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Mark didn't even hear the soft footsteps behind him.
Suddenly, there was a pair of arms around his waist, hugging him almost lazily. Donghyuck laid his head on his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck and softly tickling him. Mark smiled as he placed a hand over Donghyuck's arm around his waist, asking, "Didn't you need to get those reports done by tomorrow?"
Donghyuck sighed, snuggling closer to him. "Mr. Kim can fire me for all I care. I'm so done."
There was a quiet that fell upon them, one that felt so comfortable that Donghyuck found himself starting to doze off. Maybe it was the stress from trying to finish his write-ups before the deadline. Maybe it was the crappy romance film that Mark was watching right now. But his eyes started to feel heavy and Mark was so warm.
Silently, Donghyuck reached up to place a kiss on Mark's lips. It was just a lazy, slow press. The thought of kissing him had just crossed his mind and Donghyuck had always been one to act on impulse. He had barely pulled away when Mark pressed his lips against Donghyuck's again, and kissed him slowly. The air had long left his lungs when Mark pulled away, gasping for the sole purpose of being able to kiss Donghyuck again.
"Your lips are really warm," Donghyuck murmured softly against Mark's lips.
"Shut up," Mark laughed breathily, bumping their foreheads together. Donghyuck kicked the pillow off Mark's lap to drape his legs over him, cuddling close as Mark chuckled. "You're really clingy tonight, huh. What are you doing?"
"Hiding."
"You mean hugging?"
"This is my safe place."
Mark let out a laugh before slightly shifting to turn his body more to Donghyuck, allowing the younger boy to snuggle closer and bury his head in the crook of his neck. Mark buried his face in Donghyuck's hair. He smelled of soap and hazelnut, and his fluffy robe made Mark feel warm in his stomach. His fingers lazily played with the strands of Donghyuck's hair, making the latter drowsier than he already was.
"Don't fall asleep, okay?"
"Mm-kay."
His voice already sounded sleepy. Mark turned back to the film he was watching as Donghyuck began to mumble dreamily. Something about Mr. Kim being the Grinch, and how he wanted to go to that newly-opened art exhibit, and quiet "I love you's" whispered into his neck.
Mark didn't know how much time had passed until Donghyuck's head started to feel heavy on his shoulder. Glancing down, a gentle smile stretched across his face upon finding he had fallen asleep. Soft snores came from his slightly parted lips, and Mark could not resist pressing a kiss on them.
He tried shifting a beat to see if it would wake him up. But Donghyuck stayed asleep as ever. Mark readjusted and slipped one arm behind Donghyuck's back, the other behind his knees. He didn't even bother pausing the film as he lifted him up, slowly making his way up the stairs and back to their room. He laid Donghyuck down gently, placing a pillow under his head and softly stroking his hair.
Mark stayed there, kneeling beside the bed and mindlessly carding his fingers through Donghyuck's hair, lightly enough so as not to wake him. Donghyuck's beauty demanded to be admired, and Mark was glad enough to take the time to stare at him while he slept.
Placing one last kiss on his forehead, Mark made his way back down.
Sometime during the hours separating them from midnight, Donghyuck had made his way down to the living room again.
"Shouldn't you go sleep some more?" Mark had asked quietly as Donghyuck snuggled against his side. His fingers found their way to his hair and Mark started softly running them through it, and Donghyuck placed featherlight kisses on the skin covering Mark's heart. "I'll just wake you up later. I know you're tired."
"But I wanna stay here with you," Donghyuck said, almost whining.
Mark didn't argue with that. He simply pulled Donghyuck closer. Donghyuck tugged himself closer to Mark, too, pressing their bodies together that even the smallest atom could not get in between them, desperately needing the closeness. But no matter how tightly they pulled to each other, they could never be satisfied.
Donghyuck was half-asleep when he whispered softly, "Tell me you love me?"
"Why so suddenly?"
"Just want to hear you say it," he mumbled, shifting a little. His eyes fluttered close as he whispered again, this time softer, "Please, Mark?"
Donghyuck's sleepy voice whispering his name sent tremors down Mark's spine. Almost breathlessly, he pressed a kiss on top of his head before leaning down to whisper into his ear, "I love you, Donghyuck."
"I love you, Mark."
Donghyuck soon fell asleep as he always did in the warmth of Mark's arms. And again, Mark carried him up to their room, laying him gently on the bed and kissing him softly.
It was less than an hour later when Donghyuck wandered downstairs again, finding himself beside Mark on the couch again. This time, Mark chuckled softly as he wrapped Donghyuck in his arms. "Are you having a hard time sleeping?"
Instead of answering him, Donghyuck pouted. "Stop carrying me upstairs."
"Sorry, Hyuck," Mark turned to look at him, "but it's more comfortable up there. It's warmer there, too. The heater down here is broken."
"But you're warm."
"You can lie down better upstairs."
"Then, I'll just lie down on your lap," he sulked, pulling his head from Mark's shoulder and down to his lap, staring up at him with a stubborn frown, "like this."
"The bed is softer than the couch. Your back might hurt."
"Don't you want me here?" Donghyuck asked, obviously sulking. Mark couldn't help but giggle. Donghyuck didn't look annoyed or sulky; he just looked sleepy, with those half-lidded eyes and drowsy voice, struggling to stay awake long enough to pretend to be moping.
"Okay, I won't," he assured him, stroking Donghyuck's hair as he turned back to the film he was watching. The crappy romance film had ended about an hour ago, and he was watching a horror film now. One hand caressing Donghyuck's hair, Mark used his other to mindlessly trace figures and shapes on his chest.
Donghyuck wanted to stay awake for every stroke, for every trail that Mark's fingers left on his chest. Before he fell asleep, he felt Mark trace something on him — a phrase so familiar that he always felt it lingering on his lips — and he cracked an eye open to see him completely focused on the movie before him. He smiled gently to himself. It was so like Mark to mindlessly trail the words on his skin, to unknowingly make his heart burst into a spectrum of colors.
"Yeah, I love you, too, Mark."
Mark bit his lip as a soft pink blush dusted his cheeks.
It didn't take long for Donghyuck to fall asleep.
It seemed that he had more trouble staying asleep than falling asleep. Mark sighed softly as he stared down at Donghyuck. The movie was boring him to the edge of his patience, but he could sit there and watch Donghyuck sleep for hours on end.
Quietly, carefully, Mark picked him up for the third time that night and carried him up to their room. After gently laying him down, he slowly crawled onto the bed and placed himself beside Donghyuck, his arm draping over his waist.
Mark could hear the faint sounds of the television downstairs, but he found that he had no desire to go back down. The sight of Donghyuck sleeping had just felt so cozy and inviting, he had to stay there with him. Suddenly, Mark felt his eyes and shoulders begin to feel heavy. Glancing at the clock on their bedside table, he took note of the time.
Just a few minutes, Mark promised to himself as he drifted off.
Mark woke up to the sounds of glass clinking.
Groggily, he blinked himself awake and scrambled up. Eyes wandering towards the clock on their bedside table, he found that it was an hour past midnight and Donghyuck was no longer beside him. Mark pushed himself off the bad and staggered down towards the kitchen, where Donghyuck was pouring hot water into two mugs.
Sneaking up on him, Mark gently wrapped his arms around Donghyuck's waist and laid his chin on his shoulder. "Sorry, I fell asleep."
"It's fine, I fell asleep, too. Three times, to be exact."
"Is that Swiss Miss?" Mark asked as the smell of chocolate hit his nose.
"Yeah," Donghyuck said as he began to stir their chocolate drinks. Finally done, he handed the mug to Mark. He took a second to admire it — the velvety chocolate and the little marshmallows swirling on top. They made their way silently to the couch, and Mark instantly smiled when he saw that Donghyuck had brought down their blanket.
Mark placed the mug on the table, placing the blanket around his shoulders. Then, he gestured for Donghyuck to join him, holding out the other side of the blanket. "Come here."
Donghyuck didn't hesitate to snuggle up next to him, huddling his knees to his chest as he cupped the mug in his hands. Mark made sure that the blanket was hanging on Donghyuck's shoulder, wrapping them both, before picking up his own mug. They leaned in closer to each other, skins touching and bodies warm.
"I know it's an hour late, but," Mark spoke in a hushed voice, turning to Donghyuck with a soft smile, "Merry Christmas, Hyuck."
Donghyuck sighed contently, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
"Merry Christmas, Mark."
Christmas, like any other day, was spent in silent heartbeats and whispered words. There was the occasional guffaw, either from Mark laughing at Donghyuck's hilarious antics or Donghyuck finding Mark's silly actions cute, and the small playful moments where they would chase each other around the house before falling onto the bed or couch in heaps of laughter.
But mostly, Donghyuck and Mark spent each day the way they loved each other: quietly, so softly that it made their hearts flutter, and warmly, so tender that sparks ignited in every place their skins met.
And Mark and Donghyuck loved each other on Christmas, like any other day.