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Donghyuck was staring at him again.
Mark twitched when he noticed, fingers clenching and unclenching around his phone, and he felt his ears grow hot with something close to embarrassment. The feeling of Donghyuck’s eyes on him was like two bright burning coals being pressed into his skin and he pressed his lips tightly together to keep from snapping at him. Donghyuck had been doing this a lot recently – looking at Mark when he thought he wasn’t paying attention with this strange, considering look in his eyes that Mark couldn’t make heads nor tails of – and it was starting to make him antsy, make him feel on edge.
He snuck a surreptitious look at Donghyuck from where he was sitting at the kitchen’s breakfast bar, feet kicking absently against his stool’s foot rung. Donghyuck was leant up against the counter by the sink, hands wrapped tightly around a mug of steaming tea, and he was peering at Mark from over the rim of it. His eyes were bright, attentive, and there was something curious tucked into the curve of his mouth. When he caught Mark’s eye, his eyebrows rose and then he smiled, so slowly and sweetly as syrup, all his even white teeth on show. Mark felt a prickle of something… something weird trickle down his spine, a million tiny embers crackling under his skin.
“Hi,” Donghyuck greeted, so casually, as if he hadn’t just been caught watching Mark text his mum about what he’d eaten for lunch. “You look glum.”
“Glum?” Mark pulled a face at him. “No I don’t. I look annoyed; why are you staring at me so much?”
Donghyuck laughed. “Me?” He asked, holding a hand to his chest as if affronted. “Well –“ He paused, smiled even wider. His eyes were curled into two impish crescents. “I suppose I was just enjoying the view.”
Mark stared at him. The heat of his ears crawled over his cheekbones and the bridge of his nose. He felt sunburnt in the middle of winter. “Is there something wrong with you?” He inquired. “Like, just wondering, ‘cause that made me feel genuinely sick.”
Donghyuck rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. He came across the kitchen and slid onto the stool next to Mark. He put his mug down, ceramic clinking quietly against the bar top, and folded his hands neatly in his lap, blinked wide eyes up at Mark in a facsimile of innocence. “I know a home remedy to make you feel better if you’re feeling poorly,” He said. “Do you wanna know what it is?” He was leaning in real close, their arms pressed together. Mark could feel the warmth of him through both of their hoodies as if Donghyuck was somehow burning bright as the sun. Mark squirmed away from him. His heart was beating weirdly fast in his chest like a panicky little bird being eyed up by a cat.
“Not a chance,” He said, pushing at Donghyuck’s arm until there was a good ten centimetres between them. Donghyuck was still fucking grinning. “I don’t trust you in the slightest. You’re probably gonna try to convince me to eat raw eggs or something. I’m not that stupid.”
“Not that stupid,” Donghyuck agreed. “But still pretty thick. Anyway,” He pushed closer again, curled one hand around Mark’s bicep. “This really will help, I promise. You’ll feel so much better afterwards. Not angry or glum or confused.” He eyes were bright, bright, bright and so eager – this was the face of a Donghyuck ready to cause chaos.
Mark frowned hard for a moment, pursed his lips. “Fine,” He said eventually, experience telling him it was better to get this over and done with. “Tell me and then I’ll decide.”
Donghyuck beamed; if Mark had thought he’d been grinning before it had nothing on this. It was like Donghyuck had been lit up from the inside, glowing, glowing, glowing with the curlicues of a crackling fire, spitting fireworks from his fingers. “I think I’d really better just show you,” He said keenly and promptly kissed Mark on the mouth.
It only lasted a second, one momentary press of lips to lips, but Mark felt instantly like his brain had been reset. He knew he was staring, eyes wide and shocked, and he pressed his fingertips to his lips when Donghyuck pulled away. His face was burning, the bird in his chest had gone from fluttery panic to battering frantically against his ribcage with its wings, desperate to escape. “What,” He said. “Was that?”
“My home remedy,” Donghyuck said, unrepentant. “Do you not feel better yet? Want me to try again?” His cheeks were flushed a warm pink and Mark had the bizarre urge to take his face in his hands, to feel the heat of his skin against the pads of his fingers, the palms of his hands. He didn’t know how to respond.
He swallowed hard. “I- What- Why did you do that?” He managed to splutter, his throat tight.
Donghyuck huffed then, a big exasperated breath, and he pouted. His hand was still holding onto Mark’s arm and he squeezed once. He brought his other hand up to cup Mark’s cheek.
“Why do you think, dummy?” He asked, and he leant up to kiss him again, this time just shy of Mark’s mouth. Mark curled his hands into fists against his thighs, fingers twisting into the worn denim of his jeans. “Honestly, just try to use your brain for once. I know you’re not as dense as you look.”
Mark scowled. “Can’t you be nice to me for two seconds?” He snapped. “You’re giving me real mixed signals here. How am I meant to figure anything out if you’re insulting me one second and kissing me the next?”
Donghyuck only laughed. “Sorry.” He shrugged. “I guess I just like you. I can’t help pulling your pigtails a little; it’s just so fun to wind you up.”
Mark’s tummy did a funny little flip at that. He clenched and unclenched his hands, stretched them out flat and then into fists again. His fingernails dug into his palms even with how short he’d cut them. “You like me?”
Donghyuck frowned then, brows drawn down and his nose scrunched a little. He was- he looked cute. “Hyung,” He started. “I know I mess with you a lot but do you really think I’d do something like this if I didn’t like you?” He was still cupping Mark’s jaw; he brushed his thumb over Mark’s cheekbone, thumbnail just brushing his lower lashes.
“No,” Mark allowed. “That’s true. You are a big dumb romantic, after all.” He swallowed hard then, and raised his own hands to fit against the junctures between Donghyuck’s jaw and neck. His fingers brushed the soft hair at Donghyuck’s nape and his thumbs pressed gently against the corners of Donghyuck’s mouth. “I don’t think your home remedy made me feel any better,” He muttered. “I think it made me feel a different kind of sick. My stomach’s gone all loopy and I’m having palpitations.”
Donghyuck smiled again. “I think that’s called having a crush, hyung.”
“Maybe,” Mark agreed. “Is this why you’ve been staring at me? You were making me feel really weird. Like I was being hunted by a big cat or something.”
Donghyuck snorted. “Maybe you should write a rap about it,” He offered. “Make it sound really cool and mysterious but really it’s just about me wooing you in our kitchen.”
“Wooing me?” It was Mark’s turn to snort. “You’ve been watching me like a total weirdo all week. Two weeks maybe. Couldn’t you have just said something?”
Donghyuck pouted. “I think you ought to shut up now,” He said and kissed Mark again. This time Mark kissed him back, fingers petting Donghyuck’s silky smooth hair. They kissed once, twice, thrice, until really it was just one long kiss. Mark’s brain felt like it’d been stuck on repeat; press play, rewind, start again. He hadn’t ever considered kissing Donghyuck before but now that he’d done it he didn’t think he’d ever be able stop thinking about it. If he thought back to how Donghyuck watching him had made him feel, he realised now it had been making him feel all – all flustered. It had been kind of nice having Donghyuck’s attention like that even if it had been embarrassing.
“I like you too, I think,” Mark told him when they finally broke apart and he had to clear his throat when his voice came out all hoarse.
“Good,” Donghyuck said. “I think I like you too.” He slid off his stool then to crowd in close to Mark, nestle himself in between the v of Mark’s legs and wrap his arms around his neck. He smiled at him, soft and lovely. “Did it work then? Do you feel better?”
Mark hummed thoughtfully. He slipped his hands to Donghyuck’s waist, twisted his fingers into the fabric of his hoodie. “I suppose,” He said. “But it might be a good idea to keep trying. I’m not sure I really believe much in homeopathy.”
Donghyuck laughed. “I’m sure I can convince you,” He said, and leant in to kiss him again.