𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 | markhyuck

sixteen

"You smell like lavender," Mark hummed and tightened his hug, arms moving to encircle Donghyuck's waist.

The younger sighed in content and nuzzled his face into Mark's chest. He pulled away gently and looked poignantly at him, conveying through his eyes exactly what he was feeling and thinking. He was beyond happy to see Mark but was also reluctant to lead him to the door when the time came. There was an inner conflict that could only be solved by Mark's assertiveness.

Mark just leaned forward lovingly and kissed his forehead, leaving a tingling sensation on the other's skin. "It's okay. I know that my headaches have been symbolic of a terminal problem."

"But are you-?"

He was silenced when a pair of lips matched his. His eyes widened at the unexpected interruption but he hesitantly brought his hands up to Mark's shoulders and closed his eyes. They melded together like the final piece of a jigsaw. Their lips remembered each other from their first kiss, reminiscent of that moment. But the older pulled away to explain to Donghyuck. The other boy searched the air for a moment and opened his eyes on Mark's amused face. "I think I'd like to tell you more about myself. There isn't much more to me than you already know, but I should mention that I live alone."

Donghyuck nodded and caressed his shoulders comfortingly.

"It's because I don't have a family or any friends, that I'd like to keep visiting you. There's no one who'd miss me." He lifted his hand and ran it through Donghyuck's hair, resting it on his cheek for him to lean into. "You're the only person I care about."

"Mark..."

"And so, there really isn't anything I'm holding onto in life. I work to pay bills and eat and drink to survive, but with no real purpose at the same time. You're the only one for me." He rubbed his thumb over Donghyuck's cheek cupped in his palm.

"You really aren't scared?"

"Well," he smiled faintly and leaned forward to touch his forehead against the other's, "not really. You'll be the last person I see. What's so scary about that?"

"The door..."

Mark shrugged. "The door? Is that what the souls pass through?" A nod was a sufficient response. "Have you ever seen the other side?"

Donghyuck shook his head and stared at the warm eyes opposite his, foreheads together gently. "It's a sure fire way to lose my job."

The dark-brown-haired boy nodded understandingly and stepped back, hand outstretched for Donghyuck to take. The confident smile of his was impossible to doubt or refuse. Donghyuck found that his hand slid into the other one without much thought. He was immediately tugged to follow as Mark led him to the area where the grass flattened. Their usual spot. They plopped onto the ground, eyes meeting romantically, closer to each other than normal. "I think..." Mark trailed off and shook his head as though he had annoyed himself by bringing it up. "Never mind."