◤forty five◢

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"We have a problem," Donghyuck announces, sounding choked up on the phone.

His tone has Mark immediately sitting up straight, pressing the device closer to his ear so that he doesn't miss anything.

"Where are you?" Mark asks, already stepping into shoes so that he could get to Donghyuck as soon as possible.

"Mark hyung," Donghyuck calls again, sounding so strained that all the older boy wants to do is hold him close. But he doesn't know where he is. "Mark hyung there's a really big problem."

"Donghyuck, sunflower, breathe for me please, yeah?" The older boy starts slowly, using the softest yet most authoritative voice he could muster. "Please tell me where you are. I'm worried."

Before Donghyuck can answer, Mark hears some shuffling on the other end, and Jeno's familiar voice soon floods his ears.

"Taeil." Is all Jeno says, grunting as he always sounds a bit frazzled.

"What about Taeil?" Mark asks, voice more frantic as he plays all possible negative scenarios in his head. He doesn't like any of them; not a single bit, but with no answer coming from either of the boys on the other line, Mark's imagination is running wild. "Jeno! Answer me! I'm worried here too!"

As much as Mark can't stand Jeno at the moment, he seems more put together than Donghyuck, so an answer would be really appreciated.

"Mark, calm down a bit," Jeno says, doing the exact opposite of what he wanted Mark to do. "I need you to be coherent because Donghyuck is losing it." He continues, sounding more frantic than he did at the beginning of the call. "And Taeil is the closest thing I had to a father figure okay, so I'm not doing the best either— Fuck!"

Mark feels his heart sink.

Donghyuck isn't okay. And Jeno is the only other person there who could possibly be of any help, and if Jeno isn't okay either, Mark is going to lose his mind.

"Jeno," the older boy calls, finally trying to calm himself down. For Donghyuck and Jeno's sake. "Breathe. And then please tell me what's going on. Do I need to be there?"

Seconds pass by with the sound on the other line being Jeno's ragged breathing, but to Mark it feels like hours. He hasn't felt this anxious in a while, and the urge to do something is crawling under his skin.

"Okay." Jeno finally comes back, and Mark can hear him take a deep breath. "We're just at home, but you need to be here for Hyuck. A-And please bring Jaemin with you, I need him."

Mark feels his mouth go dry.

This couldn't be anything good.

"Yeah. Okay. Okay, do you guys need anything else?" He asks, walking out the front door and go Jaemin's. He's losing it himself, but he doesn't want Jeno to break before he can get there. Jeno has to be strong for Donghyuck, so for the remainder of the phone call, Mark will be strong for Jeno.

"Just you two. See you soon."

And Jeno hangs up, and Jaemin opens the door.

─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───

"Oh honey." Jaemin gasps, immediately taking in how pale Jeno looks. He disregards everyone else around them, and runs over to Jeno, holding him close.

Mark's eyes switch from them to Donghyuck, who's already staring at him. He can't tell what the younger is feeling, he looks blank.

There's about twenty feet between them.

Mark offers a smile. Donghyuck reciprocates.

Mark raises an eyebrow. Donghyuck nods.

Mark makes his way towards Donghyuck slowly. Donghyuck arms raise up just as slowly.

When they finally meet, warmth encases both of them. Donghyuck's hands are gripping onto the back of Mark hoodie, and he lets out a shaky sigh into the older boy's ear.

He doesn't say anything, Mark doesn't expect him to, and it's a weirdly comfortable silence. Mark is still anxious, still doesn't know what happened, and still wants to know why Jeno and Donghyuck seem to shaken up, but for the time being, he's put at a bit of ease knowing that he has an eye on Donghyuck.

Breaking the silence, Jaemin asks a question.

"Is your mom home, Jen?"

At the question, Donghyuck freezes in his hold. He can hear the way his breathing picks up at the question too, and he's struggling out of Mark's hug before the latter can even comprehend what's happening.

"Oh my God!" Donghyuck cries, sounding awfully too panicked to only be talking about his stepmom. "Jeno, Jeno what do we do?"

Jeno has also escaped Jaemin's hold, and his eyes tell the story that he's equally as panicked. He keeps chewing on his bottom lip, and his leg is bouncing up and down.

"Okay," he breathes out, hands on his hips as he looks Donghyuck in the eyes. "Okay." He repeats. "Fuck— I don't know."

Donghyuck lets out a scream of frustration, and Mark has had enough.

"What happened?" He asks firmly, loud too.

"Don't leave us in the dark, we're to help you guys. We love you." Jaemin adds, a bit softer in hopes of coaxing the two boys in distress.

"I don't even know how to say it," Donghyuck admits, humourlessly chucking. His tone reminds Mark of who he was when he first him at the park, and he hates it. That Donghyuck wasn't the real Donghyuck: that was the one he fabricated because he thought it'd be easier to go around like that. That was the Donghyuck who didn't let himself heal. And Mark never wants Donghyuck to go back to that.

"Taeil was like a dad to me," Jeno mutters, stirring up more confusion and worry inside the two clueless boys.

"Please," Mark quietly begs. He knows that no matter what he hears: it won't be a good thing.

"Taeil..." Jeno starts, taking a deep breath, as if trying to formulate the right words, or regulate himself. Or control himself.

"Taeil slept with my dad, fuck!" Donghyuck exclaims, spitting it out at once. It must shock even him, as he gasps after the words leave his mouth, letting a painful sound. "Fuck! What the fuck." He cries, digging the heels of his palm into his eyes. "This doesn't feel real, it literally isn't real," he mutters to himself, almost like a mantra, as if trying to convince himself.

Jaemin is speechless, watching Jeno with his mouth agape.

"Jen..." He starts, clearly at a loss for what to say.

"I know. I know. Just— Just hold me? I don't know what to do, Jaemin." Jeno admits, voice cracking near the end.

Jaemin complies.

Jeno calms down a bit.

Donghyuck remains muttering to himself.

Mark can't bring himself to think in this situation.

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