23: What do you do when someone cries?

                                    

                                          
Jeno
What do you do when someone cries?
I have no idea, that's my answer. I don't comfort. I'm not a person that sees someone crying and comforts them. It's not who I am, who I've ever been.
Or perhaps it's just the fact that I've never been in a situation where someone next to me is in such a dull mood that they end up crying. I avoided these scenarios. All my life. 
When Donghyuck started to cry I rolled my eyes. I wasn't playing on being the soothing type. That's not who I am. But then I thought; they'll probably think I was the one who made him cry. So I take him into my arms and let him cry as I hope that he will shut up by the time we're called inside.
"Donghyuck! We're leaving!" I hear Mrs. Lee call out aimlessly from the back door. She can't see us from there. After scanning a little, she goes back inside. 
Donghyuck had stopped crying and his breathing is now calm and even. I look down at his face, his eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling in a rhythm. He's sleeping, I realize with a quiet groan. I didn't want him to wake up. I know how awkward that will be. 
Instead of harshly poking him to wake him up, I detach him from me and sit him on the bench while I stood up. I look at him for a while, contemplating what to do. I sigh and get on my knees, my back facing him. I take his arms and put them around my neck before taking the back of his thighs and picking him up. I'll give him props, he isn't heavy enough to make me suffer.
I walk towards the house, carefully opening the door. When I walk in, our parents look at us like deer caught in headlights to which I simply raise an eyebrow to.
"Donghyuck fell asleep," I say. 
"Oh, my poor boy, he has been tired these days but I just can't figure out why. When we get home late from the office, we hear rustling in his room but I don't dare go inside," Mrs. Lee tell no one in particular with a frown. 
"Maybe he has some problems? You should discuss this with him," mom answers, rubbing his shoulder soothingly. 
"I know, but things at the office have been busy," the other woman replies with a sad smile. 
"He can stay over, if you allow it," I intervene without thinking.
The two sets of parents look at me with surprise and it takes all of my willpower to not roll my eyes. Yeah, yeah, I'm not social, they know I don't like Donghyuck as much as I let on, whatever.
"Are you sure that's okay, bud?" Mr. Lee asks, confusion on his face.
"Sure, we don't have school tomorrow anyway," I answer, adjusting Donghyuck who was still on my back. "We'll go to my room now, then," I tell them, walking away soon enough. 
I don't care about Donghyuck but he tried the last time I was feeling like shit. I'm just repaying the favor. 
I get into my room and instantly set him down on my bed and take his shoes off. I look at him for a while. Him laying on my bed, looking peaceful and calm on top of the navy blue duvet. 
He looks beautiful.
It's amusing to think that the one time I can admit that, he's asleep with tear-stained cheeks but I'm sure that has a reason. Donghyuck, he pretends. He's good at that. At acting like everything is alright and that he's always in his best mood when in reality, he also has his scars, his problems. But he doesn't like showing them. Those tears and the deep bags under his eyes are proof that they exist. That he is just as human as everyone else. 
Deep, I know.
Is it weird or dumb to say that I feel proud of that? 
I take a blanket from my wardrobe and drape it over him before walking away. I take out some sweatpants and a t-shirt which I change into before grabbing another blanket. I plop myself onto the longest couch in my room after turning the lights off. I close my eyes and after a long day, go to sleep. 
Next morning...
Donghyuck
When I first woke up, I couldn't recognize the ceiling I was looking at. It took me some time to figure out where I was. I look around and slowly take in my surroundings and knew exactly where this was. 
I sit up on the bed, letting the blanket that was on me drop down to my lap as my eyes set on the couch in the right corner of the room which was being inhabited by someone. Jeno, I would presume, most logically. 
Memories from last night came back and I sigh in embarrassment. Out of all people, why Lee Jeno? He would just make fun of me endlessly or perhaps blackmail me into doing something.
I couldn't think about that now. I didn't want to.
I dangle my legs off the bed, looking around for my shoes which thankfully were right there as soon as I looked down. I take them in my hands before standing up and tip-toeing to the door.
"Where are you going?" A raspy, groggy voice resonates through the room.
I wince, closing my eyes tightly. I could've left, could've ignored him once I got back to my senses, but it was too late. He gripped my shoulder and turns me around just to look into my eyes unamusingly.
"Home. Isn't that obvious?" I question with a snark, shrugging his arm off.
"Let's talk," he says monotonously, turning around and walking to the couch. I take a deep breath and follow him. 
We sit in front of each other, silence embarking us for a while. My arms  crossed over my chest and I was close to getting up and leaving when he finally spoke. He groans, "Are you okay?"
I freeze for a second at the sentence that just came out of his mouth before laughing. "Are you serious?"
He rolls his eyes. "Nevermind then." 
I eye him for a while. He was being genuine for once, he was caring? "I'm okay," I say. "I'll get over it," I smile. 
He eyes me warily and examines me. "Are you sure that Jaemin kid is into Mark?" He questions, furrowing his eyebrows.
I frown. "Yes, I know it as a fact. What's up with the question?"
He thinks for a while before standing up abruptly. "It's nothing. You can leave now, I'll see you at school."
I decide not to question anything and did as he said but there was definitely something up. What was he implying with that question?