loved rags and riches!! if you have time, could you also write a chenle version, like a crazy rich asians au or like a chaebol au? thank you!
broken hearts club — ZCL
it’s been a long time since someone has touched zhong chenle’s frozen heart. he’s closed it off to the entire world and dedicated it to his music and the empire that he’s going to inherit. somehow though, there’s a girl with a weakness for puppies who manages to light a match for the ice clump that sits in chenle’s chest.
zhong chenle as astrid leong - kind of. :-) i hope you enjoy love. thank you for requesting. <3
Over the years, the map to Chenle’s heart has been destroyed and burnt. Many have tried to recover it, retrace the steps as they try to remember. Not one person comes close, as the only thing Chenle loves is the music and the puppy he was gifted by his favorite cousin, Renjun.
The people call him a narcissist. His family calls him lost.
He calls himself Zhong Chenle. Nothing more, nothing less. He likes sitting together with his band mates and share several bottles of soju. Whenever soneone speaks chinese with him, it sounds like music to his ears. In Korea, far from home, the only chance he gets to use his mother tongue is with Renjun, and Chenle likes it like that. He couldn’t be further away from home, and all the pain that household has brought him.
Some would kill to be in his place. The only heir to a billion dollar sum, and even richer on his own. A famous musician who’s climbing the charts and breaking records everyday. Yet money has always been a curse to Chenle. It gave him heartbreak, distrust and emotional distance to everyone who’s ever been close to him. Chenle’s heart has frozen over, as cold as the arctic, the ice prince of the Zhong family. That’s what his parents have always wanted, anyways - his ex girlfriend out of their eyes, so that they could marry Chenle off to God knows who. When she had cheated on him, they have waited for Chenle with open arms to come back home, just to stab him in the back themselves.
A beggar. That’s what his mother had called Suyin, the only woman he’s ever loved.
Choi Suyin had carved out his heart and locked it in a chest, far away for anyone ever to reach. Like Davy Jones, only that Chenle has never betrayed. He was Calypso, heartbroken and full of fury, bound to his bones. Doomed to roam the world forever, without feeling anything. Detached from reality. It felt like Chenle was standing inside of a glass house, with no way to escape, only ever being able to look out. He recognizes the sorrow and the pain that’s coming to come crashing in someday and wreck him. But there is no way to ever set him free again and honestly, he isn’t even sure if he ever wants to. Love has ruined him; it has ruined his perception of people and of himself. Suyin had wanted him to make her a princess.
He can’t make her something she is not.
The whispers follow Chenle down the hall whenever he is home, though that’s a rare occasion. Fool, they murmur. A blind man. Almost robbed. If he could, he’d smash the glass of his cage and use it to wildly stab around, willing to hurt anyone who gets in the way. He wants them to feel, to suffer what he endures all day and night, a never ending nightmare. The torture of the shining jewelry, sent to him by his mother, serving as a silent reminder of what is waiting for him when the family forces Chenle’s hand and makes him return.
The ghoulish wedding that awaits him. Chenle counts the days, prays that he finds the key to the locker he never wants to see again. Dread fills him at the mere prospect of romance, but he’d rather be in pain for another thousand years instead of being married off like some worthless thing. Like his career never meant something, only some ploy of entertainment, never serious to his parents. It’s all about business, never pleasure, never happiness. To think about the company is more important than to think about your mental health. If that turns you into a psychopath, you’ll just have to make a business idea out of it and see where it gets you.
Therapy to the Zhongs is alcohol, and income. That was the very first lesson to be learnt. It’s deeply ingrained into his soul, and no matter how much time Chenle wastes at his attempts, he cannot wipe it away. Even for music, his first and true love, his mind goes to the sales first instead of the talent the song can pull out of him. Will his voice attract buyers? How should he dress to seduce the crowd? It’s all just a show, and all the roles are casted by him. What a show it is, though.
From the distance, it looks perfect. No stage fright, only elegance. The closer you get, the more you realize it’s a circus. Chenle is the biggest clown you’ll ever set eyes on.
The road to his heart is harsh and frozen. Maybe the damage is too great that anyone will ever be able to walk upon it again. But you’re willing to take the chance.
Chenle looks down as you pet the little Samoyed behind his ear, big smile on your lips. Honest; unusually so. He’s too used to choking on the sugar that keeps dripping from peoples’ lies. And here you are, jumping from stone to stone on the way to his heart, like you’re crossing some river. And you haven’t even looked at him yet.
“This dog is absolutely beautiful,” you hum, the happiness in your voice thrumming inside his head. Pleasing to listen to. “So beautiful, aren’t you? Of course you are. Pretty baby...”
You’ve taken the words out of Chenle’s mouth, but they weren’t exactly for Chan. If he was another man, he’d tell them to you. Because he isn’t, he’d rather choke on them than speak them aloud.
“He really is.” Finally, you look up. Your eyes are as pure as your mouth, see-through, easy to trust. It makes alarms ring in the ice prince’s head, and he’s pulling up the bridges to the castle in panic. He doesn’t know how you managed to do that with one look, and he honestly doesn’t want to know.
He can’t afford to find out. He can’t. Chenle is still reeling from the wound Suyin has inflicted him, running as deep as the ocean, straight through his heart. A cruel metaphor for cupid’s arrow. Still, you make Chenle want to pull it out and offer it to you. Curious whether you’d drive it back in, or break it and set him free.
The hope blooming inside his chest makes him wish for the latter.
Your beauty is already alluring just the way it is, but when your lips curve into a soft smile, you break all the viewers’ hearts in the loveliest way. It’s brighter than any jewel Chenle’s ever set eyes on, and he has already seen enough to last him a lifetime. Sick of them, actually. For you, he’d be willing to try and search for one that matches your radiance. “Love dogs too much to resist,” you admit. “I apologize for caressing the pretty boy out of the blue, but I’ve never been able to turn away from puppy dog eyes.”
“Me, too.” Chenle sinks into a squatting position so you’re both on eye level. It physically hurts to watch you blush. It hurts because he can imagine being the old Chenle who’d ask you on a date right here and there. Careless, without any worry in the world, he would take your hand and offer you the world like he had with Suyin. Because money is a burden, but it only became a curse the moment Suyin had conquered him just to enrichen herself. Become a Zhong, a legend. Have it all and spend it all. She never understood that love is more powerful than any money’s worth in the entire world. “Though that makes me a bad dog owner, doesn’t it? It gets kinda hard to be strict with him when he looks at me in such an adorable way. My baby..”
Chan presses his fuzzy head to Chenle’s palm. The only one in this world who’d ever love him just for being him. Chenle smiles and scratches the back of his baby’s ear, pleased with the rumble Chan lets out at that. Both dog and owner know the other like the back of their hand. You watch the wholesome interaction, the kindness in your eyes makes Chenle soft.
Right now, you’re knocking at the doors to his heart, begging to be let in like in The Princess and the Pea. He forces himself to turn away.
He’s a masochist, but this is too much for even Zhong Chenle.
“Never had a dog again after mine passed away when I was sixteen.” Your voice is a little bit distant now, hollow. Detached. Your heart has been broken in a different way than his has, but the pain is very similar. Chenle recognizes himself in the way you wrap your arms around your own frame, as if you’re trying to hold yourself together. To force the broken pieces to stay in place. He wants to tell you that you’re never going to be able to do that alone, but he’s too much of a coward who doesn’t trust anyone in the world. Not anymore. “Hurt too much. Felt like a betrayal. I still love dogs more than anyone else, but I think I’m just not ready to adopt another one. At least not in the near future.”
Chenle agrees, though you’re talking about two seperate things. He needs to quit love, like an addict checking himself into rehab. It’s a must, not a neccesity. Though it makes him sick to the stomach, he forces himself to stick to the company procedure. Business before pleasure. Business before anything.
❀ ❀ ❀
Love has never hurt you before. Never have you brushed hands with death and decay the way Chenle has, but you see it in his eyes. The passing ghost of a lover who once was. Where should be warmth is steel, the protective shell of a man who wants nothing to do with the world.
But how stunning that man is. Of course, your entire attention had been on the dog first, but when you locked eyes with Chenle - what an experience! The taste of heaven in one look. Sharp features, as dangerous as knives. Unruly dark hair, the color of the sky at midnight, colder than any breeze that’s ever shaken you up. You don’t believe in love at first sight, not in destiny.
Still, you came so close to it. You saw where the universe breathed life into Chenle. The shaping of dying stars and the brightest burning suns. He’s both Pandora’s box and the golden fleece in one. All you had managed to coax out of him was his name, and of course the one of the dog who you spent ten minutes playing with. You’ve not known about Zhong Chenle before, but you certainly do now.
The only son of his prestigious family. World renowned musician, the critics call his voice that of an angel. Of course he is an angel. Have they seen him? Instagram spits out more information than you’d expected to receive, but here you are, reading an article about his ex girlfriend.
Definitely not creepy or anything.
It’s certainly a explanation. The illness-ridden soul of a man so young, he is still clinging to adolescence. Grief is a terrible disease. You weirdly feel like you’ve stepped into a room where people had been arguing, and now the awkward silence is weighing heavy on you. You’d desperately like to walk out, but something keeps you there like an invisible anchor. The lure of someone as gorgeous as Zhong Chenle, with the promise of secrets as sacred as religious scrolls.
You wonder if you would be going too far if you followed the guy on Instagram. That face is too pretty to miss out on. But there’s also your curiousity that keeps drawing you in, makes your mind wonder and wander off to the countless possibilities of who Chenle is who he is. You need satisfaction to bring you back, or you’ll just stay a dead, curious cat.
One that definitely drops her phone on her own face when she sees that the mentioned more-angel-than-man has followed her back. The man has two point three million followers, for Christ’s sake! There would be no way for him to randomly pick you out from the countless names that fill up his notifications, right? Wrong.
There’s a private message waiting for you as you accept his following request.
[07:27pm] @zhcl: i see you found the pictures of chan already.
The tabloids speak of zero interest towards any other person that’s not family or bandmate. So why, pray tell, does Chenle indulge you?
You grasp the opportunity, anyways. You want to find out what lies behind the ice, waiting to be discovered.
[07:33pm] @yn: i was quite distracted by the handsome fellow that photographed him, though.
[07:34pm] @zhcl: very smooth, miss (y/n). were you blushing when you typed that?
[07:34pm] @zhcl: you look too cute to be taken serious when you do.
[07:35pm] @yn: flirting, are we?
You felt the chill when Chenle had spoken to you. The hidden danger behind a calm voice. Still waters which hide deadly sirens. You know now that he was hurt, terribly so, and it made you feel guilty about your interest in him. The world had treated him badly and here you were, acting like it was nothing. You clutch your phone, ready to be heavily told off and the follow to be retracted.
Your heart almost stops when your phone vibrates, the ring tone suddenly much too loud.
[07:39pm] @zhcl: is it working?
❀ ❀ ❀
Chenle’s mother never changes.
When he enters the house, several servants swarm him to help with shoes and jacket, but he passes them all. The hall is cold, freezingly so, unusual for his mother who seems to fuel the open fire with wads of cash. This is the house he’s grown up in, too big for the warmth of love and affection to be felt inside it. The family members too far away from each other to even interact, like stars in the nightsky. Related, but never touching, never in contact. When they do, it detonates a violent supernova, and that never ends good.
Chenle still remembers the smashed glasses at the end of the family event, thrown against the wall by a Huang cousin who’s name Chenle would rather choke on than ever speak again. A Huang, but not of Renjun’s siblings. A bastard, that’s what he is. He, who usurped his father’s power and wastes all his money on sex, alcohol and entertainment. It’s a blessing this guy will never inherit the family business, though he pities Renjun for having to do it. Just as much as he pities himself.
When Suyin had left, the people had started gossiping. Spreading rumors, spreading hope. The ice prince is on the market again, ready to be courted, to fall victim to a woman’s temptation. His parents had spent eternity dragging Suyin’s name through the mud, because she was just an ordinary girl. Not rich, not poor. She works the graveyard shift at a diner and sometimes helps out in her dad’s restaurant for some extra cash. Fashion enthusiast. Homewrecker. The poor girl that was left at the altar because of Suyin - he’s seen the engagement ring on her finger, and he knows what it means to that particular Huang.
Absolutely nothing. The means to an end. A way to keep some more money because of taxes that are shared as an married couple.
To Chenle’s parents, Suyin could have very well been living under a bridge. His mother wishes to wed him with a princess, royal born, not made. Merge companies with people she trusts and strip ressources of. Birds of a feather. Truly, the marriage of the century. Too bad that Chenle only marries out of love. Too bad that’s the thing he’s sworn off for the rest of his life.
His mind punishes him instantly for that lie, your face flashing infront of his inner eye.
Sweet (y/n). It’s a little embarrassing how quick he jumps at his phone at any sign that you could’ve responded, and it scares him to no end. You scare him, with your good intentions and charming smile. When you had agreed to meet each other again, Chenle had let himself be dragged to a café of your choosing. There’s still the lingering taste of coffee cake on it.
Your kiss still burns on his cheek. Never forgotten for a second. A constant reminder.
As clear as day, the memory plays out in his mind. You had looked up to him while he tasted your pastry of recommendation, head lost in the clouds. You’re always thinking about something. You have the same look in your eyes as the one in Renjun’s when he searches for words that can’t be put in the same context as Suyin.
“You know who I am.”
You had stealen his fork and scooped up your own share of the cake. That was rather cheeky of you, paying for the dessert even though Chenle was already getting his wallet out. You’re stubborn. “I’ve heard of you,” you had told him. After listening to so many untruths all of his life, even your honesty starts to hurt in his ears. It makes him uneasy. “But that doesn’t mean I know you. I would like to. Will you let me?”
Not once had you looked scared when Chenle’s hands had turned into fists, the veins on them becoming prominent. The sight of a tortured man who’s trying to keep it together. A face that’s mapped out with sorrow and anger and betrayal. “I could hurt you. I’m afraid there isn’t much left to get to know. I’ve thrown it all away. Did you hear of that?”
You had started cutting the cake in pieces, long lashes caressing your skin as you look down. The wish to touch you had hit him so strongly, it almost shocked him. Chenle leant forward and accepted the fork in his mouth while watching you intently, finding pure satisfaction in the way roses bloom in your cheeks because of it. Eye contact makes you shy. To you, it’s sensual. You lowered your gaze. “I did.” The fork scraped against his teeth. You took another bite on your own and this time, your eyes never left his. “But I enjoy a good treasure hunt here and there. You look precious, Zhong Chenle. I’d like to look for the pieces with your permission.”
Chenle was so certain his heart was dead, its’ last beat defeaned by the wood it was kept in. Despite that, he had felt the jolt as it spurred back to life, making Chenle believe it returned to him, and the fear that comes along with it.
You’re dangerous, like playing with fire. You instilled the desire to be burned inside an ice prince, and that is too much power for one person to possess. So why does he make no effort to stop you?
“Chenle.” The voice sounds too polite for a mother. She descends the stairs, expression neutral, the walk of a queen. In another life, she’d certainly be one. “Qin ai de. You finally came. I was getting rather tired of calling your phone the past few months. Where have you been?”
Avoiding you, he wants to say. Running away from this castle that’s too vacant and lacks the love to be called a proper home. This is a prison, and you’re the warden dragging me in with chains.
But he doesn’t. Chenle slips into the good son role and lets himself be hugged, even though the embrace is void of any warmth. “Busy,” he responds. “I’m a working man, mom. Singing is a career, you know, despite how much you’d like to ignore it. There must be a reason you supported it so much in my childhood days.”
“That’s exactly the reason, son.” His mother begins climbing the stairs again, an unspoken order for him to follow. Chenle suppresses a sigh and begins climbing, too. It’s only noon, but he already feels drop-dead-tired. “Because it was your childhood. I didn’t expect you to turn your back on an empire to play the singing fool for some teenage girls. I suppose that has its’ benefits, but it’s also rather sad to only see my son in the news and not in person. This is your home, Chenle. We’re not going to crown you emperor the second you step back into this threshold. You’ll take over the company when you want to, even though we’d welcome an early decision.”
Bile rises in his throat before Chenle can stop it. Venom, it’s all venom, and you’re the cure. He only has to get through this. Just a day, and then he gets to see you again. “Sure, mom,” he manages to answer. “I’ll think about it.”
“I didn’t expect you to visit. We have company, you know. They’re both quite lovely, though you’ll like the daughter more.”
This is the reason Chenle refuses to be inside this house for even a second. The looming threat of an arranged marriage. No one’s going to force him to take over the company, but his mother would rather take a bullet than ever allow a Suyin ever again. Even if she looks and talks like an angel that goes by the name (y/n).
The entire time, Chenle is silent. He doesn’t even try to acknowledge the fact that his mother is a terrible wingwoman, and a good way to pass the time is to imagine your face, retrace it in his memories. You, insisting to pay, because it’s “your treat”. You, who never steers the conversation somewhere he doesn’t want it to go. The strawberry blush that makes him want to kiss you until you’re breathless.
You’re a threat, (l/n) (y/n). The closer you get to Davy Jones’ keys, the more he wants to push you away and never see you again. At the same time, Chenle wants to go on his knees and beg you to set him free of this locker.
Nothing could have stopped him from taking the next plane home. His bandmates pick him up, but he’ would have liked it to be you. What he doesn’t like is the look in Renjun’s eyes, the man who is Chenle’s kindred spirit. Renjun knows too much. He saw too much. A shared childhood is both blessing and bother.
“Tell me about (y/n).”
“Absolutely not,” Chenle shoots back without hesitation. “See you, Renjun.” With a quick swing, he tries to force the door closed, but his childhood friend wedges a foot between wood and wall and lets himself in.
“Very reactive to that name, aren’t we, Chenle?” Renjun hums and drops on the couch. He accepts the whiskey Chenle hands him, but cusses the second the younger’s hand meets the back of his head. “You do that again and I’ll strangle you, Zhong, friends or not. Now tell me about the damn woman already.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Because you’re a coward.”
“Yes, I fucking am.” Chenle doesn’t usually curse, but talking about you is a weakness. He doesn’t love Suyin anymore, absolutely not. The years have passed and changed him, whether that’s good or bad. But not his wounds, not the injury done to his precious, ice-cold heart. He’s so afraid of being used, tossed aside like an old toy you don’t want to play with anymore. With just a few actions, you’ll be able to tear Chenle down and ruin him forever. He’s barely stitching himself up from Suyin’s attack and now here you are, pleading to be let in. The desire to allow that is immense, so enourmous it makes him lightheaded.
He won’t survive another girl. Not with this kind of life, with his circumstances, with his upbringing. Love him most or not at all. That is all Chenle can offer you, and maybe that’s unfair. But being just has never helped him with anything, and it certainly hasn’t stopped Choi Suyin from ramming her high heels into the shattered pieces of his broken heart as she walked away.
Renjun watches him over the rim of his glass. Silent, but not in the way where he has to think about not wounding Chenle with his words. Just ... confused. Right now, Renjun is offering advice, not shelter. “Chenle, give yourself a break. You’re human. You’re bound to fall in love someday.”
“Not if I can stop it.”
“You’re not a robot,” Renjun hisses, suddenly volatile, and the loud slam of his glass hitting the mahogany table makes Chenle flinch. Not what he had expected. “I’ve watched you rot for years now, and it has done nothing good for you. I am trying to help you, Chenle, trying to save you from drowning, but you’re thrashing around like a mad man. If you continue like this, you’ll sink yourself to the bottom of the river. Do you want to end up like that? Do you?”
The younger man rubs his eyes, tired. It’s been so long, so unbelievably long since hollowness hasn’t ruled over Zhong Chenle. His parents would never approve of you. It’s going to spike another family war.
Quite frankly, he doesn’t give a fuck.
After a few minutes of some peace and quiet, Chenle finally stands up. He rounds the table separating him and Renjun and bows down to hug him, the suprise evident in Renjun’s eyes when he leans back. “You’re a good friend, Jun,” Chenle tells him. His chest feels light. Maybe it knows that the familiar weight of his heart is returning to it. “A true friend. Thank you.”
He leaves his childhood friend on the couch, his mind already far away, in a place where he can put the keys into your hands without fear. Without hesitation.
They belong to you.
❀ ❀ ❀
“See something you like, Zhong?”
Caught in the act, Chenle looks up and meets your eyes. It would be rather disrespectful to comment on your thighs right now, but if the circumstances were different, if you were already his, he’d tell you all about how good they’d look around his waist. Nonetheless, he only shrugs. “That’s a pretty skirt. Shame I’m going to ruin it by throwing you into the sea.”
“Dont you dare!” Your threat is far from being taken seriously, but Chenle is only teasing you, anyways. You’re light on his arms, more doll than human, and he likes the feeling of you clinging to him for safety. It’s weird - warmth and feeling returning to him. It has been winter inside Zhong Chenle for eternity, and now that he’s pushed open the gates, he feels like he stepped into another realm.
Your skin is warm below his touch. If you dislike his arms wrapped around the back of your thighs, you’re certainly not complaining. The walk to the beach is quiet, except for the squeaks and laughs you let out when he intentionally stops and pretends to fall. “You’re impossible,” you mumble when he sets you down on the picnic blankets.
Excuse you? You’re the one who looks like they just fell down from heaven.
“Is there any reason you decided to kidnap me? Because I didn’t get to see Chan one last time, and that is utmost treason. I demand to see my lawyer.”
“You can see him later.” Chenle tugs you closer. Can you feel his heartbeat below your hands on his chest? The sound is so foreign. Since he accepted the fact that you’re a weakness he can’t ignore, he’s been experiencing arrhythmia non-stop. His heart is just not supposed to be there. An ice prince shouldn’t be able to be melted.
He’d really like to see someone who would withstand you, though. You are heaven and hell, in the shape of a mere human, light as a feather in his arms. There are not many in this world who can claim to have Zhong Chenle wrapped around their little finger. Truth be told, only one person has been able to say that. Now, you’ve snatched away the reigning title, and you’ve deemed Chenle’s lap to be an appropiate throne.
Never would he have assumed that you’d do it on your own accords, but Chenle isn’t complaining. He almost purrs when you straddle his lap, soft skirt pooling around your legs. He screws his eyes shut and tries not to think about the lack of clothes between you two.
Scratch that, you’re a devil. And you are fully aware. The giggle you let fall from your lips doesn’t really sound innocent. He wishes to shut you shut you up with a kiss. What he would give to be in a private room right now.. A dark corner... “What’s so funny, (y/n)?” Chenle mumbles before his thoughts can drift further.
“Just how easy you are to fluster.” You laugh again, not even hiding it this time. The wind breezes through your hair, messing up the curls in his place. Are they as soft as they look like? Chenle wants to find out.
“You mean like you are?” He kisses your cheek as you turn red below his lips. This is what love should have felt like. Freedom and carelessness, not the constant need to look over your shoulder. As easy as breathing. As calm as the sea. The keys to his heart are falling from Chenle’s grip, and he’s not sure he even wants to pick them up.
It’s so easy to let go when he looks into your eyes and sees his future.
“Chenle,” you whisper. His shirt crumples in your grip, but he doesn’t care. Chenle lets himself be tugged closer, his own heartbeat jumping erratically, still unused to being out of the box. The ice floes are melting. You’re breaking him free. When his lips finally meet yours, he forgets all about the years he wasted on irrational sorrow. There should be regret about how he’s denied himself of emotions and the world, but you wash it away with all the hope you’re giving him while your lips move against his. You taste like an antidote.
His parents will never accept you. They’ll have Chenle’s head on a plate and deliver it to a family of their own choosing, one they deem perfect as their in-laws, but he counts on you to fight them back, just like how you’re fighting your way into his heart. You didn’t need the map, you wrote your own. You didn’t need a fire, you used your soul.
The key turns in its’ lock. It’s a perfect fit, just like you.
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Trumpet Player!Mark - NCT Dream Band AU
NCT Dream Band AU: ML - HRJ - LJN - LDH - NJM - ZCL - PJS
Word Count: 5763
Warning: I’m a hopeless romantic at heart so forgive the cliches
Rest of Dreamies + Coordinating Sports AU Coming Soon!
Trumpet boy for life
Like he can even imitate it with his mouth it was meant to be
Would not stop playing the john cena theme when that meme was a thing
Like seriously mark
We are trying to play the fight song right now
It’s not time for john cena
It’s either that or justin bieber love yourself
Anyways
He’d be the first chair trumpet despite not looking like he gives a shit at all???
Like to be honest a lot of people think he’s just in band to goof off with his friends
But he actually is very talented and loves playing his trumpet
The duality of it all shocks everyone
When he’s not playing, he looks chill and just there to have a good time
When he brings that instrument to his mouth though
Wow
It’s like a whole different person
His posture straightens
His focus is only on the music and the ensemble
Nothing can disrupt him
Perfect tone like 100% of the time
He is so talented with music he can hear the pitches and if they are out of tune or not easier than the others
Everyone usually tunes to him tbh
Has a crazy ass range compared to the others
Model trumpet tbh
Except when he never sees the cut off
When he is playing his trumpet, he gets into his own little world away from everyone else and like the band is simultaneously annoyed and amazed like mark come on but also mark keep going lol
He may seem very intimidating to other trumpets
But as the section leader
He is very nonjudgmental
If they are having troubles he will ask “did you practice at home” but whether the answer is yes or no he will help
“Alright let me help you.” wow fuck me up fam
He’ll even try to learn the second and third trumpet parts to help them out
Be also tries to balance sports and band
He is on the basketball team!
As much as he loves playing the pep tunes
He loves playing basketball as well
So when basketball season comes around the band has to say goodbye to their first trumpet
But the band still supports him anyway
When he gets called for the starting lineup
The band just goes nuts
“I KNOW HIM!!!!” - jeno
Cue blushing mark cause wow cause you guys are embarrassing
Donghyuck laughing and calling him a loser when he misses a shot during warm ups
(during the game though he is as loving as every)
His teammates call him trumpet boy
They tease him but love him
That could basically describe Mark’s relationship with anyone tbh
He is always that one in class where it’s the day of the concert and he goes
“Wait there’s a concert today????????”
But no one blames him cause he busy af
Even the director (since the end of his freshman year) is like
“The concert is on March 23rd” *glares at mark*
“The concert’s in a week” *glares at mark*
“Mark when’s the concert?”
“Uhhhhhhh I don’t know, Tuesday?”
Cue haechan face palming
“God mark he literally said it’s in a week two seconds ago”
But poor mark was too busy trying to study for his calculus test that he didn’t hear him
He gets especially busy during pep/marching season cause he’s first chair trumpet and gets all the belty parts for the pep tunes
So football season can be a handful
But absolutely nothing compared to basketball season
His schedule multiples with gym practices for basketball, extra weight sessions, hours practicing his trumpet, and trying to keep up with his school work
If he can get to sleep before midnight any day of the week, he is so thankful as most days he needs to get up early for his 6 o’clock weights sessions
God bless his soul but he somehow gets by and survives each day
To add to his plate even more
Mark decides to do solo and ensemble!!!
After weeks of trying to find the perfect song, all that he could find was a duet
It was called “The Prayer” and Mark thought it was absolutely beautiful
So when it was sectionals time in class
He gathered all of the trumpets into the office and searched for the audio file to show everyone and see if anyone would want to maybe play it with him
Everyone was kind of bored with it tbh
The rest of the section enjoyed “fun” pieces full of energy
(Mark swears if they suggest they play Mouthpiece Mania one more time he is going to shoot himself.)
That and no one really wanted to play during solo & ensemble
They all had their own things they needed to tend to
So when everyone is walking out, Mark starts to feel a little discouraged
That is until he realizes that someone stayed back
You!
You actually thought the song was quite beautiful and would love to play it
Although you are nervous about having to play this yourself
You see Mark’s excitement and can’t help but feel that excitement to
“So you’ll do the duet with me?!?!?!”
And his eyes are so big and his smile is so wide that you cannot say no to this boy
And when you say yes, he begins jumping up and down and immediately asks for your snap so you guys can schedule practices.
“I’m a little busy with basketball coming up, so I can mostly practice on home game days and weekends! I have a week until that starts, so we can practice for a week until then if that’s okay.”
You just smile and say that those days work for you
Not only do you get to sharpen your trumpet skills and play a beautiful piece
You also get to become closer to Mark!
He has always caught your eye with how calm and sweet he was when working with your section even if you or other members hadn’t practice any of the tunes yet
You two just haven’t had much time to talk other than that
Any other classes you may have shared, you were both in different period/hours.��
It was a shame but now you didn’t have to worry about that
After you guys exchange your snapcodes, he quickly runs out of the office in a mad search for your director to sign you guys up as a duet
Donghyuck just looks at him like he’s insane
You just laugh and mutter to yourself
“What did I just sign myself up for?”
So after school both you and Mark come to the practice rooms in order to start your first rehearsal
You go through some scales in order to warm your instruments up
And Mark stops you and “show me your embouchure”
You slowly pull your horn away from your mouth and show him
He giggles looking at your face because it actually looks ridiculous without a mouthpiece attached
You begin to return to normal as he continues to giggle
He quickly stiffens back up and protests “no I’m serious let me see it”
So you do and
“See, your embouchure is all wrong. Your lips are turned upward not down like it’s supposed to be” and he pokes the edges of your lips
“Having this smile still allows you to play, but it weakens your tone. You want to have them down kind of like a frown!”
He pulls the edge of your lips down and giggles
“Try that now”
And your tone steadies and your eyes widen
“Haha see! Let’s go again!”
After you finish Mark’s like
“You are gonna take over my section leader spot!”
And you are just kind of like
“Yeah right 1. The director loves you and 2. I’m gonna fuck it up”
He just signs and says “well they’re gonna need some more first trumpets for pep season… you better volunteer ;)”
“Sure.. let’s keep working”
And y’all mostly just sight read the piece for the rest of the practice time
And the rest of the practices before basketball starts are spent in a similar fashion
If Mark hears something wrong, he’ll point it out (whether it was him or you)
If it is him, he’ll apologize to no end
But if it’s you and you try to do the same, he will continually reassure you that it’s fine
As basketball starts, you don’t get to practice
Mark is just swarmed with practices before the first home game
You didn’t want to let him down with not practicing so you spent everyday practicing along to the recordings in the hope of impressing him when the next practice arrives
So it’s the day of the first home game and all of the basketball team is wearing their matching sweatpants and warm up jerseys
And you cannot lie that Mark looks really nice
You can’t ignore the tiny little crush that you may have developed working with Mark
He was just so responsible and hard working and talented
So it was hard not to start falling a little bit
When you saw him in band
He came up to you with a big smile on his face
“Are we still up for today after school?”
You nod your head and confirm “Yes, 3:30!”
And yall sit in your sections and wait for class to start
After school, you have to meet with a teacher to review a concept before meeting with Mark
By the time you got out, it was only 3:15
You decided that waiting the other 15 minutes in the practice room wouldn’t hurt maybe you’d even be able to practice some before you have to show Mark
When you got there however
There was someone asleep in the practice room
It was Mark
You opened the door softly just to confirm and the tuffs of brown hair paired with his white sweatpants were all you needed
He looked too calm and peaceful to disturb
But you were also concerned
Clearly Mark hadn’t been getting enough sleep
And as a starter
This boy is going to need his energy for the game tonight
You pull out your wallet and see some cash
You make a quick run to the store and pick up a few drinks
An energy drink, a sports drink, and a large water
Everything that he could need at the game
Plus a juice for yourself
You make it back with three minutes to spare
Holding the plastic bag, you knock firmly on the door before opening it
Mark begins to stir and once he realized that he fell asleep, he quickly jolted up
“Oh my god what time is it?!”
You laugh at his shocked face and muster out a “3:27”
“Oh thank god…” he falls back into his char and notices the bag, “What’s that?”
You sit on the floor and take each drink out of the back
“I thought I’d treat you for your first home game!”
And his cheeks began to heat up
No one had ever tried to gift him anything besides Donghyuck
And even then
All he gave him was complete junk food like a bag of Skittles or a soda
He was touched to say the least
But he didn’t really express it well
All he did was look at you and the drinks with such shock on his face for about a minute
To avoid any other awkward tension, you quickly suggest to start
He snaps out of it “Oh! Yes, let’s do it!” and you sit down in the chair next to him
After your warm ups, you begin to run through the piece
And something seems off?
And Mark can sense it too
You stop playing and Mark follows
“Mark, can you play again for me? I want to hear something”
And he hesitates cause he knows it is him
Him playing confirmed him
“Your notes…”
“They are football shaped, I know.” He hangs his head embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I’ll work on it.”
“Hey, it’s okay! You usually don’t sound like this; is everything okay?”
And he takes a deep breath before completely spilling out
“I’m just about to collapse. I used to be able to balance everything so well, but this final year is just so much worse. I feel like I don’t have any energy left.”
You drop your trumpet and close the distance between the two of you, putting a hand on his back for comfort
He didn’t say anything too specific but you are still able to offer support “I feel like you may be too hard on yourself. You have so much on your plate, you shouldn’t expect to do everything perfectly. It’s okay to have bad days sometimes - it helps you grow and learn.”
“But everyone expects so much from me. Living up to that pressure is hard, and I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
His breathing quickens and it sounds as if he is about to cry
“The only person you need to impress is yourself. As long as you are happy with what you’re doing and where you are at, everything is going to be okay. I know you can do it!”
And his shoulders relax and his breath steadies and looks down shyly
You can’t help but swing your other hand around him and give him a hug
“Give yourself a break sometimes, it’ll be worth it.”
He puts his hand over yours and squeezes it
“Thank you.”
After you let go, he starts to try and play again but your hand pulls his bell down
“We don’t have to continue, Mark. It’s okay. You have a big game tonight.”
And he looks at you with concern
“I don’t have to be there until 5:30, it’s only 4… and we haven’t practiced in almost two weeks! I’m obviously behind…”
You laugh to the side and propose a deal “How about we go for another 20 minutes, then you can get a nap in here before call time? Does that sound good?”
And you best believe this boy looks at you like you are an angel sent from heaven.
“Deal.”
When those 20 minutes are up, you just sit inside the band office with your director while Mark is taking his nap
When people start filing in early, you situate yourself close to the practice room Mark is in so you can make sure his slumber is not disturbed
When 5:15 comes around and almost all of the band members are destroying the room, you decide to finally wake him up
When you walk in, you almost decide to not wake him up
He looked so peaceful and content
But he was either gonna be woken up by you or by the percussion section running through their cadences
So you figured this would probably hurt less
You hunch over his body and slightly shake his shoulders
“Mark… it’s time to wake up…”
He flips over and before you could try again, he attempts to rub the sleep out of his eyes
“It’s call time!”
You say trying to get him up
But he just smiles and quietly goes “I’m up, I’m up.”
So you stand up and offer him a hand that he quickly takes but before you can get away, Mark pulls you into a hug.
“Thank you, honestly. For the drinks and everything.”
And you are stressing out, wondering if Mark can feel either your heartbeat increase or your face redden
“N-n-not a problem!” You stutter quickly releasing yourself from his grasp.
He quickly grabs the bag full of his drinks and runs out to store his bag in the locker room
But not without screaming “THANK YOU!!”
And you just come out of the practice room with a blush on yourself and mutter “you’re welcome”
ANd Donghyuck comes up next to you and just nudges ya
“So… Mark huh?”
“Shut up Donghyuck”
When you guys set up, you spot Mark hanging out with his teammates
Y’all make eye contact and just give him a big thumbs up
He instantly smiles
When you are playing during the girl’s varsity game
You guys constantly make eye contact and he makes faces at you
(MOstly it’s just him saying a smile is bad and you need to frown which is counterproductive because all it does is make you laugh)
It’s when warm ups start that you guys really start interacting
It becomes his turn to shoot at the 3 point line
And he misses the first one
“Nice shot!”
You immediately elbow Donghyuck
“OW! What the hell was that for?”
You look at him and with a serious tone just “Just lighten up, okay?”
And he just rolls his eyes and walks away… “Lovebirds…”
You turn your attention back towards the court and make eye contact with him
He had seen the whole interaction and was shocked
You just mouth to him good luck
And he smiles and guess what?
Makes his next shot
Nothing but net :)
And he sees you smiling out of the corner of his eye and you bet your butt that he’s replaying that image in his head throughout the night
When the game starts, Mark seems to be real nervous. Starts the game shooting 1 of 4 and you can tell he is frustrated
His team doesn’t pass as much to him and he gets taken out of the game before the first half is finished
When the half finished, your school is losing by 10 points
When he gets pulled out, he runs his hand through his hand in frustration and looks up towards the band section
Right now he’d rather be up there with everyone than on the court right now
He sees you in the corner with a look of concern on your face and once again you make eye contact except this time, you notion to your head and mouth “Believe in yourself. I believe in you.”
And maybe just maybe
You see his frown turn upside down
When they come out from halftime and start their warm ups again
You see Mark make almost every single shot
You know this is a different person out there
When you see him in the starting lineup again, you get on the edge of your seat
Soon he is almost unstoppable making the next 7 of 9
And you swear but you cannot confirm
That everytime he makes a shot, he looks in your direction to see your reaction
Which is nothing short of a smile and a fist pump
There’s 10 seconds left in the game and the other team has possession
The score is 73-75, your school down by 2
The person who Mark is blocking has the ball, but he kept the ball far from his body
Mark saw an opening and stole the ball with two seconds left
And before he could get in a proper position
He just chucks the ball just before the buzzer sounds
And in goes the ball
3 points for Mark
A winning game for your school
You instantly start screaming for as long as you can
But you have to start playing the Fight Song
It wasn’t the cleanest as the hype flowed through the brass section creating a blatty and harsh sound
But no one cared because Mark just shot a buzzer beater and won the entire game for you guys
You wanted to go up to him after the game, but you had to put all your equipment away and when you looked at him, he had so many people surrounding him
After helping the percussion with their equipment, you finally have time to pack up your trumpet
When you place your mouthpiece in it’s hole, you get tapped on your shoulder
You turn around and see Mark, all hot and sweaty
“You got a lotta attention out there, huh?” You laugh
“I think you should be the one getting the attention; I don’t think I would have been able to do that without you.” Your face reddens “So same time next home game?”
“Of course” you laugh
And he walks off to go find his parents and go home
And you shut your case with a smile and with some pep in your step
And for the next month and a half before every home game
You bring Mark those three drinks during every practice
And he becomes more and more supportive of your playing
Anytime you may doubt yourself, he quickly reminds you to believe in yourself
And you do the same
He starts becoming more confident not only in class and on the trumpet, but also on the court. He doesn’t need to look at you in the stands as often when he plays, but you can still tell he takes some glances
And Donghyuck notices it all and develops a plan
The day before the final home game, Donghyuck approaches Mark in the locker room before practice
“Mark you gotta do something,” he whines
The look of confusion takes over Mark
“What are you talking about? Do something about what?”
“Don’t act dumb, your special trumpet friend!” the blush on Mark’s face just confirming his best friend’s suspicions
“I can’t! Especially before the biggest game of the year so far! What if they reject me and I lose my spark?” He says tying up his shoes
“Wow you might actually be dumb. Have you seen the way they look at you? You have absolutely nothing to worry about. You are Mark Lee. Everyone wants to be with you, whether romantically or mutually, and I can bet your ass that they feel the same way… romantically of course.”
And Mark melts at the thought of you being an item.
“Well what can I do?”
“It’s Senior Night. This could be the last time you could ever wear this uniform again, wouldn’t you want someone special to wear it with you?” Donghyuck smirks, winks, and walks off leaving Mark to stare inside his bag to see his jersey for away games
Boy is he going to have to wash that a lot tonight
For the final home game, you decided to get him a bag full of extra gifts
He had done so much for you in these last two months that you needed to celebrate it somehow
You had gone to the store and picked up the usual drinks along with multiple cups of watermelon, a gift card to his favorite pizza location, and for an extra special gift, you had ordered him a custom mouthpiece with the word “Believe” engraved on it
You really hoped that he would like it and not be put off by it
When you walk into the band room, you can hear him practicing through the walls
Your performance would be in two weeks and you guys knew the piece by heart
And despite hearing him play the same song over and over again
You were always mesmerized every time he played
You wait for him to finish before barging in
“Oh hey! I was just working on secti… oh that’s bigger than usual” he says pointing out the large bag
“Well it’s a special day, and I wanted to celebrate that. If we practice till call time, you may be able to get everything before your game.”
And you swore you had never seen Mark so eager in his life
So you play and play (but not without water breaks and running it by your director for final feedback)
And finally it’s 5 o’clock and the rest of the band is supposed to be there in 15 minutes
“Good rehearsal!” Mark says placing his horn in his case
“You too, I’m excited for Solo & Ensemble!” You start getting giddy just thinking about it
“Me too, it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m really happy with how it’s sounding.”
“You’ve helped me so much with playing so in order to say thank you…” you slam the bag into Mark’s lap, “Thank you!”
If you thought that you have seen his biggest smile, that’s a giant lie
He has never smiled that big in his life
He takes out the water, energy drink, and sports drink with care
When he sees what else is in there, he absolutely flips
“I love watermelon!!” He immediately opens the cup and pops a cube into his mouth, melting into the sweet and soft fruit “And I’m totally going to use the gift card this weekend.”
The mouthpiece, however, was in your pocket
“Mark, I have one final gift…” His head turns in confusion, “Here, just close your eyes.”
He is hesitant but ultimately shuts his eyes
You reach into his case and pull the body of his trumpet out and place the mouthpiece on it
You hold it out to him “okay open!”
“My trumpet?”
You couldn’t help but laugh
“Just inspect it okay!”
He takes the brass away from you and starts examining the bells and the valves. It wasn’t until he finally checked the mouthpiece that his confusion left
“‘Believe?’ Why?”
“Because, you can do anything if you just believe in yourself. You taught me that, and now if you need any reassurance, it’ll be right there for you!” When you are explaining, his head drops down as he smiles at the ground
You couldn’t help but become shy after giving it to him, still not sure how he felt about you
“I have a gift for you, too…” He trails off before reaching into his bag behind him. Your head picks up at the mention of a gift.
Before you realize it, Mark is handing you a piece of black cloth
“It’s my away jersey, and I’d love it if you wore it tonight.”
Your cheeks begin to burn as you take the jersey in your hands
“I would love to”
And mark just whispers a gentle “great” before staring at you
Once he notices Donghyuck in the window, however, he quickly starts packing up his things
Seeing him so frantic makes you do the same
You were about to leave when Mark calls your name
“Wha…”
As you turn around, Mark’s lips touch your cheeks before he mutters out a quick thank you and he runs out of the room
You stay in the practice room for another minute or so in order to compose yourself and to change into the jersey
The second that you walk out, Donghyuck starts a melody of harassing whistles causing you to walk out of the band room, but not before screaming “I swear to god, Donghyuck!”
Walking into the gym, heads turn everywhere seeing Mark’s jersey rest upon your shoulders
He couldn’t stop smiling to himself seeing you play the first trumpet parts he loves so much with his name on your back
And just like the first game, he wishes he could be up in the stands
Not because he is struggling
But because you looked like you were having so much fun and he’d love to be up there to experience it with you
Also to get Donghyuck off your ass
And after the buzzer sounds, your school won by a landslide and as you play the fight song, Mark looks and points up at you with the biggest smile on his face
It almost causes you to stop playing, but you had to
People swarm him like always but his attention is somewhere else
You let people get their share of Mark while you put all of your supplies away and change back into your old shirt
You hurry as fast as you can and run back into the gym to see all of players with their families, including Mark saying goodbye to his
When he turns back to pick up his bag, he sees you in the corner of his eye
“Good job out there, Mark.” You walk toward him handing him his jersey
“Thank you! It’s all because of you.” He smiles “Also keep it, you look nice in it.”
You immediately started laughing
Mark’s eyes grew, “What?”
“Mark, you do know you have an away game next week right?”
His eyes widen even more and he slowly grabs the jersey from your hand
“Oh… right.”
And he stashes the jersey in his athletic bag
And your laughs just continue
“Anyways, you did really well out there, Mark.” and this time you find the courage in yourself to do what he did to you earlier and place your lips on his cheek, “Goodnight”
And you walk out with a fire on your cheeks and a pulsing in your heart
Mark was no different
From then on, band with Mark had been….different
He can barely look you in the face, he can’t focus, and his tone starts to suffer
He hasn’t even played your duet since that home game and you still had until their final game to start practicing again
After that game, you only had seven days to rehearse and finalize any changes you needed to make in order to get that superior rating
While in the zone, it was as if nothing had happened between you guys
When you guys are playing, there is absolutely no tension between you. The only way you guys connect is through the music
But again
Something is missing
You ask your director to listen in and really analyze the song - not just say if it sounds good or not
And he says
“The notes are all there, you have all the dynamics and rhythm set, but there is not emotion. You feel like you are just two people playing together, not two people playing as one. It may look the same, but the sound is so different.”
You both just look at each other and frown
“Playing the same music is not enough to connect each other, our emotions are just as valuable. Maybe try hanging out together, let loose, something like that.”
And he leaves you and Mark in the practice room
“So….” Mark starts
“So….”
“What are we?” he quickly asks
Almost to the point you couldn’t hear him, but you most definitely did
“I hope at least friends…” you say with some hesitation, “but I would love to be something more”
“I-I…”
“I understand if you don’t think of me in that light. I can come together to play this song with you, but I don’t know how much more I could stay around you.”
You held your head low unable to look him in the eyes, softly playing with your hands in your lap
Suddenly, your hand is being warmed in the presence of Mark’s
“You don’t have to worry about that. I’d love to be with you.” And when you look up, you can see Mark’s calm, sweet eyes meet yours. He wraps his arms around you, trying his best not to be too awkward in this chair hug (which is absolutely awkward you cannot escape it)
“So….” Mark starts, “Should we start playing again?”
And you just nod
You don’t make it three measures in until Mark stops you
“Hey, what did I tell you about smiling?” He teases.
“Sorry,” you laugh, “I’m just really happy right now.”
And you just smile at each other
Solo & Ensemble couldn’t come faster
You had one practice with Accompanist!Johnny then all of a sudden, you and Mark were on a bus with other contestants from your school headed to the performance venue
You were one of the first groups to perform that day and to say you were nervous was an understatement
And as if Mark could sense it, he takes your hand in his and starts rubbing it
“You are going to do great today, just believe.”
And you can’t help but smile to yourself
You walk into the performance room and hand your score to the clinician
While Johnny gets his sheet music in order, you and Mark set your stands facing each other so not only will Mark be able to comfort you if your nerves get the best of you, but you will also be able to create an intimate atmosphere
As soon as you get the go ahead, you introduce yourselves and begin playing
[LINK TO DUET]
Afterwards, you feel absolutely breathless
Between playing the songs and watching Mark play full of passion, your heart was beating at a mile a minute
Your clinician has a lot to say, but most of it is good things!
His main critique was for stylistic reasons - he’d prefer more accents in some places and a ritardando in others
But his main compliment was
“You guys feel connected. You respond to each other almost perfectly. If he does one thing, you are right there with him as support. For some people, it’s about being the best, but you only try to compliment each other. They try to feed on these emotions while you guys try to feel them. Outstanding job.”
And both of you immediately blush while your director is almost crying because he was so proud of how you took his advice and it was actually paying off
When you walk out of the room, your smiles never stop.
Not even when the scores are posted
You promised each other that no matter how you placed, you would be happy with your performance
There was no need to be worried
Not only did you receive a superior rating, but you were the first place Trumpet Ensemble
When you read it, you wanted to cry
And Mark’s eyes just grow really wide and he looks at you with all the shock in the world present on his face
All he can do is hug you
And it lasts for a solid two to three minutes
Celebratory pictures are taken of course, but you guys are quick to watch your friends’ performances
During which, Mark holds your hand
Earlier it was calming, but now it was doing everything but
While the clinicians went on their breaks, Mark pulls out his wallet
“Celebratory dinner’s on me”
You turn your head and see the gift card you got him that final basketball game
“I thought you were spending it that weekend!”
“Well, I felt pretty confident about this performance. I was going to ask you no matter what happened between us, so pizzas on me!”
And before you can respond, the only thing you hear is
“GUYS, MARK’S BUYING DINNER”
“Shut up, Donghyuck”
I haven’t written an AU in a long time! I missed this so much. I will be doing a Band AU for the rest of the Dream Team along with a corresponding Sports AU! That means that there will be a full Basketball AU for Mark. This took almost all day to write, so I can’t guarantee when they will be out!
I hope you enjoyed this! Thank you guys <3
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