Work Text:
Over the years, Donghyuck has learned a thing or two about Mark Lee. He’s also learned a thing or two about Love. Coincidentally, they go hand-in-hand.
It hasn’t been easy—they’ve always been a bit polarized. They used to fight like cats and dogs, always pushing each other’s buttons and toeing the line of “not enough” and “too much”. But as the saying goes, opposites attract, and it’s not that Donghyuck and Mark were opposites, per se, but complements.
They’re two halves of a whole, they balance each other out. When Donghyuck gets ahead of himself, Mark is there to remind him to take it easy. When Mark gets too in his head, Donghyuck is there to draw him back out. They lift each other up when things are looking down, and they learn how to ground one another when the air gets too thin and tensions are too high. They learn to love—a slow and steady process—through one another, and Donghyuck comes to the realization that there are so many ways to love someone.
He has a list in his head (and admittedly in the Notes app on his phone) of love advice that he got out of some magazine for middle-aged women he found in the back of his mother’s closet. He’s tweaked them, tailored each piece of guidance to fit the delicate and beautiful thing that he and Mark have grown over the years.
Essentially, he’s created his very own list of the many unspoken rules he’s learned over the years about loving Mark Lee.
Rule 2: Talk things out (even when all you want to do is run or hide)
For all that Donghyuck is unreserved and unapologetic, he’s not the best at talking about his feelings. He’s a master of variety and he can joke his way out of any awkward situation, but when he has to cut his heart open and show the world how vulnerable and fragile it really is… well, that’s terrifying.
It’s actually how Mark and Donghyuck became more than friends, once upon a time. One tiny misunderstanding caused a rift that felt irreparable, and instead of talking things out like the mature adults they’re supposed to be, Donghyuck did what he does best: he ran away from the truth, from the way his heart ached when Mark looked at him a little too softly or touched him a little too tenderly and said his name a little too gently—and he hid behind every other member he could get his hands on and hid behind his extroverted personality to keep as much distance between him and Mark as possible.
It wasn’t until Mark had confronted him (more like cornered him) during a flight from Incheon to Jeju that only Mark and Donghyuck were on, the cost of working double-time on 127 and Dream promotions, that they finally talked. There were no other members for Donghyuck to hide behind, nothing to use to distract Mark from the truth. And once he started talking, he couldn't stop. He told Mark everything: every secret he'd bottled up about the way Mark feels more like home than a city or country ever could—the way Mark makes him feel calm in the chaos, the way Mark is favorite form of comfort. Donghyuck talked and talked, and Mark listened.
When Donghyuck had finally finished, had finally let it all out, he felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff and Mark's next words would either send him plummeting down or they would reel him back into safety—and Mark was just looking at him the same way he had for months, the same way that makes Donghyuck want and hope.
"Well?"
And Mark simply leaned over the seat, 10,000 meters above the ground, and whispered "Thank God," before he pressed his lips against Donghyuck's and that was the beginning.
Donghyuck can admit that he still needs to be coaxed out of his shell sometimes, but there’s nobody who could do it better than Mark.
Rule 23: When you get into a fight, don’t be afraid to apologize first (learn how to let it go and meet him halfway)
Disagreements are an inevitable part of any relationship, romantic or not, and Donghyuck and Mark have had their fair share of fights over the years. From shallow and petty disagreements to full-blown fights that lasted for weeks, they’ve seen some rough and rocky times. After their last major fight though, one that lasted for 2 weeks and 2 days that their fans famously titled The Markhyuck Fight of Summer 2017™, they realized that it’s simply not worth it to hold a grudge against one another when they always find their way back in the end.
Arguments end before they start most of the time now, and the ones that can’t be fully prevented are put out before the flickering flame can turn into a forest fire; but in those instances, 9 times out of 10 Mark is the one extending the olive branch. He’s the one giving in and coming to Donghyuck with a soft-spoken and sincere “I’m sorry” and Donghyuck always forgives him, always apologizes in return—but it’s always been rather difficult for him to make the first move.
Maybe it’s his ego. Maybe it’s his pride. Or maybe it’s the fact that he feels like so many of their fights are his fault, fueled by his teasing or his inability to read the room; maybe it’s the fact that he’s so scared that if he’s the one that pushes Mark away and he’s the one that says the words first, then Mark won’t accept them. And Donghyuck wouldn’t know what to do, because despite the ever-changing fast-paced life he lives, Mark has always been the one constant and Donghyuck can’t fathom losing that piece of his heart.
Mark knows this, although Donghyuck’s never actually told him. They’re on the same wavelength like that, and it’s scary how Mark knows him better than he knows himself sometimes. So Mark is usually the one to swallow his pride and make things right after they’ve been made wrong.
Still, Donghyuck’s working on it. He’s getting better at pushing down the fear and realizing there’s very few things that could stand between him and Mark, Mark and him. Nowadays, that number is starting to look more like 7 out of 10, and he’s getting better at it.
Apologize. Compromise. Trust.
(And Mark always forgives him.)
Rule 11: When you love someone, try to match their pace (Mark’s never been one to rush, so try to take things slow)
Where Donghyuck has always lived life at 100 miles per hour, always looking forward to the next adventure and living for tomorrow—Mark prefers to live in the “here and now”, always stopping to enjoy the moment, to soak it in and memorize it. Donghyuck will dive head first into anything thrown his way, and while Mark likes to take the bull by the horns, he’ll never do it without thinking through the risks and calculating the outcome first. Donghyuck has never looked before crossing the street, and Mark has always looked twice.
Usually, they find a middle ground to navigate, but when it comes to matters of the heart, Donghyuck has learned it’s best to match Mark’s pace because this is new and uncharted territory for the both of them. They’ve always lived within the boundaries of their friendship, and even though somewhere along the lines that friendship bloomed and burned into something more, they are friends first and foremost.
With how much they’ve both been through—but especially Mark—at such a young age, it makes sense that he prefers things slow and steady and sure. So Donghyuck slows things down a notch. He lets Mark reach out for his hand first; he lets Mark say the words first; he lets Mark lead the way and makes sure he keeps the same pace, with each step forward matched, right-left-right-left.
Because there’s no point in forging ahead if Mark isn’t by his side.
Rule 8: If you love someone, don’t try to change them (Mark drives you crazy, but you drive him crazy too)
Despite the picture-perfect visuals and the top-tier performances and everything that entertainment companies want you to believe, idols are just normal, regular people—and people aren’t perfect. Even the fans know that Mark and Donghyuck used to drive each other up a wall. After their debut, they were dubbed as one of the Tom-and-Jerry duos in the group and he hates to admit that the label isn’t exactly wrong. They may be two halves of a whole, but as much as their differences balance out, they can cause friction too.
When Mark leaves wet towels on the rug in his bedroom, or when he drinks the orange juice straight out of the carton, or when he forgets to switch his laundry over and ends up having to borrow Donghyuck’s clothes instead—it all drives Donghyuck mad and he’s tempted to nag Mark and whine and complain until the other fixes his ways.
But then he remembers that he has a tendency to leave the windows open even as the temperature creeps closer to autumn. He has a bad habit of stealing the blankets in the middle of the night even though he’s the one that runs hot and Mark is the one that runs cold. He definitely leaves the toothpaste uncapped more often than not. He knows all of these annoy Mark to no end, and yet Mark never nags him for this or that. He simply gets up and closes the window, or grabs another blanket from the closet, or closes the cap for Donghyuck without a word.
So Donghyuck lets it all go and remembers that some things aren’t meant to change at all.
Rule 5: Give the person you love space when they need it (Know when to leave well enough alone)
Mark is a Leo, which means a lot of things, but one thing for certain is that Mark is stubborn as a bull. Mark is also a perfectionist (which cannot be blamed on the stars, unfortunately), and if he doesn’t get something right on the first try, he will do it again and again until he doesn’t get it wrong. It’s an all or nothing mentality, one that Donghyuck isn’t quite sure is healthy, but Donghyuck has learned the hard way that Mark may surrender when it comes to his teasing—he may be the first to roll over and apologize, and he may wave the white flag when Donghyuck attacks him with kisses or tickles—but he will never put his foot down when it comes to this.
They were preparing for a comeback and they’d been locked in one of the practice rooms at the company building for every bit of 10 hours by that point. Mark had bags under his eyes and an aura of exhaustion about him from promoting in three different units at once. His body was lined with tension and that ever-present spark in his eye seemed to be dimming with each sleep-deprived and adrenaline-fueled day that passed. And yet here he was, standing in front of the practice room mirror, ready to run the choreography for their latest promotion. The other members had long since left, retiring to their dorm or grabbing a late-night dinner, but Mark had insisted on staying.
So Donghyuck stayed too. They always had a habit of worrying and watching one another, and Donghyuck was nothing if not worried at the way every breath seemed to take so much out of Mark and the way his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he stared himself down in the mirror, determined to get it right—to get it perfect.
The others had left two hours ago, and now the clock was inching closer to 2 am and Mark was setting up the bluetooth speaker for yet another go. Donghyuck himself had called it quits about 30 minutes ago but Mark had run through the choreo at least 3 times in those 30 minutes, with Donghyuck watching from the side, feeling tired just from looking at the other boy.
“We should head back, it’s getting late.”
“You can go. I’m gonna run through this a few more times, the chorus still isn’t hitting right.”
“Mark, come on.” Donghyuck’s voice tilts towards whining as he stands up and walks over to where Mark is, tugging on his wrist. “Doing it like this isn’t going to help, just come back to it tomorrow after a night’s rest.”
Mark just pulls his wrist from Donghyuck’s grasp with a slight shake of his head. “No, Hyuck. You go, I’m staying.”
“Mark—”
“Donghyuck.” Mark hasn’t gotten angry with him in years, not since their trainee days, and he’s still not angry, necessarily—but there’s an edge to his voice, a tone of finality, and as he finally tears his eyes from the mirror and meets Donghyuck’s, there’s not an inch of room to argue.
Donghyuck bites his tongue, realizing this was one battle he wouldn’t win. He silently makes his way to where he’d dropped his bag, packing up for the night. Mark doesn’t speak, nor does he put the music back on. He simply watches as Donghyuck heads for the door, waiting. Donghyuck stops in the doorway and turns to Mark, and he feels his something pull in his chest as he looks at the other boy (because even like this, bone-tired and drained inside and out, Mark is still so golden).
“Goodnight, Mark. Get home safe.” Mark hums in acknowledgement, and the minute the door closes behind Donghyuck, the music starts back up.
(From that night on, Donghyuck lets him be. If Mark wants to work until he drops, that’s his choice; and really, there’s really nothing that can stop Mark Lee once he puts his mind to something. But Donghyuck always tries his best to wait up until Mark texts him that he finally made it home. And the mornings after those long nights when Mark has a hard time dragging himself out of bed, Donghyuck makes sure he has Mark’s usual coffee ready to go by the time they need to head out to their schedule and the sleepy smile he gets in thanks makes everything worth it.)
Rule 17: Honesty is the best policy (if you can trust anyone in this god forsaken world, it’s Mark)
This industry will swallow you whole, chew you up, and spit you out before you can even figure out which way is up and which way is down. Donghyuck knows that, he’s known that since he was 13 years old and starry-eyed with dreams of singing and dancing on stage, a star for the world to see. Fame at a young age comes with a price, though, and the company sat them down long before debut to prepare them for the worst (while hoping against hope for the best).
Donghyuck knows this and he knows it well, but that doesn’t stop the way something ugly twists in his chest and crawls up his throat as he reads yet another headline of the rumor-fuelled, hate-filled articles that are reaching the top of the Naver search. His name is trending on Twitter and not in a good way, and the netizens are having a field day tearing him apart.
“Is it true?” Mark asks the question softly, like the question itself might shatter Donghyuck (even though if the answer was yes, he’s pretty sure the only person who would be hurt is Mark).
“No.”
“Donghyuck, I need you to be honest with me. Even if it’s going to hurt me, I don’t care because this?” He says, waving his hand at the article that’s pulled up on Donghyuck’s gaming laptop. “This is hurting you, and I can’t handle that.”
And Donghyuck doesn’t blame Mark for thinking it could be true. The life they live isn’t easy, and he wouldn't be the first idol in the industry (hell, he wouldn’t be the first idol he knows ) to fall from grace like this.
“Mark, I swear it’s not true. None of it, not one single sentence, is true.” And he’s being honest, completely and 100% honest.
And Donghyuck is suddenly grateful that Mark has always had a way of seeing right through Donghyuck’s bullshit, because he doesn’t even hesitate to reach out and take Donghyuck’s hand in both of his, bringing it up to his lips and pressing a barely-there kiss to his knuckles.
“Okay, okay. I believe you, and I’ve got you.” Donghyuck can see the gears start to turn in Mark’s head, puzzling the pieces together. “We’ll figure this out, we’ll call the manager and we’ll set up a meeting with the company and we’ll sue whoever the hell we need to sue. But I’ve got your back, Hyuck. Always.”
And when Donghyuck pulls him into a hug—burying his face in the other’s neck and breathing in, feeling his heartbeat settle in his ribcage where it was threatening to beat out of his chest—Mark doesn’t push him away, doesn’t tense up or pull away. He just wraps his arms around Donghyuck and holds him a little bit closer and a little bit tighter.
Rule 27: Love languages differ from person to person, but they all mean the same thing (translate when you can’t quite figure out)
Love languages are unique to each person and they’re a cornerstone to any relationship in life. And while Donghyuck’s own love language is physical touch and he’s always dolled out affection in the form of hugs and kisses, he’s always craved the reassurance that words of affirmation bring. Hearing first hand how much someone loves you, cares for you, and values you brings a certain kind of warmth and happiness.
Mark may be fluent in two languages, but he’s the first person to admit he struggles to put things into words sometimes. Donghyuck knows this, and he’s okay with this, because he’s learned over the years that love languages aren’t always black and white. There’s so much gray to navigate and Mark may not use words to show his affection and the ways that he cares, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t show it at all.
One day, he meets Donghyuck at the recording studio, umbrella in hand. Mark’s recording session isn’t for another 3 hours according to the schedule their manager gave them, but he’s standing there anyway, shoes forming a puddle on the tiled floors of the lobby. “You left the dorm without an umbrella this morning, I didn’t want you to catch a cold.”
One day, Mark comes home late from a practice session for Super M, but the fact that it’s well past midnight doesn’t stop him from swinging by the fifth floor first just to hand a bottle of aspirin to Donghyuck (who he knew would still be awake, because Donghyuck has become all but nocturnal at this point). When Donghyuck asks him why, he just shrugs. “You said you had a headache earlier.”
One night when Donghyuck is dead-tired from an individual MC schedule and trudges into Mark’s room for a movie-night only to fall asleep not even 10 minutes into the movie, he’s woken up with a gentle shake of his shoulders and Mark’s looking down at him with soft eyes and a softer smile. “Did you eat yet? I made some extra ramen if you want some, there’s way too much for me to finish alone.”
Sure, Donghyuck loves when the producers praise his vocal color, when the choreographers marvel at his body lines, when the fans tell him he’s doing a good job and to keep working hard, when the hyungs tell him that 127 wouldn’t be the same without him or the other Dream members say he always helps lift the mood whenever he’s around. He’ll never get tired of hearing all these reminders of how much he’s loved and valued and appreciated.
But he also loves the helping hand that Mark gives him, even when he wasn’t looking for one; he’ll never get tired of the way Mark always smiles at him—so terribly fond and adoring—as he shows Donghyuck just how much he cares.
Rule 6: There are so many ways to tell someone you love them (learn how to read between the lines)
Speaking of love languages, another thing about Mark is that he’s never been outright and outspoken. He prefers nuance and subtle meaning that’s hidden beneath the layers of the surface. He doesn’t say the words “I love you” all that often, afraid that with every breath they’re spoken with, a bit of their meaning is lost in the air between his lips and Donghyuck’s ears. He doesn’t say the words often; but he says other things and Donghyuck has learned that there are a thousand different ways to tell someone how you feel about them.
“I can make time.” - Mark says this when Donghyuck wants to show him a demo of a solo song he’s working on, a side project he can call his own, and Mark is in the middle of promotions with the Super M team and every minute of his free time is spent preparing for their comeback.
“ I always worry about you.” - Mark says this when he comes back from his leg injury and he pushes himself a little too hard to keep up with the choreo and prepare for the tour, and Mark notices every little limp and every little wince of pain (Mark always notices everything about Donghyuck).
"You make everything easier. ” - Mark says this one after a particularly hard press conference, full of backhanded compliments and not-so-subtle hints that their concept for this album wasn’t original; his head is on Donghyuck’s chest and Donghyuck is rubbing gentle circles on his back, trying to ease some of the burden that knots itself in Mark’s shoulders and weighs him down.
“ It’s okay, I couldn’t sleep anyway. ” - Mark says this when Donghyuck calls while Mark and him are separated—something that rarely happens anymore, but before Mark rejoined Dream, was a frequent occurrence—and he forgets that noon for him is midnight for Mark, but Mark never fails to pick up no matter what time it is, and he always stays on the line until Donghyuck hangs up.
There are a hundred different ways Mark has told Donghyuck he loves him: “ Get home safe.” “Don’t catch a cold.” “I’ll come get you.” “You can have the last one.” “Let me help you with that.”
And Donghyuck’s favorite, “ Lee Donghyuck, ” sometimes yelled across the room with a tinge of frustration, sometimes whispered softly in his ear with just the slightest bit of a teasing tone, but each time said with an endless amount of endearment.
Rule 1: Above everything else, just love him.
Over the years, Donghyuck has learned a thing or two about Mark Lee. He’s learned that Mark is hard to rile up, and easy to forgive. He’s learned that he bites his nails (and his finger, actually) when he’s nervous or distracted. He’s learned that in spite of Mark’s goody-two-shoe complex, the older boy still curses like a sailor lost at sea. He’s learned that Mark gets embarrassed so easily, and it's his ears—not his cheeks—that turn apple-red and give him away. He’s learned that Mark’s lips are always a little too chapped and his hands are always a little too cold, but Donghyuck’s never really minded either of those things.
He’s learned each kind of laugh Mark has, from the loud, belly-filled laugh that he usually hears across the green room to the soft giggle that he usually hears right beside him when they’re cuddled up together on lazy mornings; he’s learned each kind of smile Mark has, from his cut-and-dry interview smile, endlessly polite and charming, to the one that’s all teeth and light and pure, genuine happiness. He’s learned that Mark kisses the same way he does everything in life—by pouring himself into it and giving everything he has, and it makes a tidal wave of emotions crash through Donghyuck every single time. He’s learned that Mark loves the same way he lives: selflessly, honestly, and completely.
Mark is just like the rest of the world’s population—all 7 billion of them—in that he’s a human with a heart that beats and loves and hurts. Donghyuck can count all the things he’s learned about Mark Lee, and he can count all the things he’s learned about love from Mark Lee. Over the years, Mark has taught him how to love and how to be loved; but the most absolute rule when it comes to Mark Lee—the one Donghyuck has come up with all one his own, 100% original with no guide or list—is to simply love him back.