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Mark bobbed his head up and down to the music being played in the background, a random 2-hour long Lo-Fi tune he had downloaded earlier that week into his laptop to be used during studying sessions or just when he wanted to lounge around in his room, waiting for his boyfriend to return back home from eating dinner with others. For tonight, the situation involved both cases as Mark spun his mechanical pencil between his fingers continuously, chewing on his bottom lip, brows furrowed, causing his forehead to crease unsightly while trying to pass by the time until Donghyuck returned home. The graphs and numbers presented in front of him started to swim, dizzying his mind which was about to overheat from the excess of statistics he's had to deal with in the week.
Eventually deciding to give up on Statistics, Mark stretched his arms up high, feeling the tension around his mid-back relieve slightly, before he's slumping in his chair and hanging his head back. College was tiring. Even though it was only his first semester in college, assignments and work has been piled upon one after another, though Mark was already aware that he would be consumed by this sort of lifestyle in his chosen college as their motto was to prepare their students brutally for the world that comes after.
Mark wondered vaguely about the world that comes after. Things always changed when you close a book and open a new one, begin a new part of your life that you have no idea what's going to happen later, even if you already have all your plans laid out beforehand. In the midst of all the new things, Mark knew Donghyuck would always be a constant in his ever-developing life.
It's a nice feeling, to know you'll always have the person you cherish deeply by your side for a long while.
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With his bag constantly being risen up to the air and dropped unceremoniously on his back, Donghyuck didn't really have an easy time running back home. He should have just walked home, because his bag today was so much heavier than usual, but Donghyuck wanted to arrive home as quick as possible. He had his engineering blueprint equipment and countless sketch books overflowing with countless building designs in his bag, both moving to and fro in a chaotic tumble as Donghyuck almost slipped down a set of stone stairs to the street where his apartment complex was located.
Once he turned a sharp corner aided by his hand reflexively gripping on a street light's pole to turn his body in his fast running pace, he started jogging instead since he could already see the back silhouette of the apartment complex. Donghyuck let out a pained grunt due to the burn he could feel on his hands from the friction caused when he turned. He huffed softly, shaking his hands in a quest to soothe the pain.
As he reached his apartment complex, he walked down the pavement in a slow momentum, humming down numbers as his feet shuffled to a tune he recalled from dance practice earlier today. He waved and said "Hello! I hope you had a nice day today!" towards the handful of security guards keeping watch near some of the buildings, and they replied back with their own cheery waves and answers which consisted mostly of, "It's been tiring, Donghyuck. Being an adult is tiring.".
Donghyuck reached his apartment building, and instead of going inside the building and up the elevators to the third floor in which his apartment was situated at, Donghyuck simply went around the building, until he reached the far left side. As he looked up, he could see that there were only a few lights turned on, and he was positive one of them belonged to his and Mark's shared bedroom. Therefore, Donghyuck tapped on the pipe which was built close enough to the windows of the rooms for Donghyuck to be able to climb and reach the small balcony jutting out.
Ensuring his bag was secured on his body, Donghyuck began his climb up the pipe.
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Tap! Tap! Tap, tap, tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!
Mark removed his headphones from his ears when he thought he heard tapping sounds near him, looking around curiously as to where the sound was coming from. He moved his chair back, causing a loud screech to resonate in the room as his hands stayed firm on his desk, his ears perked for any more sounds coming from outside of his room.
"Donghyuck?" Mark called out loudly, head turned towards his door, suspicion and slight fear showcasing itself on his face.
Mark knew he should not have watched too many videos of Buzzfeed Unsolved, especially when it was night and he knew he'd be alone some time during the week since Donghyuck had events to attend. Buzzfeed Unsolved caused prominent fear and worry to Mark to the point where he'd jump just by turning around in the middle of the night and seeing Donghyuck beside him, but it was an addictive series and Mark constantly argued saying it could help him with coming up ideas for essays during English class. Donghyuck called bullshit and snorted, but didn't say much except pat Mark's head every night Mark woke up startled.
"Here!" Mark heard Donghyuck, but it wasn't coming from outside his room's door. It was coming from his balcony's door, hidden behind his curtains.
"What the hell?" Mark asked, standing up from his seat and going to the curtains, pulling them apart in one swift motion, only to be greeted by his beautiful boyfriend standing outside, grinning widely and holding onto his bag strap.
"Well, you going to open this door or not?" Donghyuck questioned, an eyebrow lifted as he points to the door with his index finger.
"Not really, no. Not to someone who somehow-"
"I climbed up the steel pipes."
"You could have walked in through the front door. I know you have the keys." Mark stated, not amused by his boyfriend's antics.
"That wouldn't make this fun, Mark Lee. Now open up, I have something to show you!" Donghyuck smiled even wider if possible, knuckle knocking on the glass doors.
Mark sighed, defeated once again. When it came to Donghyuck, Mark really couldn't say much since Mark always ended up relenting to the younger boy. He unlocked the doors of the balcony, a click sound showing that the door's been unlocked, and Donghyuck opens the door himself from the outside, walking in the room after removing his shoes to be left at the balcony.
"So, what is it that you have to show me?" Mark inquired as his elbow gets pulled by Donghyuck towards their shared bed.
"This." Donghyuck said, zipping open his bag and dumping all of its contents down onto the bed.
Piles of books rained down from the bag and dropped on the bed, his stationery which he didn't put back in his pencil box also fell down one by one like his calculator, erasers and numerous rulers of different shapes and angles. Papers full of building designs also fell onto the bed, causing the bed to look like Donghyuck's study desk during exam week.
Mark turned to look at Donghyuck, who had his hands on his hips, looking at Mark excitedly. "You want to show me your... new designs?" Mark asked, unsure of what exactly he's supposed to be seeing. Judging by the falter of Donghyuck's smile and an exasperated sigh that leaked out of his heart-shaped lips, Mark guessed he got it wrong.
"No, you doofus. It's this." Donghyuck said, lifting up a piece of paper which Mark just realized was different from the other pristine white sheets of paper.
The paper Donghyuck held in between his fingers was crippled terribly, its edges so worn, Mark was positive even a light tug could cause it to tear until it was no longer recognizable. Its color was an aging yellow, a color you would see on pages of the books you'd find in second-hand bookstores that offer a variety of old tales from the 15th century and more. Mark vaguely realizes that it did, in fact, look very similar to the pages of the books Donghyuck had lined up on their countless bookshelves of old classics with Korean so literate and formal that Mark knew he would have trouble understanding even after a whole lifetime of adapting to the Korean language.
"It's a... paper." Mark said, confusion laced in his words as he looked from the paper to Donghyuck, who looked unimpressed and signaled for Mark to continue talking. "That looks very old and worn?"
Donghyuck sighed out loud, frustration so obvious, Mark flinched automatically whilst his face contorted to something akin to pity for himself for not knowing what Donghyuck expected him to say, because quite frankly, Mark really didn't know what Donghyuck wanted at that moment, and Mark usually knew what he wanted. A small feeling of guilt etched its way up in Mark's stomach, bubbling lightly in the pit, but Mark put it down, knowing that the guilt he felt wasn't going to help their current situation.
"I'm proud of you for knowing it's an old paper," Donghyuck began, a small smile directed towards Mark as he knew how Mark's mind and feelings worked, and he knew a small smile and praise could make Mark feel even the slightest bit better, and it did do that towards Mark, it did cause Mark's lips to widen to a small that made him look like a silly fool as he jumped slightly from where he stood, excited to have made Donghyuck proud. "But it's much more than that."
Donghyuck carefully opened the folded piece of paper, revealing words scribbled in neat, beautiful cursive handwriting. The words were written with a gel ink pen, seeing as the ink was already fading and the fragile piece of paper seemed to have absorbed so much of it already. "Is that an address?" Mark asked, squinting in to see the words properly.
"Yes!" Donghyuck said gleefully, wrapping his arms around Mark's shoulder immediately, rewarding the older with a soft kiss on the cheek. "It's an address, and I found this piece of paper while I was looking through the box of old baby photos my mother showed me earlier."
"Wait, pause. Did you bring back-"
"No, I didn't bring back any baby photos. You'll have to actually come with me to my parents' if you want to see them." A small whine threatened to escape from Mark's lips, but he sealed his lips shut before it could be released, so instead a choking groan from his throat could be heard instead, eliciting a laugh from Donghyuck.
"I'm still not ready to face them after that last time, y'know." Mark said, his lips jutting out to form a slight pout, eyeing Donghyuck with his adorable eyes behind his gold-rimmed round glasses.
"I know." Donghyuck chuckled out in a short breath, leaning in to give Mark's nose a short peck. "They miss you."
"I miss them too, but maybe way later when I get the memory of them having come into your room while we were making out burned, deleted, buried, gone from my memory." Mark groaned out loud, leaning his head onto Donghyuck's shoulder as again, Donghyuck laughed at him.
Mark wasn't really sure why Donghyuck was laughing, but Mark wouldn't complain because Donghyuck had a beautiful laugh, and when it came out so calmly as if everything in the world was perfectly fine and they already have a stable life instead of struggling with college and themselves, Mark realized goosebumps would appear on his arms and the hair on his neck would stand. It was an effect only Donghyuck would be able to give him, always, without fail, and Mark loved it. Mark loved how all of these little things - the way his body reacted to Donghyuck automatically, the way his mind knew it was Donghyuck without even having to look at him - proved that indeed, he loved Donghyuck in so many ways, with so many reasons.
"Okay, back to the main topic, Mark Lee. This address, my mother told me actually had some things I hid from when I was a kid." Donghyuck said, now looking at the piece of paper with longing in his eyes. Mark thought that he was recalling past memories, memories which he missed and held dear to him.
"So, you want to look for these things?" Mark asked for confirmation, and Donghyuck looked towards him, smiling gently, and Mark knew he was going to be dragged around again.
"Only if you're up for it, love." Donghyuck said in a low, soothing voice, the voice Donghyuck would use when he held Mark in the middle of the night when Mark woke up from a nightmare, the voice Donghyuck used when he held Mark's hands the day he returned from a dance camp after a whole week, admitting that it was finally good to be back home even though they were still in front of their college's gates and not yet home itself.
"I always am, Donghyuck." Mark replied breathlessly, slightly mesmerized by the man in front of him.
Donghyuck's smile turned to a blinding one, a soft squeal emitting from him as he jumped up and down, grabbing his now empty bag off of the bed. "Great, then grab your car keys, money and pack a few pairs of fresh clothes because this will be quite a long journey."
Mark knew he had to finish his assignment before Monday came, and it was already Saturday night, but as Mark looked at Donghyuck excitedly pulling out two pairs of t-shirts and asking which flattered his skin more, Mark figured he could beg for some extra time later.
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"Can I lay by your side? Next to you, you. And make sure you're alright. I'll take care of you, you. 'Cause I don't want to be here if I can't be with you tonight." The lyrics of 'Lay Me Down' tumbled out of Donghyuck's lips absentmindedly as he remembered the video clip of his senior, Dongyoung, singing to that specific part of the song.
Donghyuck slumped down in the leather seat of Mark's KIA Picanto, sighing softly as he laid his head down on his own shoulder, eyes darting to his fingers which were interlaced with Mark's own. A soft smile made its way to Donghyuck's lips as he rubbed his thumb back and forth on Mark's knuckles, feeling a wave of security wash over him as he feels the skin of Mark's hand under his. It was a wonder for Donghyuck, how holding Mark's hand, feeling Mark's skin against his could make him feel as if his whole world was free of pain and hurt, free from worry and fear. Donghyuck's mind brings back the times when Donghyuck would feel entirely exhausted from the day, having been told off one too many times by his dancing coach about his freestyle techniques being too ambiguous instead of specifically specialized, and Mark wouldn't say anything except take his spot on their bed, sitting down as he let Donghyuck's nose nudge his hips, Donghyuck's fingers trace along his thighs. It was a pure gesture, how Donghyuck's hands would trail all over Mark's skin, how Donghyuck's fingers would sometimes dig themselves into the side of Mark's tummy. It was simply feeling Mark's skin, yet it made Donghyuck feel safe, because it made Mark feel so much more real. At that time, everything slowed down, intimacy overflowing Donghyuck's whole being. There were no sexual intentions beneath the fluttering kisses Donghyuck would leave across Mark's hips at the time. It was all simply, purely, just to feel like Mark was real, Mark was there, and Mark would never leave.
A relieved breath leaves Donghyuck's nose, his chest falling down slowly as he looked up to the screen of the navigator that was already installed in the car. "How much longer?" Donghyuck murmured, squeezing Mark's hand with his own.
There was a short pause while Mark spared a glance towards the navigator before replying. "About another hour until the next city. I'll find a budget hotel around there, so we could rest before continuing on tomorrow." Mark answered, bringing Donghyuck's hand up to his lips, tenderly kissing it.
"I'm sorry." Donghyuck whispered lowly, hoping both that Mark would hear and that Mark wouldn't hear his words as he fiddled with his hoodie's laces hanging from his neck.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, baby. I'm happy to just be with you, no matter what." Mark said gently towards the other, and the tone of his voice brought comfort to Donghyuck's tumbling heart.
Donghyuck smiled as he turned away, looking out the window to the beautiful city lights adorning the path and area around them. Currently, they were on a bridge, and Donghyuck could see the ocean that was stretched out in front of him. Donghyuck was full in his heart, perfectly well aware that he was blessed; so incredibly blessed to have been given a whole Mark Lee by God. Donghyuck sometimes felt an ache in his chest whenever he realized that he didn't deserve Mark, because Donghyuck kept messing up at times. Donghyuck repeated mistakes where he would allow his emotions to control him as he would slam his fist down onto the kitchen table, screaming in Mark's face about how terrible he felt, mistakes where he would hang out at night with his friends for far too long until Mark fell asleep in front of their door, waiting for Donghyuck to come back home. Donghyuck has done a lot of mistakes, but as Mark held him right now, Donghyuck simply thanked God for having given him Mark Lee.
Maybe Donghyuck didn't feel like he deserved Mark Lee, but maybe God knew he did, and Donghyuck promised to be a better person for him.
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Pressure was felt upon Donghyuck's face, a weight which tapped itself against his cheek, dragging itself off of his face in a rough motion. Donghyuck let out an irritated hum, snuggling even further into the comfortable seat he was in, flushing himself against it almost. A laugh was picked up by Donghyuck's ears, and he opens his eye lids carefully, hands coming up to shield his vision just in case there was light above. Instead, he was met with Mark looking down on him from above, a smile on his face as Donghyuck could feel Mark was taking his time with eyeing him. Donghyuck returned Mark's smile with his own, moving his hand from his eyes to cup Mark's cheeks, caressing it lightly.
"We've arrived to the hotel, and I've already gotten us a room. The bags are inside already, too." Mark said as he leaned into Donghyuck's touch, more than happy to have Donghyuck show him the small gesture of love.
"Thank you. Let's go." Donghyuck said, pulling away from Mark as he unbuckled his seat belt and leaving the car. Mark, too, reversed from where he was kneeling on his chair to Donghyuck to get out of the vehicle, closing the door in tune with Donghyuck.
After Mark locked the door to the car, he waited for Donghyuck to go over to him before he holds onto Donghyuck's hands, fingers weaving against one another to fit perfectly. They walk together inside the hotel's building, Mark taking the lead as he already knew where to go. They walk through the corridor, and Donghyuck noted that there was an open-spaced cafe there, a place he would like to eat breakfast at in the morning. When they arrived to the elevators, it was just about to open and an employee walked out of the elevator, greeting Mark and Donghyuck with a bright smile and greeting, wishing them well upon their stay. Mark and Donghyuck nodded and thanked them in acknowledgement, before entering the elevator and Mark pressed on the 8th floor.
It was quiet between them, and Donghyuck appreciated the tranquility he felt, the genuine serenity he felt in his heart in the calming moments of the nights with Mark. They often shared comfortable silences, where there was no awkwardness in the air as they both went along with their own routines, either skincare or to check on their work for tomorrow. Those were the times when it just felt comfortable, but at times like these, it felt like there was an actual peacefulness in Donghyuck where his body, mind and soul felt completely serene with Mark. It was a feeling only Mark could alight in him, and Donghyuck adored it.
Donghyuck's eyes roamed the vicinity of the elevator, checking out the posters which promoted the bar the hotel had on the 15th floor, the performers that would showcase their talents there, the breakfast, lunch and dinner promotions along with guides of what to do in the city for tourists. Donghyuck merely scanned them, not really reading everything properly, before the elevator dinged, and Donghyuck moved with Mark to their room.
Their room displayed the usual budget hotel's kind of room. It had a queen sized bed in the middle, a coffee table between the bed and the large window that had its curtains pulled over it and the bed, a desk in one corner, a small wardrobe, and a medium-sized bathroom. It was the ordinary hotel that they've seen so many times in different locations, therefore Donghyuck wasn't surprised to see their bags thrown carelessly in front of the wardrobe. He simply took off his shoes beside Mark's and fell flat on the bed. He indulged in the bed's softness and the clean sheets, rolling himself to one side as he grabbed the other pillow to use as a bolster, knowing that Mark didn't need the pillow anyways. Donghyuck's ears caught the sound of a light chuckle erupting from Mark, before sleep embraced him once again.
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Mark sat down on the bed carefully, wary of his sleeping lover's form as the bed dips on Mark's side. Once Mark was sure Donghyuck was out cold and would most probably not awaken until the next day, Mark lifted his legs up on the bed, peering at Donghyuck's figure. He was clad in his yellow hoodie and a pair of fitted white sweatpants while his feet was covered with socks that had a cartoon pandas all over them. Mark moved his vision to Donghyuck's face, and once again, he was left breathless as he admired Donghyuck's impeccable beauty.
The boy's lovely honey-tanned skin had always been Mark's favorite, and Mark loved it most when Donghyuck would show off his skin, holding his chin up high as he twirled around wearing warm colored clothes, saying they look best on him because his skin was made especially for them, when Donghyuck would use his snarky tongue against anyone who dared to shoot a put-off face towards Donghyuck with, "At least my skin in the morning looks beautiful and sun-kissed, unlike yours that looks like you just revived from the dead.". In fact, Mark knew he loved everything about Donghyuck, not just his skin.
Mark loved the way Donghyuck's eyes fluttered constantly in the mornings when they're in their usual cafe, consuming their daily caffeine to give them an energy boost after a long night of studying and cramming for the next day full of pop quizzes and tests. Mark loved how Donghyuck would engulf him in from the back with a hug, arms finding their war around Mark's hips as Donghyuck presses his body against Mark's, chin on Mark's shoulder as he peeked into Mark's calculations and graphs, asking questions about what they were for and which part explained what, because Donghyuck knew Mark loved talking about statistics and graphs, because Donghyuck wanted to listen to Mark talk about what he loved, even though Donghyuck couldn't understand much of it. Mark loved how Donghyuck would tuck Mark in bed when Donghyuck woke up first, pulling the sheets around Mark to make sure the older was fully covered with the sheets Donghyuck had stolen when they were sleeping. Mark loved it the most when Donghyuck would look at Mark as if Mark held the whole universe in his hands, and when Mark's hands were placed on Donghyuck's waist as the other boy played with his phone, Mark felt like yes, he did indeed have the whole universe in his hands.
Mark leaned in closer to Donghyuck, elbows near Donghyuck's pillow and head. Mark lifted his fingers to sweep Donghyuck's hair out of his forehead, before he closed the space between them and dropped a soft kiss on the exposed area.
"I love you." Mark whispered into Donghyuck's ear, placing another kiss just as soft as the previous one right below Donghyuck's earlobe before he pulled the sheets off of the bed and covered the both of them with it.
Mark placed an arm over Donghyuck's body, snuggling in Donghyuck's back, feeling completely content with where he currently was in life.
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Donghyuck was seated at the open-spaced cafe of the hotel while Mark went off to get food for the both of them. Donghyuck was wearing a dark green shirt tucked into his ripped black jeans, which had a leather belt holding it together by his waist. Meanwhile, Donghyuck's wrist had the Promise bracelet Mark had bought them for Donghyuck's birthday, a matching pair with Mark in which its beads held the meaning of promising to be with one another during both the happy and wonderful times and the saddest and most unfortunate times. Donghyuck vaguely realized that he hadn't really vocally promised anyone anything before, because he was constantly held back by the fear of not being able to fulfill the promises, and he would rather be honest than to provide false hopes. Yet the promise he had with Mark during that day, their pinkies tight with one another, Donghyuck had a feeling he would be able to pull through with it until the very end.
Mark appeared a moment later, carrying a plate full of tteokbokki and another plate full of jjajangmyeon. He placed the tteokbokki in front of Donghyuck, and the jjajangmyeon in front of the empty seat he would later occupy.
"Milk or coffee?" Mark asked, body ready to leave to get the drinks.
"Milk coffee." Donghyuck replied, and Mark nodded, heading away to the drink section.
Donghyuck's eyes spotted a table near him which presented the desserts the cafe had. There seemed to be plenty of beautifully decorated cakes, tarts, cupcakes, mousse cakes and the likes, but Donghyuck's eyes zoomed in on the fruits, more specifically, the watermelon. Donghyuck looked back towards Mark who was currently mixing the milk and coffee together and then towards the food in front of him. Donghyuck was confused as to why Mark didn't seem like he had any intentions to take the watermelon, but as he looked again to Mark and saw the older fumbling hastily with grabbing the cups, Donghyuck figured that Mark didn't want to waste time on taking watermelon since that time could be used instead to drive to their destination. It was a little weird of a thought, because it was only a few minutes gone, but that was how Mark's mind worked. When Mark came back to the table and settled himself down, Donghyuck excused himself for a while.
"What for?" Mark asked, chopsticks moving to coat the noodles in the black bean sauce while his eyes focused on Donghyuck.
"Nothing important." Donghyuck answered, before walking to the table in long strides. He took a saucer and filled in with watermelons before going back to their table.
It was only a flash of happiness in Mark's eyes and a little bit of an extra tug on the corners of his lips when his eyes catch the watermelons Donghyuck brought back to their table, yet it was enough for Donghyuck to feel full of pride for being able to make Mark happy. Donghyuck gathered his chopsticks then, before he's digging in to his tteokbokki for breakfast.
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Water was splashed onto Donghyuck's body, before Donghyuck finds himself completely immersed in the water. Donghyuck was surprised, yet the smile was evident and prominent on his features as he slapped Mark's back until the latter brought them out of the water, holding Donghyuck by his waist as Donghyuck circled his legs around Mark's waist. They were at the far edge of the pool of the water themed park that they saw while driving and they decided to take a detour and douse themselves with chlorine-filled water.
"Do you have a death wish?" Donghyuck asked, his tone light and the smile still bright on his lips.
Their foreheads were placed together as Donghyuck looked closely into Mark's eyes. He could feel their noses nudging against one another, and their lips merely millimeters apart as he could feel Mark's ragged breath against his face. Mark's eyes were beautiful. They were the same color as every other Korean's, yet they were so beautiful and unique with the emotions they often displayed. The soft edge to them now, the eyes full of love and happiness, content and wonder directed towards Donghyuck, painfully sweet that caused Donghyuck's heart to inflate with so much love.
"I love you." Mark said, closing the gap between them as he connected their lips together, molding into each other perfectly, locked together like the perfect key to the perfect lock.
"I love you more." Donghyuck replied once they parted, faces still close together.
In a heartbeat, Donghyuck was roughly pulled by Mark and slammed head-first into the water again. The pain from the collision was there, piercing and prickly against his ears and head, and Donghyuck knew water had gotten into his nose and traveled up to his head.
Donghyuck was definitely going to kick Mark in another deeper pool that they pass by later.
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They were on their way to grab some mozarella hot dogs when Donghyuck swiftly moved his legs to sweep Mark's off of the ground until Mark falls into the pool. Mark burst out of the water gasping for air, eyes blinking numerous times with his mouth hanging open as he looked up to Donghyuck, who had already fallen to the ground in a fit of laughter, body folded while his hands covered his face, his eyes shut closed while he was laughing. Mark loved the look on Donghyuck.
"You asked for it, just so you know." Donghyuck said after he finished laughing, pressing his palms to his eyes to get rid of the excess tears as Mark worked on getting himself out of the pool.
"I figured you were going to do something, but not when we were walking to get a snack." Mark huffed, and Donghyuck ruffled his wet hair.
"Let's just go. I'm hungry." Donghyuck said, and Mark pulled Donghyuck up to his feet to move along to get those mozarella hot dogs.
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Donghyuck was gently pushed against the glass mirror of the dressing room in H&M, the clothes he had taken to try on securely hanged on the hoops that were available. Mark's lips were on his again, and Mark's hands were caressing his waist, hands underneath his shirt. Mark's skin on his waist made him feel like the area he touched was the warmest part of his body, the most secured. The hands were gentle and kneaded his skin mindlessly, as if Mark was doing it simply because he wanted to touch that part of Donghyuck's skin, nothing more and nothing less.
Mark's lips left Donghyuck's lips to pepper kisses all over the younger's neck, mindful of his face as Mark knew Donghyuck had already worn foundation on it after their time at the pool. Mark's kisses were open-mouthed ones, lips closing against each other only at certain areas. Donghyuck laughed as he laid his arms comfortably on Mark's shoulders, letting the older caress his skin with his lips.
"You're so beautiful, Donghyuck." Mark whispered as his hands moved to the small of Donghyuck's back, pressing their bodies flush against one another.
"I know." Donghyuck grinned silly, feeling his chest bloom with warmth, happiness and undoubtedly love.
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They finally reach their destination around 9:27 P.M., finding that it was an antique store full of beautiful accessories and old-time goodies. There were vinyl records and turntables, old typewriters and sheets of yellowed paper, quill pens with ink stored in the tube. The store was home to so many original antiques that Donghyuck recognized in his parents' home from time to time, the ones he was familiar with and knew by heart when they were manufactured and for what.
They approached the man at the cashier after loitering around the store without a reason, Mark constantly asking if they could buy a few things since he knew Donghyuck loved antiques, but Donghyuck replied with a stern, "Next time. We've used up too much on this trip already." which Mark retorted with a, "I wasn't the one throwing my card at the cashier in Sephora.".
The man at the cashier greeted them happily, almost as if he was excited to see them. "Lee Donghyuck, right? I'm Lee Donghae, owner of this store. Oh God, you've grown up so well from the little kid who used to cry over his melted popsicle."
"Wait, what? You know me? Even the melted popsicle thing?" Donghyuck asked, surprised and shocked.
He didn't know Donghae, yet Donghae shrugged easily and nodded. "Of course I do, Donghyuck. You came here when you were 6, and you told me to keep something for you." Donghae replied, excusing himself for a second as he bent down, unlocking one of the drawers under the front desk and bringing up an old musical box. "Here. It's finally time you have it, and I'm glad you're getting it now instead of after you're married to someone else." Donghae said, eyeing Mark and giving him a smile which Mark returned in confusion.
"Donghae, you idiot! You're not suppose to store my face cream in the freezer!" A screech was heard from a level above as stomps were heard coming down the stairs which connected the antique store to the level above.
"Oh, yikes. Whoops?" Donghae said unsure, sheepishly grinning to Hyukjae who was standing by the entrance to the stairs with his hands on his hips.
"Screw your 'whoops', Donghae." Hyukjae said, his frown deep. However, the frown quickly changed once he sees the musical box out, eyes darting to Donghyuck and Mark. "Oh, you must be Donghyuck! Finally, you're here. Donghae's been talking non-stop about you for the past five years and I am honestly sick of it even though it was adorable at first. God bless, now he can finally give more attention to me instead."
Donghae laughed at his lover's actions and words, shaking his head before he was shoo-ing Hyukjae away. "Sorry about him, but here. Have that. Have fun." Donghae said to the two, before nudging his head towards the door to urge them to open the musical box in their own personal private space.
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In the car, in the parking lot in front of McDonald's, they open the musical box. It chimed beautifully, the piece Donghyuck recognized as a Chopin, one of his all-time favorite piano pieces when he was younger. In the box, it contained a few seashells, and a letter along with a films of a handful of pictures, most probably taken by a camera of Donghyuck's grandfather.
"Oh, open up the letter first." Mark said, eyeing Donghyuck carefully as Donghyuck took out a letter carefully, fingers trembling as he opened the worn out letter.
"Dear older and future me, hello! I'm guessing when you're opening this, it's your college year. How's college? Is it nice? Did you get the course you want? Is people still treating you nicely? Mama told me that the world could be cruel to adults, but it's okay, older Donghyuck! You can do it! If you opened this letter now, that means you've met Mark Lee, right? I met Mark Lee at the beach earlier today. He was really nice, and he played volleyball with me even though he was really bad at it! He kicked the ball to his face twice. I had to even tell him you weren't even suppose to kick the ball, but it was funny when he was being weird. Y'know, older Donghyuck, I really hope you open this at 18, because I really hope you meet Mark Lee again. He said he was going to Canada, but he said he'll come back in a few years. He didn't promise anything, but I have a feeling you would meet again. You have to, older Donghyuck. I don't know why, but I just have a feeling you would, and you need to. I think you'd need him. A lot. Take good care of each other, please. If you open this letter after you're married to someone who isn't Mark, then that's sad, but I hope you have grown to become someone you're proud of, someone you're happy and satisfied with. I love you, me. I will always love you." Donghyuck reads, words coming out shakily as he continued reading each sentence, and before he could stop the tears from falling, they were already raining on the piece of paper.
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The ride home was silent, safe for the hushed whispers of the two as they looked at the photos in the musical box which showed the both of them, younger, smaller, together. They arrived home around 5 A.M.. They both didn't have morning classes, so they spent their time on their bed, holding each other. Donghyuck was on Mark's lap, and Mark's arms were wrapped around Donghyuck's waist securely. Donghyuck felt safe, so incredibly safe in Mark's hold. Their lips together felt perfect, as if they knew that they were made for each other, and Donghyuck couldn't stop the tears from falling, pulling away slightly to wipe his tears away, yet Mark's fingers came up first, wiping them away for Donghyuck.
"I can't believe it, Mark. This is so surreal. We met each other at the beach when I was 6, and even at that age, I already knew I would need you in the future? And we even actually did meet each other again, Mark. We met each other again." Donghyuck said, looking up towards Mark with the tears still falling, his vision still blurry, his voice cracking uncontrollably.
"I guess this is how you just know, Donghyuck. How you just know who you're meant to be with." Mark said, as he cupped Donghyuck's face, bringing it closer for him to press kisses on his eyelids.
Donghyuck started crying even harder, everything hitting him at once, so he talked. He talked to Mark about how he's been feeling lately, about how it felt like the whole world was against him, how everyone around him was hurting him, both consciously and unconsciously. Donghyuck told Mark how terrible he's been feeling, how he constantly felt like he wasn't good enough. When Mark wasn't there and Donghyuck was sad, Donghyuck couldn't think of Mark, because the thoughts of Mark without Mark actually being there were terrifying. They spoke harshly about how Donghyuck never deserved Mark, about how Donghyuck didn't deserve those smiles and kind words. Donghyuck felt like he didn't deserve to hear Mark's beautiful laughter echoing against the walls, Donghyuck didn't deserve the man who waited every night for Donghyuck to return home. Donghyuck didn't deserve the one who he always woke up to, snuggled against him.
Donghyuck told Mark how he felt safest when Mark was around, how it was okay if no one else wanted Donghyuck, but Mark genuinely and sincerely wanted to hold Donghyuck close, to have Donghyuck with him, because only Mark could fill the gaps in Donghyuck's heart with love and affection, only Mark could aid Donghyuck in throwing away all of the negativity he's had. It's only with Mark that Donghyuck felt truly at home.
The four walls they were enclosed in currently was home only when it contained Mark, only when Mark was there with him. Mark made anywhere feel like home. Donghyuck told Mark about how it's when Mark kisses his forehead and the junction between his shoulder and neck that Donghyuck felt ticklish and full of love, how when Mark kissed his lips, everything felt perfect. Donghyuck told Mark how Mark anchored him to the ground, ensuring he would never end up torturing himself terribly. It was how Mark whispered loving words to Donghyuck every night without fail which kept Donghyuck alive the next day, which kept the burning flame in Donghyuck lit no matter how harsh the world may be.
Mark told Donghyuck how much he loved holding Donghyuck, how he felt so incredible with the boy in his arms so perfect and snug. Mark told Donghyuck that he's never met anyone who could make him fall in love all over again during any times of the day, during any moment of the year. It was in the way Donghyuck moved towards Mark, the little body languages of silent hand brushing and the way his knees would be positioned towards Mark.
Mark needed Donghyuck as much as Donghyuck needed Mark, too. Donghyuck felt like Mark's safe space, Mark's only sanctuary, away from everything and everyone when he was tired of dealing with too many people. Donghyuck kept Mark sane, ensuring Mark would always remember who he was and who he wanted to be, making sure Mark would never lose sight of his goal.
"I love you, Lee Donghyuck. I always have, and I always will." Mark said breathlessly.
"I love you always, Mark Lee. From now, until forever." Donghyuck replied as they hugged each other close, crying into the other's shoulder, hands tightly gripping on each other's backs.
"Only yours." They whispered together, an oath, a promise, forever, always.
Eventually, you'll end up where you need to be, with who you're meant to be with, and you'll just know that it's forever.