dandy andy

“I don’t see why you’re so obsessed with it all. Just go with the flow,” Ten remarked cockily, flicking his vivid green collar back as he steadied himself.

Yuta scoffed. “Doyoung? Going with the flow? Of all the things that’s ever come out of your big mouth, that has got to be the most impossible, yet.”

“What’s impossible is thinking some spell is going to tell you whoever your soulmate is,” Ten piped, his smirk matching Yuta’s. “You’re absolutely deluded, Yongie.”

The wizard mentioned was starting to get irritated and his stress lines were beginning to show again. “Don’t give me more of a headache. If this is so impossible, why bother volunteering as my test subjects?”

They looked to each other and shrugged simultaneously, “‘Cuz it’s fun.”

“Whatever. Just do what I told you earlier,” he shook his head. He had to focus on the task at hand, if he were to get annoyed each time they’d try him, this would never end.

Putting his wand up in the air, he waved it at them, furrowing his brows as he recited the enchanted words. For a moment, they all stood still as a ray of light shot out from the tip of his Phoenix feather wand, encircling through the room in spurts before splitting, bursting into his test subjects’ chests. As each bolt hit their targets, eliciting small grunts of surprise, Doyoung watched in anticipation as different colours erupted.

“Merlin’s beard, is this one going to work?” Yuta gaped at the purple wisps fluttering at his nose.

It was promising. But, it was a bust.

Doyoung slouched, lowering his wand to his side when the light faltered, and eventually diminished.

“You sure this isn’t a spell to find out my future lover’s favourite colour? Because, if we’re being honest, I’m not sure I want to end up with someone whose favourite colour is neon orange,” Ten sneered, following Doyoung as he stormed out of the empty classroom. “Kinda tacky, if you ask me.”

Yuta skipped forward, faced them as he galloped backwards. With a mischievous smile, he poked at Ten, “Johnny’s favourite colour is neon orange.”

“But so is Hendery’s,” Doyoung smirked, and for the first time in the afternoon, Ten had shut up.

~

Doyoung couldn’t get over it. He was so close. Maybe he just needed to go deeper into the Forbidden section. (what a way of thinking)

He stood before his mirror, fiddling with the ends of his turtleneck. Unfolded, he could spot the small Slytherin-green leaf stem tattooed along his skin.

“As much as I hate to admit it – Ten has a point,” his roommate, Jaehyun, leaned by the mirror. His eyes followed Doyoung’s fingers, trailed its gaze along the mark. He was one of the chosen few that’s ever seen the thing. As much as Doyoung obsessed over finding his match, he was ironically persistent on leaving it up to fate.

To understand Doyoung, Jaehyun could only wish.

“If you hate it so much, don’t admit it. I’d rather piss off a hippogriff than give that pixie the satisfaction,” Doyoung muttered, rolling his collar back up, tucking it underneath a scarf.

Jaehyun chuckled. “Alright. Still, you’ve never told us why you care so much about finding your soulmate.”

Jaehyun walked to the door, held it open, and waited against it as Doyoung grabbed his books. An emotion flickered in Doyoung’s eyes, and Jaehyun was too quick to miss it.  

Stubbornly, Doyoung frowned. “Because I don’t.”

And out he strode. Drooping his head in defeat, Jaehyun kicked the door closed behind him, tossing his keys in hand. “I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, Kim Doyoung.”

~

“I think I’m starting to understand,” Yuta conspired, nodding to himself in self-satisfaction. He jumped up with a radiant smile on his lips, eager to share his news to the rest of the boys underneath the (not whomping) willow tree. “Doyoung, over here, doesn’t like wasting time.”

“And it only took you 54 times of being late for you to realize that.”

Yuta shushed the other, maintaining his beaming smile. “Hear me out.”

Despite knowing what was to come out of his mouth was likely bull, eyes gathered reluctantly to the man on the main stage. “He so badly wants to know who his soulmate is because he doesn’t like wasting time! If he doesn’t know exactly who it is, he’ll have to keep putting effort in relationships that might not be the one!”

Doyoung tried not to flinch.

Their attention was now fully in Yuta’s manicured hands.

“Okay. I’m listening,” Taeyong giggled, swinging his feet from the branch he balanced on.

“So, in order to most efficiently use his time, Doyoung has to find his soulmate so he doesn’t have to stress about wasted effort on a person he doesn’t really love!” Yuta finished strongly, earning the approving nods from all around. It was like an episode of Buzzfeed Unsolved – almost completely baseless yet amusing.

Bowing, Yuta flipped his pink-ish hair, continuously dropping his torso as the crowd continued to appreciate him.

Jaehyun chuckled, throwing a book to the Slytherin. “You make him sound like he’s doing this for business hours,” his eyes flickered to Doyoung’s empty stare, “Besides, I’m sure you think the same, Nakamoto. So, let’s lay off.”

With the chuckling dying down and the topic switching to what was for dinner, Doyoung was finally able to think. They could laugh and laugh, but his one-track mind was set on another book down the Forbidden aisles in the library and he wasn’t going to stop until a spell worked.

~

This soulmate search was relatively new, but the boys weren’t surprised about Doyoung’s focus on it – he often got too carried away with anything he did.

With most of them in class, or trying desperately to pass their O.W.L.S., Jaehyun was the only one who had the time to accompany Doyoung to his library trips. After all, Jaehyun was a prefect – only second to the rabbit-nosed boy who had his rabbit-nose dug into the latest copy of “Love and Other Drugs” by the Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, no less.

“Thanks for telling them to back off. It was getting out of hand,” Doyoung muttered, his volume only a whisper to the quiet murmur of the library.  

Jaehyun chuckled, nudged his side. Doyoung and his tsundere moments.

“No problem. Yuta’s just cocky ‘cause he’s already found his,” Jaehyun looked back, both of them reminiscing to the first time Yuta had seen the matching arrow on Winwin’s finger. ‘Twas the biggest ‘no homo’ of the century (but they all knew what it really meant). “I’ll help you find yours, bud.”

Doyoung met his gaze. It wasn’t something you could get used to – seeing the vulnerability in Doyoung’s eyes, not when he carried himself with a high chin and straightened shoulders at all times. For someone so mighty, he appreciated the little things. Things like little loyal comments of reassurance. He was also less secure than he’d let on, contrast to the older brother figure he tended to play. This soulmate thing was just a confirmation of what Jaehyun already knew – Doyoung wanted love and was ready to give it.

In a way, Yuta was right – but just as he usually is, he was also incredibly way off target. Doyoung didn’t want to waste time, correct. But only because he was ready to spend every waking moment with someone he loved, give his love to someone he knew was worthy of giving it too. That boy was careful with his heart.

But of course, there was no way Jaehyun would make him aware he knew of that information.

“But first,” Jaehyun picked up the stack he’d put aside, “we’ll have to get these checked out. Hopefully, whoever’s at the front isn’t cranky or we’re going to have some trouble getting some of these restricted options out.”

The two mannequin-esque figures strode through the library like it was a carpeted runway, stopping at the front desk. And you were there, hair pulled up with small fringes falling down your forehead, wrinkles along your face as you reiterated to your junior that using a mandrake as an alarm to prank his friend wasn’t ‘harmless fun’.  

You pinched your nose between your fingers, closed your eyes as the boy stared at you vacantly. “Listen, I know you two get up to some delightful antics,” you tilted your head, “but Jisung, I don’t think that’s as innocuous as you think it is.”

The younger boy dropped the book in his hands tenderly, a crestfallen expression donning his face as he looked once more to the screeching mandrake animated on the page. You chuckled, grabbed his cheek before nudging him away.

Shrugging, in a moment’s time the younger boy let it go. “Fine. I’ll be back with my next ideas, then. Thanks anyways, Y/N!”

Shaking your head, you filed the book into your unsorted stack behind you, waved as he ran swiftly through the hall, steps echoing. “Scurry off! I don’t want to see you or Chenle at the Hospital Wing because of your bright ideas!”

Jaehyun lightly knocked on the wood, your eyes averting to the tall figures opposite your table. “Hey.”

“Oh! Hey,” you smiled. Your black and yellow robes sheened under the colourful wisps of light that sorted the books in their shelves, soaring way over the heads of students walking by. “Got quite the bundle of books there.”

Jaehyun piled them on the countertop. “Hoping to have read all the books in here before we graduate,” he said triumphantly.

You giggled, lifting the books with the wave of your wand. “May I know the borrower?”

“Do—”

To Jaehyun’s surprise, the boy wasn’t completely engrossed in his book, finding that Doyoung was actually paying great attention to you, Doyoung’s hand having stopped him from finishing his name. If he wasn’t mistaken, he’d even think there was mild interest in Doyoung’s stare.

“Kim Doyoung, Gryffindor,” he stated, sternly, concise and accurate.  

You shook your head, your effortless smile increasingly affecting Doyoung’s features. “I mean, you could’ve just said ‘me’ or something. Doyoung, I’ve known you for like, six years.”

“If the goal is to read everything in here, is the first goal to finish all of the—" you read the titles, raising a brow, “soulmate and love related ones first?”

“Listen, I don’t need to hear more judgement about it—”

“No! Don’t misunderstand,” you waved your hand, in turn, making his jaw unclench and neck relax. “I just didn’t think many other people were interested in such a subject. Jungwoo’s been calling me a conservative old fart for thinking so much about it.”

“Oh.”

Jaehyun watched in amusement as Doyoung’s steady façade faltered. “Well, then you’ve got the perfect person here to chat about it. Ask Yuta and he’ll tell you how much Doyoung’s been plagued with the notion.”

“I wouldn’t have guessed.” You beamed at him, pushing back a fallen hair strand.

A nervous haze cruised over Doyoung, seemingly obscuring him from forming proper words – uncommon for the highly opinionated speaker. He was so distracted by the jiggles of the curls framing your hair, he almost forgot to reply. “I-I suppose you could say I know a few things.”

“Well, if you ever feel the need to know more than a few things, let me know.”

Jaehyun wanted to rub his eyes, double check to see if maybe someone had slipped something down his breakfast, because there was a pink tint tainting Doyoung’s cheeks that wasn’t there previously.  

Jaehyun cleared his throat, grunted as he heaved the last book on his stack. “Uh, you’ve been part-timing quite a bit, ____. Hogwarts down on staff?”

Your eyes flickered to the other Gryffindor, suddenly aware of your surroundings. “Oh, that,” you blinked back to Doyoung, “Nah, I’m just trying to get a good word in with the superiors. This is a world of making connections, my friend.”

“Ah, I see,” Jaehyun chuckled, still feeling put aside despite your genuine answer, but not as disappointed thanks to the live entertainment of a baffled Doyoung.

“I’ve even started volunteering at the hospital wing.”

“Really?”

“What can I say? I’m a pretty well-rounded gal,” you admitted, jokingly, putting a chirpy hand on your hip.

Jaehyun turned his attention to the raven-haired boy, his dimples reappearing with his knowing smile. Everything Doyoung heard was going through one ear and out the other. “You sure are. Wouldn’t you agree, Doyoung?” He nudged his side, ushering him forward.

His lips moving without command, Doyoung stared back vacantly. The rounded parts of you that danced around his head weren’t necessarily ones of your well-balanced personality. “She sure is.”

Put out of his trance at the sound of his name, seconds after it’d already been said, he blinked back at his snickering company. You blushed at how Doyoung was so evidently immersed in staring at you, his words sounding genuine even to Jaehyun. Still, you just shook your head and took his flirting lightly, and went back to the person next in line.

The embarrassment only caught up once they’d entered the halls.

“Ow! What was that for?” Jaehyun glowered, eyes still retaining its smile.

“You know very well that was for,” Doyoung power walked ahead of him, his robe trailing in the wind behind him.

“Someone’s knickers are in a twist.”

~

The search went on, and no distractions were to be tolerated.

Doyoung devoured information through books in instants, flinging through pages to skim through the next one. He wanted things faster, accurate – more efficient. Desperate for answers. Which is, of course, the only reason he made excessive trips to the library – for more books.

Every busted spell, he’d find himself back where he was now, crouched at a table in a vacant row, nose buried in pages, yet finding himself looking over his shoulder every so often.

“You never took me up on my deal,” you whispered from behind him, startling him enough to have a small shriek escape his lips. It might’ve been the lighting but from his view, but he could only spot your dancing silhouette against the afternoon Sun.

He struggled to find words, rummaging through excuses as you stared back expectantly. “Sorry, I forgot—No, I didn’t. I just didn’t want to bother and um—”

His pacing heart only ebbed when a pert grin split on your face – only to feel like his pulse was coming to a halt at the dimples that stretched your cheeks.

“Well, I’m telling you now that it’s not a bother at all.”

You treaded to the seat across him, asked politely, and plotted yourself with your face buried in your palms, arms propped against the table. “You have a soulmate mark?” You inquired, receiving a curt nod as an answer. “Ah, so it’s a secret.”

“Have it your way, then. I won’t tell you mine either,” you grinned.

“No one’s seen it, so please don’t be offended.”

Doyoung’s fingers twitched to his neck as you flashed another smile at him, shooting pleasant shivers down his spine like a zing! of lightning.

“I’m sure it’s not as pretty as mine,” you gloated, your sweet eyes contrasting your daring tone. He’d always wondered how you didn’t end up as a Gryffindor.

“You know,” you paused, taking care to have his attention – not that that wasn’t already yours, “soulmates are something we’ve got in common with muggles. Though they can’t see the marks like we do, a handful of them still believe in it.”

Abruptly, you shuffled, scrambled for your bag, produced a load of three books within your hands. The way your eyes sparkled as you fluttered through the pages reminded him of the light emitted from the moon – gentle, tender, invasive only in the way that it clawed at a piece of his heart the longer he stared.

“They don’t know their definite fate. And in that is the most beautiful thing – it’s the largest leap of faith any could take, really. Instead of seeing, I don’t know,” your eyes searched the room, “a heart on their wrist, they have to rely completely on a gut feeling.”

You spoke with such fervent emotions, it was hard not to absorb each word that left your soft-looking, pink mouth. “Us, we have soulmarks,” you explained, “Which, I think, is much more convenient.”

He tried not to notice how Yuta’s words resonated in an echo to what he thought Doyoung’s perspective was, his lips twisting into a genuine grin. “And those books?”

“Oh, right.” You pushed it up for him to see, “I thought you’d need more references.” Whipping out a floating list with your wand, you procured books he’d gone through in the past two weeks. Perks of being a librarian’s assistant. “I don’t think we’ve got many left.”

“Do you always carry those around or are those just for me?” he jabbed, half-heartedly hoping the latter was true.

“No, and yes.” You took a moment, grin twisted crookedly, eyebrow raised. “Why? You like the idea of me thinking about you a lot?”

“Wouldn’t mind actually,” he admitted, breaking his own thoughts in surprise.

You stirred, head jerked up with a shocked delight painted on your features. “I like your style, Kim Doyoung,” you lifted yourself off the stool, slung your backpack on one shoulder. “It’s just, next time, don’t make me come looking for you.”

“You’re going?”

You peaked over your shoulder, chuckling to yourself. “And so should you. I don’t suppose Professor Flitwick is going to appreciate his favourite student being late.”

Doyoung read the 10:37 blaring on the grandfather clock, his tailored robes ruffling with his urgency as he scattered the contents of the table into his satchel, jogging down beside you with a flutter in his stomach that erupted when you bumped arms.

~

If he knew why he was walking up to the library, knowing well that it was about to close, and that all other students were rushing back to the dorms, Doyoung probably wouldn’t be doing it. But because he’d so perfected the art of denial, he’d convinced himself that it was because he’d forgotten his pen.

And of course, you’d so happened to be there.

“Oh. Doyoung,” you smiled, flashing him your pearly whites just as you did for everyone.

Sometimes, he liked to think you had a smile reserved for him. Sometimes, he wasn’t wrong.

“____,” he replied. “I’ve finished all the books you’ve given me from the last time.”

You walked out the front desk, shutting the mini gate behind you. Astonishment on your features, you struggled to replay his words. “That’s why you’re here.”

He nodded, confidently, pushing and pulling in breaths to conjure up the courage to talk to you without stuttering like an idiot. After weeks of consistent relaying and charming small talk, he’d finally gained the confidence to put a flirtatious note in his words and he wasn’t going to lose it after one night of cold feet.

You carded a hair out of your face, letting him a look at your beauty. He was sure you looked tired, but there was a nagging in his head shouting that you were too pretty for someone who was tired – whatever that meant.

“That and um, I’m taking over Jaehyun’s duties as Prefect today, and am therefore obliged to accompany you to your common room,” he smiled, flashing you his own crooked smile.

“Alright,” you walked at his pace, looking down at your obvious foot size difference. “But shouldn’t you be leading the first years first?”

He scoffed, inching close enough for your shoulders to bump. “Those kids can get lost.”

You laughed, eyes crinkling at the ends. “So much for a prefect.”

“Oh, they’ll manage.”

The night carried on, filled with laughter and pitted jokes to the other. Sometime between the Sun setting and the moon rising, you’d found yourselves on the courtyard, using a fanned out bush to hide from patrolling teachers.

“You’ve been practicing the spells?” You beamed at him, smile everlastingly reaching your eyes. “Who in Merlin’s beard would volunteer as your target practice?”

“All o’ them,” he stated, only to have you chuckle in disbelief. “That’s not the worst thing we’ve done, so this is no way out of bounds.”

“That so?”

“They’ve dragged me into lots of things. After hearing about Animagus – Animagi is it? Whatever. When Yuta heard about it in 4th year, he just couldn’t wait to turn into a peacock of all things,” Doyoung loosened the knuckle white grip he had on his coat as your melancholic laughter continued to roar out into the night. “Safe to say he unfortunately isn’t a peacock, though.”

“And what did you want to be?” you quipped.

He leaned on the wall, crossed his arms. “I wanted to be a tiger. Much cooler than some bird,” he explained, matter-of-factly. “Cats eats birds, and all a tiger is, is a bad ass cat.”

Soon enough, a lit wand flashed your way and you ducked beneath the cemented walls, disrupting your chatting session under the sky. You couldn’t help giggling as Doyoung procured jelly beans to throw in the other direction. Somehow, his plan worked. One “take my hand” later and your pampered hand was in his, being dragged down to the kitchens where your common room was by.

Doyoung blamed the heat of his hand on the adrenaline rush, and not the image of your warm, delicate hand in his.

He halted in a corner, wedging you both into a blind spot from all corners but the entrance of your dorm.

And then he noticed your proximity.

You were within a breath’s distance. From here, he could spot a flicker of glitter on your eyelash, sparkling as you batted it away. The hammering in his chest seemingly pounded itself to get closer to you, and he was honestly scared it would try.

You turned back, eyes throbbing with adrenaline. “Quick thinking, Mr. Prefect. Got me straight to my common room.”

A shell of a smile broke onto his face as you patted the space beside you, “So, would you like to explain to me why you’re on such a search? Never would’ve guessed that was your main priority right now. Thought it’d be something like studying.”

He scoffed. “You say that derogatively.”

You scoffed back, met his eyeline. “I meant it derogatively.”

“Well, since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you,” he said lowly, voice languid and gentle. “I’m impatient.”

You stared blankly, confusion overtaking your features. Anybody who knew 11-year-old Doyoung would know he was impatient – he defined the word.

“I don’t like waiting and I’m not going to wait for fate to tell me what to do.”

You stifled a laugh, rolled your eyes. “That’s what it is? You don’t like people telling you what to do? Oddly enough, I can’t think of anything that would suit you more,” you sneered, picked mockingly at his gold and maroon shimmering robe.

“That’s what I’d tell my friends,” he paused, drew his lips into a line. “The whole truth is though, I really just want to know who they are. I want to see if it’s all true, the feelings that rush through you, and the endless, unconditional pining that overtakes your complete being for them. How they’re all you’ll ever need to be satisfied. I’ve read it in all the books. Can’t find that out till I meet them.”

He couldn’t read what your eyes were saying but if he had to guess, he’d say they were awestruck, mirroring the shimmering lights of the basements as you blinked sluggishly. “It’s stupid, but that’s the vulnerable truth.”

You scuttled closer, slipped the collar of his robe between your fingers. “If that’s the case, then I think you’re more of a Hufflepuff than you let on,” you beamed at him, meeting the vacant stare that shot from his eyes. “Kind, warm, filled with love,” you trailed your finger down the outline of his face, “That or you’re just really good at sweet talking me.”

Your finger stung on his skin. Doyoung was biting the corner of his lip until he struck blood, result of staring at your – your plush lips that so tunneled his vision. “I’d like to think it’s a fair mix of both.”

And he was about to lean in, tilting his head to meet yours, his nose overwhelmed by the sweet watermelon scent that could only come in bottles, hesitating with only a second left before your lips braised his.

This was a risk he wasn’t sure he was willing to take. This wasn’t what he’d planned – he had no clue if you were his soulmate or not, and that could be dangerous.

Swiftly, he went over your features, scanning for the familiar olive branch on your neck, eyes frantic and desperate, only to find none. Regret loomed over him, filled the pits of his stomach with malice, left him wishing he could take it back, but the moment of hesitance was enough to put you off.

You jerked up, chin held high, jaw clenched. Your once vibrant eyes radiated animosity, vacant, sore and bare.

“I think I heard some footsteps. Better to go in,” you opened your mouth, as if to say something, but then seem to think better of it. With a sigh, you kept your head lowered, like you were terrified to look up. “Good night, Doyoung.”

You sounded shattered. And he was the cause. In all his life, he’d never felt lower.

If you’d stayed just a second longer, you would’ve heard the crack of his foot against the wall he’d just kicked and the painful yelp he’d screamed after.

~

As a Gryffindor, Doyoung felt anything but brave. His suave composure didn’t seem to extend to apologizing to fantastic, sarcastic, women with infectious honey smiles.

“Jaehyun, I think I love her,” nothing but tenderness in his whisper.

Without missing a heartbeat, Jaehyun was quick to answer. “Bud, I know you do.”

~

The autumn chill creeped up Hogwarts’ windowsills, wind howled through the halls in loud echoes. And as the weather got dimmer, Doyoung only felt his mood dampen as he got no closer to his objective – his objective which had apparated elsewhere and vanished from his sight. He didn’t know what he wanted anymore.

Doyoung wiped his dry cheek, head struggling to keep itself balanced on his palm as he stared listlessly at the crossed-out page of useless words. He lacked motivation – and despite constant teasing and insurance to make sure Doyoung was irked at all times, his friends couldn’t bear to see him pouty.

There they sat, legs sprawled like a web of entangled spiders, drawing the perfect example for the first years passing by to the study hall as they wasted their free hours. A clump of boys, rowdy, and loud, sitting out on the curb.

Amongst the crowd however, Doyoung stayed still, quiet and yielding as he stared a hole through his trial journal.

The others were worried, but only few brave soldiers are ever up to the task.

Ten cleared his throat, “Hey, you feeling in a slump?”

Lifting his eyes, the boy in question turned his glare onto the Slytherin instead, noting the silence that dawned upon the group. Only Jaehyun knew the happenings of that night – and Doyoung planned to keep it that way. “I’m not in a slump.”

“Okay,” Yuta put his arm over his shoulder, “Then you’re not. But if you were, what could we do to make it better?”

Doyoung allowed the silence to linger, mute for a moment as he watched the rain begin to pour. “Maybe this whole soulmate thing is stupid.”

“Rubbish. You haven’t spent a month’s worth of time on that to get nowhere,” Ten continued, invited himself to flip through the notebook. “Look, there are still some spells yet to be tested.”

A miniscule smile tugged Doyoung’s lips, forcefully creeping up on his face, and that was all the rest needed to pull him off the chair and into the open air. They dragged him under the rain, ignoring his yaps and hisses when the water soaked his clothes.

They managed to make him laugh when Taeyong’s attempt to reveal Johnny’s deepest desire through a spell paints a picture not safe to describe.

(“Oh, man I don’t think I want to know the rest of your secrets,” Taeyong grimaced, blinking back the picture to erase it.

“I told you, I’m a mystery,” Johnny gloated, as Taeyong took a step back, nose scrunching in disgust.

“Yeah, and stay that way you freak,” Yuta chuckled at his smugness, poking him with the notebook.)

They had successfully cured him of his sadness by the time water pooled the heels of their shoes, and wrinkles formed on their fingers. But they still had to get a kick out of him, otherwise they wouldn’t really be his friends. Jaehyun prompted this first.

As Doyoung was busy running away from Taeyong, who had dipped his designer shoes into a mud pie he’d made and had full intention on making that Doyoung’s shampoo, Jaehyun sneakily ran up to Yuta, whispered in his ear. Smirking at each other, they let the other boys in, only to stop when the other two had come back around, Doyoung with a new mud facial and Taeyong, a scratch on his arm.

“Oi Doyoung,” Yuta yelled, eyes smizing. “C’mere.”

Like unsuspecting prey, he jogged up with a wide grin, already halfway up the small hill, his grin vanishing once he saw the one on Jaehyun’s face. “No!”

The boys clambered to run after him, Johnny on his right and Jaehyun on his left – only giants can take down another.

“You don’t even know what we’re about to do yet!”

Doyoung struggled, groaned and grew limp in Johnny’s arms as the older boy lifted him above his shoulders, managing to make Doyoung look frail in comparison. All he could do was shoot glares. “I don’t have to, I already know I won’t like it.”

Yuta ignored his pleas, the grunts he made through failed escapes, focusing instead to find the last untested spell. “One spell. Please,” he pleaded, tossing the book over to Jaehyun who begged to be the one to administer it.

Gritting his teeth, Doyoung shook his head.

“It’ll give you a nice happy image of your soulmate, and maybe then you can find ‘em,” Jaehyun continued, slyly. “We’re doing this because we love you.”

He ground his teeth some more, puffing through his cheeks with his arms fighting for freedom. “You’re doing this because you’re assholes.”

Doyoung being angry never stopped them from doing what they did and before he knew any better, there was a flash of pink-green light, filling every corner of his vision with Jaehyun’s voice ringing in the distance.

Fade to black.

~

“I told you not to do it,” a voice muttered, lowly.

“No, you told me to aim for the head!”

“And therefore, telling you not to do what you were doing then!”

Doyoung blinked once. Then twice.

Squinting, he searched the room. He could only think of Jaehyun, the rain, and the splitting headache that hammered against his forehead.

“It’ll give you a nice happy image of your soulmate, and maybe then you can find ‘em.”

Right. They had done this.

Light tunneled his vision, not as overwhelming as the last, filling his sight once more. Except when this cleared, he was no longer in the courtyard. His clothes were dry, and somehow he was wearing a different pair of trousers. He’d ended up on a bed, in the Hospital Wing, his head whirring and his back throbbing in a constant pain.

But beyond all, when he opened his eyes, he saw you.

You were there, beaming down at him, smiling, this time without flashing him your teeth. It was dark, but he could make out your features. From the curve of your cheek to the arc of your nose, he could pluck you from a crowd – he knew this was you.

Debating whether this was a fever dream, or was the effect of the spell, he thought to pinch himself. A fighting voice within him told him the latter.

A crash resounded from the other end of the room before he had the chance to adjust, making Doyoung jolt up at the sudden raucous.

“Hey!” You jumped, waving your hands at him to calm him down, meeting his widened and frightened eyes.

Seeing you reassured him this wasn’t a fever dream, but now he wasn’t sure whether he preferred it to be one. Still, he relaxed, shuffled back in his bed, looked around at the moonlit curtains that shielded his mini-corner.

Doyoung opened his mouth only to close it. It had been a week since the night by the kitchens and he was beyond ashamed to look you in the eye– some bravery he had.

“Jaehyun brought you up here,” you whispered, back faced towards him as you poured a glass of water. “Well, all of them did, but he said to make sure you could imagine his shit-eating grin when you woke up.”

Doyoung stifled a laugh for your sake, hiding the growl at the base of his throat for another day. Imagine his shit eating grin, he could.

You held out the cup, prompting him to drink. Doyoung couldn’t help but hesitate, not knowing why you were bothering caring for him.

Muttering a thanks, he took a sip and put it aside. Just like any other time he saw you, he felt this gnawing scratching at his neck, like—his neck.

“Shit.”

Doyoung jerked his focus to his clothes, melting into a liquid when he noticed the turtle neck that wrapped his body. Relief has never come as such bliss. His eyes flickered to you, wondering if you’d seen his mark, only to grow desponded when the question of ‘why would you care?’ came to mind. You shouldn’t care. He didn’t even give you the benefit of the doubt before.

“Y/N.” He cleared his throat.

Doyoung was greeted with your doe eyes. They lacked sleep but retained the resistance to stop from closing. Still, he found them undeniably enchanting.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” he croaked.

You shrugged, fiddling with your thumbs. “To be fair, you should be too,” you joked, a dry laugh escaping your lips. “So, a spell, huh? Something finally went wrong?” You jived, faintly smiling. “Had a feeling I’d see you here if you kept that up.”

“I don’t know if it’d help, but Jungwoo’s quite the alchemist. He helps over here too. Maybe dabbling in potions might—”

Doyoung shook his head sternly, jaw clenched and Adam’s apple bobbing. “No, I don’t think so.”

You paused, gaped. “Oh.”

With your head bowed and lighting dim, he almost missed the gutted fall of your chest when he said that. A restless hope wished that maybe you were going to miss him at the library.

“Can I ask why?” You sounded almost distraught, like speaking betrayed you.

“I don’t want my mark telling me what I can or cannot do,” he stated, a light tone in his voice. You looked up, a ghost of a smile taking its place on your lips. “It’s already stopped me before.”

Expanding his arms out to yours, he grabbed your neck with a gentle force, managing to cradle it between his wide palm, imposing but loose enough that you could retract any time you wished. He registered your eyes and hoped that his judgement wasn’t betraying him in thinking you wanted the same thing.

He gave you only a smile before pulling you in. “Fuck soul marks.”

And like the pink-green flashes from the spell before, it was all happening in a rapid blur. Your lips on his brought out a sultry need for more, leaving few moments for breaths in between. All that ran through his head was the image of you, your warmth, the way in which your synchronized rhythm paired with his in fast paced movement. Doyoung’s entire being couldn’t help but indulge in you.

Seeing your stupid smile, forehead against his, Doyoung just knew he mirrored that same shit-eating, helplessly happy grin and wasn’t ashamed of how much he wanted more of you.

He didn’t know why he ever thought fate could decide anything for him. (or at least, not unless it did that without telling him)

~ bonus ~

“Doyoung, will you ever show me your tattoo?”

Eyes wider than a deer in the headlights, anyone could tell he wanted to say no. You’d only been dating for two weeks, this would put a permanent damper on anything henceforth if it wasn’t what you thought it was going to be.

He shifted underneath you, adjusting his trademark turtleneck as you played with the tips of his hair. He was searching for doubt in your eyes, anything to mirror the fear that was building within him, but he was only met with eyes of deep pleasure. “Are you sure?”

Nodding, you hid your smirk.

He tilted his head in uncertainty but followed nonetheless. You watched in amusement as he revealed his bare shoulders, vast and as wide as the sea. You allowed your eyes to feast, hands travelling at their own will, finding yourself too busy to even bother to look for the wretched mark.

You gaped at him, transfixed, with more than just butterflies erupting in your stomach.

“It’s on my neck,” he cleared up, confused as to why you’ve completely abandoned the overall objective.

You hummed, lifted yourself from his torso and patted his chest as to say, ‘give me a minute, I’ll be right back’. Looking him dead in the eye, you grinned, “I know.”

“You do?” Doyoung jumped in shock, managing to lift your body with his, landing you in his lap.

Your grin spreading wider, expanding as fast as the shock registered on his features. You allowed your arms to dangle around his neck, whispering in his ear with more breath than needed. “I saw it back at the Hospital Wing.”

He pulled you back, meeting your stare with his expectant one. Bunny furrowed eyebrows and all. “And I’m happy to say…that you’re dating your soulmate, baby.”

You peeled off the bandage on your arm, Doyoung already analyzing that you getting scratched by a werewolf was a complete lie, revealing the familiar outline Doyoung had come to know.

“Wait, why’d you make me wait two weeks?” The tone of betrayal laced into his sentence.

“That’s for not kissing me back then,” you retorted, planting one gently on his lips with dedicated grace. “I’m nice but I’m not a saint.”

“Fair enough,” he let it go, too entranced in the identical mark that scarred your arm. Shooting you the toothiest smile, he looked at you with one objective. “Now c’mere, I’ve got to give the soulmate I chose a kiss.”