all the stars | nct dream

e l e v e n

Mark was sitting at his desk listening to his music when he received a text from his mom asking him to go out and get groceries, followed by a short list of things to buy. 

He sighed and reluctantly got up from where he was sitting. The weather was nice out today, it wouldn't hurt to go outside and get some fresh air. The grocery store wasn't too far of a walk from his house anyway.

The walk to the store was quick. Mark had his earbuds in and was enjoying the light wind blowing through the air. It was somewhat calming.

Just as he was about to step into the store, he saw a familiar figure walking out holding a bag in each hand along with a large pile of items in his arms. He could see the boy curse to himself quietly when the small pack of blueberries dropped out of his hold.

Mark, being the kind person that he is, couldn't help but run over and help him. 

The boy looked up and Mark was finally able to tell why he looked familiar. The boy was none other than lee Donghyuck.

He looked at Mark with an unreadable expression before bending down to pick up the blueberries, only for even more items to drop from his arms.

"Here, let me help you," Mark offered, bending down only for his hand to be lightly slapped away by the other.

"Mark, I'm fine," he said.

"That's a lot of stuff, I can help you carry some if you want." 

Donghyuck looked at Mark. "I'm fine, I really don't need help." He said, quickly picking up the items that he dropped and standing up.

Mark hesitated but decided to walk Donghyuck to his bicycle. He watched as Donghyuck quickly dropped the items into the basket at the front, and then placed a bag on each of the handles.

"Are you sure-"

"Yes, Mark. I've done this before." He said casually.

Mark still didn't seem very sure. The bicycle could easily tilt off balance from the bags, and it didn't really seem safe, but Donghyuck looked confident enough for Mark to believe him. "okay. I'll see you around then."

Donghyuck nodded. "yeah."

Mark continued to watch as Donghyuck got on the bike and began to leave. 

Just as he was about to turn around, he heard a slight crash and turned to see Donghyuck on the ground of the parking lot with his hand holding his knee and the bicycle on its side next to him.

Just as he had predicted.

Without thinking, Mark found himself quickly running over to the younger. "Are you okay?"

Donghyuck looked at Mark questioningly. "I thought I told you to leave," he said.

"You never told me to leave, you just said you didn't need my help," Mark stated simply.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. "Well, I still don't need your help, so you can leave now."

Mark hesitated as he watched the other stand up, or rather try to stand up. Donghyuck quickly winced at the pain and collapsed back down.

"shit," he muttered to himself.

Donghyuck's knee was badly scraped. There seemed to be a pretty deep cut, judging by the blood around it. Mark knew there was no way the other would make it home on his bike.

"Come on. My house isn't far, you can clean up the cut there." He suggested.

Donghyuck looked at Mark skeptically. "I'm really fine-"

Mark shook his head. "No your not."

Donghyuck threw his head back, finally realizing that Mark wasn't going to back down. "fine."

This got Mark to smile. "get on my back, you're not walking." He said.

Donghyuck was hesitant but finally decided that there was no use in arguing. Instead, he let Mark pull him up and onto his back. Mark lifted the bicycle, placing the extra items back into the basket and began walking home.

His grocery shopping would just have to wait.

Donghyuck was quiet, not saying a single word throughout the whole trip home. The boy was surprisingly light and easy to carry, despite the fact that Mark had one hand on the bike, pushing it alongside him while carrying Donghyuck with the other.

When they got inside, Mark set Donghyuck on the couch while he went to get bandages and a cloth.

Donghyuck watched as Mark cleaned the wound on his knee and Mark was too focused to notice Donghyuck's gaze on him.

When Mark was finished placing the bandage over the cut, he finally looked up. The two sat in an awkward silence, neither bothering to say anything.

"You know I'm okay with helping you right?" Mark asked, not really sure where he was going with this.

Donghyuck nodded. "I know," he said simply.

"Then why didn't you want to accept my help?" Mark asked, sounding genuinely confused. 

A few days ago at the orphanage, Donghyuck had seemed to fall into Mark's help easily. He was the one who broke into tears in Mark's shoulder and Mark was confused, to say the least. The other seemed fine with accepting Mark's help a few days ago, so why had that changed?

He looked at the younger who only gave a small shrug. "I don't know."

Mark sighed. Donghyuck obviously didn't want to talk about his, so he decided to put on a movie instead, maybe this would somehow remove some of the awkwardness between the two of them.

Still slightly confused, Mark stole a glance at the other. 

If something was bothering Donghyuck, the younger would tell him in his own time.

Mark just hoped that he was someone that the others could trust. Hopefully, all that trust that they used to have hadn't been lost yet.

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PUNCH IS OUT YALL

I feel like I got rly bias wrecked by haechan in this mv but tbh idek who my bias was in the first place lmao

anyways, stream punch :)