<^>

Donghyuck coos at the month old baby, making weird faces and giving it his thumb to hold onto. The baby, who had big doe eyes just like his mother, just made gurgling noises in return, for he was still too young to laugh or smile. "Awww you're so cute Dewy~" He continues to fawn over the infant, making both Jaemin and Hayoon smile.

"See, he'd be a great godfather!" Jaemin proposes, gesturing to his friend with a wide smile.

Hayoon rolls her eyes. "He's not gonna be the godfather Jaem."

"Cousin?"

"What?" Hayoon gives her twin a confused look.

"Well, he has to be something."

"Yeah, how about an uncle."

Jaemin pauses and nods his head. "Uncle Hyuck...."

"Why are you calling me an uncle?!" Donghyuck shouts from across the room in confusion. Jaemin begins to stutter and Hayoon laughs from where she sat on the couch.

"You're Duho's uncle."

"Isn't Jeno his uncle?"

Jaemin sighs. "Hyuck, people have more than one uncle. And for the record, you're still the first uncle." He crosses his arms.

Hayoon and Donghyuck both gasp in fake surprise.

"Donghyuck, can you believe it?"

"He put his best friend over his husband!"

"We aren't married!"

"Yet." Hayoon and Donghyuck say at the same time, laughing at the youngest boy's face.

<^>

"Donghyuck can we...Can we talk please." Doyoung gives the boy a concerned look.

"Why? There's nothing to talk about." He responds, not looking up from where he was waiting for one of the lifts.

Doyoung sighs. "I'm an asshole."

Donghyuck looks back at the older boy and hops on the lift, gesturing for Doyoung to join him. He waits till they're up in the air to start talking. "It's not even what you said hyung...it's the fact that you're the one who said it after I told you everything. You weren't wrong, Jaemin really is the only one I have. You made that clear enough. And I know I'm petty and annoying at times, and I know I get on your nerves but...at least I don't go past the surface. I never make it personal."

Doyoung frowns at his lap. He was supposed to be Donghyuck's mentor. The one he should look up to, not run away from. "I'm sorry."

"I know hyung."

"I didn't mean it, I was just..."

"Angry. I know hyung. I don't blame you, I'm a little shit after all."

"Donghyuck, you aren't-"

The boy laughs to himself. "I am. Sure it's not the best personality trait. But it is what it is, and I've learned to deal with how I act. You don't need to sugarcoat it, no one does."

"I'm still sorry. And you can come to me if you need to." Doyoung reassures him, jumping off the lift. Donghyuck follows after him and gives Doyoung a regretful look.

"No hyung, I can't. We both know that." He smiles and walks off. "See you tomorrow at practice."

Donghyuck enters the crash room and begins to clean his board of the snow flurries. It was silent in the room, and the shouts of hollars of his teammates distracting him from focusing on getting his things. With his thoughts busy, Donghyuck was working on autopilot, not even noticing how his bag was somehow on his back as he walked out when he had no recollection of him putting it there.

"I think I just need some sleep." He mutters to himself and walks to the bus stop, only waiting a few moments before it arrives. He sits in the back and frowns out the window, his mind thinking back to what both Mark and Doyoung said.

<^>

"Donghyuck."

"What."

"Look at me."

"Why."

"Stop answering me with statements." Mark sighs, slowly getting fed up with Donghyuck's behavior. "I'm sorry."

"I know hyung." Donghyuck shoots him a glance, his face blank.

"Then why do you keep ignoring me!?" His voice raises, but Donghyuck doesn't flinch; he just keeps putting away the point markers.

"Because, Mark, being sorry doesn't always fix the matter. I won't just let it slide as if nothing happened. You and I both made it onto this team as equals, we need to respect each other and our different styles. It's not just you either.."

Mark frowns in confusion. "What...do you mean?"

"Doesn't matter, we talked it out anyways." Donghyuck sighs and closes the shed. He walks into the crash room with Mark behind him, the moonlight casting shadows in front of them. Mark sits on the couch and takes off his boots. Donghyuck sits next to him and does the same. "You remember that pink-haired guy from last month?"

"You mean the one who came in here acting like you died?"

Donghyuck chuckles. "Yeah him. Doyoung said something the other day...Something which he regrets but he isn't exactly wrong about." Donghyuck sighs and glances at Mark who just raises a brow. He narrows his eyes. "Actually you know what? No. I can't do this right now. You still piss me off and I'm tired. I'm heading home, lock up when you're done." Donghyuck stands.

"Donghyuck."

"No Mark, I'm not doing this right now." He waves his hand and heads to the door towards the main resort building.

"Donghyuck come on...Why won't you just trust us!"

Donghyuck stops and turns. "Trust you? Mark, what reason do I have to trust you? I thought I could trust you to be a respectful teammate, but that got thrown out the window. I barely trusted Doyoung hyung and he fucked that up as well. So I'm sorry if we aren't as close as you'd like us to be but too fucking bad." He laughs in dry disbelief.

Mark groans. "Do you know how fucking petty you are? I'm trying to reconcile with you but you're being so damn difficult!"

Donghyuck shakes his head. "I know I'm petty. And I know I'm proving Doyoung hyung's point by running away, and I know I have trust issues. I know me a whole lot better than you do Mark. You can call me annoying, petty, uncooperative, or anything else, but I already know all that." He takes a breath and rubs his eyes to make sure no tears fall. "But don't blame me because you said shit. Don't blame me for your fuck up Mark Lee. Because no matter what I am, that's just unfair."

"God Donghyuck."

"And I'm sorry that I run away at hard times, but in the past I wasn't allowed to fucking walk-" Mark's ears perk up at the side comment and he raises his head in confusion. "-so just back off. Let's talk about this later, I'm too drained."

"No, let's talk now."

"Why? Why does it even matter that much? You apologized and I'll get over it. Done and done."

"No Donghyuck, not 'done and done'." Mark stands and walks up to him. "This isn't about my comment anymore. Something else happened."

"Wow what a genius." Donghyuck rolls his eyes.

"What did Doyoung hyung say?"

"Shit he shouldn't have."

"Yeah, I can see that." Mark frowns. Sure, he and Donghyuck argued from time to time, but he did still care for the kid. "What went wrong?"

Donghyuck goes quiet and shakes his head. "No. I need to get over myself."

"Why-"

"Because he's fucking right!" The tanned boy's voice raises in both anger and sadness. "He's right, I'm a whiny little bitch who runs to Jaemin whenever shit goes wrong! Because I have no one else to go to! Because even after I told him how fucked my family life is, he still shoved the truth in my face! The truth that I don't have anyone except Jaemin. Not even Jisung knows anything beyond the surface!" The words come out in a rush and his chest is heaving. Tears sting his eyes and he lets out small hiccups.

"Donghyuck..I-"

"Forget it, Mark. Just...Just forget it. Please." Donghyuck's eyes were pleading. He was drained, so emotionally drained. "Everything got blown out of proportion, sorry."

"Don't be." Mark puts a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Wait for me as I lock up and I'll head to the bus stop with you."

"Mark you don't have to."

"No, I don't. But I will." Mark quickly closes the door to the hill and turns the lock. He finishes up putting away the equipment and heads back to Donghyuck who just watched him around the room. "Let's go."

Donghyuck sighs tiredly and nods, following his hyung out of the room.

<^>