Work Text:
When Mark opens his eyes, he sees Donghyuck already awake and sitting up. The covers are pulled up until his chin (which explains the cold air Mark feels on his feet), his other hand holding his phone being scrolled through aimlessly. The sun enters through Mark’s tiny dorm window above his twin-sized bed’s headboard and casts shadows of the foliage outside his window onto Donghyuck’s tanned skin. Beautiful.
Mark smiles at the familiarity and closes his eyes. Some days, he might argue that it was better to wake up before Donghyuck could, to be able to watch the lines and slopes of his face while he lay undisturbed and peaceful. But on most days, Mark would admit that he was sometimes grateful for his strange schedule that allowed him to sleep in on most days, because then he was able to see the sides of Donghyuck that he wouldn’t have known he was missing otherwise.
In feigned sleep, he was able to witness Donghyuck’s gentle shifting as not to disturb Mark’s sleeping form, the soft humming of lullabies or the latest pop songs under his breath every now and then, and his making sure that Mark was snug in the blankets. Mark knew Donghyuck didn’t use his words very often, so he said his I love you’s through his actions instead, and even when he didn’t know Mark was watching.
Mark doesn’t even realize he’s still staring at him until Donghyuck catches his eye and snorts. “You need a comb, hyung.”
Mark rolls his eyes, still smiling. “And you need a thicker shirt. I can feel you shaking from here.”
Donghyuck locks his phone and puts it on the nightstand. The simple action of him showing that he was giving Mark his full attention flutters something in Mark’s chest. “You don’t understand liberty, Mr. I-wear-cartoon-set-pajamas from Walmart.”
Mark gives his laughter generously when it comes to Donghyuck, and today is no exception. Mark never tells him this, but he’s weak to Donghyuck’s proud smile whenever he makes him laugh.
“At least I’m warm. Come closer, you big idiot.”
Donghyuck obliges, muttering something about how at least he wasn’t the one that had drool down his chin, going back under the cover so that he’s face to face with Mark. Mark takes advantage of the cooling November air as an excuse to tangle their legs together to transfer as much warmth as he could, and Donghyuck intertwines their fingers under the sheets.
“Good morning, by the way.” Mark whispers, their faces barely centimeters apart.
“Good morning.” Donghyuck replies and then extends his reach only a little to land a kiss on Mark’s nose. “Do you want to eat something before you have to go?”
Mark exhales through his nose. He'd almost forgotten. “My first class isn’t until 9. What time is it?”
Donghyuck purses his lips and looks into Mark’s eyes. “Do you want the truth or the answer you want to hear?”
“Probably not the truth, then.”
Donghyuck glances at the sky through Mark’s tiny window, and then mimics calculating. “It’s 6AM. There’s nothing to worry about.”
The sun in the sky definitely said otherwise, but Mark sighed in mock relief.
“I guess that means I can stay in a little longer…”
Donghyuck gives him a sad smile. “Just don’t go in at all, hyung. You barely got any sleep last night; you’re going to end up collapsing in class again.”
Johnny always says that if Donghyuck wasn’t looking after Mark all the time, he thinks that he could have crashed and burned a long time ago. Mark had a bad habit of filling his plate with more than what he could handle, because it was what people expected of him. Donghyuck was the one who comforted him on nights when it got too much, helped him let go of things that he was so sure he needed but didn’t. He was always the one tearing his hair out over Mark’s self-destructive tendencies and yet still managed to find it in him to make fun of Mark’s choice of footwear on dates.
Mark sighs and sits up, the warmth shared between them suddenly dissipating. “No, missing classes will just pile up my work,” he makes a motion to get up. “I can make you breakfast?”
Donghyuck is pouting, and it’s dumb, he knows, but Mark feels a twinge of guilt to have to leave him.
“No thanks, hyung,” he mutters. “Just get back safely, okay? I’ll take care of lunch.”
Mark stares at his boyfriend for a moment before suddenly jumping back in bed to climb on top of him and covering his face in kisses. He leaves kisses on his forehead, on his nose, on his cheeks, anywhere he could reach. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and it was clear with how Donghyuck began shrieking that he couldn’t breathe with the way the stubble on his chin was tickling him.
Mark goes back onto his own side of the bed, laughing at the mess of Donghyuck’s hair and how red he had gotten.
“What was that all about?” Donghyuck’s still laughing, his cheeks nearly glowing in the sunlight still coming in.
Mark shrugs. “I’m just really grateful for you.”
Donghyuck goes redder still, and he looks embarrassed at how Mark says it so straightforwardly. Mark knows he's not as good with his actions as Donghyuck is, so he finds other ways.
“Is this some kind of parting gift before you go?”
“Or,” Mark goes back under the covers, and he feels Donghyuck’s eyes watching the movement. “It’s an invitation to go back to sleep. Your first class is still in the afternoon.”
With his eyes shut, Mark feels Donghyuck still next to him, like he’s unsure of what to do next. Like if he were to say the wrong thing, Mark would change his mind.
Mark opens a single eye. Donghyuck is scrunching his eyebrows at him, a smile on his face.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Hey, I said you could go back to sleep.”
Donghyuck sighs, but he’s playing along. “You know I can’t do that. I’m the child of the sun.”
“Okay, child of the sun. Keep me warm and hold me until I do, then?”
Mark wouldn’t trade seeing the blush that spread across Donghyuck’s cheeks for anything.
“You’re the death of me.” Donghyuck says, but his arms are open for Mark to fall into.
Mark snuggles in closer and closes his eyes. “I love you, too.”