lousy truth (markhyuck)

lousy truth

Towering above him, in a whirlwind of columns and marble and stone, was the Great Hall. Intimidating, old, and according to his friends, the only place that could fix his problem. The hall was a place of wisdom and authority, or so they said. Also, it had a killer cafe. Best coffee in the city. And Mark had been sleeping badly since his situation began; stress was one hell of a stimulant.

With a deep breath, he began walking up the stairs. What couldn't have been more than fifty steps felt like hundreds. A never-ending path into the sky. Soon, he'd be among the clouds.

Eventually he completed the hike and found himself in front of a barren wall. Panting, he rested a hand on the stone. A door materialized in front of him and swung open all at once, sending him stumbling inside.

"Oh!" the person at the desk exclaimed, jumping at the sudden noise, "Hello!"

When he swivelled in his chair, Mark was almost thankful that he was cursed. Skin the color of sunlight peeked out from under an oversized, cream sweater, delicate collarbones and slim neck leading up to an angelic face. Honey hair swept into his eyes, which glew golden even in the dim light of the study. Beautiful. And staring right at him.

Like an idiot, Mark waved. The boy held back a laugh, lips twitching adorably.

"I'm Donghyuck, I'll be helping you today. What's your name?" he stood and placed his palms on the desk, leaning over it as if he was trying to press the answer out of Mark.

"Mark," he answered. So he could talk! Progress from the wave, at least.

Donghyuck bent over the desk and started rummaging around in his drawers. Mark took the opportunity to look around. A single barren bookshelf sat on the wall, surrounded by plush couches and throw pillows. Fire crackled and spit in the corner, a brick chimney leading nowhere. Fresh coffee and baked goods from the cafe were sprawled out on the table.

He straightened out a stack of papers on his desk. "What's brought you here, Mark?"

"I can only speak the truth," Mark said, hand rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Could be simple as truth serum. Have you ingested anything oddly bitter recently?"

"No, I've already taken several versions of antidotes and nothing has worked. It isn't that."

Hyuck hummed for a moment. His thinking face was unfairly cute. Pens seemed to disappear in the clutter of his desk; three had gone missing since Mark had arrived. Digging out a new one, he continued to hum under his breath. Strange. And did he mention unfairy cute?

"Do you mind if I check for signs of a curse?" Donghyuck walked around the desk until he was standing in front of Mark.

He was shorter up close. And prettier. Pearly white teeth flashed when he smiled, his eyes lighting up as he waited for Mark's answer. It seemed that he was excited to help Mark, to figure out what was happening to him.

Mark backed up a step and said, "Depends on how you're gonna do it."

"You'll need to, uh, remove your shirt," Hyuck smiled tentatively, "It's awkward, but the only way to look. Would you be comfortable with that?"

Rationally, he knew there was a logical reason. This was Donghyuck's job, and the Hall had sent him to the room specifically to get help, so he was obviously knowledgeable. Somehow, he didn't think that a professional would ask him to strip if it wasn't necessary.

Mark blurted, "No!"

Donghyuck had asked if he would be comfortable doing it, not if he would be willing. When he tried to point that out his mouth wouldn't form the words. Stumped, he tried to think of a clever way to word it.