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People really should stop with the stereotypical glittery wings they put on fairies. It would’ve made it much less embarrassing for Mark to live with knowledge that he was one himself.
Now, it wasn’t like he was overwhelmingly ashamed that he had been born with fairy blood, but there was a clear line between a fairy and a fairy. It wasn’t like people would ever believe him if he ever told them the truth. In fact, he suspected the outcome would be him dressing up in a pink tutu with a fake wand and matching tiara for Halloween, sponsored by Johnny himself. It wasn’t like it was such a burdensome secret like how it was portrayed in those movies. There was little to nothing that different Mark from the others.
Well, he did hear somewhere that fairies had a muted sense of negative emotions. That, however, was quickly debunked when a sun kissed Jeju boy strode into his life with his cheeky grin and exotic features. Mark had gone through a lot since he was a child turned trainee, but all of that was nothing compared to Lee Donghyuck.
Donghyuck who wore his emotions on his sleeve and had a face like an open book, ready to be read by anyone who dared to approach him, yet holding such shamefulness to the point that it scared Mark at first. At first it was as if the world had purposely thrown Donghyuck into his life like a catalyst, testing his patience and self-control to the very edge. He had never been so overwhelmed by anger before, and he had hated the fact that Donghyuck took pleasure in him finally having a spark of rage blazing in his eyes.
A challenge. Lee Donghyuck was a walking challenge to everyone around him, a wildfire that burned brightly and dangerously yet so captivating and alluring. Years had passed and he had not changed, he was still the burning blaze if flames…but Mark had changed. No matter how bright the flames of Donghyucks’ aura burned, all Mark could see was a shield of wood igniting itself in an attempt to make the fire bigger, when inside was a small flower.
It would be hypocritical of Mark to say he wasn’t special, when he truly was. That’s what fairy blood made him. A special human. His mother could whisper messages to birds, let them carry it over the seas to her parents far away. Mark wished his own ability was as simple. Instead, it led him to a garden every time he fell asleep.
The garden was surrounded by bright white light, and it wasn’t as big as he thought when he first came. It was always him, the garden and a single watering can which seemed to be all he was given. At first he was truly confused on his purpose, until he had realized that every plant in the garden symbolized the soul of his members.
And that was where his job began. A watering can filled with a few liters of magic and 20 plants to water. 20 lives for him to nurture and care for in the few hours he was given in dreamland. It seemed pointless at first, until he saw Taeyongs’ leaves wilt in a dream that seemed far away. The soul that had started being consumed by guilt and fear, and Mark watered the worries away.
There were trees among the plants, like Johnnys’ that towered high in a canopy above them. When the leaves had shed themselves as if autumn had come, he had watered Johnnys’ self-confidence a day before he debuted. There were plants like Jaemin and Jenos’ which intertwined with each other and didn’t dare to let go. Mark wasn’t surprised that the two ended up doing everything together.
It wasn’t just watering them, it was picking up on the small clues like the way Jisungs plant leaned dangerously towards Chenles’ and he had deliberately moved them side by side and watched them slowly intertwine as time passed. Doyoungs’ plant was always straight and stood alone, his roots deeper than Mark had expected. He had unfurled the leaves that had pulled away from his touch and watered it with trust.
Sichengs’ plant was thin but had a large flower which reached for the sky. Taeils’ plant had a thick stalk and bore fruit that was sweeter than apples. Mark would have had a feast if he hadn’t known it was Taeils’ soul he was eating from. So many variations and personas that Mark took care of to the last of his magic water…but there was only one thing that was a big mystery to him.
When he had first appeared, he head almost stepped on Donghyucks’ flower. No taller than his palm and with leaves the size of his pinky. It was so small that Mark had spent half an hour contemplating if it was a soul flower or a weed. Thankfully its bright yellow flower, although small, made it clear who it belonged to…and that confused him further.
How could such a small flower embody everything Donghyuck was? It didn’t make much sense in Marks opinion and he had watered it a lot for the first few weeks, only to realize it didn’t grow taller than in already was. Strange.
Years passed and it still baffled Mark how that flower remained unchanging when the others were blossoming with bright colors and new buds. Yet, Donghyuck in real life seemed to have tremendous growth as he shifted into adulthood.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Mark blinked once, twice. His hand rose instinctively to scratch his nape out of embarrassment. Donghyuck did not look up from his score of music, but a small smile played on his lips. “Nothing, Hyuck. Was thinking about how fast you’ve grown”
Donghyuck placed his score down, eyebrows raised questioningly. “Wouldn’t take you for the sappy kind of person. Will I be like that too once I graduate?”
Mark held out a wince of pain that had etched itself into his heart at the statement. Donghyuck seemed unaffected at first glance, but Mark knew that he missed the way they would run from one schedule to another together. That connection had been broken, and all that was left was him to collect the shards and try to piece back the picture of their confusing friendship.
“Your Mark has grown now” was Marks’ reply before he stood, rolling back his shoulders once he saw Jungwoo leaving the recording room. “Don’t grow up too fast, yeah? Get some rest”
-
Mark was frozen. He had heard it, everyone had heard it. The crack that had broken the rhythm of their heaving breaths, and it was like his heartbeat marked the seconds that passed after that.
Thump.
Donghyuck collapsed to the floor.
Thump.
There was a sharp cry of pain.
Thump.
Chaos.
“Oh God!” Taeyong whispered as his hands fluttered worriedly over Donghyucks face, the younger turning away from the source of pain which was his leg. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened to it, and then Mark felt Doyoung pulling him back albeit too harshly to look over the injured limb. The managers were panicking, one of them calling an ambulance and the other calling the company.
Another sharp cry of agony and Donghyuck could no longer support his torso with his elbows, crashing to the floor. His fists were clenched into tight fists, bottom lip bitten to hide the pain. Mark heard Kun ushering the Dreamies out, and Mark was somewhat grateful that they weren’t practicing with the other SM artists just yet for the SM special collab.
“Hold it in, breathe!” Taeil was saying, cradling Donghyucks head in his hands and brushing the sweaty strands of hair out of his eyes. “It’s alright, Haechan…it’s going to be alright.”
But it wasn’t. Not when he was put on hiatus for months. He couldn’t move by himself, let alone walk by himself. Most important of all, he couldn’t dance. Donghyuck lived on movement, whether it was mindless vibing or freestyle dancing. He had uncontainable energy which made him prance around and latch on to people who could barely keep up with him.
That night, Mark almost tripped over his feet in his race for the water can. Possible outcomes flashed through his mind. Did the small plant wilt? Turn yellow? Shed its precious petals?
Hyuckie…I need to get Hyuckie…
Again, he repeated the phrase like a mantra in his search for the flower. His eyes trailed on the ground until he finally saw the beautifully bright flower located near the dreamies. Mark lifted the watering can, ready to pour out as much water as needed until he had a proper view of the plant.
An inch…perhaps half. The flower had frown slightly, and the start of new leaves peeked out from its stem. The flower waved its leaved as if acknowledging his presence, swaying from a breeze that didn’t exist and leaning towards the other Dreamies flowers.
Mark shook his head in bafflement.
“I’m sorry, Hyuck…but you need this water right now. They’re fine.”
The flower swayed more viciously and Mark could almost imagine it trying to cross its leaves in disappointment. Mark frowned and sighed. It seemed that the flower was just as stubborn as its owner.
“Fine…I’ll water them. But you have to stay healthy, okay?”
The flower wiggled again, as if staring him down.
-
The first thing Donghyuck did when he came back was go to the Dreamies dorm. He looked far healthier than he ever did before, the fatigue that shadowed his irises now overwhelmed by the brightness that lit him from the inside. Mark didn’t dare to disturb them. They weren’t his anymore, and he wasn’t theirs. But for some reason, it still hurt like hell.
“I’ll come back to you guys... but I wish you didn’t have to wait for me. You deserve to have it quicker”
Mark stepped away from the door and walked away, the image of a small yellow flower flickering in his head.
The next few months were non-stop promotions, and yet another group appearing that had him dragged away from his original group. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried. The plants in his dreams were withering one by one and he had been struggling to keep an equal ratio of water for all of them. The schedules they were given drained their energy and their mental health suffered hard.
He heard the sound of slamming door and muffled sobs before someone –Doyoung most of the time –would make his way inside the bedroom to comfort the person. For once, Mark was overwhelmed by his dreams and prayed every day that he would return with an extra can of water. He knew it was unfair to some of them, but he had no choice but to shuffle their plant positions over and over again in an attempt to make them seek out the ones who were mentally stable enough to hear out their worries.
And then there was the mystery, Lee Donghyuck.
Donghyuck who was supporting a comeback and a tour on his back all at once, who collapsed once they entered the dorm and had to be carried to the bathroom by Johnny. He was dragged here and there, from flight to flight and fighting through jetlag as he was thrown in front of the cameras hours after. Mark could see the toll pushing Donghyucks shoulders down and ruining his health. He saw how hard Donghyuck pushed through the daze of fatigue, and the practiced smile and laugh that grew rarer by the day.
It made Mark run through the garden once again, only for the flower to be taller than before, its flower glowing yellow and warm against his skin. Mark thumped to the ground, his eyes still on the flower that seemed to look at him with a knowing gaze. Confusion. He was so confused and it was all because of this small yellow flower.
“Why…how can you grow when he looks so tired?” he asked and the flower wiggled in response. It wasn’t much help. Mark pursed his lips before standing, grabbing before dipping his hand in it. He scooped out a small amount of water before sprinkling it at the base of Donghyucks plant.
“Just in case” Mark defended, as the flower swayed. “I don’t want him to get sick”
-
Months passed and things were starting to slowly fall into place. Step by step, they started to complete their schedules while taking care of each other. The plants were looking healthier and Mark could finally use the water more sparingly.
Until he entered the garden one night and saw Donghyucks plant wilting.
“GOD NO!”
Mark poured the water on the plant, praying for it to suddenly shoot up and glow brightly again as if saying sike, jokes on you. It didn’t happen. Mark felt his veins fill with dread as he weighed the odds of something…unthinkable…happening to Donghyuck out in the real world. Mark clenched his fists before punching his own face. Hard.
“Wake up!” he screamed at himself, resorting to slapping and pinching himself instead. “Donghyuck needs you!”
Wake up!
Wake UP!
WAKE UP!
WAKE UP MARK!
Marks’ eyes snapped open in shock and he sat up abruptly. Yuta had woken him, his hair a mess and Mark peered at him through bleary eyes. Wasn’t their concert a little late?
Donghyuck needs you!
Realization set in and he shook away the drowsiness with a swift jerk of his head. He vaguely heard Yuta calling him as he tore out of his covers, running for Donghyucks’ room. The first thing he processed upon opening the door was chaos.
The managers seemed to be calling discussing something very loudly over a phone at the island kitchen. He heard the sound of painful coughs, as if tearing through the throat, coming from Donghyucks room and his stomach dropped. Doyoung passed by with a basin of water and a rag, his eyes wide and alarmed.
Mark slipped through the door after him to see Johnny cradling a very sickly Donghyuck in his arms. Mark had seen him sniffle and clear his throat for the past few days, but now he looked bad enough to be warded. Johnny was trying to get him to drink unsuccessfully, the younger boy coughing through a blocked nose and fever tears. He looked terrible, and the yellow flower flickered desperately in his minds’ eye.
“You’re not going to join the concert” Taeyong stated, hushing the younger as he struggled to tell him otherwise. “Hyuck…you’re so sick. You can’t perform like this”
“I want- “he broke out in a fit of coughs, his torso jerking harshly as they ripped through his body. Johnny shook his head, holding Donghyuck closer.
“Rest, baby bear. You did your best”
And just like that, Donghyuck was given rest for another month. Mark used his fatigue to force himself back into the Dream Garden when he could, just to water Donghyucks plant with as much health as possible. It was so sudden for him, a glowing star that died out and became a black hole. No…he couldn’t give up. Donghyuck was going to blaze like firelight as long as he helped his soul to heal.
-
Mark almost dropped his watering can.
In front of the row of flowers was Donghyucks’ taller than ever and shining as bright as the stars. It was now the same height as he was, its leaves long and thin and reaching out to touch the other plants. It had been a week wince Mark had found it almost dead…but now.
Now it was as strong as ever.
“You’re such a mystery, Lee Donghyuck” Mark whispered as he reached out to gently trace his fingers along the leaves of the plant. “How can you grow even stronger every time you-“
He broke off abruptly.
“I know I’m not as strong as the rest of you” Donghyuck said as they shared his bed, curled up underneath the blankets. It was a sleepless night, one of the nights where he would cherish Donghycuk the most, where he’s give up on pushing away Donghyucks affection and bask in the warmth the younger boy radiated.
“That doesn’t make you weaker” Mark pointed out and Donghyuck let out a stream of giggles, leaving the latter in a state of bliss at the sound. It sounded way sweeter than the loud laughter that had rubbed off of him.
“It makes me more prone to fall” Donghyuck stated but there wasn’t a hint of sadness in his voice. Instead, there seemed to be a tinge of something alike to hope. “But I want each fall to make me stronger”
Mark looked at him with a questioning gaze. “I always hear that phrase, but how exactly do you become stronger when you take a step back”
“If you slide down the snake, then there’s no faster choice than to find a ladder” Donghyuck explained, his face lighting up in a smile. “A dash of courage and a sprinkle of luck. Who knows how long it would take for me to find the ladder, but I’m gonna make sure that when I do find one, it takes me straight to the top of the board”
“Magical” Mark whispered to himself, brushing the back of his fingers against the petals, a small smile playing on his lips. “You’re even more magical than me, Lee Donghyuck”
-
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Mark blinked once, twice. His hand rose instinctively to scratch his nape out of embarrassment. Donghyuck did not look up from his score of music, but a small smile played on his lips. “Nothing, Hyuck. Was thinking about how happy I am now that you’re healthy”
Donghyuck placed his score down, eyebrows raised in mock confusion. “Now that we’re going to stay together, am I going to end up worrying 24/7 about you, too?”
Together. It felt warm whenever he thought of it. He could steal hear the echoes of surprised screams and an outburst of sobs when it had been announced during the meeting. The touch of half a dozen boys reaching to hug him at the same time ghosted over his skin, and Mark grinned widely.
“Your Mark is as worried as ever now that you’re back in his arms again” was Marks’ reply before he reached over to wrap his arms around Donghyucks’ figure, making the younger boy laugh and nudge him away teasingly. Mark didn’t let that demotivate him and pushed on until he had the boy secure in his arms.
“You can grow up all you want, Hyuck. But like magic, you won’t ever change in my eyes. Trust me on this one.”
In his minds’ eye, the yellow flower waved.