Chapter 12.

Haechan slipped into a clean off-white cotton shirt. Its cuffs were stiff and closed with a button and its neck dipped low because of three undone buttons. It ended below his hips and as he wore his pants he tugged the shirt into them and secured his pants with a brown leather belt. He wore a faded red woolen cardigan and started fixing his hair with water from the bowl in front of the mirror. He was humming a tune Mark had never heard. It sounded peaceful and Mark found that he really enjoyed the sound of Haechan’s voice.

Mark felt a small zap in his body when a memory from the night before reappeared and warmth spread through his face.

Haechan took a step back and Mark wondered what the other thought of when he looked at himself in the mirror. By the small curve of his lips, Mark suspected he liked the view.

  “New clothes feel so good.” Haechan sighed and turned around to face Mark. The Damned nodded in agreement, he too was wearing new clothes, but he kept on his leather jacket. He secured the straps at the bottom of it around his hips and stood. Haechan bounced in his steps when he came closer and Mark grinned when the other threw his arms around his neck.

  “I like your short hair.” He said and pressed his lips to the corner of Mark’s mouth.

  “I like you,” Mark said and earned a laugh from the other boy.

  “I’m so glad to have met you, Mark.” He whispered, and Mark took in that look in his brown eyes and relished in it. He leaned in to kiss Haechan because he too was grateful to have the other by his side. Haechan’s lips were warm against his… and soft. Mark was reminded of the silky texture of leaves against his lips when Ten woke him up from his nap in the field. The feeling of his mother’s dress at midsummer's eve, as he buried his face in it. The gloves’ smooth leather against his lips when he wiped the sweat off his upper lip. His father had owned those when he was younger.

His mother was right. Love is what makes life magical.

Lucas looked terrible, he did not want light in his room, so they had pulled the blinds in order to keep him from screaming and crying. His glowing eye was looking at Mark, they were alone in the room.

  “You helped me escape.”

  “Ya saved ma life.”

  “You could say we were even now.” Mark smiled a little. “But did I really manage to save you?”

Lucas made a sound that was both laugh and a cough. “Maybe A’ am not worthy of the Gift?” He suggested. “We all try our hardest to git infected in the South.” Lucas sighed. “Nothing happened to me.”

  “Can you do something for me, Lucas?” Mark asked.

  “A’m a dying man.” Lucas only said without looking at him. Mark took that as a yes.

  “I need to know what the South wants from us other than this Gift?”

Lucas was quiet. “The Gift is the key to life.”

Mark took a moment. “Could you lead us into the South? We would like to meet with Emperor Hendery without the people knowing. We do not want this issue to become public just yet.”

  “Because ya’ll wanna keep the Gift all to ya’ selves?”

  “We call it Damned for a reason, Lucas. This is no Gift.”

  “Well, in the South it is.”

Mark noticed the way sweat ran down Lucas’ temples. The way his breathing sounded as if he barely got any air in his lungs. He did not have much energy. “We do not want a war.” He said as clearly as he could.

Lucas didn’t meet his eye. The corner of his lips pointed downward, his jaws clenching. “Then be prepared to give up what ya love the most.” He said grimly, and Mark felt his breath get caught when Lucas’ gaze landed on him. “Y’all think I came up here because I wanted to?”

Mark frowned, waiting for Lucas to continue.

  “A need to return with it.” His voice grew small. “A need it with me.”

Lucas lied down and turned his back to Mark when he tried to ask more questions. Mark knew he had to wait before he could try again. Yet he was sure their time was limited. They needed to get going. He wasn’t sure of how much time Lucas had before his body gave in.

  “How did it go?”

Mark had entered Jaehyun’s room as reserved as possible, but Jaehyun, Johnny and Haechan were all gathered by the couches and their conversation stopped when he entered. Haechan smiled softly and Mark noticed he was sitting in front of Johnny and Jaehyun. The two of them looked a little odd together. Maybe Mark had been oblivious after all this time but imagining these two being in love was still a little weird. He knew it was true by the way they looked at each other and the story they had, but how could Mark have missed it? He thought he was good at keeping up with everyone. What was next? Jaemin and Jeno? No, that would be wrong, he was sure Jeno and Renjun had something.

  “Mark?” Jaehyun said patiently.

Mark stopped by the couches, eyes looking at the three expecting faces. His stomach dropped. “I have no idea.”

Haechan moved towards him. He was facing the windows, bright eyes looking up at him. “What do you mean?” He asked softly, almost a little intimately and Mark noticed Johnny’s eyes shift to Haechan.

Mark dropped to sit on the edge of the couch. “He said that if we did not want a war we should be prepared to give up what we love the most?” Mark saw Lucas’ agony vividly. “He did not come here willingly… and he need to return with the Gift at all costs.”

Jaehyun got up and went to look in a drawer, after rummaging through it, he brought Lord Win’s letter with him. He gave it to Mark so that he could read it.

  “Jungwoo and Lucas are Emperor Hendery's soft spots? But Lucas said he did not come here by will?” Mark could not piece it together.

  “What did he give up? His love? His love for the Emperor?” Johnny questioned.

Mark thought for a moment before he got up. “I’ll go find Ten, he’s the one who’s good with people.”

Johnny masked a casual expression, but Mark noticed the look of discomfort as if he disliked the mentioning of Ten. Jaehyun stood up as well, brushing down his pants. “I’ll come with you, Mark.” He said and followed, and Mark reached down to give Haechan’s arm a touch before he left. Why? He did not know, he just felt like doing that. He did not have to bid the other goodbye verbally.

A