It was supposed to be the best time of year.
Christmas lights lit up the dorm halls. Staff joked about Secret Santa. The cold air had that kind of crispness that made everything feel just a little more magical. But for Mark and Hyuck, the season came with silence. Cold-not from the weather, but from a misunderstanding that spiraled into something neither of them knew how to fix.
It had been a stupid argument.
Hyuck had thought Mark was pulling away-again. Mark had thought Hyuck was being too sensitive-again. Pride did the rest. No one apologized. Neither of them wanted to be the first to admit they missed the other. So days turned into weeks.
Their schedules kept them apart. Different units, different promotions. Hyuck tried to bury the ache beneath rehearsals and noise, but every night alone in bed only reminded him of the space where Mark used to be.
And then, finally, the whole group was back together for a team dinner at the dorms. The air buzzed with energy and laughter-memories being made in real time-but Hyuck felt like a ghost.
He sat on the floor by the corner of the room, arms wrapped around his knees, watching the others play a rowdy game of charades. His eyes, almost against his will, kept going back to Mark.
Mark, who was laughing without restraint. Mark, who was being clingy with Yuta, who didn't seem to mind the way Yuta kept throwing arms around his shoulder or leaning into him. Who didn't mind when Yuta tackled him onto the couch in the middle of a round, both of them tangled in limbs and breathless laughter.
And in that moment-just a split second from Hyuck's view-it looked like their faces were about to meet. Like they were going to kiss.
Hyuck's heart dropped. He looked away fast, blinking hard.
That should be him. That should've been their moment.
But every time Hyuck had tried to hug Mark, or wrap himself around him after a long day, Mark would stiffen. Shift away. Say something about being tired. Or not now. Or "we're in public."
But with Yuta... it wasn't the same.
And suddenly, all the weight of the past weeks-the silence, the fight, the rejection-piled up in Hyuck's chest until it was hard to breathe. So, without a word, he slipped out of the room, barely noticed over the laughter and chaos.
Rain had started to fall by the time he reached the rooftop. A cold, steady downpour that soaked through his hoodie in seconds. He didn't care. He leaned on the railing, eyes shut tight, lips trembling.
Was he not enough? Was he too much? Why was it so easy for Mark to smile with someone else?
Behind him, the rooftop door creaked open.
"Donghyuck!" Mark's voice rang out through the rain, frantic. He was already soaked, breathless from running. "What the hell are you doing up here? You'll get sick!"
Hyuck didn't turn. "Go back inside."
Mark stepped forward. "Not without you."
The rain pattered between them, heavy and relentless.
"Why did you come?" Hyuck's voice was hoarse. "To tell me it wasn't what it looked like? That it didn't mean anything?"
Mark flinched. "It didn't mean anything. It was Yuta messing around. I didn't even-"
"But you let him touch you," Hyuck said, quietly. "You let him."
Mark went silent.
Hyuck's voice cracked. "You push me away. Every time I try to be close to you, you act like it's too much. Like I'm too much. But when it's Yuta, it's fine? You laugh. You hold onto him. You don't flinch. Why not me?"
The pain in his voice was raw, unfiltered. Mark had never heard it like this.
"I thought I was your boyfriend," Hyuck whispered, tears mixing with the rain.
"You are," Mark said, stepping closer. "You are. God, Hyuck, I didn't know you felt this way. I didn't see it."
"I didn't want to make you feel guilty," Hyuck said. "But it's been eating me alive."
Mark's voice broke. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"I don't need you to be perfect, Mark," Hyuck said, finally turning to face him. "I just needed to feel like you still wanted me."
Mark didn't say anything. He just closed the distance and wrapped his arms around Hyuck, holding him tightly as the rain poured around them.
"I was scared," Mark murmured against his shoulder. "I didn't know how to fix what I broke. I thought giving you space was better than risking making it worse. I didn't realize I was making you feel invisible."
Hyuck clutched at the back of Mark's shirt, soaking wet and shaking. "You didn't just make me feel invisible. You made me feel replaceable."
Mark pulled back just enough to look at him. "No. Never. Don't you ever think that. There's no one who could replace you. Not Yuta. Not anyone. You're it for me, Donghyuck."
He leaned in, forehead resting gently against Hyuck's. The rain still poured, but neither of them moved.
"I'm sorry it took me this long to say it. I love you. I always have."
Hyuck didn't answer right away. He just leaned into Mark's touch, heart breaking open and stitching itself back together all at once.
"...I love you too," he whispered.
And for the first time in weeks, the silence between them was warm.
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Let me know if you want Mark's POV
