No snapbacks, no baggy pants, no tanks tops…”

“That’s almost my entire wardrobe, do you want me to go ?”  Jackson laughed into the phone as he spoke.

After the last date, Jackson texted Youngjae insisting he go with him as his pretend boyfriend to meet his parents.  Jackson said it was his fault that he couldn’t find Youngjae a date.  Youngjae didn’t need to think about it for too long before he agreed.

“You want to go ?  I’d like to see you try that.”  Youngjae joked.

“I’m standing outside your door right now, I’m .”

“You’re outside my door already?!  You said you were at home getting ready!  What was the point of giving you advice?  I swear if you’re wearing that stupid ‘Wang’ shirt…”  Youngjae opened his door to find Jackson in a button up shirt and slacks with nicely coiffed hair.  “Oh.”

“Surprised?”  Jackson invited himself in.  “I clean up well, don’t I?”

Neither of them had talked about what happened after the last date.  Jackson was acting like it never even happened.  “You look good, I guess.”

“Why can’t you ever give me a proper compliment?”  Jackson whined.  Youngjae laughed and smacked him on the chest.

“Ow!  Why did you hit me that time?!”

“Sorry, I just hit people when I laugh.”  Jackson pouted and sat down on Youngjae’s couch. 

“I can’t believe you’re making me drive you all the way to your own parent’s house.  Do you know how far away Mokpo is?”

“I told you we could take the train but you refused.  This is your fate.” 

Jackson whined again but Youngjae was immune by this point. 

“Jackson!  I knew you would be the lucky guy to meet Youngjae’s parents.”  Jinyoung said as he walked into the room.  He eyed Jackson up and down.  “His parents are going to be so happy.”

“Ground rules, don’t say anything weird, don’t say you don’t have a real job, don’t mention-“

“I have an idea!”  Jinyoung chimed in.  “We can run a test case, I’ll pretend to be Youngjae’s mom.”  Jinyoung sat down next to Jackson on the couch.  “It’s so nice to meet you!”  He went to shake Jackson’s hand.

“Uh, nice to meet you too.”  Jackson tried to stifle a laugh as he played along.

“Youngjae, sweetheart!”  Jinyoung grabbed Youngjae and pulled him down onto his lap.  “It’s been sooo long since I’ve seen you!  Do you know how much your mom missed you?”  He squeezed Youngjae’s cheeks and Youngjae let out a pained groan.

Youngjae wriggled out of Jinyoung grasp with Jackson’s help. “My mom does not act like that!” 

“Sweetheart, I’m just trying to help!”  Jinyoung wouldn’t let go so Jackson had to pry him out of Jinyoung’s arms.

“That’s enough of that, Youngjae go get dressed or we’ll be late!”

The long drive to Mokpo passed by quickly with the help of blasting the radio the entire way there and following the GPS directions without any doubt.

“So, remember, act normal.  As soon as we step into the house we’re dating.”  Youngjae said as they walked up to his family home.

“Shouldn’t we have prepared a bit more?  How did we meet?  What are our favourite activities to do together? I don’t even know your favourite food!” 

“Relax, they won’t ask all of that.”

“What if they do?”

“We’ll make something up.  Just be nice, and don’t scare anyone.”

“I’m scary?!”

“Jackson!  Breathe!  You’re hyperventilating!”  Youngjae grabbed Jackson by the shoulders and shook him.  “Everything is going to be fine, okay?”  Youngjae was amused Jackson was freaking out more than he was.  “Just be yourself, toned down a few notches.”

Youngjae knocked on the door before Jackson had the time to freak out any longer.

“Youngjae!”  His mom greeted him with a big hug.  “You made it!”

Youngjae and his mom exchanged a few words, Youngjae gushing about how much he missed her and assuring him life was going fine and he was taking care of himself while Jackson fidgeted next to him.

“Oh, and you must be…”  Youngjae’s mom finally acknowledged Jackson.

“Jackson Wang, Youngjae’s… ah, um-“

“Boyfriend?”  Youngjae’s mom helped him finish.

“Yes, that.” Youngjae had never seen Jackson so flustered meeting someone new.

Youngjae’s mom eyed Jackson up and down before nodding in approval.  “You’re very handsome.” 

One way to get Jackson going was to feed his ego- he acted humble, but his face instantly lit up.  “No way, your son is the handsome one.”

“I am?”  Youngjae responded before thinking.

“Yes,” Jackson grabbed Youngjae’s hand.  “You’re the most handsome in my eyes.”

Youngjae’s mom smiled while Youngjae blushed.  Jackson looked much too sincere and Youngjae’s heart was racing.

“Come inside!  I’m sure everyone is excited to meet you!”  Youngjae’s mom said and she ushered them in to meet the rest of the family.

Youngjae was floored by how much his entire family loved Jackson.  He got comfortable quickly and made conversation with his parents and all his relatives, making them all laugh by telling the story of how they met (Jackson finessed a lie where they ran into each other at an arcade and Youngjae kept beating him at everything) and how they were very happy with each other.  Youngjae didn’t need to say anything other than laugh and agree every now and then.

“I was worried you would be alone forever, but you really hit the jackpot.”  Youngjae’s sister commented with a laugh. 

Jackson had Youngjae’s nephew on his lap playing and talking with him, not paying attention to the conversation.

“I’m glad you had so much faith in me.”  Youngjae said back to his sister.

Youngjae’s sister leaned in closer to whisper in Youngjae’s ear.  “So… when’s the wedding?”

Youngjae spat out the water he was drinking.  “The what?!”

“Don’t act stupid, it’s pretty obvious you guys are head over heels for each other, and everyone in the family thinks he’s the son in law already, you guys must be planning to make this official pretty soon, right?”

Youngjae still had water dripping down his face as he tried to process what she was saying.  “No, no, no…”

“No?  What do you mean no?”

“I mean… not soon.  I wouldn’t put too much faith in it, honestly.”  Youngjae was trying not to panic.  He was worried this would be a disaster, but it turned out to be the complete opposite, things were going too well.

“What are you talking about?  You are in love with him, right?”

“I… well…”  Youngjae stammered.

Youngjae’s sister let out a huge sigh.  “Typical Youngjae, can’t see the feelings that are right in front of your face, how long have you been dating again?  You can’t be this dense.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“You’ve been staring at him with those dopey lovesick eyes the entire night!  Dad even tried to call you over, but you were too busy prodding his thigh and laughing at everything he said you didn’t even hear him.  As your sister, I’m not going to let your silly commitment issues ruin this.”  Youngjae’s sister looked almost angry now.  Was what she said true?

Was it really that obvious that he liked Jackson?

“He fell asleep.”  Youngjae jumped when he heard Jackson's voice.

“Oh, looks like the party’s over.”  Youngjae's sister said as she took her sleeping son.  “We should be getting home.” 

“Babe, you okay?  You look like you just saw a ghost.”  Youngjae flinched when Jackson said babe.  He liked it way too much.

“I-I’m fine.”  He got up and Jackson put an arm around him.  “We should be heading home too, it’s a long drive back to Seoul.”  His skin felt warm under Jackson’s touch.  Why was it so warm?  He was sure he had done that a couple times that night already and he hadn’t paid it any notice.

“Alright, let’s go say goodbyes.”

The family all got together one last time, everyone greeting Jackson telling him they hoped they would see him again soon.

Youngjae’s sister called out to them before they left.  “Jackson!  Make sure you don’t let my brother get away, you guys are the perfect match, alright?”  Youngjae was ready to sink into the ground.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon!”  Jackson replied with a smile and he took Youngjae by the hand. “It was nice meeting everyone, I’ll definitely see you again!”

Then they left, Youngjae’s hand slipping out of Jackson’s as soon as the door closed.  “Is everything okay?”  Jackson looked at him confused.

“It’s over, thank you very much… thank you… yeah.  We should get back to Seoul.”  Youngjae said before speed walking over to the car and sitting in the passenger seat.

Jackson got into the front seat but didn’t start driving.  “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Youngjae sighed.  “I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Jackson looked at him like he was expecting more, but Youngjae didn’t know what else to say.

“Just drive, I’m fine.”  Youngjae didn’t know why he suddenly felt so nervous.

They drove in almost silence, Jackson flipping the radio stations a bit.  The atmosphere was the opposite of the drive there and Youngjae knew he was the one causing this tension. 

He turned to look at Jackson finally, who peeked over at him as well.  “Your family is very nice.”

“Thanks, they all loved you, especially my mom.”

“Yeah, your mom was cool.”

Silence again.

“I don’t know how I could possibly thank you for doing all of this-“

“How many times do I have to tell you, it’s not big deal.  I wanted to do this for you.”  Jackson said sternly.

“I don’t understand…”  Youngjae whispered.

Jackson must not have heard him.  “Do you not want to talk to me anymore?  This whole deal is over now, once we get back to Seoul we can part ways.  We don’t need to see each other again.”

“No!”

“No?”

“Jackson I-“  Youngjae was interrupted by the car coming to a screeching halt, flinging the both of them forward against their seatbelts.  “Why did you stop so suddenly?!”  The road they were on was mostly deserted, so they didn’t hold up traffic.

“I didn’t stop, the hell?”  Jackson tried to start the car, but the engine only made funny noises.  “What.  The. Hell.”

“Did you run out of gas?”

“No way!  I had a quarter tank left, I swear.”  Jackson kept turning the key over and over like that would solve the problem. 

“Just stop, let’s call a mechanic.  I’m afraid you’ll ruin your car if you keep trying to force it.”

Jackson fell back against his seat, defeated.  “Fine.”

They sat there in silence for ten minutes, the mechanic nowhere in sight.

Youngjae was sure he was trying to say something before the car stopped but now his mind was muddled again.

“My mom called me last night.”  Jackson blurts out.

“Your mom?”  Youngjae recalls what Jackson had told him the day before.  “Is she…?”

“Her condition stabilized in the hospital, she should be fine as long as she doesn’t overwork herself.”

“That’s good news, right?”

“However, she was pretty angry when I told her I quit the company.”

“It’s your dream on the line, isn’t it?”  Youngjae looked at Jackson who was leaning against the car window.

“Sometimes it feels like I dreamt too big.  My parents told me over and over I was making a stupid decision, and the fact that all their warnings were right…”

“It’s not over yet.” 

“What?”

“You go back to the music company and you beg them to let you back in.  If this is what you really want you shouldn’t let this stop you for good.”

“There’s no way-“

“I’ll go with you.  I’ll help, I’ll do something I…”  Youngjae was getting so pumped up Jackson put a hand on his knee to get him to calm down.

“You’d do that for me?  I thought our agreement was over, you don’t need to keep seeing me.”

“Jackson, I can’t even imagine seeing you anymore so please stop saying that.  Please.”  Youngjae’s emotions were finally pouring out, he couldn’t hold them back any longer.  “I know this whole thing was fake but what I’ve been feeling for you has been real and I took way too long to realize that, and I know it’s so silly for me to feel like this because you’re you and I’m me and I really shouldn’t- mphfff.”  Jackson put a hand on Youngjae’s mouth to shut him up.

“So, you do like me.”  Jackson smiled.

“Don’t laugh at me.  I didn’t mean to-“

“Youngjae, I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing at the circumstances.  Your sister was right, you really are dense.”

“My sister told you what?!”

“Youngjae, do you really think I would’ve given up so much of my time to hang out with you this week and then visit your family if I didn’t like you at all?  I like you, a lot, so much more than you could ever imagine.”

“Me?  Are you sure?”

“Looks like we still need to work on that self-confidence, “Jackson leaned towards Youngjae, putting a hand on his cheek and staring into his eyes as he spoke.  “I’ve liked you since the day I met you, but you didn’t say anything as I continued to set you up on dates with other people, I thought you weren’t interested.”

“Jackson,” Youngjae whispered.

“Mhmm?”

“I really like you.”

“I really like you too.”  Youngjae couldn’t help but smile, he was so happy.

“You really like me.”  Youngjae repeated.

“I really like you.” Jackson’s face slowly got closer to his.

“Jackson Wang, you really like me.”

This time, Jackson replied with his lips.  Kissing him deeply and wholeheartedly.   “Choi Youngjae, I really like you.”  He whispered against Youngjae’s lips before pulling back into a searing kiss.

Youngjae wasn’t sure how long they were kissing until they were interrupted by tapping on their car window.

“Um, don’t mean to bother you but, did somebody call for a mechanic?”

Youngjae had never been this embarrassed in his entire life.

“You’re moving out?”  Youngjae asked Mark who had begun sorting his stuff out and putting them in boxes.

“Jinyoungie wanted to move in together… officially.”

“Congrats.” 

“Shouldn’t you be the one celebrating?  I don’t think anyone was more annoyed by us than you.”

“You were self-aware?!”

Mark giggled, deciding not to answer that question.

“Should I start putting up ads for a new roommate?”

“I thought you have a hot boyfriend now who’d be happy to take my place.”  Mark raised an eyebrow at him.  Both Mark and Jinyoung were all over the fact that he not only wasn’t single anymore, but he was dating Jackson Wang.

“We’ve only been dating a month; wouldn’t it be weird to ask him to move in with me?”

“It’s up to you I guess, but I don’t think you have to worry about him turning you down.”

“Jackson will be here soon, I guess I can ask him then-‘

“Ask me what?”  Jackson’s voice made Youngjae jump.

“How did you get in here!?”

“I let him in.”  Jinyoung strolled into the room, chomping down on a granola bar.

“What are you even doing here and- is that my granola bar?!”

“No.”  Jinyoung stuffed the rest of the bar into his mouth and shoved the wrapper into his pocket.

Youngjae sighed. 

“I’ll buy you another box of granola bars, babe.”  Jackson said as he pulled Youngjae in for a hug.

“Could you get any more ideal?”  Youngjae said, smiling into Jackson’s shoulder.

Youngjae could hear the click click click of Jinyoung’s phone going off and turned to him with another annoyed look.  “What?  I need these memories for the family photo album.”

Jackson gave Jinyoung’s camera a peace sign and laughed.  “What’s with all these boxes?”

“Mark and I finally found a place for the two of us.”  Jinyoung proudly told Jackson.

“Really… so Youngjae, are you looking for a new roommate?  It can’t be just anyone!  They have to be in a relationship or something, nope can’t have anyone moving in, they could be secret serial killers- in fact, maybe let me choose-”

“Jackson, relax,” Youngjae could make Jackson stop talking with one word.  “I wasn’t thinking about getting a new roommate.”

“You can’t afford to live here by yourself… can you?”  Jackson looked perplexed.

“Jackson… I was going to ask you if you wanted to be my new roommate.”  Youngjae said quickly; like he was ripping off a band-aid.

“Youngjae…”  Jackson looked happy at first but then sighed.  “I can’t move in with you.”

“Oh!  That’s fine, it was a bit too early to ask!  There’s no pressure, really it was Mark’s idea-“

“No, no!  I’d love to move in with you, but I actually can’t.”

It was Youngjae’s turn to look confused. 

“You see, I ended up getting accepted into the music company again, so I have to move back into the trainee dorms…”  Youngjae didn’t let Jackson finished before he pulled him in for another hug.

“That’s amazing!”  Youngjae pulled away and stared into Jackson’s eyes.  “Seriously, I knew you could do it.  I’m so proud of you!”

“The next round of auditions is soon, you should try out!  I know you have a killer pair of vocals on you.”  Jackson teased.

“Real funny, me, an idol?”  Youngjae laughed. 

“Hey! No laughing allowed!  You’d make a fabulous idol, except all those girls fawning over you… maybe you shouldn’t.” 

“Shouldn’t matter, I’ll always have you in my heart.”  Youngjae almost immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.  So cheesy, when did I become this?

“Nooo, ahh my heart!  Sooo cute!”  Jackson clutched his chest, keeling over.  He could hear Mark and Jinyoung trying to hold in their laughter.

“Should we leave?”  Jinyoung said between giggles. 

“It’s fine!  I was picking up Youngjae for a date anyway.”  Jackson took Youngjae’s hand.  “I’ve been polishing up my skills since we last went to the arcade, I think it’s due time for a DDR rematch.”   

“If that’s the case, I’m not going easy on you anymore!”

“Y-you were going easy on me?”

Youngjae must’ve been lost in how cute his boyfriend looked with his pouty face , Youngjae leaned and shamelessly kissing his frown away.  “I love you.”

Click click.

Jackson smiled, giving him another quick peck on the lips.  “I love you too.”

Youngjae pulled Jackson along, not even caring about how Jinyoung was probably going to post the photos all over social media in a few minutes with proud mom hashtags.