Hello Hello,

This chapter was suggested by angelicabq (from AFF), who wanted a little bit of angst intertwined with the fluffy fluff. Knowing me though, the fluff to angst ratio is probably 8:2 ;_; . Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the second installment to the story of Markson~.

PS: this chapter is a bit longer than the last. I got a wee bit carried away with the detailing of how good Jackson looked in this story.

***-***-***-***-***-***-***

From the very start Mark knew that Jackson had something special about him, a piece of him knowing that he'd one day see him as something more than just a friend. He knew this from the very moment he laid eyes on the Hong Kong native, unnaturally attracted to the amount of confidence Jackson exuded in his natural aura. Jackson's personality was akin to a blinding light and Mark was drawn to him like a moth during a starless night.

Mark remembered being a little hesitant and even self-conscious that his little crush -which turned out to not be tiny at all- wouldn't be reciprocated by the then black haired Jackson. However, he was completely off guard when Jackson had confessed rather out of the blue right after their comeback for "A". The way Jackson did it though will forever be engraved in Mark's memory. Not because of how overwhelming heart-warming it felt, or even how Mark saw the first glimpse of Jackson's flushed face -which was insanely cute-, but rather in how he did it.

Mark couldn’t believe his eyes then when Jackson suddenly barged into the room the shared and literally started singing the lyrics to "A". Mark remembered feeling emotions of confusion and -most of all- amusement, noticing that Jackson was trying his very hardest to reach Jaebum and Youngjae's high notes and well-practiced riffs present in their latest song.

It was only after Jackson pulled out a gorgeous white rose from behind his back while singing the last chorus, that Mark found the answer as to why his roommate was acting so weird, causing his heart to flutter towards the clouds, ears instantly blushing a beet red. All Mark could recall after that moment was jumping off his bed haphazardly, knocking off their alarm clock as he threw himself into Jackson's welcoming arms.

Though, Mark remembered voicing out how the industry that they worked for didn't really allow dating, the picture of two guys holding hands in the streets of Seoul still being a touchy subject in Korea. All Jackson said was that they'll both make it through everything and anything, promising Mark that he is worth so much and more, which effectively cleared Mark's head of all the doubts and fears he had circulating inside.

Mark just never knew all those fears would eventually come true.

At present time, Mark desperately forced his thoughts to circulate around the happy beginning of their relationship, focusing on how his heart would beat faster whenever Jackson would grasp his hands tightly, or how Jackson's lips would shoot him into another universe only inhabited by two.

Mark was acutely trying to fill his mind with only memories of Jackson, pulling in all the perfect things that had happened in the past year as tears of despair ran through his cheeks, his head placed on Jackson's own shaking shoulders. Because he knew, he knew that perfection was never meant to last.

"Markie, please don't cry. It's okay." Jackson whispered with affection as he Mark's damp cheeks, his own voice failing in hiding the pain he felt inside. "We'll get through this." Jackson finished with a deep sigh into Mark's own shoulders, the older noticing that even Jackson was on his last vial of positivity.

Just hours before, their manager had pushed him and Jackson into a corner after their dance practice, throwing questions laced with judgement and wrongful curiosity. In the end, Jackson had admitted with pride that Mark meant more to him than a bandmate. If the situation was in any other context, Mark's heart would have been lifted to the heavens, but instead it dropped to the floor when the manager firmly told them to break their ties.

If it wasn’t for Jackson's death grip around his waist, he would have honestly felt lifeless. Imagining a life without the bright sun he's had the opportunity to call his was a dull and monochromatic life that wasn't worth living, almost like a lovebird flying in the sky without its soulmate by its side.

However, when it seemed like Jackson was about to explode onto the manager, Jaebum and Jinyoung suddenly busted into the room that they have been held captive in. Apparently, the two members of JJProject heard the cries of Jackson through the door, not stopping to think when they had come barging through the door in order to investigate.

Mark remembered that Jaebum had promptly demanded why Jackson looked like he was ready to fight for his life, and why hot tears streamed across Mark's porcelain face. Truly, Mark didn't remember much after that, only focusing on holding Jackson's body as near as possible, terrified that this will be the last time he'd feel the warmth of the only sun in his life.

Mark zeroed on Jackson -only Jackson-, memorizing all the features on his face, desperate to engrave every single detail about the only man he'd ever loved. By doing this, Mark missed how Jaebum flew into a blind fury when he realized their manager hurt his friends, Jinyoung abruptly confessing that the subunit JJProject were never really only friends and had kept it hidden all these years, which caused a notable change in the manager's view of the subject. Mark also completely tuned out the manager explaining that he and Jackson must keep their relationship only in the confines of their dorm. Mark was never conscious to these extreme turn of events, for his eyes and ears were only glued to one person, and one person only -just how it was always meant to be-.

"Jacks. This means we can't go to dates anymore or-" Mark suddenly being cut off by Jackson's embrace around him grow tighter, as if the other was also trying to engrave Mark's body into his own mind.

"It'll be okay. I promise. We'll be okay." Jackson repeated as Mark felt his hands the small of his back, the three short phrases reverberating around their room as if it was the only mantra Jackson lived by.

"Even if I w-won't be able to show you h-how much I love you all the time now, you'll still lov-"

Jackson immediately interjected with a rough throaty groan. "Mark don’t you dare finish that sentence." Jackson said with clear power in his shaking voice, forcing Mark's eyes to focus onto his own pools, pleading Mark to see the sincerity in his soul. "Just wait here, I have something to fix this problem." Jackson said before searching the room they shared, leaving Mark standing in the middle of the room, frozen in shock.

Truthfully, Mark didn't know how Jackson can still pull off such a strong and confident exterior, even during this time of distress. He was thankful that Jackson could be the rock that he'd been able to lean on in many situations, this one being the largest of them all. Mark couldn’t fathom how he would feel if Jackson's positivity wasn't currently the only thing keeping him from feeling absolutely crushed.

Deep down Mark knew that they'll be okay, now knowing that they could still act like lovers under the dorm's roof. However, this wasn’t enough for Mark, wanting to completely show to the world just how much Jackson meant to him. Even if that were the passing touches laced with affection they'd share while sharing a cup of coffee in public, or even the way Mark didn’t hold back the way his lips would curl into a wide smile whenever he'd hear Jackson's signature laugh. Some way or another, he used to be able to show everyone that they belonged to each other, albeit subtly. Mark was happy.

"Here." Jackson suddenly whispered, cutting the silence in the air the same way it had sliced Mark's darkening thoughts. Mark felt Jackson's warm fingers filled with purpose wrap around his left wrist, the other set of fingers snapping a cold black bracelet around his thin wrist. Mark was confused, to say the least. "What's this Jacks-"

His thoughts were cut off once he saw Jackson snap on an exact replica of the bracelet, identical in material and colour. It all happened to make sense to him in an instant, a smile slowly reaching out through the frown that Mark had been sporting for the past few hours.

"This is our promise." Jackson began closing the space in between them, Mark noticing the cheshire grin slowly forming on Jackson's face. "This is our way of telling the world we are meant for each other..." Jackson reached out towards him, Mark's own fingers instinctively lacing with its favorite pair of hands. "…because from the start, we both knew it'll be us in the end." Jackson