"I...you're gonna need to take off your shirt," Taeyong said gently towards the cowering boy in his bedroom.
Donghyuck did nothing but slowly nod before grabbing onto the hem of his shirt.
But soon his hands froze there and began to shake.
"Hey," Taeyong soothed as he bent down to look into Donghyuck's eyes. "It's okay, you are okay. That's it, c'mon love."
Donghyuck took a deep breath before fully pulling off his shirt, his arms aching at the extension and his ribs and back cried out in pain.
"Donghyuck..." Taeyong could do nothing but stare the boys bare torso.
"It hurts," Donghyuck shook a little, he felt cold and exposed.
Taeyongs heart broke as his eyes trailed down his body.
Angry red and purple bruises decorated the boys ribs along with some cigarette burns.
Taeyong reach out gently to turn the younger boy around.
He gasped.
Donghyucks back had a boot print right in the middle.
His lower his had bruises in shape of hands with the tips of the fingers disappearing beneath the boys pants.
There were claw marks on them too signaling they tried to hold onto the boy despite the struggles.
"Oh my god," Taeyong covered his mouth with his hand as he ran the other one through his hair.
A moment of silence when by before Taeyong said, "I want Kun to come take a look at you. It's the only way-"
"No!" Donghyuck whipped around defensively. "I-I don't want to see a doctor-I just-I don't know him-"
"Shh," Taeyong shushed him before holding on of his hands. "Kun is an amazing doctor. Hell, he is in the pediatrica department and works with kids and teens all day."
"But I-" Donghyucks eyes were widen and shaking.
"You have to get these diagnosed and treated," Taeyong dipped his brows in concern. "We can have him come here so you are comfortable and I can be with you the whole time unless you prefer someone else-"
Donghyuck shook his head before speaking.
"I...I'll see the doctor."
...
"Hi, you must be Lee Donghyuck," A tall man with brown hair smiled at him. "I'm doctor Kun and I was the one who helped diagnose your hypothermia a couple days ago."
"Hi," Donghyuck mumbled from his spot on the edge of the bed and kept his hands gripped onto Taeyongs bedsheets.
"We just need you to help provide care with his ribs and back," Taeyong said quickly, trying to get this process over.
"Of course," Kun smiled before walking towards the bed. "Can I have you stand up for me and stretch out your arms? This will only take a minute."
Donghyuck slowly did as Kun said.
"I'm going to feel your ribs to sew if there are any fractures, okay?" Kun said gently, only processing when he saw him nod.
Kun slowly let his hands press against the boys ribs, slowly pressing st each one as well as gauging the boys reaction.
Donghyuck flinched with every press and touch.
"I don't feel any fractures," Kun concluded. "Just heavy bruising."
"I have some cream for the bruises as well as medication for the pain," Kun said as he looked a the dark bruises on Donghyuck's back. "Also I would recommend only icing for a while but not for too long because you just had hypothermia."
Donghyuck felt shaky as he listened to the words but he stared at Taeyong who was nodding along to the doctors words.
Like he was making a how to care for Donghyuck list in his head.
"I would like to apply the some things to the injuries while I am here," Kun said carefully as he reached for his bag. "If thats alright?"
Taeyong looked to Donghyuck and Donghyuck only peered back before he let himself be aware of how much pain his body was in.
He needed this.
"You can," Donghyuck whispered as he kept his focus on the ground.
This was embarrassing.
Despite how nice the guy was, he wasn't used to strangers.
He's never been too easy around people he doesn't know.
The process went quickly and his bruises tingles a little but the product felt mostly nice against his skin.
"You are doing a great job, sweetheart," Taeyong cheered him on and it made him almost crack a smile.
"Yes you are doing very good," Kun agreed. "We only have two more to do."
They were talking about his hips.
The hand prints and the scratches.
"I'm going to need you to pull down your waistband just a little bit," Kun said warmly, not trying to frighten him. "I just need to see the beginning of the bruise so I can disinfect the scratches and apply the medicine to the bruises. Can you do that for me?"
Donghyuck hesitated but slowly brought his waistband down to the end of the bruises. They didn't stop until the top of his hipbones.
Kun prepared the medication on a cotton swab.
His mind spinning with the memories of why those bruises exist.
His father's meaty hands having a death grip on him.
His mother's screams and his father's awful words.
He felt tears prick in his eyes.
His father almost raped him.
The medication touched his skin.
He can't do this.
"Stop!" Donghyuck cried out as he ripped himself away from Kun.
"Hey, what's wrong-" Taeyong went to him but the younger boy just sobbed.
"No! No! Please no!" Donghyuck pressed his back to the wall.
He felt like he was back at that house.
The way they abused him filling up his body like all of it was crashing down at once.
All their punches and kicks.
All the words they screamed at him.
All the love they never gave.
It was all represented in his body, his mind and his poor heart.
Remember where you are...
He didn't know if someone was talking to him or if it was his own mind.
How did you get here?
Donghyuck shook his head as he sobbed into his hands.
What has made you happy?
Donghyuck hiccuped on a cry.
Mark.
Mark.
I want Mark.
Donghyuck kept repeating it in his head.
Not realizing he was crying the words out loud.
"I-I want Mark! I want Mark," His cries were violent and desperate. "I need Mark!"
He needs Mark.
He didn't know how long he stood their bawling his eyes out and yelling Mark's name.
But the second he felt hands on his cheeks and the softness of Mark's voice in his ears was when he could finally breathe.
"Shhh," Mark's voice was warm and soothing and so were the thumbs whipping his tears. "C'mon sunshine. Breathe for me. Everything is okay. Nobody's hurting you."
Donghyuck sniffled as his wet eyes made eye contact with Mark's soft brown ones.
"You with me, now?" Mark asked gently as he stroked his cheek.
One of his other fingers caressed the backs of his ears and he felt himself melt.
He nodded before pushing himself forward and burying his face in Mark's chest.
He took a few deep breathes letting Mark's cologne give him comfort.
He let himself completely drown in Mark's arms.
The older boy had his nose pressed into his hair as he continued to murmur soft nothings.
"I...I'm sorry to interupt," Kun's voice resonated softly. "I'm also really sorry I scared you. But are you ready to proceed?"
Donghyuck turned his head so his cheek was resting on Mark's chest and his ear was pressed against his heart.
He made eye contact with Kun before looking behind him and seeing Taeyong's own tear stricken face.
A rush of guilt hit him.
I must have scared him.
Donghyuck nodded slowly but not pulling away from Mark.
"Do you want me to stay?" Mark whispered in his ear.
Donghyuck didn't say anything but he tightly tangled his fingers in Mark's shirt.
A silent please.
"This might sting a little at first," Kun felt guilty saying before he slowly start to treat the injuries.
Donghyuck tensed up at the stinging pain and the fingers on his hipbones.
He soon relaxed when Mark stroked his cheek again and planted a kiss on the top of his head.
"Look at you," Mark whispered against his hair. "You are so much braver than me. You are doing so great and you only have one left."
Donghyuck scoffed at his words before hissing when Kun started on his last bruise.
He felt himself tense up as the pain in this one was much worse.
"Ow, ow, ow," Donghyuck whined in pain as he began to lean more toward Mark and pull away from the medicine.
"Donghyuck!" Mark gasped loudly causing Donghyuck to whip his head up startled.
Donghyuck didn't have any time to comprehend anything when Mark leaned down and pressed his lips to his cheek and blowing a raspberry against his skin.
Donghyuck squealed and giggled as he tried to pull away from Mark's lips.
"And done!" Kun said as he stood up, shooting Mark a grateful look at the distraction.
"I will leave the medicines here and I will give Taeyong the instructions on how to use them," Kun said before Taeyong lead him to the door.
"Gross," Donghyuck whined as he wiped Mark's spit of his face but he was unable to hide the small smile on his face.
Mark grabbed Donghyuck's shirt of the bed and helped him put it back on.
"Thanks," Donghyuck said shyly, his cheeks pink and his hands interlocked in front of him.
He was about to walk away and lock himself somewhere in embarrassment.
"Hey," Mark called out to him before his hands made his way to his cheeks again.
"Hmm?" Donghyuck hummed, avoiding eye contact with him.
"Let's go eat dinner," Mark tapped his thumbs on the apples of his cheeks getting Donghyuck to finally look at him. "Everyone wants to see you."
"I don’t..." Donghyuck trailed off.
How was he supposed to face everyone?
"We don't have to talk about anything til later," Mark reassured him.
Donghyuck nodded his head.
He loved the idea of not having to bring this up for a while.
"Plus..." Mark leaned down to press a light kiss on the top his nose.
"Jeno says you're the only one to laugh at his jokes."
...
"What does it mean?" Ten groaned as he tapped his pen against the notebook out in front of him.
"What does what mean?" He heard Johnny yell through the wall as his room was next door.
"Just a dancer term you overgrown monkey," Ten yelled back.
He heard Johnny laugh before only small muffled words could be heard.
He was clearly on the phone.
Ten turned his head back to his notebook.
Why would Johnny Suh kiss me?
1. He's mean
2. He's an asshole
3. He loves to tease
4. H̶e̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶s̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶c̶r̶u̶s̶h̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶
5. H̶e̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶s̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶
6. He is a stupid dickface that doesn't understand anything and has always made it his mission to be the menace of my life.
Ten felt his heartbeat escalate as he heard Johnny laugh loudly at something the person on the phone said.
He groaned before throwing his notebook against the wall as hard as he could.
The answer is number 6.
"Stupid dickface," Ten mumbled with red cheeks before laying down and replaying the kiss in his mind.