Witchcraft on His Lips

t w e n t y - t h r e e

mark was nervous to say the least. his friends had been angry at him for some time now and he was about to tell them he was a witch with magic in his blood. on top of that he was a very powerful variety of witch that was wanted for that very magic. it sounded way too surreal. he had arrived to the coven house at noon and went straight up to donghyuck's room. he was sitting up with a book in his hands and sunlight floating in onto his skin from the open window. he looked up when mark cracked open the door and his lips twitched a little.

"hey," mark greeted quietly, "how are you?" he went over to sit next to donghyuck like he had the previous day. donghyuck's book was left abandoned on his lap and he sighed,

"i'm okay, my eyes still hurt and so do my arms."

"then why are you trying to read?" mark laughed.

"i'm hoping i can strengthen them back up."

"and how's that going?"

"not very well. just makes my head hurt," donghyuck confessed, "why're you here again?"

"to check on you of course," mark said smiling. he took donghyuck's hand that wasn't keeping his place in the book and kissed the back of it, "i also have to tell jeno and chenle about this whole... thing."

donghyuck paled, "you're going to tell them?!" he hissed.

"kun said i could, and he's making them sign a contract before i say anything."

donghyuck relaxed now, "oh thank god. just be careful with who you decide to tell this to. ideally it's no one but i know these two might disappear if you don't. i guess that's my fault..."

"it's okay hyuck," mark assured him, "i'm gonna make it right." donghyuck grinned weakly. the door opened and taeyong's head popped in,

"glad to see you two making up, but your friends are here mark." he said. mark nodded, getting nervous again. he left donghyuck without another word and followed taeyong downstairs. mark walked out to the storefront that was empty save for his friends who stood awkwardly by the front door. chenle looked like he thought something was going to jump out at him while jeno looked like he wanted to set everything inside on fire. mark approached them cautiously.

"what are we doing in here?" jeno spat as soon as mark came into view. he looked around with disdain and part of mark thought that was a jab at him specifically (for associating with the witches) which he was rightfully offended by.

"i told you i was telling you everything, so let's go." mark gestured for them to follow him. they went to the psychic room where donghyuck told him everything just a short two months ago, kun requested this just in case one of them decided not to signs the contract and he would be asked to leave. if they had been in the living room of the coven house he would've already been subject to their world. kun also offered to be there with him and help him tell them but mark refused, saying he needed to do this by himself for it to mean anything to jeno and chenle. he sat in donghyuck's spot and they followed his example, sitting in the two seats placed on the other side of the table where donghyuck's 'crystal ball' usually sat. there were two papers on the table, the contracts, along with charmed pens and a single double ended needle.

"what's this?" jeno asked.

"to tell you anything, you have to sign a contract."

"are you fucking kidding me?! are you in a cult mark?!"

"just listen," mark sighed exasperatedly, "you can't tell anyone, and i mean that. i wasn't allowed to tell you anything which got us here in the first place, along with a few other unfortunate events, but there's been an exception made so if you want to know what's been going on you have to trust me and sign these."

"where?" chenle asked, picking up the pen immediately. jeno still looked sceptical.

"you have to give the paper your blood first," he said quietly, "it just needs a drop and then you can sign. after a few months as long as you've kept quiet we'll rip them up. until then if you start to tell someone... well i really can't tell you what'll happen just trust me it's not good." by now the pair definitely suspected he was in some kind of devil worshiping cult but chenle just put out his hand and looked away. he'd always hated needles,

"just do it fast." he begged. jeno watched, arms crossed, with a look of utter disbelief at the fact that chenle was giving into this. mark ignored him and picked up the needle. he held chenle's hand in his other one and thought of a way to transfer pain, so he at least wouldn't have that to think about. pulling the sensation of the prick towards himself, mark did the best he could and found it worked at least a little when he felt a pinch in his index finger. chenle opened his eyes, scrunching his eyebrows a little, and watched a drop of blood fall onto the clean paper below.

"do you understand that what i tell you can never be said to anyone outside of the circle of people it involves?" mark asked. chenle nodded, "go ahead and sign anywhere." mark took out a bandaid from his back pocket and handed it over when he was done signing, "jeno?" he asked, turning now to the latter.

"it doesn't hurt," chenle said, obviously amazed at that. jeno didn't budge and chenle got upset, "just do it jeno! you're the one who's been an asshole to mark because of all the secrets! he's clearly got a good reason for it and he's trying to explain himself now, stop being a dick and let him." jeno rolled his eyes and stuck out his hand. for a moment mark considered letting jeno get hurt because of how mean he'd been for the past few days but knew that wouldn't make kun or his parents proud. jeno was quick in signing and wrapping his finger and then mark was left with the daunting task of blurting it out.

"alright, let's hear it." jeno said. mark nodded,

"well... turns out, i'm a witch." there was a beat of silence before jeno burst out in faux laughter,

"a witch?! that's rich! oh really, you are just so funny mark! you know what, you can go fuck yourself honestly." jeno started standing but mark was faster. he pulled on jeno's waist and forced him back into his seat without ever leaving his own.

"i'm telling you the truth," he stated evenly. he released jeno's body and looked between them. then, he lifted his palm and let flames dance across his skin. in the other palm, he let water pool and eventually got enough of it to lift it into the air just enough. he'd been practicing multitasking. chenle's jaw dropped straight to the floor and jeno's eyes were narrowed in an odd expression of confusion and fading anger, "i have magic in my blood." he said, getting rid of the little tricks.

"what the fuck?" chenle whispered.

"that's what i thought too." mark laughed.

"that's not possible." jeno said. mark stared him down across the table,

"what do i need to do to make you believe me?" he asked. before jeno even could answer mark disappeared, a simple cloaking spell really, but neither of them knew that. they started looking around for him in confusion and mark smiled to himself as he snuck up behind jeno. he created a small thunder cloud over jeno's head and pushed it to crack and rumble, scaring him into jumping inches off his chair. then as the rain began to fall mark uncloaked himself and caught it all before a drop touched jeno's hair. he played with it a little before changing the element into fire and letting it die in the air.

"okay, fine." jeno gave in. but now of course that wasn't enough so mark sat and launched into the whole story. how he found out about them, the effects magic had on your body, joining the coven, training and classes, and finally the sona drama. by the time he was done explaining everything two hours had passed. now wide eyed with wonder, mark started to show them around the coven house. every second that passed he felt his spirits lift steadily back to where they belonged.