Head Down

◤twenty nine◢

How can Donghyuck hate Mark?

How can Donghyuck hate Mark, Mark Lee, who unintentionally wedged himself into Donghyuck's pitiful life? Who kept bumping into him against his own will, who was warming up to Donghyuck way slower than Donghyuck was warming up to him? The same Mark Lee who listened to Donghyuck talk about his pitiful life, the one who held his hand so gently. Who caressed his fingers so softly and who smiled at him so discreetly. Donghyuck thinks that Mark thinks he doesn't know, but he always caught his small smiles.

The same Mark Lee who took everything away from Donghyuck in a single afternoon. Mark, who held everything Donghyuck had to offer so gently and so tenderly in his hands, who crushed it all in a second. The Mark who Donghyuck let break his walls down, hell, who Donghyuck even invited inside.

Realistically, Donghyuck had many reasons to hate Mark. To the average eye, Donghyuck should hate Mark.

But he's Lee Donghyuck. And he doesn't feel what the average person does. He doesn't react the way an average person would. He doesn't even talk the way an average person would.

He's Lee Donghyuck, who can't bring himself to hate Jeno after the latter broke his heart. Lee Donghyuck, who can't help but adore Taeil with everything in him even after the divorce. Donghyuck, who can't hate Youngho no matter how much he tries, despite the elder taking everything golden in life away from him.

If Donghyuck can't hate any of them, how can he hate Mark?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

beautiful soul.
what a beautiful soul you have, lee donghyuck.
what a fascinating mind you have,
a pretty face you have,
a perfect smile you have.
what a hold you have.
on me, donghyuck.
what a hold you have on me.
captivated and completely enthralled is what you have me.
drawn in and drowned.
completely lost in you and everything you have to offer.
my mind is consumed by you, my dreams are only of you.
my smile is the brightest around you, my heart rate is the fastest near you.
don't you see, lee donghyuck?
i think i'm in love with you.

"Who is this?" Donghyuck asks softly, delicately peeling the sticky note off of his locker. He stares at it for a mere few more seconds before folding it up and shoving it into the pocket of his jeans. He clears his throat, turning around to look at Jaemin, expecting an answer to his question.

"No clue," Jaemin answers, shrugging his shoulders, despite recognizing the handwriting. "Admirer, perhaps." He helpfully supplies.

"Regardless of who they may be," Donghyuck starts, walking in the direction of his first class. "They have a way with words."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"Are you out of your mind!" Jaemin yells, throwing his backpack in some random corner of Mark's living room. He immediately marches to the kitchen, where he makes sure he's all up in Mark's face before he proceeds with his questions. "Are you in the right state? Do you have any idea what you're doing? Sticky notes, Mark Lee, what are you, innocently pining?"

Jaemin hears someone clear their throat, and he's confused because he knows it isn't Mark, who he's staring at. Slowly, Jaemin turns his head to where the voice came from, eyes bulging out of his sockets once he sees who's there.

"The fuck are you doing here?"

"Elegant as ever, my love," Jeno replies sarcastically, rolling his eyes but nonetheless making his way over and pecking Jaemin's forehead.

"You didn't answer my question," the youngest continues, crossing his arms over his chest while giving the other two boys a scrutinizing look. "It hurts my brain to see you two in the same room being civil."

"Well," Jeno starts, clearing his throat once again. "We just thought that it'd be too uncomfortable and unnecessarily awkward if your boyfriend and best friend didn't get along, you know? So we put our differences aside to honour our love for you and how much we treasure you."

"Are you done bullshitting? What is this?" Jaemin asks again, thoroughly unimpressed.

"Mark wants me to help him with Donghyuck," Jeno sighs, explaining the real reason anticlimactically.

"Yep," Mark confirms, smiling un-amusingly. "Don't think it's because I tolerate him."

"Is that why you gave me a romantic back hug—"

"Shut the fuck up Jeno—"

"Hey," Jaemin interrupts. "Let's stop there before it really does get unnecessarily awkward." It's silent for a few seconds before Jaemin continues. "Does that mean the sticky note was your idea?" He asks, turning around to look at Jeno.

"Donghyuck loves that shit," Jeno shrugs. "Poetry and pros. Mark here, happens to be quite good at poetry."

"I think the word you're looking for is talented." Mark butts in, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Bold of you to assume I'd ever call you talented—"

"He really liked it, if you were wondering." Jaemin cuts in again, putting a stop to their useless bickering. "Folded it up in his pocket."

"How do you know that?" Jeno asks with furrowed eyebrows, visibly confused.

"Oh, we just thought that it'd be too uncomfortable and unnecessarily awkward if your boyfriend and stepbrother didn't get along, you know? So we put our differences aside to honour our love for you and how much we treasure you." He recites with sass.

"It is eerie, how you two are made for each other," Mark offhandedly comments. "Real reason though?"

"We're friends now. Somewhat," he answers. "Getting there. Might take a few more bouquets of flowers, but it'll happen."

"I see," Mark hums. "So you can be an insider. Collect intel."

"Yeah, cause I've always wanted to be a spy," Jaemin sarcastically answers. "You may be my best friend, Mark hyung, but I don't want any part in the mess that is yours and Donghyuck's relationship."

"But Jaemin," Mark shallowly whines, ignoring the judgemental look Jeno sends his way. "It has to be you! Donghyuck hates Jeno, he isn't going to tell him shit."

"Dude, I'm right here," the aforementioned boy scoffs, seeming mildly offended.

"Sorry, I don't tend the notice the irrelevant."

"Are you gonna act like I didn't give you the sticky note idea? Like I'm not a vital part of your plan—"

"If I say yes, Mark hyung, will you two please stop being annoying?" Jaemin snaps.

"Sure!"

"No fucking promises, babe. Mark is different breed of irritating."