never be the same • markhyuck/nahyuck

1

donghyuck'

It is a bloody cold autumn day.

Donghyuck is in the library, on his laptop, scrolling through his Tumblr feed, even though he promised himself to go studying. Yet again, he believes in being a procrastinating mess.

Not a procrastinating mess in the normal context, he just likes to think that he's procrastinating by simply zoning out or doing something that is not productive for once. 

The bad weather ruins his golden mood, he was way happier early in the morning, when he woke up through the sunray instead of his annoying alarm clock.

He wanted to go out with friends to study, but their motivation hit grounds after the rain was pouring for two hours straight. Donghyuck is meant to study alone for that day.

He refreshes his dashboard over and over again, as his eyes catch up to something that arouses an uncomfortable feeling in his gut.

"who were you before they broke your heart?", the Tumblr post read.

the same question repeats itself over and over again in Donghyuck's head. Breathing in, he quickly closes his laptop and tries to brush his thoughts off, that start evolving around his ex-boyfriend.

He didn't want to waste a single thought on him, that was his new years' resolution.

Nevertheless, he was the one who broke his goddamn heart into a million pieces. A million pieces that Donghyuck had to pick up himself, completely isolated from his surroundings, to get over him.

An unsettling feeling grows in his chest, as well as a cute frown appears on his face, as he has to open his laptop again.

He's stuck in the library, he just wanted to finish a few of his papers that are due to next month but the autumn weather canceled his plans of getting home on time. It's raining heavily and there's literally not a single soul outside.

He sighs as he logs out of Tumblr and writes another paragraph of how our ecological footprint affects the world.

His teacher asked him to do it in the next few weeks and he has this weird habit of doing everything the moment he's tasked with it.

He likes his things well organized and his grades high, something no one could've even thought of one single year ago. Not that people thought he was dumb, he was just the more outgoing type of person that liked doing illegal things underaged.

But he quickly changed after the hell he has gone through.

The heartbreak he claims to be over about.

Even though the break up was a year ago, people couldn't stop gossiping and asking him about what went down. They knew that his ex broke up with him to study abroad but not more, they don't even know for what country his ex left and what made him leave.

It was and is all just rumors, since the day he decided to leave Donghyuck alone.

"..i did not know my ecological footprint was that big..", he mumbled as he sees a bright 4.2 appear on his screen.

It's a beginning, he thinks. He wants to be better, even if it takes to be environmentally sustainable.

He sighs and saves his presentation, all he cares about is getting home now. He packs his laptop in his backpack and looks through the library.

There are just a few middle schoolers, waiting for their mother to pick them up and the librarian.

He rolls his eyes and sits somewhere near the gates.

Should he text his friends?

They must be busy though, he thinks. He can't reach his parents because they're on some kind of business trip.

What about his brother? Or rather his half brother, Byun Baekhyun. Their relationship wasn't the best but it is better now since Donghyuck was so determined to change. Baekhyun was the first one he decided to apologize to, after all, he has known Donghyuck all his life.

His debating process is troubled by a dark voice next to him.

„What are you doing here, this late, Lee?", he teases.
He proceeds to snap out of his thoughts.

He just looks at Mark Lee's face in the most annoyed way possible.

"I see, you need a ride home and we're practically neighbors so,
let me take you home ?", he asks, smiling warmly at him.

Donghyuck looks outside, it's still storming.

"My mother taught me not to interact with strangers", he says and glares at him. He'd find a way home, it's not like there would be a possibility to stay the night in the library.

"So the times you got out to party and got drunk with strangers don't count ?", he teasingly asks.

He scoffs. He didn't have to confront him with his past like that.
But he really needs a ride home, so his mind starts debating.

And he finally comes to a conclusion.

"Fine, I'll come with you but only if you won't kidnap me, Mr", he says and Mark beams at his decision.

"Of course not"

They get in the car and Mark proceeds to drive.
It's the first time Donghyuck interacts with his ex-best friend after what happened.

It's the first time Donghyuck is able to look at him again, without anger and disenchantment spluttering in his chest.

It's the first time Donghyuck realizes how much his once bestest friend changed, and how handsome he got over the past year.

And it's the first time Donghyuck isn't reminded of him, the one that made not only his life but also their friendship crumble.

"take a pic, Hyuck, it lasts longer", Mark says, smirking confidently.

It's been a while since Mark called him that, Hyuck.

"shut up, Lee", Donghyuck turns away and fumbles with his fingers.

"make me", he grins.

The first thing Donghyuck is reminded of is their make-out session on Mark's first party.
Why? He doesn't know, but his heart beats faster at this sudden flash of memory. His cheeks grow hot.

"Mark", Donghyuck suddenly says.

"Huh?"

"i-it's nothing, I just wanted to say your name, didn't say it in a while you know", he awkwardly laughs it off.

But Mark raises his eyebrow, "Just tell me, Hyuck", he says.

Donghyuck falters, should he ask him? Would he mind?

And then and there Donghyuck realizes, he realizes how sad all of this got.
The person he used to tell everything to, the person he used to trust the most, now has no idea of what's happening with his life.
Then and there his heart broke a little more.

°