𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀; nct dream

nine

Chapter 9: The Heated Argument

The social gathering had commenced, and though Donghyuck hadn't smoothed things over with Mark, he still tried to please the elder.

"Markie?" He quietly asked, cheeks flushing with a hue of pink. "I picked these flowers from the grass over there."

There was indeed a small patch of grass in the room. It was a room made to make the patients feel as if they were in the wild outdoors, but it truly didn't help in the slightest. It was all still as equally suffocating as the small 'bedrooms'.

Mark glanced at the younger's empty hands, wanting to tell Donghyuck that he had picked no flowers, and that it was a trick of the mind, but he had grown to know better than to mention the younger's mistakes.

"They are beautiful Donghyuck. Much like yourself," Mark replied, the smile reaching his eyes as he gratefully accepted the 'flowers' from the slightly shorter boy.

"Awww," a sarcastic voice chimed from behind them. Mark couldn't stop the roll of his eyes as he turned to see Renjun watching them with a snide smirk plastered on his smug face.

"Shut the hell up. Fucking asshole." The last part was a whisper, since even Mark was scared to upset the brunette.

"And what if I don't?" The ravenette gritted his teeth, really trying to control the unavoidable fight. It truly wasn't the want of trying, but Mark couldn't stomach Renjun. He really couldn't.

"I really don't think that my relationship with Donghyuck should mean anything to you," he continued, voice low and threatening, but to Renjun it was Mark....How threatening could he be?

"But it does, Mark. But it does."

Donghyuck's breathing was growing increasingly quicker. The two people that meant the most to him were fighting, and he really didn't know who was right in that moment.

It was clearly Mark, but with his mind blurring between the pair, he couldn't help but rest his head on Jaemin's chest when it was offered.

"It's okay Hyuck. They aren't fighting about you. They've been bickering all day," Jaemin reassures, though he himself knew that the centre of their quarrel was the blonde in his arms.

Chenle came over hesitantly, locking eyes with Jaemin before receiving a curt nod.

"Hyuck, you can come with Jisung and me to my room to talk while the others sort this out," the taller mumbled, hand clasped around Donghyuck's trembling one.

Nodding hesitantly, the older of the two followed the two youngest's out of the social garden room.

The small drama had gone unnoticed by the other patients who stepped away from the trio willingly to let them past.

"Hey Donghyuck, Chenle, Jisung," Jeno quickly muttered, passing the three to get to the group.

He noticed the red rings around the eldest of the three's eyes and took two steps back to get in line with them once again.

"You okay?" He leaned in further, examining the crestfallen look that had dawned on Donghyuck's face.

It was then that they heard a quick yell from the group behind them.

"I swear to fucking god Renjun. Stick your nose in my business again-"

"No Mark, you're the one that can't keep your hands off of my fr-"

Jeno quickly moved away from the trio to join the group of squabbling teens. The dispute made zero sense to Jeno who was adamant on not suffering through another lockdown.

Chenle, whose hand was still interlaced with Donghyuck's, dragged both him and Jisung out of the room.

Jeno rushed in, a little out of breath by the time he got through all the spectators that had grown in numbers since the yelling had started.

"Huang Renjun and Mark Lee!" He yelled, stopping for a moment to rephrase it, but soon settled on it. "I will not- I shan't- no - I don't want another lockdown. And you two- no, the pair of you will not receive a punishment if I can help it."

Jaemin nodded in agreement, knowing that if this got any further out of hand, then they would have to initiate yet another lockdown, and he did not want that. Not over his dead body.

"Go to your rooms, don't talk to Donghyuck or the younger two, and do not, I repeat, do not, be the cause of any more trouble," he lowly huffed, eyes trailing away from the two to meet with Jaemin's. The younger gave him an approving nod.

Had he phrased that correctly? Did he need to reorganise the speech?

His thoughts were cut off by Jaemin running to his side to give him a kiss on the cheek. The brunette smiled softly, the situation at hand fading into the background at the unworldly action.

Though the two opposing boys huffed before turning away from each other. They wanted to settle this argument, but knew the consequences of doing so, so here they were, walking to their separate rooms.

Mark felt awful, and wanted nothing more than to embrace Donghyuck and assure him that all was fine with the world, but Jeno's words lingered in his mind. And he was aware that the younger boy was right.

Don't talk to Donghyuck....

Of that would be so hard for the ravenette who closed the door behind him, eyes welling with tears as he thought of the hurt he caused both his close friend, Renjun, and crush, Donghyuck.

But as all stories went, there was no love without heartbreak, and that was what Mark was experiencing. The heartbreak of an unrequited love.