24: mark!

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"donghyuck, wait," mark called after the boy, who had sprinted off from the cafeteria.

the peachy-haired boy stopped in the empty corridor, glancing back at him.

"please go away," donghyuck said shakily, before turning and running off again.

but mark already knew where he was going when he saw him disappear through the doors. so he ran to the theatre.

the dark-haired boy fiddled with his long sweater sleeves as he pushed open the stage door and went through. he heard a door slam open, hitting a wall, near the dressing rooms. he didn't even know why he had gone after donghyuck.

there was a chance he could do something... unpredictable, based on what he knew of the peachy-haired boy's personality.

but donghyuck was upset, and for mark, that was reason enough.

"donghyuck?"

there was a sniff, muffled sobs from the biggest dressing room. mark glanced at the gold star on the open door as he cautiously entered.

"donghyuck?" he repeated, finding the boy huddled in a corner next to the costume rack and surrounded in bits of unfinished costume.

the peachy-haired boy looked up, scrubbing at his eyes.

"i thought i told you to fuck off," he snapped, though his voice cracked as he his his face in his hoodie sleeves.

"not today, you didn't," mark remarked. "are... you okay?"

"i'm fucking fantastic, yes," donghyuck retorted.

"donghyuck, it's okay to be upset," mark said quietly, slowly approaching him. "jaemin was obviously trying to-"

donghyuck started sobbing into his sleeves.

mark stood there awkwardly before sitting down next to donghyuck. he reached out and patted his shoulder.

"mark," donghyuck said in a choked voice. "you d-don't understand..."

"why you're such an asshole all the time?" mark said lightly, "no, i really don't get that."

donghyuck snorted, throwing mark a glare.

"i don't understand why you're crying, either, no," he added softly, wondering where this new-found empathy had arisen from. he was never good at comforting people. "but, uh, if you needed to hug me again like last time-"

donghyuck cut him off by throwing his arms around him in a tight hug.

no getting away from it now, mark, he thought.

so mark just hugged him back, as donghyuck continued crying.

hundreds of different reasons for donghyuck being reduced to tears flew through mark's mind. there was no way he'd be crying his eyes out just over the almost-fight with jaemin. donghyuck had never seemed so sensitive before. so what could be wrong? mark's mind went to the worst possibilities of its own accord. oh, fuck, what if-

"shut up," donghyuck mumbled into mark's shoulder.

"i... didn't say anything-"

"you were thinking," donghyuck huffed, moving his face a little. mark felt warm tears from donghyuck's cheek brush his neck. "it's annoying."

"oh," mark murmured, "...sorry?"

donghyuck gave a spluttering laugh through his slowly subsiding sobs.

"you laughing at me now?" mark muttered, his cheeks going even redder than they were from having donghyuck hug him for so long. what was he even doing here? his brain wailed at him.

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