never be the same • markhyuck/nahyuck

9

They went on like this for a whole month. Stealing glances, hiding their red faces, getting all shy. Finals had already begun. Even in their study sessions, they found reasons to cuddle and kiss each other's cheeks red instead of focusing on basic algebra. Donghyuck felt like a little child again. He felt loved, cherished and most importantly, he felt free. Free from any kind of negativity and stress whenever Mark was around. Never was he ever this comfortable around a person.

Mark felt the same way. He wanted to be Donghyuck's safe place, wanted to keep him safe from all evil in this world.

Jeno got used to Mark as well. They weren't the best friends but Jeno found something trusting in the latter.

But something that Donghyuck kept a secret from both of them were his reoccurring nightmares. They weren't even nightmares. He just dreamed about Jaemin, moreover, the pain Jaemin left in him. His heart still ached whenever Donghyuck saw Jaemin in the halls, after all, Jaemin used to be his whole world. And Na Jaemin left his world shattered, in a million pieces that Mark and Jeno tried to fix.

And Mark took it upon himself to be Donghyuck's savior, even if it took him a thousand years to fix his beautiful heart. Even if he had to glue all million pieces back together, piece by piece.

Autumn ended with the end of their exams. Donghyuck felt somewhat relieved but he still worried about the results. Mark was there to ease his anxiety, always reminding him of how proud he is of him and that bad grades do not matter when he has given it his all.

The second half of the term started, they were closer to graduating. To boost his resumé Donghyuck decided to do some extracurricular activities, and at his high school that only meant to do the teachers' dirty work. 

On this particular day, Donghyuck was tasked to supervise detention. It wasn't as bad as he thought though, he had plenty of time to get behind his school work. 

But what Donghyuck did not know was that Na Jaemin would be attending detention. 

His heart stops as he hears Jaemin's soft giggle as he enters the class. He was chatting with his new troublemaker friend. He swiftly walks to the back of the room and seats himself in the last row. As Jaemin looks up their eyes meet. Donghyuck's heart freezes. He quickly looks away but still catches the smooth grin on Jaemin's face. How could he just smile at him like that? Doesn't his heart hold any guilt over what he has done? Donghyuck curses at him. 

A couple of minutes later the room seems to be filled. He grabs the attendance paper and looks through the class. Five people were listed but only four showed up. 

"I'm going to read out your names and I'll need a small response from you if you're attending.", Donghyuck says and proceeds to read the names out loud.

".. Park Jimin?". "Here."

"Park Jisung?". "Here."

" Kim Solhyun?". "Here."

" Lee Jaebum?". No answer.

The last name on the list was Jaemin's. He bit his tongue before he was able to get his name from his lips.

"Na Jaemin?".  "Yes."

Donghyuck looks up and their eyes meet again. His stomach feels all weird. 

"You have detention until 3 pm until then you guys should stay in this room and be quiet, I don't care about what you are doing if it's quiet if you need to go to the toilet-", Donghyuck starts lecturing them but is interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Oh, I need to go the toilet", Jaemin says in a rather teasing tone.

"as I said, if you need to go to the toilet, you get the key from me and clock in and out on this sheet.", he points at the piece of paper on his desk. Everyone seems to understand and gets their stuff out. 

Donghyuck sighs in relief and opens his algebra book. He feels so tense and hot. Being in a room with the guy that broke your heart feels terrifying to him. He hopes that a little mathematics could take his mind off. But his plans were interrupted by someone tapping his arm. 

He looks up and shivers at the sight of Jaemin.

" I need the key.", he says in a daring voice. But what was so daring in this situation? Was he making fun of him?

"Oh, um, sure.", he puts the key in front of the desk and motions at the sheet of paper.

Jaemin just takes the key, without signing the paper, and rushes out. 

Donghyuck sighs and clocks him in. 

Detention goes on smoothly, Donghyuck is focusing on algebra and the other students are doing their own thing. Well, it was going smooth until one of them came up to Donghyuck.

"I need to use the restroom", Jimin says. Donghyuck realizes that the key is with Jaemin and Jaemin is missing for almost half an hour by now. He shakes his head, what kind of supervisor would let a student miss detention? The teachers would never give him such an opportunity for his resumé again if he fucks this up.

"Wait here, I will look for the key", he says as he sprints out of the room.

Where the hell is Jaemin? He runs to the restroom first, but no sight of Jaemin. Donghyuck's heart pounds, he was always anxious about failing, even if it is just failing a simple task for your teachers. "Fuck this", he mutters and searches the hallways. Still no sight of his past lover. His last hope was the schoolyard.

And surely, someone was sitting outside. Smoking. 

Jaemin is smoking? Donghyuck remembers the times Jaemin scolded him for even touching a cigarette at parties. How did he become a smoker? How did he become something he once despised most? 

Donghyuck moves closer to the boy and before thinking the words spluttered off of his lips. 

"You are smoking?". He quickly regrets his words.

Jaemin turns to Donghyuck and looks him directly in the eyes. He laughs bitterly, putting what was left of his cigarette out. "That's the first thing you're saying to me?", Jaemin says bluntly, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Sorry, I didn't want to, again sorry, I need the key for the restrooms back.", he awkwardly says, heat creeping up his cheeks. 

Suddenly it felt so much colder. Jaemin puts on a smooth grin and steps forward to Donghyuck. He got closer and closer and suddenly they are only centimeters apart. Jaemin looks into Donghyuck's brown eyes and something inside Donghyuck feels sickly joyful.

"I still make you nervous, don't I?", Jaemin giggles and tucks Donghyuck's hair behind his ear. 

His world stops for a second. By now Donghyuck is bright red, heart-pounding ever so hard at his chest. He fears that Jaemin might hear his fast pacing heartbeat. 

What is going on? What is happening to him, what is this feeling? Why was Donghyuck so affected? 

He finally gets a hold of himself and steps back. 

"I-i need the key.", he looks away. 

He feels Jaemin grab his hand and put the cold key in his palm. 

The part of his hand that Jaemin just touched left a tingling sensation. 

"Here you go, Hyuckie."

His heart stops. He has no right to call him that old name. Donghyuck turns away from him and makes his way back to class, leaving Jaemin behind.

He is feeling all types of emotions. 

Anger, at Jaemin and himself. Sadness, because he never fully recovered from the heartbreak. Disappointment, he feels disappointed that Jaemin still has an effect on him. And weirdly Euphoria, he feels euphoric. 

He feels like breaking down any minute but he somehow keeps it together. The fear to disappoint his superiors is way bigger than the urge to cry. 

And just like that, Donghyuck goes back and sits there numb, for an hour straight until someone has to remind him that Detention was over.