Fin.

Of Ballroom Dances and Black Suits
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"Lee Donghyuck, I hope you're not still in bed! If I come up there and you're not dressed, I'm shipping you off to your grandmother's for a month."

 

Donghyuck groans into his pillow, why can't he just take a nap? Is that so wrong? 

 

Begrudgingly, Donghyuck slinks down out of his bed, and gets to his feet. It's unfortunate, but he really had no choice but to get out of bed. It's 2 in the afternoon, but Donghyuck has always had sleep as a priority and he doesn't ever miss a chance to nap. But Donghyuck has approximately 20 minutes before his mother comes storming in to fix his hair and it would not be good for his mother to come in and see him still snoozing.

 

With a clap of his hands, his bedroom lights turn on, nearly being blinded by the sudden brightness. Donghyuck makes a note to have the wattage of those changed later. He walks into his en suite bathroom, a shiver going down his back when his feet make contact with the cold marble tiling. 

 

 

Donghyuck sheds his clothes in record time, and hops into his shower. He doesn't bother to wait for the water to get hot, he probably has closer to 15 minutes now to get his suit on, he doesn't have time to wait. After scrubbing his body with some coconut scented shower gel, he turns off the shower. 

 

Donghyuck grabs a soft fluffy towel off the rack and wraps it under his armpits, because, being manly, his back is cold. Grabbing his blow dryer and putting it on the highest setting, Donghyuck nearly fries his hair in his haste to dry it. When Donghyuck thinks it feels dry enough, he turns it off, and speed walks (runs) to his closet to get his suit out. 

 

Thankfully, one of the maids had ironed it for him earlier today, so it was already set out ready for him to wear. After pulling on some boxers, Donghyuck gets to work putting on the stuffy suit. He picked out a red dress shirt to wear under the jacket, which his mother will not like, but Donghyuck doesn't care. He never wanted to have this party in the first place, so he has to rebel somehow.

 

By the time his mother gets upstairs, Donghyuck has his suit on, even if it is slightly wrinkled and his tie is on incorrectly. Still a win. 

 

"Goodness Donghyuck, are you really going to look like this welcoming your husband home." She nags. 

 

"He is not my husband." Grumbles Donghyuck. This has been an ongoing conversation for quite some time now.

 

"Not yet. But after tonight, your engagment is going to be official. Everyone who is an anybody will be there tonight, so no acting up, got it?" By now, his mother is well aware if all of his antics and stupid ideas and she expects them now. 

 

"I know, I Know."

 

"Watch yourself, boy. Your grandma is one phone call away." His mother threatens but with no heat, playfully pulling on his tie tightly. 

 

------

 

Donghyuck pulls on his tie, feeling rather uncomfortable standing around the ballroom by himself. Mark has yet to arrive, leaving Donghyuck to deal with their nosy, prodding, and boujee family. Mark had come back from a trip that same morning, and their mothers decided it would be wonderful to celebrate his return as well as the official engagement party.

 

When he first arrived to the venue, he chatted with his friends, Renjun and Jeno, but his mother soon after wanted him to talk with investors and in-laws. Currently, he is standing off to the side, adding his input every now and then to a conversation between some of Mark's distant cousins.

 

He really just wants to leave. Not that Donghyuck doesn't like his in-laws, in fact, he actually enjoys their company. Mark's brother, Johnny, was kind of like a big brother to him as well. And his cousin Jaehyun is quite pleasant as well. It's just, Donghyuck has never been confident while talking to Mark's family, because he expects them to judge him. Even if they love him, Donghyuck is still self conscious. Usually with Mark there, he can tell when Donghyuck gets uncomfortable and tries to divert everyone's attention away from the younger.

 

But then again, Mark also has a knack for throwing Donghyuck off guard and turning him into a bumbling mess. 

 

Donghyuck hates to admit it, but he is a bit nervous to see Mark again. He has been gone for the better part of three months, and that was before the dates for the engagement as well as the wedding were set. Everything is becoming more real to Donghyuck, even though he has been preparing for this his whole life. Sometimes he wonders what his life would have been like if he wasn't intended to Mark. Not that Mark was necessarily holding him back, but it would have been nice to broaden his horizon.

 

"Donghyuck! There you are dear, come. Mark just arrived and I want you to go welcome him back. Remember, smile and don't say anything insulting in public please." Donghyuck almost becomes dizzy from how his mother wisks him away and practically drags him over to the main entrance.

 

Right on cue, Mark and his cousin Johnny walk through the doors. Mark is looking only mildly uncomfortable wearing his custom designer made suit. Donghyuck refuses to admit that his heart skipped a beat when he saw that Mark is wearing the tie Donghyuck had gifted him as a mock birthday gift.

 

With his mother not so subtlety nudging him up front, Donghyuck all but stumbles in front of his intended. For a moment the two just stare at each other, Donghyuck with slight embarrassment and Mark just with confusion.

 

Mark awkwardly clears his throat, "Um, are you okay Hyuck?" 

 

"I'm just fine!" Donghyuck internally cringes at how fake he sounds. "Welcome back!"

 

Donghyuck awkwardly moves to wrap his arms around the slightly taller boy and nearly shudders when he feels Mark's arms wrap around him just as robotically. There are coos coming from the crowd and Donghyuck really just wants to go somewhere where no one can see or hear them. Unfortunately, the purpose of this whole event is to show off their relationship to some old farts.

 

The party gets started after that. Both Mark and Donghyuck go around greeting people, their parents introducing them to people that they don't know from Adam, and servers stuffing their faces with random appetizers. By the time dinner comes, Donghyuck's feet  are already hurting from the uncomfortable dress shoes and he really wants to go to sleep. Alas, the party still had at least 2 hours to go, so Donghyuck just it up.

 

Dinner goes by with not many problems, though Donghyuck can feel his mother's calculating stare at his plate and Donghyuck makes sure that he doesn't eat all of it.

 

Then, the band starts to play again except this time it's not just white noise. The middle of the ballroom is cleared of all the food and drinks that occupied the space before, so now it's just an open floor. When the slow music starts, Donghyuck just wants to high tail it out of there before he could get wrapped up into a dance wi-

 

"To celebrate the new couple", The DJ announces. "We're gonna have them start us off with a dance."

 

Donghyuck melts on the inside while the guests clap, cheering on the two. Mark looks embarrassed as well, the tips of his ears are red. This isn't the first time they've been asked to dance with each other, and most definitely not the last, but it's just as embarrassing as before (Well maybe just as embarrassing. There was this one time Donghyuck accidentally tripped over Mark's untied shoelaces and face planted on the floor).

 

"Come on Hyuck, let's get this over with." Mark grabs his wrist and leads him to the dance floor. The DJ plays a slow song, one that Donghyuck is sure that his parents used to listen to years ago.

 

"Just follow my lead." Mark whispers in his ear. Donghyuck feels one of the older male's hands rest on his waist and the other takes his own hand. Belatedly, Donghyuck wraps his arms around the dark haired boy's neck. They're close, a little too close for comfort. The tanned boy can feel Mark breathing against him and Donghyuck tries not to make it obvious that he's freaking out.

 

Somehow, with Mark's guidance, the two flow across the dance floor. One step back, one step forward. Don't make a fool of yourself Lee Donghyuck.

 

"You're thinking too much, calm down Hyuck. Pretend that it's just me and you here." 

 

For the first time that night, Donghyuck looks into the pair of eyes he's been trying to avoid. 

 

And he's glad he does. Those warm brown eyes immediately comfort him. It's like Mark is trying to convey a message through his eyes, and even though Donghyuck doesn't know precisely what the message is, he feels himself understand anyway. 

 

Donghyuck tightens his grip on Mark and moves closer, their bodies practically one now. He leans his head on one of Mark's shoulders, one of his favorite places to rest. There has always something nice about how Mark would allow him to lay on his shoulder, and how Mark would pull him into his arms and rest his own head on top of Hyuck's.

 

Donghyuck likes to pretend that he doesn't know what that flittering in his stomach is, but as he and glide across the floor in each other's arms, he knows exactly what it is.

-----

Later during the night, Mark suggests that they escape to the garden while Mark's father is talking. Donghyuck is relieved that he is not the only one who was about to cry out of boredom.

 

The two wander around in silence for some time, admiring the beautiful flowers that have been groomed to perfection. When they come across a stone bench almost completely surrounded by bushes of roses, they sit down next to each other.

 

"Welcome back, hope you had fun helping people," Donghyuck whispers into his fiance's ear. He knows that he had already welcomed him back earlier, but that time wasn't very genuine and Donghyuck prefers to talk to Mark in private. "And leaving me here to get chewed out by our families."

 

Mark grins sheepishly at him. "Sorry, but you know that we've been planning that trip since last year."

 

"Yeah yeah, you're coming of age trip or whatever. You could have invited me."

 

"We barely can even be in the same car together. What would make you think they would let you leave the country with me?"

 

"Stop being so logical Mark. Let me be a salty ."

 

"You're always a salty ."

 

"And you're a dickhead."

 

"Thanks."

 

" you."

 

Though he tries to sound peeved, Donghyuck can't help that giddy feeling inside of him. Being with Mark like this has always been easy. Growing up with him Donghyuck feels comfortable around him in a way he is with no one else. Its quite funny how much of a cliche they are. He voices his thoughts.

 

"l feel like we are such a cliché.” Donghyuck leans back on the garden’s bench, “I mean, we’ve known each other all our lives. We were basically engaged since birth. All for a big merge or whatever.”

 

Mark chuckles, “Well at least we’re not mortal enemies who can’t even stand being in the same room together.”

 

“Speak for yourself.” Donghyuck resonds haughtily.

 

“Oh shut up, you know you love me.” Mark says, leaning over to make a kissy face at the other. 

 

Donghyuck pushes him away, and pulls a face. “Eww, that’s disgusting. Don’t try being flirty, that’s my thing.” 

 

“I'm pretty sure that I just saw you blush.” Teases Mark. 

 

“Then those contacts must not be doing the job for you Markle, because I most definitely did not blush. Not one bit.” 

 

“Nope, you definitely did. Look you’re doing it now!” Mark laughs at Donghyuck’s red face. 

 

“ you.” Huffs out Donghyuck, a small pout donning his lips. 

 

The atmosphere calms after that. Both of them can’t find anything else to say that would be appropriate for the time. Their engagement night certainly not a time to be joking around. This is the rest of their lives that they’re dealing with. Donghyuck knows that, he’s been told since he could understand the word ‘married’ and all that came with that. Growing up, Donghyuck has always been told to be the best he can be. That his in-laws won't want him if he is just average. So Donghyuck did just that, he stayed on top of his grades, averaging a GPA that rivaled Mark’s own. He was a member of the student council, he was even the editor of the school newspaper. He did all of this just for this day. The day when he and Mark would finally be officially announced as engaged. 

 

And it was hard, never having the chance to date anyone, because everyone knew that he was Mark’s, has been since birth, and that no one could have a chance with him. But Donghyuck never minded that much. How could he when he was basically dating the most perfect boy, Mark Lee? Donghyuck cant lie, he always has had a massive crush on his intended. Mark has always been so kind to him, always buying him nice things, taking him to nice places, giving him rides from school. Mark was the perfect boyfriend, even if they weren’t technically dating. 

 

“…. Hyuck?”

 

“Huh, what? I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening.” Donghyuck blinked at the other male. 

 

“S’okay. I was just asking if you.. uh. If you wanted to come with me Monday to look at some apartments.”

 

Apartments? Oh yeah, starting next month, he and Mark are supposed to live with each other. 

 

“… and mom said that it would be good if we go together since we’ll both be living there and you should be able to pick out where you’ll be living. But if you don’t want to, I’ll jus-“

 

“Yeah, I’ll go with you Mark. I have class on Monday though.”

 

“That’s fine, I can just wait until afterwards.”

 

“Yeah.” Donghyuck nods along, not knowing what else to say. It’s funny how their dynamics work. First they’re teasing one another relentlessly, and the next moment they act like a bunch of awkward tweens. 

 

----

 

"Jeno wanted me to ask you and Mark if y'all want to go out with us on Friday night." Renjun comments off handed, seemin

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Comments

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starlet_tara
#1
Chapter 1: Seriously your stories like the NoMin needs sequels..

And we need to talk. Just who exactly are you shipping with Jeno hahaha sometimes its nana now its injunnie
hyungsooo
#2
Chapter 1: THIS IS SO CUTEEEEEEEEEEE //IM DYING(╥﹏╥)

I NEED. mORE
halfkoreanpride
#3
Awwww this was so sweet I only wish there was more!
laurashipssaida #4
Chapter 1: Awww I love this
Chanbaek641 #5
This is so good!!!