utopia | markhyuck

16

— Chapter Sixteen —

The next few days were one of the most frustrating Donghyuck had experienced on this island. Not because they struggled with their project, which had been expected, but because Mark made it incredibly hard for Donghyuck to concentrate.

They were so awkward with each other, wanting to break the deal they had but also remembering that the deal existed for a reason. If they wanted to continue staying safe they needed to do something about it.

Donghyuck was currently sweating any liquid out of his body as he was carrying a shit ton of sticks to the hut they had constructed in the past days. It had a floor and outside walls already but was still missing the roof as well as all the interior.

"I got more sticks, give me the knife and I will cut them to fit into the blanks in the wall." he told Mark who was currently standing at the entrance. Neither of them was wearing a shirt, they hadn't been for the whole day.

"I'll do it, you rest your leg." Mark spoke up. He took the first few sticks on the pile and used Donghyuck's knife to cut them smaller. The younger man just watched him, slightly out of breath from all his movements through the jungle.

Each time they needed to get something they had to walk back to the cave which was quite annoying. Donghyuck had already started transporting a few things to the hut, water and the first-aid kit for example, so they had some necessities there just in case.

Donghyuck acknowledged how skilled Mark had gotten with his knife. Even though it still belonged to Donghyuck, Make had used it way more often. Now, too, he seemed to barely struggle cutting the wood. His fingers delicately held the stick, every now and then checking if it fit into the empty spot in the wall already.

Donghyuck took his water bottle and drank a little before letting a small amount of water drip onto his hands so they weren't slippy from sweat anymore. He had just bathed in the waterfall's lake yesterday but was already feeling dirty again. They were living in the jungle after all.

"Ouch!" Mark hissed suddenly. Donghyuck's head perked up and his eyes found the man's head. He could see a red streak running down Mark's arm and raised himself up, feeling alarmed.

"Everything okay? What happened?" he asked worriedly, walking over to Mark.

"It's alright, just a little cut." Mark said but was gritting his teeth. Donghyuck rolled his eyes and took Mark's hand in his own to check the wound. It wasn't as small as Mark had made it out to be but luckily it wasn't deep.

"It's okay, I'll just bandage it and that's it." Mark told Donghyuck, looking down at their hands. The other man only now realised his action but didn't let go of Mark's hand as he scoffed and said "With your dirty hands? I don't think so. Sit down and I'll do it."

"You don't have to, Donghyuck." Mark assured him but the other only gave him a warning look. Mark gulped and nodded, sitting down and leaning against the quite unstable wall of the hut.

"I was just thinking about how skilled you were with the knife. Guess I was wrong." he commented while getting the first-aid kit. Mark chuckled and replied "Usually I am. I don't know what happened. Probably got distracted or something."

"By what?" Donghyuck raised his eyebrows as he sat down in front of Mark, again taking his hand to get a good look at the cut.

"I.. I don't know.." Mark trailed off. Something told Donghyuck that Mark very well knew what he got distracted by and just didn't want to tell him but the younger decided not to push any further. Instead he took the rest of the water in his bottle and let it drip over Mark's bleeding skin.