Title: Fishing With A Red String

Pairing: MarkJae

Genre: Fluff (gay )

Description: Mark Tuan was a 27 year old desperate for a lovelife. Fate decided to help.

Another MarkJae requested by my dear patron, kimminah89-ssi. Actually, she requested for a MarkJae with Coco fic. Don't worry, Coco is in here. LOL. 

Happy reading!

When Mark was a kid, his mom always told him that someday, he would find a princess with golden hair and dark beautiful eyes, and that he would marry her so he should be a good boy for her to like him back. His young mind had believed it, thus he was a model student during his elementary days. At highschool, he realized that he didn't want a princess but rather, a prince. Nope. He realized that he was the princess.

His matured thinking knew that uality crisis is a big deal so focused on his goals and enriching himself first, burrying his problem at the pit of his mind. At 21, he graduated his university with top marks and shifted his concentration on establishing a stable career so if ever he decided on having someone, he could provide for them. And he did. He was now a renowed director, his movies and dramas always so popular.

But it had been three months since Mark's 27th birthday, and yet he was still single as he was when he was born.

Countless of times have he thought the problem was him. His bestfriend and a songwriter, Wang Jackson, always told him that he was smart, handsome, and kind whenever he moped about still not finding the one. And that he had just lost the time to really search because he was always busy. With that, Jackson advised him to take a break, which was what he was doing. With nothing to do, Mark found himself staring at the dull white cieling of his room and contemplating his love life.

He recalled his school days. There were a lot of girls and boys alike who confessed to him, but no one ever succeeded in rousing anything in his heart. He also didn't want to give them false hope. But he didn't understand, his standards were not high-- he didn't even had a standard.

Now that he was 3 years shy from being 30, it was about time he get settled, or at least fall in love. His parents already knew about his ual preferrence since three years ago. His job was already steady when he was 25. All he longed for now was a person to cuddle with, kiss, do the nasty with-- someone to make his house a home. For two years he had tried dating every single male and female alike who asked him out but still nothing.

He even dated Jackson. He was that desperate.

Maybe there was no one out there for him?

He breathed out a deep miserable sigh, realizing that making puppy eyes on his cieling would gain him nothing. Besides, he was feeling sleepiness slowly eat away his conciousness.

I just want someone who could stay with me forever.

Mark woke up to the obnoxious sound of his alarm. He rubbed his eyes with a groan, before slamming a heavy hand on the blaring device. He sat up to stretch, mouth already wide to form a yawn and balled fists about to be lifted, when he caught a sight of a red thread tied on his right pinky. He opened his hand, palm up, to inspect it. He tug on it but he couldn't feel any sensations to indicate that it was indeed tied on his finger, making him frown. It was as if it was just there, tangible at the same time not.

He stood and made his way to his study table where a pair of scissors was residing in one of the small cabinets. He retrieved it and attempted cutting the thread. It did nothing.

He tried unknotting it. Also futile.

He blinked at it. It didn't burn. Shame.

A bit frustrated but more confused than ever, he walked back to his bed, intending to fix it before figuring the ery happening to him, when an unusually bright yellow sticky note on his bedside table caught his attention. He took it and read the short message written in neat penmanship.

Mark Tuan

I think you are pitiful enough for me to grace you with the ability to

see your red string  of fate but only for ten hours so goodluck.

-- Asdcuskwejxosnsionmaoenakdne a.k.a Bambam

"What a beautiful name he had."

Jackson commented dryly as he handed the note back to Mark, who was seated across him in their favorite cafe. Mark raised a brow.

"It's more beautiful if you could actually pronounce it."

"I meant the Bambam."

Mark chose to take a sip on his frappe instead, since it seemed to be more productive than talking to Jackson.

"Anyway, I think that if this is true, then you better move your now."

"Why?"

Jackson looked at him incredulously. "Haven't you been anticipating for this? This is your chance, bro!"

"Don't bro me." Mark reprimanded sternly, arms crossed and eyes mischievous. Jackson rolled his eyes but he was smiling.

"Okay, sis."

"Better." Mark grinned. It was an inside joke between him and Jackson that one time they were so drunk that Mark admitted being gay and Jackson asked him for a date.

("I am not a 'bro' though."

"What, a 'sis' then?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed."

"Let's date then.")

"Anyway, what are you waiting for? You said you could see that red blah blah blah of yours, right?" Skepticism was still evident in Jackson's tone because the red string was invisible to him, but Mark could sense that the younger somehow believed him, since Mark was not one to lie. Mark nodded, not bothering to correct Jackson.

"Then go. Go leave without me, save your life--"

Mark didn't hear the rest of Jackson's drama since he bolted out of the doors the moment Jackson opened his mouth, predicting correctly that he was about to embarrass himself or potentially, both of them. It didn't stopped Mark from laughing once he was in his car though.

"Wow, it works like GPS." Mark admired as he followed the red string's direction, going through turns and different streets which were thankfully, not busy. He had been driving for a while and got hungry so he ate and now, it has been 45 minutes of another useless driving. He doesn't even know if the red string has an end. It seemed like fate-- or that asdfghjkl a.k.a Bambam-- was just playing with him. He had went through different states and levels emotions, from hesitant to excited to tired to hungry to sleepy to calm to hopeless to hopeful-- just when will this string end, for goodness sake.

Mark suddenly stiffened. What if this person lives abroad, oh my god.

He was so absorbed at the new idea that he almost missed a turn. But this turn was different; it led to a park that he sometimes went to whenever he felt lonely. Mark stopped the car and went out, staring at the park entrance like it was a holy place. He gulped and began walking.

There were kids running around with their parents since it was a nice summer weekend, some bikers around and a few people with their pets. Mark looked around first before glancing at his watch. It was past two o'clock, he have three hours left out of ten. With newfound hope, he resumed following the string, eyes solely on it. It was getting lower and lower, and Mark's spirit was being lifted higher and higher--

Small structure, big innocent eyes, and pale white... fur. It was a very cute puppy, sitting on the ground and looking ahead. Also, the red string seemed to be connected to it.

Mark didn't know whether to cry or laugh hysterically so he spun around. 

"No, this is not happening, this is a bad dream, a nightmare, this is totally not true--"

The puppy gave a small bark and Mark wanted to sob ugly tears. But against his better judgement, he turned back. The puppy began wagging its tail before standing, and oh.

It just happened to be stepping on the string.

Relieved beyond words, Mark started to laugh. He watched as the puppy ran to who seemed to be its owner who possesed a golden blond hair and dark beautiful eyes his mom used to describe his princess, putting his mad laughter into a halt.

Could it be--

The boy crouched down with open arms to welcome the puppy and Mark's eyes found the boy's left small finger, where the red string ended.

Mark's heartbeat stuttered. Finally.

Carefully like trying not to scare away a fragile animal, Mark approched them just as the stranger stood. Mark's mind was running miles per second, yet when his eyes met the other's, it went blank.

"Uh, h-hi!" The boy was cheerful and albeit awkward but adorable, Mark observed. Mark summoned his lips to smile and prayed it did not came off as a grimace. "Hello,"

"I saw you looking at Coco a while ago. Would you like to pet him?"

Mark beamed ganuinely at the opportunity to get close to the duo. He absolutely adored animals. And he absolutely liked Coco. If luck was on his side, Maybe he could be Coco's second owner. The thought filled his chest with warmth.

He took several steps nearer and bent a tad to level with Coco who was on his master's shoulder. He took a cute small paw between his thumb and index. "Hi sweetheart, whom I thought was my soulmate." He whispered, thankfully incoherent from the other male.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. I'm Mark, by the way."

"Youngjae."

Youngjae grinned and Mark felt his insides melt.

A few hours later, Mark observed the red string as it started to fade between his and Youngjae's finger while the sun set on the background and everything felt so, so right.

Except when he realized that the park they were in was just two  blocks away from his house.

"Bam-ah, why did you do that?"

"Why not, Yugyeom?"

"You wore Mark out for hours when he could have arrived at the park 15 minutes while walking. And had Coco not stepped on the string, Mark would have had to go ahead and pass by Youngjae to somewhere who knows."

"So?"

"So? Soon he'll also realize that he and Youngjae are neighbors."

"Ah, that was where the fun begins."

— End

Summary:

Basically, Mark made puppy eyes on the cieling, Bambam clicked his tongue and was like 'his gay soul is pitiful, I shall inform him that his soulmate is just 20 steps away' then poof, enter the red string. Then he was like 'no, this is gonna be boring, I shall loop the strings around' then poof again. Mark chased it around stupidly, so focused on the string that he didn't noticed he was just driving around his neighborhood. Then enter qt Coco who stepped on the string. How Coco did that was a mystery, because this is the fiction world where not everything needed an explanation, welcome.

In summary of the summarry (whut), Bambam planned to make Mark find Youngjae when there's only two or so minutes left.

Thank you kimminah89-ssi for your requests, they are always deeply appreciated.

Okay, bye. /off to draw

Edited for spotted minor mistakes (AFF be ing on me again).

PS: Forgot to inform you guys that in case you didn't noticed, Mark was 27 here and Youngjae was around 24. I think it's necessary for the story? It fits better than college AU? Should I make a Neo/RaBean/HyuKen college!au version of this? LOLOLOL~