Mark laid in the tent, his own hands cushioning his head against the hard ground. He could hear a distant commotion about the weather that night amongst Jackson and some of the other instructors, but he tuned himself out. All he could think of was the kiss. It obliterated all other thoughts.

He could still feel a tingly sensation at his temple, where Jinyoung had kissed him earlier. He would never forget how the raven-haired boy had placed his hand on his knee and leaned towards him. He remembered how chaos wrecked in his body, his nervous system failing to function as he froze on the spot. He remembered that when Jinyoung's soft, plump lips landed on his temple, electrical waves pulsated through his body, emitting heat throughout. His heart raced so quickly it hadn’t stopped, even until now.

It replayed in his head over and over again, like a broken record. Jinyoung’s kiss was lethal, like a drug, enticing him to yearn for more. Mark needed more, one kiss on the temple was simply not enough. This is crazy, he thought. Why do I crave Jinyoung’s kiss? He’s… just a friend? He didn’t know when it started, but the statement he lived by, claiming Jinyoung was just a friend, had become a question.

Mark shook his head to snap out of his thoughts and sighed. Until now, his face was still red and hot, and he felt that the heat was getting to his brain. He prayed silently that it was not a sign of him falling sick but as the night deepened and gusts of wind hit the tent ruthlessly, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

It had been more than two hours, and Mark still was awake. He could count the light rain droplets falling onto the tent initially, and tried to do that like he was counting sheep to attempt to fall asleep. But the water droplets began growing larger and falling more frequently, the light drizzle turning into a torrential downpour, rain battering the canopy of the tent like a hail of bullets. The coldness seeped through his thin sleeping bag and chilled even his bones.

Mark crept up and sat at the very far end of the tent, back up against his damp camping bag, body aching, cheeks burning with the flush of fever. He would have cried for help, but he did not want to wake Yugyeom and Bambam up, and Jackson wasn’t in the tent. Besides, there was no strength in his voice. His breath quivered in short, quick gasps every time he inhaled, his lungs having no choice but to painfully and rigidly take in the chilled air around him. He couldn’t seem to stop shaking either. Sometimes it was rough, other times he could manage, but every time he’d get close to sleep, a new spell of violent shaking would force him awake.

“I’m okay… I’ll be okay…” He whispered to himself repeatedly, feebly rubbing away at his arms in a sickly attempt to cease the unsettling chill that continued to run down his spine and made his skin crawl.

Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse. The lamp that hanged above him in the tent flickered a sick orange and died without a warning. Mark’s heart dropped. He feared the dark. As if the physical torment was insufficient, Mark found himself being tortured mentally as he could hardly see anything in the tent. He jumped at every foreign sound and started to breathe erratically.

“Jinyoung…” He croaked, a silent tear rolling down his cheek.

~~~~~

Jinyoung shifted in his sleep and his eyes snapped open when he felt dampness at his feet, but he could see almost nothing. Must be a power outage, he thought, as the camping lamp was not working. Sitting up, he let out a sigh when he saw that the rainwater had flooded into the tent. He dutifully shifted JB and Youngjae’s legs away from the forming puddle and wiped his feet with a dry towel. The rain was so heavy it was almost frightening to him, the wind howling in the background reminding him of a scene from a horror movie. It didn’t help that the lamps were all fused and the entire camping site was in pitch blackness.

Mark…

The boy’s image immediately materialised in his head. He remembered that Mark was afraid of the dark, and that he couldn’t sleep without a light on. Instinctively, he grabbed a torch and slipped out of the tent, ignoring the wet earth and pouring rain, then jogged over to Tent 2 where Mark slept in.

Cautiously, Jinyoung turned over the tent door, and peeked into it. He searched the area and found Yugyeom’s large feet on Bambam’s, and… that was all.

“Mark?” His tiny voice echoed against the walls of the tent. There was no reply. “Jackson?” He tried again.

The only answer he got was a grunt from Bambam and his thumping heartbeat against the pitter-patter of the rain. Mark’s gone. When it finally hit him, it hit him hard. “!” He swore and turned around with a huff, before running off to find Mark.

Jinyoung first worried about Mark’s safety. There was no reason why he would leave the tent on a stormy night like that… unless… Jackson. They couldn’t have…

He groaned at the thought of Mark possibly being with Jackson right now. Dark, rainy night and just the two of them together, alone. Hell could very well happen. He knew he couldn’t have trusted that cunning man with Mark. He should have known from the first day when he saw how Jackson looked at Mark. He was practically stripping him with his creepy stare!

Ugh Jinyoung. You stupid… UGH. Why, why, why, why, why?

His footsteps slowed and as his adrenaline died down, regret and self-blame set in. He stood there for a moment under the gloomy clouds and let the rain hit him, cold and hard, for so long, he was numb to the sensation of the rain droplets splashing onto his freezing skin. As the clouds continued crying, he cried with them. A single tear slid down from his expressionless brown eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until he couldn’t tell from his tears and the rain, and his face was just one wet mess.

He hadn’t admitted that Mark was precious to him, that he wanted Mark to himself. He didn’t dare to, and he wished he could now, but it was too late.

Looking up from his dripping hair covering his eyes, Jinyoung’s heart stopped beating for that instant and he shuddered as he saw a glint of red. It was like an angel watched over them, and every single time Jinyoung and Mark separated, Jinyoung would find that shade of red he could not have missed.

No way… Jinyoung felt shivers creeping down his spine as he approached what seemed like a figure sprawled onto the ground. He couldn’t bear to look but he could not have been mistaken. The red hair and pale skin, more bloodless than ever, were sickeningly familiar and they belonged to the last person Jinyoung wanted to see in this state – Mark.

The torch slipped from his hands and fell, and with only a fraction of a second hesitation, he ran over to him, careful not to tread on his pale fingers curled against the damp soil. “Mark?” he probed, lightly touching the boy’s face before withdrawing his hand in shock as it felt cold as ice. “Mark… Wake up, Mark…” His voice quivered and got louder as the boy failed to respond to his touch.

Jinyoung felt a lump in his throat as he continued to shake Mark’s shoulders gently but firmly. Negative thoughts swarmed in his mind and his heart wrenched in pain. He was engulfed in fear. No, I won’t lose Mark… I won’t and I can’t lose him… I can’t!

Forcing negative thoughts off his mind, he ignored the icy touch of Mark’s skin and carried him with his arms, his hands clasping around the dripping cloth of his shirt tightly. Then, he took off, chanting to the unconscious boy and promising him that he would be okay. He was afraid, so afraid, that he wouldn’t be able to keep that promise.

~~~~~

“Jinyoung, urghhhhh! You’re so heavy, get off me!” JB growled as he pried his best friend’s leg off his torso. He blinked and adjusted his vision to the sunlight filtering into the tent. Scratching his neck, he groaned at the unsightly state of their sleeping area; the rain last night had introduced fallen leaves and muddy water into the tent. He squinted his eyes at the source of the bright sunlight and realised the tent door was not zipped up properly.

“Jinyoung! You didn’t zip up the tent properly last night, did you?” JB hissed and turned to hit his best friend, but came face to face with someone else instead. Still in deep slumber, serenity was plastered across Youngjae’s face. For a moment, JB froze completely and the only movement in the tent was the slight rise and fall of the blonde’s chest.

JB watched him for a while, observing how the boy still slept as peacefully as before, his breathing slightly muffled from his blocked nose.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone’s shuffling feet outside of their tent. Jackson cocked his head into the tent. “Wake everyone up, JB! We need to head to the seas soon!”

JB gulped as he stared at Youngjae. He had to wake him up and he knew it wouldn’t be an easy task as Youngjae was a heavy sleeper. The only way to wake him up, as far as he knew, was to plant fluttering kisses on his face, then neck, which would lead to more… JB slapped himself harder than he wanted to and winced at the pain. That was one place they would never get to ever again and the last thing he wanted, was to get himself a from all those indecent thoughts. 

JB bit his lower lip as he tried to wake Youngjae up by shaking him lightly. He didn’t budge a millimeter. Using more strength, he re-attempted, to no avail. He was left with no choice. With a huge sigh, he stretched his arm and reached over to grab the bottle of water. “Sorry Youngjae…” he whispered, as he poured the cold water over the unwitting boy’s face.

“Urgh…grugghh?!?” Youngjae choked on the water and his eyes shot wide open in shock. “Who’s that?” He shouted in defense as he sat up. He looked around but nobody was there.

JB had left as soon as he saw Youngjae’s eyelids move.

~~~~~

JB focused on the lapping waves of the sea. This far out, the waves had no white crest, no foam spray, instead they rolled in lazy arcs like the back of a giant cobra. The waters were exceptionally serene, the complete opposite of JB’s mind then.

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

He drilled on with the paddle without resting, the kayak he was in already far ahead of the rest of the campers’. His muscles were beginning to ache as he paddled furiously against the salty brine, yet he didn’t stop.

“Hyung… don’t you want to take a break?” A disgustingly beautiful voice sounded from behind JB. Youngjae was panting and perspiring profusely, and finally summoned the courage to speak to JB because he felt like he could faint right there and then if they continued.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, JB rested his paddle on the kayak, and allowed the vehicle to drift along the waves. Apparently, Jinyoung and Mark had left the campsite. For what reason, he was unsure as Jackson refused to say anything until matters had been confirmed. He genuinely hoped that his friends were fine, but he hated them. He hated them for leaving him alone with Youngjae in the same group, in the same tent, in the same kayak. Yugyeom and Bambam were inseparable, and Jackson was enjoying himself, leisurely driving the safety motor boat. That left him and Youngjae in one kayak, and putting them together in close proximity was definitely not a good idea.

Their kayak was meters ahead of the rest, with the maknaes still struggling with kayaking in one direction far back, hence their surroundings were quiet. Too quiet. It was just JB, Youngjae, and the sea, and JB was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the awkward silence between them.

At least I don’t have to see his back, JB thanked Jackson silently for making him sit at the front.

“Hyung…” The tranquil sound of the waves lapping against the kayak was interrupted by Youngjae’s shaky voice. “Are you still mad at me?”

Yes, JB thought to himself, but said nothing, his eyes continuing to bore into the blue shades of the sea.

“Look, I’m… I’m really sorry for what I’ve done, hyung.” Youngjae apologised. “I don’t know what got into me… I don’t know why I chose to do that on that day.”

I don’t know why you did that too, Youngjae.

“It’s just…” He sighed before he continued. “My parents were mad at me, hyung. I told them, like you told me to. I told them I was into guys, not girls.”

JB’s eyes widened in surprise. He didn’t expect Youngjae to come out to his parents, for the younger was always afraid of their reaction.

“I wanted to let them know on my eighteenth birthday, when I’m legally an adult. But you know what, hyung? They were mad. They flared up at me… It was so bad and I felt like a horrible son.”

Youngjae, baby… JB’s heart hurt when he heard the tinge of despair in Youngjae’s voice. I didn’t know…

“And so I did… I did the stupidest thing ever. I… hooked up with… that girl.” That was it, the breaking point. Youngjae broke into uncontrollable sobs as he tried to continue his explanation. “I thought I could change myself, you know? I thought… there was a chance for me to be what my parents want me to be.”

But what about me? What about us, Youngjae?

“I’m so selfish, hyung… I’m so, so selfish and I didn’t think of you… When you walked in on us, then, I realised. I realised how I failed you, hyung. I realised what a huge mistake I’ve made… but…” Youngjae choked on his tears and sniffed. He stopped talking.

JB bit his quivering lower lip and tried to suppress the cries threatening to escape his throat. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared into the deep waters. The white foam slowly melted into the hues of blue as his vision blurred, and slow, desolate tears ran from his unblinking eyes, dripping steadily onto his shirt.

“Will you ever forgive me, hyung?” Youngjae asked with his last dignity, voice unexpectant yet hopeful.

I don’t know, Youngjae, JB mouthed to himself but stayed silent. Blinking his tears away and ignoring his broken heart, he picked up the paddle and began his journey again. He never looked back.

~~~~~

Mark opened his eyes slowly to see the ceiling fan whirring against the white walls. He cringed as the pungent smell of Dettol invaded his nostrils. Confused, he turned to his side and scanned his surroundings, catching a glimpse of a tall figure pacing the other side of the room frenziedly.

“What do you mean you weren’t wary? You’re the damn instructor, Wang, it’s your ing responsibility! Are you being serious right now? You’re sorry? Your apology can’t do anything! WHAT IF HE DOESN’T WAKE UP?!”

Mark smiled weakly at the familiar voice, feeling secure immediately after knowing Jinyoung was with him.

“How would you know? He has been asleep for more than 24 hours and you think he’ll be okay? He’s not okay! And it’s all your ing fault!” Jinyoung got more agitated and snapped at his phone.

Mark frowned at Jinyoung’s excessive swearing and called out with all the energy he had, “Jinyoung ah…”

As if his ears were made extra sensitive to the frequency of Mark’s voice, Jinyoung’s head snapped back and his jaw dropped as he saw the redhead craning his neck at his direction. Dropping his phone with a clatter against the concrete tiles of the hospital floor, he ran over to the bed and gasped, “oh my god… oh my god, you’re awake.”

Mark watched as Jinyoung’s eyes, which were filled with worry, darted quick looks all over his body to confirm that he was alive and breathing. As Jinyoung caressed his neck and pressed his forehead against Mark’s to check if he still had fever, the redhead’s heart skipped a beat.

“Markie… oh my god, I can’t believe you’re fine. Are you okay? Do you remember me?” Jinyoung mumbled frantically and Mark chuckled, blushing at the closeness of their faces. “I’m okay,” he whispered. “And how can I forget you, Jinyoung?”

Jinyoung pulled Mark into his chest, earning a gasp from the unprepared redhead. He buried his face into the soft red hair and began to sob, his hands naturally the back of his neck. For a minute, they stayed in each other’s arms, letting the silence comfort their hearts.

“What’s wrong, Jinyoungie?” Mark asked worriedly, whispering into Jinyoung’s warm chest. “Why are you crying?”

Jinyoung pulled away from the embrace and sniffed as he wiped his tears. He gazed at the pale boy and responded with a tired smile. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to cry… I’m just so relieved that you are okay, Mark. You really scared me, you know? I thought I was going to lose you forever…” He shook his head at the thought and pulled Mark towards him again, his strong arms holding his fragile frame. Mark smiled. The world around him melted away as he squeezed him back, feeling their hearts beat in unison, not wanting the moment to end.

At then, Mark decided. He likes Jinyoung, a lot.

♥♥♥

Dear readers, hope you all liked this update! I took so long to write it even though it wasn't a super long chapter but hopefully the details are enjoyed by y'all! ^~^ All the markjin moments nowadays make me so inspired to continue writing despite tests coming in less than a week (I haven't started revision hohoho) and I have new ideas for the continuation of this fic! It'll be longer than I planned for initially and I'm sorry you guys have to wait because I'm such a slow writer T_T

Look forward to the next update, and remember to comment to let me know your thoughts about the chapter, subscribe if you haven't done so, and upvote if you like the story! <3 Thanks for the support once again!