Stay With Me (Short One-Shots) (NCT X NCT)

Stay With Me P. 46 (Tenmark)💖

Mark and Ten were like peas in a pod, man! Always glued together, teasing each other like there was no tomorrow, and cracking jokes that had everyone in stitches. Mark was the king of patience, seriously, nothing seemed to ruffle his feathers. That's probably why Ten loved to poke fun at him all the time - it was like Mark's unbreakable calmness just fueled Ten's playful antics.

But then, enter Donghyuck. This dude had charisma for days and a mischievous streak that could rival a prankster. From the moment he joined their crew during their trainee days, he became the center of attention. I mean, who wouldn't be drawn to that kind of energy, right? But here's the thing, with Donghyuck around, something in Mark shifted. It was like Donghyuck's presence demanded a different version of him, a more serious demeanor, and it threw the teasing dynamic between Mark and Ten off balance.

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One day, they were goofing around during a video shoot, like they always did, and Ten cracked one of his signature jokes. Usually, it would've been all laughs and good times, but this time, it hit Mark like a punch to the gut. His smile faded, and could see the hurt in his eyes, like he had been wounded by a joke that went a little too deep. The atmosphere on set shifted, and even the crew could sense that something wasn't right.

The camera kept rolling, capturing the whole thing for their fans, but the playful energy had evaporated, replaced by an awkward tension. Ten, who was usually quick with a follow-up quip, looked stunned, not knowing how to react to Mark's sudden change in demeanor. Everyone on set was taken aback, unsure of how to respond to the shift in dynamics between the two. 

Mark tried to brush it off, putting on a forced smile, but it was obvious that something was bothering him. He avoided making eye contact with Ten, focusing on the ground instead. It was like a cloud had settled over their usually sunny and vibrant bond.

After the director yelled "cut," Mark couldn't hold it in anymore. He turned to Ten, and he'll never forget the look on his face - it was a mix of frustration and sadness like he had been holding back his feelings for far too long.

"Enough, man! Can't you see you've gone too far this time?" Mark's voice shook a bit, but it was clear he was upset.

Ten looked stunned like he didn't realize how much his joke had hurt Mark. "Wait, I didn't mean to... I was just playing around, you know that, right?"

The atmosphere on set grew heavy as Mark's words hung in the air. Ten looked stunned, his playful facade shattered by the weight of Mark's emotions. He didn't have an immediate response, lost for words in the face of his best friend's hurt. Mark couldn't bear to stay there any longer, the pain of the moment gnawing at him. Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Ten and the rest of the NCT members standing there, shell-shocked and unsure of what to do.

As Mark retreated, the other members exchanged worried glances. They had never seen Mark react like this before, and it was evident that something had been building up beneath the surface for a while now. Donghyuck, in particular, felt a pang of guilt. He had been a catalyst for this shift in dynamics, unintentionally pushing Mark to suppress a part of himself.

Taeyong, the group's leader, stepped forward, concern etched on his face. "We should go talk to Ten," he suggested, motioning for the others to follow him.