the week | markhyuck

I

"I need to tell you something."

Mark sighs deeply, one arm tossed loosely around his boyfriend Donghyuck as the two of them stare lazily at the TV. Neither of them are watching it, yet, neither of them will admit to not watching it if someone was to ask. The light-brown haired boy laying upon Mark's heaving chest looks up at the older, blinking at him with doe-brown eyes.

"Hm?" Donghyuck hums innocently. It breaks Mark's heart slightly; a lump rises and settles sinisterly in his throat. Tears threaten to pour out of his eyes, as the words he is about to say scream against the back of his throat. But, Mark doesn't cry. He holds back his tears with all his might as he confesses the burden he carries.

"I'm going home."

"Home?" Donghyuck asks, face contorting in confusion. This was Mark's home. Wasn't it?

"Home." Mark clarifies. "Back to Vancouver."

"Oh." Donghyuck says, before it fully sinks in. He pushes himself back against Mark's chest, so that he is now sat up and facing the older boy. Tears brim in his eyes as Donghyuck struggles to understand and therefore thinks the worst.

"Oh." Donghyuck repeats, voice strained. "Mark.. are you breaking up with me?"

"No!" Mark insists. "God, no. I love you so much. Too much."

"Then, why are you going back to Canada?"

Mark sighs again, running a hand through his blonde hair. In truth, he had been planning this trip for a few days. He already had the ticket and was packed ready to go, he just needed the chance to tell Donghyuck without breaking his heart, which clearly failed. Sucking in a breath, Mark comes clean.

"I just need time away." He begins. "Just a week. To clear my head, to visit my folks and perhaps fix whatever the fuck is broken in my head that's making me feel so horrible all the time."

Mark continues on, letting it all pour out. He confesses that for a few weeks now, he'd been struggling with not slipping back into past horrid habits that almost killed him. The stress of succeeding within a powerful company such as SM Entertainment was all but killing him. Therefore, he was going to take a break. He was gonna go back home, back to his Mom and his Dad that hadn't seen him for two years now. He was gonna see his old friends, revisit places of his childhood and try and find that much needed clarity that would clear his mind.

"You never told me this." Donghyuck says quietly. "Mark, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry." Mark mumbles. "I know how you get when you worry, and I'm not someone you should worry about-"

"Bullshit." Donghyuck grits his teeth. "You're my boyfriend; I love you more than anything else in this world. That doesn't warrant worry to you?"

Mark sighs again, getting off of the couch and moving towards the front door. Donghyuck follows him out the door, down the stairs and out into the street.

"Mark! Mark, stop!" Donghyuck calls out, tears in his eyes. If Mark was going to leave him for a week, Donghyuck was certain that he didn't want him to leave like this. Mark stops halfway down the street and turns to look at him; his eyes were emotionless and he was physically and mentally exhausted. Donghyuck stops in front of Mark, balling his hands into fists by his side, the fingernails pinching his skin.

"Can I at least come with you?" Donghyuck asks. "Please? I want to help you. Will you let me help?"

"No." Mark painfully insists. Donghyuck feels a sharp pang in his heart at Mark's pained, yet cold, tone. "I need to do this alone."

"Why?" Donghyuck asks, a tear streaming quickly down his cheek. "Why can't I go with you?"

"Why are you pushing me away?"

Mark feels a lump in his throat as Donghyuck stands before him, sobbing and pleading with him to stay. Mark quickly turns away, a tear also flowing down his cheek. Looking down at his feet, Mark grits his teeth.

"Please, Hyuck." Mark insists. "Let me do this? I promise you, I'll be back next week. I'll be better, I promise. Just let me go."

Donghyuck sighs, realising there would be no convincing the older boy. When Mark was dead-set on something, he would do it, no matter the cost or consequence. Walking around to face Mark again, Donghyuck offers him a small smile.

"Okay." Donghyuck agrees sadly. "You can go. But, give me a hug before you do?"

Mark returns the small smile, his heart throbbing in his chest as he wraps his arms around the younger boy. Donghyuck rests his head against Mark's shoulder, gripping him tightly as if they were the only two people left alive.

"Will you at least call me sometimes?" Donghyuck asks, mumbling into Mark's shoulder. "Let me know that you're okay out there?"

"I.." Mark sighs again, and Donghyuck frowns. "I can't. You'll only just worry, and then that will make me worry, and then this whole thing will be worthless?"

"Are you going to call any of us?" Donghyuck asks again. "Johnny? The other Dreamies? Anyone?"

Mark shakes his head. "They'll only worry too. I don't want anyone to worry about me. Like I said, I'm-"

"Nothing to worry about?" Donghyuck cuts him off. "Wrong answer, Lee. We all worry about you. More than you think we do."

"I know.." Mark says.

"No, you don't." Donghyuck insists. "You work so hard and push yourself more than you need to. You also refuse to ask for help and try to deal with it all on your own. You don't need to. We're all here for you."

"Hyuck-"

"No!" Donghyuck cuts him off again. "Let me finish. Mark, I know that you constantly worry about being a burden and asking for help, but, please don't feel that way. You aren't a burden -- you're the best thing that ever happened to me. You're wonderful, and kind, and if I could I'd give you the world."

"Hyuck.."

"I get that you have to do this. I'll let you, of course. So long as you promise you'll come back to me safe and sound."

Mark offers Donghyuck another smile, which Donghyuck returns.

"Hyuck, I gotta catch my plane."

"Oh. Right." Mark lets Donghyuck go and hails a taxi cab that would take him back to his place. From there, he'd grab his bags and then leave, hoping to arrive back in Canada by the end of the afternoon. Donghyuck watches the older boy get into the taxi cab and waves him off, watching as the car goes down the long street and out of sight.

Donghyuck heaves a long sigh, before he turns and walks back to the apartment alone.