"two hours and a half?!" mark repeated once again, his eyes widened.

"no, wait!" donghyuck took sungchan's watch and looked at the time again, making sure to calculate slowly.

he had transformed at 4:10pm.

it was now 6:43pm.

which meant... he had been in his human form for 2 hours and 33 minutes!

"t-this is impossible..." donghyuck's eyes widened.

"are you sure of your calculi?" mark asked worriedly.

"i am! i've calculated four times now!" donghyuck replied with trembling hands.

"why aren't you transforming back then?" mark's brows furrowed.

"do i look like i have an idea?" donghyuck tsked. "i don't know what's happening..."

mark bit his bottom lip while thinking for a plausible explanation.

but let's be real, he couldn't even explain the fact donghyuck was his sister's doll who could transform into a human.

so, how could he find any explanation to something that was unexplainable?

"donghyuck?" mark spoke again, looking at the male and panicking when he realised tears were threatening to leave his eyes. "hey, hyuckie, don't cry..."

"i-i can't help it..." donghyuck mumbled as hot tears cascaded down his cheeks.

mark was quick to pull the beautiful boy in a hug again, hiding his face in his chest while one of his arms wrapped protectively around his waist, leaving the other hand to caress his now faded pink hair.

"calm down, hyuckie... we'll tell sungchan that you need to leave, okay? then i'll accompany you outside, and you'll transform again. is that okay?" mark asked, never stopping to hold the sad doll in his arms.

"mmh... okay..." donghyuck nodded, slowly pulling out from the hug.

"good." mark smiled, using his thumbs to wipe the tears off donghyuck's face.

mark gulped hard looking at donghyuck's angelic face.

the pinkette was gorgeous, his doe eyes looking at mark with so much adoration, his lips pouted and his cheeks and nose still red because of him crying.

mark really wanted to cup those plump cheeks and bring their faces closer to kiss him. he badly wanted that.

but he needed to control himself and his teenager heart.

donghyuck may not want any of this.

donghyuck may not like him like he does.

donghyuck may not even be able to like people since he was a doll.

but mark felt it hard to resist...

how could someone in their sane mind not want to kiss that pout away? to cup those chubby cheeks? to bop that button nose? to stare forever into those doe eyes?

right, it was impossible...

but for the sake of donghyuck's well-being, mark had to try making it possible, which is why he simply leant forwards to peck donghyuck's forehead lovingly.

this simple but sweet gesture made fireworks explode in both of their stomachs, completely unaware of the effect this had on the other.

they were both completely oblivious about how everything they did had an influence on the other.

they were both unaware of the mutual blossoming love bond that started uniting them.

but they were both aware of what they wanted, and they knew that not going further was okay for them for the moment.

"i'm back." sungchan declared, opening the bedroom's door as mark and donghyuck pulled out from each other.

"it's kind of late and donghyuck needs to go back home..." mark declared, placing one of his hands on donghyuck's shoulder.

"oh, right, i hadn't seen the time!" sungchan nodded slowly. "well, see you around then. it was nice meeting you, and i really had a lot of fun playing with you."

"thanks a lot." donghyuck smiled shyly. "goodbye."

"i'll accompany you to the door." sungchan told with a warm smile as mark tsked silently.

if sungchan accompanied donghyuck to the door, this meant that donghyuck would have to walk outside of their house, as if he really lived somewhere else...

the easy plan of donghyuck transforming as soon as sungchan's bedroom door would be closed had miserably failed.

mark walked donghyuck to the front door, sungchan on their heels.

"whenn will you come again?" he asked donghyuck.

"huh..." donghyuck looked at mark. "i don't know..."

"well, know that you can come around anytime. and even if mark doesn't invite you, i'll be very happy to have you as my guest." sungchan continued happily.

"great, donghyuck needs to go now." mark stated, annoyance hearable in his voice.

"oh, yes, sure." sungchan giggled. "bye hyuck."

"goodbye sungchan." donghyuck waved at him with a smile, making mark roll his eyes again.

the canadian boy placed his hand on the handle, pulling the door open for donghyuck and him to walk outside. however, as soon as the door was opened, mark was met with the sight of his mother, his sister and jaesun with arms full of bags and the keys in hand to open the front door.

"god fucking dammit..." mark muttered under his breath.

"oh?" jane let out, looking between mark and donghyuck.

"hello mom, this is donghyuck, he's my friend and... he's about to leave." mark spoke out loud.

"well, hello donghyuck!" jane smiled. "are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner? we have lots of things to eat."

"he can't, sorry, he really needs to go back to his house." mark answered immediately.

"let him answer, mark. he has a mouth, you know?" jane hushed her son.

"huh..." donghyuck looked at mark nervously. "well... it's very kind of you but... i... i am needed at home, sorry..."

"oh, that's too bad..." mark's mother smiled sadly. "maybe you'll come again during the holiday, and this time you'll be able to have dinner with us?"

"sure..." donghyuck smiled awkwardly.

"great then, goodbye. and see you soon!" jane continued, walking past them inside the house as jaesun followed her.

mark let out a sigh of relief as he was about to walk outside, but he cursed under his breath again when he realised his little sister was still here, standing in front of them, and looking at donghyuck from head to toe.

"maria, he's leaving..." mark told annoyed.

"he's younger than you...?" maria asked, staring intensely at donghyuck.

"yeah, why do you even care?" mark rolled his eyes.

"you only have older friends." maria declared. "but this one is younger."

"he has a name, you know?" mark tsked. "it's donghyuck, and he really needs to go right now."

maria completely ingored her brother. "you're beautiful donghyuck, you look like my doll, haechan."

both mark and donghyuck tensed at those words, exchanging worried glances.

"maria, he needs to go." mark sternly said. "say goodbye and get inside."

"no, wait, i'll go find haechan." maria told before running inside the house.

"no, maria, no need!" mark yelled. "he's not interested, and i'm not either!"

"mark! be kind with your sister!" jane's voice made mark roll his eyes for the nth time.

mark crossed his arms over his chest.

"mark?" donghyuck tugged on mark's sleeve.

"yeah?"

"she won't find the doll..." donghyuck said, stating the obvious.

"she'll be back in a minute saying that she can't find it but that she'll show you the doll next time."mark replied.

"but- "

"i can't find the doll..." maria appeared in the living room, searching everywhere.

"maria, he needs to go, like, now." mark repeated.

"okay, then, i'll show him the doll next time. you'll come again donghyuck, right?" maria asked.

"sure." he nodded shyly.

"great, now goodbye everyone, donghyuck is leaving."

and with that said, mark slammed the front door, letting out a long sigh of relief once that was done.

"god, i though we would never make it..." he declared, passing a hand through his raven hair to comb them back.

next to him, donghyuck chuckled lightly. "your family is kind."

"yeah, i guess." mark shrugged. "but they're annoying."

"at least you have a family..."

mark's head suddenly turned towards donghyuck.

the boy seemed sad once again. he wasn't crying this time, but just frowning.

"hey, hyuckie." mark wrapped an arm around the doll's shoulders to pull him closer. "you can tell me things if you want, you know?"

"i'm not sure you want to hear about my problems, mark..." donghyuck shook his head.

"of course, i want to." mark said.

donghyuck sighed, looking at his feet. "i'm not ready to... i mean... yeah..."

"don't pressure yourself. tell me when you're ready, it's okay..." mark reassured him.

"you don't mind waiting?" donghyuck raised a brow cutely.

"you're worth waiting all my life, baby..."

mark's eyes widened as he realised that he had just let a pet name slip past his lips.

his eyes found donghyuck's quicky, and he expected the doll to be disgusted or scowling because of such carelessness.

but he wasn't. instead, donghyuck was smiling at mark with rosy cheeks.

"i'm sorry, it's slipped- "

"it's okay mark." donghyuck cut the older boy. "i like it..." he continued. "and i would love you to- "

and before he could finish his sentence, donghyuck's body shrank, and he was back into a doll again, after almost three hours of being human.

"wait!" mark took the doll in his hand. "you would love me to what? donghyuck?!" mark questioned, very curious to know what donghyuck wanted.

but it was useless now... donghyuck was back to being a lifeless doll.

mark sighed, opening the frontdoor again and entering his home.

"maria! i found haechan, he was just there!" he declared, smiling at his sister coming quickly towards him to snatch the beautiful doll mark had fallen for.