— Chapter Seven —
Donghyuck woke up the next morning with his alarm ringing. It was eight and they had to be at the studio at nine so he got up, groggily rubbed his eyes before making his way to the bathroom.
When looking in the mirror he halted. Why were there hickeys on his neck?
And then it all came back, the memories of last night, Mark's lips sucking on his skin, the lewd moans and the dry humping. Donghyuck could literally watch in the mirror as his face reddened. He pulled the hood over his head to hide the bruises and splashed some cold water into his face.
"Whoever is in there, hurry up!" he heard Jaemin's voice from outside.
"Sorry." he yelled back and opened the door to find a very sleepy Jaemin right in front of him.
"Morning." the latter hummed and just passed by Donghyuck to enter the bathroom. Donghyuck laughed at him but stepped out, allowing Jaemin to lock the door so he could have some privacy while washing up.
Donghyuck went back to his room and got changed into some grey sweatpants and a white T-shirt. Nothing too special since today they would just be filming a video for Chenle's radio show and some more promotion videos. Donghyuck was glad about it, like this he wouldn't have to change and get make-up done which would have led the staff to see his hickeys.
Donghyuck knew the make-up artists weren't allowed to spread any information about what they got to know about the idols during make-up and hair procedures but he had lived long enough in this industry to know that staff was always listening anyway. More often than not they sold the information to sasaengs, some of them even were sasaengs. To begin their career, Donghyuck had gotten advice from a dance coach to treat the make-up staff like the gossip girls in school. Only tell them as much as you are ready for the public to know. Ever since then, Donghyuck would already cover any hickeys up at home as so did the other members. Not that it happened too often, especially not now during the pandemic, but they could never be careful enough.
Donghyuck finally stepped out of his room, now fully dressed and with a bit of concealer over the bruised skin so he wouldn't have to keep his hoodie up all day.
He saw Jaemin and Jeno already on the couch. That couch. The one Mark had literally given him a hand job on. Donghyuck blushed again, averting his eyes to the ground as he walked into the kitchen.
With the cozy smell of coffee in the air, Donghyuck ate some scrambled eggs Jaemin had prepared while Donghyuck had changed. He thanked Jaemin for it but the latter was too sleepy to respond. He only had his head on Jeno's lap, the latter petting Jaemin's hair with one hand while scrolling through his phone with the other. Donghyuck smiled at the homey image and then greeted Jisung who sleepily stepped into the kitchen as well.
"Is Renjun-hyung up already?" he asked and Donghyuck shrugged. He always found it adorable how Jisung would look after Renjun even though the two weren't roommates anymore.
Soon they were all ready. Mark waited downstairs like he usually did together with their managers and they got into the cars to meet Chenle at the radio station.
Donghyuck never met Mark's eyes just even once. He was already embarrassed enough as it was and he knew just one look at Mark and he would probably pass away from being too flustered. Mark didn't do it either, however the two got seated in the car next to each other.
Donghyuck nibbled on his lower lip when he saw that the only left space was next to Mark. It wasn't that he didn't want to sit next to Mark but somehow just seeing the man's face, even though it was hidden underneath a mask, made blood rush into his ears and cheeks.
"Good morning." Mark mumbled groggily. His eyes looked puffy and Donghyuck guessed he had just woken up about half an hour ago.
"Morning." he said back and a silence spread between them. A silence which Donghyuck wanted to fill with questions about what exactly had happened yesterday. But he held back, not only because of his own embarrassment but also because they weren't alone in the car.
Mark meanwhile put his airpods in. He offered one to Donghyuck who had forgotten his own so he accepted the gesture. It was just a little thing but it brought a little bit of normality back into their relationship and Donghyuck was glad about it. Mark played some Justin Bieber songs, of course he did.
While the car started moving, Donghyuck hummed along and looked out the window. He didn't want to look at Mark but occasionally his eyes switched to the man's face and whenever they did, their eyes would meet. Donghyuck was always quick to avert his eyes but it caused for a thick tension to form between them. A tension that he couldn't push away with simply singing along and a tension that Mark seemed to feel as well as he shifted around in his seat.
"Will you stay still?" Donghyuck asked him after a while and Mark mumbled a sorry and looked down into his lap. Shit, Donghyuck thought, he looked upset.
"It's alright, hyung."
He used the word on purpose and immediately he could see Mark's chest buffing out. He smiled at Donghyuck, his eyes crinkling so cutely and Donghyuck's heart hurt at the sight. But at the same time his throat went dry as he recalled the last time he had called Mark hyung.
Lips on skin. Needy hands. Desperate moans. Now it was Donghyuck's turn to avert his gaze into his own lap, feeling the blood rush into his ears. This only intensified when he felt Mark's hand on his thigh. The older probably did it to comfort Donghyuck but the young man could only gulp as he felt Mark's warm palm against the grey fabric of his sweatpants.
Someone cleared their throat. Donghyuck quickly looked up, it had been their manager. But luckily for him it had only been because their manager's throat was dry and not because he had seen Donghyuck blush. The latter bit his lower lip, luckily hidden underneath the mask, and then took a deep breath when Mark's thumb started stroking his thigh.
"Mark." he said in a hushed voice but the older didn't react. He was only nodding his head along to the song, he probably hadn't even heard Donghyuck.
And so the younger shifted as he felt Mark's thumb draw little patterns on his thigh. It felt so soothing and yet Donghyuck stayed tense. He couldn't do anything, just lean his head back and close his eyes as with each passing second the warm feeling of Mark's hand grew even hotter.
The minutes dragged out, Donghyuck growing more impatient. For what exactly he didn't know but it was a good kind of thrill. He liked it, liked whatever it was that was in the air. It was almost as if Mark was testing him, teasing him to see how far he could go as his hand moved farther up Donghyuck's thigh. The younger man looked at their managers in the front again however they didn't pay neither Donghyuck nor Mark any mind and instead had their eyes on the road.
Then Donghyuck looked at Mark again who was still nodding along, quietly humming the lyrics to the song. Donghyuck couldn't see much of Mark's face due to the mask but he could still see those slightly crinkled eyes. If he had to guess he would say that Mark was wearing a smirk on his lips which didn't make Donghyuck's situation better at all.
He knew the older male was probably doing this on purpose, riling him up but for what reason? Didn't he say that he would pretend like his sexual attraction towards Donghyuck didn't exist? Donghyuck was curious, tried to figure out if Mark really found him so hot that he couldn't keep his hands off Donghyuck. The latter should be weirded out, and he was, but at the same time he was invested. He wanted to test Mark's limits but if he did, it would probably ruin their friendship.
It was an on-going back and forth in his mind. On the one hand he wanted to hold back, knowing this was not normal. Not only because they were idols and best friends but also because they were boys. Donghyuck wasn't homophobic, actually he couldn't care less but also he had never been attracted to a boy. This led him to the question of whether Mark was gay. He wanted to ask but couldn't. Maybe Mark didn't even know himself. At least he had sounded like that yesterday.
That was the one side, the side that warned Donghyuck of how dangerous all this was, of how uncertain this situation was, of how weird and risky Mark's hand travelling up his thigh was. But there was this other side. Donghyuck could feel it deep within him and that side was the reason he hadn't swatted away Mark's hand yet. It was a side of pleasure, of the joy of thrill and of neediness. That side that called for Donghyuck to grab Mark's hand and put it over his crotch despite the two being literally in a car with their managers.
And then there was Mark himself. He looked so calm, too calm almost. As if he knew exactly how much Donghyuck was freaking out and wanted to play a little. Donghyuck guessed it was almost like a little but sweet revenge for the younger rejecting Mark for the past weeks and months. But if that was the case, Donghyuck should only be allowed to get revenge for all those years of rejection as well. And so he did something very stupid but very cunning. He took Mark's hand, picked it up and laid it onto the man's own crotch where he moved it around.
Finally Mark looked at him, their eyes meeting for a brief moment, and now it was Donghyuck who was smirking almost evilly. He was naturally a playful person and so playing this game was easy.
He could see how Mark's eyes widened, how his pupils dilated as he realised what Donghyuck was doing. With his free hand, Mark turned off the music and then leaned forward a little. His jacket covered his crotch with both their hands on it now.
"What are you doing?" he asked in a hushed voice. Donghyuck cocked up one eyebrow.
"Playing your game, Mark." he whispered, a hidden smile on his lips. The older narrowed his eyes at him but Donghyuck wasn't scared. It was Mark that was attracted to him and not the other way around and Donghyuck loved the fact that he now held power over Mark.
As playful as their friendship always had been, Mark had always tried his best to keep up with their power dynamics. Him as the hyung and Donghyuck as his dongsaeng. Of course Donghyuck had never cared much for Mark's wishes regarding this, dropping the hyung as soon as he felt comfortable around Mark. The older hadn't liked this, still reminded Donghyuck to this day to call him by the honorific but he also let it slip when Donghyuck didn't. But still it was so satisfying for Donghyuck to see how he was finally the one in charge, not because of age but because of Mark's little secret.
"Don't you like this? I thought you said you were sexually attracted to me." Donghyuck whispered so low that only Mark would be able to hear.
"I hate you." the older whispered back and Donghyuck chuckled, shaking his head as he rubbed Mark's hand against the man's own groin.
"No, you don't." he said and Mark's body tensed. It was so fun seeing him all squirmy but Donghyuck knew he shouldn't go too far. If Mark wanted he could easily gain his power back, he was not only older but also physically stronger than Donghyuck as the younger had to find out quite painfully and in quite a lot of moments. Mark didn't hesitate to manhandle him, never had and Donghyuck found it adorable with how many ways Mark tried to establish that he was the one in power.
"Donghyuck, I'm warning you." Mark's deep voice was heard once again and only then Donghyuck let go of the man's hand. Mark had sounded a little too serious and Donghyuck checked the man's face.
"We're going to have a talk once we're out of this car." Mark said now a little louder. Donghyuck gulped but nodded obediently. Maybe he shouldn't have been so cocky to act on Mark's sexual attraction towards him to be an asshole.
For the rest of the ride, Donghyuck didn't try anything. He felt bad, so incredibly bad. How selfish could he be to literally use his best friend's feelings like a toy to play with.
As soon as they entered the building, Mark told the other members to go on already while he and Donghyuck would both quickly use the toilet. They all nodded, most of them still sleepy so nobody asked any questions.
Once in the bathroom of the building, Mark closed the door behind them. Donghyuck leaned against the counter where the sinks were placed. He heard Mark clear his throat and felt heat waves of embarrassment running through his ears and cheeks. The floor looked really interesting right now, he thought.
"I get that now you think you're all that because I told you I'm sexually attracted towards you and I'll admit that it's hot seeing you trying to act out but you have to realise that we're still idols." Mark spoke.
Donghyuck bit his lip. He opened his mouth to reply, not knowing whether to apologise or to ask more questions but Mark didn't let him anyway, laying a finger on Donghyuck's lips while continuing.
"We're idols and best friends. And hell, I don't want to lose my friendship with you, Donghyuck. You mean so much to me and you know that so please don't try to test me or whatever, okay?"
"But why not? Isn't that what you want?" Donghyuck pouted. If Mark was sexually attracted towards him, shouldn't he be happy that Donghyuck was giving into his affection, returning it even.
"Let me say it like this. The more often you test my patience, the closer I'll get to snapping. The closer I get to snapping, the more pissed I'm going to get at you. And if I snap I'll either give into my attraction or into my frustration. So either I'll want to have sex with you or I'll want to cuss you out and never talk to you again. And I don't want to let it get that far. So just try to be normal, okay?"
During his rant, Mark was stumbling on his words. Donghyuck's heart hurt at how worked up he sounded, all of this must have affected him a lot. A quick glance up the man's face told him just how stressed Mark was. He had his eyebrows furrowed, deep bags under his eyes and his lips were in a thin line. And suddenly Donghyuck felt even worse for thinking he could just play with Mark and get his revenge because in the end Mark was his best friend and a hardworking idol. It was just not fair to do this to him, especially not now when they literally had their comeback in two days.
"Okay, I'm sorry." he mumbled and Mark hummed. He let his finger fall and stepped back. It stayed silent in the bathroom, both not knowing what to say. To be fair though, neither of them had ever lived through a situation like this. Not Donghyuck and neither Mark or at least to Donghyuck's knowledge. The older man now turned to the side and checked himself in the mirror. Donghyuck followed the older's actions and looked at his slightly reddened face.
"Mark-hyung? Donghyuck?" Jeno's voice called from outside. The two exchanged a quick look through the mirror and then Mark turned and walked out. Donghyuck could hear the man's voice blending in with Jeno's outside as the two talked about god knows what.
Donghyuck took one last breath before opening the door and he was greeted with Jeno laughing at something Mark said. He grinned at Jeno's happy smile and then said "Let's go?"
The two older men nodded and all three of them went back to the waiting room where the others were already waiting for them.
The radio as well as their shootings afterwards passed fast. It was all hectic but Donghyuck liked it that way. He looked over to Mark once they were in the car again to see the man tiredly rubbing his eyes. Donghyuck himself was feeling quite tired too but he didn't want to initiate anything that might make Mark uncomfortable as he had expressed how hard it was for him to hold back.
However his hesitation turned into fluster when Mark petted his head and let Donghyuck rest against his shoulder. It reminded Donghyuck of years ago when he would always tug his head into the crook of Mark's neck and he immediately smiled upon the action. He felt Mark lean his head against Donghyuck's and like this the two men drove home, both exhausted and with their eyes closed.
Somewhere on the way, maybe even subconsciously, Donghyuck got a hold of Mark's hand. When he realised he immediately pulled back but Mark resisted and kept their fingers intertwined. Seeing him be so cuddly caused a warm and satisfied feeling to run through Donghyuck's stomach and his smile widened. It was a nice reassurance that despite everything, despite Mark's attraction towards him, despite their tension and frustration with each other even, they were still them. Still Mark and Donghyuck, best friends and platonic soulmates. And with that knowledge in mind, Donghyuck fell asleep against Mark's shoulder.