𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙛𝙡𝙮 / 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙝𝙮𝙪𝙘𝙠

chapter seven

1:27 AM

Mark was awoken to Donghyuck slashing his own covers around and he was breathing heavily. Mark couldn't quite see Donghyuck in the dark so he took his phone flashlight and shone it softly towards the other boy's direction. The younger boy was obviously going through some sort of nightmare and he was sweating a little bit.

"No, no, no, no, no," Donghyuck murmured in his sleep. That was Mark's cue to get up. He went over to the side of Donghyuck bed and shook the younger gently to get him to wake up.

Donghyuck snapped awake and sat up hurriedly. His eyes scanned the hotel room forgetting where and who he was for a moment. He looked over and saw a worried Mark hovering next to him.

"Are you okay?" Mark asked in a hushed tone. Mark sat down next to Donghyuck on the bed and draped an arm around him. His eyebrows furrowed above to show his growing concern.

"No." Donghyuck laid back down and gazed up at the ceiling. He took deep breaths, regaining his memory of his nightmare.

"Okay." Mark said, gathering himself up to help the younger. "What was it?"

"My parents. They were-" He stopped himself off in fear. Mark rubbed a hand on Donghyuck's arm.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm here and you're safe." Mark assured him. He softly laid down next to Donghyuck. "You don't need to share it, okay?"

Donghyuck turned to face Mark using the pillow next to his. "I do. I've kept it to myself for too long. I've had no one for too long, Mark."

"Okay. I'm listening."

Donghyuck took a deep breath and began. "Last year, around this time, I came out to my parents. They didn't hate me, but they didn't understand. They didn't respect me. They laughed." He made sure Mark was listening, which he was with a sorrowful look, and continued, "So I turned eighteen and left. They called me and tried to get me to come home but it always had backhanded intentions and so I never went back." He shut his eyes tight. "I'm sorry." Donghyuck sniffled his nose.

"Baby, it's okay. Don't be sorry. They're awful for doing that, you're fine." Mark assured him and clasped his hand around the other boy's. "I remember the boy I met just this afternoon. He was confident and not worried at all. That boy comforted me when I was scared. You are strong, stronger than me, Donghyuck."

"I've been on the run. I just keep running and I don't have anywhere to go. I'm tired of running, Mark." Donghyuck explained, a few tears bottling up.

"Is that why you're coming to Vancouver? Alone?"

"Yes. Vancouver wasn't my first option. First, I went to France, then Spain I think, California is somewhere in there, I made my way to New York, and here we are headed to Canada." Donghyuck listed them off on his fingers as he went on.

"Do they support you financially?" Mark asked.

"Not really, no. I used my college savings." He said with a big sigh. He hated this, this sharing, but it felt long overdue. He knew he had messed up.

"I'm sorry," Was all Mark could say at the moment.

"No, I am. I'm a mess and now you've kissed me and gotten involved and-" Donghyuck was spiraling down a wave of pointless blame on himself.

"Stop it, I got involved because I like you. I don't care that you have some problems. I don't care that you've never been with anyone before."

"In the nightmare I was falling, and you and my parents were all up on the top of the building watching me fall. The ground came up so, so fast. Everything was going so fast, Mark. I had no control over it and no one was there at the bottom waiting to catch me."

They both went quiet until Mark spoke up.

"This isn't your nightmare anymore. I'm here to catch you if you fall."

"How do I know that for sure?" Donghyuck whined.

"You don't, that's the thing. I don't know how to prove it to you." Mark admitted.

"Can we go somewhere?" Donghyuck asked to Mark's surprise.

"What? Aren't you-"

"I can't be in here right now. I need to breathe." Donghyuck explained and stood up. He then scanned his mind of somewhere to go. Nothing.

"Shouldn't we just try to sleep?" Mark replied, still not looking tired at all. Donghyuck then thought of the perfect place to go.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"What? Yeah." Mark luckily replied back.

"Okay. Take this." Donghyuck took the hotel provided sleeping mask and tossed it to Mark, who was still lying down. Donghyuck got up and walked over to the door.

"Huh?" Mark questioned but was ignored.

"Cover your eyes and I'll direct you." Donghyuck stated. His claim made Mark open his eyes wide.

"I don't know I..." Mark started to say, but the younger cut him off, very set on this new idea.

"I need you to trust me, okay? I'm not gonna put you into any harm. If you trust me to do this, then it'll calm me down. Plus, it's funny seeing you all like this." Donghyuck begged.

Mark blushed. "Like what?"

"Just cover your eyes." Donghyuck asked once more, and this time Mark went along with it.

Both their hearts were beating quickly, nervous of one another, but engulfed in this new adventure. Donghyuck took Mark by the wrist and carefully guided him to the door. He opened it up as quietly as possible, but it creaked open so he gave up. Donghyuck grabbed his room key before he left.

Walking down the once again vacant hallway, he pressed the elevator button. Using the signs as a guide, he took them down to the bottom floor. Mark didn't say much except for a few woahs and waits in fear of running into something. Donghyuck had to make sure Mark wasn't peeking or taking the mask off, but he was obeying. Donghyuck smiled to himself as he guided Mark the last bit of the way to their destination.