The best part about night time in late May was the feeling of the cool, damp breeze blowing through the darkness. The midnight blue sky sparkled with stars, not a single cloud blocking the view. Mark loved sitting outside at night whenever he visited Taiwan. Everyone in the village locked themselves inside so early that it felt like he had the entire world to himself, if only for a little while.

When Jackson had disappeared to wash up earlier, Mark took the opportunity to slip outside, away from the rest of his family. There weren’t any chairs or steps outside, so he just sat on the ground, leaning back against the house for support. He sat there for what felt like just a few moments, savoring the silence before he heard the door open. Mark just kept his eyes fixed on the twinkling sky above him.

“Here.” A sweatshirt dangled in front of him. “You look cold.” Mark glanced up to see Jackson, his blonde hair a damp, disheveled mess from just getting out of the shower.

“I’m fine,” Mark said. “It actually feels nice.”

The sweatshirt dropped into his lap. “That’s not what the bumps on your arms say,” Jackson muttered as he slid down the wall next to him. Mark groaned, giving in and slipping the sweatshirt over his head. If he was being honest, he had felt a little chilly, but not enough to do anything about it. The fleecy inside of the sweatshirt was warm and smelled like tea and just-washed laundry. It made Mark wonder if it was just chance that Jackson’s clothes smelled like two of his favorite scents, or if his favorites had been picked for him by some indescribable fate.

“I can’t believe how bright the stars are,” Jackson muttered. Mark glanced over at him again, inspecting his face as he stared at the sky. “My mom used to always tell me the sky actually put on pajamas when it was time to go to bed. She’d say the brighter the stars on the pajamas were, the better I’d sleep.” He paused for a minute, making Mark turn to look back up again. “I’ve never seen them this bright before.”

Mark smiled, appreciating how Jackson could tell him such a personal story so easily, and how simply he’d managed to connect it to that moment. It felt special. Jackson’s hand slid onto Mark’s lower thigh, palm up, a wordless invitation for Mark to hold it. It was an easy invitation to accept. He didn’t even have to think before lacing their fingers together. Something about Jackson’s hand holding his made Mark feel more comfortable than ever before. Everything felt right.

“About the other day,” Jackson muttered. “Your friend told me what happened and everything. I was hoping he’d tell you what I said, but-”

“He did tell me,” Mark interrupted.

Jackson’s eyes grew wide. His hand closed a little tighter around Mark’s as he glanced over, confused. “I was gonna message you, but then my mom told me about my aunt and I just forgot about everything. When I saw you today, I remembered that I hadn’t sent you anything. I didn’t say anything to you for almost three days and you still came to see me.”

Mark’s breaths felt heavy and uneven, like he was about to cry even though his eyes were dry. “That’s the most you’ve ever said to me,” Jackson said. His thumb rubbed gentle circles on the back of the older’s hand. “I like hearing your voice.”

A blush rose to Mark’s cheeks. He hadn’t even noticed that he’d said that much. Before he could look away out of embarrassment, though, Jackson caught his chin. “I like you, Mark. That’s what I came here to say. I needed you to know.”

For a minute, Mark couldn’t say anything. He’d barely heard what Jackson said over his racing heart. Never in a million years had he ever imagined he would be sitting outside his aunt’s house under a sky full of stars with the most handsome human he’d ever seen holding his face.

One creeping thought inched to the front of his mind as the shock of the situation wore off. “You can’t say you like me,” he muttered. “We don’t even know each other.”

Jackson’s hand moved away from Mark’s face, but he leaned closer so their faces were only inches apart. They were so close that Jackson’s breath ghosted over Mark’s face. If one of them moved just an inch more, Mark would know exactly how it felt to kiss him.

“I want to know you, Mark Tuan,” Jackson said. “I want to know absolutely everything about you.”

That was enough. No, that was more than enough. Mark leaned forward until his lips pressed against Jackson’s. The kiss was quick and shy, only lasting a few too-brief seconds before he pulled back. Part of him didn’t want to open his eyes, terrified that he’d misread something. Terrified that Jackson would be staring back at him, shocked and disgusted. It was an irrational fear, especially after what Jackson had just said to him, but it was there nonetheless. After all, just because they’d been thrown together didn’t mean they had to have feelings for each other. But all his worry disappeared just as quickly as it appeared when he felt Jackson lean toward him, pressing their lips together again.

There was an intensity that Jackson was trying to bury the second time around. Mark could feel it. Their kiss was reserved, both of them backing off as soon as anything started getting too intense. But Jackson’s lips tasted so good, like sea mist mixed with honey. Mark wanted to taste more.

Wriggling his hand free from Jackson’s, he grabbed either side of the idol’s shirt, pulling him closer. Jackson needed no convincing, immediately adjusting so he was half-straddling Mark. One of his hands planted itself on the ground next to Mark’s hip while the other rested on the wall next to his shoulder, giving Jackson just enough support to stay upright as he kissed the other back into the wall.

Somewhere along the line, Mark’s eyes had closed. He wasn’t sure when, but he didn’t really care, too involved in the sensation of Jackson’s lips on his. His tongue slipped from between his lips, Jackson’s anxiously. He wanted to explore as much of Jackson’s mouth as he could. The unrestrained neediness only encouraged the younger more. He opened his mouth, allowing Mark full access, all the while inching a little closer. Mark was still clutching onto Jackson’s shirt, more to steady himself than anything else.

Jackson began to move his lips to other parts of Mark’s face after a few minutes of high-intensity making out. Both of them were panting, lips abused and buzzing with endorphins. When the younger’s lips grazed the back of his jaw, Mark gasped, feeling the pressure in his groin grow to an uncomfortable level. “Jackson,” he moaned, voice still breathless. Instead of stopping, Jackson responded by latching onto the spot and biting down. That would for sure leave a mark.

“Jack- Jackson,” Mark breathed again. “Jackson, wait.” The boy gave the spot a quick kiss before leaning back. Mark felt a twinge of regret as he loosened his grip on Jackson’s shirt. The last thing he wanted to do was stop. But, as things got heated, reality decided to strike. Hard.

The way Jackson’s eyebrows furrowed when he saw Mark’s sad, regretful expression made Mark feel even worse for what he was about to say. “We uhmm,” he said, still slightly out of breath. “We can’t do this. It won’t work.”

“I don’t understand.” Jackson’s eyes stayed fixed on Mark’s face, burning for answers. “You seemed okay a few seconds ago.”

Mark huffed, frustrated that the other wasn’t understanding. Not that he’d said anything that would make Jackson understand in the first place, but that was beside the point. “It works now,” he said. “, of course it works now. But what about when we’re across the world? We might not ever see each other again.”

“You thought we wouldn’t see each other again last time,” Jackson countered, “yet here we are.”

“This won’t happen all the time. I mean, I want this, but-”

“We can make it work.” Jackson scooped up both of Mark’s hands in his. “If we both want it, we can make it happen.”

“How?” That was the question that plagued Mark since that first night they’d gone out. He was too old to believe that wanting something hard enough made it happen. That was a story adults told kids so they wouldn’t give up on their dreams. “Your whole life is in Korea. You can’t just leave. And I’ve got school and a job and a life.”

“I’m not saying we move or anything. We’ll still have to use chat and Skype and stuff a lot. But when I get a break, I can come see you. Or if you have a long weekend or something, I can fly you to wherever I am.” Jackson squeezed Mark’s hands. “I want this. I want you.”

Mark could’ve sworn that Jackson’s lips got just a little more red as he spoke. That his cheeks got just a little less pale. He looked breathtaking in color. It was hard to think rationally with Jackson watching him like he was the only thing in the world.

“I just…” Mark didn’t know if he really wanted to admit everything he was thinking. Honesty was usually the best thing, not to mention it was what Jackson deserved. But the truth was also terrifying and had a tendency to change things, sometimes not for the better. He took a deep breath, letting his eyes flutter shut for a second. “I’m afraid. I don’t want to get into this then have it all fall apart. I’m already in too deep as it is. I might not be able to make it through a breakup further on down the line.”

A smirk snuck onto Jackson’s face before he leaned forward and pecked Mark’s cheek. “I can’t promise anything about the future,” he said, “but we were put together for a reason. You can’t deny that. Besides,I can promise that I’m in deeper than you.” He grinned, as if being hopelessly into a potentially heartbreaking romance was something he was proud to be ahead at, and rested his forehead against Mark’s. “Can we at least try? If you say no, I may have to tell my manager I’m not coming back. I don’t give up easily.”

Mark wasn’t sure if he was kidding or serious, but he guessed it was probably a mixture of both. It made him smile, knowing that Jackson was so willing to do whatever it took. No one had ever been that dedicated to winning him over before, let alone someone he’d only ever seen a handful of times.

Instead of answering Jackson’s question, Mark just tipped his lips forward, meeting Jackson’s in a calm, relaxed kiss. “I guess that answers my question, then,” he muttered against Mark’s lips. Mark just giggled lightly, sitting back against the wall. Jackson followed suit, leaning back on his heels. “I like your laugh,” he said. “It makes the world a little brighter.”

“I…” Mark wanted so desperately to say something, anything, in response, but he couldn’t think of anything. He sat there, bottom lip between his teeth, trying to think of a reply. Why couldn’t he think of anything?

“Hey.” The soothing sound of Jackson’s voice drew Mark back into reality. His fingers started rubbing light circles on the tops of Mark’s hands again. “I leave tomorrow morning, but I want to spend every second I can with you. I want to ask you a million questions. If you’ll let me, that is.”

“What about the stars? Didn’t they say it was going to be a good night to sleep?” Mark joked, squeezing Jackson’s hands gently.

He just shrugged. “I can sleep on the plane. Spending all the time I can with you is more important.”

“Well then,” Mark said, “that sounds perfect.”

Yas! The Markson kiss is finally here! I knew they couldn't hold out too long, especially after being separated by the entire world, basically. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, am I right?

Anyway, this chapter took so long to get out mainly because I didn't have time to even really think about writing until like three or four days ago, then I got sick one day and just slept. So it took longer than I intended to get the chapter out, but hey! It's here now.

I'll probably look to be writing a ty oneshot next, just for some practice in writing again (it's been so long since I last took a stab at it), then maybe another chapter for Destined to Be? I don't know. We'll see. I'm definitely doing the oneshot, though, so stay tuned for that.

What'd you all think of the chapter? Do you agree with how Mark handled everything? What about Jackson?