"hyuckie no take bus..." the little whined as his best friends were trying to explain that he needed to take the bus to go back home.

their trip was coming to an end.

the last days had been quite soft for the six boys, since mark had gone out of the hospital, but he couldn't do many activities so that his wounds didn't reopen.

the boys had simply enjoyed their time together, getting even closer than before.

they had left school like perfect strangers, and now, they had become the best of friends – plus some more intimate relationships.

chenle and jisung's relationship was still a pure friendly one.

however, the two boys started to understand that they truly cared for each other, and that they could maybe become more.

this passed by the little 'cute' they would mumble to each other, or simply the way they always thought about the other, whatever they were doing.

jeno and jaemin's relationship was more complicated.

jaemin had an obvious attraction towards the other male, but he refused to admit it for one simple reason: jeno had a boyfriend, and jaemin didn't want to break their relationship apart when they seemed so in love – jeno called renjun every night, and he could hear them being all lovey-dovey together.

jeno's feelings weren't clear. he knew he was attracted by jaemin, but he was in love with renjun. in fact, the boy understood quickly that he was able to like multiple people at the same time, but he didn't really know how to break it to renjun who was in love with him and only him. and on the other side, he was dying to get closer to jaemin.

so, the situation was complicated.

and for donghyuck and mark?

they were both completely oblivious.

donghyuck kept giving mark heart eyes, whatever the boy was doing.

and mark couldn't help but stare at donghyuck whenever the boy wasn't paying attention.

they were both secretly hoping that the other would get closer and ask for cuddles at night.

they were both secretly hoping that the other would hold his hand out for the other to take.

they were both secretly liking each other, but too dumb to realise their mutual feelings.

"no! no!" donghyuck screamed as jaemin tried lifting him up. "no bus!"

"hyuckie, we have to..." jisung sighed. "we need to go back home."

"hyuckie stay here with daddy." donghyuck replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"daddy is leaving with the bus, hyuckie." jaemin explained.

"daddy abandon hyuckie...?" the boy started sniffling as tears welled up in his eyes.

"not at all hyuckie. daddy wants to go back home. and i'm sure he wants hyuckie to go with him."jisung explained with a smile.

jaemin gasped, gripping jisung's arm and pulling him a few steps away from donghyuck.

"what are you doing?" jaemin asked whisper-shouting.

"i'm convincing him to take the bus."

"you can't promise him things that are false." jaemin explained.

"mark likes donghyuck, it's obvious." jisung told.

"but he doesn't know about hyuck being a little. and we can't let him discover that."

"we couldn't let him discover that when we didn't know him, jaemin." jisung stated. "but now, we know that mark is someone good and accepting and that he'll take a good care of donghyuck. perhaps even better than both of us."

jaemin crossed his arms over his chest.

"this is obviously not one of your ideas." jaemin snorted. "who did you have this speech with before?"

"chenle." jisung answered honestly.

"you told him about hyuck?!" jaemin asked angrily.

"i didn't tell anything. i just hinted that donghyuck could be weird and childish."

"okay." jaemin calmed down.

"so, now. we need donghyuck to go on the bus. and you know very well that if he isn't motivated by something, he won't go." jisung explained.

"why talking without hyuckie?" the little whined, not liking being excluded by his two friends.

"we're here, hyuckie." jaemin replied immediately, walking to the boy.

"so, we go ride the bus?" jisung asked.

"will daddy be there?" donghyuck asked, his eyes sparkling with envy.

"yes, he will." jaemin nodded.

"yeah!!" donghyuck exclaimed happily.

"but you have to promise us a few things." jaemin warned.

"mmh?" donghyuck tilted his head to the side.

"no crying, and no tantrum. you have to be very calm and fall asleep quick. jisung and i will wake you up when the ride will be finished." jaemin explained to which donghyuck nodded.

"good boy." jisung smiled, ruffling the little's hair.

"hyuckie good boy!"

✯

"huh... mark?" jisung asked as soon as he entered the bus with donghyuck and jaemin.

"yeah?" the boy asked, stopping his conversation with jeno to look at the male who had called him.

"do you mind sitting with donghyuck during the ride?" he asked, nervously looking at jeno who was sitting next to mark for the moment.

"no, it's okay." mark nodded.

"i'll sit with jeno if he's alone." jaemin's voice declared behind jisung.

"okay!" jeno exclaimed, standing up and taking the seat on the other side of the alley, still being next to mark but separated by the alley.

"thanks a lot." jisung thanked mark.

jisung pulled donghyuck closer by the hand, helping him to sit down on his new seat.

"be a good boy, okay?" jisung said, fastening the boy's seatbelt. "tell mark if there is a problem. jaemin will be sitting there, and me just behind you."

"okie." the little nodded.

"don't hesitate to take your plushie out, and sleep tight, okay?"

"thank chu." donghyuck nodded before kissing jisung's cheek.

jisung then pulled away, allowing mark to sit down next to donghyuck as jisung and jaemin took their seats.

mark looked at donghyuck as soon as he was sat on his seat.

"everything okay?" mark asked with a smile.

"hyuckie scared..." donghyuck replied.

"fall asleep then, it helps." mark declared.

"but sleep on seat is difficult..." donghyuck whined, making mark chuckle.

mark wrapped his arm around donghyuck's shoulders and pulled the boy down until donghyuck way lying on the seat, with his upper body resting on mark's lap.

"here. better?" mark asked as his hand tangeld automatically with donghyuck's golden locks.

"yes." donghyuck smiled. "thank chu daddy."

mark didn't really pay attention to donghyuck's words.

he was too mesmerized by the boy's beauty to react to the fact donghyuck had just called him 'daddy'.

"comfortable already?" chenle asked, looking at mark and donghyuck.

"don't be too loud, he's sleeping." mark replied.

"i just wanted to warn my not-gay friend that he looked absolutely whipped for a boy." chenle declared with a brow raised.

"i don't mind being gay if it's for donghyuck." mark shrugged, looking down at the peaceful face of the boy on his lap.

"you fell even deeper than i imagined." chenle snorted.

"and is that a bad thing?" mark asked.

"no. it feels good seeing you actually caring for someone." chenle smiled at his friend.

"i do care for him... a whole lot."