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Chapter Text

Donghyuck looked down into the pot, frowning. 

"This doesn't look right," Donghyuck said, stirring the noxious mixture. Doyoung looked over, eyebrows creased.

"How long did you steam the jasmine?" He asked, sniffing at the pot before gagging.

"Exactly 20 minutes, just like you said.

"How much vanilla did you add?" Doyoung asked suspiciously, grabbing the spoon from Donghyuck and stirring the pot.

"Five tableapoons, just like you said." I didn't mess up this time. I wrote down everything like you said." Donghyuck stated, showing Doyoung a wrinkled piece of paper. Doyoung squinted at it.

"Well I don't know what's wrong," Doyoung admitted. "What are these chunks?"

Donghyuck looked in the pot, and sure enough there were chuncks of something in the liquid. He shrugged.

"Don't ask me. I have no idea what those are."

Doyoung sighed and grabbed a glass jar out of the cabinet. He carefully poured the dark mixture in the jar. "Maybe you should go ask Yuta later. He might know." Doyoung closed the jar tightly, handing it to him. "I don't see how you could mess this up. Love potions are unbelievably easy."

Donghyuck made a face at him. "Whatever." He carefully put the jar in his backpack and checked his phone. 

"Shoot! I promised Mark we were going to study together today!" He grabbed his stuff and rushed out the door. "Bye! See ya later!"

Doyoung rolled his eyes.

...

Fifty minutes later Donghyuck was practicing math equations in Mark's living room. Or at least, he was trying to.

"Mark! Aren't we supposed to be studying?"

Mark, who was currently not studying, looked up from his phone. "I am studying! See? I took some notes."

Donghyuck looked over at his notes and frowned. "Are-are these rap lyrics?"

"Yeah. If school doesn't work out I'm gonna become a rapper." Mark said, grinning. Donghyuck hit him on the shoulder. 

"I can't believe you." He said. 

Mark huffed. "Fine. Whatever. Do you have a pencil?"

"Yeah. Check my bag," he said, looking down at his paper. Mark grabbed his backpack and rifled through it.

"Bro, what is this?" 

Donghyuck looked up in alarm. Mark was holding the potion jar up to the light, squinting. 

"Oh it's uh, it's some uh...juice! Yeah, Doyoung made it for me." 

Donghyuck mentally smacked himself.

"This looks nasty. Were you seriously gonna drink this?"

"Nah. Could you put it back? I don't want the jar to break."

Mark held the jar above his head, peering at it. "Man, what are those chunks? That's disgusting."

"Hey could you please put that down? You might drop it-"

A car horn honked outside, startling both of them. It startled Mark more, though, and he dropped the jar right onto his face.

The glass shattered and Donghyuck's liquid creation spilled all over Mark. Donghyuck gasped. Luckily, the glass had broken into large, easy to clean pieces. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed a towel.

"Mark! I told you that it was gonna break!" He said, wiping his face. There was a shallow cut on Mark's forehead where the jar had hit him, and Donghyuck patted it gently. "Why are you so stupid sometimes!?"

Mark's shirt was absolutely soaked with a mixture of jasmine, vanilla, and witchy magic. It smelled disgusting. 

"I'm gonna get you a bandaid. Wait right here."

"Wait," Mark said, grabbing Donghyuck's wrist. "Don't leave me here alone," he pouted. His eyes were wide as he looked at Donghyuck, bright as stars.

Oh my god. Pleaaaase don't tell me

"I feel better with you here," Mark said dreamily, slipping his hand into Donghyuck's. "You make all the pain go away."

Oh no no no no

Donghyuck yanked his hand away. "Forget about the bandaid. We gotta go." He grabbed his bag and Mark's wrist and rushed out the door.

...

"Doyoung? Taeil? Ten? We have a problem!" Donghyuck said panickedly, Mark trailing behind him like a puppy. He rushed into the kitchen, where the three of them were laying out Tarot cards.

"What is it?" Doyoung said worriedly, standing. "Hi Mark."

"Hey Doyoung," he said, giggling. He stood closer to Donghyuck, his head laying on his shoulder. 

All three heads swiveled to look at Donghyuck.

"He may or may not have spilled an entire jar of love potion on his face," He explained.

Ten smiled. "That's my boy!" he said, wiggling his eyebrows. "Go get 'em!"

"Ten!" Doyoung looked like he was about to hyperventilate. "Everyone into the living room. Now!"

...

Donghyuck sat on the couch, Mark beside him. Doyoung, Taeil and Ten sat across from them like three very angry, witchy judges. Donghyuck shifted uncomfortably as Mark tried to lace their hands together.

"How did this happen?" Taeil said, flipping a deck of cards in his hands.

"It was an accident! He just dropped it on his face!" Donghyuck said, waving his arms. "How was I supposed to know he would drop it on his face?!"

Doyoung sighed. "We're not saying it's your fault. We're just trying to help."

"I really don't see the harm," Ten said. "It's just a little love potion. It'll wear off eventually." 

"If it was a normal love potion, I would be less worried." Doyoung said, pacing around the room. "But the love potion in question was so unbelievably toxic looking that it might do some actual harm." 

Donghyuck pushed Mark's head off his shoulder and raised his hand.

"So, uh, can we just send him home?"

"Where else can he go? He can't stay here, that's for sure." Doyoung looked pointedly at Ten. 

"Listen, I'm sorry about the blood sacrifice, okay?" Ten threw his hands up in the air. "It was only one time."

"You ruined the carpet!"

"Okay??? I fixed it too? Your point?"

Taeil interrupted them. "Mark, how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling great," he said, smiling. "Donghyuck is amazing." He grabbed his arm. "He's the best."

Donghyuck started to sweat. "Can we send him home? Like right now? Please?"

Taeil looked at Doyoung and Doyoung looked at Ten.

"Fine." Ten sighed. "I'll take him." He stood, grabbing Mark's hand. "Come on."

"But-but what about Donghyuck? Why can't I stay with him?" Mark said, all puppy eyes and pouty lips.

"Because I said so," Doyoung stated. Mark's shoulders drooped. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" He asked hopefully. Donghyuck grimaced, then waved.

"Yeah. Bye!"

Mark waved back excitedly as Ten dragged him out the door.

Donghyuck burst off the couch. "I'm gonna go drink some poison."

"Why??" Taeil said, alarmed. 

"Because I am not dealing with this. See you in hell."

"Sit down." Doyoung said. He crossed his arms. "This is your mess and you are going to have to deal with it. After school tomorrow you are going to go to Yuta to see if he can help."

Donghyuck slumped against some pillows. "You mean l have to put up with this? For how long? I had to resist the urge to strangle him at least a hundred times."

"Not my problem. Now go to your room."

Donghyuck huffed before dragging himself upstairs to his room. He collapsed on his bed.

What am I supposed to do now?

...

Donghyuck woke to a soft tapping on his window. He blinked open his eyes, looking at the window suspiciously. The tapping continued. He sighed and rolled out of bed. He almost rolled back in bed when he saw who was there. He opened the window.

"Mark?" Donghyuck hissed "What are you doing here?" Mark smiled at him, waving and blushing. 

"I just couldn't wait until tomorrow to see you," Mark said, slipping through the window. He sat on Donghyuck's bed, playing with the hem of his shirt. "I was just too excited."

Donghyuck looked out the window, then at Mark. "How'd you even get up here? We're on the second floor! Did you sneak out of your house?!" Donghyuck said exasperatedly.

"I just climbed. There's a tree outside." Mark explained. "And it was easy to sneak out. Lucas and Jaehyun sleep like logs, and I put a little extra strength Nyquil in Taeyong's juice."

Donghyuck's jaw dropped. "Isnt that illegal?"

"I don't think so."

"Mark," Donghyuck said, lowering his voice. "You can't be here. We'll both get in trouble." Mark's face fell slightly.

"Don't you want to see me?" He pouted. Donghyuck ground his teeth together before smiling.

"Of course I do," he said. "But not at 12:00 am on a school night."

Mark looked at the floor. "Oh..." He got up. "Guess I'll just go, then." He started towards the window. Donghyuck sighed internally.

"Well since you're here, you might as well stay." Donghyuk conceded. Mark leapt up, wrapping his arms around his waist. 

"Thank you! You're the best!" He gushed. Donghyuck hurriedly shushed him.

"You have to be super quiet though, if anybody finds out you're here-"

The door opened suddenly, filling the room with light. The two boys froze.

"I thought I heard something in here," Ten said, holding what looked to be a sheep's skull in one hand. "What are you doing- Mark?"

"Hi?" He said bashfully. Ten looked at Donghyuck questioningly. Donghyuck grabbed his arm and pulled him into the hallway.

"I can explain!" He said hurriedly. Ten smiled.

"No need. You kids have fun in there." He said. "Make sure you're using protection and all that blah blah, whatever."

Donghyuck blushed, his entire face reddening. "It's not like that!"

"You better not be doing drugs," Ten scolded, his face stern.

"No! He just showed up! He snuck out of his house to see me!" Donghyuck said, his voice hushed and frustrated. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, he'll just have to stay. I don't want to have to bring him home and explain to Taeyong why he's traipsing all over the city."

"Don't think that would be a problem," Donghyuck said. "Mark told me he put extra strength Nyquil in his drink before bed."

Ten laughed. "What a wild kid! Anyway, I need to get some rest. You better be quiet. I won't tell Doyoung, but you need to figure out a way to keep this from happening again." He headed down the hallway before sweeping into his bedroom.

Donghyuck closed his door and sighed in relief. Mark looked at him worriedly.

"Are you in trouble?"

"No, but I will be if you don't shut up." He fell onto his bed. "I'm going to sleep. You do know we have school tomorrow, right?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Goodnight." Donghyuck rolled over, facing the wall.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" Mark asked.

"I don't know. Maybe you should have thought about that before you showed up at my house in the middle of the night."

Mark stood there awkwardly until Donghyuck finally gave up.

"Fine. You can sleep on the edge of the bed." Donghyuck threw him a pillow. "You better leave me alone." He could feel the mattress shift as Mark laid down next to him. 

"Good night, Donghyuck." He said softly.

"Good night, Mark." For a second he felt a pang of sadness. All this mess was his fault.

But at the same time, he felt something else.

Chapter Text

Donghyuck woke up the next morning to sunlight filtering through his window and the feeling of something warm wrapped around his waist. He sat up, drowsily rubbing his eyes, and realized that the warm thing wrapped around his waist was Mark's arms.

He bolted out of bed so fast he tripped over his feet. "Oh shi-"

"GOOOOOOD MORNING!" Taeil said from outside his door. "Are you up?"

"Um, yeah! I'll be out in a minute!" Donghyuck shook Mark furiously. "You've gotta get up! We have school!" He hissed. Mark's head popped up, his hair mussed and his eyes bleary.

"What?"

"You heard me! Come on!"

Donghuck grabbed some clothes and his backpack. "Come on," he said, pushing Mark off the bed. He landed with a loud thud.

"Donghyuck? Is something wrong?" Doyoung asked from outside.

"No! I just dropped something!"

Mark sat up and looked at the clock. "Oh shi-"

"Yeah! Get out before we're both late and in trouble!"

Mark grabbed his phone and slid out the window. "I'll see ya!"

"Just go!"

Donghyuck quickly pulled on what he hoped was a clean t shirt and pair of jeans before bursting out of his room.

"I'm awake! Everything is fine!"

Doyoung and Taeil regarded him with suspicion. Ten simply sipped his tea, a faint grin on his face.

"Are you okay?" Doyoung said slowly. Donghyuck nodded and grabbed a muffin off the table. 

"Oh yeah, gotta go though so bye!"

He rushed out the door.

"Kids these days," Taeil sighed, flipping through a magazine.

...

Donghyuck ran down the street to Mark's house. When he knocked on the door it was answered by a very tired looking Taeyong.

"Hello, Donghyuck." He yawned. "You're here to see Mark, right?"

He nodded.

"Sorry, I'm just so tired. I don't know why," Taeyong said. "Mark! Donghyuck's here!"

Mark flew out of the door. "Bye!" Taeyong mumbled something as he shut the door behind him, but Donghyuck didn't quite catch it.

"Hey Hyuck!"

"What?"

"Can we hold hands?"

Donghyuck reeled back in barely concealed shock. "Why?"

Oh, duh, he's still under the influence of that potion.

Mark grabbed his hand anyway, smiling crookedly.

How am I going to survive this?

...

The school day wasn't really that bad. He only shared math class and lunch with Mark, so he spent most of the day in a quiet No Mark Zone. However, when math rolled around, it was as if the annoyance factor had increased tenfold.

"Donghyuck!" Mark said joyfully, falling into the seat next to him. "I've been thinking about you all day!"

Jisung and Chenle, who were sitting in front of him, exchanged a meaningful glance.

"That's great." Donghyuck smiled weakly. Jeno elbowed Mark.

"Are you okay bro? You're acting kind of weird today.

"I'm great." Mark said, resting his hand on Donghyuck's shoulder. "Just hangin with the love of my life, bro."

Donghyuck wished the earth would open up and swallow him so he didn't have to deal with this anymore, but he wasn't so lucky.

Jaemin turned around to look at them both. "What did he just say?"

"He was just joking," Donghyuck said, laughing weakly. "Weren't you, Mark?"

"No, I was being serio-"

Donghyuck stepped on his foot so hard he keeled over in pain. He leaned over.

"Are you okay? Maybe you should go see the nurse." Donghyuck said. Everyone regarded him suspiciously. "Let's go."

He pulled Mark out of his seat and hauled him out the door.

...

Renjun looked at the door, and then at the five boys seated around him.

"I didn't just hallucinate that, did I?"

Jaemin shook his head.

"Mark really called him the love of his life?"

Jisung nodded.

Renjun grinned toothily. "Great. You each owe me five dollars, losers."

...

"Mark! You can't just go telling people I'm the 'love of your life'!" Donghyuck hissed.

"But you are!"

"Listen," Donghyuck started. "Sure, you may feel that way now, but once you regain your senses you will realize that I am not, in fact, the love of your life."

"What do you mean 'regain my senses'? I love you! I would do anything for you!" Mark pouted, crossing his arms.

"Anything except leave me alone, apparently." Donghyuck retorted. Mark pouted even more.

"Listen, can you just... not do it in class? Please?" Donghyuck grabbed his hand. "Please, Mark."

Mark turned red and smiled shyly. "Okay Donghyuck. Anything for you."

They walked back into the classroom and saw Renjun smiling at them.

"Thanks guys."

Donghyuck stared at him. "What for?"

"Just...being you. Keep it up." He grinned.

Jaemin crossed his arms and huffed.

"Class!" The teacher shouted. "Settle down. We are about to begin."

Class went fine until the teacher interrupted what was supposed to be a lesson on logarithms to yell at Mark.

"Mark! Can you explain number three to the class?"

Mark looked at his paper, then at the teacher. "Uh, number three is uh, you have to divide...?"

"Maybe, if you would pay attention to the lesson instead of making heart eyes at your classmates, you would actually learn something." He pointed at Donghyuck. "Number three, please."

Donghyuck rattled off the solution easily and sat down. The teacher nodded and smiled. Donghyuck looked at Mark, who was doodling what seemed to be tiny hearts on his paper. He looked back down at his paper, pushing the feeling of guilt out of his mind.

After class Donghyuck flew out of the building. He had to head to Yuta's to ask for some advice.

Mark, unfortunately, wanted to come along.

"Why can't I?" He asked, looking crestfallen. Donghyuck gritted his teeth.

"Fine. But don't be weird, okay?"

Mark nodded excitedly.

Yuta's shop was a small building on the edge of town, easily missed among the other shops lining the streets. Donghyuck walked in with Mark behind him and waved at Sicheng, who was behind the counter. The shop was brightly lit with sunlight and filled with the aroma of spices. Jars filled with every type of thing imaginable lined the shelves.

"What's up, Donghyuck?" He asked amiably. Donghyuck strolled up to the counter.

"I'm here to see Yuta. Where is he?"

"In the back. Who is this?" He asked, gesturing to Mark, who was gawking at a jar filled with bird bones.

"A friend, and the reason I'm here." He turned to Mark. "Stay here with Sicheng, okay?"

Mark nodded happily.

Donghyuck made his way into the back room, where Yuta was unpacking boxes of some type of dried flower.

"Hey!" Yuta said, standing. "What's up? How are you?"

"I'm good." Donghyuck responded. "How about you?"

"Good. So what is it that you need? Does Doyoung need something?"

"No, I just...I goofed yesterday and now one of my friends is under the influence of a love potion."

"Yikes. Is he the one out there with Cheng right now?"

Donghyuck looked at the floor. "Yeah. I feel super bad." He looked up. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Apart from let the potion run its course? Not really." Yuta wiped his hands together. "But there's something else, isn't there?"

"The potion was my first try, and it was kind of toxic looking."

"Hmm. Do you have any left?" Yuta asked.

"No. The jar broke and spilled everywhere. It was dark red though, and chunky."

"Chunky? Disgusting." Yuta said, wrinkling his nose. "You do realize love potions are supposed to be a pastel color, right?"

"I know. That's what Doyoung told me, but I followed the directions exactly and still got a mess." He lowered his voice. "I'm afraid it might be toxic to Mark."

"How did he even get that in his system?"

"Long story." Donghyuck said. "He dropped it on his face."

"The thing about emotional amplifiers: love potions, love spells, etc., is that they require a type of emotional input from the creator." Yuta shifted, looking carefully at him. "You might not be being completely honest with your own emotions."

"I can't think I'm being dishonest," Donghyuck said.

"Is there someone you like? What about that boy out there, Mark?"

Donghyuck scoffed. "Mark has like, one braincell. I would never like him like that."

Yuta regarded him carefully. "Well, there shouldn't be any extremely ill side effects." He said, walking out into the main part of the store. "He'll be like this for a week, maybe two. Just remember that he may be more susceptible to any suggestions you make. I remember that once Cheng slipped a love potion into my drink and then tried to convince me to get him a dog."

"It worked, you big dummy," Sicheng said, smiling. "He couldn't stop kissing me for a week," Sicheng confided to Donghuck.

"Oh, shut up. You know you like it when I kiss you."

"Hmm, I'm not so sure. Maybe you should come over here and let me decide," Sicheng said coyly.

"You guys are so in love it's nasty," Donghyuck said. "Thanks for the help!" He grabbed Mark by the arm and waved goodbye.

"Look! Sicheng gave me a bird bone!" Mark said excitedly. Donghyuck smiled.

"That's great, Mark." he said, ignoring the doubtful feeling in the back of his mind. "Just great."

Chapter Text

"Doyoung! I'm home!" Donghyuck said, shutting the front door.

"Did you go see Yuta?" He asked, walking into the hallway, an apron tied around his waist. Donghyuck nodded, slipping his backpack off and leaving it on the floor.

"Yeah, he said something about being 'honest with my emotions'." Donghyuck said, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. "No clue what he meant. He also said I have to deal with Mark for at least a week." Donghyuck rubbed his face. "If I don't kill him first."

"Donghyuck! You are not allowed to murder Mark!"

"You know what he did today? He told all of my friends that I was the love of his life!" Donghyuck shouted.

"So?" Ten said, appearing in the doorway. "It could be worse."

"Donghyuck sat down. "How?"

"He could have told everyone you were a weirdo and lived with three witches."

"But isn't that true?" Donghyuck said. Ten shrugged before turning out of the kitchen.

"Listen, just deal with it."

"But he's so annoying! He keeps trying to hold my hand and hug me."

Doyoung pulled a pan out of the cabinet. "Is that really so bad? You know he's under the influence."

"You make it sound like he drank some alcohol or something. This is worse." Donghyuck put his head on the table. "Can't I just call in sick so I don't have to go to school? Then I don't have to see him."

Doyoung smacked him with a spoon. "Stop whining. Plus, that would make it worse. Maybe you should spend more time with him, so he can work it out of his system."

"I would honestly rather die."

"Doyoung's right." Ten said, sauntering into the kitchen with a bottle of red paint in his hand. "Let's invite him over." He gave Donghyuck a mischievous look. "He could stay the night."

Donghyuck leveled Ten with a look that would have killed a normal man. However, Ten being Ten, it only earned a slight nod of the head.

"Ten actually might be right." Doyoung said, pulling spices out of the pantry. "I think you should spend more time together."

"But we spend lots of time together. We live on the same street!"

"You know what I mean."

Just then Donghyuck's phone pinged. He pulled it out of his pocket and ran from the room before Doyoung and Ten could grill him any further.

It was a text from Mark.

marklee: hey wassup :)

iwanttohyuckingdie: what do u want

marklee: just wanted to say hi haha

iwanttohyuckingdie: okay? bye then

marklee: wait would you like to come over

iwanttohyuckingdie: now?

marklee: uh yeah

marklee: you can spend the night too haha

Donghyuck considered his options: invite Mark here and have Doyoung and Ten be weird, or go to Mark's house and have him be weird. He sighed. He walked past the living room, where Ten was painting sigils on the floor in red.

Yeah...

iwanttohyuckingdie: yeah ill be right over

marklee: g r e a t ill see ya ;)

Donghyuck  considered just sneaking out of his house without telling Doyoung, but Taeil suddenly poked his head out of his room.

"Donghyuck? Are you planning on going somewhere?"

Busted. It really sucked living in the same house as a psychic. "Yeah. I was gonna go to Mark's."

"Okay. Be sure to tell Doyoung." He vanished back into his room.

"Doyoung! I'm going over to Mark's." Ten looked up from his floor painting and grinned. 

"Have fun!" He winked. Donghyuck resisted the urge to gag.

Doyoung waved at him on the way out.

As Donghyuck headed across the street he suddenly felt very lightheaded. He paused for a second, regaining his balance. 

Must be all those weird ass paint fumes, he reasoned, knocking on Mark's door.

Taeyong answered the door. "Hello! Mark is in his room."

"Donghyuck!" Mark came running through the hallway, tackling him in a hug. "You're here!"

"You act like I've never been to your house." Donghyuck said, walking into his room.

"Yeah, but I was just...really excited to see you."

Donghyuck looked at Mark, who was blushing furiously. He rolled his eyes.

"Umm, okay?"

There was a loud banging from the ceiling and a series of shouts.

"Don't mind that," Mark said. "It's just Johnny and Jaehyun being crackheads."

There was a loud "Bro! Watch the light!" and the sound of smashing glass.

"That was Lucas," Mark explained. Donghyuck grimaced.

"Are they okay?" He asked, concerned. 

"Yeah. They do this like, every day."

"So what do you wanna do?" Donghyuck asked, scrolling through his phone.

"I don't know."

"We could look at memes." Donghyuck suggested. 

Mark grinned.

...

Fifty vine compilations later and one massive headache later, Donghyuck checked his phone and gasped at the time.

"It's almost eleven o'clock!"

"So?" Mark asked, opening a bag of chips. Donghyuck held his phone to his ear.

"I've got to call Doyoung and let him know I'm not dead." The phone picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's me."

"Oh! How are things going?"

"I haven't killed anyone yet." Donghyuck said exasperatedly. "Just wanted to let you know."

"Mhm. Okay." Doyoung's voice became muffled. "Ten! Stop that! I said no summoning!"

Donghyuck sighed. 

"Anyways, have fun!" He hung up.

"Man, Doyoung sure is weird." Mark said, eating his chips. "He's always making sure you call him and stuff. I mean, Taeyong does that to me too, but he's usually super busy trying to make sure Jaehyun doesn't break things."

Donghyuck laughed. For a second it felt normal-just the two of them chilling together, best friends and nothing more. But then Mark grabbed his hand, looking into his eyes.

"You have really pretty eyes." Mark said, smiling.

"How do you go from being completely normal to being a shameless flirt in exactly zero seconds?" Donghyuck complained. "You're giving me whiplash."

Mark shrugged. "It's a skill."

"Maybe we should go to sleep."

"Why? It's only 11 o' clock."

"Well, we have school." Donghyuck said. "Did you even do the math homework?"

"Nah," Mark said. "Whenever the teacher gives us homework I just do it before class. I don't understand half of it anyway."

"I'll help you with it now, if you want."

"Really?" Mark's face brightened. "Thanks."

They spent the next half hour doing homework, Mark listening intently as Donghyuck explained the concepts to him. At one point, he raised a hand to Donghyuck's face, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. Donghyuck blushed furiously.

"Stop it, will you? I'm trying to help your grade." He tried to brush Mark's hand away, but instead Mark grabbed it, pulling him closer.

"Come on, man, I-" Donghyuck's breath hitched in his throat as he looked at Mark. He felt lightheaded, his skin burning where Mark touched him. He wanted to pull away, but couldn't.

Oh, hellll no! I am not catching feelings for Mark! No! Stop it!

But Donghyuck couldn't help but admire Mark's eyes, the way his smile spread across his face as he looked at him. There was a kind of glow to his face, one he couldn't quite explain. Mark leaned forward slowly, until Donghyuck could feel his breath ghosting on his cheek.

"I-" He stuttered, tongue clumsy. "What-what are you doing?" His voice was soft. Mark pressed a hand against his cheek.

"Recently it's been like I'm seeing you with brand new eyes," Mark started. "You're so beautiful."

"Good to know," Donghyuck murmured. Mark leaned closer.

And suddenly, the world turned black.

Chapter Text

yeehaw for jesus 

Five online

sodiumfine: has anyone heard from mark

sodiumfine: or donghyuck

sodiumfine: I didn't do the homework w h e r e a r e t h e y

chenlelele: just do ur homework

jisungPWARK: yeah its not that hard

jenoideawhatsgoingon: shut up guys im stUDYING

sodiumfine: where r mark and hyuck

jenoideawhatsgoingon: do i look like I know

chenlelele: use your nose and sniff them out

jenoideawhatsgoingon: SHUT UPSASLLKASL

jisungPWARK: why r u so worried jaemin

sodiumfine: i messaged them both like fifty times and u KNOW mark is always on his phone

sodiumfine: but he didn't responD

jisungPWARK: wait wheres renjun

renjunk: im right here BITCHES

renjunk: they're probably hanging out together ;)

renjunk: if u know what I mean ;)

sodiumfine: shut UP and help me with the HOMEWORK

renjunk: DO IT YOURSELF

renjunk renamed the groupchat to " markhyuck protection squad"

chenlelele: why'd u do that

renjunk: do what

chenlelele: change the gc name

renjunk: because my ship is sailing

sodiumfine: someone SHUT HIM UP

jisungPWARK: do ya homework ugly

chenlelele: SAKKLASKSAKSAL

...

Donghyuck woke up with a splitting headache. He sat up, looking around.

Why am I in my house...?

"He's awake!" Taeil shouted. Doyoung and Ten rushed into his room.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Doyoung exclaimed. "We were so worried!"

"What happened?" He asked, confused.

"You passed out while you were at Mark's." Ten said, placing a hand against his forehead. "You kind of scared us."

"Taeyong and Mark brought you over," Taeil explained. "you've been asleep for over 12 hours."

"What?" Donghyuck said in disbelief. He tried to get up, but Doyoung pushed him back in bed.

"How do you feel? You don't have a fever. Are you nauseous?"

"No, I'm fine-" He stammered, blanching as Ten handed him a small skull. "What in the world-"

"I'm cleansing you of demonic energies," he said, sprinkling him with salt. "Stay still."

"Demonic energies? What time is it? I have to go to school!"

"You are not going to school." Doyoung scolded. "We still don't know what's wrong."

"Maybe we should take him to a doctor," Taeil said, looking at him closely.

"A doctor?" Donghyuck said incredulously. "I don't need a doctor, I feel fine!"

"Are you sure?" Doyoung said. "I don't want anything bad to happen."

"I'm fine," he assured them.

"Well, I'm not letting you go to school. You are going to stay here and rest."

Well, there were worse ways to spend a day off of school. He let Doyoung tuck him in and bring him soup ("this is my grandmother's recipe!" he said, beaming).

However, the novelty soon wore off.

"Ten, what are you doing?" He said, sitting up. Ten was drawing a circle around his bed in charcoal, the powder crunching beneath his feet.

"Maybe you have some type of psychic imbalance." Ten said. "This is gonna keep out negative energies."

"What negative energies? I don't have any negative energies."

"That's exactly what someone with negative energies would say," Ten said, raising his eyebrows smugly.

"I thought the psychic stuff was Taeil's department."

"Oh, it is," Ten said, removing some excess charcoal, "but Taeil disagreed with my methods. So, I decided to do it anyway."

"Isn't charcoal like, poisonous?"

"Who knows?" Ten said. He placed the bag of black charcoal powder on the floor and wiped his hands on his shirt. He sat on the edge of Donghyuck's bed.

"So what happened last night?" He started.

"What do you mean?" Donghyuck said. "I was just hanging with Mark and I guess I passed out."

"Okay but what exactly were you doing?" Ten asked, crossing his arms. 

A flash from last night came back to him. Mark's hand on his cheek, his face mere inches away. Donghyuck tried not to blush.

"We were just talking," He lied. "I don't know why I passed out."

Ten gave a murmur of disbelief. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

Ten got up. "Okay. Hey, if Taeil comes in here and tries to make you deep throat a chunk of amethyst or something, tell him he can't cross the charcoal."

"Why? I thought the charcoal was supposed to keep out 'negative energies'." Donghyuck said, curiosity peaked.

"Taeil is a negative energy." Ten laughed, vanishing through the doorway. Donghyuck picked up his phone, scrolling through a slew of messages.

marklee: hey are u alright

marklee: hyuck

marklee: hy u ck are u a l i v e

marklee: im actually kinda worried pls message me

marklee: pls jaemin is harassing me where r u

marklee: should i come see u? r u sick?

marklee: hyUCK PLS

Donghyuck thought for a second before replying.

iwanttohyuckingdie: yeah im alive

iwanttohyuckingdie: unfortunately

Mark's response came a few moments later.

marklee: ur alive!

marklee: what happened

marklee: i was so worried

iwanttohyuckingdie: idk what happened

iwanttohyuckingdie: guess i was just tired

iwanttohyuckingdie: i feel better tho

marklee: thats great <3

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. Was the heart really necessary?

At least he'll be back to normal soon. Only a week, at most.

marklee: ill stop by later. see ya :)

Donghyuck groaned internally. Mark was the last person he wanted to see today. He wasn't quite sure why he felt so on edge, but every time he thought about last night he couldn't help but recall the way Mark looked at him, the way he felt.

Shut Up Stupid Brain, he thought angrily.

"Donghyuck!" Taeil yelled from outside in the hallway. "Since we're cleansing your energies, I bought you some amethyst-"

Donghyuck groaned again, this time out loud, and fell back on his pillow.

markhyuck protection squad

Five online

jenoideawhatsgoingon: yall where even was hyuck today

jenoideawhatsgoingon: did he die

sodiumfine: i think he was sick

sodiumfine: but did u SEE mark today

sodiumfine: how do u spell ABSOLUTELY WHIPPED

jisungPWARK: u just spelled it

sodiumfine: i was gonna say mark but u ruined the JOKE

chenlelele: u should have seen him in science today

chenlelele: the teacher showed us some pictures of flowers and he sighed

chenlelele: and said that they were beautiful "just like hyuck"

jenoideawhatsgoingon: Disgusting

jenoideawhatsgoingon: he is Cancelled

renjunk: shut up bitch that's LOVE 

renjunk: need me a freak like that

jisungPWARK: im too young for this im calling my mom

chenlelele: ????? what

sodiumfine: too bad hyuck would rather floor him than cuff him

jisungPWARK: i dont speak jaemin what does this say

sodiumfine: operation Get Mark Cuffed is a go

jenoideawhatsgoingon: shut UP asjksakjlskjal 

Chapter Text

Mark did stop by, just like he promised. However, he was only able to say hello, complain about Jaemin and Renjun, and confess his undying affection before Doyoung shooed him out of the house, claiming Donghyuck "needed to rest".

He woke the next morning feeling better than he had in a while. He bounded down the stairs and sat in the kitchen next to Taeil, who was laying out Tarot cards.

"What do the cards say today?" He asked cheerfully, grabbing a piece of toast.

"The cards say you're a dumbass." He replied calmly, flipping them over. "Go to school."

Donghyuck shrugged and walked out the door, heading across the street. He knocked on Mark's door, greeting him with a big smile.

"Hi!" Donghyuck said brightly. Mark smiled at him, but his eyebrows were creased in confusion.

"You're in a really good mood today," He said. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah!" Donghyuck said. "I've never felt better!"

It was true. Donghyuck felt filled with energy, as if there were sparks under his skin. He could have run all the way to the school without feeling even a bit of exhaustion. He felt restless, itching to do...something. He couldn't pinpoint what.

He and Mark walked to school, chatting loudly and goofing around. When they got to the school Renjun waved to them.

"Hyuck! How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm good." Donghyuck responded.  The bell rang, interrupting them, and Donghyuck waved goodbye, running down the hall.

The lightheaded feeling returned in second period, right as the bell rang to signal the end of class. Donghyuck stood and swayed gently on his feet, trying to regain his balance.

"Donghyuck? Are you alright?" The teacher asked. "Do you need to see the nurse?" Her voice was laced with concern.

"No, I'm fine." He said, stumbling over the words. He left the classroom, feeling dizzy. He braced one arm against the wall, an uncomfortable tugging sensation in his chest. He stumbled forward, right into the arms of another student. He looked up, mumbling an apology.

"Hyuck?" Mark asked, concern lacing his voice. "What's wrong?" He slid an arm around Donghyuck's shoulders, steadying him. Donghyuck leaned into him slightly, and he could feel his heart pounding.

What the actual hell?

He pushed Mark away slightly, sliding against the wall to sit on the floor. He rubbed his eyes with his palms, the tug in his chest becoming almost painful. He looked up at Mark, who was staring at him with unmasked concern. He kneeled in front of him slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder, the gesture one of great concern.

"Hyuck, I'm gonna get the nurse. Will you be okay here? I'll be right back." 

Warmth spread throughout Donghyuck's skin, starting where Mark was holding his shoulder and tingling all the way down to his fingertips. The sensation wasn't unpleasant but rather soothing, like drinking a warm drink on a cold day. When Donghyuck looked at Mark again, it was as if he couldn't control himself.

"Don't leave me," he said, almost pleading. He reached out to grab Mark's wrist, but he pulled away, slipping like water through his fingers. Mark leaned closer.

"I'm going to go get help," Mark said gently. Donghyuck pulled him closer, his pulse pounding. It was like a shock to his system, the contact sending shivers down his spine.

"Mark," He started, his hands tingling. "I-" 

The words died in his mouth as his head hit the floor and everything spiraled into darkness.

...

Donghyuck woke up in a hospital room, which was slightly disturbing but somehow comforting.

At least Ten isn't trying to make me inhale charcoal, he thought.

"Donghyuck!" Doyoung said, grabbing his face. "You're awake! Thank goodness-we were so worried."

"What even happened?" Donghyuck asked. 

"You passed out again." Ten explained, Taeil sitting next to him. "The school called an ambulance and then called us."

"The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with you," Taeil explained. "There was no medical reason for you passing out."

"So we called an old friend," Doyoung said. "He'll be here soon."

"An old friend? Who?" Donghyuck said, confused. The way the three of them spoke, one right after another, was dizzying.

"Don't worry. Lie down." Doyoung gently fluffed the pillow behind his head, humming softly. The beeps of the heart monitor were soft in his ears. He was just about to fall asleep again when a tall man walked into the room, a black bag in his hands.

"Donghyuck, I'd like you to meet Qian Kun," Doyoung said, greeting the man with a hug. He sat in the chair next to the bed.

"Is he a doctor?" Donghyuck asked. Kun smiled gently.

"Kind of." He replied. "Can I see your palm?"

Donghyuck held out his hand and watched as Kun observed it, turning each of his fingers and making him curl his hand. He moved onto the eyes, looking at each eye individually. He finally reached into his bag, pulling out a round stone.

"Does he practice, like you do?" He asked, turning to Ten, Taeil, and Doyoung. 

"I've been trying to teach him, but he isn't very experienced." Doyoung replied.

Kun looked at Donghyuck, his gaze level. "Have you cast any spells lately?"

"Spells?" Donghyuck asked stupidly.

"Incantations, rituals, potions-" he gestured vaguely. "Witchcraft?"

Donghyuck thought of the disastrous love potion he had made several days ago.

"I made a potion, but it wasn't really..." he struggled with the words. "...correct?"

"What type of potion?" Kun asked, massaging his wrist.

"A love potion."

Kun paused.

"Did anyone drink it?" He asked slowly.

"Yeah, I mean...my friend accidentally dropped it on his face. It was a total accident though-I was going to ask for some help with it."

"So you didn't mean for him to drink it?"

"I didn't mean for anyone to drink it," he said defensively.

"That might be the problem," Kun said, handing Donghyuck the round stone and closing his hand around it. "The most important part of the spell is the intent of the creator-what you want the spell to do. With things like love potions, which are emotion spells, that intent is even more important. Without intent, the spell is just errant magic." He made an exploding gesture. "It goes everywhere."

"What do you mean?" Donghyuck said, leaning forward.

"You didn't intend for your friend to take the potion. So when he did, a spell was not only cast on him, but on you as well." He paused. "The potion is affecting both of you, but in different ways."

Donghyuck had to admit, it made a little sense. But what did it have to do with his blackouts?

It was almost as if Kun read his mind. "There's magic in both of you. In him, it manifests as affection. In you, it's a bit more difficult. The magic wants to return to its creator." He grabbed the stone, placing it in Donghyuck's other hand. "But it can't quite do that. So when you two are close, not just physically but emotionally, it rushes into you and you kind of...short circuit."

Great, Donghyuck thought. I'm like a faulty light bulb.

"So what do I do?"

"Clear your emotions. Focus more on yourself for a little. It may be hard to stay away from your friend, but you should try." Kun took the stone back into his hands. "The most you can do is wait. The magic must equalize-either settle itself in you or him. When it does, then everything will be back to normal."

"Thank you," Doyoung breathed. Kun held up a hand.

"Take this stone," he said, handing Donghyuck the rock. "This reacts to errant magic. As long as it's warm, the spell is still in place. When it becomes cold, the magic has equalized."

"Thank you," Donghyuck breathed. The stone was pleasantly warm in his hands.

A nurse came in the room, a clipboard in her hand. "Lee Donghyuck?" She looked at him, pen in hand. "You are free to leave. We are discharging you now."

After an almost smothering amount of Parental Concern from Doyoung, Taeil, and Ten, Donghyuck was confined to his house. He was officially "sick" and didn't need to go to school for the rest of the week.

That suited him just fine.

But he couldn't help but feel a little lonely, and he didn't understand why.

Chapter Text

marklee: hey

marklee: wassup how r u

marklee: are u feeling better?

marklee: when will u be back at school 

Donghyuck looked up from his phone at Ten, who was sitting on the sofa watching television. He left the room, typing back a response

iwanttohyuckingdie: apparently i have to stay home for a week

iwanttohyuckingdie: but ayy at least i dont have to do homework

marklee: can I stop by?

iwanttohyuckingdie: no nobody's allowed over

iwanttohyuckingdie: or taeil will dropkick them

He thought for a moment.

iwanttohyuckingdie: actually yeah come over

iwanttohyuckingdie: i want to see you get dropkicked into the shadow realm

marklee: uhhh no thanks haha 

Donghyuck smiled faintly down at his phone. He was right in the middle of typing a response when Doyoung plucked the phone out of his hands.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Mark." Donghyuck said, snatching his phone back. "He just asked when I'm gonna be back at school."

"He better not come over. You heard what Kun said-I can't have you passing out every five minutes."

"I'm pretty sure it's not that serious." Donghyuck said, absentmindedly rubbing the stone Kun gave him between his fingers. It was still warm, like it had been sitting in the sun.

"You never know," Doyoung continued.

...

markhyuck protection squad

Five online

sodiumfine: if hyuck doesn't come back soon mark is gonna Explode

jisungPWARK: yeah today he looked right at the sun and said it reminded him of the love of his life

jisungPWARK: then he started screaming. I think he burnt his retinas

chenlelele: is hyuck still sick??

sodiumfine: yeah I think so

renjunk: he probs caught something from smooching mark ;)

renjunk: or an std who knows

sodiumfine: THERE ARE CHILDREN HERE STOP SKLJAASJKLS

jenoideawhatsgoingon: why dont yall just

jenoidawhatsgoingon: i dunno

jenoideawhatsgoingon: ask him directly like normal people???

renjunk: okay but,,,,,, wheres the fun in that?

jenoideawhatsgoingon: renJUN YOU ARE GONNA CATCH THESE HANDS

chenlelele: jeno has a point my dude

jisungPWARK: yeah just text him duh

renjunk: i trusted yall smh im surrounded by fakes

...

That night Donghyuck woke in a cold sweat, his fingertips tingling. He sat up, letting the blankets pool in his lap. Soft rays of moonlight fell across the floor, a slivering path of light in the darkness in his room.

There it was. The tugging in his chest, the restless energy under his skin, He stood up slowly, looking out his window. He reached for the stone sitting on his dresser, but when he touched it it was almost hot enough to burn. He pulled his hand back, gasping softly.

He rubbed his face with his hands and for a second he thought of Mark, who had done nothing but try to help him, even though he passed out every time they touched. The tugging continued, pulling  him unconsciously towards the window. He looked down, and was filled with the sudden urge to go, to just climb out his window and stand in the middle of the street and just look up at the moon. Before he even realized it, he was doing just that, his heart pounding against his ribcage like a drum.

And then he was standing in the middle of the street, eyes closed, the cool night air wrapping around him like a blanket. When he opened his eyes, Mark was standing across from him, confusion in his eyes.

"Hyuck," He said, laughing quietly. "I didn't expect to see you here." His voice trailed off. "I just had a feeling telling me to go somewhere."

The tugging pulled him towards Mark and it was as if his body was moving without him.

"You look beautiful in the moonlight," Mark started, reaching out to touch him. "Like a star in the sky." Mark grabbed his hands gently, pulling him closer.

"You don't love me," Donghyuck choked out. The statement should not have hurt as much as it did. "I made a mistake," he said. "You consumed a potion that made you fall in love with me. It's not real."

It's not real.

"Hyuck," Mark said, smiling. "I didn't need a potion to fall in love with you." He paused. "I did that a long time ago."

Donghyuck's eyes widened as he looked at Mark, his skin burning.

"Lately it's just been...harder to hide how I feel." Mark stepped even closer, and Donghyuck was sure he stopped breathing. "But nothing has changed how I feel."

"You-you-" Donghyuck gaped at him, something warm unraveling in his chest. 

Mark likes me? Mark really likes me?

He looked at Mark again, this time marveling at the way the moonlight painted him like a canvas, all soft edges and kind eyes.

"Dumbass," he breathed, the word soft, "you should have told me."

"I wasn't sure you felt the same."

In that second, Donghyuck knew. He knew what that feeling was, the pounding in his chest, the tingling. All along, he had been lying to himself.

"I do like you," he murmured. "I just never realized it."

And then he leaned forward and kissed him.

Mark tasted like watermelon and strawberries, his lips soft as Donghyuck kissed him. He pulled Donghyuck even closer, threading his hands through his hair. Donghyuck could feel a tingling sensation where their lips met, one that spread down his limbs and throughout his spine. He didn't know if Mark could feel it too, this warmth, but he wished it would never disappear.

When they finally pulled apart, it was like he was seeing Mark with brand new eyes. He felt...settled. The restlessness was gone. The tingling had vanished, save for what felt like static shocks in his fingers.

"Now what?" He asked. "We're standing in the middle of the street."

"So?" Mark asked, his face dazed.

"We should both get some rest." He said. But he couldn't bear to turn away from Mark, and when he grabbed his hand, pulling him towards Donghyuck's house, he didn't resist. After they both climbed up through his window and into his room he collapsed on his bed, unbelievably tired. He grabbed the stone off his dresser. It was smooth and cold to the touch.

It's broken, he thought. It's really over.

He looked at Mark, at their intertwined hands, the both of them laying side by side. He felt something, like this wasn't just an ending, but a beginning.

They laid there like that for a long time, spellbound by each other, before drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Donghyuck woke the next morning to the sound of yelling. 

"Gooood MORNING!" Taeil said, swinging his door open. "It's time for you to get up-MARK?!"

At the sound of Taeil's yelling both Ten and Doyoung rushed into the room, Ten wearing a face mask and Doyoung wielding a spatula like a weapon. Donghyuck sat up quickly, pushing Mark's head off his chest. Mark woke with a start.

Ten crossed his arms. "Why am I not even surprised," he said, voice monotone but eyes laughing.

"We are going to have a serious family talk, because apparently I have failed as a parent." Doyoung said, hyperventilating.

"But, technically, you're not my parent." Donghyuck pointed out.

"So why is Mark here?" Taeil said, frowning slightly. It was bad enough having Doyoung mad at him, but all three of them? This was one step away from being a living nightmare. "Last I remember, you weren't supposed to be around him at all."

Mark sat there awkwardly, waving shyly at the three of them.

"No, but it's fine now! See?" He grabbed the round stone off the dresser and tossed it to Doyoung. He raised an eyebrow as he caught it, turning it over in his hands.

"It's cold," he said.

"Yeah! So that means everything is fine!" Donghyuck said.

"But that doesn't explain why Mark is in your room." Ten pointed out.

"Well, if everything's fine, you can go to school." Doyoung said. "Get ready."

He and Taeil left the room but Ten stayed, grinning at him and Mark.

"My boy is finally getting some," He said, dramatically wiping a fake tear from his eye. "I'm so proud."

The meaning of his statement hit him a moment later.

"Ten! We didn't- I mean- EW!"

Ten laughed, leaving the room.

Donghycuk looked at Mark, taking a moment to absorb the sight of Mark's messed up hair and tired eyes. Everything felt a little different-as if he was looking at the world through a golden filter.

Then he remembered that they had school. And that Doyoung would probably beat his ass if he was late.

"Come on, Mark. We have to go to school."

Mark gave him a quick peck on the cheek before smiling and sliding out the window. It filled Donghyuck with a kind of warmth, one that shone through him like sunlight.

...

When they got to school they were greeted with a series of high giggles from Renjun and groans from the rest of their friends.

"They're only grumpy because they're losers," Renjun said with a smirk. "I bet them all ten dollars that you two would be a couple the next time we saw you." He gestures at their linked hands. "Guess I was right."

Jaemin groaned again. "I'm broke! What am I supposed to pay you with? Blood?"

"If that's what it takes," Renjun said, a scary smile on his face. Jaemin turned pale.

"I suddenly have to leave..." he said, backing away from Renjun. "I have Very Important Things that I suddenly remembered to do! Bye!" He ran down the hallway in what could only be barely concealed fear.

"Are you feeling better now?" Chenle asked, leaning forward. "Everybody was super worried."

"Yeah," Jisung piped in. "Mark was losing his mind."

Donghyuck looked at Mark, then back at Jisung and Chenle. "What?"

"He looked right at the sun yesterday and burnt his eyeballs." Jisung explained. "He screamed for like, an hour."

"I don't remember that," Mark said, scratching his head.

"Well it happened," Jeno said. "You can't remember because you're stupid."

"Jeno, you weren't even there." Jisung pointed out. 

"Yeah, but you told me so technically I was there."

Both Chenle and Jisung looked at Jeno, squinting like they were trying to figure something out. The bell rang, and the three of them looked up in alarm.

"If I'm late to first period again this week Mrs. Kim is gonna skin me!" Jeno shouted, running down the hall, Chenle and Jisung close on his heels. 

That left just Donghyuck and Mark, alone in the hallway, hands clasped together.

"Maybe we should head to class," Donghyuck started, but he wasn't sure if he really meant it. Mark smiled.

"Well, technically, you're still sick. Aren't you supposed to be out until Monday?"

They looked at each other. A slow smile spread across Donghyuck's face as he ran out the school doors, Mark behind him, his skin tingling as the sun hit him. He grabbed Mark's hand, dragging him into the street, laughter bubbling through him.

"Let's go somewhere," he said, grinning. 

It was like sparks as Mark got closer, like fireworks under his skin. Donghyuck burned with it, burned with all the fire of a thousand stars, like stardust and sunlight.

"Do you feel that?" Mark whispered. "It's like electricity."

Or magic.

They headed down the street, laughing, a little magic in both of them.