upstaged || markhyuck

18: okay?

tripping over a costume rail was not how mark wanted monday to start. it wasn't even the beginning of the day, classes had ended but for a stagehand, rehearsals were when his day officially started. everything else could be forgotten until the musical was over.

"fuck," he muttered, his face still against the floor.

and then someone walked into him.

"oh, you should watch where you're-" donghyuck began.

mark clenched his fists in embarrassment.

"...lying down?" the peachy-haired boy finished unsurely. he shook his head, grabbing mark by the hood and helping him up. "oh... it's you." he murmured upon coming face to face with the stagehand.

"hi?" mark uttered, biting his lip.

donghyuck jerked his gaze away from mark's lips and crossed his arms.

"be careful," he said, to mark's surprised. but of course he added, "i could have tripped over you and ruined my perfect face."

"of course," mark muttered, shaking his head.

"chen, where are you?" mr byun called.

"here, sir!" donghyuck shouted back, "i was just looking for water!"

"well, hurry up, luna is still waiting for you to kiss her!" mr byun responded, having taken to calling the cast by their character's names, unfortunately for all the understudies.

donghyuck took a sidelong glance at mark before hurrying back onstage.

"but mr byun," he whined, "we don't have to actually kiss now, do we?"

seungyeon winced. "i don't really want to kiss him either, sir. i have a boyfriend," she said.

"luna, in this musical, chen is your boyfriend," mr byun sighed. "it's just acting, babes!"

mark silently watched, arms folded, from the wings.

"i suppose i can't force you," the drama teacher sighed, "let's move on with the scene. we can skip the kiss, today."

"hey, mark," said chittaphon, laying a hand on the senior's shoulder.

"hey, hyung," he said with a smile.

"having fun watching the rehearsals?" the thai man asked, smirking a little.

"hyung," mark protested, "what are you implying?"

"nothing," chittaphon said innocently. "help me move this costume rail to the art rooms, it's getting in the way here."

"oh, no, no," said renjun as mark and chittaphon got to the doorway of the art room. the chinese boy had paint palettes and brushes spread out over the floor along with numerous paper designs and a huge wooden board was propped up against one of the desks. "don't bring that in here, please."

mark sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead. he really needed to work out.

"why can't they just put wheels on this damn thing?" chittaphon muttered. "alright, it's going in the biggest dressing room, then."

"okay, hyung," mark sighed, and the two backed the heavy metal rail out into the corridor and towards the dressing rooms.

"it can just go in here," said chittaphon, nodding towards one of the doors.

they heaved the costume rail inside, leaving it against the wall.

"ugh," the thai man sighed, running a hand through his pale turquoise hair. he checked his watch. "bloody hell, i'm late. thanks, mark. the caretaker should lock up after everyone leaves."

"yes, hyung," mark replied, flashing him a smile as the older hurried from the dressing room. "what's he late for?" he wondered aloud.

"maybe he's got a hot date tonight," donghyuck suggested.

"holy fuck," mark gasped, clutching his chest. he turned around to see donghyuck lounging in front of the dressing room mirrors, feet up on the counter.

donghyuck rolled his eyes, taking his feet off the counter one by one. "that shocked to see me?" he drawled, standing up and walking over to mark. there was barely an inch in their height difference, but mark could feel it acutely. he pulled down his sweater sleeves over his hands and looked at the peachy-haired boy standing in front of him.

"uh," mark began, blushing. he mentally slapped himself. why did he have to be so awkward in front of this jerk?

donghyuck chuckled. "anyway, you're blocking the door."

mark quickly stepped aside, and donghyuck walked straight past him.

"ya, renjun!" donghyuck yelled on his way to the art rooms.

mark sighed, stuffed his hands in his pockets and left the school.

"what, bitch?" renjun shot back as the peachy-haired boy poked his head around the door. he grinned as he collected up his brushes, secretly glad that donghyuck had seemed to have gone back to his normal self after the party. annoying as donghyuck was, renjun liked seeing him smile again.

"hello, bitch," donghyuck laughed, "are you done here?"

"i think so," renjun answered, nodding. he wrapped an elastic band around his brushes and returned them to his tin. "are you?"

"yeah, mr byun is just blocking one of the girls' scenes," donghyuck said. he walked over to the huge piece of set that renjun had nearly finished. "that's looking good."

renjun gasped dramatically. "a compliment from lee donghyuck?"

donghyuck gave him a shove. "just take it, bitch."

renjun snorted. "fine, then," he whined. he put his paints away and got up, brushing off his jeans. but there were still spots of paint on his knees and ends of his sleeves. "oh, hyuck - what are you doing later?"

"uh, nothing, why?" he replied. "other than playstation, i guess."

"do you want to watch phantom of the opera-"

"hey, ren-ren," said jeno, entering the room and ruffling the chinese boy's hair.

"you done yet?" jaemin asked.

"actually," donghyuck began, looking at renjun.

"yeah, we're all done here," renjun said quietly, blushing as jeno wrapped an arm around his shoulders. he threw donghyuck am apologetic look.

"what we doing, then?" said jaemin.

jeno picked up renjun's satchel and slung it over his shoulder. "we were bored so we came to see if you guys were free," he explained, shooting donghyuck an eye smile.

donghyuck sighed, smiling back at his friend.

"well, let's just go back to my place and play on the wii," said jaemin, grabbing donghyuck's arm.

the peachy-haired boy shrugged him off. "lame," he droned.

jaemin scoffed. "you like it, too," he pointed out.

"sound like a plan," said jeno. "let's go."

the four walked back to jaemin's house and piled onto the sofa and armchair. donghyuck ran for the armchair so that he wouldn't get any complaints of his friends being squished by him. renjun, jeno, and jaemin were squished in on the sofa, and looked happy.

"hey, donghyuck," said jaehyun, poking his head around the living room door.

donghyuck smiled and waved at him.

"go away, hyung," jaemin whined.

jaehyun ignored him, looking back to donghyuck. you okay? he mouthed.

donghyuck nodded, but he could tell that jaehyun wasn't convinced.

the peachy-haired boy couldn't even convince himself.