Previously...

 

Jackson nodded, he just wanted to know why and how he knew."

"Jackson...oh god...um... I'm not from here-"

"I thought we cleared that up when we first met-"

"Jackson," he said annoyed at the boy for interrupting him right after he said he wouldn't talk.

"Okay okay continue."

"Like I was saying, I am not from here. I not from any place around here. I can from Laobvced."

"Where is that?"

"Not here on Earth."

 

-

"...," He looked at Jackson and then started talking again, "It's between Heaven and Earth. I work for cupid that why the place is spelt the way it is. I was brought here because you kind of wished for me. I had the paper because I had to keep remembering why I was here because I kept getting distracted. Instead of me teaching you what love is, you started to teach me how to love. I had to keep the paper to check off, but I did everything that shows you love."

 

"What do you mean?" Jackson said moving an inch closer to him.

 

Mark pulled out a book from his back pocket and turned it around so that Jackson could see it.

 

The Manual:

 

Book 3:

 

To Be Loved

 

 

 

He took the book and opened the pages,

 

" To love or to make someone find love, do the go by the following chapters in this order:

 

1.       Softly, with mood, warmly, tightly hug her. Use it once a day, every day

 

2.       When your soft eyes meet hers, smile so she can smile

 

3.       Say 'Hey what's up beauty', talk to her

 

4.       Get up first in the morning, turning on jazz. Gentle kiss, I'll look at you

 

5.       When you're too tired, take two bottles of soju and honestly knock on her door

 

6.       Sometimes, leave together without a plan, let her breathe under a different sky, a different wind; sometimes, kiss her without a plan

 

7.       When it's time to sleep, with a low voice, quietly, make her tear as you say 'Thank you so much', once a day, every day

 

8.       Get up first in the morning and clean up mess from last night, wake you up when you're walking her home, slow footsteps with a low voice, confess to her 

 

'I'm rational in front of other girls, but strangely, in front of you, my emotions come out first you're too good for me to use; just looking at you drives me crazy. I want to use you forever'.

 

9.       This beautiful girl, don't lose her

 

                  Use for both genders if possible, it works for both."

 

Mark cut in, "Each chapter teaches you what to do for each number. I have read and done each one."

 

Jackson was trying to wrap his mind around it but, he couldn't. He didn't believe but, he just had to because what else could explain what this was.

 

"Show me."

 

Mark shook his head, "I can't do that. You weren't even supposed to find out yet."

 

"When were you going to tell me this? When Mark? When you were ready to leave me? Huh!?"

 

"I was going to tell you next week but, you beat me to it."

 

"Show me, now?"

 

"I can't."

 

Jackson got up with anger living in his eyes, he very seldom got angry, but this was it.

 

"Why the not? I need-no I ing deserve to know why I fell in love and why was he so ing willing to leave me next week? I need to know."

 

Mark got up to walk over to Jackson but, Jackson put his hand up to stop him, he didn't want him near him at that moment.

 

"Show me, Mark right now or I swear to go-"

 

"Grab my hand."

 

"-That I will ing kick the out of- You'll tell me?"

 

"Yes because- I'll tell you when I get there."

 

Jackson looked at him and then to his hands, he looked back at him to smirk on his face. He didn't know if he wanted to hit him or kiss him.

 

He walked over to him and grabbed him hand.

 

He couldn't even blink before he only saw blue skies, he wasn't scared though. He felt secure holding onto Mark's hand even though he had no clue where he was going. He should be mad but, deep down inside he isn't, he loves Mark too much to be; he's just hurt.

 

He looked up at Mark to see him closing his eyes. Mark was thinking of home but, he couldn't get the right home in mind; Laobvced, that was his home. He kept thinking of Jackson house; that what his mind thought home was and that scared him.

 

"Mark."

 

 

 

 

 "We're here."

 

Jackson looked around and saw the place; it looked around and saw that this place looked just like earth just brighter.

 

"This is...home."

 

"You don't sound happy about it."

 

"I am but, I don't fill like this is home anymore. You know?"

 

"No, explain to me." Jackson said still staring at Mark. He thought that he would be happy being home but, it felt like the complete opposite. He knew he came to know something else but he wanted to know more about Mark.

 

"I see home but, I don't feel home. I feel out of place, like I was in my mother's house long ago."

 

"You have a mother?"

 

He gave him a weird look," Yeah? Don't you have a mother that I've meet before?"

 

"Yeah but, you said cupid-"

 

Mark covered Jackson's mouth and looked at him shaking his head with a slight smirk planted dead on his face.

 

"Jackson. Sit down in the chair."

 

"What ch-" he said till he looked at the chair that appeared right behind him. In a shocked face towards Mark, he sat down slowly touching the seat with a creeped out face plastered on. Mark laughed at the boy in front of him.

 

"Jackson..."

 

"This ing chair just appeared out of...oh shi-"

 

"Jackson..."

 

"I can't be up right ing now-"

 

"Jackson..."

 

"-Cause this shi-"

 

"JACKSON!"

 

"WHAT?!"

 

"Can I talk now?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Yeah."

 

Mark sat down in the chair that appeared from nowhere up under him. Jackson was amazed at this and kept staring till Mark snapped his fingers at the boy.

 

"Cupid saves people from things they go through and shows them the better things in life."

 

"And... that means..."

 

"I was 19 when I was taken from California and brought to Laobvced. My boyfriend at the time was abusive towards me and would beat me and I told no one because love is stronger than pain. He would push me around and I was smaller, which I still am till this day, so I never fought back because I wouldn't have won. He had too many drinks one night and I wasn't 'home' on time so he was beating me and that day I got tired so I fought back and it lead to him bringing out his pocket knife and try to cut me with it so I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. He couldn't get in and I prayed for the first time in my life to make this stop. I heard nothing afterwards. No screams and no beating on the door. I opened my eyes and saw white; just white walls and I didn't feel like I was taken away from where I was. I felt relief wash onto me," His eyes were red rimmed but even when Jackson tried to protest he rose his hand to continue.

 

"I saw Cupid that day and that same day, I never saw the man I loved again, I had to learn what love was but I couldn't, I couldn't stop thinking that what did to me was right and my way was wrong since I was in love. So cupid got tired of sending me to people and failing to save them, I didn't try to fail him but, I was scared just like they were." He smile with tears falling, "I met a boy named Eric, he was only 16 and I thought it was my fault for the longest on how things ended with him. He was only 16 and he had been through the same thing as I and I thought that if I stayed with him and help him through it like I had learned than he would be okay; I was wrong. He killed himself and I blamed myself but, it wasn't my fault. I promised myself to not get attached but, that's hard when you're so easy to fall in love with someone. Cupid found you and told me that this was the last one that I can do to prove to him that I can help someone who needs me and realize that things happen for a reason. And you what, I learned that through you."

 

Jackson hugged him and kissed him, "I-I don't know what to say."

 

"Forgive me?"

 

He laughed at the teary eyed boy, "I forgive you."

 

-

 

"YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT BEING UP THERE WAS A DAMN WEEK!? WE WERE ONLY THERE FOR A FREAKIN' HOUR MARK!!"

 

Jackson paced in his living room looking at all the messages from Jb that were in his phone when he got back. He was beyond pissed at Mark and the situation at hands.

 

"Jackson, it's not a big deal."

 

"'It's not a big deal, Jackson.' 'Calm down Jackson.' You know what, shut the up Mark!"

 

"I know you mad. Why don't we go to Jb's house and talk to him?"

 

"....okay..." Jackson said to him while staring at Mark's calm voice.

 

Jackson left out first walking in a faster pace than Mark, still upset with him. He had found out once he got back that he was gone for a week, time is different up there and goes slower than you would expect it to be. He had people calling him and he didn't get it till he got back home because there's no Wi-Fi there surprisingly.  He didn't want to talk to Mark at the moment just because people probably thought he was missing.

 

While being mad, he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings making him bump right into someone.

 

"I sorry-"

 

"You're fine-"

 

Jackson looked up to see the person he had bumped and automatically pulled back in shock and horror making the person he bumped look up at him in confusion till he really saw Jackson's face.

 

"Jackson..."

 

"...Y-youngjae?"

 

Youngjae smiled at Jackson, "Wow, Jackson um, it's nice to see you again."

 

"...."

 

"Um... how are you?" He said looking and feeling awkward because of Jackson's lack of communication. 

 

"I-I'm fine..."

 

"How's Jb... if you don't want to tell me, you don't have too."

 

"He's fine Youngjae. Good without you if that's what you want to know."

 

"I just asked a quest-"

 

"And I answered it."

 

Mark walked up to him finally get to where Jackson was since Jackson left him to lock the door (he tried five different keys till he got the right one), it took him some time to get to him. He gave a confused expression towards the man talking to Jackson; something didn't feel right.

 

 

 

 

 "Jackson. Who's this," wrapping his arms around his boyfriends waist.

 

"This is nobody."

 

"I just asked you a simple question, Jackson!" Youngjae said getting mad at Jackson's reaction.

 

"And I answered Youngjae!" He said in the same tone as Youngjae.

 

Mark looked back in forth between them and then sighed, "What is wrong?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"This is JB's ex, Youngjae."

 

Mark looked at him, he had heard a little about the situation but not the whole thing.

 

"Yes I am and you know, I need to talk to him-"

 

"No the you don't!"

 

Youngjae stared at him with a glare and then his face slowly changed into a smirk. 

 

"Let's go inside this coffee shop and talk about this, we don't want to bring too much attention to this and have everyone in town knowing what happened, do we?" He said looking at the people staring at them with curious eyes.

 

Jackson stared towards the door after having a stare down with Youngjae, which he won against. He felt the other two following him into the shop and sit down in the booth. 

 

"Jackson-"

 

"Youngjae."

 

Mark rolled his eyes and stared at the both of them. "Come on and tell me what happened."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Youngjae and I use to be friends, I had known him since I was a toddler and he was a baby, he was the person I watched over but, I slowly fell for as well as we both got older. I had met JB when I he moved in across the street, I had just started middle school. He was mean and quiet, but I kept talking to him because Youngjae didn't go to my school. When we our junior year, JB started to leave me behind, not talking to me for long periods of time, Youngjae did sometimes but, it was natural for him too, we had decided after I confessed that I like him a year before that we would still be friends but, it wasn't exactly the same. I didn't find out that they were dating till after the summer had started. I was hurt but, I understood somewhat, I wanted JB to be happy. I thought that once I found out things would go back to the way it was before they got together, I didn't get that. I think I made it worse because I didn't see JB till we went to class, we didn't even talk anymore nor hang out. Youngjae had changed to but I could see what happened. JB started to act like he did when we first met, an , I say. I confronted him about him not talking to me and that was the first time that he ever got so mad that he put hands on me," Jackson stared Youngjae down with a glare stuck on his face, "He ing punched me and told me that he didn't need me. So I left him alone but, not once did I disown him as my friend, he would always be my friend. Our senior year came around and I started to hang around different people as I saw JB and Youngjae hang around each other more openly, it made me mad but, what could do about it? I didn't talk to JB till the night before our graduation when he called me high and drunk telling me come get him."

 

"He was not-"

 

"You shut the up!"

 

Mark pushed Jackson back into his seat after he felt him stand up ready to attack Youngjae, he didn't want that to happen.

 

"Jackson, stay calm and finish."

 

 

 

 

 Jackson stay in his seat and looked at his hands, "Like I was saying, I had to pull the direction out of him with a tooth and nail because he was just that gone. He was gone and I had to get him, even though I had not talk to JB in a year in a half, I would never leave him," He took a pause, shaking, releasing tears that neither boy could see, "When I got there, he was inside of a house that looked abandoned and trashed. I saw him lying next to a man that I didn't know at all that looked older than us, the man ws holding him and the tears that were falling from JB's eyes told it all that I felt like this was all my fault. Then this son of finally made his appearance with some pills and . I took Jb out of there but, this wanted to fight me for him. He was drugging him up and god knows why there were men all around Jb-"

 

"No the I wasn't-"

 

"I know what the happened you ing assh-"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark grabbed a teary eyed Jackson from the table a pulled him towards the door, everyone's attention was on Jackson.

 

"HE ING TRUSTED YOU! YOU DRUGGED HIM AND LEFT HIM THERE AND FOR THAT YOU CAN BURN IN HELL!"

 

Mark yanked him out the door and turned to see Jackson break down in front of him. He grabbed ahold of the boy and held him close to him tightly while tried to calm him down by whispering good thoughts into his ears. 

 

"Mark! Jackson! There you both are, I was looking for you both."

 

Mark lifted his head to see JB and Jr walking towards them. JB's face changed from a smile to concern once his eyes saw crying Jackson in Mark's chest.

 

"What's wrong, Mark?"

 

"Jb, I-"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"What the happened?" Jb said even when Jr tried to calm him down, it didn't work.

 

Before Mark could tell him, Youngjae walked out of the coffee shop about to yell towards Jackson when he spotted JB first.

 

"Jae Bum..."

 

JB stood there and looked at the boy for a minute and took Jr's hand to turn around and walk back to where they had come from.

 

-

 

"Mark..."

 

"Yes Jackson?"

 

"Are still going to leave?"

 

Mark looked down at the boy that was laying on his chest as they laid on the couch in Jackson's living room. It had been a whole three days since the incident at the coffee shop had happened and to say that he was drained was an understatement. Jackson hadn't gotten in contact with JB but Jr said that he was fine and that he was just shocked to have old memories come back. 

 

"I don't know but I have to go back tomorrow."

 

"But I don't want you to leave."

 

"I know but, I can't- I cannot promise that I will be back but, I will always be here you just won't see me."

 

A tear slid down his cheek onto Mark's shirt, "But I-I Iov-"

 

"Jackson don't."

 

"Why not?!"

 

"It'll make it harder, Jackson."

 

"But-"

 

"Let's just sit here and enjoy the time we have together."

 

Jackson cried into Mark's shirt trying to enjoy the time but, he couldn't because what if he doesn't see Mark anymore after leaves tomorrow. He would hurt worse than anyone thing else.

 

-

 

6 months later

 

 

 

 

 

"HakYeon, we don't have to put the stuff up yet, I am tired."

 

"I have said since day one call me N because I hate that name but, you keep doing it and you're the one that decided to move in your stuff in today."

 

"Well HakYeon, I wanted to be done so I can be in this house by the end of the week. Sue me for wanting to settle in."

 

"Whatever Jackson, I have other things to do."

 

"No, no you don't. That thing can wait. Help me unpack."

 

N sighed and walked over to the box that had clothes in it and started to put the clothes in the closet. He brought out a jacket that said Mark on the back and another that said Jackson. He gave a confused look at it and walked them both to Jackson who was downstairs on the couch laid out tired.

 

"What is this?"

 

Jackson groaned and his stomach to see the Jackson that he and Mark had bought together the last day that he was there with him. He sighed and got up to grab both of them from N's hand and held them close.

 

"This the last thing I bought with my boyfriend before he left."

 

"Oh, Mark right?"

 

"Yes. I changed a lot since he's been gone."

 

"I see."

 

Jackson hadn't gotten taller even though he wish he did, he dyed his hair blonde and worked out more. He was trying to get through the days without Mark but, it had gotten harder to do. 

 

"When is he coming back? Do you know?"

 

"Don't. I really don't."

 

N stayed for another hour till his mystery lover called him making him leave Jackson at his new home by himself. Jackson got a drink and sat in the chair near the kitchen. He was thinking about the six months and how Jb and Jr moved away and he had too into a different area. They needed a new surrounding after all that happened. Youngjae tried to come to JB's house but, Jr was more aggressive than they had thought and made sure that he never back around him again. Jackson met N right before he left and N moved with him which was strange since he had only knew him for a month in a half. But the boy was just friendly like that, nice but, he didn't have friends since they all made fun of him so leaving didn't matter to him.

 

He put the empty cup into the sink and walked into his room. He turned the light off and turned the lamp on near the bed. When he looked onto the bed, he saw a book and a sheet of paper on top. He picked it up and looked at what it said, he didn't know where it came from.

 

Jackson's Wish

 

To Be Loved

 

To find out what love feels like

 

Completed

 

He gave a confused look at the paper and then looked down at the book.

 

 

 

The Manual

 

 

 

"Jackson..."

 

He turned around and saw the curly haired boy; his curly haired boy that he fell in love with staring at him as he leaned on the door.

 

"...Mark..."

 

 

 

 

A/N-

 

Rated R chapter is next since I can  not leave on a cliffhanger.