start somewhere; markhyuck ✓

ten

next friday, june 21st, 6:00 pm. renjun's house

prom night.

as donghyuck thinks about all of the teenagers who are probably on their way to the "night of their lives" he's biking to renjun's house.

donghyuck arrives last. it's expected, donghyuck was always the least prepared.

"just on time, hyuck," chenle praises, "we're trying to convince jisung to shave his eyebrow."

"shave his what?" donghyuck asks, eyes wide.

"hyuck please save me! i'll buy you red bull for the rest of your life, please," jisung pleads.

"chenle don't shave the poor kids eyebrow," donghyuck flicks chenle's forehead causing him to let out a scream and let go of jisung.

"where are jaem and jeno?" donghyuck asks.

"they're supposed to be upstairs but i think they're smooching," chenle goes to kiss jisung's cheek but is pushed away.

"they're what?"

"smooching."

"they're getting drinks," renjun clarifies. chenle continues making kissy faces.

after twenty more minutes waiting for them to come down, donghyuck knows chenle is right.

"prom seems like a blast we should've gone," chenle whines while looking over jisung's shoulder. jisung is going through everyone's snapchat stories and when he turns his phone to donghyuck, donghyuck can't help but feel like he should've gone too.

the night went by so fast. all five of them danced around but lost energy their energy so fast. jisung says they're getting old. jeno says if jisung says one more insult he's getting beat. donghyuck laughs.

once it gets dark donghyuck decides to go home. jaemin offers to walk with him since it was dark and "donghyuck is just a little baby, that is all."

"you and jeno have seem to gotten a lot closer these past couple of weeks," donghyuck breaks the silence, "i'm happy for you."

"yeah, i'm happy too," jaemin smiles, "we're dating now, so i think everything has worked out."

"you're dating? i had no idea," donghyuck lies, "awh jaem i'm so happy for you! are you planning on telling everyone else?"

"i don't know, jeno's really scared of everyone finding out, you know better than anyone what it's like being gay in this town," jaemin chuckles, "we're taking it slow. i really like him though and i think he really likes me too."

donghyuck feels a pang knowing their situation is no different that mark and his.

"i think jeno has a lot on his mind right now especially with school and graduating," jaemin adds, "i just want to run away with him, run away to somewhere we don't have to keep this secret."

donghyuck gives jaemin a sad smile and a pat on the back. they arrive at donghyuck's house.

"thank you for choosing to tell me first," donghyuck hugs jaemin, "it really means a lot to me."

"of course, hyuck, i trust you."

donghyuck is all alone again. he sits on his sofa all alone, the tv playing in the background. two hours into his jeopardy binge he hears someone ring the doorbell.

it's too late and donghyuck is nervous. he opens the door and his nervousness expands tenfold.

"hyuck!"

"mark."

mark's holding three flowers, the stems are bent but the message is delivered nonetheless.

"these are for you," mark hands donghyuck the flowers, "i missed you tonight."

"thanks," donghyuck takes them. donghyuck feels weird. here he is with his first love at his doorstep, giving him flowers, and saying he misses him. "i hope you had fun tonight."

"look, hyuck," mark starts, "before i go i just wanted to tell you..."

donghyuck is so nervous he feels like his heart's going to burst.

"...that i think about you all the time and i try to push it away because we can't be together but every single time i close my eyes i can only see you," mark clears his throat, "i'm so sorry that we have to hide ourselves."

donghyuck is silent.

"you don't have to reply it's ok. i'm just sorry. i'm sorry that our lives just don't align, maybe in our next lives we can-"

"i don't want to wait for our next lives!" donghyuck yells, "why are so upset for liking me? am i that awful to like? is it that awful to like a boy? i'm offended mark."

"no i didn't mean it like that, you know what this town is like," mark's thoughts are scattered, the words are scattered.

"mark, just go home," donghyuck sighs, "get some sleep, i care about your health."

"you're still so kind to me. even after i say that. i think i'm falling in love with you."

"mark, go home."

donghyuck shuts the door and drops the flowers on the ground. he goes up to his room, promising to sleep. he doesn't.

to think that the co captain of the football team was professing his love for donghyuck just an hour ago. it doesn't feel real.

donghyuck thinks he's just pushed away his first love. now he's thinking it might be his last.