Mark was enjoying his time in Korea, other than the part where he knew the Parks were carefully monitoring him and Lou to decide if they wanted to give their official engagement blessing or not. There were a lot of interesting things to do, and Jinyoung's parents were excellent hosts. After finding out about Lou's obsession for racecars, they took him down to Yongin to see the Samsung transportation museum where he was almost beside himself with joy at seeing all the cool automobiles and getting to play the special games and activities the museum had specially for children, though he did have a few moments of homesickness when he realized Kit couldn't be there to see them with him. They also treated Mark and Lou to their favorite restaurants, giving them a taste of Korean food, which Mark had never really eaten before. Jinyoung's kitchen difficulties had kept him from making anything too complicated, so Mark had never been able to try most of the specialty dishes from his homeland until now.

Jinyoung also took them on a little guided tour of the places he'd frequented while growing up. He showed them his old middle school, the playground where he'd once broken his arm, the park where he'd used to go to play after school, and so on.

“I'm really glad we came to do this,” Mark had whispered one night to Jinyoung as they rested on their futons. “I like having the chance to see and hear what you were like when you were younger.”

“Is it really that interesting?”

“Hey, you've always had the advantage of knowing me. You saw all my university pictures and heard about me from both Allison and Lou before we even met. You saw my childhood photo albums not long after we started dating. You met my parents ages before I met yours. Meanwhile, I've had to find out about you in stages.”

“I'm not really trying to be secretive.”

“I know. But I like getting to know more things about you.”

Jinyoung smiled, saying nothing but gently resting his hand against Mark's cheek in an affectionate gesture.

It all made Mark blissfully happy, but at the same time completely terrified. The Parks still hadn't shown any indication of giving their approval. In fact, they seemed to be treating the whole thing like Mark was a visiting friend of Jinyoung's instead of his lover— they were kind and courteous, but didn't have any of the ceremony in their behavior that they surely would have had if he was an incoming daughter-in-law. He was pretty sure they didn't dislike him, but he got the feeling that they were at the very least slightly suspicious of him. They both knew he had a failed marriage under his belt and had divorced even with a child in his care, and it felt like they were just waiting for him to do something as irresponsible as someone with his past was surely capable of, something that would convince them that he was no good for their son or the relationship was no good for Lou's future.

“So,” Mark whispered, leaning into Jinyoung's touch and hoping against hope that he was completely wrong about his interpretation of how things were progressing. “Any hints as to what your parents have been thinking about us lately?”

“You know, I think they love Lou so much that they'll say yes just to have him as a grandchild,” Jinyoung said. “They like you too, you know.”

“Are you sure about that?”

He nodded. “They just don't understand you completely. And, I mean, it makes sense. People with your kind of experiences aren't really part of their limited worldview. We're not exactly in the kind of place where people divorce often and then start a same- relationship while raising a child. Even a celebrity having an affair here is a huge scandal, while it happens all the time back in America. They just don't really know what to think about everything that led you to this point. But that doesn't mean they dislike you. They think you're friendly and handsome and raising your son to be a good and kind little boy. And honestly, they'd have to be blind if they don't realize how happy you make me.”

“Hey, we have been toning it down a little, haven't we?”

“Way too much.” He rolled over and leaned into Mark's chest, smiling down on him. “Would mind toning it up a little for a second?”

Mark grinned, leveraging himself up a little to kiss Jinyoung. “In your family's sitting room, really?”

“If you want to drive out and find a hotel, I'm game. But if you're not up to it, at minimum I request a few more kisses. In the family sitting room.”

“Got it.” Mark wrapped his arms around Jinyoung tightly, pulling him in for a deeper kiss. They'd been together for several years now, but he loved how doing this still felt somehow new every time. Maybe it was because there were still so many things left to discover about Jinyoung that he didn't know. Seeing him in his hometown was just the tip of the iceberg—every day they were together, even the tiniest little things Mark had never realized before about Jinyoung struck him like Cupid's arrow in his heart and made him fall in love all over again. Every kiss felt as shocking and electrifying as the first, and he always wanted to keep doing it until they lost their breath and their heads started spinning.

But this time, he cut himself off as Jinyoung's body began to rub against him. “Mmm,” he said, Jinyoung's hair. “There's your few more kisses. But I don't think we can go much further in the sitting room, okay?”

“Whatever,” Jinyoung said, resting his head against Mark's chest. “I'll have the rest of our married life to make you make up for it. You better prepare yourself.”

The rest of our married life...

Mark wasn't going to lie, hearing those words coming from Jinyoung's lips pretty much guaranteed him a good mood when he woke up the next morning. In fact, the whole house seemed to be in a good mood. Jinyoung and his parents were teaching Lou how to make hotteok, a kind of sweet pancake which had apparently been Jinyoung's favorite food growing up. Lou always loved lending a hand in the kitchen back home, so he was having a blast following everyone's orders. He didn't seem to feel the language barrier at all—kids were really incredible in that sense. Even if they didn't know the words, they could still find a way to communicate.

Since the Parks' kitchen was packed with all the activity, Mark had gone outside to set up an inflatable wading pool for Lou when he was finished with his latest chef adventure, which would also hopefully take care of his tendency to get flour all over himself. It was a hot and humid day, and Mark wouldn't have minded a dip himself. Instead, he contented him with giving his bare legs a few occasional blasts with the hose he was using to fill up the pool.

After a few minutes, Mark noticed someone walking down the path leading to the house next door to the Parks. A young guy who looked about mid-twenties, maybe Jinyoung's age, was carrying a basket of laundry out to a clothesline stretched across their yard. He also noticed Mark, and stared at him for awhile before eventually trotting over.

He was handsome up close, with his small eyes and pretty face. His expression looked a bit cold and aloof at first, but the moment his lips turned up in a slight smile, that impression quickly disappeared. When he smiled, he looked warm and kind, and Mark instinctively smiled back.

The neighbor said something to Mark in Korean, gesturing towards the Park's house. Mark shook his head quickly and said, “I'm sorry, my Korean is no good,” in Korean, just as Jinyoung had taught him.

“English?” the neighbor asked. Mark nodded. The neighbor thought it out for a moment, then said in halting English, “Parks...still live here? Or...you guest?”

Mark nodded. “I'm a guest. Jinyoung's guest.”

The guy's eyes widened. “Jinyoung? Jinyoung here? Now?”

Mark was surprised by the intensity of his reaction before remembering that Jinyoung came home so rarely that it probably was a big event for the small, countryside neighborhood. “Yeah,” he responded. “He's here.”

“Can you...tell...Jaebum wants to say 'hello'?”

“You want me to tell him?” The guy, Jaebum, nodded. “Sure. He's actually cooking-” Mark mimed stirring something in a pot “-but he can probably come out soon.”

Jaebum didn't look like he caught any of that other than the 'sure' bit, but still nodded eagerly.

Mark popped back into the house. It looked like the pancakes were cooling at the moment, and Jinyoung's parents were taking the break to clean the dishes they'd used.

Lou, as expected, was covered in flour. “Lou, I set up a wading pool for you outside,” Mark told him. “Want to grab your swimming trunks?”

Lou's face lit up. “I can go swimming?”

“Just for a little bit before the pancakes cool down enough to eat.”

“Awesome!” Lou darted off to his room to put his swimsuit on.

Mark turned to Jinyoung. “One of your neighbors is outside and wants to say hi. Jaebum?”

Jinyoung froze in spot. “J-Jaebum?”

Mark tilted his head quizzically at the alarmed reaction. “Yeah, I think that's what he said. Maybe I'm pronouncing it wrong. He's probably someone you knew back when-” Mark stopped suddenly, the realization dawning on him. “Wait. The guy you ran to America because of was your neighbor...this is him?”

Jinyoung's look of alarm suddenly turned flustered. “Um, yes, that would be him. So if you don't want me to-”

Mark couldn't deny that he felt a sharp pang of jealousy at the realization that he'd just accidentally discovered his fiance's first love. Jaebum was seriously good looking, and if Jinyoung had liked his younger version, he would probably be beyond impressed with the adult version. Having to compete with the first love wasn't ever a position Mark wanted to put himself in, especially since he was barely aware of what kind of charms he had which had managed to keep Jinyoung in love with him so long in the first place. He was such an ordinary, simple person, while Jaebum had at least looked a little bit more extraordinary.

Then again, since Jinyoung had spent plenty of time with Mark's ex-wife/mother of his child and had that one incident with Lucy, Mark didn't see how he had the right to complain. On top of that, the whole thing with Jaebum had happened when Jinyoung was fourteen. And it hadn't really actually happened. Jinyoung had been rejected, and that had pretty much been the end of that. He'd fled not so much of a broken heart, but out of fear of being outed.

“I don't mind,” Mark said, even though he did, just a little. “I mean, if you're okay with seeing him again, I don't mind. Just...you know...don't cheat on me?”

“I wouldn't,” Jinyoung said. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. “Okay. This is embarrassing. But I can do this.”

Lou emerged a few seconds later in his swim trunks, and the three of them went back outside. Jaebum lifted an eyebrow at the unexpected appearance of a little kid, but smiled again when he saw Jinyoung. Mark felt another little pang in sharp chest, but shook it off. He trusted Jinyoung. It would probably be a good thing for him to put his old trauma to rest. He just hoped it wasn't a problem that the source of said trauma was smiling very warmly.

Jaebum immediately began prattling off in Korean to Jinyoung, which Mark didn't even bother to try and interpret this time, lest he jump to mistaken conclusions due to his lack of ability in the language. Lou looked at the two of them curiously for a moment, then leapt into the wading pool and began splashing around, not a care in the word.

While pretending to focus on playing with Lou, Mark kept an eye on Jaebum and Jinyoung. Jinyoung persisted in looking awkward for the first few minutes of their conversation, but slowly relaxed. His one or two word answers slowly expanded. Mark wondered what they were talking about. They hadn't seen each other in over ten years, so there was a lot of catching up to do. Jinyoung was probably telling him about becoming a kindergarten teacher, or what life was like in the US. Maybe he was even talking about Mark and Lou. Mark hoped he was, that it was out in the open from the beginning: Jinyoung Park is a very, very, very taken man.

Mark wondered what kind of life Jaebum had. Hopefully a happily married, not even remotely considering his old childhood friend one. It was a little petty, but he was wanted the situation to play out safely. He glanced at Jaebum's hand for a wedding ring, but came up empty—still, maybe he was unmarried, but in a relationship. Guys like that were always popular with women, so there was probably someone. That was a comforting thought.

Eventually Lou realized Mark wasn't paying attention all the way, and gave him a good splash to the chest, soaking his t-shirt. “Hey!” Mark yelped. “Pool rules! No splashing!”

“I don't see a sign that says that,” Lou said stubbornly. He gave Mark another splash, so Mark was obligated to give him a punishment splash back.

It took Mark a few minutes of back and forth splashing to remember that he didn't want to lose track of what Jinyoung and Jaebum were doing. But just as he was realizing that, the two of them appeared beside him, laughing at his antics with Lou.

“I hope you brought extra clothes,” Jinyoung snickered. “Looks like your outfit for the day has been taken out.”

Jaebum knelt down by the wading pool. “Your name is Lou? I am Jaebum. Nice to meet you.”

“A bum!” Lou repeated gleefully.

“There's a J at the beginning,” Jinyoung said, laughing. “Jae-bum.”

Lou repeated it, this time getting the pronunciation right. “Are you going to play with us?” he asked Jaebum.

“Ah, I don't have swimsuit. Please do not splash!” He lifted his hands in surrender.

“We have pancakes,” Lou said. “You can have one, too!”

“Hotteok,” Jinyoung added. “We made it together.”

“I like hotteok,” Jaebum said with a nod. “I will have.”

Mark couldn't decide if he wanted to smile or wince. His automatic appreciation for anyone who was kind to his son was conflicting with his anxiety about Jaebum also being “awesome dad” material—something Jinyoung had always said he'd liked about Mark.

“Ah!” Jinyoung yelped suddenly. “I just remembered—we really should get some sunblock on Lou. Just a sec, Mark, I'll run in and get some from the house.”

“I could-” Mark started to say.

Jinyoung shook his head. “You wouldn't know where to find it. Just give me a second.”

Great, Mark thought, looking nervously at Jaebum. I really don't know what to say to him in this situation.

Jaebum smiled at him, oblivious to Mark's worry. “Jinyoung said you get married. Congratulations. You are cute family.”

“Oh,” Mark said, a little surprised. “You think so?”

Jaebum nodded. “I am glad he found someone nice.”

At those words, Mark felt a little ashamed of himself. He'd pretty much spent the past half-hour mentally shrieking at Jaebum to get back from his lover when he'd apparently had no such intentions to begin with. Maybe Jinyoung's youth had made him anxious that Jaebum would out him in the past, but it didn't look like Jaebum had wound up being that kind of person. He was a good guy, and he hadn't deserved Mark getting all defensive with him, even if it was only internally.

“Thanks,” Mark said sheepishly. “Are you married?”

Jaebum shook his head. “Dating? Same person since high school?”

Ah. So poor Jinyoung hadn't really had a chance to begin with. Mark was starting to feel even more embarrassed with himself.

“Jinyoung is...” Jaebum started to say, searching for the right word. “Feels a lot? And thinks a lot? So maybe gets hurt a lot, but...he looks happy. I...before...not seen him like this. Not this happy.”

Mark's expression softened a little at that. He knew exactly what Jaebum meant. Jinyoung was in many ways an internal person, one with a lot of thoughts and sensitivities that were easily bruised. Little disappointments and insecurities hurt him far worse than they tended to hurt other people—that was why he'd been so quick to run after his rejection from Jaebum rather than stop and take the moment to realize that his secret was safe with the person he'd trusted it to. He'd almost done the same with Mark, too. First when Lucy had butted in. He'd tried to bolt the moment he felt himself unwanted. And then when he'd convinced himself that Mark still loved Allison. He'd tried to extract himself from the picture so well it had almost worked.

But he wasn't like that so much anymore. His determination to hold onto the person he loved made him willing to fight back a little more. That was why they were here in the first place—because he didn't want his parents to question him without a fight. And he was happy. He'd been that way for a few years now, so maybe Mark had forgotten a little bit that Jinyoung hadn't always been as purely happy as he was now. He'd forgotten a little that he had helped bring about that change, and it wasn't something Jinyoung was going to throw away at a second's notice, not even for the allure of a first love. Maybe that was one of the charms that had kept him in love with Mark so long— even though Mark was a simple guy, the simplicity of their love was still a beautiful thing.

“Thank you,” he said to Jaebum, more sincerely this time. “I really love him, so I hope I make him really happy.”

Jaebum nodded. “And son is so cute! Jinyoung will be good appa.” He grinned at Lou. “You know 'appa'?”

“Appa is daddy!” Lou yelled. “And I have three!” Mark really loved how he said it so happily. He turned his head back to the house to see Jinyoung and his parents exiting it, holding a heaping plate of hotteok. Jinyoung was beaming, and even his parents were smiling a little too.

“Lou-Lou, hotteok is ready for eat!” Mrs. Park said. Jinyoung hopped down the stairs to help dry Lou off with a towel before rubbing some sunblock into his face. Just like a real father, as always. Mark felt a feeling of warmth spreading in his chest.

Mr. Park addressed Jaebum in Korean, seeming to offer a part of their hotteok hoard. Jaebum agreed, and with Lou (and Mark) dried off, the six of them grabbed some plastic lawn chairs and sat down to eat together.

Jinyoung and Jaebum did a little more catching up, but it didn't make Mark feel jealous like before. He was happy they could be on good terms without their last interaction back when they were fourteen causing them tension. This time when he watched them, he watched them with a smile.

“Ah,” Mrs. Park said, leaning towards Mark. “You, Jaebum, all so handsome boys. Other neighbor girls, maybe jealous!”

Maybe, Mark thought to himself. But not me. Not anymore.

“So,” Jinyoung said as they rested on their futons that night. “In conclusion: I am an idiot.”

“An important life discovery,” Mark teased. “Me too.”

“Huh? Why are you an idiot?”

“I told you it was okay to talk to him, but still wound up getting jealous.”

“Jealous?” Jinyoung looked halfway between annoyed and smug. “Really, Mark? Over someone I had a crush on before my brain was even fully developed?”

“Hey, he's a handsome guy.”

“Yeah, but so are you. Anyways, the Jaebum I remember liked cutting class and was always faceplanting when we played soccer in gym. I don't really know a lot about the person he's grown into since then other than what he's told me today, so it's kind of a stretch that my old crush would just pick up where it left out. I mean, it would already have the impassable wall of my feelings for you to get over in the first place. Not going to happen.” He sighed to himself. “Still, it was such a joke that I ran away when he would have never told anyone about me. He told me that this afternoon. He felt so bad that I left, and he blamed himself. He said he never once looked down on me for confessing to him, and that was never his reason for rejecting me. It was because he was already seeing someone, but I never bothered to hang around and figure that out.”

“Cut yourself some slack, Jinyoungie. You said so yourself, your brain wasn't fully developed.”

“I know.” He wrapped an arm around Mark's waist. “But I still feel bad. He may have caused me trauma, but I think I caused him some right back with my running off like that. Still, he seems to be doing well for himself. The person he's seeing is a pediatrician and earns enough to where Jaebum doesn't even need to work if they get married. He didn't appreciate it when I joked and called him a kept man."

"Meanwhile, you just got the boring, old sales manager."

"Hmmm, but this old sales manager is exactly my style in so many ways, isn't he?" Jinyouh smiled wryly. "Anyways, it's kind of funny how that idiotic, under developed thought process of mine when running away eventually led to the happiest thing in my life. I really shouldn't be too mad.”

“It's amazing how life works out.” Mark squeezed his shoulders. “And I shouldn't be too jealous. I've always been a little grateful to him, after all. For you being here.”

“Mmm.” Jinyoung kissed his cheek. “Although, it is nice to see you get jealous for once. It always feels like it's me.”

“There was that one time, with BamBam.”

“Heh. BamBam. Barely counts, if you'd known BamBam any better, you'd have stopped being jealous in a heartbeat.” He got quiet for a second. “It's kind of nice. Not having to look at that part of my life as a bad thing anymore. It feels liberating. It feels like I can go forward with nothing bad weighing on my chest. I'm really so, so glad we came.”

Mark nodded. “Me too. I just hope we can wrap this adventure up just as nicely with your parents.”

“If it's us, I think we can do it.” Jinyoung nestled his head against Mark. “If it's us, I think we can do anything.”