Don't be near Mark/ Markhyuck

Part 29

Mark comes home late at night. He enters the room quietly to retrieve his bracelet. He notices that Jisung and Chenle have returned to their room, leaving Donghyuck alone on his bed.

It's the first time Mark has seen him asleep at night; usually, Donghyuck is awake, seemingly suffering from insomnia. Mark quickly changes into pajamas. He finds the scene oddly domestic, and a faint smile appears on his face.

He shakes his head quickly, realizing he shouldn't be thinking about such things. Like the last time on the train, he sits beside Donghyuck, positioning himself at the foot of the bed, attempting to delicately remove the bracelet without waking him.

However, Donghyuck has never been a heavy sleeper. He opens his eyes to find Mark sitting at the edge of the bed, holding his ankle and looking at his legs. Mark, unaware that Donghyuck is awake, continues his actions.

As Mark's hands linger on his ankle, the bracelet already gone, Mark bites his lips before standing up and getting under the covers next to Donghyuck.

"You're admiring me," Donghyuck murmurs.

Mark seems surprised to hear him speak, but a small smile escapes him. He settles under the covers comfortably, looking into the younger one's eyes.

"Sleep," Mark simply says.

Donghyuck gazes at him for a few seconds, wondering if Mark minds him staying here. He wonders if Mark is interested in him. He doesn't understand why Mark is suddenly this gentle and kind to him. 

"You've been really mean to me," Donghyuck murmurs.

"I know," Mark replies, "I should never have done all that."

Donghyuck suddenly recalls all the moments when Mark frightened and belittled him. He turns his back to Mark.

"I don't know why I'm thinking about everything you've done. I don't feel well all of a sudden," Donghyuck says.

Donghyuck can't look at Mark anymore. A feeling of fear and discomfort overwhelms him. Panic sets in; he breathes heavily, and tears well up.

"Hyuck, calm down," Mark says. "You know I'll never do that to you again. I appreciate you now."

Mark doesn't want to upset Donghyuck further, so he stays a bit away from him. He fears that trying to reassure him might worsen the situation. Mark hesitates to wake up Chenle and Jisung and ask for help but he's unsure if he can leave the room with his bracelet.

"Hyuck, we're on good terms now," Mark says. "I'm sorry for what happened before."

Donghyuck seems to calm down a bit. It wasn't a major crisis, but the anxiety and fear rose so quickly and unexpectedly that it scared him even more. He clutches the blanket, trying to catch his breath and calm down.

Mark ventures to place his hand on Donghyuck's shoulder and gently caress it to reassure him. To Mark's surprise, it seems to work. He didn't expect that a gesture from him would make Donghyuck feel better.

But to his surprise, Donghyuck turns to face him again, tears in his eyes, and his lips slightly reddened and swollen. Mark feels a part of him getting angry, realizing he's the reason for Donghyuck's state.

He especially doesn't want to make the other feel this way. But the anger fades quickly when Donghyuck gets closer to Mark and wraps his arms around him. Mark feels his heart skip a beat when he feels Donghyuck's forehead against his chest. He thinks he doesn't deserve the other's kindness.

Still, Mark wraps his arms around Donghyuck, keeping him even closer. He doesn't understand what happens between yhe two of them, but he feel the urge to hug Donghyuck, wanting to protect him.