𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀; markhyuck

[𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛]

DAY ONE : 23:46

the steam swirled into undefined shapes before escaping into the colder air and eventually fading. the pattering of water was different from earlier. this time it offered donghyuck a certain warmth and security instead of the dread and hopelessness that he had felt before.

the smell of strawberries wafted through the heated air that surrounded the utterly exhausted boy. he leaned his hands against the walls, his fingers curling slightly to find grip against the water coated surface.

with shut eyes and a busy mind, donghyuck stood beneath the nozzle, enjoying how relaxing and comforting the shower was after such a long and confusing day.

his mind had drifted from one thing to the next as he tried to solve all of his issues in his head, but a thought that lingered longer than the others was mark lee.

it was nearing midnight, but donghyuck found that regardless of how exhausted he felt, he simply wasn't able to sleep. so to waste time, he had laid in his bed for two hours, so tired yet so awake. it was restless really.

in the dead of night, when everyone had retired to their rooms for sleep, donghyuck found himself standing in the shower, trying the sort through his busy mind. there was so much going on, and it was all thanks to lee chaeyoon.

"she's gotten better, hyuck," his mother had said after giving him one last tight hug. "i know she's been all over the place, but she'll take good care of you."

donghyuck had spent the whole flight wondering if his sister's promise to care for him would come true. now he waited for his fate to play out, and meeting the famous actor sure did twist it slightly. maybe this whole ordeal wasn't as bad as he had first thought.

he sighed gently as he turned off the shower and wiped away some of the condensation upon the clear door, not wanting to leave the shower, as he knew he'd have to sleep. still, the korean boy pushed the door open and stepped out.

after drying himself at a rather slow and unbothered pace, he entered his room with the provided white towel wrapped around his waist loosely, leaving very little to the imagination.

again, he found his eyes naturally flitting over to the leather wallet on his nightstand. a small smile crept onto his face as he began to dress himself again with the clothes that he'd pulled from his luggage, which was still packed up in the corner. that was a job he'd deal with tomorrow.

he pulled the white t-shirt over his head, humming quietly as the soft fabric almost cooled his skin down. it was the peak of summer, and although night had fallen, the temperatures hadn't, even after the odd downpour earlier.

finally, with the dimmed lights and heavy eyes, donghyuck fell further and further from consciousness until he was surrounded by complete darkness. the softness of the mattress beneath him almost coerced him into rest, and he didn't deny it this time.

oh how peaceful it was...

•.•.•

the glass walls of his penthouse felt cool beneath his fingertips as he stood by the window, watching the city lights glow so beautifully.

mark stood with a glass of wine in one hand, not tearing his gaze from the view of the city that he loved so much. the thought of complete silence was impossible. be it the honking of car horns, or the chatter of the kids returning from parties, mark found that it was always buzzing with life.

only when his phone let off a rather annoying ringtone did he step away. he was quick to place the glass filled with the dark garnet-coloured alcohol down.

he glanced to the vibrating device, and with a displeased huff, picked it up. "mark?" the familiar voice of his manager chimed from the other end of the line. the younger hummed in acknowledgment while taking a seat on the comfy mattress. "don't forget you have a photo shoot for 'vogue' tomorrow," the elder warned.

mark replied with a small 'yeah', receiving a pleased response. he and his manager were rather close if he was to be honest. it was like a friendship more than an employer-employee relationship. "also could you do one thing for me?" the canadian added as his manager was about to hang up.

"anything for you."

"could you check on someone for me?...it's important."