upstaged || markhyuck

77: without a hitch.

"i can't believe it's opening night already," xiyeon said, chewing on one of her nails nervously. kyla grabbed her hand and pried it away from her lips, holding it at her side instead.

"you'll be great," she said gently.

"so will you," xiyeon said with a grin. "oh. hey." she said dryly as nancy entered their dressing room.

"hi," nancy replied, with even less enthusiasm.

"any of you girls ready for makeup?" doyoung asked, knocking on their door before poking his head around.

"nearly," said xiyeon, grabbing her skirt off the rack. "give me five minutes?"

"you can have ten, i think i saw donghyuck running around here somewhere," he replied with a smile, "so i can get his makeup done first."

"okay, thanks, doyoung," xiyeon said, giving him a wave as he closed the door.

"i still love that pink skirt on you," kyla remarked, smoothing down the front if her lavender trousers as she sat down in front of the mirrors.

"yeah, well, no one looks as good as you do in purple," xiyeon said with a wink.

in the corridor, doyoung caught up with donghyuck and practically grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him to his dressing room.

"hyung," donghyuck whined, "i was looking for mark."

"you can have your makeup done first," doyoung huffed, pushing his younger brother back into the chair when he tried to get up.

"fine," donghyuck whined.

"hyuck?" mark called, some minutes later.

"markie!" donghyuck exclaimed, shifting in his chair and making doyoung inhale sharply.

"don't even think about moving," he warned, and doyoung rolled his eyes.

"hey," mark said, entering the dressing room with a smile.

"hey," donghyuck echoed, meeting his boyfriend's eyes.

"everything okay?" mark asked.

"has anyone seen my left sock from act two scene five?" chenle chirped, wandering into the dressing room with one blue sock on and the other foot bare.

jeongin looked up from his nintendo switch and snorted. "only you would be that specific about a lost sock."

"i can't have mismatched socks," the small blond said matter-of-factly.

"check under the seat where you left your stuff on the weekend," doyoung suggested as he powdered his brother's face, "and you should be more careful with your costumes, kid."

"i know, i know," chenle muttered, but ducked down to look under his usual chair. "ah! found it!" he exclaimed. "thanks, hyung!"

"just don't lose it again," doyoung sighed, knowing it wouldn't be the last time he would have to nag one of the cast members about costume.

"sorry, what did you say?" donghyuck asked mark, standing up when doyoung said he was finished with the makeup.

"just asking if everything's okay," mark said, reaching for donghyuck's hand. the redhead gripped it tightly. "you were looking for me?"

"yeah... i was just thinking about the quick change during the first half-"

"it'll be fine, hyuck," mark assured him, "just like we practised. it's easier to make the change now. don't worry, okay?"

"okay," donghyuck mumbled, and mark glanced around the dressing room (no one was particularly paying any attention to the couple) before pecking donghyuck's lips. "thank you, mark lee," he said quietly.

"what for?"

"for being there for me," donghyuck replied with a shrug.

"this is your thirty minute call," chittaphon's voice echoed through the dressing room speakers. "actors, this is your thirty minute call."

"can you stay with me until curtain-up?" donghyuck said in a small voice.

"as much as i can," mark promised, kissing him quickly again before pulling away. "i'll see if i'm needed backstage first, but i'll be right back."

"okay," donghyuck agreed.

"get into costume, love," said mr choi, entering the dressing room and lifting donghyuck's first outfit off the rack. "call me if there's any problems with it."

"yes, mr choi," donghyuck answered, meeting mark's fleeting glance before he disappeared down the corridor.

nerves were high as it was opening night, meaning that their performance could potentially sell out the other nights if tonight's audience loved it enough. the cast felt a certain amount of pressure to get everything perfect, donghyuck the most. but he found mark in the wings, who gave his hand a squeeze before he went onstage. and, whether that gesture had determined the fate of the whole night, the show went perfectly.

"that was amazing," donghyuck uttered as he and the rest of the cast practically burst through the door back to the dressing room corridor.

"place all costumes back on the rack, please!" doyoung called as the cast chatted in the corridor, some already back in their dressing rooms. "we don't need another chenle sock issue."

"yes, hyung!" chenle said, untangling himself from jeongin and daehwi, who seemed determined to give the longest hugs to each of the cast members.

"get plenty of sleep, and we'll see you back here at 6:30 tomorrow night," said mr park, towering over everyone as he made his way to mr byun.

"you were fantastic, babes," mr byun was gushing over seungyeon and donghyuck.

"let them get changed and go home, baek," said mr park, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"i was just- okay, babe," he agreed, and mr park ran his hand over mr baek's hair.

"you guys are cute," xiyeon called, poking her head out of her dressing room.

mr park rolled his eyes and mr byun blushed, flapping a hand awkwardly before grabbing mr park and dragging him away.

"you were great, hyuck," doyoung said as donghyuck handed him his costume, back in his usual hoodie and jeans.

"thanks, hyung," donghyuck said, grinning. the adrenaline was still high and donghyuck felt restless. he didn't know if he would even sleep tonight.

"oh, and mom's away tonight," doyoung remarked. "so you could stay over at mark's... if you wanted to."

donghyuck narrowed his eyes at his older brother, sensing that his pink cheeks suggested something other than doing his little brother a favour.

"hyung," donghyuck stated, "jaehyun's staying over, isn't he?"

doyoung's face turned redder.

"come on, hyung," donghyuck said with a smirk.

"oh, shut up," the older grumbled.

donghyuck laughed and grabbed his bag. "well, have fun! not too much fun, though, if you get what i mean."

"ya!"

the redhead darted out of the room with a laugh, bumping into mark.

"hey," mark uttered, hands grabbing onto donghyuck's arms to steady himself. "you were so good tonight."

"thank you, markie," donghyuck said, leaning down to kiss him. "can i stay over at yours? jaehyun-hyung is staying over at mine, and i'd rather not be in the house-"

"of course," mark said quickly, "let's go."

"can we watch high school musical-"

"you should sleep, hyuck."

"okay, fine. but we're watching it next time."