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1. you openly admit
it's when mark is making shitty instant oatmeal in dream's messy kitchen that he starts to realize.
donghyuck had just passed through, said goodmorning, and went on the hunt for breakfast. they're the only ones up, so it's soft and quiet in the dorm. the whole situation feels so domestic, donghyuck preparing a small pot of coffee for their manager and the members that can stand it as a "sorry we're stealing your food" compensation gift, mark waiting for his (jisung's) oatmeal in the microwave next to him. he has a sudden urge to kiss donghyuck on the cheek.
so he does exactly that, as donghyuck is pouring cereal into a bowl. donghyuck stops and looks at him, a little smile on his tired face. it lights up mark's heart. "what was that for?"
mark shrugs, face warm. "i just felt like it."
donghyuck blinks up at him for a few seconds. the microwave beeps then, and they go back to their (stolen) breakfasts, smiles on both their faces. donghyuck hums a brown eyed girls song. it's quiet for awhile, both of them too tired to say anything, until they hear stumbling and muffled cursing from another room. jaemin enters the kitchen in a beeline to the coffee pot.
"i thought you guys had gone home," he frowns. "taeyong is gonna freak out."
donghyuck tells him snarkily to mind his own business, and jaemin replies with an equally snarky comment. jeno comes into the kitchen then, looks at them, and sighs. "i'm so glad we don't live together."
mark snorts as donghyuck now points his spoon at him. "hey, don't be an ass!"
"you're eating my cereal!"
"that's fair."
jisung stomps his way in as they begin to bicker again, fist rubbing at an eye, complaining loudly that they woke him up. they all chorus an appology. donghyuck dumps his empty cereal bowl in the sink and tells jaemin, "we're finishing this later in the group chat."
jeno lets out a little "oh, god" as renjun enters, chenle trailing behind, both still half asleep. "what's happening in the group chat?"
they sit side by side as they put on their shoes before they leave. donghyuck leans his head onto mark's shoulder. then he mumbles, "you can't be so cute in the mornings, it's not fair," and presses a quick kiss to his cheek. it's a typical Lee Donghyuck gesture, but instead of making mark squirm away like donghyuck anticipates, it warms him down to his toes.
2. you are so transparent
"look, mark!" mark turns towards the direction of donghyuck's voice, and spots him holding a staff member's squirming puppy. he turns so that mark can get a good look at the face. it's a cute dog. mark walks over to him to pet it, and when he does, their hands bump together a little. donghyuck smiles at him.
"wow, a dog!" mark hears jeno say sarcastically behind him. "never seen one of those before."
mark and donghyuck both look at him, and he rolls his eyes as renjun elbow him in the side. donghyuck grins. "he's just bitter 'cuz he misses his cats."
"i'm not!" jeno insists, and renjun elbows him again.
"i want a dog," donghyuck tells mark, turning away from the others. it feels like he's confiding something that he only wants mark to hear. "mark, would you get me a dog?"
mark chokes on his spit, surprized. what kind of question is that? of course he would. he'd do anything for donghyuck. "yeah, i would."
donghyuck smiles down at the puppy. "i knew you'd say that."
3. the farthest thing from perfect
it's no secret that mark can't cook for shit. so, when taeyong pulls him into the kitchen with a firm grasp, he's positive he's about to be punished. he voices this concern, but taeyong just laughs and tells him to cut up veggies for the stew. mark struggles silently with the knife for a few minutes, until taeyong comes over to help him.
"how are things with dream going?" he asks casually, positioning mark's hands better.
"um-alright, i guess," he says, more concerned about not chopping his fingers off than talking to taeyong.
taeyong nods. "yeah? how is donghyuck?"
mark pauses. taeyong is looking at him with gentle, but imploring eyes. he doesn't know what to say, so he doesn't say anything at all, just resumes his messy chopping.
"mark?" he asks after a few minutes, softer this time. "is he okay? are you okay?"
mark pauses again. it's easier to ignore the darkness under their eyes when no one points it out. "we're just tired," he mumbles.
taeyong sighs, and pulls him into an awkward little half-hug. "i know. i just worry."
mark does, too. he worries when donghyuck tosses back two ibuprofen and a tylenol and still complains about his back aching. he worries when donghyuck is so keyed up from working all day that he can't even fall asleep. he worries when he notices donghyuck's arms getting skinnier, because he knows it's because he's too tired to eat properly. "me too."
taeyong tsks, taking the knife out of mark's hand and hugging him properly. "you shouldn't, you have just as much on your plate."
mark relaxes into the hug. taeyong is just as much of a brother to him as his real brother is. "i know," he says, muffled into taeyong's shoulder, "but he's my best friend, and..." he trails off. he knows what he wants to say, but he doesn't know how to get the words out there, so he leaves it at that. he knows that taeyong knows what he means, anyway.
4. please take me under with you
mark likes to sleep alone. he likes having wiggle room. so, when donghyuck sneaks into his bed at 3-something in the morning, he's pissed. first of all, the brat woke up him. second, he's shoving his cold feet against mark's ankles. third, mark is irritated because he can never be truly mad at donghyuck anymore.
"what do you want," he groans into his pillow. donghyuck presses up against his back, as close as possible. he's shivering violently, so mark lets him snake arms around his waist even though he's annoyed.
"i want you~" donghyuck singsongs into his ear. mark squeezes his eyes shut. it's too late to deal with this shit. he can tell donghyuck is wide awake, though, so he twists around in his hold to face him, figuring that he just wants to talk until he falls asleep.
"markiepoo, why so grumpy?" donghyuck whispers playfully, making mark crinkle his nose. "is it me? do you not like me?"
mark shakes his head, eyes closed. he could never not like donghyuck.
"you do like me?" donghyuck giggles, and mark's heart pounds in his chest when he nods.
for awhile all he hears is donghyuck's breathing. it's so quiet that he almost falls back asleep, until donghyuck places a hand on mark's cheek. mark flutters his eyes open. donghyuck is barely visible in this light, but he can tell that he's staring right back at him. it should be weird, but they've known each other for so long that nothing's ever weird between them, and that thought is what makes mark kiss him.
donghyuck's mouth is so soft, and the press of their lips together feels so right. mark kisses him once, twice, ten times, too many to count. donghyuck pulls him closer, impossibly closer, until they're pressed together all over, and donghyuck's head is almost buried in mark's pillows. it's silly how happy he is with both donghyuck's hands pressed to his cheeks.
(5. it can be a secret
mark is glad that nothing really changes after that. they still tiredly say good morning to each other, they still sit at opposite ends of the couch on movie nights because all the fidgeting drives mark nuts. donghyuck still clings to taeil like a leech, and the others still look at them like they're not sure what their relationship is. except taeyong, but mark thinks he's always known--so has he, and so has donghyuck.)