windows ↠ markhyuck ✓

⊞ xviii ⊞

it had been a week of staring at donghyuck sleeping peacefully beside him— while the manifestation of jaemin in his head yelled at him to confess— when mark noticed something.

the younger was shaking.

it was small shivers, but his face pinched up and his fists were clenched. a nightmare?

"donghyuck?" he whispered, gently grabbing his hands and pulling them open. his nails had imbedded into his palms, but there wasn't any blood, just dark indents.

"hyuck?" he grabbed the younger's shoulders and shook them gently, "hyuck?"

the brunet's bleary eyes flickered open with a start and a small gasp.

"hyuck?"

he looked rather out of it, glancing at his clammy hands and then at mark.

"s— sorry."

he licked his lips, but mark wouldn't know that because he still wasn't looking.

he was, but now wasn't the time.

"nightmare?" he frowned, pulling the younger into a hug.

"hah, more like reliving experiences..." donghyuck joked, but it wasn't really funny, and neither of them laughed.

"um, sometimes. my dad. he—" the boy paused, curling up into mark's hold.

"you don't have to tell me; i'll be here either way."

"you deserve to know," donghyuck defended meekly, only audible as they were barely a few inches apart, "you make it better."

mark gently brushed his fingers through the brunet's hair. he was glad he made donghyuck happy, but at what cost?

"he hits me sometimes."

mark was going to hit someone himself.

"but! it's okay. it's not that bad! and he— um... it's been worse. so now it's, like, good— fine, yeah? it could be worse. there's no need to worry."

mark stared at donghyuck's shifty gaze as he fiddled with his own fingers.

"hyuck, what the hell?"

the younger cringed in on himself in protection, and mark wanted to beat up everyone and himself for ever causing that reaction.

"sorry for worrying you. see! it's really not that bad—"

"no! hyuck, that is bad! you shouldn't be getting hit at all."

mark didn't get it. did donghyuck think that getting hit was okay?

"oh no," donghyuck whispered, bringing his hands up to mark's face, "i made you cry. i'm sorry."

he blinked away the blur in his eyes and ignored the pain in his heart.

how could donghyuck be comforting him right now? wiping away his tears? he truly was an angel.

mark needed to protect him.