⋆daddy issues⋆ markhyuck

I.VI

Donghyuck was feeling nervous for some reason. He didn't expect to be spending his first semester planning for a spontaneous business venture in lieu of actually being a productive and responsible university student. But here he was, feeling out of place in his own house in the middle of makeshift business meeting with his very real roommate.

"Hyuck? Are you listening?" Mark snaps the brunette out of his thoughts. Donghyuck nods in response, its a lie, he's  confused as fuck. "I bet you don't know what I said, so I'll say it again slowly."

Donghyuck actually looks at Mark this time, trying to focus. "Let's do a dating app. Those are all extremely popular and should be quick cash." The boy nods again, but only silence follows. 

"Hyuckie, are you okay? You're not answering me..." Mark states the obvious, hoping to lay some ground for Donghyuck to open up.

There's a faint pout on Donghyuck's face and his entire body slouches forward onto the dining table. His answer comes with a languid shrug, "I dunno. I guess I don't really know what I'm doing. This is kind of a lot to take on now that I'm thinking about it."

Mark sympathizes with his apprehension but he can't relate. Business has been his entire life, he's been ready since birth. "Donghyuck," Mark reaches across the same to table to place his fingers on Donghyuck's cheeks. The flesh sinks under his touch, his body tingles slightly as Mark's fingers brush over his face. His fingers soothe the younger boy as he speaks, "I'm here for a reason. Any problem- any question you have, you can come to me. Don't be too scared because I know you can do it. But if you don't want to, you don't have to and I'll do it and give you half the profit anyway."

It takes every fibre in Mark's being to tear his gaze away from the swimming lights in Donghyuck's eyes and restrain his body from planting a simple kiss on Donghyuck's cute pouty lips. It was hard work but he did it.

Mark's fingers left a temporary cast of crimson in its place as it finally separated from Donghyuck's skin. He was almost frozen in place but managed to stutter out a timid 'okay' before lowering his head shyly.

Mark never got the shy impression from Donghyuck but it was cute and it was even better knowing that he was the one who caused it. A sly cough from Mark brought back a bit of the formal atmosphere they were originally attempting, "Yeah...um...I've always thought about making a dating app one day so I thought this was the perfect time."

"Don't worry, Hyuckie. I'm pretty sure we'll do great. There's nothing to worry about."

++

It was later in the day. Donghyuck and Mark both retired to their rooms. In his room, Donghyuck tried to catch up on a project he'd been ignoring from one of his side courses. Mark- he didn't know what Mark was doing.

It took him a long while of going back and forth with different ideas before settling on a simple chart to start off with it. He was a deep twenty minutes into his work when the all too familiar sound of Mark's headboard echoes its way through the air.

The only thing he let out is a sigh as he dropped his marker on the presentation paper. Before he can calculate his actions and as much as where he's headed, Donghyuck has slammed his way out of his own house. Not for the first time and definitely not for the last. 

It's late March and the weather isn't particularly cold but it's enough to make Donghyuck wish he'd thought to bring a sweater of some sort. Rubbing his hands up and down his arms should be enough to suffice though.

In wandering, he ends up at the heart of a tiny shopping district near a little stream. He's quick to just stop and relax; he hasn't really done any slowing down since arriving to university. It's been all school, trying to make money where he can and now suddenly, planning a business with his new roommate that happens to annoy the fuck out of him most of the time.

It's a lot.

Not to mention, it's not only that. Donghyuck has a family to think about and keep up with and send money to -like he promised. And, he also has a father.....

It's nice to reflect and inhale the cool winds that wrap around him; but there are just some things he wishes to not remember. Sometimes, he wants to clear his head and not think about anything. He doesn't know how to do that unfortunately.

But he tries anyway. He attempts to spin in circles and just focus on the wind as it howls through his ears and the faint thrill on his heart but he is soon left in shambles to regain his balance and is almost falling over into the grass near the stream bed.

In his dramatics, his eyes caught glimpse of a little teddy bear. It was the most basic brown teddy bear seated on a shelf on a vendor's cart. Regardless of how simple, it was a spectacle and it was adorable.

The cute bitty nose

The bright big eyes

And the small soft stature

There's only one person that teddy bear reminds him of.

Mark