"Hyuuuung, come ooon",Hyuck whined 

 

It was midnight at their practice room.Everyone had gone home a few hours ago except for Mark who is trying to work on a dance move and Donghyuck who wanted to stay behind and wait for him.

That was two hours ago.

Right now, it's already past 12 a.m. and he is growing really tired and wants to go home. Unfortunately,Mark being the hardworker is still dancing to the same song again and again with no signs of stopping.

 

"If you're tired, just go home.Don't wait for me",he simply said without taking his eyes of his own reflection on the mirror.

 

"I don't wanna go alone. Do you want me to get kidnapped?",Hyuck said accusingly.

 

"Hyuck, the dorm is not that far",Mark looks at his best friend when the song was over.

 

Donghyuck heads to the door ,puts on his pouting face and uses his best 'take pity on me' voice, "Fine. If I don't make it back to the dorm,don't be surprised. The kidnappers will probably treat me better when I tell them I got abandoned by my very own best friend. That's fine,I can live with that".

 

He was about to open the door and leave when a loud voice echoed in the practice room.

"Alright,alright! You win!"

 

Donghyuck smiles satisfyingly. '​​​Works everytime', he thought.

 

The walk back home was filled with Mark's complaints of not having perfected his dancing to which Donghyuck would reply with how he should stop being a perfectionist and that he's missing out on the joys of life.

 

"It's already perfect anyways.You don't have to try so hard",Donghyuck added.

 

"Right, cause success definitely doesn't come from hard work.Thanks for the advice,Hyuck", he rolled his eyes to which the younger replied with a cheeky grin, "Your welcome"

 

"By the way,why didn't you went home with the members? You won't have to stay up late waiting for me", the older wondered.

 

"But I wanted to. That's what friends are for. You would've done the same, wouldn't you?", the younger looked at him, expectantly.

 

It didn't take too long for Mark to think about it. Truthfully,he really doesn't have the heart to say no to the younger.Just imagining that sad look on his face made Mark's heart clenched.Just like earlier when he saw Hyuck made that face,eyes downcast,lips pouting and using the kind of tone of voice that can guilt tripped him to doing anything the younger wants. It's something he couldn't help with and Hyuck knows this.

 

"Yeah,I would"

 

Donghyuck had expected he would say that but it still made his heart swell. Ignoring it,he linked his arm with Mark's. "I knew it.You love me~",he teased in a sing-song voice.

 

Mark turned his head away to hide his flustered  look but Donghyuck saw it. And if the blushing cheeks didn't gave it away, the red ears surely did.

 

 

 

Sometimes,Mark looked back at their how their friendship started.They were in their early teens. It was Hyuck who approached him first.At first, Mark sees the kid as annoying and loud,but after a while he realised that it was actually kinda cute how Hyuck seemed to follow him wherever he goes or how his voice went higher when he's excited.

 

With time, Mark starts having a weak spot for the boy.

 

Mark was tossing and turning on his bed.For some reasons,he has trouble sleeping lately.Probably because his body is too used to sleeping late now.He's been doing that a lot these days.A soft creak of the door caught Mark's attention.

 

"Mark? Are you up?",a whisper was heard. Donghyuck.

 

"Didn't sleep in the first place. What's up?",he whispered back,careful not to wake up his roommate, Jaehyun.

 

"Do you wanna go out for a while?"

 

Now,Mark knows he shouldn't be doing this.They have a schedule early tomorrow and the time now is 1:45 a.m.He sits up and stared at the younger, Mark noticed he was wearing a black t-shirt that looked exactly like the one he has.Nope,that actually was his. 'It kinda looks good on him though',Mark thought.

 

"So?", Donghyuck asked when Mark took a long time to reply.

 

The older nods, "Sure,I'm not really sleepy anyway". He really needs to work on saying no.

 

 

That is how they ended up at a 24-hour convenience store at 2:00 a.m.They decided to buy ramen as a midnight snack.But it was when they were paying that Donghyuck realised something, ",I forgot my wallet"

 

"Dude, seriously? Are you doing this on purpose?", Mark looks at him, accusingly. The younger always says he 'forgot' his wallet whenever the group is buying something.

 

"No,of course not! Well, not this time anyway", the last part was quieter but Mark heard it.

 

"Can't you just pay for me? I'm really hungry",Hyuck whined cutely knowing it always works on Mark Lee.

 

"Ugh,fine",Mark feels disarmed at this point.He begrudgingly slammed the money on the counter.

 

"I didn't even have to say please", the younger laughed lightly.Mark groaned.

 

They sat at one of the store's table.Donghyuck happily picked up his chopsticks before taking in the hot ramen.

 

Mark on the other hand, was not happy at himself for giving in too easily to the younger, "I hope you're happy dragging me out and using my money".

 

"I am. Thanks for the free food",Donghyuck grinned, taking the first bite from his ramen. "Wow,this is good! Probably because I was too hungry"

 

Mark looks at him weirdly, "Didn't we just ate dinner?",he asked, remembered the whole group went to a restaurant a few hours ago.

 

"We did but I only took a small portion.I was trying to go for a diet but as you can see I gave up",he gestured at their unhealthy instant ramen. "But seriously, thanks for coming with me and buying me this. There was literally nothing to eat back in the dorm"

 

Mark was about to say that it's no problem before Donghyuck continued, "Maybe if we get caught sneaking out,you can take the blame for me?"

 

"Ya!"

 

 

 

Mark seriously thinks Hyuck had jinxed them because when they entered the dorm,their angry-looking leader was glaring at them with his hands on his hips.

 

"Hi,hyung", Donghyuck tried to test the waters.Big mistake.

 

"Where have you been?", his voice sounded more demanding than asking.

 

"We just went to get something to eat", Donghyuck said, careful not to piss Taeyong off more.

 

"You do realise we have an early schedule tomorrow. Did you know how worried I was when I found the two youngest members not in the dorm?

 

Donghyuck's head hung low.Taeyong's words made him feel extremely guilty.

 

"It was my fault",Mark said,making Donghyuck stare at him with wide eyes.Taeyong switched his attention to him.Donghyuck opened his mouth to protest but Mark continued, "I got a little hungry and we were running out of food so I dragged Hyuck with me to the convenience store. I'm sorry that we made you worry.We really didn't mean to"

 

Taeyong let out a long sigh. Yes,he was disappointed at them but Mark had apologized and they both looked guilty enough. "Alright then,both of you go back to bed. We're all tired here",he said before returning to his room.

 

When they were sure Taeyong had closed his door is when Donghyuck voice his confusion, "You do know that I didn't mean it when I asked you to take the blame for me, right?"

 

Mark nods, "I know"

 

"Then why did you lie?"

 

He smiled softly, "Because I know you would've done the same thing"

 

 

 

The night air was getting chilly. Especially when they were sitting on the company building's rooftop.Donghyuck had snuggled closer to Mark.His head resting on Mark's shoulder while the older had one arm around Donghyuck's waist,both of them seeking warmth under the stars.

 

"Mark?"

 

"Hmm?", the older replied,not taking his eyes of the nightlife happening below.

 

"We're gonna be best friends for life,right?"

 

Mark feels his stomach dropped. Friends? Forever?

"No"

 

Donghyuck quickly removed his head from the other's shoulder to look at him.Mark almost let out a whine when the warmth was gone.

 

"What? Why?", the younger looked so hopeless that Mark felt as if someone smashed his heart with a hammer.

 

"I...",here goes nothing, "I want to be more than friends"

 

A smile slowly made its way to the younger's lips,adorning his face adorably.

 

"Then let me change my question. We're gonna be 'more than friends' for life, right?"

 

"Yes,we are",Mark let out a smile of his own.

 

The younger left a peck on Mark's lips before resting back his head on the older's shoulder.Mark,in return, place a soft kiss on his head.

 

He could never say no to him.