donghyuck sighed loudly, his hand already on the door handle of his house.

he was finally home after a long day, and if his day hadn't been tiring enough, he would need to have a very serious conversation with mark that would surely make his day even worse.

the tanned male pushed the door of the house open, kicking his shoes off and placing them next to mark's before closing the door.

"donghyuck! you're- ouch! you're back!" mark exclaimed as he caught a glimpse of donghyuck and tried jumping to his feet.

"i'm back, yeah." donghyuck gave mark a small smile, trying to contain the butterflies that had just erupted into his stomach at the sight of the older boy.

he looked so cute, and he was so excited to see donghyuck again after a long day. donghyuck was sure that if he was a puppy, he would have his tail wiggling left and right.

"how was you day?" donghyuck asked, walking into the living room and gulping when he noticed what mark was wearing: one of donghyuck's shirts and a pair of boxers. only. and the sight was way too hot for donghyuck's sake. "mark! what if dahyun had come in?!"

"it's okay... she wants us to have sex anyway. that would have been more convenient, you know? one layer less to take off." mark explained, sitting crossed-legs on the couch.

"yeah, but she knows that it's my shirt." donghyuck declared, his finger slipping inside the collar of mark's – well his – shirt and pulling it to peek at mark's chest. "oh fuck, you have hickies..."

"yeah, you left marks yesterday..." mark flushed red.

"okay, we absolutely need to cover those up and to make you wear decent clothes before my sister barges in." donghyuck declared, leaning forwards and placing his hands under mark's butt to lift him up.

"woow!" mark exclaimed, immediately wrapping his arms around donghyuck's neck to help him.

donghyuck headed straight to the bathroom, with mark in his arms, and he placed the older boy on the side of the sink, making sure to sit him there slowly not to hurt his sore butt.

he then fumbled around the different drawers until he found what he needed.

"take the shirt off." donghyuck declared, pulling open a tube with a green paste in it.

"what's that?" mark asked curiously, peeling the shirt off his body.

"it's green-tinted concealer. it will negate the redness of the hickey." donghyuck informed, using the brush to apply some on the – many – red spots that were littering mark's neck and chest.

mark stayed silent as donghyuck covered the love bites he had made the night before.

his heart was beating so fast because of their close proximity, and he loved it.

"we need to talk." donghyuck broke the silence as he pulled out a variety of foundations of different shades.

"a-about what?" mark asked, suddenly tensing. donghyuck's tone meant nothing good.

"about us, the kisses, the make-outs, the love bites, the sex... everything we did." donghyuck explained, making little dots on the back of his hand with different foundations and approaching them from mark's neck to see which one fitted the best.

"b-but why...?" mark gulped.

"because you know it as much as i do. this is wrong." donghyuck sighed, using his finger to apply the foundation over the previously red skin of mark's neck. "you're cheating on your girlfriend with her brother. and i'm having an affair with my sister's boyfriend."

"yeah..." mark lowered his head as he stared at donghyuck's fingers working on his body. he felt impressed at the way donghyuck delicate fingers brushed against his skin to apply to makeup without actually pressing on the sore spots.

"done." donghyuck placed the makeup back inside the drawer before washing his hands. "now, let's get you dressed properly." he added, his hands slipping under mark's butt cheeks once again to carry the boy to his bedroom.

donghyuck placed mark on the bed before heading to his dressing.

"we can't continue whatever has been going on between us." donghyuck spoke, looking through his clothes for something mark could wear without dahyun knowing it was his.

"w-what? why...?" mark stammered.

"do you want to continue cheating on your girlfriend?" donghyuck turned around, raising a brow at mark.

"n-no..." mark lowered his head. "but i want to- "

"we need to stop seeing each other." donghyuck cut him, walking to the bed with a simple black shirt in hand – he also grabbed mark's jeans that were lying on the floor.

mark blinked, looking at donghyuck with confused eyes.

"it will be better if we ignore each other." donghyuck informed. "raise your hands." he added, placing the black shirt on mark's figure while making a mental reminder to himself to get the shirt that he had left in the bathroom.

"w-we can't do that... w-we... i mean... i have feelings, donghyuck. i can't just ignore you." mark explained, his head tilted up so that he could stare at the boy he had developed intense feelings for.

"i know, and as surprising as it may sound, i have feelings too." donghyuck sighed, pulling mark to the edge of the bed to help him putting on his jeans. "but we need to make them die down. and we won't be able to do so if we keep turning around each other. which is why we need to avoid each other." he told, making mark wear his jeans.

"it's not as- ouch!" mark whined as a sudden move made his butt hurt.

"sorry." donghyuck apologised immediately, making sure to be gentler. "now, do you understand what we need to do, and why?"

mark blinked a few times, sadness taking over him as he realised what it meant.

he nodded slowly anyway. this was the only solution.

"now, when was the last time you took a painkiller?" donghyuck asked.

"this morning, when i woke up." mark mumbled.

"okay, let me get you another one then. it will help with your pain." the tanned male continued before walking away.

mark snorted.

it will help with your pain.

but physical pain? or emotional pain?

because at that point, mark couldn't care less having his ass on fire if it meant feeling happy in donghyuck's arms.

and how could mark even stop whatever he felt for donghyuck when the younger boy treated him with so much care...?

right, it was impossible.

there was no point lying to himself.

he liked donghyuck. and his feelings would never die down.

＃

mark dragged himself to the bathroom as dahyun had paused the show they were watching to prepare snacks for them.

the older boy was completely devastated. not only was it his last day living here, with dahyun and donghyuck, but it had also been more than 24 hours that him and donghyuck had started ignoring themselves.

as realist as he was, mark knew that it would be hard, and that it would hurt.

he was sure of it.

but he had no idea it would hurt that much.

donghyuck and him barely glanced at each other anymore. well, actually, both would stare at the other boy for long seconds, but they would immediately look away when their eyes met, leaving them with fast-beating hearts and tears in their eyes.

and the fact mark was with dahyun didn't help.

each time he looked at his girlfriend, he found her too feminine, with hair too long and nails too painted.

dahyun looked like donghyuck, but she was like a downgraded version of her brother.

donghyuck was so much more... and that's what mark wanted. he was sure of that now.

but how the hell would he announce to his almost 8-month girlfriend that he didn't like her because he had a crush on her brother?

right, he could never.

"sorry."

yeah... as lucky as he was, mark had found himself face to face with donghyuck on his way to the toilets.

donghyuck was as handsome as ever, naked, with only a towel wrapped low on his hips to hide his virility. his hair was still wet from the shower, and droplets of water slid down his built chest, making mark want to brush them away with his fingertips.

the two boys shared a long eye-contact, neither of them daring to speak a word.

"mark, come quick!" dahyun's voice startled the two boys.

"y-yeah!" mark stuttered, turning around to see if his girlfriend had seen him and donghyuck. he was relieved when he realised she hadn't.

with a sigh, mark turned around, ready to go back to staring at donghyuck forever, but he was alone in the corridor, donghyuck bedroom door had just shut close silently.

mark sighed, walking in front of the door he had been pinned to so much time.

he lifted his hand, debating on if he should knock and enter.

but with a glance to the bathroom door at the end of the corridor, mark sighed and let his arm fall to his side.

it was for the better.

＃

donghyuck ignored the teacher's incoherent blabbering as his eyes were fixed on a boy stitting at the first row.

mark had his head lifted up, and his back straight as he was listening carefully to what the teacher was saying, and taking notes. donghyuck wondered how mark could pay attention to class. donghyuck's whole world had been crushed up at the sudden separation, and it had been the case for the past three days.

mark didn't live with them anymore, and donghyuck barely got out of his own room.

he didn't want to see dahyun anymore, his sister reminded him too much of mark, the boy that had made his whole heart fall madly in love.

donghyuck could barely think properly now that mark was away from him.

"okay, pair project now!" the teacher clapped his hands, catching the attention of the whole classroom, including donghyuck.

the tanned male sighed, hoping that the teacher wouldn't pair them depending on their grades, because if so, him and mark would be paired, and donghyuck wasn't sure he would be able to keep his sanity this close from mark.

"calm down, calm down!" the teacher made sure to cut the chattering that had immediately started. "i want groups of two only, and you can choose your partner. however, if i notice that you pass more time talking about your lives than actually working, i'll do the groups myself." he added. "now, get into groups."

the whole classroom became a loud mess, students speaking loudly to ask each other to be partners as chairs screeched against the floor.

donghyuck stayed seated at his spot at the very back of the classroom, his eyes never leaving the boy at the first row.

mark turned around, surely to search for a partner, and his eyes met donghyuck's.

once again, they both stared at each other, being in their own silent bubble in the middle of a wild classroom.

both knew very well that they shouldn't work together. not that they didn't want, but they knew perfectly that they wouldn't be able to be so close without consequences.

so, as heartbreaking as it was, donghyuck looked away, his eyes falling on a random girl in the classroom.

"mina!" he called, catching the attention of the girl. "come here."

the brunette happily hopped towards the bad boy, swirling a strand of hair on her finger.

"hello, donghyuck." she smiled.

"do you want us to partner?" he asked.

"o-oh..." mina let out surprised. she definitely wasn't expecting that. donghyuck usually didn't accept to be paired with anyone, mostly girls, because they flirted with him and it annoyed him – even though he flirted back. "well... i would have liked to but... i already said yes to hina..."

"and how about that." donghyuck sighed. "you partner with me, and hina with mark. how does that sound?" he added a wink to be instantly more persuasive.

mina thought for a few seconds before a light blush appeared on her cheeks.

"okay! i'll tell hina." she squeaked before walking away.

donghyuck sighed, rubbing his temples.

he hated it. he hated everything about him.

why couldn't he be with mark?

it was so frustrating.

but donghyuck swallowed back his pain, forcing himself not to frown as he noticed hina approaching mark.

yeah, it was for the better.