Mark’s twenty when he debuts with Jinyoung.

That was the one flaw in Mark’s brilliant plan to join Jinyoung’s company as a trainee, that they would debut in two separate groups and never see each other. It made him rather clingy to his boyfriend whenever they had practices and lessons together, which became a common occurrence to all the trainees there, who often made jokes about how they were trying to do fanservice without even really having fans to begin with.

So when the new boy group to debut is announced, and the higher ups are naming its members, his heart clenches when he hears Jinyoung’s name being called first.

Beside him, Jinyoung squeezes Mark’s hand in reassurance. No one knows they’re dating, because the tolerance for the LGBT community is still low, but also because neither of them are comfortable enough with any of the trainees right now to reveal their relationship to them. Jaebum knows, obviously, due to his close friendship with the two, but other than their parents, no one else knows. Mark is just thankful that he can do a lot of skinship with Jinyoung, and not have people bat an eyelash at it.

The next name, which breaks the currently-a-redhead out of his thoughts, is Im Jaebum, and although Mark is still terrified of his nightmare coming true, he’s at least a little relieved that his boyfriend and Jaebum can still have each other, given their close bond that rivaled his own with Jinyoung.

The next name is Jackson Wang, the Hong Kong trainee Mark had bonded with rather quickly, given that they both spoke Mandarin. Their long conversations that few trainees could understand had made Jinyoung rather jealous and decide to learn Mandarin, something Mark barely convinced Jinyoung not to do (simply because it came from jealousy). This time, Mark is the one jealous that Jackson and Jinyoung will be able to spend time together.

Before he can implode in a mix of anger, jealousy and fear, Mark’s name is called, and he all but collapses against Jinyoung in pure relief. The trainees around them chuckle as Jinyoung gives him an innocent kiss on the cheek to calm him down.

He barely listens to the rest of the lineup. Kunpimook Bhuwakul he knows because who didn't know the entirely too cute kid from Thailand? Kim Yugyeom he knows vaguely, simply because the kid’s just too tall. He’s like a giant in a field of ants, so it’s hard to miss him. Choi Youngjae’s he’s heard of (his singing is apparently very powerful), but he’s hasn’t been a trainee for long, so he hasn’t gotten around to talking to him.

Jaebum is made the leader, which suits him perfectly, despite Mark being the oldest (he acts so much like a little kid, JYP would have to be an idiot to make him leader). They’re due to debut in January, which gives them around three months to prepare their concept and record their first songs.

Later that night, the newly formed group head out for dinner for the first time, in an attempt to get to know each other.

Their conversation only consists of debating what to order and learning everyone’s taste preferences up until the food actually arrives. So, when the meat’s on the grill and everyone’s just waiting for it to cook, there is no conversation. Just silence, as no one knows how to proceed. The only people who were really close were Mark, Jinyoung and Jaebum, and then Kunpimook and Yugyeom. To Mark, Jackson was like a classmate he talked to, but didn’t really hang out with all that much.

Then Jackson breaks it. “So... does anyone like skinship? Because you’re gonna have to get used to it with me. I like to attack. A lot.”

Everyone chuckles a little bit before answering. Mark knows Jackson is clingier than he is with Jinyoung (another reason Jinyoung wanted to learn Mandarin) but he never minded the surprise back hugs, so the Hong Kong native knows it’s okay to attack him. He knows Jinyoung likes skinship as much as he does, but it’s the fact that it’s Jackson that will make him hesitate, maybe even deny it. Mark, though, is hoping that seeing Jackson do skinship with others will make his boyfriend less jealous. Jaebum, however, Mark knows will most likely say no. He’s simply not too comfortable with skinship, though he does make small allowances for him and Jinyoung, because they’re close. He’s not sure about the rest, though.

Youngjae reveals that he can be pretty clingy too, as does Kunpimook, who asks them to call him by his nickname, BamBam. Mark can’t help but compare the Thai boy in front of him to the Flintstones character, but even he agrees that the nickname just seems to suit him. Yugyeom isn’t as open to skinship, but he really doesn’t mind it. As predicted, Jaebum outright denies Jackson of skinship, but the boy seems to think otherwise, because there’s a glint in his eyes that Mark knows means nothing but mischief. He already knows Jaebum’s gonna have his hands full with Jackson. Literally.

Jinyoung opens his mouth to answer, seeming a little hesitant, but Jackson quickly stops him in his tracks. “I know you’re okay with it. You do a lot of skinship with Mark, and Mark likes to cling to you, so you don’t have to say anything!”

“But it’s Mark...” Jinyoung mutters.

“Oh? What makes Mark so different from the rest of us?” Jackson demands, not harshly (He’s pouting like a kid, so any mean factor is instantly diminished).

The two of them freeze. Mark doesn’t know exactly how to answer. In the future, he wants to be comfortable enough with his new band members to be able to tell them of their relationship, but it’s too early, and he worries that Jinyoung gave themselves away already.

Luckily, Jaebum, already the leader, steps in. “They grew up together,” he says. “They’ve known each other since they were ten.”

“Wah, really?” Youngjae asks, eyes wide, leaning in, not seeming to notice the tantalizing smell of perfectly cooked meat. Beside him, Yugyeom and BamBam also seem interested, turning to face Mark and Jinyoung with expectant expressions on their faces.

Jackson’s face went wide, from his eyes to his mouth, and he all but screamed, “REALLY? But Mark’s from the US, and you’re from here! Besides, you didn’t say you knew Mark when he first became a trainee.”

“No one knew because no one asked,” Jinyoung shrugs. “My dad’s job got transferred to Brazil at the same time Mark’s mom’s job got transferred. We met in Brazil before I had even started school.”

“Really?” BamBam asks. Mark’s not sure why they’re so fascinated by their relationship, but he nods anyway.

Jackson’s eyes light up, and he snaps his fingers. “That’s why you were fluent in Korean when you got here! I always wondered why, because you’re Taiwanese American, but it was because Jinyoung taught you!”

Jinyoung nods. “It’s how we first became friends,” he explains. “I barely knew any English, he didn’t know Korean, and neither of us knew Portuguese, so we began teaching each other.”

Soon, the conversation becomes storytelling time, as Mark and Jinyoung tell the group story after story about their childhood, the two years they spent together, and the six years spent on Skype. They don’t mention Mark’s coming out, but instead talk about how Jaebum befriended Mark, and how Jinyoung hadn’t known Mark was auditioning for JYPE. Storytelling shifts to eating, as Jaebum reminds them of the still cooking food, and the seven boys descend on the food with a ravenous hunger, finishing it quickly in between teasing comments. Already, the new group are becoming close, filled with hope and dedication and camaraderie.

On their way back, Mark and Jinyoung hold hands, making sure they’re in the very back to allow for some privacy. Jaebum is in front of them, offering some more privacy, as well as allow the new leader to keep an eye on the troublemakers.

Mark’s surprised by how easily they all came together. Surely it can’t always be that easy, but the way they just fit, even though they have some very different personalities, there’s a level of respect for each other and a subconscious understanding of each other that comforts Mark. They’ll be okay. Maybe they’ll have arguments and disagreements--they’re inevitable--but he knows they won’t ever separate on truly bad terms.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Jinyoung says softly, breaking Mark out of his thoughts.

“I just... this is...” Mark can’t seem to put his thoughts into words, but Jinyoung doesn’t mind, simply waiting while giving Mark a reassuring smile. He’d always been like that, even when they first met. It was one of the reasons Mark fell in love with him.

“We all seem to be getting along really well,” Jinyoung says finally, giving his boyfriend a knowing look.

And there was another reason. Jinyoung always knew exactly what Mark was thinking, and when Mark just didn’t know how to say it, Jinyoung could guess his thoughts with scary accuracy.

“I don’t think it will be long before we tell them,” Mark smiles as he speaks, a soft smile full of happiness, contentment, and hope.

His expression matching his boyfriend’s, Jinyoung reaches up to give Mark a soft kiss, pulling away before anyone could look back and catch them.

Under the stars of the night, new bonds are forming, ones that will last a lifetime.

He’s twenty-two when he and Jinyoung come out as a couple.

Of course, the rest of GOT7 know already. Jinyoung and Mark haven’t really been too discreet. Their skinship was beyond that of the rest of them, save Jackson (no one could beat Jackson) and they were always found tucked away in some corner, looking suspiciously disheveled. They had finally caught Jinyoung and Mark making out on the couch when they thought the rest of them were out six months after they debuted. They all had been supportive, and had to have another storytelling session clarifying how they began dating, and so forth. After that, Mark moved into Jinyoung’s room, and that was that.

The unfortunate side effect of GOT7 knowing was that Mark and Jinyoung often went overboard. There were a great deal of YouTube videos containing every single MarkJin moment that ever existed, and more and more people were becoming convinced that the two were actually dating. The management didn’t know what to do with the two boys. Their manager and Jaebum are always nagging them to keep their hands to themselves, but sometimes they just have to.

Thankfully, as time goes on, people become more open to the idea of Mark and Jinyoung, and same- couples in general. More and more people ask Mark and Jinyoung to kiss each other on the cheeks, and even though one of them will “protest” and “try to evade it” until the other, “annoyed” by the delay, will just kiss his cheek and be done with it, these platonic kisses only convince more and more people, day after day. After all, the more vehemently you deny something, the more you like it, right?

One day, GOT7 have a meeting with the manager. Their comeback is coming up, so it isn’t that big of a surprise. They do need to determine their schedule and get any last-minute changes or news before their first performance, and the majority of the meeting was just like that.

At the end, though, their manager speaks up. “JYP-nim has also decided something.”

Mark freezes. There was some vaguely foreboding tone in his voice, and it scares him. Was this it? Did JYP-nim decide to disband them after their comeback?

Clearly sensing everyone’s fears, their manager smiles directly at Jinyoung and Mark. “JYP has decided to let you two go public with your relationship.”

Mark’s jaw drops, and beside him, Jinyoung gasps. “Wha-what?” Around the pair, everyone is making exclamations of surprise and happiness.

“JYP knows how hard it is for you two to keep your relationship quiet. More and more people think you’re dating each day, and soon everyone will know the truth and be harassing you. The management has decided to let you guys take control and reveal the truth in your own way. Besides, with all the excitement about the two of you, it might help the group more than hinder it.”

The feeling of absolute ecstasy and happiness radiating in his body was about to explode, and Mark doesn’t know what to do with it. Without thinking about it, he leaps across to hug his manager tightly, chanting “Thank you,” over and over. The moment he releases him, Jinyoung yanks on Mark’s collar to bring him into a bruising kiss, one that startles him briefly before he reciprocates it, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and pressing him so close to his body that he became unaware of where Mark ended and Jinyoung began. It was only until Youngjae, BamBam and Yugyeom’s gagging reaches his ears that he realizes that they’re in full view of the rest of their group and their manager. Once he breaks the kiss, Jinyoung seemed to realize the same thing, and the two bury each other’s faces in the other’s neck. The gagging turns to laughter and teasing, and Jinyoung pulls Mark from the room a few moments later, dragging him into their room.

A few months later, their comeback gets a lot of positive feedback from both fans and critics alike. Now, Mark and Jinyoung are unabashedly flirting with each other, winking, holding hands, and generally curling up to each other. The Markjin fans are going crazy.

They were planning on coming out at their first concert in Korea, but their first win with their comeback song happens much sooner than that. The feeling of victory overwhelms them at every win, but they had had to restrain themselves to teary hugs that ended far too early to avoid suspicion.

Today, though, Mark hugs Jinyoung tightly as GOT7 inconspicuously move out of the way so that the fans--and their cameras--can capture the next moments.

Jinyoung pulls away to tenderly wipe Mark’s tears with his fingers, an affectionate look on his face.

Mark thanks him with a kiss.

Under the dark blanket of night illuminated with stars, Mark and Jinyoung’s secret comes out into the light.

He’s twenty-four when he gets engaged.

He has been dating Jinyoung for five years. It seems like such a long time and yet not long enough. He wants to spend eternity with his childhood friend, teenhood boyfriend and young adulthood lover. He wants to spend his adulthood with this singular person who had made his life so much better, made him more interested in life and made him realize there was more to life than just contentment and a lack of emotional investment in pretty much anything.

He wants to marry Jinyoung.

It will take careful planning from Mark to keep this a secret from Jinyoung. He is pretty perceptive, and he will notice if Mark starts acting even a bit out of normal. Thankfully, everything falls into place quite easily.

After debuting, Jinyoung and Mark moved into a dorm with the rest of GOT7, but every other weekend or so, they head to Jinyoung’s family’s house in Seoul for dinner. Jinyoung’s noonas are sometimes there, but most times it’s just Mark, Jinyoung, and his parents.

Today, though, Jinyoung has a full schedule that will keep him out of the dorm until late that night, early the next morning. It’s then that Mark meets with Jinyoung’s parents. He wants to do it the proper way, and so he seats himself opposite of Jinyoung’s omma and appa, takes a deep breath, and asks for their permission to marry Jinyoung.

The reaction is immediate. The moment Mark’s request clicks in their minds, they’re out of their chairs and hugging him, tearily giving him their blessing and talking about how both Mark’s parents and they were waiting for this moment for years, and how Jinyoung would definitely say yes.

Getting the ring was a bit more of a challenge. Mark would’ve loved to shop for a ring, letting himself be pulled to find the perfect ring and pay for it. However, since Mark and Jinyoung came out as a couple, their fans had become insanely perceptive and fanatical about the two’s relationship. If Mark was even seen in the vicinity of a jewelry store, articles and SNS messages about their potential engagement would swirl throughout the internet, and Jinyoung would be onto him in seconds, so unfortunately Mark has to order a ring online. On the bright side, Mark can custom make one, so it will be more personal.

It takes time for Mark to create the ring he wants to propose to Jinyoung with. He has to be careful, though, as Jinyoung likes to sneak attack him while he’s on his phone looking at different options. He knows that Jinyoung is starting to get a little suspicious at how intently Mark looks at his phone, and how often he hears Mark press the home button when Jinyoung approaches, so he takes a different route, trying to minimize the time he’s on his phone when Jinyoung’s around, and sacrificing the time he would have spent watching Overwatch videos or napping to work on Jinyoung’s ring. He also enlists the help of others to subtly keep Jinyoung busy while he works. He’s initially a little doubtful that Jackson can pull it off, but when Jackson successfully baits Jinyoung into realizing the puppy’s room is a little messier than usual and gets a scolding from the omma, Mark realizes that Jackson is the perfect distraction.

With the help of GOT7, Mark finishes the ring and orders two of them. Now it’s just a waiting game.

Mark is lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone (no longer looking for rings, thankfully) when Jinyoung comes, looking very upset. When Mark makes eye contact with him, he can’t help but smile widely, starting to get excited for his upcoming proposal.

Jinyoung isn’t so happy.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” He doesn’t bother with a greeting, and Mark quickly realizes the serious tone in his boyfriend’s voice.

“Wha-What?” Mark stammers, taken back.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed,” Jinyoung says shakily, approaching him. “Everyone’s been trying to distract me from you for a week. And before that, you were always on your phone, but you never let me see what you’re doing.”

Mark’s still trying to formulate words, trying to pick the right ones that will reassure his boyfriend yet hide exactly why he has been hiding from him.

“Do you...” Jinyoung’s voice is wavering, and the panic building in Mark’s chest skyrockets. “Do you not want me anymore?”

Mark leaps to his feet as Jinyoung’s eyes finally begin to mist over. “No! I-I mean, I want you! Jinyoungie, I love you!” He reaches his boyfriend, and grasps his shoulders gently, rubbing comforting circles into the skin. “I’m sorry for keeping things from you, but I promise you, it’s all for you. I was planning something for you, for our anniversary, and I just didn’t want you to find out, that’s all! Just a surprise!” He leans in and softly plants kisses on Jinyoung’s hands and cheeks, lips brushing away the stray tears that fell.

He can’t imagine what Jinyoung must have been going through for him to react like this. Jinyoung wasn’t an emotional person, and he didn’t let things affect him. Mark, however, was the exception to everything people thought Jinyoung was: they were the key to the other’s self, the one who could turn the lock and make a real difference, one that lasted, good or back. Mark was the only one who had the power to make Jinyoung like this, and he had. Guilt sweeps over him like a tsunami wave.

“I’m sorry, Jinyoung-ah,” he croons, softly wiping his boyfriend’s tears away and staring deep into those watery brown eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you doubt me. I’ve been in love with you for twelve years, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I’ll always want my Jinyoungie, ok?”

Tears finally subsiding, Jinyoung nods in understanding as he leans in to kiss Mark, reaffirming his trust and apologizing all at once. Mark smiles. He knows it’s not all over, Mark still has a lot to do to make it up to his boyfriend, but he doesn’t mind. Mark pulls Jinyoung over to their bed.

It’s late, after all. People should be sleeping.

After that night, all Mark really has to do is arrange for some free time for GOT7 at one particular tour date, which is on their anniversary. The location? Brazil, in the same city where he and Jinyoung first met, where they had grown up together. Mark thanks his lucky stars for allowing this to happen to them every time he thinks of it.

It takes a lot for Mark to hide his excitement as the days pass. Even though Jinyoung knows he’s getting a surprise for their anniversary, he still doesn’t want his boyfriend to see how excited he is, in case Jinyoung tries to put the pieces together. It doesn’t help that Jackson keeps dropping hints, to Jinyoung’s confusion and Mark’s frustration (he definitely regrets informing Jackson of his plans to propose) and it takes all he can to keep his face innocent and unaware when Jinyoung turns to search his face.

Finally, an agonizing two weeks and several definitely-more-exciting concerts later, they arrive in Brazil. At this point, Mark was already noticeably excited, and he couldn’t hide it. Thankfully, he manages to blame it on being back in Brazil and wanting to show GOT7 all the places he and Jinyoung went to as kids.

And they do. They arrived the afternoon before their concert, so they have an abnormally large block of free time, which the group is definitely not protesting. Mark convinces Jinyoung that the majority of the time will be spent for their “surprise,” which he approved with management (it was a struggle, but it was worth it, and they were happy for them) so when Mark suggests they break off from the rest of the group, he doesn’t protest.

“Where are we going?” Jinyoung asks, curious.

“Somewhere,” Mark replies, shooting his boyfriend a cheeky grin, to which he gets a nice smack as a reward.
“I’m aware of that,” he says dryly. “Don’t tell me, it’s a surprise.”

“I did say I had a surprise for you,” Mark reminds him.

Jinyoung grumbles playfully under his breath, but falls silent until they reach their destination. When Mark finally stops, Jinyoung begins to look around, feeling its familiarity, but unsure of where he is. It is night, after all. As soon as he realizes where he is, though, his eyes grow wide and he turns to face his boyfriend. “It’s the park we always went to, the one where you--”

“Where I told you I was moving,” Mark finishes for him as he leads him to the same park bench where, eleven years ago, a brokenhearted 13-year-old told his best friend and childhood crush that he was moving away. “Do you remember what I did the last time I was here?”

Almost immediately, Jinyoung nods. “You told me you were moving away.”

Yes, but not quite. “I did, but what else?” Mark prods, trying to lead his boyfriend in the right direction.

“You gave me a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars,” his boyfriend replies rather easily, though still confused. “Why did you ask?”

“I’m giving you more stars,” is Mark’s cryptic response, which only creates more confusion on Jinyoung’s part before he continues, “I need to tell you something.”

There’s a long pause as Jinyoung contemplates the meaning behind his boyfriend’s words before he asks hesitantly, “It’s not bad? You’re not leaving, right? Because I don’t think I can handle that right now.” It’s the exact opposite of what Mark is trying to do, but he understands where he came from. Stars are a bit of a mixed feeling for the younger, especially in regards to that moment eleven years ago, so when Mark referenced that moment, immediately Jinyoung had associated it with leaving and farewell.

He chuckles a little and shakes his head. “No, I’m not leaving. I’d never leave you.”

That seems to firm up his boyfriend’s resolve, as he straightens up and takes a deep breath. “Okay then, what do you want to tell me?”

Here it is. The big moment. Mark himself takes a few deep breaths before he gets on one knee.

Jinyoung’s reaction is priceless: his eyes widen to an impossible width, his mouth drops open, and he takes an involuntary gasp of air. “M-Mark, wh-what?”

Mark can only offer his boyfriend a sweet smile. “We’ve been dating for five years, Jinyoungie-ah. I’ve been in love you almost ever since I met you. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I asked your parents for their blessings a few weeks ago, and I was making the ring on my phone for two weeks after that. That’s the real reason I was avoiding you back then. I’m still so sorry for making you believe I was going to leave you, but you have no idea how badly I wanted to do this right. So, basically... what I’m trying to tell you is... Will you marry me?”

Almost before he’s done, Jinyoung’s nodding, tears clouding his eyes. “Y-yes, of course, Mark.” He’s not screaming like most people would, or outwardly crying, but it’s the calm way Jinyoung responds that eases Mark’s heart, which had been threatening to pound its way out of his chest and into Jinyoung’s. Jinyoung’s sure of this, he knows what he wants, and he’s unafraid of getting it. It’s a long time coming, but it was so worth it.

Still, Mark can’t help but . “What, you don’t want to see the ring?”

He’s immediately rewarded with a nice slap to his shoulders as his fiancé (fiancé! He can actually say it!) says, “Of course I do, but that doesn’t mean I can’t say I’ll marry you. Now show me the ring.”

“Alright, alright,” Mark grumbles playfully as he reaches into the backpack he brought with him and retrieves a brown paper bag with a box-like shape in it. He pulls out said box, opens it, and presents him with the ring inside.

It’s a simplistic design, as neither of them like flashy anything, but there are small diamonds dotting part of the silver band in a scattered, random pattern. He’s almost not sure Jinyoung will understand what the diamonds represent, which was his biggest concern when designing the ring.

He should’ve had more trust in Jinyoung, as he immediately murmurs, “stars,” before peering at the inside of the band, seeing the inscribed word. Markjin. “Is this...?”

“It’s not an accurate depiction of our constellation, I’ve completely forgotten what it had looked like,” Mark admits sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, “but yeah, it’s supposed to represent our constellation.”

“Do you have one?” Jinyoung asks.

Nodding, he pulls out the long chain he’d been wearing recently, showcasing the ring at the very bottom of it. “I have a chain for you too, so you can have the ring on you until management says we can tell the public.” Mark awkwardly shifts, moving his almost sleeping knee into a more comfortable position. “So... can I get up now?”

Jinyoung smiles gently down at him. “Not until I kiss you,” he replies softly, leaning down to cup Mark’s cheeks and plant a passionate yet light and delicate kiss on his lips, raising him slowly to a standing position.

Mark wraps his arms around Jinyoung’s waist and deepens the kiss.

The twinkling constellation and namesake of the newly engaged couple allows them the safety and privacy of their moment as they celebrate under the night sky.

He’s twenty-six when they get married.

It’s been a busy two years. GOT7’s success just seems to grow every day, and with that comes more and more responsibilities. Jinyoung and Mark had long ago agreed to put GOT7 over themselves, and were not complaining about postponing their wedding indefinitely. They love GOT7, love the ahgases, and did not even consider putting them on hold just so they could get married first.

The rest of GOT7 didn’t exactly see it that way.

“Hyung, when is your wedding?” Jackson asks one night, a little over a year and a half after Mark and Jinyoung got engaged. They’re all eating dinner together, and Mark can feel the gazes of the rest of his group, sans Jinyoung, staring at him.

Thankfully, Jinyoung saves him from answering. “We haven’t decided yet, but maybe in a couple of years.”

“Years?” Youngjae exclaims, confused. “You’re not getting married soon?”

“Why would we?” Mark asks. “We don’t have time for it right now.”

“We all thought you’d have tied the knot by now,” Jaebum admits.

“GOT7 is more important,” Jinyoung replies.

“But...” Yugyeom trails off, genuine and innocent confusion on his face. “Don’t you guys want to get married soon? Do you really want to wait that long?”

Mark shrugs. “Sure, we want to get married, but we don’t need to right now. Maybe when we’re not so busy, we’ll get married.”

“You do realize that may be more than just two years, right?” Jaebum tells them quietly, concerned for them. “If we keep getting popular, you may not be able to until we disband.”

“Then we’ll wait,” Jinyoung replies easily. “We really don’t mind. We decided from the beginning that GOT7 and the ahgases were more important.”

Everyone looks ready to protest, until BamBam speaks up. “Okay, if you’re really sure about that,” he speaks calmly, acceptingly, and Mark feels assured by the fashionista’s support. He hadn’t expected the resistance the rest of GOT7 would put up for them postponing their wedding. “But if you’re gonna wait that long, why don’t you still plan your wedding?”

“What’s the point?” Jinyoung asks. “We can wait until later to plan.”

“Have you never heard of a Bridezilla--or in this case, a Groomzilla?” BamBam’s expression is mischievous and playful. “It might be easier to nail down exact details now so you aren’t scrambling to get it precisely right later. Besides, wedding planning is stressful enough. If you do a little bit at a time, you’ll have it all done so you can relax for your wedding.” His eyes light up, “hyungs, can we help you plan?”

“What--why?” Mark stammers, taken back. He did not want BamBam planning his wedding. He’d disregard any choice they’d make for something more... trendier, and who knows how their wedding will end up? “I-I mean, it’s our wedding, a-and I know there are wedding planners, but don’t you think it’s a little personal for you to mess with--”

Beside him, Jinyoung’s also making protests, but BamBam silences them with a hand. “Will it make you feel better if we plan with your parents? I mean, they know you’re getting married, right?”

“Yeah, I asked Jinyoung’s parents for their blessing, and I told my parents I was planning on proposing long ago. I’m fine with you planning with my parents, but we have override power,” Mark finally decides. “And we want to know about everything, no matter how small.”

“I’ll agree with that,” Jinyoung concedes, nodding.

Excited, BamBam does a little fistpump and leaps to his feet, nearly knocking over the table. “Yes!”

As he stares in amusement, Mark notices the intensity of the mischievousness in BamBam’s eyes as he shares meaningful glances with the others. Suddenly, the rapper has no idea what he and his fiancé just signed up for.

It doesn’t become clear for months, and by then, Mark and Jinyoung have forgotten about it. At random times during their day, one of the group would come up and ask a question about wedding plans, one of them would answer, and then the member would go to the other person and confirm. If the answers were the same (which it was 95% of the time) then it would be added; otherwise, Mark and Jinyoung would discuss it, compromise, and then give an answer. It was a terrific system, and Mark was really appreciating how much was getting done while they waited, but...

“Don’t you think they’re asking too many questions already?” Jinyoung asks one night as they’re in the bathroom, getting ready for bed.

Mark has a toothbrush and what is probably too much toothpaste in his mouth, so he just hums an answer, which his fiancé thankfully understands.

“I mean, what more can they ask about? We already have the guest list, the venues for both the ceremony and the reception, the ceremony itself, the security, our vows, the menu, the cake, the seating, the decorations, the playlist, the suits, the rings, the style... is there anything we haven’t discussed?” Jinyoung’s voice is kind of hard to hear over the shower, but Mark can still pinpoint the confusion and skepticism in his tone.

He takes a moment to spit in the sink and rinse his mouth before answering, “I think we’ve got everything covered, to be honest. Anything else at this point is superficial. Why do you ask?”

“Because it all seems a bit suspicious to me,” Jinyoung says. “I trust them, of course I do, but at the same time, I can’t help but think there’s something wrong when they offered. No, not wrong, just... not... they have something up their sleeve. That’s what I mean.”

“I guess so,” Mark shrugs. “At this point, I trust them. Besides, our parents can rein them in.”

“You mean your parents can rein them in,” Jinyoung corrects.

“What can I say? Everyone loves my parents, especially my dad,” he can’t really refute the accusation.

They drop the conversation at that point, all too tired to even try and contemplate the rest of their group’s motivations.

It’s not until Jinyoung and Mark are laying in bed, wrapped around each other like usual, that Jinyoung gasps slightly and sits up, staring down at his confused lover. “We never told them what date we wanted.”

“I did,” Jinyoung stares down at Mark in confusion at his answer. “I told them that I wanted to get married on our anniversary.”

“Really?”

He can’t help but joke, “Yeah, makes it easier for me to remember, instead of having too many different anniversaries to keep track of.”

“Oh really?” Jinyoung challenges, arching an eyebrow. “Is that why you also proposed to me on our anniversary?”

Not to be deterred or intimidated, Mark simply chirps, “yep,” before wrapping his arms around his fiancé and pulling him down on top of him. “That way, our day will always be magical.”

“If you wanted everything to be magical, then why didn’t you confess on the day we met when we were ten?” Jinyoung asks, always up to challenge the GOT7 members, even his fiancé and the love of his life.

“Because do you remember the day we met?” Mark shoots right back.

Jinyoung contemplates for a long second (more like a few minutes) before his face falls as he, too, comes to the realization that he has no idea what day they met.

The elder giggles slightly before leaning up to kiss his fiancé, wiping the defeated look off his face.

“I’m gonna get my revenge,” Jinyoung growls playfully, and suddenly Mark’s pinned to the bed, arms at his side as Jinyoung leans down to capture his lips.

In that moment, Mark and Jinyoung forget again their suspicions.

It all comes to a head a few months later. Everything has been progressing like normal, busy schedules full of interviews and ceremonies and performances and practicing and recording and learning and so forth. The only difference is that the rest of GOT7 haven’t been asking any wedding questions. When Mark had asked, Jackson had replied that everything was done, and they were just biding their time until they were given the all-clear to set the wedding date.

GOT7 have the the two days before Mark and Jinyoung’s seventh anniversary off. Actually, they have their actual anniversary off as well. It seems to be a of luck that the two have tomorrow off, so they’re going to make the most of if. The night before their mini break, though, Jaebum calls a band meeting. When Mark and Jinyoung make their way downstairs, they’re greeted with the rest of GOT7 grinning--no, beaming--at them from their spots on the sofa. That same suspicion that he and Jinyoung had several months earlier comes back like a tsunami.

“What’s going on?” Jinyoung asks warily.

“Have a seat.” Jackson’s smiles is literally the width of his face, and Mark almost wants to smack it off his face, he’s so suspicious.

Hesitantly, the two of them settle themselves on the floor, a coffee table between them and rest of the group. “Okay, we sat down, now can you tell us what’s going on?” Jinyoung asks again, clearly as on edge as Mark is.

Grinning growing wider (even Jaebum is grinning ear-to-ear, which is very frightening), Jackson pulls out an envelope, puts on the table, and slides it across to them like he’s doing a sketchy business deal. “Happy anniversary.”

Mark is confused. “Why are you giving us an anniversary gift?” He asks as Jinyoung opens the envelope carefully, as if he’s defusing a bomb.

Then he gasps, drawing Mark’s attention. “Mark, look.”

Leaning closer, Mark takes in the words on the fancy piece of white cardstock.

You are cordially invited to the wedding of

Mark Tuan and Jinyoung Park on

Friday, September 13, 2019

“Wha... what is this?” Mark can’t breathe. He knows full well what’s going on, his mind’s put everything together, but his heart refuses to believe it.

“Can’t you tell? It’s your wedding invitation,” Yugyeom replies, in an are you an idiot? tone.

“I kno-but-it’s-th-the year’s wrong,” the usually-so-eloquent-and-sassy Jinyoung stammers.

“No, it’s right,” Youngjae corrects.

“We’re getting married in three days?” Mark clarifies.

“Yup,” Jackson nods happily. “On your anniversary, which is the date you wanted. You have the next week off to go on your honeymoon while we hold down the fort. Everything’s been handled, the only thing you’ve got to do is pick both of your best men and groomsmen and write your vows, and voila! Wedding planning done.”

“We told you guys we could wait,” Mark says, so elated and so thrown all at once.

Finally, Jaebum speaks up. You’ve had to sacrifice a lot because of us,” he says. “You hid your relationship from us--well, them,” He gestures to the rest of GOT7, who whine, “because you thought it would hurt the group dynamic in the beginning. You hid your relationship from the ahgases because you thought it would jeopardize the group’s success. Then, you wanted to put back your wedding because you thought it would stop the group’s growth. Don’t you get tired to being selfless and putting us first? And don’t you dare say ‘no’ right now.”

“That’s why I asked to be your wedding planner,” BamBam says. “I wanted to plan everything and make you guys have the wedding much, much earlier. It’s not fair for you to put the wedding off when you put every other aspect of your relationship off. Even the management agreed.”

“That’s why you asked so many wedding questions,” Jinyoung states, at last putting all the pieces together. He turns to Mark, giving him a sharp smack to his shoulder. “I told you they were up to something.”

He just shrugs. “I don’t mind. At least it’s for something good this time.” (He chooses to ignore Jackson’s betrayed shriek of “this time?”)

“So... are you okay with this?” Youngjae asks, bringing their attention back to them. “If not... we booked a tentative date for the same day next year, if you want more time--”

“No,” Jinyoung cuts the otter boy off, “I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to get married in three days.”

“Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but your fiancé needs to approve too,” Yugyeom teases. “Takes two to tango and all that.”

Jinyoung’s eyebrow is twitching, and Mark knows that he’s about twelve seconds away from actually killing the maknae, so he speaks up quickly, “I want to get married in three days.”

“Alright, so it’s settled!” Jaebum grins widely (Mark still can’t get over how creepy it looks) and he stands up. “I’m going to go cancel the tentative appointments.”

It’s settled.

They’re getting married in three days.

The day comes far too quickly.

To be fair, they did find out about the wedding only three days ago, but they had spent the last few days writing their vows and enjoying their bachelors’ party (which really was just them drinking in the dorms with all of their siblings and friends, but it was a fun evening nevertheless) so it did seem like no time had passed between Jinyoung and Mark deciding to get married and the wedding itself.

Mark is standing in a small room off to the side, nervously playing with his cufflinks, his tie, anything he can to help get rid of the nerves.

“Dude, stop pacing, I’m getting a headache,” Jackson complains from his position, lounging in an armchair with a casualness that is almost entirely inappropriate for the tuxedo he’s wearing.

Beside him, BamBam, who’s perched much more nicely on the arm of the chair, smack him over the head, knocking the snapback off his head. “I’d like to see you freak out at your own wedding, if you ever find someone nice enough to marry you,” he retorts. “And fix your hair, I don’t think I want to see you wearing a snapback in the wedding pictures.”

“Yah, I’m your hyung!” Jackson snaps. “Besides, it’s not your wedding!” Nevertheless, he gets up and fixes his hair into something more appropriate for the wedding.

Beside him, a decent distance from the bickering duo, Mark’s brother watches, a look of bemusement and apprehension on his face. It’s enough to make Mark stop pacing and fidgeting, and clap his brother’s shoulder, and whisper, “They’re usually not that bad.”

His brother doesn’t seem all that reassured.

Mark, on the other hand, is starting to feel excited. He’s getting married. To the love of his life. There’s absolutely nothing stopping them from getting married. Even if an earthquake were to rip through South Korea, the day would still be theirs. The love is so tangible today of all days, and it isn’t just romantic love. It’s the love both Jinyoung and Mark’s families have for them, coming out to support their marriage, it’s the love the other members of GOT7 have for them, planning all of this for them, it’s the love JYP Entertainment have for them, shielding them from unfair repercussions of pure love and allowing them to be themselves.

Today is a day of love.

The door opens, and Mark’s father pokes his head in. “Everything’s all set, we’re just waiting on you and Jinyoung,” he tells them. Then he looks his oldest son straight in the eyes, and smiles widely. “You ready, son?”

He grins back.

With all the preparation GOT7 put into this wedding, it’s kind of a shame that Mark can’t really remember it. He knows that his brother, Jackson and BamBam were his groomsmen, and Jaebum, Youngjae and Yugyeom were Jinyoung’s, but he doesn’t remember ever seeing them throughout the whole ceremony. It’s all a blur, a mess of words from the officiator and some words that Mark and Jinyoung say. He barely even remembers his vows, even though he spent most of the past three days agonizing over what to say and how to say it.

Jinyoung. Jinyoung was the only point of clarity in the entire day. The beautiful expression on his face will forever be imprinted in his brain: The joy gleaming in his eyes--along with some tears--the curve of his lips into a gentle but happy smile, the faint blush across his cheeks, everything. He wants to commit Jinyoung’s face into his memory every second of his life, and he doesn’t ever want there to be a moment where he doesn’t have him in his life. He barely even remembers what he did before he was eleven, before he met Jinyoung for the first time, before everything finally clicked into place.

He does hear the officiator announce them husbands, simply because he really just wants to kiss his husband, and he eagerly swoops in to kiss Jinyoung, a sweet peck that ends fairly quickly (he doesn’t need his parents to see anything more than that have to.) He finally takes in the crowd of people celebrating with them. He sees people in hanboks sitting next people in contemporary suits and dresses, and he just feels warm. This is his family, an amalgamation of cultures and people who form his support group.

“Are you ready for this, husband?” Mark turns at Jinyoung’s teasing voice, and he can’t help but sneak another kiss, just because he can.

“Ready as always,” he replies.

The two walk down the aisle and into the night, beginning a new chapter of their lives under the twinkling stars who have guided them this far, and will continue to guide them for the rest of their lives.

And now it's over. I'm so happy I was able to finish this and give it to you guys, granted it was several months later. Fun fact: this is actually longer than the main story, so it's really not an epilogue, is it?

I hope you guys like it!

~thequietrecluse