Head Down

◤fifteen◢

"Donghyuck? You're home?"

"Donghyuck, are you crying?"

"Donghyuck—"

"Leave me alone!" Donghyuck yells, voice cracking because of how heavy his sobs are. His face is wet with tears, which seem like they'll never stop, and his eyes are puffy and red. He looks horrible, and Jeno wants to say he looks broken.

Donghyuck sees his stepbrother get up from the couch and make his way over, but that only upsets him more. The last person Donghyuck wants to see right now is Jeno.

"Donghyuckie—"

"No!" Donghyuck cries, shoving Jeno away by the chest. "Go away! I hate you!" Jeno is shocked by Donghyuck's words, never having heard something as hurtful from the other boy. Donghyuck and Jeno have always been attached at the hip, and have always been nothing but sweet and loving to each other. Hearing the words coming from the younger's mouth perplex and worry everyone in the living room: Jeno, Youngho and Jeno's mom.

Donghyuck runs into his room, slamming the door shut. Jeno is hot on his heels, hand reaching out to twist the knob, but a hand on his shoulder stops him.

"Don't," Youngho advises, knowing what his son would want the most right now: isolation. "I don't know what you did, but he doesn't want to see you right now."

"I didn't do anything," Jeno insists, strain in his voice, his eyes basically pleading for his stepfather to understand and believe him. "You know I wouldn't."

Youngho's eyes become sterner, and he's about to say something, but Jeno's mother opens her mouth first.

"That's enough Jeno," she says calmly. "Get some rest for now, talk to Donghyuck in the morning." Jeno shoots his mom a glare after she speaks, following her instructions nonetheless.

Jeno's relationship with his mother was... Complicated. Where Donghyuck and Youngho used to very close, only drifting once Youngho remarried, Jeno and his mother never had that original bond. Marrying Youngho wasn't the first time his mother had married, it was actually her second time. Jeno never had a father growing up, and the first time his mother remarried, her husband was everything Jeno could ask for, and more, in a father figure. Jeno was happy in that household, happy with his little family which was glued together. Jeno had a rougher time than his mother did when she divorced. Jeno didn't want to say goodbye to his family he didn't want to say goodbye to the only real father figure he's had in his life. But he had to, and he hated it. Ever since then, any want to rekindle his relationship with his mother was flushed down the drain. He'd be damned if he wanted to have anything more than what he has with her at the moment. When she finally married Youngho, her and Jeno had gotten into a pretty nasty argument about why it just had to Donghyuck's father. At the time, he and Donghyuck hadn't been on the best of terms, but once they cleared things up, Jeno decided that he doesn't mind having Donghyuck as a stepbrother. But that didn't excuse his mother, because Jeno still lost his family. And he'll never be able to forgive her for that, just like how he knows Donghyuck will never be able to forgive Youngho for breaking apart his family too.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"What're you doing, coming home so late?"

"Since when did you just come in?" Mark counters, toeing off his shoes. He then sits down beside Jaemin, who's on the kitchen island. "Get your ass off of where I make food."

Jaemin snorts, playfully bumping their shoulders together.

"As if you cook," Jaemin laughs lightly, swinging his legs back and forth. "But really. Where've you been Markie?" The younger asks.

"Don't even get me started," Mark mumbles, leaning his head onto Jaemin's shoulder. Mark is a bit afraid that the other is going to shrug him off and remind him that he very much now has a boyfriend, but he doesn't, and Mark feels a bit more lighter inside. At least Jaemin is still his best friend, before being Jeno's boyfriend.

"Rough day?" Jaemin questions.

"You don't even know the half of it."

Silence consumes the two of them for a while, neither of the boys saying anything to break the comfort. Eventually, one of Jaemin's hands come up to play with the elder's hair, tugging at the strands softly, while humming some serene tune. Mark is sure he's heard it before, but he can't quite place a finger on where.

"Jeno called a few minutes ago," the younger starts, slowing down his hand
movements. Mark is very tempted to just tell Jaemin to go home, since he doesn't want to hear any stories about Jeno. "Apparently Donghyuck is super mad at him." However, that phrase catches Mark's attention, and he's now one hundred percent attentive to what Jaemin has to say. "He doesn't know why though," he continues with a frown, and Mark internally rolls his eyes at the blatant concern Jaemin shows for his boyfriend. "It could have something to do with their parents though."

Mark perks up at that, lifting his head from Jaemin's shoulder. He's staring at Jaemin, urging the other to continue his story.

Mark knew there was something... Well, off, about Donghyuck's family dynamics, what with him always referring to his stepmother as 'her', and having whatever weird relationship he has (had?) with Jeno. And he wants the whole story, he wants to understand everything that happened. Donghyuck seemed awfully upset today, and as much as he and Mark don't have a relationship, Mark doesn't like seeing people sad.

"Donghyuck's dad was married before marrying Jeno's stepmom. According to Jeno, Donghyuck had the hardest time parting with his other dad during the divorce."

"Other dad?" Mark shrieks, eyes almost bulging out of his eye sockets with how shocked he is with the news.

"Mhm. The principal's bisexual, apparently."

Mark stays silent for a while, lost in his thoughts.

So Donghyuck used to have two dads? His family used to be just him, his father and his other father. And then, principal Seo had gotten a divorce, taking custody over Donghyuck? Mark wonders if Donghyuck has any contact with his other dad, but doesn't know if he should even ask the younger that. Instead, he resorts to Jaemin, who seems to know a bit too much about this situation for his own good.

"Do you know the reason they divorced?" The elder asks.

Jaemin shakes his head, and Mark is left with too many unanswered questions.