Synopsis - Donghyuck just needs an extra bit of reassurance sometimes.
Word count - 3.3k

Donghyuck is clingy.

Donghyuck is a brat.

That is what people know him as, the spoiled, annoying maknae - and he's fine with that. That's the image he put upon himself, and it isn't as if he doesn't have other attributes that people love.

He is loved. But sometimes it doesn't feel like it.

It was hot at 10:42 at night. Hotter than Donghyuck had ever really felt. Perhaps it was because of the extensive practicing they have been doing for the past three hours, or maybe the room just gets hot with seven boys panting all at once.

Mark turned off the music track, hands over his head in a stretch as sweat dripped down his arms. The others were in similar positions - chins lifted, mouths parted and chests heaving up and down heavily as they tried to catch their breath. The studio was dimly lit with artificial light, casting a dark gloom over the others.

"I think it's time for a break, everyone!" Mark shouted.

Donghyuck still stood, watching his fingers shake from exhaustion? Anxiety? Hunger? Perhaps all of it. The last thing he had ate were the eggs that he made in a hurry for the members. Granted, he only ate a third of his plate and gave the rest to Jisung who claimed he was starving. At the time, the brunette didn't think much of giving his plate to the youngest, but now he thinks he should have grabbed something extra for himself.

Yet he didn't regret giving his food to Jisung. He deserved it more than him.

All of the members deserved the world, and Donghyuck would give it to them.

Ignoring his shaky hands and growling stomach, Donghyuck put on a smile and bounced around the room, sensing they all needed a mood boost. That was his job after all.

Latching onto his first target, Chenle's rosy cheeks lifted and he squealed in surprise as the sun kissed boy wrapped his arms around his shoulders, squeezing him tightly in an embrace. Shaking his body as he smothered him in hugs.

"So cute, Chenle-ah. What am I gonna do with you~" The brunette sing-songed, his smile leaving an imprint on the back of the other's neck.

Chenle giggled and melted into his chest for a second, allowing them to bask in the moment of platonic affection before his attention latched onto the youngest, who waved a screen in the air.

Pinching his forearms gently as a sign to let go, Donghyuck pouted but released his death grip  and watched as the two youngest members sat in the corner, sidled closely against one another with smiles adorning their lips as they watched a video on a shared tablet.

Glancing around the room for another unsuspecting victim, Mark and Renjun laid on the cold hardwood floor, side by side as their fingers traced imaginary figures and shapes into the lambent white ceiling lights.

Donghyuck smiled, discreetly walking over to the two before tumbling on top of them. Ignoring their disgruntled groans and complains and instead snuggling up right in between the two of them, reveling in the warmth provided by both.

"Hyuck~" the brunette's ears perked at the nickname. He loved when they called him by that name - it seemed much more intimate than his stage name.

"Get off of us!" Mark yelled, shattering the younger's illusion of affection.

Donghyuck pouted and wrapped around the elder's arm, trying his best to make his cutest expression. It normally works, but not today.

Renjun groans. "Seriously Haechan. You're hurting me!"

The boy flinches at the use of his stage name, as if it was a punch to his gut. He hated when the members use his stage name - it almost felt degrading. Alienating. It often made him wonder how they viewed him—how they saw him. There are so many different versions of himself, even he got confused. But he always liked to believe that they saw him for his true self. But could the truth be that they don't?

Donghyuck tries not to let these thoughts get to his head, he really does. But when he is constantly pushed to the side for being too 'annoying' or 'too much' just for someone else to be chosen over him, it hurts. He doesn't want to be this way. He doesn't want to wonder whether they like him or not, or if they see him as a true friend or just the brat.

Is he that hard to read?

He didn't think so.

Brushing the two off and huffing quietly (only to be ignored), he stands up and pushes his thoughts to the back of his mind. It's fine. He doesn't need their reassurance anyway, they needed his. He is their energy source, their full sun. At least he hopes he still is. It seems as if the only thing he's capable of is annoying them lately.

Looking for his next target, he spotted his puppy-like friend and figured that Jeno would entertain his antics for a while. The muscled boy sat in the middle of the left wall, with his knees perched to his chest and his bare arms that gleamed with perspiration rested on top of the knees. His head leaned down, headphones resting in his ears, oblivious to everything going on around him.

His sun kissed hand runs through the other's black hair, scratching his head softly with his nails. Jeno lifts his head, his eyes turning to crescents as he leans into his touch.

Donghyuck sighs in relief. He could always rely on Jeno to be soft with him.

Not much time passed as the two sat in silence, a mutual understanding of each other, before Mark clapped his hands and announced that break was over. They only had one song left to perfect, then they could all go back to the dorms. Some would head straight to bed, others would need to shower and complete their skincare routine, others would have the late night munchies and make a mess in the kitchen and steal each others laughter.

Donghyuck wasn't sure what he would do when he gets home.

The group lined up in their respective positions. Mark pushed play on the speaker before hurrying to his place in the center Beatbox beat loudly throughout the studio, nearly giving Donghyuck a headache from it's intensity. That's always how they practiced, though. The music as loud as possible. They needed to be prepared for any loud noises when they're on stage and not lose their place, and this was the best way to do it.

It wasn't even towards the end of the song until Donghyuck fucked up.

No, it was barely a minute in. Jeno was in his place in the center, mouthing the words to his part and dancing with power, as he always does. Donghyuck lifted his arms into a triangular position - just like he was supposed to. Renjun stood right behind him, Jaemin behind the other. They'd have to transition to the next position soon.

His body moved automatically, rhythmically, the steps to the dance already ingrained into his bones. Until he stumbled. He stumbled. His foot twisted and hooked against the opposite ankle and as if in slow motion, toppled over. Except he didn't land on the hard tile like he expected to. Instead, a warm hand wrapped around his hip, squeezing it tightly. His eyes opened in shock and he was greeted with wide brown eyes - ones that he could recognize anywhere.

Jaemin.

Oh God.

Donghyuck always thought Jaemin's eyes were like the sunset. Fiery orange danced around his dilated pupils before being calmed down by mellow yellow specks. Something that he looked forward to seeing each day. Warm and tender.

The younger's brown eyes were not filled with the warmth they usually held today. They were scrunched up in pain. His chest heaved and his jaw clenched as Donghyuck laid on him; frozen.

"Donghyuck get out of the way!" Jisung screamed, pushing the elder off of the other boy.

The group rushed to help Jaemin up as his hands left the others hip to support his back. His brows scrunched up as he struggled to stand, legs wobbling. When he finally found the strength to stand up straight, his eyes finally met the sun kissed boy's once more.

It was hard for the older to hold his gaze. Taking a step back, he held down his head in shame; accepting whatever was to come from the younger's mouth.

Jaemin didn't say anything, though. He didn't yell, or scream, or insult him. His lip only jutted out in a pout before he allowed the others to walk him out of the studio.

Donghyuck stared at him longingly.

He had never fucked up this bad.

If there was anyone who could semi-match his energy, it was Jaemin. If he smothered him with affection, Jaemin did it harder. If he annoyed him to the earth's end, Jaemin would do it worse. If he yelled, Jaemin yelled. If he cried, Jaemin cried.

Jaemin is everything.

And now he hurt his everything.

Donghyuck couldn't stand himself.

While they walked Jaemin out of the studio, the others didn't bother to make sure whether or not Donghyuck had gotten in the car with them. Their priority was making sure the younger got back to the dorms safely. Donghyuck couldn't blame them for that—after all, he was nothing.

Nothing after what he had done.

The boy watched sadly as their car drove off into the night. They weren't going very far. Dream's dorms were only a couple streets down but it felt like a lifetime away without them near. He spent the rest of that night (and morning) stuck in the dance studio. The first few hours were spent dealing with a mini breakdown, puffy eyes and red cheeks.

Why does he have to be this way?

Donghyuck was an extrovert in a group full of introverts. He loved all of the boys with his whole heart, and he thought of them as family; but sometimes, it was hard not to feel like an outcast. It seemed like the six of them just always understood each other. Yet Donghuck just couldn't. He couldn't understand why they all seemed to chose to hide away into their rooms when he came out. He couldn't understand why they yelled at him so much. Or why they didn't love him.

Perhaps if he didn't fuck up so much.

The last hours were spent with the radio cranked as high as possible, Donghyuck's feet tracing over the same spot over and over again until he got it just right. He would make sure this would never happen again. Jaemin would never be hurt by him again.

Once the sun began peak through the city's tall buildings, casting a warm glow into the studio did the sun kissed boy call it a day. It was still early, early enough for the city to be asleep, leaving the solemn walk home peaceful.

When the boy reached the dorm, it was entirely quiet besides the jingling of his keys in the doorknob. Shutting the door quietly, Donghyuck stood in the space between their living room and kitchen. The living room lead to a sliding glass door which opened out into the balcony, holding memories of sleepless nights with reckless boys. On the opposite side, it stretched into a small dining table and to the right there was the kitchenette. Cupboards were left wide open and dirty mugs sat on the counter. Donghyuck chuckled—he knew Jaemin must have really been out of his mind if he allowed the boys to leave the house in such a state.

A pang of guilt hit him at that thought. He glanced around once more. Plates and bags of chips sat on the dining table, empty glasses resting beside them. Wrinkled sweatshirts and open movie jackets lay messily on the floor of the living room. One single lamp was left on (Donghyuck managed to smile at that. At least they expected him home) which flooded the room in a warm lambent glow throughout the house.

Donghyuck bent over, picking up after the mess the boys made. Organizing the throw pillows and blankets on the couch and putting away the DVD's in their alphabetical order, he hummed in approval before moving into the kitchen. The least he could do for Jaemin was make sure he woke up to an organized house just the way he liked. After finishing with all the chores, he turned the lamp off before heading down the narrow hallway and into his small bedroom.

Eyes facing the floor as he slipped off his shoes before walking over to his dresser and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt (he couldn't tell if it was Jeno's or Mark's. They all share clothing at this point). Pulling off his shirt and throwing it onto the bed, Donghyuck's eyes widened when his blankets shifted and a small moan came from them.

Little strands of messy brown hair peaked from outside of the blanket, warm brown eyes following shortly.

"You're home." Jaemin mumbled sleepily, now revealing his whole bare face from inside the blanket.

Donghyuck paused, frozen just like he was in the studio. He stared at the younger. His eyes were still filled with worry even in the dark, but it's warmth had returned, spreading it's way into the boy's chest.

"What're you doing in my room?" Donghyuck managed to stutter out.

Sleep laced his voice. Deep and raspy, something so different from his normal tone when he was doting on the members. "Was waiting for you." He mumbled, blinking his eyes rapidly as if trying to fight off a wave of tiredness. His lips curved into a small smile, reaching the ends of his cheeks, as he stared back at the older.

A shiver passed through Donghyuck's body. "Why?" Suddenly realizing he still didn't have a shirt on, he reached for the one that still lay on his dresser.

Jaemin shook his head, mumbling protests before reaching over and grabbing the other's hand, pulling him into the bed by his side. A small squeal came from the back of the brunettes throat out of surprise. Now he sat next to Jaemin, who looked much more content being beside him. He laid back down, snuggling into Donghyuck's pillow and blanket, inhaling softly before smiling again in content.

Donghyuck stared at him, heart beating faster than it really should have. There was always something unknown about Jaemin to him. Sure, he's known him for nearly a decade and yet there was something that felt missing. Perhaps it was this. Seeing him bare faced. Of course, he's seen the boy without makeup before, but not in such a vulnerable state; in his bed. His hair tufted against the white pillow, fluffy strands falling in every direction. His cheek squished against the side, a rosy tint shading them. His lashes fanned out against the apple of his cheeks. His lips jutted out in a pout.

He was beautiful. If Serenity were a person, this would be it.

Donghyuck grimanced. How could he hurt him?

Suddenly Jaemin's eyes opened, looking up at the other expectantly with his cloudy vision. "What're you waiting for?" He asked, opening his arms as an invitation.

The older glanced at him questioningly. His broad shoulders and chest did look appealing. But did he deserve this? Certainly not.

Rolling his eyes, Jaemin grabbed the boy and pulled him into his warm chest. Donghyuck gasped, but quickly relaxed into the others embrace. He fit perfectly in his body, the missing puzzle piece. His nose rested against the others sternum, his ear placed perfectly above his heart beat. It was calm, steady, sturdy. Just like Jaemin.

They were silent for a while, Donghyuck listening to the rhythm of Jaemin's breathing.

This was the first form of affection he had received in ages. The boys had gotten used to pushing his affection away. The only attention he would get came in the form of teasing, or pranks. He knew they meant well by it, because if anyone was the master of teasing, it would be Donghyuck. But sometimes he needed more.

His fingers traced the outline of Jaemin's delicate collarbone. Then down his arms and to his waist, where he rubbed small circles to which Jaemin leaned into. Trailing across to the small of his back, he gently kept his hand there.

"Does it hurt?" Donghyuck whispered.

Jaemin tensed. His eyes opening once more to meet the other's intense gaze. "Not so much anymore." He gave a reassuring smile.

Donghyuck furrowed his brows. "Why did you wait for me?"

"I was worried about you."

The elder scoffed. "There's no reason to."

The brunette shifted slightly. "Of course there is."

"All I do is cause problems. I'm not worth being worried about." Donghyuck mumbled, leaning his head down in shame. He had almost hoped the other didn't hear what he said.

Jaemin sat up, bringing the other with him. His hand cupped his soft jaw, forcing him to look up. "Why would you say that?" His brows frowned.

Donghyuck shrugged. "Look what happened today. That's all I do. I mean," he sighed, looking off to the side only for the younger to force him to look straight back at him. He fumbled with his fingers, feeling the pressure behind his eyes, tears forming. "It's obvious they hate me."

"Who?"

"The members, and you, of course."

There was silence for a few moments, and Donghyuck finally couldn't hold back his tears. They fell down his bronzed cheeks silently, his lips quivering. Now you've really done it. Of course he somehow made the situation worse. Typical Haechan behavior.

Before he had another self sabotaging thought, the boy gasped as Jaemin pulled him closer. Their bodies pressed together heatedly, their lips pressed together softly. Donghyuck gasped as the younger caught his lips in between his, caressing his sides gently before parting, a string of saliva still connecting them.

"What I feel for you is the opposite of hatred," Jaemin blushed.

He stared at him, almost bewilderedly.

"Say something." He pressed.

"Do it again, please." Donghyuck whispered.

Jaemin smiled, pulling him into his body once more before connecting their lips. His lips were soft, and pillowy against Donghyuck's. His tongue swiped across his lip, which Donghyuck accepted greedily. He could taste the mint from his toothpaste.

Donghyuck's hands came up to the other's neck, up to the small tufts of his hair, pulling on them gently and eliciting a soft moan from the boy. The heat in his stomach grew as he smiled against his lips, hands now trailing down the others broad shoulders and chest. He reveled in the touch after being starved for so long. The boy couldn't believe that the other truly felt this way especially after what happened, but he'd let himself live in this lie for just a little bit longer.

Jaemin finally parted from the other, his now saliva coated and puffy lips panting. His hair was now completely unruly after Donghyuck had his fun with it. He stared back into the older's eyes, a mischievous smile casted upon his lips.

"You should do this more often." Donghyuck finally spoke, mirroring the others expression.

For once, Donghyuck had been chosen. Jaemin chose to sleep in his bed, chose to wait for him all night, chose him.

Turning the both of them so that they lay in bed, Jaemin wrapped his arms tightly around the elders waist, leg coming over the others as his chest rested against the others back.

"I'm sure I will."

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