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AUTHOR'S FINAL NOTE: WEEEEE FINALLLLYYYY MADDDDDEEEE ITTTTTTTTTTT

OH MY ING GAWD I SWEAR THIS SHOULD HAVE ENDED TWO. ING. YEARS. AGO. 

Anyways, thank you all for patiently waiting and have the least bits of faith in me. Normally, I would make a whole chapter for the final author's note, however, just for the aesthetics of how the chapters layout look right now, this is the only exception (HATE is special we been know). Also normally, my final author's note tends to be long as , however, I will keep this short and sweet (?) so you lovelies can get on with the FINALE. Again, thank you so much for still sticking around even after two whole years of hiatus, and even when I did return, the inconsistency was ridiculous. My deepest apology for that.

With HATE ending, if you haven't, feel free to check out LOVE and US. If you don't feel like it, that is completely fine. I already appreciate it lots that you even spent the time to put with my bull. LOVE is 2JAE-centric, but according to my readers, the MARKJIN is very strong in that one as well. LOVE was written before HATE. US is both 2JAE-centric and MARKJIN-centric, just dealing with different type of trauma and conflicts that would eventually come together in the end. 

Plans for US? It will be continued somewhere late-Jan or early-Feb. I do have plans to finish it this year. I won't promise anything regarding that.  

This has been a veeeeeeery long journey for me and you all (LITERALLY). I enjoyed writing this soooooo much. I loooove the complexity of JY's character and the sweetness of MK's character. Like seriously, everyone needs a Captain Tuan in their life (hope you all find yours one day~)! I actually planned A LOT for this one, but it has to end for better things to come. Soooo to my US readers, you can look forward to the flashbacks. 

OKAY. WRAPPING UP. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT AND LOVE. I WILL CONTINUE TO DO MY BEST IN THE FUTURE. I LOVE YOU ALL. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN ROUGH FOR EVERYONE, BUT LET'S CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD! STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY MY LOVELIES~

HAPPY FINAL READING AND REMEMBER TO LEAVE FEEDBACKS~

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    “How is he?” Mark whispered as soon as Jinyoung opened the door.

 

 

    Looking over his shoulder, Jinyoung shook his head, “bad.”

 

 

    Mark observed the silent fume radiating off of his boyfriend. The tragedy happened only two hours ago, but for Jinyoung, his supressed rage had been living inside him for years. But Mark was glad Jinyoung chose to stay back with his best friend rather than go after the subject of his madness. If there was one thing Jinyoung learned from being with Mark for the past three years, then it had to be patience.

 

 

    “I’ve already took care of guests and everything else. His parents were worried and insisted on staying to see him, but I’ve sent them home. They said to tell you that they’re leaving him with you tonight. Is there anything else you would like me to do?” Mark reached out and touched Jinyoung’s cheek.

 

 

    Immediately, Jinyoung leaned into the touch, “thank you.”

 

 

    “I guess we’re not celebrating our Third Year Anniversary this weekend then. Good, I need to save money.”

 

    

    “No, we will-“

 

 

    “Jinyoung-ah, Youngjae needs you. I’ve already cancelled our flights and hotel reservation. You need to be here for him. Don’t go looking for Suzy. Don’t go anywhere. Just be here for him. He’s in a lot of pain. It’s not easy to go through what he’s going through at the moment. So stay with him and make sure he’s safe, okay?” Over the years, Mark and Youngjae got to know each other better. Despite the constant bantering between the two, they went from acquaintances to good friends. Mark regarded Youngjae as his cute younger brother. Naturally, he grew protective of this little brother he adopted.

 

 

    “Okay… I’m sorry…”

 

 

    “Don’t be. I’ll take care of everything else. You take care of Youngjae.”

 

 

    Jinyoung sighed, anger coursing through his veins, “I can’t believe I’m actually not doing anything about this bull. . I want to rip her head off.”

 

 

    “Not worth it. And Youngjae would hate you forever.”

 

 

    “Why would he hate me when that was the one who left him?!” Realizing how loud his voice became, Jinyoung grind his teeth to calm himself down. His hands shaking and chest heaving as if his anger was starving for blood. Not just anyone’s blood. Only that particular ’s blood.

 

 

    “I know how you feel. I’m also feeling the same, but right now, you need to stay strong for Youngjae. Later, you can cry about it with me.” Mark pecked his lover’s lips, knowing that simple action held enough power to keep the Beast in control again.

 

 

    Their lips lingered a little, but reality drew them back. A rustling noise made both of them centered their attention towards the deeper inside of the groom’s waiting room. Jinyoung turned to look at Mark and shook his head. “I hate that Youngjae decided to get marry a week before our Anniversary.”

 

 

    “No, you don’t,” Mark stole another kiss. “You hate that he proposed three years ago when they were still in a rough patch and hadn’t solve any of their problems yet.”

 

 

    “I hate that they pretended there weren’t any problems between them to begin with.”

 

 

    “You hate that they even got together in the first place.”

 

 

    This time, Jinyoung stole a kiss. A long kiss. “You are absolutely right,” he said against Mark’s lips. He pulled away with a sad smile, “I’ll go back now. What are you going to do?”

 

 

    “I need to call Jackson.”

 

 

    “Why?”

 

 

    “I think you know why.” For the first time this whole night, Mark avoided Jinyoung’s eyes. They knew the inevitable. Mark’s three-year deadline came knocking his doors a bit faster than he wished for.

 

 

    Mark was right. Jinyoung knew why. Nodding slightly, Jinyoung leaned over and kissed Mark’s cheek. “I hope it works out.”

 

 

    “Thank you, love.”

 

 

    “I love you.”

 

 

    Those three words always sound like the first time they’ve been said. Always giving Mark little butterflies. Even when after three years, Mark heart would still flutter at those three words. Every time. With a smile, Mark whispered softly, “I love you, too.”

 

 

 

 

 

+

+

+

 

 

 

 

 

    The three-way video call turned out to be a silent party as the three agents sat in fron of their respective screens, unable to utter out a single word. It was Jackson’s idea to invite Jaebum into the mix to inform him about the status of Mark’s very unstable situation. After hearing what Jackson had to say, Jaebum stayed quiet. Seeing how quiet Jaebum became, the other two let him have his moment. DIdn’t take long for all of them to fall into a horrible mood. Though, at least Mark expected the outcome. But Jaebum had hope. On the other hand, Jackson lost all hope about two years ago when Mark shook his head when asked about the progress of the case. Given the situation, there was nothing else they can find. Most of Mark’s men were either killed or kidnapped and tortured before they could report back anything important. Mark didn’t want to lose anymore people to this stupid investigation that beared no fruit. Jackson offered to help, but Mark refused to let anyone else putting their lives on the line.

 

 

    From then, Jackson gave up.

 

 

    So did Mark.

 

 

    “You’re telling me these past years, you’re just chilling here in Korea like a vacation?” Jaebum finally opened his mouth. He looked disappointed. “The reason why I’m not blasting a bullet through your head right now is I still give a damn about you, Mark. You told me you didn’t need any help because you got it under control. Turns out, you just gave up and treated this as time to spend with your little boyfriend? I should have ing known.”

 

 

    “Hey, we tried everything. It was impossible given whatever resources we have at hand. Last resort was Mark going undercover by himself. You should thank me for not letting that happens. He wouldn’t be here if he had left to do his hero .” Jackson returned the same energy Jaebum threw at the screen.

 

 

    Jaebum rolled his eyes, “you’re missing the fact that if he returns to the States right now, the only thing greeting him is his demotion.”

 

 

    “I’d rather him demoted than die, thank you very much. You’re his best friend yet you act like this. I thought by bringing you in here, something can be done last minute. My bad. I didn’t calculate your y attitude beforehand.”

 

 

    “What the did you say, Wang?”

 

 

    “Stop it,” Mark sighed, “both of you. Thank you for all the concerns, but nothing can be done now. I will have to leave soon some time this year. Whatever, I’ll take the demotion. I can take it back in a couple years. No big deal. We hit a dead end with this case. I’m not going to run around aimlessly trying to squeeze out any more information. They did well burying all of this. I don’t think it’s erased completely, but it will be transferred somewhere. And when that happens, it’s a lot easier for me to pinpoint the new location of the target.”

 

 

    “What exactly are you looking for?” Jaebum asked, other emotions subsided as his profressionalism surfaced.

 

 

    “A file.”

 

 

    “File? I thought you’re looking for something bigger this whole time. You’re just looking for a file?”

 

 

    “The file contains everything, Jaebum-ah. Everything that has to do with the underground society. Names, statues, transactions, everything you could imagine. That file stores it. But the file has layers with each layers coated with massive networks of security. I believe we only need to open the first layer in order to gather all the s on this trafficking chain.”

 

 

    Mark didn’t have to elaborate more for Jaebum to understand that somewhere within those layers, all the deeds done by Chairman Park were documented down to the last word. Mark deleted everything, except the basic information, related to Park Jinyoung in the World System, but this file was something much more complex. How those ers got their hands on it? Mark still needed to figure that out. Before the government gets a hold of that file, Mark needs to have it first.

 

 

    The three agents fell off into a silence once more, all deep within their own thoughts. They can sit and wreck their brains, but like Mark said, there was no solution. The next hint comes when the transfer happens. During that moment, Mark can track and get a hold of it. From there, he can formulate new plans to retrieve it and expose the entire chain, putting an end to this headache of a ing case. Until then, Mark just has to accept whatever happens to him. He was the one who volunteered, so he will be the one to shoulder the consequences from his failure. But he deserved it. So many innocent people have lost their lives for him, yet he couldn’t avenge them or bring the criminals to justice. Actually, the demotion was the lightest punishment regarding this matter. Mark thought he deserved a more severe punishment. Maybe one where he truly lost everything his eyes ever laid on.

 

 

    No.

 

    

     Because that would mean he’ll lose Jinyoung.

 

 

    If it ever leads to that, he’d rather die than having to go through the pain of losing the love of his life.

 

 

    “Change of topic, since we’re unable to do anything else about Mark’s case,” Jaebum broke the quietness, sounding a lot more positive than some minutes ago, “how’s the wedding, Mark? You’re back awfully early.”

 

 

    The other two did not expect Mark to groan and rub his face with his hands. “. The wedding… It was ing insane.”

 

 

    “Damn. Is everything all right?” Jackson smelt drama in the air, something he’s always in the mood for.

 

 

    “No. The bride ran away.” The moment Mark finished that sentence, Jackson and Jaebum collectively gasped outloud. Their eyes widened with interest. Mark chuckled at his friends’ reactions. “Groom got left at the altar. My boyfriend is with him right now.”

 

 

    “Oh …”

 

 

    “ing Hell…”

 

 

    Mark sighed, “yeah. Tonight was rough. We were supposed to celebrate our Third Year Anniversary in Thailand, but I cancelled everything. Jinyoung have to stay with his friend.”

 

 

    “Wow. Dude’s going to have hella trauma and trust issues now,” Jaebum shook his head, “poor guy. The bride ruined him for anyone who’s coming after. Good luck trying to fix that.”

 

 

    “Jaebum, shut the up. You’re the LAST person to be saying that . You’ve never even been in a serious relationship. ing around and flings are completely different from being in love.”

 

 

    “Oh, so you suddenly a ‘love expert’ now? Off your horse, Mark. Watch it. One day, your current boyfriend is going to break your heart!” Jackson laughed, siding with Jaebum unexpectedly.

 

 

    Jaebum joined Jackson and laughed annoyingly, “no need for that. His heart’s already been broken by that Devil too many times to count!”

 

 

    “I ing hate you guys,” Mark rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He needed this type of atmosphere tonight. His friends didn’t have to say it directly, but Mark knew they were attempting to lighten the mood. What impressed him was the fact that Jackson and Jaebum, despite not knowing each other well, communicated this little plan without saying anything to one another. They read the tension and ran with it. “Thank you.”

 

 

    “Anytime, man,” Jackson gave a thumbs up. “Anyways, I have to go. You two have fun.” Jackson waved to the webcam and exited the call.

 

 

    “Does Jackson knows?”

 

 

    “About?”

 

 

    “Who’s your boyfriend…”

 

 

    “His name, yes.”

 

 

    “So he doesn’t know that it’s literally THE Park Jinyoung?”

 

 

    “Nope.”

 

    

    Jaebum whistled, “I need to be there when he realizes who you’re actually dating.”

 

 

    “Bummie?”

 

 

    “What’s up?”

 

 

    “I need a favor.”

 

 

    “I swear to God if it’s some dumb …“

 

 

    The look in Mark’s eyes suddenly shifted to something more profound. Throughout the call, Mark looked normal as always, very tired but still pretty normal. But now, the tiredness in his eyes disappeared to God knows where. In replacement were eyes which shone as bright as the stars against the darkest blanket of the night. All the build-up stress dissolved like sea foams on a sunny day, leaving only a clear head with a firm decision. “It’s about Jinyoung.”

 

 

    At first, Jaebum thought he was imagining things. But the more he looked at his best friend, the more excited he became. Just like that, he knew. And he seriously can’t wait. “I’m in.”

 

 

    “You didn’t hear-“

 

 

    “I’m in.”

 

 

    Mark laughed, “well, then I am counting on you!”

 

 

 

 

 

+

+

+

 

 

 

 

 

    Jinyoung scanned his surroundings. Fancy? Kind of. Not too flashy but definitely not a place for the lower and middle classes. Vibe? Very ambient with a splash of romance. Feels like it could be romantic, but at the same time, a comfort zone. Food? Tasted way better since the last time he was here. When was the last time? Oh. His first date with Mark. They really didn’t come back ever. Capacity? Strangely, quite empty giving this time of the year. Well, Valentine’s was yesterday, understandable for the slowness of the restaurant. Wait…

 

 

    Same restaurant as their first date…

 

 

    Day after Valentine’s…

 

 

    Anniversary…

 

 

    How could he forget?! Jinyoung quickly looked down at his plate to hide the shock of a huge realization. For the past week, Youngjae occupied his time and mind twenty-four seven. Jinyoung was barely eating properly, let alone even sleeping for more than four hours each night. So when Youngjae told him to go back home, he questioned the younger like a prosecutor. Youngjae caved and said his parents wanted him home. Jinyoung still didn’t believe and had to call the Chois to confirm such news. Then, Jinyoung proceeded to personally drive Youngjae to his parents. When they got there, Jinyoung instructed Master Choi and Madam Choi carefully about certain things. Basically, if anything happens, don’t hesistate to pick up the phone and call him. He even went as far as giving the maids a list of things to take note of when taking care of their young master. The second everything was taken care of, Jinyoung bid his goodbyes and called Mark to inform about the past week. Mark cut him off halfway and said to meet up, so they can have dinner.

 

 

    Clealry, Jinyoung didn’t bother to think about it deeper than a simple dinner with his boyfriend. So he came to dinner in a casual outfit. Though, when the waiter brought him to the reserved table, Jinyoung almost fainted by how dressed up Mark was.

 

 

    Mark wore a ing suit.

 

 

    From head to toe, Mark looked dashingly handsome in a charcoal suit with hair slicked back.

 

 

    Jinyoung wanted to sink to the ground. He didn’t know he had to dress up. Even the waiter looked confused as to why Jinyoung was dressing as if he’s having morning coffee with a friend instead of having a romantic candlelit dinner with a lover.

 

 

    Mark didn’t mind it, still smiling charmingly and greeted Jinyoung with a light kiss on his cheek. Feeling even worse, Jinyoung wanted to go home and change. Mark didn’t let him, and so, he’s stuck here in embarrassment of his careless self. Couldn’t even bring himself to ask Mark why was he all dressed up.

 

 

    A week trapped in an apartment filled with depression really ed Jinyoung up. The negative energy he fed off of Youngjae started to cloud his brain. Explained why he can’t even think simple details. He can’t believe it took the whole dinner for Jinyoung to remember that today was his Third Year Anniversary with Mark. The Worse Boyfriend Award must go to no other than Park Jinyoung the .

 

 

    Wait… Again…

 

 

    Mark never dressed up like this for their other anniversaries…

 

 

    Still dressed nicely and looked insanely hot but never in a whole suit with formal styled hair…

 

    

    And they never went to this restaurant to eat despite this being a place that held an important spot in their hearts…

 

 

    So why…

 

 

    Could it be…

 

 

    Jinyoung gasped too loudly, so he pretended to cough. At least all that negative energy didn’t completely damage his ability to put two and two together. He reached for the glass of water while still delivering a beautiful coughing performance. Except he didn’t stop coughing in time. In a split second, the water slid down the wrong hole, causing Jinyoung to choke on the liquid and violently cough for real this time. All the water that entered through his mouth exited the same way. What a pretty sight.

 

 

    “Babe, you okay?” Mark actually looked a little bit concern. “Let me help-“

 

 

    “NO!” Jinyoung held out his arm to stop Mark from coming closer. At this point, it’ll be great if someone could snipe him before he has to deal with more of this ridiculous embarrassment. “I’m-I’M FINE. FINE. I-“

 

 

    “You don’t look fine…”

 

 

    “I am,” Jinyoung cleared his throat and exhaled slowly. He flashed a confident smile at his date, “perfectly fine!”

 

 

    Mark pursed his lips to suppress a laugh. “If you say so.”

 

 

    They continued with dinner, exchanging some small talks here and there to catch each other up on the past week when they were apart. When they waiter started to clear the table for desserts, Jinyoung’s heart began beating faster and faster against his chest. He kept smilling secretly and messing with the napkin and flower vase on the table. His hands refused to stay still, keep looking for things to play with as his nervousness increased by the beats of his heart.

 

 

    Jinyoung couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that he’ll leave this place tonight with a fiancé.

 

 

    The thought alone got him giggling to himself out of excitement. If he had known, he would have looked a bit more appropriate for the occasion. If he had known, he would have called Jaehwan to have someone customize the most elegant suit for him. If he had known, he would have stopped himself from looking like a damn fool in fron of his future husband.

 

 

    Future… Husband…

 

 

    Covering his mouth, Jinyoung hid the biggest smile. He cleared his throat and fixed his coat, breathed out steadily, yet a smille managed to creep up his face. Jinyoung told himself to pretend to act surprise when the time comes.

 

 

    Jinyoung was too busy trying to keep a straight face that he didn’t notice the amusement dancing on Mark’s lips. His chin rested on the palm of his hand as he watched his baby being all squirmy and excited. He can’t wait to see Jinyoung’s reaction.

 

 

    Finally, desserts were served. The waiter placed a lovely banana foster with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream in front of Jinyoung and a simple slice of chocolate cheesecake in front of Mark. Jinyoung saw the scoop of ice cream and immediately felt his face heating up. He knew Mark was a cheesy person, but Mark can’t be this cheesy. Poking the ice cream with his spoon, Jinyoung looked up and made eye contact with Mark, who replied with a smile so handsome that it physically pained him. Jinyoung returned his undivided attention on the ice cream. Who cares about the delicious fried bananas covered in honey-like cinnamon sauce? The. Ice. Cream. Is. The. Only. Thing. That. Matters.

 

 

    Very carefully, Jinyoung sunk the spoon into the ball of ice cream. He took a big piece and eat it. Very. Carefully. Nothing. So he took another piece. Still nothing. And another one. Just normal ice cream. That can’t be it. There went another one. And another. And another. Another. Another. Nothing. Frustrated. Jinyoung smashed the ice cream into a mushy puddle. Nothing. His brows furrowed as he moved to smash at the innocent bananas. There wasn’t anything.

 

 

    No ring.

 

 

    Jinyoung sat completely still for a while, eyes blinking in confusion. He was so sure Mark was going to…

 

 

    “Check, please,” Mark called out to his waiter.

 

 

    Still sitting motionlessly and staring at the plate of ruined dessert, Jinyoung’s heart stopped racing a thousand miles an hour. The excitement melt into an ocean of disappointment. He didn’t know what to feel when what he expected to happen didn’t happen. But he was so sure…

 

 

    “Ready to go, babe?” Mark hooked his hand under Jinyoung’s chin and lifted the younger’s chin up to look at him. “What’s wrong?”

 

 

    “Nothing,” Jinyoung answered, voice surprisingly stable. “You look very good tonight.”

 

 

    “I know, This is the tenth time you said that.”

 

 

    “Yeah…” Jinyoung gathered himself and got up. “Is that it?” He blurted out.

 

 

    Mark had a moment of confusion before nodding slowly, “yes, that’s it. Not sure what you’re referring to… Buuuuuut that’s it. Happy Third Year, love.” Mark didn’t miss the chance to end that with a smile and a peck on the lips.

 

 

    Jinyoung took a long look at the man in front of him. Although he was expecting something, a childish disappointment can’t stop his overflowing love for this man and only this man. Sure, he wanted a marriage. Wanted to spend the rest of his life with this man. Wanted to be each other’s pillars. Wanted to give everything he has for this man to hold, including this battered heart of his. Wanted this man all for himself. Jinyoung knew better than to throw a fit over something so trivial as a ring and a wedding. He knew Mark’s personality more than anyone. Someone like Mark would never rush a marriage. If Mark wasn’t ready, then so be it. Nothing changed between them. Their love never dies.

 

 

    A genuine smile appeared on Jinyoung’s face. “It’s fine,” he said, “having you here with me is enough. You’re the best thing that happened to me. I hope we can continue growing together. I love you so much.”

 

 

    “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

 

 

    They walked out hand in hand, hearts all warmed up from each other’s love. Even with constant storms around them, they were happy to spend their anniversary together like this. Nothing feels better than being with each other. The world can keep throwing s at them, but as long as they have each other, that’s all they ever ask for.

 

 

    Before they parted ways to their own cars, Jinyoung kissed Mark sweetly as a thank you for dinner. They didn’t let go of each other until Mark started noticing how badly Jinyoung was shaking from the cold. They laughed about it and shared another kiss.

 

    

    Jinyoung parked nearer to the restaurant, so instead of making his way to his car, he stood and watched Mark’s back. Happiness flooded his heart as he retracted his hands from his pocket. On his right hand sat a little velvet box. He looked at the box and looked back up at Mark’s figure in the distance. Jinyoung held up the box and opened it, revealing a beautiful ring made from the most expensive white gold there was on Earth. Mark always a step ahead, but this time, Jinyoung was the one who walked a million steps ahead. He’s not ashamed to admit that he had this ring for about two years now. He carried this little box with him everywhere for the past two years in case of an opportunity arises.

 

 

    Tonight was the perfect opportunity.

 

    

    “Too bad you didn’t propose,” he smiled and closed the box. “If you did, I would have also gotten on one knee.”

 

 

 

 

 

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    “WAAAAIT!”

 

 

    Vice Captain Park blocked the elevator doors from closing with his arm. Out of nowhere, Captain Im dashed inside with a smile too bright to handle this early in the morning. This was new. Usually, no captain hated mornings as much as Im Jaebum. Being greeted by such enthusiasm from a definitely-not-a-morning person sort of put Vice Captain Park on guard. “Your parents got into an accident or something?” A gruesome question, but Jinyoung knew how much Jaebum prayed for his own parents’ demise.

 

 

    Captain Im shook his head, smile never eased, “just feeling a bit lively today, you know?” He reached over to press the button that would take the elevator to the rooftop.

 

 

    “Something’s going on?” Jinyoung’s instinct kicked in at Jaebum’s weirdness.

 

 

    “What do you mean?”

 

 

    “We’re going to the roof? Did you hit your head last night? Our floor is seventh-“

 

 

    “Jeez, you’re full of questions today, aren’t you, Park? Did Mark forgot to you last night?”

 

 

    A blush flashed across the Vice Captain’s face, “what-“

 

 

    “Happy Anniversary, by the way,” the Captain turned to his Vice and winked, “I hope it went well.”

 

 

    Jinyoung rolled his eyes despite his cheeks still burning by Jaebum’s very straightforward remark. “We just had dinner and went separate ways. I had just came back from taking care of my best friend.”

 

 

    “Oh, yeah. How is he?”

 

 

    “With his parents. He’s seems to be doing worse, but I’m about to send him away from here.”

 

 

    “To where?”

 

 

    “Why are you so nosy? Do you know him?”

 

 

    “No…” Jaebum cleared his throat, “just wanted to drown the silence. Why are you so defensive? I’m just casually asking? It’s not like I’ll drop everything and go stalk your friend. I don’t have that kind of time, thank you very much.”

 

 

    Silence refused to leave the two alone. They can carry a short convo, that was really about it. A relationship outside of work wouldn’t work on them. Maybe time will tell, but as of now, the only person who stepped in to hold them together was Mark. If anything were to happen to Mark, the tension between them would be heavier and heavier until it becomes impossible to lift it.

 

 

    The elevator slowly climbed its way to the rooftop after what felt like a decade of silent torment. The moment the doors slid open, Jaebum took Jinyoung’s hand and dragged him out. At first, Jinyoung struggled and threw a fit out of confusion and slight anger. On any normal day, this type of bratty behavior won’t be tolerated by the Captain, but only for today, he was patient. And so, ignoring the pain seeping through his suit jacket from the insane grip Jinyoung pressured upon his forearm, Jaebum held on tight. In a one-on-one fight, he might not be able to take down Jinyoung, but at the same time, Jinyoung won’t be able to win. Their skills complimented each other’s perfectly. It will always be a tie.

 

 

    Sick of yelling at a wall, Vice Captain Park grabbed his Captain’s shoulder and pushed it downwards to the ground. Captain Im responded the sudden assault with a harsh squeeze on the Vice Captain’s wrist. Jinyoung winced as he pulled Jaebum towards him. When the two were at about a couple inches from each other, Jinyoung took the opportunity and struck his head forwards and knocked it against Jaebum’s forehead. The pain shot straight through Jaebum’s skull, causing him to release in order to grab at his head in hope of calming the sheering pain.

 

 

    “ YOU!” Jaebum shouted and charged at Jinyoung.

 

 

    “If you opened your mouth and answered me, this wouldn’t have happen! !” Jinyoung dodged an incoming swing at his jaw. In a split second, he swung back at Jaebum, changing the direction from an attempted uppercut to a punch right on the lower part of the ribcage. He could feel that Jaebum was going easy on purpose. And that angered him more. “WHAT THE ARE YOU TRYING TO DO?!”

 

 

    “That’s it,” Jaebum rubbed his side, adrenaline circling in his eyes. “I’ve been holding it in because of Mark. I don’t give a anymore-“

 

 

    “STOP!!!!” Bambam came running and threw himself to block his Vice Captain from his Captain’s view. The younger closed his eyes as the Captain’s fist came flying at him at full speed. In his head, he was praying for his life. But the punch never came.

 

 

    “STOP IT! DON’T FORGET WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DO, SIR!” Yugyeom had the Captain barricaded in a tight hug.

 

 

    Bambam sighed in relief when he saw Yugyeom risked his own life to save his. Turning to their Vice Captain, who remained glaring daggers at their Captain, Bambam boldly maneuvered him towards the door. “Please, cooperate, sir. Captain Im already ed up.”

 

 

    Still confused, but at least Bambam said something unlike Jaebum who just used force, Jinyoung complied reluctantly. So many malicious thoughts ran through Jinyoung’s head each step he took. One day, Im Jaebum will die by his hands. It wasn’t so hard to open that ing mouth, wasn’t it? Wasn’t so hard to just politely lead him out, wasn’t it? Wasn’t so hard to respond even to one question, wasn’t it? Wasn’t so hard-

 

 

    The door opened, revealing the simple, but vast, rooftop no one frequented. Two lines of agents, one on each side, bowed and greeted Vice Captain Park. For a second, Jinyoung almost blanked out in surprise. Without any guidance, he walked by himself down the aisle of agents. Each step he took, the lighter his heart became. He tilted his head up to the sky. His eyes squinted slightly at the warm ray of sunlight kissing his eyelashes.

 

    

    The weather was way too nice for a mid-February day.

 

 

    Perfect for a joyous event.

 

 

    He smiled and turned his head back towards the end of this long walk.

 

 

    At the end, Mark stood there in his usual handsomeness. Seeing Jinyoung smiled, he smiled back and stretched a hand out. Without hesitation, Jinyoung accepted the hand and made the move to hold the other hand as well. Their smiles grew as they felt each other’s warmth creeping up every inch of their skins.

 

 

    “Are you finally purposing to me?” Jinyoung asked, a little shy but that subtle playfulness in his tone never went away.

 

 

    Mark leaned over and kissed his boyfriend’s lips. He whispered, “even better.”

 

 

    “Even… Better?” Jinyoung wasn’t stupid.

 

 

    Mark didn’t say anything else but a simple smile. He turned to face the front, in which Jinyoung followed suit with all the questions bubbled inside his head. Standing in front of them on a slightly higher ground was none other than Jaebum, who now adorned a strained smile, probably still internally wincing from the pain of the earlier mishap. Jinyoung decided to let what happened go. He’d rather be focusing on what’s about to happen.

 

 

    “I really took one week to get licensed, so I can officiate you two,” Jaebum fixed his uniform, “yet what I received in return? Oh. Right. Almost a ing broken rib. Thanks a lot. I will not be agreeing to anything you scheming again, Tuan.”

 

 

    All the other irrelevant things went in one ear out the other for Jinyoung. All he heard was-

 

 

    “O-officiate?!” Jinyoung whipped his head back to Mark so fast that his vision blurred for a bit. “Wha-what is he saying, Mark?!”

 

 

    Mark just smiled and guided his lover back to position again.

 

 

    “Since we don’t have enough time for chitchat,” Jaebum finally plastered a sincere smile on his face, “Mark Tuan, do you take Park Jinyoung as your rightful, hopefully lawful, husband?”

 

 

    There were moments in Mark’s life that required him to take a seat and think over again and again until his brain fried under all the pressure. But this moment, just this one, Mark was sure of his decision. God forbid if he’s ever wrong about this, he’ll jump off of this building himself. He turned to look at Jinyoung. Those wide, surprised eyes looked so adorable. Those parted lips completed the look that tugged on his heartstrings for years. His entire life, he spent finding a home to settle. A home to seek comfort. A home to pour all his love. A home to rest his heart. So many disasters he had survived, to the point, he stopped believing in the existent of that cozy place. Until this man in front of him came crashing into his life. Mark knew then.

 

 

    Finally, he is home.

 

 

    “I do,” Mark said, eyes remained gentle as always whenever they laid upon the love of his life. “And I promise to love you and only you for the rest of my life.”

 

 

    Jaebum held himself together once more and turned to the other groom this time. “And you, Park Jinyoung, do you-“

 

 

    “I do,” Jinyoung interrupted, confident as he can ever be. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the velvet box. His smile shifted to a smirk as he opened the box. “You skipped the whole proposal. You’re going to have to make up for that, Mark.”

 

 

    Both Mark’s and Jaebum’s jaws dropped at the turn of events. Every agent presented gasped and cheered, loving the plot twist. No one expected for THE Park Jinyoung to have a whole ring prepared. Everyone awed and oohed at the fact that their Vice Captain had to carry that small box around while battling with his own nervousness to whether or not should he proposes.

 

 

    “Wow,” Mark exhaled sharply, “you’re ready.”

 

 

    “Been ready for a while,” Jinyoung shrugged, taking the ring out of its prison and threw the box behind him. Yugyeom happened to catch it, since he was standing behind holding in his happy tears. Taking Mark’s hand in his, Jinyoung slipped the ring on and bring his lover’s hand to his lips. “Did you had fun playing with my feelings last night?”

 

 

    “You were very cute last night,” Mark extended a hand towards Jaebum. As on cue, Jaebum placed a ring on top of Mark’s palm. “I should have come over last night and make you feel better. Sorry, sweetheart.” Slipping the matching white gold band on Jinyoung’s finger, Mark admired the glistening line of diamonds decorated on top of the band. His heart raced faster.

 

 

    “YOU MAY NOW KISS THE BRI- I MEAN GROOM!” Jaebum announced, as all the agents cheered and threw the flower petals they kept inside their pockets into the air.

 

 

    The newlywed wasted no time pressing their lips together and smiling happily against each other’s lips. Their little wedding was the most simple as it can be, but their hearts catch all the excitement and happiness marriage brings. Mark didn’t mind. Jinyoung didn’t mind also, but in his head he’d already planned for a proper big and fancy wedding. But this will make do right now, as long as they’re married.

 

 

 

    “Mark, can we-“ Jinyoung started, can’t wait to spend their first day as a married couple together. But before he could finish, a strong gush of wind blew over the rooftop. “Mark-“

 

 

    The blades of a helicopter rose from below as another helicopter rested right above the agents. Mark took one look and immediately recognized to whom those helicopters belonged to. Jaebum was the first to spring into action, but Mark stopped him. They’ve talked about this. Every second was crucial. Time was ticking by fast. He gave his attention back to his, now, husband. “Jinyoung-ah,” Mark said, loud enough for Jinyoung to hear through the fierce spinning of those obnoxious blades, “I love you. I love you so so so so much.”

 

 

    “No, Mark-“

 

 

    Mark held Jinyoung’s face in his hands and kissed those pouty lips. When they pulled apart, Jinyoung had tears pooling at the bottom of his eyes. “Don’t cry. I’ll be back. I promise I’ll be back. For the holidays, I’ll definitely be back. Because I need to be with you.”

 

 

    “Please, don’t go! I can make a phone call! Mark, please! We just got married! How do you have the heart to leave me like this?!”

 

 

    “Do you love me?”

 

    

    “Yes, yes, yes, I love you. I love you so ing much that I don’t want you to ever be away from me.”

 

 

    “Do you trust me?”

 

 

    “Yes, I trust you.”

 

 

    Their lips met again in another sweet goodbye kiss. Mark pulled away first and slowly backed away from his husband. “I’ll see you soon, sweetheart. In the meantime, Jaebum will take care of you.”

 

 

    “MARK!” Jinyoung watched helplessly as a man dressed in dark blue camouflage reached down to grab Mark’s hand. He watched on as his husband took a seat on that goddamn helicopter with the headsets on. He watched and tried to smile while forcing himself to wave goodbye to the man who holds his entire world.

 

 

    He watched as the helicopters disappeared into the clouds.

 

 

    Watched as his husband flew further and further away from him.

 

 

    It hurts.

 

 

    He thought he was prepared for this moment, but it hurts more than he could imagine.

 

 

    Jaebum, for the first time, voluntarily gave his heartbroken Vice a hug. “Don’t worry. He’ll be back. He always come back to you. And if he doesn’t, remember what you promised me?”

 

 

    Jinyoung forced a final smile, eyes watery and heart shattered into pieces. “If he doesn’t, I’ll turn all Hell over to find him.”