Gift for evefluttersparkle

Gift from ???

Title of the gift: Forever

Pairing: Markjin

Words: 6228

Rating: PG (though there is a scene with not much detail at the end)

Warnings: insecure characters? 


Note to giftee: 
Hello!! ahh this is like my first time writing a fic.. but i had fun!! I personally really love angsty stories and hurt/comfort so i really tried to write and i hope it turned out well. I think the story is quite all over the place, and I might have strayed a little from what you wanted but I hope in the end it's still somewhat there and hope you will still enjoy it! hehe :) 

Forever

Times have changed. They were once seen as the world’s hero, seen as gods. Human would bow down to them. They were respected. Now, they are seen as revolting and unearthly. Humans would do anything to get rid of them. They were once safe, but not anymore. As more of them are killed, darkness started creeping into the world of the powers, slowly but definitely weakening them. Black.

A broken lock and a silent room was what greeted Mark upon reaching home 2 hours past midnight. Dreading what he was looking at, he quietly pushed open the door, only to be greeted by darkness. Fumbling for his phone in his pocket, he quickly keyed in the number he only knew so naturally by now. 

The incessant ringing in his ears accompanied by the continuous pounding in his head made him feel increasingly agitated and anxious. After being led to the voicemail continuously, Mark was ready to erupt. 

“Park Jinyoung… Where are you? It’s already almost 3… why are you not home?” Mark slumps down onto the floor against the door. The frustration and anger Mark felt had got him burning up, sparks emitting from his hand, whole body on fire. Orange. Then black. Suddenly, Mark’s world was engulfed in darkness. Nowadays, black always wins.

Mark was jolted awake when he was thrown onto the floor as the door opened up harshly. He blinked to clear his eyes, trying to figure out who had entered his apartment. “Jinyoungie? Is that you…?” Mark voice cracked from hours of not using it. Immediately, strong arms wrapped around him. Sensing the familiar warmth, Mark melted into the embrace and started sobbing. He turned around, still unable to make out Jinyoung’s face through his blurred eyesight, but seeing the familiar blue outline had instantly calmed him down. “Where… where did you go nyeongie? I thought you left me.” 

“Shh.. hyung, I’ll always love you no matter what. Please know that. I’ll be here to protect you.” Jinyoung whispered into Mark’s ears. Seeing Mark so beaten down like that really breaks Jinyoung’s heart.

After Mark’s sobbing turned into hiccups and then soft whimpers, Jinyoung was sure that the older had fallen asleep, so he carried him bridal style to their shared bed for him to rest properly. Taking a closer look at Mark’s face, Jinyoung caught the dark eye bags under his eyes, a clear indication of lack of sleep. He was probably worried and anxious throughout the night… I’m sorry for worrying you hyung. You’re already under a lot of stress, please take care of yourself. Please know that I’ll always be here for you, and to protect you as well. 

Mark and Jinyoung walked down the streets like everyone else - humans. The sun wasn't up yet, so they would not be easily noticed. They don't hold hands, as that would only bring more attention to themselves. They continued walking, hoodies up, heads down and soon, they reached the seemingly desolate building. They looked up, and the letters “PL” towered over them. 

The exterior and interior of the building is a stark contrast. The moment they entered, poshness greeted them as the white marble counter complemented the black matte walls. Several security guards were stationed right at the entrance itself, and many security cameras were littered around the small area, causing the place to seem scary to anyone who is not acquainted with it. They went through the routine body check, letting the guards touch them down for any hidden arms and weapons. Once they were deemed harmless, they went on to the iris scanner so as to properly enter the building. “Welcome, Mark Tuan and Park Jinyoung.” was shown on the screen, and the metal door slid open for them to enter. They walked in to the sight of a huge crowd - young kids and even grandparents, training or having discussions. They all stopped to bow to the two, as the two made their way to the lift which brings them to the top floor.

“So, what is so important that had you call us here so early in the morning?” Mark irritatedly questioned. Seated at the desk is company leader, Mark and Jinyoung’s close friend, Im Jaebum, or more commonly known as JB. “Just follow me.” he replied in a tense voice. Mark and Jinyoung sneaked a look at each other, noting the serious and tense atmosphere, and decided to keep their mouths shut and follow Jaebum towards another door. He typed in a passcode known only by 4 people, including the 3 of them present, and scanned his iris and fingerprint.

They walked into another room which looks like the kind of thing that you would see in sci-fi movies. In the centre a black globe which branches out to 4 other globes of different colours - brown, red, blue, and purple. Mark stationed himself at the red globe, while Jinyoung and Jaebum stood at the blue and brown globes respectively. 

“Where’s Jackson?” Jinyoung asked. 

“Probably stayed up all night banging this new kid called Bambam, a Spaceling under him.” Jaebum replied like it’s the most natural thing in the world, though a tinge of annoyance could also be heard, but the thing that really gave away his annoyance was his eye roll that both caught on. 

Just as he said that, the door slid open, and a loud voice boomed, “Yo man! Sorry I’m late… I mean you know, Bam’s a little…”

“Ok, we don’t need details. Just get your here right now.” Jaebum cut Jackson before he could say anything which would potentially scar all our ears.

For once, Jackson was smart and remained quiet, though he rolled his eyes, and walked to the last remaining globe, the purple globe. The four of them placed their right hand in front of their own respective globe. All 5 globes lit up, producing their own field around it, signifying their power. After that, they moved out to the side to observe the globes. 

“…” Mark whispered. 

The field surrounding the black globe was strong, insanely strong, and it seemed to glow brighter than ever. 

“ Mark! Your globe…” Jinyoung exclaimed, “It definitely seem a lot weaker than the last time, this would explain your frequent blacking out even though you don’t use much of your power.” Jinyoung stared at Mark with worried eyes, then turned to Jaebum, silently asking for explanations and answers. 

“Yes, we can all see and feel how all our four powers are steadily weakening. The humans are really stepping up their game, capturing and killing us at an absurd rate. Their force and power are increasing with our loss.” Jaebum broke the silence while staring hatefully at the black ball. “Mark’s Firelings seem to have been the target of late, their presence can be very easily detected now, leaving them in critical danger. If more of them are killed, Mark, as their head, would become weaker and weaker and…” Jaebum did not continue, but the others knew what he meant.

The tension in the atmosphere suddenly grew tenfold, and everyone looked at Mark worriedly. 

The news was not very shocking to Mark, but this was more like a “reality hit him in the face” kind of realisation. No, this can’t be happening. I need to stay strong for Jinyoung. Mark had this silent war going on inside his head, and became increasingly angry yet anxious. This is all because of the humans. The betrayers. After helping them those thousands of years ago, this is what they do to repay us. Hunt us down and kill us when we are innocent and harmless - well not really harmless but that’s beside the point. “These creatures are dangerous to us, humans. They possess powers which could easily kill us all. We have to get rid of them.” What a load of bull. We are not creates. And, they are the dangerous ones. Because of them, mum and dad is gone. It’s all because of them. I will get revenge and protect Jinyoung.

“Mark! What are you doing?” Flustered upon seeing Mark’s deadly eyes and his body lighting up in orange, Jinyoung did not know what to do. Knowing Mark for years, Jinyoung knew that Mark was angry, really angry at the humans, and knowing his temper, he was always irrational. If he continues this way, he’s going to black out again!!! The thought snapped Jinyoung back to reality and he strode towards Mark, attempting to calm him down. “Mark… Please control yourself. You know that your system is already very weak, with this energy channelling within you now, you know you can’t take it, and you will only go on overdrive and black out again. Please…Mark baby…” 

Weak??? Who says I’m weak? I’m one of the strongest out there, and I will beat anyone who stops me. Mark thought angrily. 

Orange. Then black. 

Jinyoung looked at Mark as the intensity of the orange surrounding Mark quickly became red, and suddenly, it’s gone and Mark went limp, letting gravity do it’s job, pulling the body towards the ground. 

Jinyoung’s reflexes kicked in and he was quick to react, catching Mark before he dropped on the floor. Silence enveloped the entire room.

The next time Mark opened his eyes, he stared right up at a familiar white cracked ceiling. What am I doing here? ! Jinyoung?? Where is he? He checked the clock hanging at the door. 9.52PM. It’s already so late? Where is Jinyoung? Suddenly, memories from the early morning about our powers weakening started to creep into Mark’s head, causing him to panic even more. Mark jumped out of the bed and left the room, searching for any signs of his love. He walked into the kitchen to find a note and food left by Jinyoung. “Hyung, I left to do something important. Please don’t worry, I will be fine. Eat up and go rest!!!”

Mark immediately felt a tiny bit of relief which did not last too long. Insecurities started flooding his body, mind and soul. Mark tried to block out his insecutities, and decided to wait for Jinyoung to come back. He brought the food to the couch and started eating while watching tv to entertain. 

After eating and packing up, it was already close to 11, yet Jinyoung wasn’t home yet. Mark got increasingly scared and anxious as millions of thoughts, ranging from what if he doesn’t want me anymore? to what if something happened to him? ran through his mind. The outside temperature continued to drop as time ticked by. Mark grabbed his blanket, switched off the lights, sat down next to the door and wrapped the blanket over him, letting the darkness and the warmth lull him to calm down. 

Mark fell asleep again, and the next time he still woke up to darkness. The clock now read 12.14AM,  and there was still no sign of Jinyoung. Ugh! I locked him in, forcing him to stay at home everyday for a reason!!! How is he still able to leave our home like that and go against me??? Mark was deeply annoyed and frustrated at the fact that he could not do anything, and that there are so many possibilities of what could happen to Jinyoung, and that nothing that is happening is under his control. Mark felt an uncomfortable feeling settle at the bottom of his stomach and was dreading it, so he decided that he had enough, so he went to change his clothes, wear his shoes, and head out. 

It was almost 4.30am and raining heavily by the time Mark had walked to all the possible places that he thought Jinyoung would go. There wasn’t even a shadow or a scent of Jinyoung. Mark was dead tired, and his feet were aching. JUST WHERE THE HELL IS HE? Suddenly an idea popped into his head. The headquarters! ahh… why didn’t i think of that earlier? With the newly found hope, Mark started making his way there in the heavy rain. 

By the time Mark had reached the headquarters, he was close to collapsing and he was freezing. The security did the usual checks despite Mark’s condition and he finally entered the place. Warmth enveloped him and he never felt so grateful. He stumbled into Jaebum’s room, causing Jaebum to look up abruptly from his work. 

“Mark! What happened to you?” Jaebum quickly supported Mark to the couch and poured him a cup of warm water, gesturing for him to drink up. 

“Jin… Jinyoung. Is he here? Wh…Where is he?” Mark weakly stuttered out, over-looking the fact that Jaebum was up at 5 in the morning. Jaebum look at Mark. He was drenched from head to toe and was shivering really badly. He sighed deeply, very well aware of Mark’s insecurities. Jaebum, along with Jackson, were the only ones who are aware of Mark’s condition, and how Jinyoung had played a part in his life. 

The 4 of them practically grew up together from when Mark was 8 and the rest were 7, but before that even happened, Mark and Jinyoung was already inseparable. Mark was Jinyoung’s saviour and so was Jinyoung to Mark. Water may seem to overpower fire, but when the fire gets too big and strong, fuelled by hate and revenge, water will only feed its power, and together, water and fire form a formidable pair. 

It all started when Mark was 5. Many thousand of years ago before that, the powers had presented themselves to the humans when they, the humans, were in need of help. The powers got rid of the danger that the humans were facing, and saved Earth. From then on, for those thousand of years, the powers and the humans coexisted peacefully, until one day, the humans started to doubt the powers. The thought that the powers could easily get rid of the human race played in their humans’ minds. Due to this, humans started spreading hate, and from that day, the powers were hunted down by humans. That day, the humans started by killing the Fireling’s head. That day, a Fireling lost their parents. That day, was the day Mark turned 5, and that Fireling, was Mark Tuan. 

Losing his parents had caused Mark to become the head of Firelings. This lost had done great damage to Mark who was close to his parents since birth. Mark guaranteed revenge. At the age of 5, Mark roamed the streets of the Earth, desperately looking for any pinch of hope. At the age of 6, he ran into a Waterling named Park Jinyoung, whose house was being burned down by the humans. Mark had sneaked into the house and rescued Jinyoung, carrying him out and away from danger. That night, the head of Waterlings had died. That night, Jinyoung lost his parents and Jinyoung became the head of the Waterlings. That night, love had blossomed. 

Mark and Jinyoung were made for each other. They filled in the gaps in each other’s heart caused by the loss of their parents at the mere age of 5. Mark was Jinyoung’s knight in shining army who had saved him from death’s grasp. Despite losing two important people on that fateful night, he had gained one man who he knew he would stick with forever. Jinyoung was Mark’s angel. Having faced the cruelty of the world for a year, he knew that Jinyoung could be taken away easily. This had spurred his hatred towards human. Revenge in itself was a strong driving force for killing the enemy, but with love present, his fear of losing Jinyoung and his urge to protect him from the danger of humans, Mark’s desire to get rid of the humans tripled. 

Since then, Mark was always overprotective towards Jinyoung. He locked Jinyoung at home everyday while he went out to work and look for the other to heads - the head of Spacelings and the head of Earthlings. Only when the 4 of them were together, will the powers be able to take down the humans. 

When Mark had met Jaebum and Jackson, it was when Mark was 8. Mark had met the two when they were escaping from a planned attack by the humans. In the 2 years of roaming on the streets, Mark had gone through the brutality of humans, which only further hardened his resolve of revenge. His determination of protecting Jinyoung and keeping him by his side also grew. 

This thus explains the panic and anxiousness Mark always experience when he could not find Jinyoung. The mere thought of Jinyoung not being there always sets Mark off, resulting in panic attacks from Mark. 

When the 4 had finally united, they had tried to tidy up the world of the powers, attempting to protect every single one of themselves and restore their glory. At such a young age, they were all smart, and knew what was best. However, being a young child exposed to the inhumane world, there are bound to be emotional traumas and instability. Mark, as the oldest, tried to pick up all the dirty job. He acted tough, but he was the one who had the worst emotional scars. He tried to hide it from the other 3, but all 3 could look through him. His protectiveness over Jinyoung was overboard - everyone knew that, but no one wanted to risk Mark going ythrough even more pain. The 3 had seen Mark at his worst, and none wanted themselves Mark wanted to go through that terror again.

When Jaebum was 15, the worst had passed. The world of the powers had settled down, and they began to slowly and steadily build up their forces again. Mark’s condition had also stabilised such that he did not act out as often, and for years, neither Jaebum nor Jackson had witnessed his break downs - despite knowing that it still happened at times, courtesy of Jinyoung. So, for Jaebum to witness Mark in this state again, Jaebum’s heart shattered. All he wanted all those years ago, was to take the burden of the oldest, but Mark was stubborn. The only thing Jaebum could do then, and even now, is to be there for Mark when he fell into this state; be there by his side to comfort him and care for him. 

Jaebum cradled Mark, ignoring the fact that he and his sofa was getting wet as well. Mark felt cold yet hot. Cold from being in the rain, and hot from all the heat he’s producing as a Fireling feeling fearful and anxious. Jaebum tried to soothe Mark, and finally, Mark had composed enough for Jaebum to drag him to the bathroom to take a warm bath. 

While Mark was in the bathroom, Jaebum stayed outside and continued worrying about Mark. Jaebum knew what happened to Jinyoung, and he knew how Mark would react: a full-blown panic attack, a break down like never before, and consequently could possibly not collect himself back anymore. But, there was nothing he could do to stop Jinyoung. Jinyoung merely informed him of his decisions just a few hours ago and disappeared. 

Jinyoung had barged into the Jaebum’s room frantically at 9 that night. His mouth moved at bullet train speed, attempting to explain his circumstance and his plan of action. Basically, what Jaebum had gathered from Jinyoung’s 10 minutes long explanation was that 7 months ago, he ran in with the head of ROTP (Removal of The Powers) organisation ran by humans. The head, named Kim Jungsoo, had threatened him using Mark, to work for them. At wits end, Jinyoung agreed despite feeling anxious about his and Mark’s own safety, and the safety of all the powers. He also had ulterior motives for the agreement, as he planned to get to know about the organisation so as to destroy them. 

Jinyoung informed Jaebum of all the plans he knew so far, and had confirmed that the humans were indeed targeting the Firelings. The humans had found out that when one of the powers were down, all the other 3 powers would become weaker and suffer as well. He also added that he had to leave their house tonight to protect Mark (even though the humans had assured him that they would not harm Mark, Mark was the head of FIrelings, and he knew that the humans cannot be trusted) and not bring danger to their kind as he found out that the humans were following him. He also made Jaebum promise that this had to be kept between the 2 of them, and there is no absolute way that Mark would know about this. “Even if he screams and cries, please just stick by him and never ever tell him anything. It’s for his own good.” Jinyoung had pleaded. 

Several hours later, Jaebum was still stuck in a dilemma. On one hand, he did not want to see Mark in his state of destruction. On the other, he did not want to risk Jinyoung’s (and everyone else’s) safety. He knew Mark was stubborn and reckless, and letting Mark in on the plans (or lack thereof on Jaebum’s side since Jinyoung only told him about what was happening and not his plans) could potentially put Jinyoung and themselves in danger. 

When Jaebum heard the water stop running, he braced himself for Mark’s questioning, readying himself to tell Mark that Jinyoung left and to prepare to comfort Mark as much as he can. 

Mark stumbled out of the bathroom with red and swollen eyes, and Jaebum felt his heart lurch for his hyung. Jaebum immediately pulled him in a warm hug, and just from that hug, Mark could tell that something was wrong. 

“Ya Jaebum.. Is.. Is something wrong..? Did.. Did something.. ha.. happen to Jinyoungie…?” Jaebum released a huge sigh, another indicator to Mark that something had went seriously wrong. “Ya.. Please tell me what happen…” Mark knew that there was bad news, probably something to do with Jinyoung with the way Jaebum was acting. 

“Come one hyung, let’s go rest at the sofa first.” Mark gave him an annoyed look with a pout, but obliged. 

Jaebum took a deep breathe after settling Mark down, preparing himself to reveal the truth to Mark. “Hyung, no matter what I say later, please know that the 3 of us love you a lot, and we will always be with you ok?” 

The look on Mark’s face instantaneously fell, becoming one of worried, confused and nervous. “What… what’s wrong Jae? Don’t say things like that… You’re scaring me..” Marks voices wavered and cracked. Jaebum could see Mark’s eyes starting to water. 

Jaebum looked away and took in another deep breathe. “Jinyoung’s gone.”

2 simple words. Confusion, anxiousness, hurt, betrayal flitted through Mark’s eyes, and eventually his gaze became empty, and full of tears. 

Nothing was said. Tears started to fall endlessly, but no sound was emitted from Mark. “Hyung… I don’t want to see you cry, but crying is the way to release all your frustrations, confusion, anger, and everything else. So, I’m here for you.” Jaebum opened his arms and enveloped Mark with warm.

Mark started to weep and cry loudly now. Although the shape and size was different, the warmth and comfort was still there and Mark would be eternally grateful. 

Without one, the other will fall. However even without water as a fuel, fire would be able to survive and soar to greater heights. 

1 month has passed since Jinyoung had left Mark’s side. What Mark didn’t know though, was that Jinyoung had been constantly keeping in touch with Jaebum either for work or to keep tabs of Mark. Jinyoung knew that he should not get close to Mark no matter how much he wanted to see the older, so for the safety of everyone, he suppressed his need and desire and focused on being an undercover for the powers. 

The past 1 month wasn’t easy for Mark. All Mark wanted to do was to lie in bed and wallow in self-pity and cry his eyes out. The first week was the worst. After the night Jaebum told Mark about Jinyoung’s “departure”, all Mark did was to cry and cry. 

He cried himself to sleep from the exhaustion, and the next morning wasn’t any better. His eyes was so swollen and his nose was so red. Yet, he continued crying. He laid on Jaebum’s sofa for the entire day, refusing to eat or drink anything that was offered by anyone, even Jaebum or Jackson. All that was in Mark’s thoughts was Jinyoung left. He doesn't want me anymore. There’s no point in living. I should just kill myself. But of course, all these thoughts remained as thoughts as  voicing it out would just alert Jaebum and Jackson. 

For that week, all Mark did was to sleep. And when he was awake, all he did was to think. The next few days passed similarly, though Jackson had managed to force some food and water down Mark. 

After the first week, which passed by with lots of thinking, Mark finally got out of his depression. He realised that he could not die and leave everything behind. If he died, the world of powers would also collapsed. That was his main motivation to tidy up his act. He subdued those bad thoughts, pushing them to the back of his mind, and started working with Jaebum, coming up with plans to fight against the human. 

Though the day passed by without much problems, at night, when Mark was all alone, all the bad thoughts crawl up and resurface again, leaving Mark a mess. He did not dare to go back to his home - which kept many wonderful memories, but instead spend his nights in Jaebum’s office, with Jaebum as company. 

To get rid of his thoughts, he devoted himself to working, such that by the end of 1 month, Mark, Jaebum and Jackson had came up with the perfect plan (of course with the help of Jinyoung secretly).

For the past 1 month, Mark thought of the reason for Jinyoung to completely vanish from his life just like that. Mark thought that while he was suffering from the one-sided decision of Jinyoung’s, Jinyoung would be enjoying himself away from Mark since he did not want Mark anymore. On the contrary, Jinyoung felt like he was dying everyday to be away from Mark. Like Mark, he was really depressed, and with no one by his side taking care of him, he did not eat proper meals nor did he get proper rest and sleep. Jinyoung knew that he would go back to Mark after everything is over, but now, he wasn’t sure if Mark would want that. Jinyoung is sure that he had broken Mark’s heart completely, and the older might not want to accept him back. This thought haunted Jinyoung for a long time. This thought had made Jinyoung wary of his relationship with Mark (if there was still one). Jinyoung also prepared himself for the worst possible outcome of Mark not accepting him. 

Through this one month apart, Mark had learnt to live without Jinyoung (despite still missing him a lot and feeling as if a huge chunk of his heart had been dug out). His insecurities and emotional stability is under better control as he learnt to continue and live on. Jinyoung had also become more independent, as he learnt to live without depending on Mark which he had been doing for the past few years. Through this one month apart, both water and fire had become stronger and more powerful.

The day before the plan was being executed, Mark had decided to take a break and walk around the neighbourhood to get the much needed fresh air - something he never really gotten for the past month as he stayed cooped inside the office.

As Mark toured around the neighbourhood, a familiar figure had caught his eye. 

"Jin...Jinyoung!" Mark's eyes widened in disbelief and before he knew it, he had called out his name. 

Jinyoung had froze upon hearing his name. He knew that voice from anywhere. Having stopped walking, he knew that it was too late to ignore the yell. He slowly turned around and came to face with the man who he had been deprived of for a month. 

The silence was deafening. Neither knew what to say to each other and merely observed. 

Mark thought that Jinyoung had lost a lot of weight. His eye bags had also worsened. Has he not been living well?

Eventually Mark was the first to open his mouth. "Let's go for cofffee? We have a lot of things to catch up on." Mark's eyes darkened on the second sentence. Jinyoung merely gave a stiff nod. 

The 2 chose a booth at the back of the cafe to get some privacy. After 2 mugs of coffee had been placed in front of them, Mark was getting fidgety and desperate. 

"So, why?" Mark's voice dripped in hurt. 

Jinyoung contemplated telling the truth. He wasn't really living well without Mark, though now he could function and live on even without Mark. But without Mark, his life doesn't seem complete. He hoped he could say the same for Mark, and based on Mark's body language and his way of speaking, he was sure that Mark felt the same. 

However, now that they're just 1 day away from executing the plan, he didn't want to screw up the whole plan. If he were to tell Mark about why he left (temporarily), Mark could lose his focus and then all their planning and hardwork would go to waste. 

"First of all, if you want to hear this, please don't interrupt me. So, I'm really sorry for just disappearing like that. I... I don't love you anymore." Jinyoung’s throat closed up in the middle of the sentence, but he forced his words out, and judging by Mark’s response, he did not notice. Mark’s gaze immediately fell, and Jinyoung could see that Mark was trying hard to hold back his tears. 

“I’m sorry. But remember that I will always protect you. You can do what you want now.” Jinyoung said in a rush and ran out of the cafe. 

Jinyoung’s heart felt like it was on fire. It felt like it was tearing apart, leaving him raw and open. He ran into a shopping mall across the street and into the bathroom, trying to calm himself down. 

At the same time across the street, Mark finally allowed his tears to fall. 

By night time, Mark had returned to the apartment that Jinyoung and himself used to share. The stale air was what greeted him, a reminder of how no one had been in the house for a few weeks. He collapsed onto his bed, wanting to just sleep and not care about anything, wanting to just get over with tomorrow, wanting to go back to the past where he had Jinyoung’s warmth beside him. 

Jinyoung on the other hand, had been roaming the streets. It was already almost 11pm, yet he was still out, feeling lost and empty. The whole day, he had been pondering over his decisions, leaving him exhausted and even more confused. 

He came to a stop after walking for several hours in front of their office. He debated for a few moments before entering the building. He walked through the already familiar hallways which led to Jaebum’s room. To his surprise, Jackson was also in the room. Jinyoung thought that Jackson would be spending the last night before the big day with Bambam or something. 

Two pairs of eyes landed on Jinyoung. 

“Yah Jinyoungie!! Why are you here already? What if Mark saw you?” Jaebum had forgotten about Jackson who was standing beside them. 

“What are you talking about Jaebum hyung? Are you 2 hiding something from us?” Jackson accused the other 2, more specifically Jinyoung. 

Hearing Jackson speaking like that, Jinyoung felt like he was to blame. For what, he did not know. He just felt like everything was wrong and he was the one at fault. 

For the first time after he left Mark, Jinyoung allowed himself (or more like he could not control himself anymore) to cry. He collapsed onto the floor, bawling his eyes out. 

Upon seeing that, Jaebum’s heart wrenched, and he quickly moved to the younger to comfort him. Jackson was flustered. A minute ago he was really angry to have seen Jinyoung appear in front of his eyes after a month of being missing. But now, seeing the younger so beaten down, he could not help but feel sad as well. 

After Jinyoung had cooled down significantly, he and Jaebum tried to explain everything to Jackson. After listening to their explanation, Jackson had no idea how to feel. He was so torn apart, seeing his 2 best friends so hurt. “Jinyoung, I think you should go and talk to Mark. Explain everything, and make up to him.” Jackson voiced his opinion in much conviction. 

Jaebum also agreed with Jackson, because he had never agreed to Jinyoung’s actions in the first place, but merely did a favour for him. After much persuasion, Jinyoung finally agreed that that was the best thing to do. 

Jinyoung stood outside his apartment quietly at 1 in the morning. After listening to Jaebum and Jackson, he finally thought that this what the right thing to do. But standing outside the door which seemed to intimidating, he doubted himself. 

After standing there for about 10 minutes, Jinyoung had decided to stick with his plan. He hesitantly knocked on the door, but even after 1 minute, no one answered it. At first, he thought that maybe Mark really didn’t want him anymore. He was going to give up, but a more horrid thought struck his head. What if something happened to Mark??? 

That thought frightened him and without thinking, he hurriedly took out his pair of keys and opened the door in a flurry. Jinyoung scanned over the living room and the kitchen, but saw no signs of Mark. He quickly strode to their bedroom, and what greeted his eyes was Mark curled up in a foetus position, asleep without any worries. 

Jinyoung immediately relaxed, though the sudden surge of adrenaline had left his heart pumping and ringing in his ears. Jinyoung walked towards Mark. His forehead was scrunched up even as he slept, as if his worries had followed him to dreamland. Jinyoung brushed his hand over Mark’s forehead in an attempt to soothe him. 

The touch had immediately woke Mark up. Mark jerked up and was treated to the sight of Jinyoung. “Jin… Jinyoungie..?” Warmth enveloped Mark. “Is that you? Have you come back? To me…?” Mark’s voice wavered, as another wave of tears threatened.

“Shh shh.. Yes it’s me baby. I’m so so sorry for just disappearing like that. I’m so sorry. I’m just stupid. I’m so sorry.” Tears pricked Jinyoung’s eyes, and a sob had cut him off.

“It’s ok. As long as you’re here. Back here. With me. Where you belong, and where I belong, with you.”

An onslaught of tears hit them, and Mark and Jinyoung started sobbing earnestly in each others’ arms. Jinyoung peppered Mark’s face with kisses, and Mark tried to kiss him back. It was a mess of saliva and tears.

After a while, they managed to calm down considerably, and they exchanged one more deep kiss before looking at each other in the eye, losing themselves.

“So, what happened? Why did you come back Jinyoung? This is not a joke right…?” Hearing Mark being so doubtful and hesitant was like a punch directed at Jinyoung. 

“I’m really sorry baby. I’m so so sorry.” Now, it was Mark’s turn to comfort Jinyoung, wiling him to stop crying. Jinyoung let the whole story spill out, as he continued to weep into Mark’s chest. 

“Nyeong… I don’t even know how I should feel, and I don’t know how I am feeling… But one thing’s for sure, please don’t do something like this again. Don’t leave me ever again. Ok?” Jinyoung simply nodded and snuggled deeper into Mark’s chest. 

Mark tipped Jinyoung’s head up and stared deeply into the younger’s eyes. “I love you.”, and Mark kissed Jinyoung again. A simple and gentle kiss turned into a passionate and fiery one. Mark gently nudged Jinyoung onto the bed, and they mouth separated, giving both a chance to inhale. 

“I love you too.” 

Those words ignited a spark in Mark, and Mark started devouring Jinyoung, stripping him of his clothes, and soon they were both lying in bed together, raw skin slipping and sliding over each other. 

After a heated round of between the two, they went to bathe and wash up together, and in an hours time, they were both snuggled up together on the bed. 

“So, there’s still tomorrow to go. Think we can do it?” 

“As long as we’re together, we can.” 

Water and Fire. The formidable pair. Together with Earth and Space, the 4 of them ruled the world. As long as they have each other, anything can be overcome. As the 4 powers unite, the powerlings regained their former glory, and the colours came to life again. 

(end)