nico teen love - nct, markhyuck

- 17 -

it was another simple day for nct.

no bad news from wayv who were still on mission, no sign of harm towards donghyuck, a pretty good day for the moment.

donghyuck was playing mafia with most of the boys in the living room, and mark was alone, sitting in their backyard.

he was thinking. about himself? his past life? the gang? donghyuck? his feelings?

a bit of everything actually.

he was interrupted in his thoughts by johnny who came sitting next to him.

"what are you doing all alone? we're playing mafia."

mark shrugged. "i have a lot on my mind, and it's stressing me."

johnny stayed silent for a second before highlighting a small detail. "you're not smoking?"

that's when it hit mark. he hadn't smoked since long. two days actually, and this wasn't normal for a boy who would smoke almost a whole pack in a day. but why hadn't he?

okay he hadn't bought any last time he went to the store, but he could have gone buy them after, when donghyuck was safe.

why didn't he feel the need to consume nicotine? or more like nicotine consuming him.

since donghyuck had come in his life, mark hadn't felt that need. could donghyuck be the cause of it? he had no idea...

"what got you thinking thinking this much?" johnny asked as mark hadn't responded to his previous question.

"donghyuck." he answered without hesitating.

"what's with him?"

"i don't know..." mark lowered his head, playing with the hem oh his shirt.

"is there something between the two of you?"

"...no." mark said, standing up.

johnny chuckled, raising to his feet as well facing mark. "you don't seem so sure about that."

"it's not that... he's not part of our world johnny. we are in a gang, stealing, killing people, doing illegal things. we're murderers, and we should be imprisoned. but he... he is a good person. he never asked for anything, and yet he finds himself being the son of lee sooman and being brought in a dark world. he doesn't deserve any of this. he should be happy, not fearing to die every time he leaves a house that is not even his."

johnny passed his arm on mark's shoulders, but mark pushed it away immediately. he didn't like skin ship, and johnny knew it.

"doing illegal stuff had never bothered you before..." johnny sighed. "and, you had never cared for anybody before."

mark rolled his eyes. "i don't care about him."

just as he said these words, donghyuck dashed into the backyard screaming.

"mark! mark! he's trying to tickle me!" he said hiding behind mark, tugging on his shirt with his little fists.

mark glared at jungwoo who was approaching. "leave. him. alone." he growled.

"you're no fun..." jungwoo whined, heading back to the house.

donghyuck let go mark's shirt. "thank you so much!" he squeaked happily before planting a soft kiss on mark's cheek and going back to the house, leaving mark dumbfounded and beet red.