Chapter Seventeen

            “You know I knew you were a but I never knew to what extent, first Jaebum and Jinyoung but Wonho too? You know he told everything about your little hook up in the back of his car. He told everyone about how good you were at …why not give mine a try, seeing as you like it so much?” Shownu laughed, stepping closer to Mark, causing the boy to walk further into the darkness.

            “Oh I don’t know, I only like guys with big and word on the street is yours isn’t up to my standards say’s your ex-girlfriend. But I guess I can’t blame you right? Jaebum is pretty thick…” Mark said before earning a fist to the face. Shownu was glaring down hard at the boy as he’s body swayed a bit. He was drunk, which made Mark a little worried. Drunk people tended to do stupid things and while Mark was sober Shownu was not a boy to be messed with.

            “ you Mark! You’re such a I bet it doesn’t matter who gives it too you, you want it that bad don’t you? I could give it to you right now and I bet I’d just slip right into that of yours. Is it still lose from when Jinyoung and Jaebum had you last?” Shownu asked stepping closer to Mark who was rubbing at his lip from where the boy had punched him.

            “ you , I wouldn’t sleep with you if you paid me to do it!” Mark said, spitting some blood onto the grass and sand.

            Mark was hoping that Shownu would take the hint and leave him be but the boy just didn’t seem to understand that no did in fact mean no as he jumped on top of Mark’s body. Shownu went straight for Mark’s wrists as he straddled the boy and moved down to kiss at the boy’s neck. His lips just barely dragged across Mark’s clammy skin, covered lightly in sweat from the humid air around him, before Mark kneed Shownu in the .

            “Touch me again and I’ll rip it off you !” Mark said rubbing at the slightly bruised skin of his wrist. When Shownu moved to grab Mark again the boy was hit from the side and landed down hard into the sandy dirt.

            “Get the away from my boyfriend!” A familiar voice said, anger prevalent in his voice.

            “Wow you’re ing Jackson too? You really are a -!” Shownu said before trying to stand up, but he only managed in falling back over.

            “Say some like that again and I’ll break your face in!” Jackson nearly growled as he walked over to help Mark up. When he took the taller boys hand Jackson easily pulled his friend up, careful not to touch his wrist as he started to pull the boy away. Jackson didn’t stop tugging on Mark’s arm until they got further down the beach, away from the bonfire and other people. It wasn’t too dark because of the bright full moon light so Mark was happy for that. What he didn’t appreciate was being dragged around like a rag doll.

            “Jackson stop, we’re good here alright?” Mark said before tugging his own arm back. Jackson was panting when he finally stopped moving and looked at Mark. He nodded at the boy before sitting down into the slightly damp sand.

            Jackson had his arms wrapped around his knees before asking, “He…he didn’t like touch you or anything did he?”

            Mark shook his head no before saying, “Nope he just punched me, I guess Shownu has a mean right-hook even when he’s drunk.” Mark tried to laugh it off but Jackson just sighed. Jackson turned to place his hand onto Mark’s lip before looking sadly at Mark’s busted lip.

            “You called me your boyfriend…” Mark said smiling and Jackson traced Mark’s lip with his finger. Mark could feel his heart doing summersaults in his chest, but he didn’t feel nauseous per say, he felt…giddy.

            “What? Oh yea I guess I did…” Jackson said looking into Mark eyes. The boy looked sad, but his eyes held something else in them.

            “Did you mean it…?” Mark asked trying to figure out how Jackson was feeling. Mark felt like he had been searching Jackson’s face for answers for ever until the boy blinked, seemingly shaking himself from his thoughts before leaning in to kiss the red head.

            “I…I want to go out with you, I talked to Jaebum and Jinyoung already about it.” Jackson admitted to Mark.

            “I know they told me you practically demanded that they didn’t touch me, but Jaebum said it was because you were still figuring stuff out?” Mark asked, pressing the answer he really wanted, the answer he needed to hear.

            “I don’t need to figure anything out, I love you Mark Tuan and there’s nothing that can stop that. No amount of time would change my answer and it’s about time I stopped running from it.” Jackson said, before linking his hand with Mark’s.

            “Look I don’t know if I’m gay or if I’ll even like having like that but… I do know that I want you, maybe that just makes me Markual or something, I don’t care I just know that I love you okay?”

            Nodding Mark felt his eyes watering up as he listened to Jackson. Mark had been waiting weeks to hear this from the boy and now he was saying it. He didn’t know how to feel about it, but with each word Mark’s chest felt less heavy, as if there was a rain storm finally ending from inside him. His heart strings no longer felt as if they were going to snap.

            “I love you too…” Mark said before wrapping his arms around Jackson. He couldn’t be happier…until he felt Jackson’s lips brush his ear and heard the boy whisper, “Let’s get out of here.” After hearing those words, Mark was pretty sure he had never moved that fast in his life.