notes;
— mention of chogikids (original characters)

Donghyuck's circle finally got the get-together they have always been wanting for. With both Jaemin and Renjun coming back from their vacation in China, and Chenle clearing his busy schedule, they finally gathered together at the park where they decided to spend their special occasion at.

Well, Of course, each of their partners couldn't leave their side so technically, Mark also got to spend time with his friends on the same spot. Usually, if it were the old him, he'd be jumping in joy to be with his own circle and spend his time with them. Escaping hell that's called Donghyuck's attitude.

It was quite rare to see Mark now, whining and being a brat because  he couldn't spend time alone with Donghyuck.

Both Jisung and Jeno couldn't help but judge. Especially Jeno, he was judging real hard with a disgusted expression.

"Come on, Jeno." Renjun nudged the man when he noticed him not being able to control the way he looks at a certain someone. "That happened last week."

Jaemin nodded his head, eating the sandwich that they brought for the picnic they're having. "That's what you get for always sabotaging their time together."

"How is it my fault for always being at the crime scene?!" Jeno was baffled at how his lovers comforted him. It wasn't like he intentionally would get in the way with his friend's affairs with his husband.

"I'm just saying!" Jaemin gave him a look, his cheeks puffed with the sandwich he was eating. "Hey, you also made them fight that one time they were on a video call while Mark was on a business trip."

"You helped in decorating the house with a 'Welcome home, Cheater' banner!" Jeno argued. "Even when you know I was behind those sounds on Mark's screen."

"Correction." Jaemin took a breath in to start his rebuttal. "I only found out after I helped set it up!"

Renjun stared at the two with a worried smile. He didn't bother calming them down as it has already been a normal occurrence for him. "They are at it again."

Sipping on his juice packet, Chenle leaned his head towards his lover's shoulder as he stared at the two that were arguing. "These two never change. I wonder how they clicked."

"One moment Jeno would be hating his guts, and the next second he'd be 6-feet down bad obsessed with him." Jisung told him, also watching the two.

"You know what's funny?" Chenle chuckled, diverting his attention to another pair that were in their own world despite the chaos. "Mark and Donghyuck used to be like them, minus the obsessed part."

Pointing it out, Jisung agreed with him. "They were obsessed, alright. Obsessed with hating each other."

"I wonder what happened." Chenle furrowed his brows in curiosity. "I could have sworn Donghyuck was just cursing at him not long ago."

"Tell me about it." Jisung played with his partner's hair while they talked. "Mark even got wasted last month just because he was sick and tired of Donghyuck's attitude."

Thinking about it, it is quite strange. Chenle somehow wondered what happened. "It's like they just woke up one day and realized they actually love each other."

A cheesy line then came to Jisung's mind. "I wake up everyday loving you."

Chenle rolled his eyes and lightly pushed the man beside him. "Shut up, Ji."

He then laughed at how red his husband's cheeks were, teasing him nonstop about it. While they were having their own time together, Mark and Donghyuck were looking at their circle despite being sitting far from them. They were the ones that insisted on looking after the kids that were playing by the playground not that much a distance away.

"By the way, I'm sorry about last night." Mark apologized, probably for the nth time this day.

Donghyuck let out a sigh. "Love, we talked about it already. I'm okay with it."

"I still want to say sorry." With his lover sitting in front of him and in between his legs, Mark wrapped his arms around the man's waist and put his chin on top of his shoulder.

"You just spilled coffee on my pajamas, no big deal." Donghyuck told him, reassuring his partner that it's nothing serious. "In fact, I should be the one saying sorry. I kept on bothering you while you were busy with work in the living room."

"If you think you're bothering me by making out with me," Mark smirked at the idea. "Then I'd gladly love to be bothered every single second."

It was quite strange to hear him say that. It may have been a while already since their rollercoaster ride with their past, but Donghyuck still couldn't grasp the fact that it's what helped them find each other again. He may not know how long this moment will last, but for as long as he's being loved right now, Donghyuck is going to focus on the present.

"Hey, are you mad?" Mark sounded genuinely concerned when his lover wasn't responding to him.

"Mark, if you're going to apologize one more time, I'm going to have to shut you up by force." Donghyuck didn't know what he would actually do. He just made an attempt to stop his husbands from repeating an apology over and over again.

However, Mark had assumed differently. Thus, causing him to provoke him more. "I'm really sorry, Love. Fuck, I'm so sorry."

Thinking that by shutting him up, Donghyuck was going to make out with him then and there.

What he got instead was being elbowed on the stomach by Donghyuck.

"Sh... Shit. Hey!" Mark groaned at how it hurt, giving him a pained expression.

"Told you I'm going to shut you up." Donghyuck may have not thought of what to do to silence him, but kissing him was definitely not an option.

Mark stared at him with a look of disbelief before his eyes softened to an affectionate one the next moment while still staring at him. Donghyuck waited for him to get mad and to complain, but instead, he noticed his partner tightening his arms that's wrapped around his waist.

It worried Donghyuck that he didn't get any response coming from his husband. "Love? Did it hurt that much?"

"You're pretty."

That sudden compliment caught Donghyuck off guard. His cheeks warmed up the next second. "What the hell, Mark Lee."

The said man let out a chuckle. "I just want to compliment you. I realized that I've been missing out a lot ever since we both got married."

"It's okay, Love." Donghyuck wasn't also a saint in their marriage life. Both of them always get their emotions get the better of them.

"My mouth was made to tell you everyday that you're perfect. But I used it to shout at you and point out your flaws instead."

Donghyuck, too, had a foul mouth. Every time they'd argue, he never held back in saying mean words that would hurt his husband.

Not just Mark, but Donghyuck is also guilty.

"These hands were made to hold you. But I broke you instead."

Though their fights never resulted in physical abuse, ignoring him and treating him like a stranger hurt more for Donghyuck. At night when he'd need Mark's warmth, he wasn't there. Mornings that he wanted to start off with affection, Mark would avoid him. The days that Donghyuck wanted comfort, Mark was too busy to care.

That suddenly changed in one specific morning.

"I was made to love you, not to hurt you."

"You're doing it now." Donghyuck had a small smile on his face, leaning back onto the man's chest as he closed his eyes in comfort. "Mark, why are you saying this?"

"Sunshine, you don't know how desperate I was to have you back again in my arms." Mark said, insinuating that the certain dream they shared was more of a nightmare for him. "How badly I want to live this life with you again."

"I could tell, Mark." A giggle was heard from Donghyuck. Memories from the dream went flashing in his mind. "You couldn't keep your hands to yourself."

"And if going back in time really happens to us," Mark paused for a while to admire his lover in his arms before continuing. "I'd do everything for us to end up together."

"And if we do lose our memories in going back?" Since they were saying impossible scenarios, Donghyuck wanted to ask a curious question.

"I don't care if I lose my memories," Mark said, confident that in any situation, he'll still end up falling in love with this man over here. "For as long as I won't lose you."

That's so... sweet. Donghyuck could tell that Mark didn't handle it well when that dream ended with him losing his life. It also seemed like Mark lost a part of himself.

"You're saying a lot." Donghyuck tried to ease the heavy tension between them. "Yet you can't even answer my simple question."

Mark raised a brow. "What question?"

"Would you still love me if your Ex has my face and I have your Ex's face?" Donghyuck said to him, looking dead serious. "Who would you love more then?"

That made Mark freeze on the spot.

He let out a whine, burying his face on the man's shoulder. "Can we go back to talking about worms? That was easier."

Donghyuck let out a loud laugh, expecting that kind of reaction from him already. It took him a good minute to finally stop laughing, wiping the tears from his eyes. With comfortable silence and warm comfort, the both of them snuggled under the tree that gave them shade— looking at the kids that were playing. Their son, the Park's son, the twins that the three finally managed to adopt after months of settling their legal papers.

"Hey, do you think we'd be able to see Chiro one day?" Donghyuck asked.

"We'll be old by then." Mark answered before pausing to think. "But yes, we will, and I'll grow old with you, Love."

"Cliché, Mark." That line brought back memories for Donghyuck. Dreaming about the past, Donghyuck almost forgot how cheesy his husband can actually be.

"You made Chan cry!"

Jiro looked up from the sandcastle he's trying to fix, getting both twins to stand in front of him. The two looked like they were making an attempt to look intimidating.

But being taller than them, Jiro stood up with a blank stare. "It's just a sand castle. I didn't know the ball I threw would hit it."

"Sorry, you say!" One of the two, with a strong personality, exclaimed.

And the other one with a calm character nodded his head. "No sorry for your wrong is bad."

"Well, I'm trying to build the castle again." Jiro crouched back down to continue, but was harshly stopped by a pair of small hands pulling his hair and another pair tugging on his shirt. "Ahh! Hey!"

"Sorry to Chan!"

"Because sorry is good!"

"Okay! Okay! Ok!" Jiro grumbled as he was forced to stand up and approach a certain boy at the other corner of the sandbox, his back facing them. The Park's son clicked his tongue in annoyance while dusting his shirt and fixing his hair. "Those smurfs."

Standing behind him, Jiro poked the boy's back.

"Chan." He called out, hoping to get his attention.

Which he did, but instead of seeing him cry because his sand castle was ruined, Chan had a bright smile on his face. "Ji, look! Jiro and Chan, heart!"

His strange mood caught the boy off guard. Jiro had a puzzled expression. His eyes glanced at the drawing the other kid made on the sand before pointing out his mistake. "You're not mad at your sand castle?"

"Mad?" Chan was shaking his head as an answer. "Papa doesn't get mad at Daddy, so Chan is not mad at Jiro!"

How does his parents not getting mad at each other relate to them? Nonetheless, Jiro apologized out of decency. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin the castle."

"It's okay, Jiro wants attention from me." Chan concluded confidently.

"I... No?!" Jiro took a step back. "I was just playing with my ball and it hit your sand castle!"

"Because you want to also play with me!"

"I don't!"

"Can I join?"

A voice not far from them asked politely, cutting the two from their playful argument. Both of them turned their heads towards the person's direction, looking surprised as to who finally appeared in front of them. Chan had a loud gasp with a wide smile while Jiro had a frown on his face, glaring at the other kid who came to join them.

"Milk!" Chan screamed, calling a nickname from the Wong's son.

"Jeffery." Jiro had a complete opposite reaction, looking uninterested.

The other kid, who's the same age as them, laughed as it has been a while since he last played with them. "Are you two playing pretend? You guys look like a married couple, arguing. Can I join?"

Chan didn't mind as he genuinely saw him as a friend. "Sure! You can be my partner—"

He was then cut off by Jiro taking his hand and squeezing it tight. "I'm Chan's partner."

Jeffery didn't know why there was tension between him and the other kid. He was just there for the sole purpose of wanting to play with them. "I'll be the twins' babysitter then."

"Lucas?"

Taking a break in looking after the kids, Donghyuck and Mark went back to their friends where they were having a picnic and noticed a pair that had just arrived. Donghyuck wasn't expecting to see a familiar face joining them. He thought that he and his family were out of the country and couldn't make it to their get-together.

"What's up, man!" Walking towards him, a tall figure pulled Donghyuck to a tight embrace as a greeting.

Donghyuck felt nervous at the interaction they were having. His eyes immediately snapped towards his husband's direction, only for Mark to make a gesture telling him that it was alright since it's a friend. It surprised Donghyuck to say the least, but missing his company, he hugged the man back.

"When did you arrive?" Donghyuck asked the moment he pulled away. "You didn't tell me!"

"Just this morning. Plus, you won't even reply to my texts. Understandable though. I told Chenle instead." Lucas then introduced his partner to them. "I brought Jungwoo with me."

With his name being mentioned, Chenle joined their conversation. His eyes widened at the realization. "Wait, Mark, I'm sorry. I somehow forgot that—"

Knowing what he meant, Mark raised his hand up to stop him. "It's okay, really."

Donghyuck then whispered to his husband. "Hey, you're supposed to get jealous. That's how they see you."

"Oh, shit." Unleashing his hidden talent in acting, Mark began. "Damn, you better back away then, Lucas."

Seeing right through that joke, Lucas held both his hands up as if he was caught red handed and took a step back to go along with the humor. "I'm 10 feet away, Mark."

They all laughed at the two's interaction. However, a certain duo was not able to find the situation funny as they both thought it was strange.

"Didn't Mark hate his guts?" Jisung asked the man beside him who also found the scene absurd. "I'm so sure he almost witchcrafted Lucas."

"You tell me." Jeno answered, looking as equally as confused as him. "Both Donghyuck and Mark have been acting weird ever since they woke up on that one morning."

Whatever it is, there's only one thing that the both of them could agree on and that was how Donghyuck and Mark are a perfect pair for being strange.

With Chenle initiating that everyone should take their seats in a circle so they can talk, Donghyuck and Mark stayed standing behind while they were in chaos in finding places for themselves. Looking at them, Mark couldn't help but ask Donghyuck about something.

Something that he was curious about. "Hey, how did Jungwoo and Lucas get together again?"

"You didn't know?" Donghyuck had his brows furrowed. "Lucas objected to the wedding that Jungwoo was being arranged with someone else."

"He went through that?" Mark actually thought they just met randomly during high school. "Props for actually knowing what he wants."

Because it was asked, Donghyuck also felt the need to test his husband once more. "Mark, would you still love me if I was married to—"

"Alright, Love. Let's go sit down." Mark was quick to cut him off before he'd get another earful for getting the wrong answer even if those types of questions don't technically have a right answer.

"Mark, wake up."

Turning his head to the side, Mark stopped his tracks when he heard a voice calling out to him. "Love? Did you say anything?"

"Huh?" Donghyuck thought for a moment before nodding his head. "Yeah, I said sit with Jeno and Jisung, I'll sit with Jaemin and the others."

Those weren't the exact words Mark heard though. Shaking his head, he snapped out from his trance and decided not to mind what began to bother him. He went along with his own friends while he let his lover catch up with his own circle.

Mark thought it was over, but he heard it again.

This time, loud and clear.

"Wake up! Donghyuck is alive!"

— thank you