"so, where are we going?" donghyuck asked as he walked by mark's side after the captain of the basketball team had finished getting ready.

"surprise." mark said with a smile, making donghyuck pout. "come on, don't pout. i'm sure you'll like it."

donghyuck followed the boy silently towards the parking lot in front of their school.

the tanned male raised his brow in confusion when he saw mark approaching a white car.

"you have a car?" he asked.

"i do. now hop on." mark said, opening the door for donghyuck to sit in.

donghyuck did as he was told, sitting comfortably on the passenger's seat as mark grabbed the seatbelt and bent over donghyuck to fasten it.

"i-i can do this, mark." he stuttered while blushing. "i'm not a baby."

"sometimes i wonder." mark replied, bopping donghyuck's nose with his pointer finger, making the tanned male flush brighter.

"w-what?" donghyuck panicked, thinking that his secret might have been spilled.

"it's nothing." mark rolled his eyes with a smile. "baby." he added before closing the car's door and leaving donghyuck with a racing heart.

✯

"we're here!" mark declared, making sure the parking brake was set before opening his door.

"the fun fair?!" donghyuck exclaimed, looking at the bright and colourful lights surrounding them – he could even see the ferris-wheel a bit further.

"don't you like it?" mark asked, opening donghyuck's door like the prince charming he was.

"i do, i do!" donghyuck exited the car excitedly.

"perfect then." mark smiled at the overjoyed honey-haired. "let's go?"

donghyuck's eyes looked at mark's hand that was held out for him to take.

the tanned male then looked up at mark's eyes.

"l-let's go..." he replied with a blush as he let mark intertwine their fingers together, making fireworks explode in both their chests.

mark dragged donghyuck into the fair, looking at the boy next to him with a bright smile.

donghyuck was amazed by everything around him, and that caused him to gasp often and tighten his embrace on mark's hand – which mark appreciated a lot.

mark couldn't understand how he had gone from being completely straight, to checking a boy out, and to falling for this boy right after...

perhaps because he had never been completely straight?

perhaps that he had always had a bit of gayness in him?

anyway, he was sure now. he had feelings for donghyuck, and those were more than simple platonic feelings.

mark always felt the urge to take care of the big baby that was donghyuck, and to shower him in love. he always wanted to make him happy and to see his beautiful smile.

and as the horny teenager he was, he had started realising that maybe, he wanted more of him too.

but could he be blamed? of course not. donghyuck was a beautifully sexy male with an amazing personality. and mark had fallen deep for that.

"what do you want to try first?" mark asked, pulling the tanned male closer by the hand.

"i don't know..." donghyuck replied shyly.

"how about the shooting stand?" mark stepped aside to show donghyuck the stand placed next to them.

there were lead riffles placed on the counter, facing a few cages in which rubber balloons were flying around thanks to the fans. a few kids were shooting already, but a spot was free for mark and donghyuck to come and play.

donghyuck wasn't a big fan of those kind of games, but he couldn't prevent himself from jumping in excitement when he saw the dozens of big plushies you could earn if you touched the three balloons inside the cage.

"plushies!!" donghyuck exclaimed, his little side suddenly taking over him.

it happened very often when he saw plushies.

most of the time, he managed to control himself, since jaemin or jisung would be around, helping him. but at the moment, he was only with mark, who wasn't aware of this big secret donghyuck hid.

"you want one?" mark asked with a chuckle, seeing donghyuck bouncing around. of course, he had no clue about what was really happening in the boy's mind.

"yesh pwease!" donghyuck nodded, suddenly hugging mark's chest.

"okay, okay." mark replied, quite surprised by the sudden hug – but enjoying it nevertheless. "let's go, then."

mark intertwined his and donghyuck's fingers before approaching the stand, catching the attention of the owner of the stand, who was yawning loudly.

"good evening, sir. i'd like to play." mark declared, placing a bill on the counter.

"welcome to 'shot of aces'. you have four shoots to make those three balloons explode. one balloon exploded, you earn the right to play another time; two balloons, you earn one of those cute little plushies; and if you happen to shoot three, then, you go back home with one of those giant ones!" the man recited his speech with very little enthusiasm, but much precision. "please, take the gun and shoot."

mark nodded, letting go donghyuck's hand to place the first lead in the riffle. once it was done, he leant forwards, setting his elbow on the counter and aiming for the moving balloons inside the cage that was facing him.

mark counted to three, making sure his aim was perfect, and once he reached that number, he pulled the trigger, making one of the balloons explode.

the sudden noise made donghyuck jump slightly, but he started cheering immediately.

"again, again!" little donghyuck exclaimed, making mark laugh.

he loaded the riffle for the second time, and repeated the same preparation process.

in no time, donghyuck was jumping because of the loud noise caused by the second balloon that had exploded.

"want to try?" mark asked, flashing donghyuck a charming smile.

"m-me...?" donghyuck tilted his head to the side.

"yeah, you." mark chuckled at the boy's innocence. "come here."

mark placed the boy between him and the counter, and he handed him the riffle, carefully explaining how he needed to hold it, and how to aim.

after a minute of explications, donghyuck got in place, mark still behind him, making sure that he was doing everything alright.

the tanned male's finger pulled the trigger when he judged his aim was good, but the yellow balloon in front of him continued flying around after the lead had been fired.

"me fail..." donghyuck pouted sadly before putting the weapon on the counter and turning around to hide his teary face on mark's chest. "daddy lose because of hyuckie..."

mark's eyes widened at donghyuck's use of the word 'daddy'. he glanced at his surroundings, making sure that no one had heard what donghyuck had said. as he was about to tell the tanned male to be careful when using this not-so-innocent word, he noticed that the boy was crying.

"hey, hey, hey." mark lifted donghyuck's chin. "why are you crying? it was your first shot. it's okay to miss the balloon." he said, wiping the boy's eyes.

"b-but daddy will lose..."

the woman next to them choked on her saliva as she heard donghyuck's sentence, looking successively at the two boys before making a disgusted face.

mark paid her no mind as he concentrated on the crying boy.

"let's shoot again, together. and we will win the plushie, okay?"

"mkay..." donghyuck nodded, sniffling cutely.

✯

donghyuck was sitting on the bench with simba – the giant lion plushie that they had won at the 'shot of aces' stand – while waiting for mark to come back.

the older had gone to buy them something to eat because donghyuck's stomach was growling loudly.

so, donghyuck had been waiting for his knight in shining armour for a few minutes.

he had managed to slip out of little space a few minutes earlier, and he kept concentrating not to slip again because of the very cute plushie that he badly wanted to hug right now.

but he was with mark, and the boy didn't know his secret. so, he needed to stay in his right mind.

"hello, pretty boy."

donghyuck's head shot up as the place next to him on the bench got taken by a perfect stranger.

the boy didn't look much older than him, but donghyuck had no clue who it could be. he wasn't a student in his school for sure.

"h-huh..." donghyuck let out, not really knowing what to say or do.

"what are you doing all by yourself here, defenceless?" the boy asked, placing his arm on the backrest of the bench and almost touching donghyuck.

"i-i... with s-someone." donghyuck replied, trying to back off.

"oh, yeah. the lion." the stranger noticed. "it's a nice plushie you got there. i can help you bringing it back to your house if you'd like?"

"he doesn't need any help." a voice answered instead of donghyuck.

the stranger turned around, meeting eyes with a very angry mark lee.

"i'm sorry?" he asked, raising a brow.

"leave him alone. he already has all he needs." mark replied with a threatening look.

"okay, chill." the boy stood up. "i had to expect that such a beauty couldn't be single."

"shoo." mark simply said before the boy walked away.

mark immediately sat next to donghyuck, checking every inch of his face.

"did he hurt you?" he asked.

"n-no..." donghyuck shook his head.

"good." mark nodded. "if such things ever happen again, call me, okay?"

"thank you." donghyuck replied, ignoring mark's question.

mark chuckled slightly. "what for?"

"always being there to save me."

✯

"woah..." donghyuck let out as he glued his face to the glass window of the ferris wheel to have a very beautiful sight of the city they were in.

"beautiful, isn't it?" mark asked with a chuckle, as he preferred staring at donghyuck rather than the breath-taking view – because donghyuck was a breath-taking view.

"i've never seen such beauty..." the tanned male replied.

"me neither." mark nodded, his eyes never leaving the boy that was inside the cabin with him.

mark studied the boy from head to toe, falling even deeper into the love trap that donghyuck had lulled him into.

he looked ethereal with his face lightened by the artificial light of the city under their feet.

his pink lips were slightly opened because of the gasps that were escaping them, making mark wonder what they tasted like.

and more than his angelic face, his body... he was wearing high-waisted jeans with a purple cropped sweater, making him look adorable, but at the same time revealing his beautiful curves.

mark wanted the boy, and at that point, he couldn't even hide it anymore.

"can i ask you a question?" mark spoke after a while, making donghyuck sit back next to him.

"yeah."

"why do you sometimes call me 'daddy'?" he asked, genuinely intrigued by this question.

donghyuck flushed red. he had hoped this question would never come.

"h-huh... i'm sorry..."

"don't be." mark stated. "i just want to know."

"d-does it bother you...?" donghyuck asked shyly.

"i don't know..." mark shrugged. "it's a bit weird..."

"it's just that... i'm not in my right mind when i call you that..." donghyuck explained quickly.

"how so?"

donghyuck bit his bottom lip nervously.

this action didn't get unnoticed by mark, because the boy placed his hand on donghyuck's thigh.

"you don't have to tell me right away if it's bothering you." he said calmly.

"i'm sorry..." donghyuck lowered his head. "i hate to hide things..."

"donghyuck. i swear it's okay." mark reassured him, caressing his thigh.

"i will tell you, i promise..." donghyuck whispered. "i just can't right now..."

"hey, donghyuck?" mark asked.

"yea- "

donghyuck lifted his head to look at mark in the eye, but instead of meeting mark's eyes with his own, he was surprised to feel his lips touching mark's soft ones.

the kiss lasted a second only, but this little second was sufficient for donghyuck's heart to go crazy in his chest as he stared at mark with widened eyes.

"i am willing to wait, baby..."