⋆daddy issues⋆ markhyuck

III.XVIII

They gather inside. The focus on Jeno as he wipes at his face uselessly. They've been inside for a while and Jeno has done nothing more than sip on a glass of water and reproduce the liquid from his eyes. 

"Are you ready now?" Donghyuck asks, his hand still brushing up and down his best friend's back. "It's okay if you aren't. I-"

"I like Jaemin." Jeno interrupts. His voice is brittle and sounds like fresh wounds. 

"Jeno....darling....everybody knows, dude. You're not slick." Donghyuck attempts to, what he believes to be, comfort Jeno. 

The red haired boy peers up, red eyes matching his hair in colour. "I- I what?"

"Broooo...we see how you look at him." Donghyuck's tone is on the edge of teasing and it takes a quick slap from Mark to remember that this is a tease-free zone. "We see it, don't we, Mark?" He sends a tight smile and glaring eyes to his roommate. 

"Yeah, I have to admit, Jeno, you're not the most subtle." Mark gives in, patting Jeno twice on the back. 

Mark remembers the first time he met Donghyuck's friends, they all met at a bus stop before a football game and even though Jeno kept dropping hints that he wanted to sit with Jaemin, Hyuck took the seat on the bus beside him instead. He claimed it was his way of getting to know Jaemin better, since they had only met recently. Nevertheless, Jeno spent the bus ride to and from the stadium, sulky and inattentive. 

Mark hadn't picked it up then though; because he, himself, was sulking about not getting to sit beside Donghyuck. 

He only knew when the whole crew had gone out for drinks and they'd all gotten so wasted and practically useless to society yet Jeno made it in his absolute duty, in his drunkenness, to care Jaemin back to sobriety, completely ignoring his other four friends groaning and aching in pain.

When Mark leaves his own memory files, Donghyuck is speaking, "If you have any meaningful interest in him, at least try. And trust me, he can do a lot worse than say 'no'. I've heard much more than 'no', but at least you would've tried so you would've known for sure." Donghyuck's words bounce around in Jeno's brain. "Plus Jaemin likes you too."

Donghyuck hears how easily the words could be applied to him, but he chooses to ignore. 

"That's what I think too. That's why this is so hard." He starts to tear up again, blinking rapidly and trying his best not to make eye contact with either men. "I never knew I liked guys." His tears fall at the admission. 

"Ohh, baby." Donghyuck embraces his friend, patting his back and actually offering comfort this time around. Donghyuck cannot relate, he's never doubted his attraction to men but he can imagine how it would feel if he ever had, so he feels for Jeno. He can imagine how it must feel for what he knows as his safety net to be destroyed, and Donghyuck is very much so accustomed to that feeling. 

It's very easy for Mark to get lost in admiration from Donghyuck as he watches him be gentle, understanding and a rock for his hurting best friend. He only chose the business idea that he did, because it has always been floating around his mind but he's surmising that Donghyuck may have been his fateful find- the key to the success of his idea.  He's so lost in his thoughts that he doesn't even notice that he's barely contributed to the conversation. 

The conversation goes by steadily as Donghyuck talks through Jeno's worries with him. He consoles his friend, gives oh so outdated tips on how to confirm Jaemin's mutual feelings, then gasses his friend up enough to give him the needed confidence boost to ask Jaemin out. By the end, Jeno is giggly with dried tears and an appreciative smile and the relaxed body of someone who has just let everything out. Donghyuck feels accomplished, to not onlyhave cheered his friend up but he realize he's not going to be as bad at his new as job as he thought. 

Jeno stands to give his best friend just one more hug before he leaves. This one is the longest, the most meaningful. Jeno feels himself start to grow a bit faint but he doesn't let go; it's not like can, Donghyuck is squeezing the fuck out of him. "I liked your advice, Hyuck. I want you to take it too." He says, finally catching his breath, free from Donghyuck's grasp. 

Then, he's gone.

++

"I guess that was our first customer, then." Donghyuck walks over to the beanbag to flop down beside Mark, immediately wrapping his arms around Mark's waist. 

"Yeah..." It's not as enthusiastic as Donghyuck had expected but he doesn't mention. He feels his eye lids falling too much, in the warm and soft embrace of Mark's hug. But something else was on his mind, he should mention it before he gets too comfortable and doesn't want to say it anymore. 

So, Donghyuck just takes the time to speak. "I'm sorry if what happened today made you a bit uncomfortable. I'm sorry about what Jeno said." Mark is confused. "I'll make sure to stop liking you soon so you don't have to deal with me anymore." He gets it. He realizes Donghyuck is responding to Jeno's words - I liked your advice, Hyuck. I want you to take it too. "I know I've said this before but I'm really trying and-"

Mark cuts him off, "You don't get it, do you?" He's almost shouts but refrains. It's exhausting having to justify your crush so many times to your actual crush. "Hyuck, I'm almost in love with you at this point. You haven't given me one reason not to be." He sounds exasperated. 

"Mark..." The first things he utters since rendered still with his mouth hung open. "I-I- I don-"

"You don't believe me? What do I have to do to prove it to you? Donghyuck, I'm doing all of this for you. Yes, I know I wanted to make money too but I wasn't going to start for now. You made me want to start earlier because I wasn't sure if you'd hate me giving you money all the time so I thought a business would be a better idea. And it's been so great, Hyuck. I was so content waking up to your adorable sleep-filled face on our trip and it made me realize how much I'd love- I'd beg to do it again and again for the rest of my life." Mark's voice is progressively lowering in volume. 

Donghyuck's eyes gloss over. "Yes, I admit, at first I did think you were a passing crush but I literally have never had a crush for this long in years. I want to make something of what we have and....I know you do too...." Mark ends in a whisper, albeit uncertain in tone but he looks towards Donghyuck firmly. 

"I, Mark- My." His head falls into his palms in frustration. "You make me not know what to do." Getting rid of crushes was easier before you, no one even liked me back before.

Mark brings the boy even closer, pulling Donghyuck's leg to rest over his. "I want to kiss you now and for the rest of my life, okay? Will you please let me?"