𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙛𝙡𝙮 / 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙝𝙮𝙪𝙘𝙠

chapter three

3:45 PM

Mark immediately gripped atop Donghyuck's hand which was on the arm rest between them. Mark shut his eyes tight.

As he cursed under his breath, something almost sending Donghyuck into a frenzy, Mark apologized for the sudden change in attitude.

"I read online that planes often endure turbulence which is really bad and it-" Mark started to say, but Donghyuck shh'd him to stop the panic from escalating.

"Mark, look at me," He said softly, and Mark opened one eye. "It's okay. I'm right here and there's pilots and flight attendants who know what they're doing to help make sure we get to Seattle safely. You're going to be alright, I promise."

"But-"

"Shhh, if you worry, it'll only get worse for you." Donghyuck readjusted Mark's hand so it was more comfortable for them and lightly brushed his fingers on Mark's palm. It seemed to slow his heart beat down a tad. Or speed it up? Donghyuck couldn't tell but he hoped it helped. "I've been on more than twelve flights this past year, Mark, and here I am, in one piece, sitting next to you on yet another plane. If those odds don't comfort you then I don't know what will." His voice had gotten softer as he went on.

Mark shyly smiled. "Thank you. I needed that."

And before they knew it they were up in the air soaring over ten thousand feet.

For the first time, there was a silence between them. They had so much they could talk about, but each had developed a new nervousness around one another that made every sentence much more important than before.

There was almost too much to talk about that they didn't know where to begin.

"So, what's up?" Donghyuck asked.

Mark raised an eyebrow. Donghyuck took a mental note that Mark was very good at raising his eyebrow and should do it more often. "What's up? That's all you've got?"

"I don't know what to talk about." Donghyuck said with a laugh.

"Why Vancouver?" Mark questioned.

"My new home awaits me."

"Really? That's super cool. So you're moving there now?" Mark asked, sitting up in his seat a bit more.

"Yup. Just me and my backpack. I've never even been to Canada before today. Well, technically not yet, but you get the point."

"You're moving alone?" Mark questioned, and Donghyuck wasn't sure if he was ready to answer. Due to his prolonged silence, Mark moved on. "That's super cool!" Donghyuck thought it was funny Mark was reusing adjectives already.

"What about you?"

"I'm from Canada so my whole family lives up there. I actually drove to New York believe it or not."  Mark explained.

"Why New York?"

"Well, I may have lied earlier..." He paused, "My whole family doesn't live in Canada. My uncle, he, he's not doing to well these days so I was sent down to look after him."

"Aw, I'm sorry about that." Donghyuck took his hand and placed it on Mark's shoulder to comfort him.

"I'm okay, It's okay." He audibly swallowed. "God, I feel like such a loser right now."

"Hm?" Donghyuck questioned raising an eyebrow.

"I've needed comforting like three times already. I'm older than you and I keep needing your magic calming skills."  Mark sighed.

"I'm not perfect either. I'm a pretty lonely person. Unlike you, I just don't rely on complete strangers to comfort me." He teased.

"Hey!" Mark said laughing. "You aren't a complete stranger." He playfully hit Donghyuck.

"We literally met less than an hour ago, Mark." He said with a grin.

"Point still stands. I didn't get stranger vibes from you if that makes sense." He shrugged.

"Surprisingly, it does." Donghyuck raced his mind for another topic to propose.

"I wish we were in first class." Mark sighed.

"It's always first class with me." Donghyuck flirted.

Mark glared at Donghyuck and he suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Was that bad?" He asked, shy, cheeks close to blushing.

"No, well yes it was very bad, but cute." Mark grinned and reached into his bag, leaving Donghyuck a flustered mess. How was it possible in a matter of moments he could go from normal to a distracted mess?

"You're pretty fly, Donghyuck." Mark said after grabbing a bag of popcorn out of his bag and sitting back up to face Donghyuck.

"I am? I am." He tried to compose himself.

"What? Did I take your breath away with that one? Do you need an oxygen mask?" Mark replied swiftly and pointed up to the compartment above them. Donghyuck had never met someone who made up puns that fast, especially flirtatious ones.

"No, It's just-" Donghyuck stumbled.

"Luckily we're on an airplane because I think your heart just took off." Mark's grin was smug as he kept taunting pun after pun.

"Shut up, oh my god." Donghyuck finally said laughing and hiding his blushed cheeks.

"I'm pretty good with puns."

"I noticed." The younger replied, finally looking up. "Especially for a guy who hasn't been on a plane before I'm shocked you know that much about it."

"Got me there." Mark laughed. "Not to toot my own horn, but I did win a pun contest a few years ago."

"Those exist?" Donghyuck scoffed. "That must make you very popular with the ladies."

"Of course. I might have to share them all with you sometime, as you haven't won a pun contest and therefore have no game."

"True, I will never be able to get a girlfriend. Probably because yes, I have no game, but also because I don't like girls in that way." Donghyuck admitted. He felt safe enough to reveal that to Mark. He wished he had felt this safe last year with his family, but it was too late to change anything now. He was on the run and couldn't look back.

"Oh," Mark said, expression changing but not harshly, just deeper. "You're gay?"

"Indeed I am. I like dick, ya know?" 

"I do know." Mark answered, glancing down to open his popcorn bag finally.

Donghyuck took a second to really hear the older boy's reply and then became confused.

"Huh?"

"What?" Mark said looking up at Donghyuck briefly before moving his attention back down to the popcorn bag he was struggling with.

"You know?"

"Know what?" Mark gave up momentarily with the snack to face Donghyuck.

"I might just be stupid right now, I don't know. I said I like dick you know, and you said you did know. What?" He tried to explain.

"Donghyuck, I'm bi. I like my fair share of dick."

"Oh." Donghyuck felt a huge blush surface amongst his face and his hands felt restless. He wanted to hold Mark's hand again but didn't know how to initiate that. It felt as everything was new once again. He now had hope, had new intentions, had a chance. He looked at Mark, seemingly unfazed by what sent Donghyuck into a cluster of emotions, still struggling with the popcorn. "Lemme try."

Mark tossed the bag over to him and he swiftly opened it up on the first attempt. "I guess you do have a bit of game."

Before handing it back, the younger stole a few pieces and popped them into his mouth.