Rainbow | Markhyuck

thirty

Message from My Milk Hyung 🐯: why aren't you getting better babybear

Message from My Milk Hyung 🐯: you were supposed to be okay

Message from My Milk Hyung 🐯: you were supposed to live

Mark took his hand off Donghyuck's phone as it vibrated the last time, glancing over at him. He clenched his fist, staring gloomily at Donghyuck, the young boy struggling to take even the slightest breath. His head twitched slightly every now and then, a permanent pained expression sewed into his golden features.

Unable to listen to the quiet whimpers that came from him, Mark drifted out into the hall. He landed softly on the floor, turning and leaning on the wall behind him, staring up into the void of the empty, white walls. Pristine floors, kept to the highest of standards. A blindingly white ceiling, something that could easily be printed into the memory. A clear space, a strong smell of detergent wafting around. A faint drone sound that he couldn't quite pinpoint the location of. Mark knew these things off by heart, committing the scene to remains of his memory over the past two days.

Anything to take his mind away from the boy deteriorating before him.

A lie covered by white walls and disinfectant, that the patients were fraying, withering away in the "care" of the staff and families.  

The rest of the boys had come later on that day, and each of them had visited Donghyuck each day after school. They all left after visiting hours finished, expressions Mark wished he never saw in the first place. Chenle had barely made it out the door before collapsing into tears in Jisung's arms, Jisung trying his damn best to be strong for his boyfriend even if he seemed to be falling apart all over again.
Mark made sure to stay unseen from all of them. He didn't want to add to it. They would really think they were losing it,

He just wished he just left Donghyuck from the beginning. Not that he could've anticipated it. But he still should have spared the young boy from this. If only he had disappeared in the first three days. Then Donghyuck would've bounced back just fine, moving on with his life even if Mark subtly wished he didn't.
He could've just floated around, silently helping the boy out without causing him harm. Watch Donghyuck graduate, get into uni, get a job, fall in love, marry, and live his life without him necessarily being there, even if he really really didn't want to. He should've been selfless, he should've let Donghyuck go. 

He just didn't want to move on.

Not without him.

To be honest not without any of them. But he was more sure he'd find them all eventually in the future. He just didn't want to take that chance with someone he was so sure was his forever. The one person that he was supposed to keep for the rest of his life, no matter the way.

"Mark?"

The young male's head darted up to a very very shocked elder woman. Mark blinked for a moment before bowing with wide eyes. "Ajumma. You can-...you can see me?"
"I..." Mrs Bahng gasped before walking forward, "I thought-" She was cut off as she attempted to put her hands on his shoulders, going straight through him. "Oh."
Mark chuckled a little in his distraught, "Yeah, its-its not exactly a functional form."
"Right..." she nodded, glancing over him a few times. "I...I thought Donghyuck was going insane."
Mark subtly clicked his jaw, not liking the way she spoke of her son, but still smiled politely. "Seems he wasn't." He looked down at his hands, extending them in front a little. "I've gotten a bit better at being visible to some people, though I was sure I was completely invisible."
Mrs. Bahng shrugged glancing to her side, "maybe you w-"

Mark furrowed his brows, glancing over to where Mrs Bahng was looking after she immediately snapped her mouth closed. He almost broke into laughter as a nurse seemed to be looking back at her as if she were going insane, probably wondering if she needed to be checked into the mental ward.
As soon as the nurse went into the room, the elder lady clicked her tongue. "Maybe I am going insane."
Mark laughed softly, feeling the insanity within himself.

Ms. Bahng sighed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She glanced over her shoulder to her son's room, her face falling ever so slightly.
"...he's...he's not doing so good."
Mark nodded, humming in response. "But he'll get better."
Ms Bahng jerked her head slightly, before turning to look up at the young apparition. She furrowed her brows slightly, raised at his delusions. "You don't really believe that, do you?"
Mark casted his sight aside. Donghyuck will be okay. "He's supposed to live, Ajumma." He was supposed to be okay, supposed to thrive.
Mrs Bahng shook her head, rubbing Mark's arm as she consoled him. "Honey," she said in slight exasperation, "he's barely clinging on."

She dropped her hand, pursing her lips into a defeated smile. "As much as I'd like to agree with you, I can't delude myself. Donghyuckie...my son...I don't think he'll make it. I don't think I want him to either. He just seems to be in an endless cycle of pain that'll continue even if he lives. I don't want that for him."  She turned back, glancing through the small window into the darkened room. She sighed, turning her head back to Mark. "You have to take him."

Mark shook his head immediately. "I will not."
"He's suffering," she pleaded.
"Well heal him."
"You know it won't work, Mark."
Mark flinched slightly as if he were jabbed in the stomach, her words thrown to wound him though not her intention.
Mrs Bahng shut her eyes, the discomfort and torment in her face worsening as she tried to collect herself. She turned her head forward, opening her eyes into a hard expression. "Just...think about it," she spoke softly.

Mark watched her figure walk away, the visiting hours for the day having closed a while ago. Hopefully that's why the nurse looked their way.
The young spirit huffed, drifting back through the door to his post beside the bed.

She was wrong. Mark was so fucking sure of it. Donghyuck's future was bright. Theatrical. Powerful. He'd leave with Jaemin, Jeno, Renjun, Chenle and Jisung and be whatever he wanted to be. He'd become a singer, or a dancer, or a teacher, or an astronaut. Whatever he did, he'd soar, and he'll be as bright and as bubbly as ever. Everyone would know Lee Donghyuck for the wonderful person he is and how capable he was of everything. He was to be light in everyone's darkness. The breath of freedom in everyone's life. He was to be safety.

He had to be.

Donghyuck's breathing had become a little laboured, panting a bit as he was out of breath. He then winced and turned his head ever so subtly toward Mark.

The older boy knelt down beside him, cupping his face and running his thumb across his cheek. Donghyuck's pretty face had hollowed, withering away. Dark circles so prominent around his eyes, almost complementing the moles that scattered around his warm toned skin. He wished he could say something, but in all honesty he wouldn't know.

He wouldn't be...would he...

Mark shuffled forward and laid his head down on Donghyuck's chest, holding on to Donghyuck's arm that draped across his chest. He shut his eyes, letting silent tears fall, disappearing just as they landed on Donghyuck's skin.