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Donghyuck knew, from the very beginning, he knew.
Now thinking back, it must've been fate, some greater force was probably behind everything, that would be the only logical explanation.
Donghyuck lived in a normal area, a 10 minute walk from his school and a 15 minute walk to the closest supermarket in a calm neighborhood.
They moved there when he was 5 years old, and exactly 3 weeks later, another family with the same last name Lee moved in next to them.
They had 2 boys, Mark and Matthew. Mark was 6 and Matther 9, so Donghyuck and Mark started hanging out when their mothers became friends.
"It's so nice to meet you, Mrs Lee! I'm Iseul, we just moved into the house next to you a few weeks ago, welcome to the neighborhood." Donghyuck's mom introduced the family. She brought Donghyuck with her, who insisted on coming with her to greet the new family after he heard that a boy his age moved in next door.
He grabbed his mother's arm tightly whilst the women were talking to each other and tried to peek past the door and into the house to maybe spot Mark.
"And who are you, little man?" The other woman asked and leaned down to send him a welcoming smile.
"I'm Donghyuck Lee and i'm 5 years old" He grinned and held up 5 fingers proudly, still holding his Mom's arm tightly, but proudly showing off, how old he already was.
"Well it's very nice to meet you, Donghyuck Lee, I'm Katherine. I have a son named Mark, he's 6 years old. Do you want to meet him and go play?" She asked and Donghyuck was almost exploding from excitement at the mention of a potential friend, and one in his age at that! The area they lived in had a few kids, but most of them were teenagers, so it was hard for Donghyuck to make friends.
"Yes please" He enthusiastically nodded his head and nearly jumped up and down when Katherine called for a boy named Mark.
Donghyuck nearly broke his neck trying to look inside the house and finally cracked a smile, when a boy arrived
Mark had light brown hair, which was a bit longer and curled at the end, and he was wearing a Spiderman shirt. He looked a bit shy though. Mark was approaching them slowly, his careful gaze drifting from a jumpy Donghyuck up to his mom and back to Donghyuck, who tried to calm down to not scare him away.
"Markie this is Donghyuck and his mom, they live in the house next to us. Do you want to go upstairs and show Donghyuck your room?" She asked and laid a reassuring hand on Mark's shoulder. Mark lookekd up at hear and agreed halfhaartly after receiving a reassuring nod.
"Hi, I'm Mark. Do you want to see my room?" He asked hesitantly and Donghyuck nearly burst from excitement at the question.
"I'd love to!" He said and walked inside after waving goodbye to his mom "I like your shirt, is Spiderman your favorite hero?" Donghyuck asked and skipped next to Mark, scanning the new environment with big eyes. Their house was similar to Donghyuck's, but still so different somehow.
At the spiderman question, Mark's eyes started glowing and a smile started spreading across his face.
"He is. I like his superpower and that he fights against evil people. When I grow up I want to save everyone, just like Spiderman! Who's your favorite hero?" Mark asked and just like that, the ice was broken and a friendship started to blossom.
Ever since that day they were inseparable. Where Donghyuck went, there was Mark and the other way around.
They would spend their lunch breaks at school together and talk about their day, every single day with no exception.
Since they were one year apart in age, they couldn't attend the same class so Mark thought about retaking one year to spend more time with Donghyuck.
"Mark you can't do that" Donghyuck whispered under the blanket.
They decided to have a sleepover that day, since it was Friday and they only had some homework to finish. Donghyuck's 7th birthday had just passed, so his parents were feeling generous and even got them snacks for the sleepover.
They were lying in bed next to each other, something that became very normal after they were too lazy to take out the futon after the first few sleepovers. Mark's bed was spacious enough anyway.
"Why not?" Mark whispered back and stared at the ceiling, his toy seal in a death grip on his stomach.
"Because you're really good at school. You have your friends in your class and we live next to each other so we can spend a lot of time here. Let's just get a house together after we finish school" Donghyuck said and rolled to his side, facing Mark who was still staring at the ceiling.
"Why would I care about other friends when you're my best friend?" He said and rolled his head to the side to look at Donghyuck.
"I know, you're my best friend too, and nothing will ever change that. Promise" he smiled and held out his pinky for Mark, who gently interlocked it with his. "And I promise that we'll get a house together. A very big one with a pool and a slide"
"And our own cinema so we can watch spiderman" Donghyuck added and Mark's eyes suddenly sparkled as if they were holding the entire universe
"Promise" Mark spoke and pressed his pinky to Donghyuck's before removing his hand and falling asleep.
They spent their elementary school years like that. Attached at the hip, to the point that Donghyuck's mother would sometimes call Mark's mother to ask for Donghyuck before even checking his room to look for him.
They matched each other like nobody else. Where Donghyuck was running hot, Mark was running cold, so he would always call Donghyuck his personal heater.
Mark couldn't stand spicy food but Donghyuck loved it.
Donghyuck was Mark's ray of sunshine during a dull day and Mark was Donghyuck's shining moon during a cold night.
They just got each other, they could talk for hours without getting bored about everything and nothing.
Donghyuck was a good cook, so when they got older he would sometimes make lunch for him and Mark, and Mark would clean up the kitchen afterwards.
Where Donghyuck was extroverted and outgoing, Mark was quiet and kept his social circle small.
They were 14 when they had to be separated for a longer period of time for the first time, and it was hard.
Donghyuck and his family had to go back to Korea for 2.5 months during the summer to take care of an uncle that suddenly got sick and needed immediate support.
"I'll be back soon, don't worry!" Donghyuck said to Mark during their last sleepover before the departure.
"I know, but I miss you already. We won't be able to celebrate my birthday together" Mark sniffled, and that sound nearly broke Donghyuck's heart. Mark was never the one to cry. He was always strong and taking care of Donghyuck whenever he was sad and needed someone to lean on.
Of course, Donghyuck had told Mark thousands of times that he was always open for a conversation and ready to help Mark when he needed support, but Mark always waved him off.
During the 9 years of knowing Mark, he had seen him cry 2 times, at his grandpa's funeral and when he watched a documentary about stray cats and how only 10% make it through.
So to see him cry now, broke his heart into million pieces.
"I'll send you post cards and call you every day. Please don't be sad, we'll see each other soon" He tried to cheer Mark up, only for his voice to betray him and break down during the last sentence.
Mark just scooted closer and wrapped his arms around Donghyuck's waist to snuggle into the crook of his neck.
"I'll miss you so much" Donghyuck whispered and pulled Mark even closer, tangling their legs beneath the blanket.
"Me too" Mark exhaled shakily and rubbed soothing circles across Donghyuck's back.
The summer in Korea went by okay. His uncle was starting to get better and Donghyuck sent Mark a postcard every 3rd day. His uncle was't used to his Markk obsession so he started to think that he was crazy, but Donghyuc didn't care about that, he had to update Mark!
His mom was way more supportive. "Hyuckie, i thought it was time to get you your own phone. We talked to Mark's parents and they also got him one. You can communicate easily with him now" His mom announced and Donghyuck nearly jumped her with how excited he was. "Thank you, thank you, thank you" He chanted like a mantra and couldn't contain himself from excitement.
When he opened his new phone, the only contacts were his parents and Mark, what more would he neeed?
His eyes started shining when he clicked on the message button to Mark's contact.
you:
Markkkkkk my parents finally got me my own phone!!
M💝
Ahhh so did mine!!
Now we can call on my birthday and celebrate it that way!
(can't wait to see you again though, i miss you like crazy. It's booooring here)
you:
me too🥲
my uncle is doing better though, so we should be able to go back home in time!
M💝
that's amazing to hear
my mom always asks about how you and your family are doing
~
"HAPPY 15 MARKIE!" Donghyuck screamed into the phone when the clock struck midnight and it was officially August 2nd.
"Hyuck?" Mark mumbled still half asleep. He could practically see Mark rubbing his eyes and sitting up in his bed, even if they only called by voice.
"Yes, it's me, Your best friend, light of your life and forever soul mate. I wanted to be the first to congratulate you, did I make it?" He was lying on his bed, feet dangling and just happy to speak to Mark. The time difference made it a bit difficult, but Donghyuck made sure to triple-check so he would call on time. He wouldn't want to miss Mark's Birthday for anything.
"Yes, you're the first. Thank you so much! How are you doing, Hyuck?" He asked, voice going very soft with affection and the lack of sleep, but Donghyuck couldn't help but smile at the words.
He wanted to be honest and blurt out how much he missed Mark, but he didn't want to sadden his best friend on his birthday with a situation they couldn't change, no matter how much he wanted to be with Mark this very second.
"I'm good. It's super boring here without you, there aren't really any people my age in our area, and if they are, they're focused on studying. I'm on break, why would I study now? So I didn't really stay in touch with them. I have you anyways" Donghyuck explained and Mark's let out a giggle at the study comments.
"I can't wait to see you again, we'll need to have a one-week sleep over to catch up" He said and Donghyuck agreed very enthusiastically. "I spent some time with Sungchan, Jeno and Renjun though and they're really nice. We went to the cinema together 3 days ago" Mark continued. Sungchan, Jeno and Renjun were 3 of Donghyuck's closest friends, apart from Mark. And since they knew Donghyuck, they obviously also knew Mark and quickly became friends with him after an introduction.
They stayed on the phone for one hour, then two, then five, until the sun rose at Mark's and the sun set at Donghyuck's. They talked about everything and nothing, discussing their plans for when Donghyuck would come back, talking about school, Donghyuck's family in Korea and the Bachelor's program Matthew had just signed up for.
"Sleep well, Hyuckie." Mark mumbled, fully exhausted from the lack of sleep but very, very happy.
"Sorry for keeping you awake that long, I hope you can nap sometime in the afternoon." Donghyuck responded and cuddled deeper into his blanket.
"I don't mind. You know I love talking to you. Now off to bed, I'm gonna say hi to my parents"
"Okay I will" Donghyuck yawned, already half asleep. "Have the most amazing birthday, Markie. I promise to spend the next one with you, love you"
"I love you too Hyuck, see you soon" Mark promised affectionately and hung up after hearing a small hum from Donghyuck.
After that, time seemed to run. Donghyuck returned back to Mark and they continued their studies, Mark very successfully and Donghyuck with more success in the theater club, where he met Jaemin at 16.
Jaemin was outgoing and extroverted, just like him. He loved his pet bunny, his smaller sister and the color purple. The 2 of them got close in no time, since the theater club required a lot of additional time next to their school work.
Jaemin was very different from Mark. Where Mark would stay back and be a bit more introverted, Jaemin was on the same exact wavelength as Donghyuck and approached other people immediately. Mark and Donghyuck more felt like puzzle pieces perfectly fitting and complementing each other, with Jaemin it was more like looking into one of these funny mirrors in amusement parks. Really similar but still different.
Through theater, Donghyuck often found himself spending afternoons at school with Jaemin, even when he could've been at home.
Mark had his literature club during the same time, so they were still able to go home together and grab something from a street vendor as dinner when they made their way home.
"Hello Donghyuck!" Jaemin screached happily when he skipped into the nearly empty room their club was held at.
He made his way over to collapse onto Donghyuck and pull him into a hug.
"Did you already see the new play we're gonna do? Shakespeare, I like it" he winked and peeled himself off of Donghyuck to sit down next to him, his thighs pressed to Donghyuck's.
Donghyuck didn't really mind the physical contact. Mark and him would always cuddle or touch in any type of form so he was used to it. But being touchy with someone else felt kind of unfamiliar and a bit odd, still Jaemin was his friend so he'd never push him away if he wasn't uncomfortable. Plus they've been friends for a few months so Donghyuck got used to Jaemin clinging to him.
"Yes, i was thinking of auditioning for the main character, what do you say?" He asked and turned over to Jaemin who was just smiling up at him, moving one strand of his hair behind his ear.
"Me too, let's see who wins" He giggled and gave Donghyuck's arm a friendly squeeze before going back to the sheet to check the lines once more to feel more secure.
Auditions finished with Donghyuck ending up as the ghost and Jaemin getting the main character role and playing Hamlet.
He really liked Jaemin a lot but ending up as the ghost instead of the main character damaged his ego by a lot. He practiced a lot for that role with Mark, so why did it not work?
"Don't be sad, Hyuck. I'm sure you'll do great during the next auditions. And the ghost isn't too bad" Jaemin tried to cheer him up but the use of his nickname made him irk. Only his family and Mark called him like that, so Jaemin using that on him in such a situation made him feel weird.
"Yeah, but it's not what I auditioned for!" He exclaimed and tried to calm down. It wasn't Jaemin's fault that he was better at playing the role, he just needed to improve and maybe he could be the main character next time.
"I get that, but i'm sure you'll do a great job. Do you want to grab dinner together to cheer up?" Jaemin asked as he gathered his stuff and just put it into his backpack without looking out for crumpled sheets.
"I'd like to but i'm meeting Mark outside and we're gonna get something together. I'm sure he has nothing against you joining us, should I ask him?" Donghyuck asked and a weird expression flashed across Jaemin's face. It was gone soon after it happened and Donghyuck was hit by a big smile. The sudden change in expression gave him whiplash so he just shook his head and refocused on Jaemin's big smile
"I'd love to, you talk so much about him, he must be nice. That's your best friend, right?" Jaemin asked and emphasized the last sentence. Odd, but Donghyuck didn't think too much of it.
"Yes, his house is next to mine so we became friends fast. He's super nice, you'll like him" Donghyuck started and closed his backpack. Jaemin made his way over and interlocked their arms to guide them outside.
"Mark is one year older than us and is interested in literature. He has an older brother and is Korean too!" He kept talking about Mark, Jaemin sometimes humming approvingly until they arrived outside in front of the school, where Mark was already waiting for them.
"Hey Hyuck! Who's this?" Mark sent Jaemin a polite smile and turned to Donghyuck to properly greet him with a hug.
"That's Jaemin, my friend from theater. I told you about him before" Donghyuck said and returned Mark's hug. He was now standing between the two and noticed Jaemin's strained smile. It was a bit too large and his eyes were looking weird, hm.
"Ahh okay, I can connect the dots. It's nice to meet you, Jaemin" Mark said and held out his hand for Jaemin to shake.
"Hello Mark. Donghyuck talks so much about you, i'm happy to finally meet the guy behind the big name" He grinned and shook Mark's hand seemingly harder than necessary, because Mark started grimacing and only relaxed after their hands parted.
Noticing the awkward atmosphere between the two, Donghyuck decided to step closer to Jaemin, hoping to calm him down, and guided them towards his and Mark's favorite corn dog place.
"I hope you like corn dogs, Jaemin. Mark and I come here very often, their food is super tasty." Donghyuck tried to lighten the mood with some small talk which luckily worked wonders so they spent the time to the shop with conversation about their favorite food.
"I remember the one time Donghyuck forgot his lunchbox at home, so him and I had to share my sandwich. I didn't mind at all, we're friends, so that's normal, right?" Jaemin giggled and interlocked his and Donghyuck's arms again, whilst staring Mark dead in the eye.
"Oh yeah" Donghyuck was oblivious to the staring contest going on next to him and was more focused on the menu. "Thanks so much again, Jaemin! The sandwich was really good" He turned his head to meet Jaemin's eyes who quickly moved from Mark to Donghyuck. He sent him a smile and wrapped his arm around Donghyuck's waist to rest his head on his shoulder.
"No problem, Hyuck" He grinned and nuzzled his head into the crook of Donghyuck's neck.
Donghyuck could feel Mark's eyes on him so he quickly turned around to his best friend who was standing an arm's length away with furrowed brows. His eye was starting to twitch and he looked like he had to physically restrain himself from jumping between Jaemin and Donghyuck. Jaemin was now also staring at Mark and only tightened his grip on Donghyuck's waist when he saw the effect it had on Mark.
Donghyuck felt a bit weird, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. They were all staring at Mark, who was fully focused on Jaemin's arm around Donghyuck's waist, eyes not leaving the iron grip for one second.
He decided to break the awkward silence and just order, since they were the next in line. If Mark and Jaemin had an issue, they should talk about it instead of just glaring at each other. Plus he was hungry after all teh rehearsing and stressing about his role, so food waas his priiority.
"Mark, i'll get us usual, is that okay? And Jaemin i can highly recommend their chilly cheese corn dog with potatoes outside. The loaded fries are also really good" Donghyuck was now starting to sweat, since the two others were still glaring at each other and didn't seem to care about the food at all.
"I'll just have wha you're getting, Hyuck" Jaemin turned away from Mark to smile sweetly at Donghyuck, who could hear Mark inhale sharply at that.
"Ehm, sure. Haha." He said awkwardly and stepped infront to the counter. Jaemin's arm, which was still around him, dropped from his waist and he immediately felt a bit lighter.
"Hey, can we please have one portion of the fries and 3 chilly cheese corn dogs. Thank you!" He ordered their stuff and spun back around with the pick up number to see Mark and Jaemin nearly standing chest to chest, staring each other down.
The second Mark noticed Donghyuck, he took a step back from Jaemin and waved him over, his expression immediately turning lighter and the usual sparkle returning to his eyes. Donghyuck couldn't help but return a smile, Mark seemed to have calmed down a bit, which reassured Donghyuck.
"Our food should be ready in a few minutes. Do you want to sit down or eat it whilst we walk?" He asked in hopes to clear the still weird atmosphere.
"Walk"
"I'd love to sit down" Mark and Jaemin said at the same time and immediately glared at each other again. Improving atmosphere be gone, wow.
"I'd love to sit down and chat a bit more, Mark seems like such a lovely guy to talk to!" Jaemin exclaimed and cooed at Mark, the happiness didn't seem to catch his eyes though.
"Yeah, you're a truly lovely person yourself but I still have some school work to finish so I can't stay that long. What a shame" Mark said and didn't even look sad, what a bad actor. No wonder he joined the literature club and not theater.
"Truly, what a shame. But then Hyuckie and I can just stay behind alone, right Dongjyuck?" Jaemin said and smiled sweetly at Donghyuck and fluttered his eyelashes.
Mark's eyes started twitching again at the nickname and Donghyuck moved to his side on instinct.
"I'd love to, but I also have some work to finish. Oh! They just called out our order number, haha, I better grab our stuff." He quickly spun around to dash to the pickup station and return to the others in time before they'd start a fight. Seriously, they were all grown people, why the annoying atmosphere. Can't they just focus on the food?
"Well, that was a lovely meeting but we have to walk down here, I fear you need to go the other direction. It was amazing to meet you. Bye" Mark said and spun on his heel to start walking down the street without sparing Jaemin another glance.
"I can only say the same about this pleasant meeting, but i'll have to talk to Donghyuck for a second if you'd excuse us" Jaemin answered, voice dripping with sarcasm. This made Mark stop dead in his tracks and spin back around comically slow. His eyes were still twitching, seriously he should go see a doctor.
He blinked at Jaemin. Once, then twice, in pure silence. "Okay. I'll wait here" He finalized and stood still next to a tree with his corndog bag in his hands. Donghyuck would normally laugh at him, but Jaemin was too quick and grabbed his hand to drag him down the street.
Mark couldn't hear what they were saying and since Donghyuck's back was turned towards him, he couldn't even read his best friend's face to figure out his recation, shit. The silence and wait was nearly killing him, so he started pacing up and down next to the tree. When that got too boring, he started snacking on his and Donghyuck's fries, which the latter would never find out.
Donghyuck returned and few minutes later without Jaemin but with a small look of shock on his face. So obviously, Mark immediately started to panic.
"Are you okay Hyuck? Did he do something?" Mark asked frantically and moved towards him with big steps, fries long forgotten.
"I'll tell you when we're home. What the fuck. Let's go to yours today please" He said and Mark just nodded.
Whenever something like this happened, so one of them being stunned and unable to speak, the other would usually try to fill the space with conversation to get their mind off of whatever was bothering them.
Now it was Mark's turn. He talked about his day and what happened at school. He told him about his new literature project and sometimes handed Donghyuck a fry in between when the nice smell of food returned.
"My parents are on a business trip this weekend, they'll only come back on tuesday" Mark said when they arrived home, food finished and Donghyuck in a better mood.
"Nice, then we can decide for a series on the tv hehe" He smiled and took off his shoes to follow Mark into his room. Since Donghyuck spent basically more time at Mark's place than his own growing up, moving around the house was natural for him, a daily occurrence if you want.
"Want to tell me what happened?" Mark asked and patted the space on the bed next to him while reaching out for Donghyuck, who gladly took his outstretched hand and snuggled into Mark's side.
The smell of Mark's bedding was familiar and comfortable, so Donghyuck automatically started to relax in Mark's embrace.
"He confessed to me" And that made Mark stop dead in his tracks. The reassuring hand on his back stopped drawing circles for a second before he slowly continued.
"What did you say?" He asked, voice a bit more quiet than normally. Mark was anxious. Him and Donghyuck have known each other for over a decade, what if he suddenly didn't need a best friend anymore and instead fully focused on his new boyfriend?
Mark has other friends, of course, but nobody would ever come close to his best friend.
"I don't reciprocate his feelings so I rejected him. I told him we could stay friends though, i really don't want things to turn awkward in theater. He was pretty chill about it and accepted the rejection but at the end he said something weird" Donghyuck said and cuddled closer to Mark, he obviously needed the emotional and physical support so Mark pulled him closer and tried his best to support him.
"He said that it wouldn't make sense for him and me to date because I'd never value someone more than you so he would've felt like the second choice. That doesn't really make sense to me because we're best friends, of course i'll always value you more than others?" Donghyuck questioned and looked up at Mark with big eyes. That was really an odd situation, who wouldn't pick their best friend over a partner?
Him and Mark have been inseparable for years so why would he quit hanging out with his soul mate, ride or die, better half just because some random guy came along? It's weird that Jaemin had this mindset, surely everyone else would value their literal other half more than their boyfriend.
Mark was the most important person in his life after his family and nobody would ever change that.
"Hm that's weird. I mean we're best friends, of course we're important for each other. Plus we have our routines so it would be weird for someone else to join all of a sudden" Mark said and started to think, what a weird situation.
"Right, that's what I thought too. Imagine we go to our monthly picnics during summer and suddenly someone else would be there as well. That would be really weird" Donghyuck said and snuggled even closer to Mark so he could wrap them in the blanket like a burrito.
"Imagine" Mark laughed out and even wiped a tear "Or when we go to the lake and rent a pedal boat during the summer. They are normally only meant for 2 people so he'd have to get his own boat. That would just be sad"
"STOP" Donghyuck burst out laughing at the thought and slapped Mark's arm, a habit he acquired from him. "He would just be all by himself at the other side of the lake, that would be so cringe"
"Yeah it wouldn't work out. I don't feel the need to start a relationship with someone do you?" Donghyuck asked amd turned to Mark, who was just shaking his head.
"Nope" he said and popped the P "I'm really happy right now. I received so much love and support from people. And I mean I really love you, in a platonic way of course."
"Yeah me too, you're so important to me, I couldn't imagine a time when I wouldn't love you. It just feels weird" Donghyuck agreed and brushed some hair out of Mark's face and behind his ear.
"When I imagine my future, it's always with you. Do you remember when we were kids and wanted to move in together later?" Mark asked in nostalgia and looked at his ceiling where a few glow in the dark stars were still shining. They put them up a few years ago during elementary school because Donghyuck was scared to sleep in the dark and they both loved stars so glow in the dark stickers it was.
"Of course. I really want to do that. I might do business and become successful and rich. Then you can continue literature and become a successful author and we can buy a house together. Do you want to adopt cats?" Donghyuck asked and rested his hand on Mark's shoulder. Damn, die he start working out? When did his shoulder get all muscle-y?
"Oh that's sounds amazing, I always dreamed of us having an apartment in the city so you can do business work, and for the weekend we could get a little house on the land. As for animals we could maybe get a cat when we're older and live on the land full time, otherwise it wouldn't be fair for our fur baby to just travel around all the time."
"Ohh that's very smart, lovely Mark. I can't wait for our future" Donghyuck said dreamily when he thought of him and his best friend in a few years sharing a living space.
"Me too, Hyuckie. It sounds so exciting, I'm glad to share all my milestones with you, I love you" Mark said and pulled him even tighter.
"I love you so much, Mark." Donghyuck answered and placed a small kiss on Mark's cheek before falling asleep in his embrace.
Mark was 17 when he went to his third party with Donghyuck, Sungchan, Jeno and Renjun. Their little friend group became more solid during the last few months and Donghyuck and Mark enjoyed spending time with them.
It was midnight when they arrived, the party already going in full force. The 5 of them made it safely to the kitchen, where Shotaro, the host and Sungchan's situationship (?)/hookup (?)/ soon to be boyfriend (?) was waiting for them with drinks.
Sungchan immediately blushed when Shotaro approached them and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.
"I made some drinks, I hope you guys enjoy" he giggled, obviously a bit tipsy and Mark couldn't wait to feel the same. They downed a first and second round of shots and then moved on to Shotaro's drinks. Shotaro was known to be a very good host, his drinks were crazy strong but the atmosphere overall was always nice, and shotaro himself was a joy to be around.
SWell, he would be a joy to be around if they actually got the chance to speak to him, which wasn't the case, since the host and Sungchan walked away right after grabbing their drinks to god knows where.
"Ohh I hear they're playing spin the bottle over there, wanna join?" Jeno asked and didn't even wait for a response before he ran away, Renjun following suit after with small gigggles coming out of his mouth.
"I guess it's just us 2 then" Donghyuck sing songed and threw his arms around Mark's neck who grabbed him by the waist to steady him.
Since they weren't pros at attending parties, their alcohol tolerance was pretty low so they could feel the effect already. 2 rounds of shots and Shotaro's special cocktails really seemed to do the trick.
"Do you want to join the others and play spin the bottle?" Mark asked and sipped the remains of his drink. HIs surroundings started to spin a bit but with Donghyuck right infront of him, sending him a lazy s,ile, he couldn't care less about the surroundings and instead started moving his hand around his waist to the small of his back.
"Not too fond of kissing random strangers on the lips" Donghyuck said and moved even closer to Mark. They were now on eye level and Mark could see the flashy disco light reflecting small sparkles in Donghyuck's eyes.
"That's true. Imagine kissing someone from school, ew" Mark physically shuddered, which made Donghyuck giggle.
They spent the next 15 minutes like that, just staring into each others eyes, slowly swaying to the music they couldn't make out and occasionally gossiping about some random couple they saw on the dance floor. Donghyuck's head was now lying in the crook of Mark's neck and his hands had moved down from around his next to his Mark's biceps. Seriously, when did he start working out?
"Wait Jeno's coming back" Donghyuck suddenly said and removed his hands from Mark's arms to spin him around and show him their approaching friend.
"Mark, there's this really cute girl from our literature club at spin the bottle, I think she has a crush on you" Jeno was giddy and grabbed Mark's wrist to drag him along. Jeno was nearly bursting from excitement, almost jumping up and down.
"Hold on man, who are we talking about?" Mark said and shook Jeno's hand off. Jeno's excitement seemed to lessen a bit at Mark's demeanour, but apparently he was a man on a mission, so he kept talking.
"The one with the black hair, short, cute, has glasses and is always early." Jeno's excitement seemed to return at the description, so the little jumps returned.
"Ahh her. Yeah i'm not into her, i'll pass. But I appreciate her positive feelings towards me" Mark sent Jeno a thumbs up, hoping that he would leave him alone. He spun back around to face Donghyuck and move his hands back onto his hips. Jeno, apparently really wanted to pair Mark up with this random girl and didn't give up, instead he slid between mark and Donghyuck to talk to him.
"You say that every time. Did you even have your first kiss yet? What if your dream person walks by but your kissing game is horrible so they'll leave you?" Jeno was now borderline overdramatic, his hands clutching his face in horror of this unspeakable possibility. Now Mark was getting annoyed. Sure, Jeno only meant it nicely, but Mark also was a man on a mission: to spend a nice evening with Donghyuck, which was currently interrupted by a human ball of excitement and joy called Jeno Lee.
"Well if that's actually my dream person they'll love me regardless. I'm sorry but i'm not interested, you have fun though!" He finally had enough and spun Jeno around by his shoulders so he could go back to spin the bottle. jeno luckily seemed to give up and waved a quick bye before skipping back to his game.
Now back to Mark's mission!
Mark turned back to Donghyuck so see him standing there with big eyes looking at him. "He's kinda right. What if you find your perfect person and accidentally push them away by horrible kissing skills?" Donghyuck questioned as Mark stepped closer.
"We talked about this before, I don't really feel the need to be in a relationship with a random person. I'd rather spend the rest of my life with you" He smiled and Donghyuck pulled him closer by the arms. "But some practice really would help"
"Yeah i could use some practice too. Not that i'm planning on dating someone in the next few years but you never know." Donghyuck concluded and Mark hummed approvingly, eyes focused more on the freckles on Donghyuck's face.
"Do you want to practice with me, you know just in case?" Donghyuck asked and Mark immediately looked up into his eyes, freckles completely forgotten.
"Are you sure? I mean aren't we tipsy?" Mark asked and slid his hands beneath the hem of Donghyuck's shirt, what earned him a small shudder at the contact.
"We can sit outside and drink some water to sober up and then talk about it more. But if I'd want to kiss one person on this planet, it would be you. You're the person I love the most and honestly, your lips look really soft so it would probably be great to practice with you" Donghyuck shrugged and walked over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.
Mark was stilll a bit stunned by the offer, but honestly he felt the same and Doghyuck's explanation made a lot of sense so why not?
"That makes sense, yeah. Honestly, your lips look really soft too and you always use this cherry lip balm so they probably taste really good as well. I'm down! Do you wanna go upstairs and sit on the balcony?" Mark asked and took the water bottle from Donghyuck so his hands wouldn't feel cold. Donghyuck was instead interlocked his cold hand with Mark's warm one and let himself be dragged upstairs.
"Sounds good, lead the way" He said and gave Mark's hand a small squeeze.
After that, they were sitting on the balcony for a good hour, just talking about random things.
"It's good that it's summer the weather is so nice even at 2am" Donghyuck said and leaned his head onto Mark's shoulder.
"That's true I can't believe i'll turn 18 next month, time has been running so fast." Mark answered and put down the now-empty water bottle to wrap an arm around Donghyuck.
"It's crazy, I can't wait to see what the future is holding for us." Donghyuck smiled and raised his head to be eye level with Mark.
"Me too, it's gonna be fun" he breathed into the night and locked eyes with Donghyuck. "Do you want to practice kissing now?"
"Sure thing, Markie" Donghyuck smiled and interlocked his fingers with Mark's who were laying between them. "I don't really know what to do though"
"Me neither, but it's okay Hyuck, we'll figure it out together" Mark said and moved a bit closer. "Just close your eyes and relax, it's only me."
Donghyuck did as told and could immediately feel his heartbeat going crazy. He was about to kiss Mark, his best friend and soul mate, but he didn't think it would change anything about them. It was just practice and nothing could change their friendship.
Donghyuck would run through a desert to go to Mark, he would bury a body for him, move to Australia and change names to start over. There is nothing he wouldn't do for the person most important to him, so closing his eyes and waiting for Mark to press his lips onto his was nothing.
And the wait was worth it. He could feel Mark's gentle hand caressing his cheek right before soft lips landed on his.
At first nothing really happened, they just stayed like this, a bit awkward but still extremely comfortable, because it was them, nothing they did could ever be uncomfortable.
Then Mark opened his lips slightly and started moving against Donghyuck's upper one, capturing it lightly and starting to suck a bit.
And God that felt so good, why did they wait so long to kiss?
Donghyuck started imitating Mark's movement at his bottom lip and apparently didn't do such a bad job, because Mark let out an airy breath every now and then, when Donghyuck did a specific move.
He started moving away when he felt his lungs give out and burn due to the lack of oxygen, but before he pulled away fully, he left a quick peck on Mark's lips, which resulted in him opening his eyes to a grinning and blushing mess called Mark Lee sitting in front of him.
"You're really good. Your lips are soft" He giggled and let his gaze drift back to Donghyuck's lips for a second.
"Thank you, you're really good yourself, I enjoyed it." Donghyuck smiled and squeezed their still interlocked hands.
"Do you wanna try again now or some other time?" Mark asked, still a smiling and blushing mess.
"Let's watch the stars for a bit and then just go with the flow. You can kiss me whenever you feel like it, I trust you!" Donghyuck said shyly and tucked himself into Mark's side, who just laughed but agreed with the plan.
Donghyuck's heartbeat started to calm down a bit during the next few minutes. They stayed quiet for the most time, just wrapped in each other's embrace and occasionally pointing out a star constellation.
"I always associate you with the moon" Donghyuck said after a few minutes of silence. Mark's presence next to him was a constant reminder of safety and comfort, which made him feel incredibly nice, even if it was the middle of the night and they were on a random balcony. They had each other so nothing bad could happen.
"That's cute, why that?" Mark asked and looked at Donghyuck, but this time Donghyuck purposefully focused on the sky above and avoided Mark's glance.
"Nights are normally dark and feel unsafe when you're alone. But when the moon is shining, everything is suddenly bright and you don't feel alone anymore. The moon is really pretty but also mysterious and seems like a guide, or hope that even during dark and hopeless times, it can help you out of the darkness and into the light. It can guide you and give you a good path to follow.
That's what you feel like to me. Before you moved here, I used to feel alone since there weren't that many kids living in our area. But then you came along, all shy with your cute Spiderman shirt. You were someone my age and we got along immediately.
Every time i'm happy I can come to you but that's the case with a lot of people. Many people are there for you during the good times, but only a few stay during the bad times. You're the person I come to when I feel lonely or sad. When something at school went wrong, I look forward to you waiting outside and cheering me up. You're like a safe space for me, someone I feel fully comfortable with and that I can trust with everything, no matter what it is.
You're like my personal support system that will be there for me no matter what happens. That's why I associate you with the moon. You're the spot of light and hope in the dark." Donghyuck said and looked into the sky. He didn't expect Mark to say anything for a bit, so he just sat there and let his words linger between them.
He knew him well, so Mark was probably a bit caught off guard by the sudden confession, so giving him time was the right thing to do. They often expressed their love for each other through actions, act of service and physical contact. They did say "I love you" pretty often, but rarely got into detail or explained their feelings, so it was only natural for Mark to go quiet and really digest Donghyuck's words.
He expected a few minutes of silence, maybe a deep hug or a squeeze of their still interlocked hands, what he didn't expect was a small kiss on the back of his hand and Mark's shiny eyes staring at him, filled with unshed tears.
"I always associate the sun with you for a similar reason. I used to be really shy and have a hard time opening up to others. Then one day all of a sudden, this human form of sunshine appeared infront of my door and became my best friend. You've seen my good and bad sides during the last years, but have been there for ne regardless. Everytime something bad happens, you walk into my room and it feels like the sun has sent 50 extra rays of sunshine to me.
You're always there for me, my sunshine in dark times.
You're the most positive person I know, you're always there for everyone and trying your best to help. Your positivity is inspiring, but you also show your weaknesses and aren't shy to ask for help, which is something I still need to work on.
The person I look up to the most is you. I trust you blindly, you showed me that it's okay to ask for help and that vulnerability isn't a bad thing.
You're a very inspiring person to be with and I love every single thing about you. You're the light of my life and I wouldn't want it any other way. The day I met you was the best day of my life and I#m insanely grateful to you" Mark smiled and planted a small kiss on Donghyuck's cheek, who was now sniffling. After the last confession, Donghyuck's sniffling turned into sobs and tears started streaming down his cheeks. Nontheless, he was smiling as if Mark had just surprised with 50 kittens and free muffins for the rest of his life.
"You're stupid, why am I the only one crying now" Dongyuck's sobbed and started hiccuping when he locked eyes with Mark.
Mark took out a handkerchief to wipe away Donghyuck's tears, the sweet action only making him cry harder.
"You're so mean, why would you say something so sweet to me" He blurted out and wrapped Mark into a bone crushing hug that nearly toppled them over.
"What am i supposed to do, it's true?" Mark defended himself and laughed, when Donghyuck's teary eyes met his own he couldn't help himself but also burst into tears.
Here they were, on a random balcony at ass o'clock in the morning sobbing in each other's arms.
"I've seen you cry a total of four times now and two were because of me, I don't think the sunshine part makes that much sense now" Donghyuck tried to laugh but only cried harder, so he buried his head in the crook of Mark's neck to try and calm down a bit. The familiar scent of Mark's cologne and the soothing hand on his back worked wonders.
"I feel comfortable showing my emotions around you, silly" Mark said and wrapped his arms even closer around Donghyuck, who was now fully relaxed in his embrace.
"I love you so much, what am I gonna do?" Donghyuck whispered after a few minutes in Mark's arms, when he started fully calming down.
"I feel the same and honestly, it's scary sometimes. But I couldn't live without you even if I wanted to" Mark whispered back and felt Donghyuck's arms tighten around him.
"Me too, you're the best thing that happened to me. Please never leave me" Donghyuck said and raised his head from Mark's neck to face him.
Mark being the sweet guy that he was, only locked eyes and started playing with the hair in Donghyuck's nape.
"I wouldn't dream of it." Mark finalized and closed the distance between them with a soft kiss.
Donghyuck's eyes fluttered shut at the contact of their lips. Mark's hand slipped to his waist to pull him onto his lap and get him even closer.
The kiss didn't last as long as the previous one, and it wasn't as deep. It felt more like a confession, a confirmation of Mark's words and a promise to stay with him in the future.
"I know the next months are a bit scary with me finishing school and everything" Mark said as he broke the kiss and rested his head on Donghyuck's shoulder. "But I promise i'll always stay by your side. You're my person and nothing will change that"
"I know Mark, thank you for confirming it though. I'm a bit scared of the future, but we'll make it through together."
~
Donghyuck was 18 when Mark finished high school and got accepted to a university close by. His new place was only a 40-minute drive by car, so they could meet each other often, but it was different from living next door.
And this is how they experienced their second longer period apart.
"So this is it?" Mark questioned, sitting on his bed in his now half-empty room. Donghyuck was sitting next to him, hands tightly intertwined and unshed tears in both of their eyes.
"I guess so" Donghyuck sadly answered and looked around Mark's room. Some pictures of the two best friends were still hung up on the wall, but majority were safely packed up in Mark's suitcase to take to his new home. His favorite picture of them was also in Mark's suitcase, the one they took at the amusement park a year ago. It was a selfie of Mark turning nearly green after a harsh roller coaster and half-heartedly glaring at Donghyuck, since he was the one who had promised a "chill" ride. Still, Mark couldn't be mad at him, so glaring was actually a crooked smile. Donghyuck was standing next to salty Mark, one arm around his shoulders and a big grin on his face.
"I'm gonna miss you" Donghyuck said after a few seconds of silence. "So much, I don't know what to do without you. You're my best friend, I don't want to lose you"
Mark was silent after that, his hand squeezing Donghyuck's like it was the last thing holding him together. All of a sudden, he felt Mark starting to shake slightly next to him. When he spun around, he saw Mark's head hanging low and a few tears rolling down his face and landing on his jeans.
"Markie" he choked and quickly closed the distance between them with a hug. Mark clung onto him like a lifeline and only started shaking harder, heartbreaking sobs escaping him. And Donghyuck couldn't hold himself together any longer. The tears started streaming down his cheeks and wetted Mark's hair, who was now fully wrapped in Donghyuck's arms. Donghyuck felt Mark needing his support right now, even if he was struggling himself, so he started rubbing circles onto Mark's back and snuggled even closer, if this was even humanly possible.
"You have to call me every day and tell me about what you did. You need to introduce me to your new friends, talk about the content of your classes, even if I don't get what they're teaching you and invite me over at least twice a week so I can cook for you, otherwise i fear you'd starve to death with your cooking skille" He tried to lighten up the mood and was rewarded by a small Mark laugh, success.
"I know very well how to cook, thank you very much" He smiled and peeled his face from Donghyuck's neck to look at him. "I hope you visit at least three times a week, the other days i'll visit you and if we really can't make it I'll FaceTime you."
"Pinky promise?" Donghyuck asked and was now fully smiling at Mark, who already held out his hand.
"Anything for you" He answered and interlocked their pinkies. "And I'll tell you everything about boring classes and new friends. But you'll have to keep me updated, I need to know what's going on between Jeno and Renjun."
"Oh absolutely, you have the gossip source as your soul mate, I won't disappoint" Donghyuck winked, which made Mark burst out laughing. Donghyuck's stomach did a little flip at the comment of new friends and maybe even a potential lover? But they had talked about this countless times before and were on the same page, that their friendship was too time consuming for either of them to have a partner, but was that information still up-to-date?
"Mark by the way, about a relationship..?" Donghyuck suddenly got a bit shy and trailed off, but Mark probably knew what he was talking about.
"What, you mean the relationship between us?" He asked and his eyes suddenly started sparkling. would he burst into tears again?
"No, not really.. I mean kinda? But more between you and someone else and I guess that also affects our friendship. I just wanted to know if we're still on the same page or if your opinion will change now that we can't spend that much time together anymore?" He asked and started anxiously fiddling with the hem of Mark's (technically his but who cares about the details?) sweater.
"Hyuck, look at me" He said and raised Donghyuck's head gently by placing his palm on his cheek and looking at him lovingly. "I was gonna talk to you about this but I wanted to wait for the right moment. I guess this is it" He chuckled but didn't seem nervous at all, more secure in what he was about to say, so Donghyuck only returned the loving gaze and prepared to listen.
"I was thinking a lot about the past few months, years basically. And-long story short- I basically came to the conclusion that I'm in love with you. Like romantically, not platonically. I mean platonically too because you're my best friend and everything, but I also have romantic feelings for you. Like very romantic, but we don't have to get into detail." Mark trailed off, and Donghyuck only stared at him with big eyes.
Oh
Oh
And then everything made sense. Mark kept talking in the background but Donghyuck couldn't really listen to him. Mark was in love with him, romantically! And apparently, Donghyuck seemed to feel the same judging from the butterflies that just exploded in his stomach. He could feel his cheeks starting to heat up and thought of every single interaction they had, which could be counted as a romantic interaction. So basically everything they ever did. How did it take him so long to notice? He was in love with Mark!
"I'm in love with you" He suddenly blurted out and managed to interrupt Mark's yapping session, which was crazy since nobody ever managed to stop Mark's yapping flow.
The two locked eyes and Mark's face suddenly turned into a human tomato with how red he got.
"Wait, really?" He asked and scooted closer to Donghyuck on the bed. Getting the hint, Donghyuck nodded enthusiastically and intertwined their hands. "I am, I love you Mark Lee. Platonically and romantically, more romantically!" He exclaimed and suddenly sprang up from the bed, dragging Mark with him.
"Great! I really am in love with you too, like a lot." He giggled and let go of Donghyuck's hands to wrap him in a hug and spin him around the room.
"I love you but please let me down or else I fear I'll throw up." Donghyuck laughed after a few rounds around the room and was safely placed onto the ground again. "Thank you! But what do we do now.
I've never been in a relationship so should we shake hands, kiss, hug some more?"
"Well, I guess we can just do whatever you want but I'd like to kiss you if that's okay" Mark smiled almost shyly and stepped closer.
"I'd love that" Donghyuck grinned back and threw his hands around Mark's neck. That was apparently all he was waiting for, since Mark immediately leaned in and oh boy did fireworks explode when their lips finally connected. They couldn't stay serious for too long, excitement and giggles overtaking the serious emotions so they eventually broke apart and spent a good minute just staring at the other in silence.
"Now I'll have a whole boyfriend to look forward to when I come back home" Mark exclaimed happily and placed a small peck on Donghyuck's nose, who only smiled in return.
"I mean, you haven't asked me yet to be your boyfriend officially, so technically I'm still single right now" Donghyuck winked and pointed at himself "This could be all yours"
Mark burst into laughter at that and only managed to hit Donghyuck's shoulder twice before collapsing on the floor. "Dudeeee, don't say it like that" He wiped away a tear before locking eyes with Donghyuck and only laughing harder.
"Don't call me dude when you were about to ask me out, man" He emphasized and rolled his eyes at Mark, who was still laughing on the floor. "I'll have to do everything by myself apparrently" He muttered and sat down next to Mark.
"Mark Lee, love and idiot of my life. Would you do me the honour and become my boyfriend, in sickness and in health?" He smiled at Mark, who got up in slow motion at the last words.
"Those are wedding vows, Hyuck" He nearly whispered and looked at him with big Bambi eyes.
"I know, I'm just practising. So, what do you say" He asked and returned the Bambi eyes, a tactic Mark couldn't say no to.
"You're so cute, of course I want to be your boyfriend. But I'll organize the proposal so we're equal with big questions" Mark smiled and placed his hands on Donghyuck's waist,, which was a bit awkward since they were still sitting but somehow, it was so them, so everything was perfect.
"Amazing idea, babe" He responded and smiled at Mark's blushing cheeks. "In all honesty, I really love you the most so make sure to never break my heart or my mom will curse your entire bloodline."
"Oh trust, I wouldn't dream of that. And I really love you the most too. You're my person and nothing will change that, not even university" Mark responded and sealed his promise with a soft kiss, their first one as a couple.
And somehow, everything started feeling okay. Mark leaving for university felt more bearable now that they were on the same page, and honestly, it was only one more year until Donghyuck graduated and could go to Uni himself. Luckily, his dream Uni was in the same city as Mark's, so they would be able to share an apartment and continue all their domestic chores.
Donghyuck truly couldn't wait for his future with Mark by his side, no matter if it was in a shitty University dorm, their own apartment or a landhouse with 3 cats. The important thing was that him and Mark would be the main characters in every chapter, and that was something he was sure would happen.