ɪᴄᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀғғʟᴇs | ᴍᴀʀᴋʜʏᴜᴄᴋ

seven

Donghyuck threw his phone across his bed as a notification popped up. It was a dramatic action, yes he knows that, but it was caused by a certain mint-haired boy he knew. It had been a few weeks since the last time Donghyuck and Mark spoke, and it was mostly Donghyuck's fault (since he purposely chose to ignore Marks texts) but the older didn't quite make an effort either. Of course, Donghyuck still longed to meet Mark, due to the small feelings he had been catching but remembered he was Jeno's boyfriend and couldn't do something as horrible as cheating.

The message from Mark was really sudden and not expected. Donghyuck knew Mark treasured friendships the way he did, however, he didn't expect him to come out of the blue and ask Donghyuck why he was avoiding him. Now, how could Donghyuck tell Mark that the reason he was avoiding him was because of the tiny crush he had. 

"Just decline," Donghyuck said to himself, nodding at nothing in particular and typed away. It took him a total of 20 seconds to be convinced to come out ice skating. "Great job, Donghyuck. You declined like an absolute boss."

Donghyuck rolled his eyes at his own sarcasm and jumped out of his bed. Although he felt bad that he was meeting up with Mark holding the wrong intentions, he just couldn't help himself. With Jeno being so distant and Jaemin out of reach, Donghyuck had no one else to talk to. Sure, there was Renjun, but Donghyuck felt like he could talk more freely with Mark.

With a huff, Donghyuck pulled his arms through his sweater. School had been a mess and Donghyuck preferred to not think about it. Exams were round the corner and study leave had been granted, meaning Donghyuck spent more time at home alone. Every time Donghyuck would call Jaemin to come study with him, the blonde would tell him about how he has an assignment to get help on from his teachers (which Donghyuck assumes are lies since he visited the school at the same time Jaemin claimed to yet found no traces of the other).

"It's just friendly between you and Mark," Donghyuck relayed to himself, hoping that by saying it multiple times, he could manage to convince himself. 

It was such a cliché. Donghyuck was falling for Mark, his boyfriends best friend. He had watched enough TV shows and anime to know that this was a common thing to happen. At first, when Donghyuck came across this trope, he didn't understand how anyone could fall out of love some easily. Being Donghyuck, the boy who cherished all the love he was given and tried his best to return it twice as much, he refused to believe the characters could lose interest in each other. It didn't make any sense to him. 

But as Donghyuck walked out of his house and jogged over to the bus stop Mark had told him to reach, he wondered if he was experiencing the same thing. Falling out of love? It seemed too much like a foreign concept to him. He could never allow it to happen between him and Jeno. The poor older boy still loved Donghyuck yet here his boyfriend was, all dressed up and ready to meet his best friend. Donghyuck felt guilty.

"Hey," Mark said, nudging Donghyuck's elbow once he arrived at the bus stop. Donghyuck sent him a tight smile before turning his gaze down to glare at the floor. Why couldn't he keep his feelings in check? "You never answered my question."

"Your question?" Donghyuck echoed as they got off the bus and made their way to the ice rink. "What question?"

"The one where I asked you why you were avoiding me," Mark blurted out and left Donghyuck no chance to have any time to think about an answer. "And don't even say you're not. I'm surprised you even came out here with me today. Donghyuck...did I do something wrong? Please tell me what I did wrong? I don't want our friendship to just break off that quickly."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Donghyuck winced, bringing a hand to his head and covered his eyes. Mark was not at fault for this. Sure, it was slightly his fault for being cute all the time and appreciating Donghyuck to the point it felt like there was something more between them, but Mark never did this with the intentions of romantic love. He probably did it because he considered Donghyuck a close friend.