Chapter Text
Two years ago
It all started one rainy day, in Donghyuck’s freshman year of college. The worst day of Donghyuck’s life, if you asked him. He was late for class, textbook in one hand, coffee in the other, no umbrella and running through his campus like a crazy person. Until he wasn't. Next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground. He peeled himself off the pavement ignoring the outstretched hand of the idiot who apparently knocked him down.
“Would you watch where you’re going?!” Donghyuck yelled at the guy, checking his own outfit only to find that he spilled his coffee all over himself. He was so drenched from the rain, he didn't even feel it. Great, not only was he completely wet, he now also had a giant stain on his white hoodie. This guy was so dead.
“Hey, you were the one who ran into me. You don’t have to be so rude,” the guy mumbled, still sounding like he was a little sorry.
Donghyuck finally looked at him for the first time. And okay, maybe the guy was actually very cute with his round glasses and handsome features, but no, Donghyuck wasn't going to let anyone speak to him this way. Even if he was the cutest guy Donghyuck had seen in a while, and looked exactly like he was his type and had this adorable, confused expression on his... No, point is, he wasn't going to.
“Excuse me? You’re not even going to say sorry?”
Donghyuck knew he was overreacting, but he was in a bitchy mood, and besides, petty was his middle name, so why not?
The guy raised his ridiculous eyebrow at him, and okay, maybe Donghyuck got ahead of himself thinking how handsome the guy was. Seriously, those were some horrible eyebrows.
“I’m not. Since it wasn’t my fault.”
Donghyuck didn’t even know what had gotten into him to act the way he did, but somehow this guy, whom he just saw for the first time, brought out the worst in him. So naturally, he lifted his half empty cup off the ground, and spilled the rest of the liquid on the guy’s shirt. The other guy just looked at him, clearly shocked by his behavior.
“Okay then. I guess I’ll be going now,” Donghyuck said calmly and started walking away. He had to admit he did feel a little better after that. Then, he remembered why he was running in the first place, and went back into his shitty mood, praying his professor won't kick him out of the class once again. For the second time this week... Fine, the fifth time this week.
And that wasn’t the worst thing that happened to Donghyuck on that day, oh no. About a few hours of suffering in boring lectures and walking around wet and stained later, Donghyuck heard the worst news of his life. Okay, maybe that’s a little overdramatic, but in that moment, it sure felt like that for Donghyuck.
“You’re giving it to someone else? But why? I thought you liked my song. I thought my voice inspired you to become a better singer, or something," Donghyuck whined to his favorite professor, tears already forming in his eyes.
“Never said that, but whatever,” professor Moon mumbled, before continuing: “This boy who's gonna preform instead of you is amazing, though. You’re gonna love the song, trust me. I even think you could learn a lot from him.”
Moon Taeil just stood there smiling at him, with his usual annoying little smile, and Donghyuck thought how he probably never hated anyone more than he hated his professor in that moment. So it was probably a good thing they were interrupted by a knock on the door, or Donghyuck would have probably said some things he would later regret.
However, that proved to be wrong, when a familiar figure entered his professor’s office. Donghyuck thought it might as well be a joke.
“What a coincidence, we were just talking about you,” Mr. Moon said to the student, with a giant smile on his annoying face. “Come in, come in.”
The cute idiot from that morning stepped further into the office. The smile fell from his face when he saw Donghyuck. And then a slight smirk took its place. The guy looked even better than he did this morning, having changed and even styled his hair apparently. Donghyuck probably looked exactly how he felt - just plain awful.
“This is the guy I was telling you about. He's in a year above you,” His professor was now grinning at them. “Come on, don’t be shy, introduce yourselves.”
And that’s how Mr. Moon officially lost his title as Donghyuck’s favorite professor.
„Mark. Mark Lee,“ The guy said, looking smug as he extended his hand for Donghyuck to shake.
Donghyuck wordlessly shook his hand and then excused himself from the office. He couldn’t imagine being in the same room as that asshole for a minute longer. Luck was, once again, not on his side. Because in the next moment, that same asshole came to him running.
“Hey, I’m sorry for taking your opportunity. I heard your song. It clearly isn’t as half as good as mine, but it’s not absolute trash. Maybe you do end up performing someday,” Mark said, looking at Donghyuck with a small smile. He probably meant it as a joke. Then, he must have noticed the angry look on Donghyuck’s face and realized that he shouldn’t have said that, judging by the regret that started forming in his eyes, but it was too late.
That day, Donghyuck swore on his baby brother’s happiness, that he would do anything to bring Mark Lee down.
~~
So, maybe that little story would help you understand a little better why Donghyuck was screaming uncontrollably. At eight o’clock in the morning. In the middle of the library. Donghyuck certainly thought it was justified. The people around him? Not so much.
“How could you do this? Even from you I wouldn’t expect something this stupid!”
Mark at least had a courtesy to look a little ashamed. Not that Donghyuck noticed. Not that he would have cared if he did.
“Fucking idiot! Do you understand that this could actually mess with my career? Huh? Have you thought about that?” He just kept going. At this point, Donghyuck didn’t even think he could stop. Unfortunately, the guy he was yelling at was just as ridiculous as him, so he took over.
“Oh, and how is this any different from last week? When you published my diary from middle school? Remember that?” Mark asked with venom in his voice, but if you looked close enough, you could see the amusement in his eyes.
“How can you even compare those two? That was funny as hell, and this is just awful. God I can’t believe this.” Donghyuck just continued where he left of, not paying the small crowd that gathered around them any mind. He would have probably started hitting the boy in front of him at some point, if Mark’s annoying friend didn't step in.
“Okay, okay. We’re all adults here, you can kill each other, but just do it in private,” Jaehyun said, pushing them both out of the library. Donghyuck was just ready to snap at him too, when two hands hugged him from behind and started dragging him somewhere. Oh, someone is definitely going to die today.
“Before you say or do anything, it’s me.” Donghyuck immediately relaxed upon hearing his baby brother’s voice. The little devil knew very well that he had a soft spot for him.
“Chenle, why are you…” he started, only to be interrupted by an obnoxiously loud Mark Lee from somewhere beside him. So, he was being dragged as well. Donghyuck didn’t like this at all.
“Let me go! Jaehyun, I swear to god! If you don’t release me this second I’ll show Taeyong that video of your English oral exam.” All the hate was back in Donghyuck’s body upon hearing his annoying voice. “I just want some milk! Oh Nara, happy birthday!” He was screaming in English mockingly, and Donghyuck confirmed for the billionth time in his life, that Mark Lee is the most obnoxious person ever.
“Joke’s on you. He’s seen it, and he thinks it’s adorable,” Jaehyun answered proudly.
Donghyuck tuned out after that. He really didn’t want to picture his older brother in such a humiliating situation. He got to his senses just in time to see Chenle’s boyfriend opening the doors from what looked to be a janitor’s closet (when did Jisung even get there?). Donghyuck gasped, finally understanding what was happening.
“You wouldn’t!”
The last thing he saw after he was thrown in the closet together with Mark, was his brother’s apologetic face and Jaehyun’s smiling one.
“I’m sorry. I know you’ll forgive me, though. You love me too much,” Chenle said, closing the door. Donghyuck tried to hate him but he knew deep down he was right. He has already forgiven him.
“You’re not getting out until you work everything out," Jaehyun added. “Enjoy.”
They heard the door locking and turned to look at each other. At this point, Donghyuck was just tired. The fact that yet another opportunity was ruined by Mark Lee slowly sunk in, and he was now more sad than anything else. And the worst part was, he couldn’t even be that mad at him, it was his own fault as well, for bringing their bickering to this point.
He sat on the floor and put his chin on his knees, deciding to just wait until the idiots got bored and let them out. And then go to his room and cry. He felt Mark fidgeting next to him. He just hoped he wouldn’t start talking to him or something, since he really wasn’t in the mood for Mark’s shit.
“Please don’t. I really can’t-“ Donghyuck started, not wanting to take any chances.
“I didn’t really do it, Hyuck,” Mark interrupted him, looking at him softly. And even though Mark just said that he did not, in fact, send an embarrassing video of a twelve year old Donghyuck singing Britney Spears to the publishing house that was interested in him, Donghyuck’s first reaction was to start panicking because of the soft tone in Mark’s voice. He didn’t like where this was going. “I was just joking. So please don’t look that sad.”
~~
Three months ago
“Please don’t look that sad.” Taeyong was kneeling in front of Donghyuck where he was seated on the couch. “Jaehyun went to the store five minutes ago, so he should be back soon with more ice cream, ok?”
“Yeah, I guess that’s fine,” Donghyuck answered, even managing a small smile. The night wasn’t all that bad after all. Sure, he was devastated once he heard that Mark Lee wasn’t gonna show up to Jaehyun’s party, since he had spent the whole week thinking of ways to humiliate him. Everyone knew that Mark had a low alcohol tolerance, and Donghyuck was dying to take advantage of that. So naturally, he was more than sad when Jeno told him that Mark was sick, and that he wouldn’t come. And then he found out that there was no ice cream left. Oh, that was certainly the final drop for him. But now, that problem was sorted, so things were looking a little better.
“And please slow down with the alcohol,” his brother added while getting up and slowly walking away.
Donghyuck didn’t even have time to answer him before he was gone. Why would Taeyong even say that? Donghyuck wasn’t drunk at all. He only had maybe three, oh no, there were a few at the beggining, fine six, oh, and the ones he took with Yerim an hour ago… Whatever, so maybe he didn’t know the exact number of the shots he took, but it wasn’t that many for sure. He was snapped out of his thoughts by a happy looking Jaemin, who was walking towards him with two shot glasses in his hands. Oh, alcohol!
“Hyuckie, my man! Drink with me!”
Donghyuck eagerly nodded and reached for the glass in Jaemin’s hand.
“I knew I could count on you,” Jaemin said, looking at Donghyuck with something akin to pride in his eyes.
“Always, my bro,” Donghyuck answered, suddenly feeling too emotional. He was so lucky to have a great friend like Jaemin around him. He always knew what Donghyuck needed. After he took his shot, he decided to stop thinking about Mark, and try to enjoy the party. He’ll just prank him some other time, no big deal.
“Do you think Mark is really sick or do you think he just said that because he suspected something?” Donghyuck asked his best friend.
Jaemin looked at him disapprovingly.
“If I hear another word about Mark, I’ll kill you! Do you realize he’s all you’ve been talking about this whole night? Oh right, him and ice cream.”
“Right, I think it’s the second one. He was fine the last time I saw him, his face looked very fresh, and he was wearing this obnoxious shirt, but it didn’t look that bad on him, and…”
Jaemin stopped him by taking the collar of Donghyuck’s shirt in his hand and looking at him with his deadly stare. He looked annoyed for some reason. Donghyuck wondered what that was all about.
Luckily, this weird moment was soon interrupted by Renjun and Jeno, the latter immediately clinging to Jaemin like he hasn’t seen his boyfriend in a year. Donghyuck turned to Renjun, he didn’t trust his gag reflex enough to watch Jeno and Jaemin make out. Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. If they don’t come to you, you go to them. He’s sure there’s a saying that goes something like that. Or maybe there isn’t, and he’ll be the one to invent it. Oh, this was huge, he just needed to write it down somewhere….
“Donghyuck? Are you even listening to me?” Renjun’s calm voice interrupted his thought process. What was he thinking about again? Right, the idea.
“Renjun, you know I love you a lot, right? Don’t say this to Nomin, but you were always my favorite one.” He started, looking at Renjun in (what he thought was) a cute way.
“What do you want Donghyuck?” His friend asked sounding bored. Rude.
“Okay, so I have a brilliant idea. Let’s go to Mark’s dorm and break his windows or something, so that he gets really cold, and like gets more sick, and…”
“I’m gonna stop you right there, Hyuck. I’m not even gonna comment on your plan, cause it just makes no sense. The main concern here is that you don’t realize you’re obsessed with Mark. Seriously, you’re at a party. Have fun, dance, but don’t drink, no, you’ve had enough of that.”
Donghyuck gasped, clearly offended by Renjun’s, obviously untrue, words.
“How could you say that? I did not have enough of that.”
Renjun just sighed, looking at Donghyuck pitifully.
“You’re not even denying it.”
At that moment, a pretty girl came from behind Renjun and put her arms around his neck. She leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He chuckled lightly and nodded at her.
“Well, gotta go, duty calls,” Renjun said while getting up. He smiled to the girl, putting his arm around her and they started walking away.
Donghyuck just rolled his eyes. Typical Renjun. But he guessed his friend was right. He should go drink some more.
“I’m gonna go get a drink. You guys want anything?” he started, only to take one look at his two friends and regret it immediately. “And of course your hand is in his pants.”
Once he got up, he discovered standing wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Maybe getting some fresh air was a better idea than a drink. Stupid Renjun and his ideas. He opened the front door, only to have two figures almost run into him. And those two figures were none other than Jung Jaehyun and Mark Lee. Guess this night truly was getting better and better.
“Hey, Hyuck. You weren’t just leaving right? I brought you your ice cream,” Jaehyun excitedly said and Donghyuck just noticed the big bag in his hand. Screw that, this night was gonna be perfect.
Donghyuck immediately snatched the bag out of Jaehyun’s hand and hugged him tightly when they got inside.
“Thank you Jaehyun, I love you,” he whispered in his ear.
“Wow, someone’s drunk,” Jaehyun exclaimed once Donghyuck let him go, wearing his biggest, dimpliest smile. Why does everyone seem to think that? People were weird.
Donghyuck then heard Mark clear his throat from somewhere behind him. He turned to look at him. Ha, Donghyuck was right after all, Mark looked too good to be sick. Or just too good in general, but that’s not important. What was important? Wow, Mark looked good tonight.
“Donghyuck,” he started, looking like his typical awkward self. “Can we make a truce just for tonight? I’m really exhausted and my head hurts, so please, let’s not fight.”
Mark looked very vulnerable and honest, and Donghyuck almost felt a little bad for continuing with his plan. Key word being almost. The situation was just too good not to take advantage of.
“Markie! I was just thinking the same thing,” he said, smiling brightly at Mark. Okay, maybe too brightly, since Mark looked a little skeptic. He had to be a little more convincing. “I didn’t plan anything, I swear. Want to grab a drink with me?”
Nailed it.
“Alright, why not? A truce drink.” Mark was smiling cutely at him, and Donghyuck had to look away. God, that guy was annoying. Mark spoke again. “Jaehyun, you coming?”
“Uhm, you guys go ahead. I think I heard Taeyong explaining the meaning of whiplash to someone, and I just gotta stop that,” Jaehyun said with a worried expression on his face. Then, he turned to Mark and smirked a little. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Actually, don’t do anything I would do. You get the point.”
He winked at them, and walked away. Donghyuck was glad, he was finally getting what he wanted. Mark Lee. Well, that sounded wrong. Mark turned to him and smiled widely.
“Okay, shall we go buddy?”
“You’re pushing it.”
“Right.”
It’s been an hour, and Mark was currently laughing so hard at something Donghyuck was saying, that his drink started coming through his nose. It should be disgusting, no, it was disgusting, but Donghyuck somehow found it endearing.
It’s been an hour, and somewhere along the way, Donghyuck’s plan got lost. Slowly, but surely. He did, in fact, manage to come through with his plan. The problem was, he now didn’t even remember it. Mark really was drunk, and he really was embarrassing himself, only, so was Donghyuck.
“Okay, now me. Truth!” Mark said, looking as excited as a kid playing his favorite game.
The two of them were sitting on the grass, in the backyard of Jaehyun's dorm, too engrossed in their conversation to notice how everyone went back inside, and they were currently alone in the large backyard.
Donghyuck started thinking. This was the perfect moment to find out some of Marks deepest secrets, and then use them against him, or something. But somehow, that just seemed a little too exhausting now.
“Okay, how old were you when you had your first kiss?“ What, it was the first thing that came to his mind.
“Oh wow. You're really going there? “ Mark started laughing uncontrollably. “It's like you knew. That was actually the most embarrassing moment of my life, but what the hell. It's a funny story.“
“It happened when I was fifteen, I was in this school play and, oh god, this is so embarrassing.”
“Come on Mark, just say it! Now I'm curious.“
“Fine, fine. This girl and I were supposed to kiss at the end of this school play, and I was a little nervous, since it was my first kiss and all. And it was gonna happen in front all of the school, and their parents.”
“Oh I already see this is gonna be good. “
“Shut up. So the moment came, and I, being my awkward self, closed my eyes first, and then went for the kiss. So I missed. Since she was taller then me, I ended up kissing her chin.”
There was a second of silence and then Donghyuck bursted into laughter, Mark joining him eventually.
“Oh my god, somehow, that makes so much sense. The fact that that was your first kiss.” He still couldn't stop laughing.
“The worst part was, she started laughing, so everyone joined her, and instead of going with it, I panicked and ran away from the stage. “ Mark barely managed through his laughter.
“This is so not going according to my plan.” Donghuck laughed. Oh, fuck. “No, I meant…”
“Hyuck, I knew you were planning something. You were very obvious,” Mark said, laughing at him.
Donghyuck pouted. He wasn’t that obvious.
“Then why did you agree to drink with me?” he asked cheekily. Mark probably didn’t have an answer to that.
“You were so drunk, I knew you were harmless.”
That makes sense, but…
“That doesn’t answer my question, though. Plus, I’m never harmless.”
Mark sighed, looking at the ground. He actually looked shy, and if it wasn’t the cutest thing Donghyuck’s ever seen…
“I kinda wanted to hang out with you. I think you’re really funny and actually pretty cool when you’re not making my life a living hell.” He looked at him through his lashes and smiled a little.
Something twitched in Donghyuck’s chest. He looked away.
“I guess you’re not so bad yourself,” Donghyuck mumbled awkwardly. And he wasn’t lying, Mark really wasn’t that bad once you got to know him. Not that he would ever say that when he was sober, of course.
Mark looked like he wanted to say something else, but at the end, he just lied down on the grass, looking at the sky. Donghyuck lied down besides him. They just stayed like that in scilence for a few minutes, and Donghyuck was surprised how calm and comfortable he felt. It was like Mark's presence relaxed him somehow. Which was more than ironic.
“Donghyuck...” Mark started. His voice sounded a little unsure, so Donghyuck turned to look at him. He realized Mark’s face was actually very close to his. When did that even happen? Donghyuck’s eyes went to Mark’s, only to find that Mark’s eyes were on his lips. Donghyuck’s mind went blank. Mark flicked his eyes to meet Donghyuck’s, as if asking for permission. He only nodded dumbly, and then Mark started leaning towards him. Donghyuck closed his eyes.
~~
“Donghyuck? You’re scaring me. Say something. It was a joke, please don’t kill me.” Mark was now straight up panicking.
“Okay.” Was the only thing Donghyuck thought of.
“Do we really have to keep doing this?” Mark asked after a few minutes of scilence. Donghyuck saw it coming. That didn’t mean he knew what to say, though. “I meant what I said that night, and I know you did too.”
“What night?” Donghyuck asked. He knew he was being annoying, but he couldn’t help it. Old habits die hard.
Mark just ignored him and continued talking. Donghyuck pouted. “What I want to say is, I want this to end. We’re both being ridiculous and we know it.” He looked at Donghyuck expectedly. “And I’d like to continue where we left of that night.”
Donghyuck had to look away from the intensity of his stare. Deep down, he was probably aware that he wanted the same as Mark, but emotions were just so complicated. And he was supposed to hate Mark, for fucks sake. So he just wasn’t ready to deal with all of this. Hence, this disaster.
“I was the one who flooded your apartment that time, not Jaehyun!” The words just left his mouth. At that moment, a shocked Jaehyun opened the door, and Donghyuck took that opportunity to run away.
“You did what?” He heard Jaehyun’s voice from behind at the same time as Mark yelled:
“Donghyuck, you can’t run away from this forever!”