Chapter Text
Mark remembers the day that Taeyong and Jaehyun had told the group they were dating. It was both unexpected and completely unsurprising; everyone had assumed that they were straight, but their obvious closeness in recent months had raised a few eyebrows. They'd started sharing clothes more frequently (more like Taeyong was just stealing more of Jaehyun's hoodies) and it was a regular occurrence to find them huddled together, even in summer. Just the other day, Doyoung had walked into the kitchen only to see Jaehyun, with his arms wrapped around Taeyong in a not-so-friendly embrace.
Mark had also witnessed a few of these moments. One, in particular, had caused his head (and heart) to reel. They were on their way back from a busy day of schedules and Mark was exhausted from his non-stop work. Everyone was yawning and hunched over, wanting nothing more than to return to their respective dorms and sleep. In their tired haze, most did not notice the pair that was cuddling on the front seats. Jaehyun had his head resting on Taeyong's shoulder and the latter's hand was carding through his hair. Whispers were passed between them, broken only by the occasional giggle. Mark felt his heart wrench at the blatant love between them and then drop completely when Taeyong planted a kiss on Jaehyun's cheek. Even more surprising, though, was that Jaehyun reacted with only a love-filled gaze and a kiss on the top of Taeyong's head. The pair then returned to their previous position, not noticing the wide-eyed stare from their fully-capable dongsaeng.
Later that night, Mark had thought over his body's strange reaction to the sight of the couple. He put it down to the surprise of seeing the two being so close, but that didn't quite sit well with his brain - why would he feel so upset at their closeness? He was happy that they were happy, sure, but he could not squander the longing he felt for attention from the two. A burst of anger shot through him; how could he be so selfish? They had their own burdens to carry, stop being an attention seeker, he'd scolded.
The couple had called everyone into the living room. Curious, everyone sat down, and regarded the pair with growing suspicion. Taeyong looked uncharacteristically nervous and Jaehyun had an arm curled around his waist reassuringly. The group had waited in silence for a moment or two before Taeyong cleared his throat, gathering their attention. He shifted on his feet anxiously and Jaehyun hid his own nerves behind a faint smile. Taeyong opened his mouth, then hesitated, thinking about how best to share the secret.
"Jaehyun and I... we're dating."
There had been many questions at first - from the dreamies, most revolved around whether Jaehyun was going to replace Jisung as the favourite (which Taeyong vehemently denied). The questions from the older members had been more... mature, causing both boys to blush and shuffle in their seats. Despite their awkwardness at the questions, the couple undoubtedly looked happy that the weight had been lifted from their shoulders and they could freely show their affection for each other within the safety of their dorms. Mark, however, said nothing, trying his best to ignore the weight in the pit of his stomach. He attempted to smile when Taeyong caught his eye, to show that he accepted them, but as soon as the crowd dispersed, he wandered to find solace in the comfort of his room. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Jaehyun's face fall as he left, but dismissed it immediately.
Once in private, he allowed his body to go slack, crawling under the covers of his bed and sighing. Why he wasn't he happy? They'd found comfort in one another, and he was miserable. So what if Taeyong's alluring eyes would be constantly directed towards Jaehyun's equally handsome face? So what if neither would have time to hang out with him any more, what with their newfound openness? He found himself wanting to cry the more he thought about their leader's perfect features and kind personality and his hyung's encouraging words and dimpled smiles. His heart beat rapidly and his cheeks warmed when he recalled a night a few weeks ago when the three of them had gone out to grab food for the others. Somehow, he and Taeyong had ended up being chased around the park by Jaehyun. When they'd eventually come to a stop, Mark had leaned over, catching his breath. He'd straightened back up and witnessed two affectionate gazes directed towards him, of all people.
Then Taeyong had shoved Jaehyun, complaining that they'd ruined their already exhausted dongsaeng and the latter had caught his wrists in his large hands, chuckling loudly. He'd tugged Taeyong into a hug, smothering him with love and affection. They'd seemingly forgotten about Mark's existence until he'd reminded them that they needed to return to the dorms before one of them caught a cold in the chilly night air.
In retrospect, Mark wondered how he'd ever managed to call their relationship platonic.
He sighed again, annoyed at how he was acting like Jisung when he had a crush. He pondered that train of thought for several moments, before being interrupted by Donghyuck. His dongsaeng yanked the covers back from his head and cackled when Mark groaned.
"Why are you so moody?" Donghyuck demanded.
"I don't know," Mark whined, not worrying about sounding like a petulant child in front of his best friend.
Donghyuck chuckled. "Do you have a crush on one of them or something?"
Mark froze - he hadn't seriously considered that possibility before.
"What? I - of course not! Why would you think that?"
Donghyuck examined him, then shrugged. "Could've fooled me."
"I - no. I think - I don't know, Hyuck. I have no idea."
His friend's face softened, before murmuring in an equally soft voice, "It's okay to not know. You have all the time in the world to find out. Don't force an answer, but don't smother it either. Just let yourself feel."
He rubbed Mark's back once, before rising. Mark's hand reached out to stop him and he grasped the hem of Donghyuck's shirt.
"Stay," he pleaded. Donghyuck nodded, settling down with Mark, humming a random song under his breath. They cuddled close to each other, the younger's hands finding their way to his hyung's hair. Mark could feel tendrils of sleep wrapping around him, pulling him under, and in a thick voice, he whispered into the silence.
"Thank you, Donghyuck."
Donghyuck glanced down at him fondly, admiring his sleeping face. He sighed. He knew what his best friend had yet to find out; Mark was indeed in love with not one, but two people - the new couple.