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Rev took a strange pride in his brewing skills. He was damn good at whipping up a spell and he knew it. He rarely made mistakes with potions. Keyword: rarely.
The revenant stared into the furiously bubbling cauldron, watching it fizz and eventually start to boil over as he thought about all the choices he had made leading up to this moment. There was an ominous pink hue to his concoction.
"Uh oh," he mumbled belatedly before it blew up in his face with a loud 'BOOM!'
—
"I'm never gonna find him," Mark pouted aloud to no one in particular as he wandered down the hallway.
Sera had split off from him a while ago since she wasn't interested in searching for Rev after their disagreement— Mark would get more details on that later, when Sera was ready— but the vampire refused to give up so easily! He was determined to find his buddy, even if it meant crashing Rev and Bella's maybe-date. Mark wasn't too sure of the nature of their relationship, but he was pretty sure the witch had a crush on Rev— which didn't bother him! It didn't...
His ears perked at a sort of whistling sound in the distance— it sounded a bit like a... tea kettle? Huh. It was coming from Ms. Yaga's classroom, which made sense because they were always boiling stuff in there. It wasn't the most pleasant noise for Mark because of his heightened hearing. He was about to write it off when the squealing intensified and then— 'BOOM!'
Mark was almost certain it was Rev. If anything was to explode on school grounds, nine times out of ten it definitely involved Rev. He was running down the hall in seconds, already feeling concern twist his stomach into uncomfortable knots. The vampire skirted to a stop at the open classroom doors and peered inside to see Rev— shocker— passed out on the floor in the middle of the room. Mark was just glad his friend was in one piece.
"Rev!" He called and rushed into the room, crouching beside Rev's unconscious form. Mark leaned over him, worry knitting his brows together. "Rev, buddy, are you okay?"
The vampire placed both of his hands on Rev's shoulders and shook when his friend didn't react. Normally, Rev would've been up and yelling at Mark already. Something was wrong.
After only a little shaking, Rev breathed out an exhausted groan and let his eyes flutter open. Mark could feel the nervous tension in his limbs fade away when their gazes met. The revenant's eyes were half-lidded and drowsy. Mark wondered if he had died in that explosion or something, but Rev usually got aggressive after being revived, so perhaps he could rule that out. The aforementioned undead student suddenly tried to sit up, nearly bumping their foreheads together.
"Whoa- easy there, I got you!" Mark chuckled and quickly stabilized his friend's uncoordinated move with the grip he still had on his shoulders. He was a little surprised the revenant wasn't screaming at him yet. "What happened?"
Rev didn't reply, staring at Mark with a blank look on his face. It was unnerving to see the normally enraged boy look so... calm. Actually, his face looked all flushed, so maybe he had somehow gotten sick? Was potion fever a thing? Mark really hoped not, because Rev had already missed more than enough school.
"Hey, Rev, are you feeling alright? You've never been this quiet— well, unless you count the times you died!" The vampire smiled at his friend, trying to lighten the mood because this indescribable tension between them was becoming unbearable.
Rev's gaze drifted over his face, lips parting subtly. Mark probably wouldn't have noticed the movement if they weren't so close. The revenant's hands curled around Mark's wrists.
"This is it," The vampire thought triumphantly, loosening his grip on his friend, "Rev's gonna push me away, call me some variation of 'stupid,' and we'll go on with our day!"
But then Rev's grip tightened and Mark's train of thought screeched to a halt. Rev leaned in while Mark was still processing, already awfully close and only coming closer. The vampire barely had a split second to jerk his head out of the way so their mouths wouldn't touch. Instead, Rev's lips brushed against his cheek just slightly. Rev huffed, shoulders slumping, and leaned his head on Mark's shoulder. The vampire took a moment to register that almost-kiss, bewildered.
Rev wasn't helping with Mark's confusion much. The revenant wound his arms around his friend's neck, cozying up to him like this level of intimacy was the norm in their relationship. Mark selfishly wished it actually was before internally scolding himself.
"Rev, are you okay..?" He finally managed, more puzzled than anything.
"I am now," Rev mumbled in response. He sounded almost tired.
Mark kept his hands placed firmly on Rev's shoulders, glancing around the room. This had to have been a potion gone wrong, there was no way Rev would ever be this affectionate with him otherwise. The revenant in question nuzzled lightly against Mark's neck in a way that made the vampire feel like jumping out of his skin. Mark barely suppressed a startlingly pleasant shiver.
Even if it wasn't genuine, the physical touch was still... really nice. Mark was always the one initiating any affectionate contact between them so it was a little comforting to have the favor returned for once. No matter how nice it was, Mark still needed to find a way to fix this— whatever "this" was. He was completely sure that Rev was under the effects of some form of spell, so, first things first: figure out what kind. Maybe he brewed a sort of sleepy potion? That could explain a few things!
The vampire looked down at his friend to find Rev already staring right back. It was a little disconcerting that he hadn't noticed the other's gaze on him until they locked eyes. Mark felt something click in his brain when he noticed the faint pink tint that clouded Rev's usually gray eyes; the flushed cheeks and dilated pupils also helped to confirm his theory. A love potion! It made perfect sense because Rev had been experimenting with emotions today.
Unfortunately, the vampire's alchemy knowledge was... limited at best. He couldn't cure it, but he could think of one witch who could! He was pretty sure Bella and Rev had been hanging out basically all day— "without me," his brain supplied bitterly— so it was safe to assume that the witch had just left for something and was coming back, right? Mark sure hoped so, because Rev was holding on awfully tight.
Mark had completely forgotten they were holding eye contact until Rev began to gravitate further into his personal space. The vampire sat up on his haunches to avoid another kiss attempt. Rev pouted— actually pouted!— and pulled him back down with a hand to the back of his neck.
"You keep moving," the revenant grumbled, voice low and uncharacteristically soft. If Mark had a beating heart, it would probably be fluttering in his chest.
"You... keep trying to kiss me?" Mark chuckled a little, both confused by this complaint and terribly endeared by the little furrow between Rev's eyebrows.
"Why won't you let me?" Rev looked up at Mark from beneath a curtain of lashes. His eyes were wider than they had been earlier, like he was attempting puppy-dog eyes. The vampire hated that they were sort of working on him.
"Because you— w-well, you're not in your right mind, for one," he offered with a sheepish grin.
"Really?" The revenant slowly raised a brow, a devastatingly pretty smile curling up at his lips. Rev's hands slid up both sides of his friend's neck to bracket either side of his face. "Because I feel better than ever."
Mark could do nothing but sputter for a moment, staring at the revenant stupidly with his mouth agape. He wasn't sure how to react to this development at all. This was such a sudden and stark change in their dynamic. Mark's body felt oddly fuzzy, eyes zoning in on Rev's smiling mouth. His friend was awfully handsome when he smiled.
The revenant's expression softened a fraction, guiding Mark closer and closer until...
'BAM!' The sound of something heavy and dull hitting stone tiles. Mark jumped before quickly looking toward the sound; Rev whipped his head around immediately to glare at the intruder.
Bella stood in the doorway. Her shocked expression probably mirrored Mark's perfectly. Bella's face flushed and she covered her scandalized gasp with both hands, wide eyes darting between the two of them. A stack of fallen books lay on the floor.
"Get lost—" Rev began before Mark slapped a hand over his mouth, shoving him back in the process.
"I-it's absolutely not what it looks like!" Mark yelped, completely mortified.
"It's fine, jeez! I-I won't tell anyone, but you shouldn't be doing that here," Bella gestured vaguely to the classroom. Her cheeks were so red it would've been a bit funny if Mark weren't equally appalled.
"No— what? No! We weren't 'doing' anything!" The vampire whisper-yelled in response, feeling the way Rev slumped his shoulders more than he saw the action. "He did something, and now he's all— weird!"
"I'm not weird," Rev tried to interject, but it just came out muffled and a little pathetic against Mark's palm.
"Wait, Rev, did you—?" A realization seemed to settle in for the witch and her brow knitted, embarrassment fizzling into anger. "Do not tell me you brewed that potion!"
"Maybe," the offending student answered after manually sliding Mark's hand to cup his cheek. He held it there by covering it with his own, leaning into the touch.
"You idiot! Love potions can have permanent effects if you do even one little thing wrong!" Bella was storming past the pair and rummaging through the ingredients shelved at the back of the classroom in an instant, gathering the supplies she needed for what Mark hoped was a cure. Rev let his gaze drift back to Mark once she had passed by, tilting his head further into the vampire's palm like a cat seeking attention.
"That doesn't sound too bad," he said in a voice that was probably too soft for Bella to hear, staring up at Mark pointedly. Mark held eye contact with him, keeping completely silent and still. The revenant turned his head just to press a featherlight kiss against the inside of Mark's wrist.
"Move," Bella demanded, rushing back over to them with an armful of items that the vampire couldn't name if he tried. Mark recognized the thunderous expression on her face, though.
"You got it!" He scooped Rev into his arms in one quick motion before dutifully stepping out of her path, silently thanking the innate strength that came with his lineage.
Mark carried Rev a good few feet away, giving Bella more than enough room to work. He attempted to lower Rev back to the floor, but Rev, of course, would not let him. The clingy revenant wrapped an arm around Mark's neck firmly, never taking his eyes off him. The constant attention was just a little unnerving; not necessarily unwelcome, but unnerving nonetheless. Mark was very careful not to look back at him. The vampire kept his eyes trained on Bella as she rushed through potion prep. Rev tried and failed to catch Mark's gaze again before giving up with a huff.
Bella grumbled quietly as she worked, making it all look effortless despite how much pressure she must've felt. Mark watched her hands as they flitted about swiftly, tossing perfectly measured ingredients into the cauldron. He wished he was a little more like her sometimes. She was so smart and pretty and easy to talk to, which explained why Rev actually liked her.
The witch moved quickly as she scooped some of her concoction into a glass bottle, forgoing the usual funnel and spoon method most used and just swiping it straight through the cauldron. She was at least careful enough to keep her fingers out of the bubbling mix.
Holding the bottle out like it was something incriminating, she turned towards the pair and walked over. "Here, you need to drink this."
Rev turned his head away with a petulant whine, arms only tightening around Mark. It was like trying to get a child to take their medicine. The vampire almost sighed out loud, offering Bella an apologetic look. Her own gaze seemed to soften when it caught Mark's, flashing a small, shy smile before turning her attention back to the revenant.
"You have to drink it, Rev!" She gently knocked the bottle against his cheek. "You don't want to be stuck like this forever, do you?"
"How would you know what I want?" He grumbled, pouting like this was some huge inconvenience for him.
"Oh my god— just open your mouth!" The witch pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. Her eyes darted up to Mark's face again, staring pointedly and gesturing to Rev with a displeased frown pulling at her lips. It was like Mark could read her mind with the way he understood her idea so fast. Of course he had to help!
He carefully freed up an arm by placing Rev's feet back on the floor, his other still wrapped unobtrusively around the other boy's middle. Rev huffed quietly at this but didn't protest. Mark gave Bella a quick, helpless glance and received a nod in return. The witch— completely ready to do her part, if only a little flustered— took a silent step forward.
The vampire took a moment to mentally encourage himself— "you're doing this for Rev's wellbeing, don't chicken out now!"— before gently placing his hand on the revenant's jaw. This action got Rev's attention rather quickly, head tilting up to look at Mark. The latter offered a nervous smile, trying to ignore how warm his face felt.
"Sorry about this, buddy," He whispered under his breath before pushing the tip of his thumb into Rev's mouth and holding it open. Mark could feel the ridges of the revenant's teeth against the pad of his finger as he did so, making this feel ten times more awkward than it already was.
Bella moved quickly, pressing the potion to Rev's lips and dumping its contents into his mouth. Mark quickly withdrew his thumb, forcing Rev's jaw shut once the bottle was empty just to make sure he would swallow. He was nothing short of relieved when he felt him do so.
Mark got to revel in that relief for no longer than two seconds, as the revenant's eyes immediately rolled back in his head and his body went completely limp. He managed a yelp of his friend's name before curling his arms around his torso tightly, holding him upright.
"That's- that's normal! It just happens, the body gets so overwhelmed and, well..." She shook her head, looking embarrassed. "Y-you should take him back to your dorm, he needs to rest and.. readjust for a minute."
"Oh, okay..! Okay, good!" The vampire carefully lifted Rev back into his arms, once again relieved. A bit of nervous laughter left him. "Is he... going to remember this?"
"Um, I don't..." Bella trailed off, instead giving a weak shrug. She looked just as anxious as Mark felt.
Mark winced but nodded, feeling something heavy and cold settle in his chest. "Right..."
"Right." The witch echoed. She was no longer willing to make eye contact.
"Thanks for your help, you're a life saver!" He smiled, but they both knew Mark wasn't actually happy.
"Any time."
—
Back in their dorm, it was completely silent save for Raven's motor-like purring. Rev had eventually woken up and was refusing to look in Mark's general direction. The vampire didn't really blame him.
Mark stroked Raven's slightly grimy fur from the comfort of his coffin, fingers skirting carefully around the areas where her bare flesh was exposed. He kept his eyes on Raven's haggard but content face, mainly trying to distract himself from looking up at Rev. The revenant had rolled onto his side at some point, facing the wall with his back to Mark.
The ignoring part wasn't anything new. Mark was quite familiar with getting the silent treatment from people, but not from Rev. If Rev was upset with him— and even when he wasn't— he yelled. That was kind of like... his whole thing. He was easily upset and he let everyone know.
Rev being this quiet meant the vampire had really, truly messed up.
Mark couldn't stand the silence. He'd rather be screamed at than ignored, at least then he knew his existence was being acknowledged.
"Rev..." He finally spoke, the suffocating tension in the room bearing down on him like a physical touch. "Are you mad at me-?"
"I'm always mad at you." Rev snapped back, cutting him off.
The vampire's stomach dropped immediately.
"I-I meant-" Mark paused, debating if he should even bring it up. "I meant like... about ealier?"
"No." He replied near immediately. Rev definitely didn't sound not angry.
"Are you sure..? I understand if you are, I would be too-!"
"I'm not." The revenant hissed. "Go to sleep, vampire."
Mark's heart thudded against his ribs like it was trying to escape, face burning with guilt. "Okay... if you say so."
He flopped down in his coffin, staring up at the ceiling. Raven hopped over the edge into his lap.
"Goodnight, Rev." The vampire tried to sound cheerful, but it didn't come out right.
Rev didn't respond.