Donghyuck hated crying.

He hated it - his eyes would turn puffy and bloodshot, there would be an awful choking sensation down his throat that not even the longest sobbing sessions could get rid of - and not to mention, his nose would get runny, likening his general appearance to something similar to that of a goblin’s.

But he hated it the most - because it made him look weak. It melted away all the tough, sharp tongued, impish facade he maintained in front of the older boys, leaving the vulnerable, sensitive and quivering teenager bare and exposed to the world. Yet here he was, locking himself in his shared bedroom with Mark, and burying his face deep into his pillow as if hoping that he could smother himself as an escape from all the stinging feelings that were pouring out of him like hot lava.

He curled his fists and hurled his face deeper into his tear-soaked pillow, as if trying to get out of earshot of his own quivering sobs that wracked his body pathetically - and the incessant banging on his door, signalling that Taeil had still not given up on breaking his door down the moment he saw the younger storming off in tears.

“Donghyuck! Open the door, you’re not the only one who lives in this room,” Taeil called, banging on the door uselessly.

“Nope.” came the smothered reply, the same one the elder had been given the past 15 minutes.

“Donghyuck-ah. I can’t help you if you won’t let me hear you out. Unlock the door, please,” coaxed Taeil softly, as though luring a timid animal out of his cage.

Donghyuck lifted his face from the pillow to wipe his nose with his sleeve, before sinking down again miserably. It was useless. Taeil had always been one of the hyungs he could go to about anything, but there was no way he could understand this. Even Donghyuck himself didn’t get it.

“Dongs. Please let me in, I want to talk to you.” A painfully familiar, dreaded voice, joined Taeil’s, one he definitely did not want to hear at that moment. Donghyuck cursed under his breath and flew under the covers the moment he heard the jingling of keys at the doorknob, indicating something that his fuzzy mind had overlooked - Mark had the spare key, and he was utterly screwed at that moment.

The door flew open, and Donghyuck tightened his grip on his blanket which was the only shield between himself and the source of his tears, which came in the form of a bewildered teenage boy standing at the foot of his bed. He felt Mark sit on the mattress, causing Donghyuck’s limp body to sink towards his direction, and Mark’s hands attempting to tug the blanket free from Donghyuck’s grip.

“Come on, tell me what’s wrong. I can’t know anything when all you do avoid and refuse to talk to me when we live in the same room, for god’s sake.” Mark attempted to pry, already giving up on freeing the covers from the younger’s clutches.

You! You’re all that is wrong! Donghyuck wanted to scream, but he didn’t. Mark can’t know. And it was embarrassing as hell for himself. Because how on earth was he going to put in words, that he has a huge, hopeless, pathetic crush on his ‘best friend’ of five years who seemed utterly oblivious of his feelings the whole time? How was he going to explain that just by hearing the fact that Mark had actually asked Koeun to the school dance had shattered his fragile, adolescent, pining heart into smithereens despite already half-acknowledging the fact that the two probably had a thing for each other ever since they met? He couldn’t bring himself to do that. He couldn’t put the muddle that was his emotions into words, there was no easy way to describe the confusing and unwarranted feelings of betrayal and rejection that he felt over the fact that Mark probably and would always see him as just an adorable, noisy, younger friend.

The depressing thoughts filled his mind and Mark’s heavy presence beside him caused a fresh bout of tears to spill over his already tear-stained cheeks, causing his grip on the covers to slacken. Mark took advantage of that lapse and yanked it away, leaving his mess of a best friend right before him.

“ you,” Donghyuck muttered under his breath, and reached for the blanket immediately, only for Mark to tug it out of reach. He jumped out of bed, making a beeline for the door, only for Mark to read his mind quicker than he moved. He was at the door frame within seconds, shutting it with a definitive slam. Donghyuck groaned and buried his face in his hands.

Mark took two firm steps towards his best friend, effectively trapping him against the wall so that he had no escape. He gently pulled his hands away, cupping his cheeks in his warm hands. Donghyuck shuddered