“Jackson, I thought I told you to stop following me around,” Mark sighed as he felt the other boy’s presence behind him.

“I'm not following you,” the blonde insisted, “I just so happen to be going to the blog same place as you.”

Mark looked to his side as Jackson fell into pace with him. He looked over Jackson’s state of dress: athletic shorts and a tank top that showed off his rather impressive amount of muscle for an Analytic student.

“You're going to go on a five mile run?” Mark raised an eyebrow at the other boy.

“Yes - wait. Did you say five miles? You're running five miles?” Jackson asked incredulously.

“Yes, it's Saturday. That's what I do on Saturday mornings,” Mark informed, “Afraid you won't be able to keep up?”

“No, it's just that I usually run ten,” Jackson winked back at him before jogging ahead of the red head.

‘Thank the great lord that I forced BamBam and Yugyeom together,’ Jackson prayed, happy to have an informant within his arsenal.

“You run?” Mark asked in disbelief as he caught up with Jackson.

“How do you think I keep up these gods?” Jackson asked, gesturing to his thighs, “Being in shape could be the deciding factor in an in battle, Mark.”

“You're ridiculous,” Mark rolled his eyes and started jogging, “Just try to keep up.”

“Yes sir,” Jackson saluted and followed the redhead.

----------

“How...hah...can...hah...how...do? UGH...I'm...hah...I'm dying...haaah,” Jackson panted as he and Mark came to a stop by the basketball courts.

“Hah...I'm...heh...pretty impressed,” Mark gulped down large breaths of air, “Jackson.”

“I'm not all worthless,” Jackson coughed and follow gestured for Mark’s water bottle.

“No way. How does someone that runs ten miles forget a water bottle?” Mark took a sip from his bottle.

“I lied...please,” Jackson huffed before collapsing comically on the ground, “W-water…”

Mark rolled his eyes at the boy. He closed the cap to his bottle before tossing it onto Jackson’s sweaty back. Jackson jumped in surprise before realizing that Mark had actually given him the water. He quickly found the bottle and started drinking large gulps of water.

“Hey - hey!  Don't drink it all!” Mark scolded the blonde.

“Sorry not sorry,” Jackson gasped when he finished off the bottle.

Mark glared at him and yanked the bottle from Jackson's hands. He crumpled the empty plastic then tossed it was at the nearest trashcan like he was shooting and three-point shot on the basketball court. Jackson laughed when he missed. Mark frowned and briskly turned and started walking away. Jackson scrambled up and followed him.

“Why do you always you always do that?” Jackson whined when he caught up with Mark.

“Do what?” Mark grumbled.

“Leave me.”

Mark stopped on his tracks and looked at Jackson, "I don't-”

“Yes you do. You always act like this; you're all tough and look excluding at first and then then I have to bring up my game to like a 70 before I can even get. You told smile at me.” Jackson complained with a frown.

“You're game? What even, Jackson?  I don't know what you're talking about.” Mark started walking again, but Jackson stopped him.

“See, I almost had you when we were running.  Am I annoying to you?” Jackson placed a hand on Mark's chest to stop him from walking away again.

“Yes - no. I mean, not most of the time. It's just I me don't like, ugh,” Mark groaned, unable to voice his thoughts.

“What you don't like people?” Jackson asked sarcastically.

“Yes!”

Jackson blinked in surprise. He wasn't expecting that.

“Well sort of yes,” Mark ducked his head a little in embarrassment before whispering, "It’s kinda an inherited behavior from my quirk…”

Jackson raised an eyebrow to prod the boy to continue.

“Well...ok. Let’s sit down first,” Mark groaned and pushed his bangs out of his face, cringing slightly at the sweat-soaked feel.

The two boys shuffled over to the unoccupied basketball bleachers and sat at the bottom. Mark stayed sitting straight, looking a little uncomfortable and queasy. However, Jackson sat one seat above Mark, leaning back onto the next set of seats behind him and resting his feet on the seat next to Mark. Mark gave the other an unimpressed look before sighing.

“Ok, so my quirk, the Copy part not the suppress part, can only work if I touch someone with the deliberate idea that I want to copy their quirk, “Mark explained after a moment of silence.

“That makes sense,” Jackson commented, sitting up a bit from his lounging position, “Technically no quirk is invincible. Each one has its limits.”

“Yeah, well, mine has its limits,” Mark chuckled humorlessly, “There will always be quirks I can’t copy because I can’t reach them.”

“Like flying or speed quirks, right?” Jackson offered.

Mark responded with a solemn nod.

“So, you don’t like people because...you don’t like taking their quirks?” Jackson asked slowly. His voice rose up at the end of his question, confirming his confusion.

“No, it’s not just that, “ Mark shook his head. “I mean, I can control myself--trust me on that-- but it’s the idea that bothers me. It’s like, with both of my quirks I have the power to take power from others.” Mark stressed, “Seriously, you said it yourself- I can take anyone on without lifting a finger!”

“So? ” Jackson sat up completely, dropping his feet to where they should have been, “Doesn’t that make life a little easier?”

“No!” Mark groaned and turned to the other, “There’s this whole moral obligation and I just- I don’t like being that person, Jackson. The kind of person that takes power from others. It’s just not right.”

Jackson suddenly got up and climbed down the bleacher to sit next to Mark. The red head side eyed the other but did not look at him.

“Hey, that’s ok. I mean, really, Mark. There’s not alotta people out there that would that same viewpoint,” Jackson consoled, “Really, it makes me feel better that you're not a crazy, power-hungry, weirdo!”

Mark pressed his lips together to refrain from laughing, but in the end he couldn’t hold it in.

“Oh! I’m so glad I didn't scare you off!” Mark laughed sarcastically.

“Hey, hey. Don’t be like that,” Jackson playfully dismissed the other, “You can’t get rid of me that easy.”

“No, I suppose not.” Mark laughed harder.

“Nope. We’re destined,” Jackson laughed, throwing an arm around the red head’s thin shoulders, “But hey, maybe that’s a good thing. I could give you some tips.”

“You? Tips?” Mark asked, clearly mocking the Analytic student.

“Hey, I don't have superior strategic thinking for kicks. We could be a great team in the competition, ya know?” Jackson tapped his temple with a finger twice before pointing it at Mark.

“ Ha, as if,” Mark scoffed and threw Jackson’s arm off his shoulders, “You wouldn't be able to keep up with me.”

Mark stood up with a smirk and started trotting away from the bench. Jackson shouted indignantly at the boy, but Mark just broke into a run.

“Hey! Come on! And I thought we were finally getting along!” Jackson sighed, “HEY! JUST YOU WAIT! I'LL CATCH UP WITH YOU AND WHEN I DO YOU'LL REGRET IT!”

Jackson refused to think he heard Mark laugh at him after that.