brother is all abuzz about it.

“Thank you so much for having me,” Jaemin says, polite and sweet, the model of a perfect boyfriend.

“I hope you both don’t mind sharing, there isn’t a spare room for you, Jaemin,” Doyoung says, though he has a little cheek to his voice as he says it, as if he’s sure it won’t be a problem.

“Not at all. I’m very comfortable with Mark,” he says, reaching out to hold Mark’s hand innocently.

He can see Taeyong practically melt in the passenger seat. Yeah, he’s pretty sure Taeyong is going to love Jaemin in no time.

Their apartment isn’t far away from the station, and they reach home in less than twenty minutes, Doyoung taking Jaemin’s bag for him as Mark waves Taeyong away from his own.

Doyoung and Taeyong had moved in together when Mark started at NCIT over three years ago, so while he’s familiar enough with it to call it home, he always thinks of it more of their place than his. Now that he has Jaemin, he lets himself dream—just a little bit—of the place they could get together after graduation. They haven’t even spoken about that yet, but Mark definitely wants to approach it with him in the new year.

As soon as they’ve both found graduate work, he can’t find a reason to leave Neo City. As much as he loves New Axis, he’s found his purpose in the bustling metropolitan of Neo City, where people always need saving, and Spider-Man is always there to do it.

In fact, he conflates Spider-Man so much with Neo City that he almost didn’t bring Spidey-suit home. New Axis is too sleepy to be needing a hero. He didn’t even pack it, in the end—Jaemin had shoved it in his own rucksack at the last minute, sing-songing, you never know at Mark.

Still, upon being introduced to the apartment, Jaemin coos at the children’s books he’s never quite let go of on his bookshelf, at the old teddy bear sat on his bed, at the few signs of Mark’s childhood littering the room. Somehow, it feels more like home with Jaemin here with him.

Taeyong and Doyoung have put Christmas decorations up around the apartment, which includes a glowing Christmas tree in the living room, colourful lights along the windows, and tinsel on the walls of Mark’s room. They spend long enough marvelling at the fake snow someone’s sprayed along the window panes that they’ve barely begun unpacking when Taeyong calls them through for dinner.

It’s a homemade stew he must’ve spent the afternoon making—he can only find the time to cook from scratch when there’s a special occasion. Mark feels touched Taeyong considers him coming home as one of those.

“Mark, could you help me set the table?” Doyoung asks, filling a pitcher full of water.

“Sure,” he says, going over to rummage for some cutlery.

Jaemin follows suit, going over to help Taeyong, who is struggling to pull four bowls off a haphazard stack. “I can set those out,” he offers.

“That would be—” Taeyong starts, but the distraction makes him slip up, and pull the wrong thing at the wrong angle. Two bowls leaning against each other slip from the pile, and Mark braces himself for a smash, straining to stop himself from shooting out webs to catch them. Smashed bowls can be replaced—revealing his hidden identity has bigger consequences.

Only the smash never comes, and Mark looks up to see Jaemin has caught a bowl in each hand.

Taeyong is staring at him, hands still full. Between them, they’ve successfully picked out four bowls.

“Lucky catch?” Jaemin says, as if it’s a question, rather the shock a normal person would feel about catching two falling ceramic bowls at once. Jaemin is way too used to doing stuff like this with his power by now.

“Wow, Jaemin! Woah,” he says, trying to lay it on thick. “That’s such an impressive catch! How did you even do that! Wow!”

Jaemin laughs a little nervously, and scoops up the bowls Taeyong is carrying to go and set the table.

Taeyong’s eyes—usually wide, but now perfectly round—watch him as he goes.

“You need to be more careful,” Doyoung says, starting to scold Taeyong. “I keep telling you not to stack the bowls like that, and you see why? That’s exactly what I thought would happen!”

Mark follows Jaemin into the little dining room with the cutlery, the two of them exchanging a look as they set the table together.

“I don’t know how you do this secret identity thing full time,” Jaemin says in a murmur. “I’ve just managed to be so obvious in the first hour of meeting your family.”

“You’re doing fine. You saved Taeyong from having to clean up a mess, he’ll like you for that,” Mark says, squeezing Jaemin’s arm. He knows Taeyong doesn’t have a problem with mutants, anyway—even if he’s guessed Jaemin has powers, he won’t pry unless Jaemin says something first.

The table is set out more lavishly than it usually would be for a meal with the three of them, but Jaemin compliments the red Christmas candles and Taeyong’s stew, so he’s positive his boyfriend is getting full marks for politeness.

“Have you ever been to New Axis before, Jaemin?” Doyoung asks when they’ve finished, and are sitting in the cosy living room with glasses of mulled wine, some comedy show rerun the gentle background noise to their comfortable conversation.

“Never. Mark is going to take me for a look around tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“I’ll show you all the highlights,” he promises, putting an arm around Jaemin’s shoulders.

“It’s hardly as exciting as Neo City, but it’s home to us,” Taeyong says, legs laid out across Doyoung’s lap on the sofa opposite, eyes warm as he looks at Mark and Jaemin. “We’re so glad you found our Markie, Jaemin. I was worried about him in that big old city on his own—I know you have Donghyuck, Mark, and all the other friends you tell us about, but…”

“It’s different to find love in the city,” Jaemin agrees quietly, and Mark looks at him, Jaemin looking back. He air kisses at him, and Mark finds himself smiling.

Maybe he’s right. He thought he’d found love in saving the city, but it’s a different kind of joy to come home to someone special after spending a night hard at work. Jaemin is a different kind of love. One that makes him slow down and live in the moment, appreciate what he has in his hands, rather than rushing to the next thing.

They snuggle up together in Mark’s double bed that night, Jaemin resting his head on Mark’s shoulder as Mark wraps an arm around Jaemin.

“Do you think they like me?” he asks quietly, and Mark makes a humming noise of assent.

“For sure.” He thinks back to Doyoung’s fond look, to Taeyong’s wide smiles. There was something knowing in his eyes, which he won’t read too much into—he’s pretty sure his brother approves, anyway. “You’re so likeable, baby. There’s no way they couldn’t.”

Jaemin hums a happy little noise, and props himself up to kiss Mark sweetly on the mouth, pleased smile on his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I have proof of the fact.”

“You do? And what’s that?”

Mark leans up slightly to kiss him again. “This,” he says, before pushing himself up to turn them both over, so Jaemin is on his back, Mark hovering over him. He goes in to land longer, languid kisses on Jaemin’s mouth as he smiles, and pulls Mark down to meet him.

-

The next day, Jaemin wraps them both up in scarves and hats and thick winter coats before they step outside, Mark taking him on a tour through the snow to his favourite café for breakfast, where the owner accidentally gives Jaemin an extra hot chocolate for free, then down towards the library where they take some selfies with the giant Christmas tree outside, then past Mark’s old high school. They go into the few shops he used to frequent as a curious teenager—the toy shop, the pawn shop, the jewellers.

Jaemin has his camera in gloved hands, and takes pictures of the flowers that bravely withstand the snow, of shop signs that glow against a white sky. The Christmas tree gives him a good time running around to get different angles of it—over thirty feet tall, it’s the town’s pride and joy this year, covered in hundreds of coloured baubles. After that they end up in a park he remembers fondly from his youth—completely abandoned with the thick snowfall over everything, which makes even better fodder for Jaemin’s camera.

Mark swings from the monkey bars as he watches Jaemin take photos of the snow-covered slide, easily pulling himself up over the top of them.

“Mark,” Jaemin asks wonderingly, from as he wanders over to size up the swing set through his lens. “Have you ever thought about telling Taeyong?”

“Telling Taeyong?”

“About your other life.”

He comes to sit cross-legged on top of the bars. “I did think about it, but I don’t think he’d approve.”

Jaemin turns his camera on Mark next, and Mark throws up a peace sign from the top of the climbing frame. “What, because it’s dangerous?”

“Yeah, definitely because it’s dangerous. We lost our parents as kids, you know? Ever since then, he’s always been worried about me. Plus, Taeyong gave up everything to take care of me. Dropped out of high school, worked to get a shitty cheap apartment we could both live in. I’m scared he’d see me going out and fighting crime as… I don’t know, risking everything he sacrificed.”

Jaemin lowers his camera, and it comes to rest around his neck. He walks up to the climbing frame, leaning against it, considering. “So how do you see it, if not like that?”

“I see it as paying forward what he gave me,” he says, without hesitation. He’s thought about this a lot—Taeyong is his biggest inspiration for what he does. “He gave up, like, ten years of his life to keep a roof over my head and send me to university. He could only start his social work job once I’d left for school, and only then because Doyoung had graduated nursing school and was supporting him… I feel like taking care of me has shaped a huge part of his life. If I can spend my time and effort helping other people every night, being someone the city needs—maybe one day I’ll feel like it was worth all Taeyong’s efforts, you know?”

Jaemin pouts. “You don’t have to risk your life every day to pay back Taeyong. Doing that and then not telling Taeyong also makes no sense.”

“You’re oversimplifying it! It’s not to pay back a debt—I guess this is just how he taught me to be, you know? Putting others first. But I also know he did that to give me a life. I just don’t want him to worry, and I don’t want him to think he did all that work for me to throw it away by putting myself in dangerous situations. I can handle it, but he’s protective. I know it will keep him up at night, if he knows.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” he says, backing up and lifting his camera to eye-level again, taking a picture of the monkey bars from a ways away. “But you can’t blame Donghyuck for not wanting to say something when even you can’t!”

“I know, I know,” he says, laying back and hooking his knees over the bars, so when he swings down he’s hanging upside down from the climbing frame. Maybe he’s missing hanging from buildings a little too much.

Jaemin takes a photo of him like that, smiling. “Wait. I want to try something—hang there.”

“Okay,” he says, as his bobble hat slips from his head and lands in the snow.

Jaemin sets his camera up against the climbing frame, tilted upwards to look at Mark.

“It’s on a ten second timer,” Jaemin says, coming over to stand in front of Mark. “Now kiss me.”

“Upside-down?”

“Trust me, it will look great visually. And I always want to try this when you’re hanging from stuff in the suit. Going to kiss you now!”

Jaemin comes in, and it feels a little funny at this angle, but he’s amused by Jaemin’s idea nonetheless.

When the flash of the camera goes off, Jaemin stays kissing him a little longer than necessary, one hand in Mark’s hair.

“Want to take another one just in case?”

“If you want to kiss me, you just have to say so,” Mark says, amused, and Jaemin giggles before doing just that.

They head home shortly after that to be back in time for dinner, or face Doyoung’s wrath. Taeyong is out at work when they get home—his shifts at the domestic violence shelter keep him out at odd times, even over the holidays—but Mark is just as comfortable with Doyoung as he is his actual brother. Doyoung has taken to Jaemin just as quickly as Taeyong has, so the mood is comfortable and light as they talk about Jaemin and Mark’s studies, and Doyoung’s shift at the hospital earlier that morning.

But Taeyong arrives back when they’re finishing up, grabs a plate of his own, and wolfs it down as he listens to them talk. Then, he insists on doing the washing up, and tells Doyoung to go and sit with Jaemin so their guest isn’t alone.

Alarm bells ring in Mark’s mind when Taeyong asks him to come and help. This can only mean one thing—Taeyong wants to talk about something. He had his birds and the bees talk over the washing up.

“So,” Taeyong starts casually, taking great care with the rim of the mug he’s washing. “Jaemin is very nice.”

Mark’s spidey-sense is tingling. He doesn’t like where this is going. “Yep. That’s why he’s my boyfriend.”

“You’ll take my word for it if I say I’m not being nosey, right?” he says, splattering soap suds over Mark’s shirt when he gestures his hand around. “You don’t need to tell me about his private life, I know that’s his business—but, well, if he’s dating my little brother, you can see why I might be slightly worried….”

“Hyung,” he says, gripping the towel and leaning against the counter. “Just tell me what it is. I swear, Jaemin’s a really good guy. What are you worried about?”

“I’m sure he is,” Taeyong says cryptically. “Maybe even too good.”

Mark blinks at him, and Taeyong looks back imploringly.

“I went into your room last night to see if you brought any clothes home that need washing, Mark—”

“Hyung, you know I’m twenty-two now, right?”

“I was just checking! I was just looking, okay, but Jaemin’s bag was open and I saw inside—he’s got something in there that looks suspiciously like a Spider-Man suit, and I was thinking back to dinner yesterday, when he caught those bowls, he has amazing reflexes—”

“Oh my God,” he says, heat climbing to his cheeks.

Taeyong thinks Jaemin is Spider-Man.

“You know I’m not like one of those people who thinks Spider-Man should be put in prison, of course not. But I see what Spider-Man gets up to on Twitter—that big fan account is always posting crazy pictures of him these days. It’s dangerous stuff, Mark. Listen—you don’t have to tell me if I’m right or wrong. I know his identity is secret for a reason. But you have to promise me you’re not going to get involved in all the stuff he’s doing. He’s always throwing himself into the line of fire, and it’s admirable, but the last thing I want to hear is that you got hurt because you’re in love.”

Mark gapes at Taeyong, searching for the right words to say. “Hyung. You don’t have to worry about us. I swear, we’re as safe as possible.”

Taeyong ruffles his hair, then pulls him into a hug. “How did I know you’d say something like that? Of course you’d start dating someone like Spider-Man. Seriously, what am I going to do with you?” He pulls Mark out again to survey him. “I’m going to have Doyoung teach you first aid, at least.”

“Uh-huh,” he says, gritting his teeth against saying anything that will give him away.

“For the record, I think Jaemin is doing good work. You’ve found yourself someone with a big heart. You have to take care of him, okay?”

“I will,” he says, swallowing. “Don’t worry. We got each other’s backs.”

-

He goes about his evening in a daze, and he knows Jaemin notices he’s distracted. They head off to bed early, Jaemin carefully closing the door after him before crawling across the bed to hug Mark from behind, who is sitting on the edge of it staring at his socked feet.

“What have you been thinking about all evening?”

“Taeyong and I had a crazy conversation in the kitchen,” Mark says, half-laughing. He’s been thinking about Taeyong’s words all evening—they’d confirmed what he’d already assumed, but it’s stranger to hear them aloud. Taeyong will worry—but he supports him, too. He thinks he’s doing good work.

Would things change if Taeyong knew it was him, not Jaemin, behind the mask? It seems so, from his words—Mark is his only family left in the world, after all.

“What did you talk about?” Jaemin asks, resting his chin on Mark’s shoulder.

“He’s figured out that you’re Spider-Man,” Mark says, turning to look at Jaemin with raised eyebrows.

“That I’m Spider-Man?” Jaemin says, amused, but slightly guilty looking. “He’s so close, but so far.”

“I was shocked. He was nice about it, but he wants me to learn first aid. He says he’ll worry about me getting involved in the ‘dangerous life’ you lead.”

“Ah,” Jaemin says softly. “So it’s like you guessed, then. I’m sorry—I noticed I left my bag open yesterday. I should’ve been more careful.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. He can be discreet, he won’t say anything if I ask him not to, so… maybe we just never have to talk about it?”

Jaemin tilts his head at him, leaning back on the bed. “And how long can we get away with that?”

Mark sighs, leaning down next to him. “I don’t know. But let’s not think about it tonight. I just want to cuddle with you and spend a lazy day in the house tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” Jaemin says, crawling in closer to wrap his arms around Mark. “Bed time?”

“Yeah, definitely bed time,” Mark says with a yawn, rubbing a hand up and down Jaemin’s back. “In like, five minutes.”

Jaemin raises his head to land a kiss to Mark’s mouth, then lowers it again to rest on Mark’s chest. They cuddle for—well, it’s longer than five minutes—then head to bed.

-

The storm wakes him up a few hours later, pulling him up to watch from his window while Jaemin sleeps on. Mark’s not sure how he does—the storm whistles and blows and whines as rain batters his window panes. Doyoung’s shift started a few hours ago, and Taeyong went out at the same time to do some hours at the shelter overnight. Apparently the holidays are their busiest time—he hopes his brother is taking care of himself as well as others in this weather.

He checks his phone to see how long the storm is set to last, and is surprised to find his app hasn’t updated properly. It only has the forecast snow and wind from tonight, but nothing about the storm that’s definitely happening outside his window.

In any other circumstance, he’d think it simply a bit strange. But after extended experience with a freak storm just a few months ago, and Renjun not two towns away from him right now, he might have an idea where this has come from.

He calls Donghyuck, but it rings out. He tries Renjun, but his phone is switched off. He looks out the window again anxiously, glancing over at the Spider-Man outfit peeking out of Jaemin’s bag.

Maybe it’s worth a swing around.

He’s pulling out his suit before he can even think about it, stripping off his pyjamas to pull it on over his boxers.

“Mark?” Jaemin croaks from the bed, sleepy and half-awake. “You going out in this?”

“Yeah, baby, not for long. Just to check on New Axis. Will you close the window after me?”

He wrenches open a window, and rain starts to come in immediately.

“Be safe,” Jaemin says, shuffling over the window and catching him by the wrist as he goes to crawl through the window frame. He kisses Mark’s cheek just before he can pull on his mask.

“I will. Back soon.”

He shoots out a web, and swings away, heading into town.

It’s hard to swing properly in weather like this—the wind and rain is hard enough it batters him about, and he can feel the hard pelt of sleet against him too, soaking him instantly. Hopefully no one else is stupid enough to be out at this time.

He goes to the high school first, and finds it completely abandoned. Then swings by the shops—all closed, not a soul around. There are barely even any cars on the road, and the ones that are seem to be driving sensibly enough. Hopefully they’ll be home soon.

Then he gets to the library, and finds the huge Christmas tree outside flailing around in the storm, but somehow still rooted upright. He shoots a few webs and attaches it to the side of the building, so it won’t come down on top of anybody unfortunate.

Taeyong’s shelter is just over the road from here, and the lights are on inside. But the blinds are drawn, and nothing alarming seems to be happening—so he continues on, swinging past the park, the train station, and the town hall, to check on the hospital where Doyoung is currently on shift.

Here he finds some more life—a hospital is something you can’t really avoid visiting, he supposes. He spots one of the windows on the side of the building has cracked from the force of something hitting it—he swings over to web it up, keeping it secure and intact until it can be properly fixed.

He surveys the parking lot. There’s a couple walking across with their hoods up tight, trying to make it to a car. It’s not clear where they’re parked, but he can see one of the streetlamps overhead waving precariously in the wind. He hops over a few cars until he’s close by, and shoots out a web to tether it to the floor, doing this a few times more to make sure it’s secure.

Then, lightning strikes.

He’s not sure where it lands, but it must be one of the lights, because they all go out at once, and he hears a few of the bulbs burst over the sound of the storm. To his right, the whole hospital is dark too—the power is out completely.

He spots the couple getting into their car, seemingly unharmed, and takes off towards the hospital building. It’s bad news for the power to be down in a hospital.

He reaches the doors and runs inside to find everyone inside talking in panicked voices, bodies moving around in the near-dark, just the dim flashing green of the emergency lights giving some shape to the room.

“What can I do?” he asks loudly, moving until he can find the nearest nurse—and of course, that person is none other than Doyoung, staring at him from where he’s talking to an elderly woman in the waiting room.

“S-Spider-Man?” he says, confused.

“Yeah, it’s me. Listen, can I help you get your power on at all?”

Doyoung nods jerkily. “There’s a backup generator on the roof—it hasn’t come on automatically, so it needs switching on. That should keep us going until the power comes back.”

“I got it,” he promises, before running back out the building, latching onto the wall, and hoisting himself two swings up to the roof.

The storm fights him for a minute before he can find the generator, then pulls hard at what he hopes is the right lever. It works, light spreading throughout the rooms in a wave.

That just about concludes his work, he thinks. He’s very cold, and wet, and doesn’t particularly want pneumonia.

He swings back home as quickly as possible, and the storm seems to be receding, he thinks. Hopefully whatever Renjun was struggling with has subsided.

He slides up his bedroom window, and Jaemin is there straight away, helping him climb inside.

“Where have you been! Oh, you’re soaked, baby. Let’s get you out of those.”

Mark pulls his mask from his drenched hair and lets Jaemin peel the rest of the suit off him, shivering. “God, I can’t wait to get back under the covers. It’s crazy out there.”

“You help someone, at least?”

“Yeah, I was there at just the right time to help the hospital get its power on. Fingers crossed Doyoung didn’t recognise my voice.”

Jaemin stills behind him, and Mark looks over his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I don’t actually think he did…”

“You’re bleeding, Mark,” Jaemin says, and Mark steps free of the sopping suit around his feet. “Come here—I think you’ve got glass in your skin.”

“Ah—I was standing in the middle of some exploding streetlights earlier. I didn’t even notice any hit me, though.”

Jaemin leads him by the shoulders into the living room, and sees Mark carefully lie down on his front on the sofa. He pulls forward the lamp set beside the sofa, and brings out his little travel nail care set, picking the tweezers.

“It’s not too bad—just stay still, honey, I’ll get it out for you.”

Mark sighs and rests into the cushion his head is on. Jaemin has pulled a blanket over his legs, and he holds still as Jaemin slowly operates at the small wounds on his back. Maybe it’s time he needs to replace his suit—it is getting threadbare in places.

“Can we snuggle after this?” he asks when feels sleepiness overcoming him.

“Of course,” Jaemin promises, distracted. “Do you have any disinfectant wipes here?”

“Should do…”

The rattle of the doorknob is the only thing that gives them warning before Taeyong opens the front door, light from the corridor spilling in, and comes to a stop, staring at their setup on the couch.

The door swings closed behind him. All three of them freeze, looking at each other.

“Mark?” Taeyong says, astonished.

“H-Hyung!” Mark stammers, sitting up as if that will make the situation look better.

“Don’t sit up!” Taeyong says, and he stops, just pushing up on his forearms. “Is that—glass?”

“Uhh,” Jaemin says, holding the tweezers guiltily.

“It’s, um—listen, don’t worry—”

“Oh my God,” he says, coming to kneel by Mark’s side. “It’s you, isn’t it? Doyoung texted me to say Spider-Man had turned the power back on at the hospital—I came back, thinking Jaemin might need help—but you…”

Mark and Taeyong stare at each other, and Mark swallows.

He can’t lie anymore.

“Yeah. It’s me.”

Taeyong looks at the small injuries on Mark’s back. “Jaemin, can I?” he says quietly, and Jaemin hands over the tweezers without question.

“I’ll go and… put some soup on,” Jaemin says, before bowing out of the conversation by making himself busy in the kitchen. Mark’s not sure if he’s grateful for the space or dreading being alone with his brother.

Taeyong doesn’t say anything more at first, slowly picking the remaining glass from Mark’s back. There can’t be much left, because it’s only a minute or two before Taeyong sits back dejectedly.

“You're Spider-Man,” he says, almost to himself. “Mark. How did this happen?”

“It’s kind of a long story,” he says. “But it’s not like I hid my powers from you as a kid, Taeyong, they came on really late. Just last year, actually. And when it happened to me, Donghyuck and Chenle were there to help me—they’ve been keeping me safe.”

He sits up, but it’s chilly with just his boxers on. He wraps the blanket fully around himself, and feels a little like a scolded child.

“Hyung,” he says softly. “I’m sorry. The reason I didn’t want to tell you this last year is because I knew you’d worry about it a lot. But I just can’t help myself. If I think others might be in trouble, I have to do something about it.”

Taeyong exhales, and brings his knees up in front of him. Like this, Mark can see his older brother at sixteen, working full time to support the two of them. He can see Taeyong at twenty, still in dead-end jobs, still greeting Mark with a smile at the end of a day. He can see Taeyong at twenty-four, when he’d first started dating Doyoung, desperate to be there for his boyfriend and his brother and his fifty-hour work week all at once.

“I know why you do it,” Taeyong says, voice soft. “Ah, of course I do. You’ve got a heart that will just give and give and give.”

“I learned it from you,” Mark says, honestly. “Hyung, you’ve done so much for me, I don’t know how to do anything but give all I can for others too.”

“Mark,” Taeyong starts, but his voice breaks on the word, and his wide eyes shine.

“Hyung,” he says softly, coming to the edge of the sofa and leaning down to bring his big brother into a hug. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Taeyong says into his shoulder. “I’m so scared for you—it’s going to take me some time to be okay with this. But Doyoung told me how many lives you probably saved today, just by helping flick a switch at the hospital. I can only imagine how many more you’ve saved over the last year.”

They lean out, and Taeyong ruffles his hair gently.

“You just have to promise me you’ll do your best to come home at the end of every day. Nothing is more important than family, Mark, and it would kill me if something happened to you.”

“I know. I never want it to go that far.”

“Jaemin too, Mark, you have to look out for him. He’s trusting you a lot, that you’ll come back in one piece. Speaking of Jaemin, he is definitely, definitely learning first aid. And you—if you ever need help, you absolutely have to call, okay? Those are my two rules if you want my blessing about all this. First aid, for both of you, and you have to call when you need us.”

Mark finds his tongue. “So you’re giving me your blessing?”

Taeyong puts up his finger. “On those conditions!”

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Mark says, unable to stop himself from smiling. “Woah. I was so worried you’d be really upset.”

“I am really upset, but I’m also really, really proud of you.”

Jaemin slides back the kitchen door tentatively. “Is now a good time? Your soup is done.”

“It’s a good time,” Mark says, and Jaemin smiles too, sensing the good mood in the room. He hands Mark a mug of soup, and he sips at it straight away—it’s just what he needed to warm up.

“Oh, and we’re telling Doyoung,” Taeyong says. “That’s my third condition. I can’t keep this a secret from him.”

“Whatever you want, Hyung,” Mark says, relaxing back on the sofa, Jaemin sitting beside him and pulling the blanket up over them.

They stay up together until dawn breaks and the storm has fully blown over, telling Taeyong the story about Mark’s spider bite, Jaemin’s accident in the labs, and the various powers they have between their group of friends. The Christmas lights softly glowing on them seem to make everything a little less scary, a little more safe, and Mark finds it lifts a weight off his shoulders to fill Taeyong in about everything, to have no more secrets from his big brother.

That’s where Doyoung finds them first thing that morning, covered in various blankets, empty mug of soup long since finished. It stalls him in the doorway, looking at each of them.

“What’s going on here?”

He, Jaemin and Taeyong look between each other, then burst into laughter.

“You tell the story this time,” Mark says to Jaemin, curling up into a ball next to his boyfriend. “I’m too tired.”

“You’ll want to sit down, Hyung,” Jaemin says fondly, patting Mark’s head where it’s resting on his lap. “I’ll start from the beginning.”