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“Hey! Caelus! Come on!” Luka laughed loudly, “Show us your mark again! It looks so cool!”
Caelus who in turn dodged the arm that was about to wrap itself around his shoulders. “Okay, okay!” He grinned while pulling up his shirt, revealing a pale coloured dragon with quite faded details climbing from hip to ribcage. “You sure like to ogle it!”
“Your mark looks cool at least! In comparison to mine!” Luka pouted while looking down at his arm where a purple looking star decorated it.
“Well… at least there is a flame outline around it?” Caelus commented.
“So rowdy!” a female voice complained.
Catching both of the boys' attention.
“As if you can complain, March,” Luka grimaced. “You are pretty loud yourself”
“All of you are rather loud…” a heavy sigh followed as the person slammed his book shut.
Dan Heng glanced over his shoulder, observing how Caelus shamelessly flashed his abdomen while Luka had a stare down with March. “This is a classroom and not a changing room” He stated while turning around with a deadpan glare. Taking a quick glancing at the mark on Caelus’ abdomen before going back to reading.
The rowdyness toned down but there was still clattering of chairs or tables being pushed around, at least the voices had been lowered.
Two hands placed themselves in front of Dan Heng’s book, not even needing to look up to know who they belonged to. “Can I help you, March?” He asked flatly.
She dragged a chair over, taking a seat across him. “Are you never going to tell him?”
“Do I have an obligation to?”
“No… but-”
“Then you have your answer,” Dan Heng interjected. Aware that March was only worried about him but at the same time how should he approach Caelus? It wasn’t as simple as striking up a conversation and then proceeding to drop a bomb like that. “It’s not like we are close either… I’m nothing but another classmate…”
Staring at the black letters on the page, not absorbing them at all but still kept flipping one page after the other. Subtly listening in on the other conversation occurring behind him while ignoring the one he was in.
“What will you do if your other half is in this school?” Luka asked Caelus.
With a snort Caelus’ voice responded, “There is no way!”
“You sound so confident!”
“I’m not even trying to hide it” Caelus laughed, “Wouldn’t they have approached if that was the case?”
The corner of the page wrinkled from the pressure Dan Heng applied to it, afraid of damaging the book he softly closed it shut. “I’m going to buy something to drink, do you want anything?” He asked, chair screeching from being pushed backwards when coming to a stand.
Startled at the sudden movement she blinked at him, “Strawberry milk?”
“Alright”
Fingers lingering on the book as they slid off the moment he walked away from his seat, casting a quick glance at the two who were still immersed in their conversation. The door rattled when he slid it open, letting out a quiet sigh as he left the noisy classroom.
“I won’t tell him” Dan Heng thought, staring down the hallway that bustled with students. Voices bouncing off the walls, it was ear-grating, never been one to be much for crowds or smalltalks. Taking long strides until he found a vending machine in a less populated hallway.
Absentmindedly gazing at it for a long moment, subconsciously touching the left side of his stomach. Slowly gripping onto the fabric, for the past three years Dan Heng had known about it but never mentioned it nor brought it up. At this rate they would graduate and go separate ways.
“March really needs to stop meddling…” he thought while buying the drinks from the vending machine. Picking up both drinks and stared at the label that said ‘strawberry milk’.
Their graduation wasn’t that far away…
About to reach the classroom Dan Heng noticed Caelus standing outside talking to a girl from a different class. How many times had he seen this scenario by now? Countless. Always some girl confessing and claiming the two of them are soulmates. A word that had started to taste bitter on his tongue.
“If you two are going to test it out please do it somewhere secluded…” Dan Heng commented. “You are in public afterall” voice coming out clipped.
Startling both of them, watching how both were now staring at him. The girl’s cheeks turned red while Caelus looked stunned.
“Are you eavesdropping?” Caelus asked.
“Caelus, look at your surroundings” He chided. “You are standing right outside the classroom…”
Met by silence Dan Heng decided to walk past the two and entered the classroom, feeling a pair of eyes following him.
Placing both drinks at his desk where March was still seated. “Dan Heng… wasn’t that a bit too much?” she pointed out.
“I was just stating the truth…”
“Still-”
“March,” Dan Heng said in a low voice. “Stop worrying about it”
“Your face says otherwise” She sighed, reaching for the can and cracked it open.
The rest of the day went as per usual, nothing out of the norm. However, what Dan Heng didn’t expect was to be stopped by Caelus after the last class.
Staring at the hand that had a firm hold on his shoulder, glancing up from it and straight at the amber eyes that held a determination he hadn’t seen before. “Why is he staring at me like that?” Dan Heng thought.
The grip tightened before the question dropped. “Have I done something?”
“Excuse me?”
Removing Caelus’ hand the raven turned around properly and took a good look at the grey-haired male, appearing to be seemingly perturbed.
“You heard me,” Caelus repeated. “Have I done something to make you pissed at me?”
“No?”
“Then why are you so cold towards me?” he started. “Almost all the time for no reason? As if you don’t wanna be near me?”
The confrontation took Dan Heng by surprise, only capable of staring at the other. Shifting his gaze to the side, not knowing how to explain the reason as to why he always kept Caelus on arms length.
“Not gonna answer me?” Caelus’ pitch dropped. “You’ve become more distant than usual recently-”
“It’s not like we were close to begin with,” Dan Heng countered, not letting him finish his sentence.
“What? Aren’t we frien-”
“Classmates” he corrected instantly.
A heavy silence fell between them.
“...classmates or not, I still see you as a friend,” Caelus said firmly.
“Right, friend…” Dan Heng almost scoffed.
The shocked expression on Caelus’ face the moment those words were out there made Dan Heng’s chest twinge in pain. He didn’t mean to put it like that, the burning sensation in his throat said more than enough. “Maybe March was right…”
Not wanting to treat Caelus like this, the guy didn’t deserve this but at the same time Dan Heng knew… if they got closer he wouldn’t be able to take it. It was easier this way but more painful as well.
Dan Heng wanted to tell Caelus more than anything.
Reaching out and pointing at the left side of Caelus’ abdomen. “That mark of yours,” he said slowly.
“What about it?”
Dan Heng swallowed, eyes lingering on where the mark was before meeting Caelus’ gaze. “...nevermind”
“Hold on! What about my mark?!” Caelus gripped onto the raven’s forearm. “Finish your damn sentence!”
“Lower your voice” he hissed while pulling his arm out of the grip and started to walk towards the door. “I said nevermind”
“Dan Heng!” Caelus called out.
Coming to a halt in front of the door, subconsciously placing a hand on his own mark while turning around to look at Caelus. “See you tomorrow…”
The days flew by and there had been no exchange between the two of them, only radio silence. March had been pointing this out to Dan Heng who in turn waved it away, as much as he wanted to pretend that it didn’t affect him was easier said than done. He was the one who pushed Caelus away.
The bell rang and the students started to chat away, going from calm to chaotic in a split second. His ears were ringing, wanting to leave the classroom, casting a quick glance behind him only to meet those bright amber ones gazing straight at him. Quickly looking away, closing the textbook shut and coming to a stand.
The twisting knot in his gut got worse by the second, he needed to get out of here. Barely taking a step away from the desk as Dan Heng crashed into another classmate who was holding an opened bottle of soda.
“I’m sorry!” the female said as she noticed that it had been spilt all over Dan Heng’s shirt.
“Don’t worry about it,” he started. “It’s my fault for not looking”
Taking a deep breath as he felt the sticky carbonated drink seep into the fabric, reaching for his bag that had his gym clothes. Considering himself lucky that they had P.E today. “Just my luck…” Dan Heng thought as he noticed Caelus staring straight at him with wide eyes.
Confused, he grabbed the bag and stood up properly. Following the stare and down to his soaked shirt that showed the outline of his own mark. His heart came to a stop, looking back up to see that Caelus was now standing up. This was not how he expected his secret to get out…
Immediately taking a step back and bolting out of the classroom.
“Dan Heng!” March called out in confusion. “Caelus?!”
Upon hearing her calling out to both of them Dan Heng knew that Caelus was running after him. “He wasn’t supposed to know! What should I do?!” His heart was slamming against his ribcage, running down staircase after staircase and then out to the courtyard. Trying to catch his breath as he quickly tossed glances to figure out where to hide. About to turn left as he felt someone tackle him down to the ground.
“I’m not letting you go this time!”
Pinned to the ground Dan Heng stared at Caelus who was on top of him. Chest heaving from the running and rain pouring down on them, both of them becoming drenched. The pitter patter from the rain hitting the ground drowned any other noise except their breathing.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Caelus asked.
“I was never going to tell you”
“Why?”
Dan Heng observed Caelus’ expression, a bit confused over why he looked so pained. His jaw tightened, as he pushed him away. “No reason”
“You’re lying”
“I’m not”
Caelus grabbed a hold of the raven’s collar and pulled him in. “You definitely had a reason”
At a loss for words Dan Heng averted his gaze and stared at the ground underneath them. How could he tell him the truth? The fact that he had been in love with the guy for a long time, what started out as a small crush turned into love. It didn’t help that pretty soon after they had started their first year he became aware of their matching marks.
“Not a reason you need to know” he bit back while taking hold of Caelus’ wrist and forcing him to let go, but his hand lingered a bit before letting go of the wrist. “Next time don’t follow-” Dan Heng started while getting up from the ground.
“You knew,” Caelus whispered.
He froze, unsure on how to respond.
“Since when?”
“You said it yourself, ‘I’m not even trying to hide it’...” Dan Heng pointed out, “and how was I supposed to approach someone I barely knew back then and outright confess such a thing?”
“I-”
“For three years, I watched you flaunting it around…” voice raising by each syllable. “I wanted to tell you on several occasions but how could I?!”
This time it was Caelus who became silent.
Dan Heng didn’t mean to spill everything but it was as if someone had opened a floodgate, everything poured out without a stop. Once everything was out in the open Dan Heng simply stared at Caelus, only the sound of rain enveloped them.
Slowly Caelus came to a stand and closed the distance between them, locking their gazes and holding it steady. Reaching for the hem of Dan Heng’s shirt and lifting it, revealing an identical mark yet different at the same time. The details were clear while the dragon itself was faded, they were complementing each other.
“I’m going to touch it…” Caelus declared with a voice barely above a whisper. Placing his palm against it and using his free hand to grab a hold of Dan Heng’s right hand. “So please… touch mine” His voice made it seem like he was embarrassed but there was something else laced into it.
With a trembling hand Dan Heng hesitantly slipped his hand underneath Caelus’ t-shirt and softly placed his palm onto the mark. Aware that there was another step…
“Cae-” Cut off by a pair of lips pressing onto his, followed by a sudden explosion of heat and electricity in his abdomen. Like a current going from his abdomen to his heart, a gentle electric heat filled inside him only to feel it leave through the hand that was placed against Caelus’ mark. In tandem his own mark felt like it was on fire.
Gasping into the kiss Dan Heng took a step back. Bewildered.
“You-”
Feeling a finger hushing him, “Look at our marks” Caelus' voice was a bit faint.
The moment the finger retracted from his lips Dan Heng glanced down at Caelus’ mark. It was still pulsing with a glow, the faded details now crystal clear with a golden hue and the washed out colour now in a beautiful faded jade colour.
“I’m glad it was you,” Caelus laughed nervously. “I lied…I saw you more than a friend but still, you didn’t have to be so cold to-”
Not allowing the other to finish his sentence Dan Heng pulled Caelus into a kiss, not expecting this turn of events but nonetheless, he was thankful that one thing led to the other.
“We are both dumb…”