mark woke up with an aching neck and bandages a bit everywhere on his body.'

"woah, calm down." kun said, pushing on mark's shoulder so that he was lying on the infirmary's bed again. "i'm not done with you."

mark observed him shuffling around, throwing bloodstained cotton pads in the bin and bandaging another of mark's bruises.

"what happened?" mark asked after a while.

"we won. we managed to lock down exo in the cells and we successfully called the police to take them. unfortunately, sooman was killed, we still don't know how though."

mark widened his eyes. "donghyuck." he said in a whisper.

"he's in your room. but..." kun stopped to lie mark down again. "...i still need to do a blood test. i promise you can go see him after."

mark stopped moving and gave his arm to kun.

"what about the others? is everybody alright?" mark ask not looking at the needle kun was pressing in his arm.

"well. taeil has a broken nose, yangyang had a bullet in his thigh, lucas is a bit... cut all over his body, ten has sprained his ankle, yuta has a burnt hand, and the others, only slight bruises that will heal soon. oh, i forgot, the worst case is surely chenle who has a broken arm." kun said happily, filling a dozen of small tubes with mark's red liquid.

"and... what about donghyuck?" mark asked hesitantly.

"donghyuck had more mental damage than physical." kun explained, not looking at mark. "he has been asking for you since he woke up. he didn't seem to be comfortable with anybody so, we told him to go to your room. he didn't leave it since 8:00 am."

"and what time is it now?"

kun looked at his watch. "2:48pm."

mark widened his eyes and sat on the bed. "can i go?"

"yes, you can, but please, be careful with your injuries." kun said before seeing mark bolting out of the room.

mark rushed towards his room, not sparing a glance at the members he saw during his journey. he put his hand on the handle and slowly opened the door, entering the room.

the blinds were half opened, letting a ray of sun enlighten only mark's bed, in which donghyuck was sleeping peacefully. mark approached him and crouched in front of the bed, gently caressing the boy's head with his palm.

donghyuck was startled by the sudden contact and he woke up, eyes fluttering opened before widening at the sight of mark.

tears formed in his eyes once again, making mark worry and take the boy in his arms. mark sat on the edge of the bed, sitting donghyuck on his lap, one knee on each side of mark's legs, so that donghyuck was facing him. mark let the boy cry on his shoulder while he caressed his back, holding him tight.

"i...i-i thought you were going to die..." donghyuck said between sobs. "i-i didn't want to shoot! but, i couldn't let you die..."

mark felt his heart beat faster in his chest at the younger's words.

"donghyuck..." he said calmly. "you did what you thought was right. it's all that matters." mark continued reassuring the sobbing boy. "if you hadn't done that, he would have killed me... and probably killed you..."

donghyuck was clutching onto mark's shirt and staining it with his tears. "b-but i-i killed him! that's horrible."

"this man did many horrible things before, and he would have surely done many others, starting with you. what you did helped everybody." mark explained.

the two boys continued talking about the sensitive subject, mark always reassuring donghyuck and trying to make him feel comfortable and okay with what he did, but it was hard. killing someone wasn't something you could forget like that. your first kill was always something traumatizing. and the fact of doing it to a member of your family added even more trauma to it.

donghyuck eventually stopped crying after an hour, but mark and him were still in the same position.

"m-mark." donghyuck muttered, sitting properly on mark's lap to see the boy he was talking to.

"do you need to tell me something?" mark asked gently, tugging a strand of donghyuck's hair behind his ear.

"t-thank you. for everything." donghyuck lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers.

mark smiled at the sight, resting his hands on donghyuck's waist, but still being careful because of the injury had had days ago.

"y-you taught me how to shoot. and if it wasn't for you, i wouldn't have been able to do it. y-you were so patient with me... so gentle... y-you made me feel protected and loved. and... i really wanted to thank you for that. no one had ever been this kind with me... so, thank you."

mark chuckled, raising donghyuck's head with a finger.

"donghyuck. you don't have to thank me for that. it should be me who should thank you. you saved my life donghyuck. if you weren't here, i would have been dead. and... you too, you treated me like nobody had ever done. i... i feel so different when i'm with you. you changed me donghyuck. you really did. and... i really need you, because the second you will be away from me, my old self will come back, and i don't want it to. i want to be with you." mark confessed, looking at donghyuck in the eyes.

donghyuck's eyes were watery because of how much he was moved by what mark had told him. mark would have voluntarily smashed his lips on the younger's right now, but donghyuck was still affected by the past events, and the last thing mark wanted was to rush things. so, mark pulled the boy in a hug gently, letting donghyuck wrap his arms around his neck and nuzzle into his touch.

after seconds, donghyuck pulled out form the hug to leave a kiss on mark's cheek, making the older blush and the younger giggle.

mark pulled him back, kissing his nose cutely before caressing his cheek with one hand.

"do you feel better?" mark asked smiling.

donghyuck nodded energetically, making mark's smile widen.

"do you want to go to the kitchen? we'll see the others."

donghyuck hesitated this time.

"i'll stay by your side, don't worry. and if you have a problem, you can come to me, okay?"

donghyuck agreed and let mark pass his hands under his thighs to carry him.

once mark arrived in the living room with donghyuck in his arms, they were greeted by a mix of questioning looks, coos and big grins.

"donghyuck!" renjun's voice exclaimed, making donghyuck wiggle in mark's arms. mark gently put the boy on the floor, looking at him running to his best friend with heart eyes.

he was in love.