Title: Speeding up is a no no

Pairing: MarkJae

Genres: SO MUCH FLUFF Istg, romance, cliches at the end, slight angst/drama, cheese, & oneshot. 

Words: 32, 802 words

Summary: Choi Youngjae was caught speed driving by police officer Mark Tuan. 

A/N: Hi, so I'm not dead :D how can I anyways, it's YOUNGJAE's BIRTHDAY!!! I'll write another a/n about that when the story is finished, so I can continue with I wanted to say here. Firstly, the story might sound like it's funny. I'm sure if someone else wrote it, it would've been, but I'm not good at comedy so orz Secondly, it's not proof read. The first half of the story was written months ago, so the style might not be the same, but I'll check that out next week. I can't right away since I have a paper I need to start & finish for a class of mine :) Thirdly, in regard to that, the first half of the story is written in past tense on purpose, then it's in present tense. And lastly, I hope you enjoy :D  

 

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The first time Choi Youngjae had been caught speed driving was during an emergency. He needed to get home as soon as possible that day because he had very important things to do. Some of the important things he had to do involved an exam and the internet, and it just so happened that his meanie-of-a-professor sent it last night when he had been sleeping. It had been thanks to his best friend that Youngjae realized it before it was too late, and was speeding like hell on the road. He had been very careful, however, with the people crossing on the street and the dogs that appeared out of thin air that, apparently, needed to cross as well. Youngjae waited patiently for everyone to move the away so he could drive to his heart’s content.

Really, he hadn’t done anything wrong up until then, except speeding by a police officer’s car. A couple of minutes had passed when Youngjae heard the police officer’s sirens behind him, and he had assumed they were after someone else. He even scoffed, thinking how he would never ever make a mistake like that, when he noticed the police officer’s car was now next to him. Youngjae glanced instinctively at them and noticed that they were, in fact, signaling him to stop driving. His heart stopped at the moment and his mind thought of many scenarios; him being handcuffed, him living in prison, him being bullied by the police officers, him dying in prison, alone and fat with no one else, and, holy no. That wasn’t about to happen. So Youngjae did the only logical thing that anyone else would have done when a police officer is asking them to pull back.

He speeded up some more, which was, his second mistake. There wasn’t really any time for him to think about his actions; all he knew at the moment was that he needed to get away from there because he was not made for jail. Youngjae would probably drop dead the very second someone in there targets him, and he didn’t want that. He wanted to fulfill his dream of being a barista with his own cute, vintage coffee shop that only hipsters and students like to visit to. Besides, Youngjae had that exam to finish and he wasn’t going to let anyone prevent him from finishing that exam.

Youngjae tried his best losing his tail, but he wasn’t a very experienced driver. He’s only had his driving license for about three months and a week, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise for him that he was ultimately caught up with. The only reason why Youngjae pulled over in the end was because he didn’t want to be surrounded by more cars; one police officer was enough to drive him over the edge. He didn’t have any right to be pouting because he was in the wrong, he knew this, but he pouted anyways.

Youngjae waited for the police officer to arrive at any moment, to appear like in the TV shows and movies where they tapped the window and take off their glasses. He expected to see an old man around his mid forties with a bit of belly, personality dried up and bored; a very common stereotype for police officers, he supposes. Life was very funny at times, and instead of facing a walking stereotype, Youngjae was facing the most beautiful human being he laid eyes on. This beautiful human being, however, was looking at him very unimpressed as he wrote down something on a note pad. He gestured him to take it and Youngjae took it dumbly, too distracted by the latter’s looks to notice that it was a ticket for speeding and that it cost around one hundred dollars plus. Just like that, the mysterious person left and it was only then he noticed the ticket.

Well, .

 

►►►►►►

 

The second time Youngjae had been caught speed driving might’ve been on purpose. He’s not sure what drove him to carelessly speed drive again, especially after he had to pay the consequences for the first time (literally), but there he was again. A part of Youngjae felt as if it mainly had to do, a lot actually, with the (gorgeous) police officer that mercilessly gave him the ticket like he was used to this type of behavior. He remembered the latter’s expression when he faced him for the first time; bored and dried up of humor, his lips a straight line as he stared him down. Youngjae wondered how his face would’ve looked like with a smile instead of a frown…

It was okay for him to have wondered about him. What wasn’t okay was the way he decided to go about it; Youngjae could’ve asked him to go out for some coffee (and not because he’s assuming all police officers like coffee. It’s just that he figured that you can’t go wrong with it, right?) and the cop would’ve given in eventually. He wasn’t ugly himself. In fact, people have often commented about Youngjae’s looks, about how handsome he had gotten and about how charming his features were. He’s even gone on several dates already so there shouldn’t have been any reason for him to be nervous about asking the police officer out. What was strange was that Youngjae was nervous about asking him out on a date and the possibilities of taking him to one. What if he had screwed up? Another additional ticket Youngjae had to pay?

Once more, he did the only logical thing that anyone else would’ve done under his circumstances (yeah, right), and that was, of course, to get caught speed driving again. Youngjae made sure to pass by the same place as last time, which was the road back to his apartment; it was very convenient for him in that sense. As soon as he spotted the familiar police car, he stepped on it and passed by so quickly that he didn’t even register that he had passed by already. Youngjae checked the rear mirror and sure enough, he had a car trailing behind him. He smiled widely and pulled over immediately once he saw the police officer signaling him to stop driving.

Youngjae didn’t wait for the cop to appear before him like magic, and lowered down the window, facing once more the police officer from before. The latter looked down right pissed as he eyed him, his dark brown orbs paralyzing Youngjae under his gaze, and took out a note pad. Youngjae’s mind was processing everything too slow for his taste that he began working on autopilot; he couldn’t let it end there. “Please don’t ticket me,” he said in a wannabe sultry voice, batting his eyelashes like he had seen girls do before. Youngjae can’t believe he’s actually trying to flirt his way out of this, but there’s a first for everything. “I’m still pretty broke from last time.”

The police officer didn’t even bat an eye, his face remaining stoic as he looked at Youngjae try to work his way out the situation. His lips smirked (and Youngjae died a little on the inside) as he stopped writing, eyes challenging, “Oh yeah?”

Youngjae could've sworn that something was working. He wasn't sure what about batting his eyelashes like that was considered cute, but was working on the cop. Youngjae might not even need to pay for that ticket after all. Maybe he could even score a date out of this situation... so he leaned in closer, fully aware that his cleavage was evident because of his baggy shirt. “Yeah, because of that ticket, I went through a lot.”

The police officer seemed to be thoughtful about something before he pouted cutely, momentarily surprising Youngjae (but also outdoing him in cuteness, what the hell?), “Aw, you poor baby.” Then he brightened up as he leaned in closer, “You know what? Let’s make a deal.”

“A deal?” Youngjae was still trying to flirt by twirling his hair with a finger. It was so noticeable that the police officer was into him; he was even willing to make an offer to Youngjae after minutes of having met him! “What kind of deal?” He asked, hopeful.

“You keep this and pay for it,” the cop said as he smiled sweetly, his cold words contrasting with his appearance, “And deal with it. I’m just doing my job.”

Youngjae didn’t even get a chance to reply because the latter walked away first, leaving him with a note on his hand. He looked at it and he immediately crushed it, feeling embarrassed to death.

On his hand was the ticket the police officer had been writing earlier.

 

►►►►►►

 

The third time Youngjae had been caught speed driving had been on purpose because he had a motive. He wanted to somehow get back at the police officer for not only ticketing him once, but twice without even thinking twice about it. However, unlike his poor second attempt at everything, Youngjae dressed up for the occasion so that the cop had something to think about this time. If it worked, then he would not only have to not pay for the third ticket, but he’d have a date and a name. (And it’s about time because Youngjae’s tired of labeling him as the hot-police-officer-that-ticketed-him-twice.)  

With those thoughts on his mind, he drove by the usual place, stepping up on it as he saw the latter taking the breather. Youngjae made sure to keep his eyes on the road and not on the cop. He certainly didn’t have time to have seen him get red before he shuffled inside his car, stepping up on it as well.

The car chase lasted longer than the second time; Youngjae spinned the wheel carelessly, holding on tightly for it as his car braced the impact of the turn. The tires were screeching at the friction against the pavement, loud honks were heard coming from passerby cars that were witnessing the chase, and the constant beating of his heart wouldn’t stop. The police officer was just barely keeping up with him, trying to not break any of the rules Youngjae had. At that point, he didn’t really care anymore.

Suddenly, the car trailing behind him was gone. It was nowhere near sight, and Youngjae felt disappointed that the cop gave up so quickly this time. He guessed that the latter had a long, rough day at work and that it would explain the scene from earlier. A sigh escaped Youngjae’s lips as he continued driving as he normally did. There was no need to continue driving like a total lunatic if the police officer wasn’t around.

Youngjae only came to an abrupt stop when a car suddenly appeared before him, causing him to step on the breakers on instinct to avoid an ugly crash. He braced himself for the outcome, his grip on the wheel tight, totally not expecting that the other car belonged to the cop. His car eventually came to a stop, and his heart was nearly out of his throat, terrified that he had almost been in a car crash.

Youngjae coughed violently, not quite down yet from the high when the police officer tapped his window. He lowered it, shooting him a totally uncalled for glare (because it was his fault in the first place for speed driving), “Could you hurry up? I’m busy!” he spat as he crossed his arms, trying to get over the fact he could’ve died.

The cop raised his eyebrows amused, “Oh, really?” His note pad wasn’t out yet for some reason.

“Yes, really. Can’t you see I’m dressed up?” Youngjae said as he gestured to his face and clothes, forgetting the reason why he even dressed up in the first place. The latter seemed to inspect his face, his hand on his chin as if in thought and then his eyes lowered to his clothes. His eyes lingered there a little longer than normal before he tore them away, smirking, “So you dressed up today because you had something to do?”

“It’s none of your concern, is it?” Youngjae rolled his eyes.

“And it just so happened to be a coincidence that you dressed up after last time?” There was silence for a moment as he took that bit in. A blush settled on Youngjae’s cheeks as he tore away his gaze, hands fiddling with the wheel, “Yeah, it is. Got a problem?”

He leaned in closer, his arm resting on the window, his face way too close for Youngjae’s liking, “Not at all. It suits you.”

It was a leap what Youngjae was going to take, he knew, but, “If it suits me, then don’t ticket me again.”

The police officer laughed like Youngjae had said the greatest joke he has ever heard, and it’s making him feel angry that he’s not taking him seriously. “I’m not joking!”

“I know,” the cop said as he took out the notebook and a pen, “That’s why it’s so funny. You may look nice today, but that doesn’t change the fact you speed drived anyways.”

He tore off the ticket from the notebook and handed it over to Youngjae, who simply looked at the ticket in disbelief. Youngjae took it harshly as he shot the police officer another uncalled for glare, mumbling something incoherent for the latter to understand. Youngjae raised the window again without a second thought and started the engine. Soon, the cop’s cries were drowned out by the screeching of Youngjae’s tires and loud music.

(One would expect that the police officer would chase after Youngjae again to give him two additional tickets; one, for speed driving again, and another one, for disturbing the community with his loud music… instead, the cop stood there, looking after Youngjae’s car.)

 

►►►►►►

 

The fourth time Youngjae had been caught speed driving had been on purpose because he’s thinking he might have a crush on the police officer. It’s ridiculous, really, considering that the cop has made a fool out of him three times already. But the heart wants what it wants, and Youngjae’s not about to argue with that saying. It also explains his idiotic behavior so far, which brings him to his next thought.

Could it be that the police officer is Youngjae’s first real crush? He has to be, because Youngjae’s never reacted this illogically towards someone before. Everything used to be so chill because he knew how to approach them, what to say, and how not to screw up. Perhaps it’s because the cop is usually in his uniform, that it causes Youngjae to be intimidated by him, and therefore, screw up.

(Or perhaps it’s because Youngjae doesn’t really know what he’s doing when he’s approaching someone he’s attracted to.)

Either way, it’s frustrating.   

So on the quest of clearing out his mind, Youngjae stepped on it all the way back home; it was starting to become a bad habit. The police officer followed him on time, clearly used to Youngjae breaking the laws on a daily basis. Time’s not wasted; Youngjae stopped before the latter even made him do it. The window’s lowered by the time the cop walked up next to Youngjae’s car, “Officer.”

“Punk,” the latter said with a hidden fondness that goes unnoticed by Youngjae. “What a pleasant surprise.”

Youngjae rolled his eyes, “Listen, we need to talk.”

The police officer raised an eyebrow, clearly amused at the sudden declaration. He doesn’t bother taking out his note pad, “Then talk.”

Youngjae doesn’t start talking right away. He’s not even sure why he said that because he wasn’t thinking of saying something in particular. Youngjae just wanted to talk to him for as long as possible…

Words. Youngjae needed words, but he couldn’t find any. The cop called out to him; that much he knew. Youngjae’s eyes were automatically trained on the latter’s lips because now he’s saying something a bit more complicated and it’s getting hard to read his lips. Lips. Lips… the police officer’s lips are cherry red. Huh, who knew?    

If they aren’t mocking him, then he doesn’t know what’s happening. Youngjae’s reminded of his previous thoughts; of how he might have a (huge) crush on the cop. It doesn’t make sense to him, but something started to click inside of his mind when he looked into the latter’s dark brown orbs. The following that happened was inevitable (at least, that’s how Youngjae would explain it to him if he ever had the chance). Youngjae unbuckled his seat belt, shifted on his seat so he was facing the latter, and leaned in closer to press his lips.

Just as fast Youngjae had unbuckled his seat belt, the kiss had been. It was over in a second and Youngjae was buckling back his seat belt. The temperature had been turned up to the max because Youngjae was suddenly feeling very hot, and bothered, not to mention. He turned up the air conditioner in the car, but not before looking one last time at the police officer. “Instead of giving me a ticket next time, how about you give tell me your name instead?”

It was the first time since they met that the cop was left speechless. No words were coming out, and Youngjae felt an odd satisfaction at having done that much damage to the latter in less than five minutes. Youngjae winked at him before he left and before the police officer could snap out of his trance and give him another ticket.

 

◄◄◄◄◄◄

 

The first time Youngjae had been caught driving normally happened the following day after, when he was least expecting it to happen. It had been a normal day for him; he attended classes and hung out with friends whenever he had the chance. None of his Youngjae’s friends knew that he had been speed driving on purpose because of a stupid crush, and it’s for the best. Otherwise, he’d never hear the end of it.

On his way home, Youngjae was lost in thought when it happened. He was checking off the mental list of things he had to do for his classes (answer questions for Biology, check, read a chapter for History, check…) as he passed by the cop’s usual spot. It probably caught him off guard since Youngjae had been driving at full speed for the past consecutive weeks. To see him driving under the regulations, like a healthy and normal citizen would do, was strange. Off putting, even. The police officer just needed to know what caused the sudden change of attitude.

Youngjae was surprised when he saw the flashing lights after him. He wondered what on Earth did he do wrong this time, the urge of banging his head against the steering wheel strong and pulling. Youngjae just wanted to finish the day peacefully (and avoid bumping into the cops. He has reasons to, obviously). The annoying sounds of the sirens were loud to his ears, and Youngjae wondered if it was on purpose. Could they control how loud the sirens were? It seemed like something the police officer would do it to make him suffer some more (or maybe he’s exaggerating to make himself feel better).  

In the end, Youngjae reluctantly pulled up. He could feel himself sweating as he saw the cop getting out of his car through the rear mirror. The police officer was walking slowly like he owned the road, which, up until certain point, he did. Wind blew at that moment, and Youngjae couldn’t anymore with how things were turning out. Youngjae wished he could pause his Life so he could silently become one with his seat and scream.

The cop tapped his window once, then twice, because Youngjae wouldn’t lower it. Youngjae wanted to relish the calmness of the inside of his car some more, but he finally lowered it, because that would never happen. The police officer raised his eyebrows questioningly, “I should be happy that you’re not speed driving, but I’m not. It’s odd.”

(Side note: Youngjae noticed that Mark raises his eyebrows a lot. He can’t help but find it endearing.)

“Noo,” Youngjae drawled out as he awkwardly avoided the latter’s eyes. “It isn’t… you’re just not used to it.”

The cop nods in agreement, as if saying yeah, that’s true and added, “You’re even acting shy today.”

Youngjae started to cough violently into his hand, “You’re imagining it.”

“Am I?” the police officer countered challengingly, “I don’t think so.”

Something inside of Youngjae snapped, “Yes, you are! Can you just let me go? I’m actually busy for once!”

That bit was true. In Youngjae’s mental agenda, he had only checked off the list two assignments. He had another assignment for Math and he also needed to study for an upcoming History exam, and Youngjae was horrible with History. “So you weren’t busy before when you drove by here?”

“Oh my God,” Youngjae murmured under his breath as he sunk lower in his seat, “Could we not do this right now?”

The cop shrugged as he backed off from the car, “Okay. The name is Mark, by the way. Mark Tuan.”

Youngjae was going to say something, let out another complaint that had something to do with his classes, when words fell short because did he just? He looked at the police officer, at Mark, who was looking at him with a smug smirk. Youngjae didn’t want to give him a reason to feel satisfied, but damn it, the hot guy finally has a name. He could finally place a name on Mark’s face!

Maybe next time Mark could say yes to a date.

 

◄◄◄◄◄◄

 

The second time Youngjae had been caught driving normally happened a week after Mark told him his name. The following week had been nothing but peaceful and full of day dreaming about different scenarios that involved Mark confessing to Youngjae. It’s also been less busy than the previous week, probably because Youngjae already went through Hell Week. Now, it was the calm again, which is why he wasn’t particularly worried about being distracted during classes.

Youngjae thought about passing the day after Mark told him his name. He thought about it during classes and on his way back home. It would be easy to do so; all Youngjae had to do was drive up next to Mark’s spot, lower the windows, and say hi. It was that easy, but Youngjae decided that it would be better to go another day, so that they both have time to digest the series of events.

(That day, Youngjae took the longer way home.)

The day after that, Youngjae thought about it again. He thought about it as he started out his day, when he was hanging out with his friends, and once more, on his way back home. And the thing is, Youngjae did get a chance to pass by Mark’s spot, but since there was a traffic jam, there were many cars blocking his view. He couldn’t even get a peek of Mark…

The following days were on repeat until Youngjae finally decided that he’s gonna do it; he’s gonna say hi to Mark. He styled his hair a bit more than usual; just to have that suave look that Mark seemed to like the last time he had it. Youngjae wore a classic red, button shirt with black, skinny jeans that accentuated his legs. It was wearing one of his favorite’s shirts because it made him look casual, but not too casual. After all, Youngjae didn’t want to seem overeager (more than he already did). To finish off the look, he decided to apply some eyeliner to draw in attention to his eyes. Then, Youngjae was ready to face Mark.

Unlike all of the previous times before, Youngjae was leaving his house this time. He was purposely making his way towards Mark’s spot, so naturally, he was nervous. Youngjae was nervous because even though Mark had told him his name, it didn’t necessarily mean that he was interested in going on a date. Besides, Mark could’ve been dating someone already. The thought hadn’t crossed Youngjae’s mind before, but just because it hadn’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not a possibility. Until Mark tells him otherwise, the chances of him being taken are as real as the kiss had been.

(If it’s that case, then Youngjae kissed a taken man. Does that make him a home wrecker?)

Just as Youngjae was arriving Mark’s spot, he noticed that Mark wasn’t alone. Mark’s car was always parked alone behind a giant build board, a trick usually seen in the movies. This time, there were two cars parallel to each other under the same shade. Mark was standing outside his car next to another police officer, and as Youngjae gradually got closer, it was obvious that they were laughing. The other police officer had his hand resting on Mark’s shoulder, and something about that didn’t sit well with Youngjae.

It was like his fear was coming to life, but Youngjae drove by them anyways. He stopped and took a deep breath before getting out of the car. Youngjae blocked out the unfamiliar voice from his mind, and focused only on Mark, who looked surprised to see him. Mark’s smiled after a moment, “Hey, I thought you disappeared or something.”

This familiarity was new, but not unwelcome. Youngjae smiled a little as well, “Did you miss me that much?”

“Well,” Mark started to say before the unfamiliar voice interrupted them, “Whoa, what?”

Youngjae looked at the other police officer. The stranger was pretty good looking with his sharp face features, but Mark was easily better looking. He also had many eye catching piercings on one of his ears; it made him look even more intimidating. Youngjae felt himself shrinking under his stare, “Are you guys dating?”

“What? No!” Mark instantly denied, ignoring the sound of Youngjae’s heart breaking temporarily, “We’re just acquaintances…”

The stranger smiled, “Does that mean our date is still on?”

(Youngjae snapped right then. He interrupted them with a forced smile, and lied to Mark about having to be somewhere else and that he just wanted to say hi. Youngjae ignored the way Mark looked concerned when he got back on his car. It appeared that Mark had something to say when he approached his window, but nothing he said made sense. Doesn’t matter anyways; Youngjae didn’t bother lowering his window. He started the engine, and although it was hard not to peak at the rear mirror, he didn’t. Youngjae managed through somehow.)

(Mark stared after Youngjae’s car once more. He noticed that Youngjae was breaking the rules again…)

 

►►►►►►

 

Youngjae doesn’t drive by Mark’s usual spot anymore. How could he? After making a fool out of himself last time, the last thing he wants to do is visit the place where it happened.

(In reality, the scene continues to play in Youngjae’s mind.)

He desperately wishes someone had told him that Mark had already been seeing someone from the start. Then again, Youngjae hadn’t told anyone about his crush. It’s partly his fault for never asking in the first place, he reasons with himself.

But he should’ve made it clear, Youngjae thinks. The signs were so messed up at some point that he even thought they might’ve been flirting. Although Youngjae wasn’t sure of Mark’s feelings towards him, he figured that it couldn’t have been completely professional. If it was strictly professional, then Mark wouldn’t have told him his name… Because telling Youngjae his name meant more than just getting acquainted with him. It meant that he hadn’t minded the kiss and whatever happened to their relationship afterward at all…

Youngjae must’ve been the only one thinking something was going on between them. He’s not satisfied with being the only infatuated, but he needs to move on. If Mark’s happy with that guy, than so be it.

He takes out his phone and sends the following text to his friend, Bambam.

 

To: B.B.

From: Youngjae

 

Set me up with one of your hot friends tonight.

 

►►►►►►

 

On the good side of things, Youngjae’s made friends since then and it’s thanks to Bambam. All of the guys Bambam set him up with were… interesting, to say the least. They all treated Youngjae politely like a gentleman would, and they all successfully made him laugh at some point. He’s had a great time with each and every one of them, but it’s thanks to that, he realized something important.

None of the guys Bambam set up with Youngjae were his type. He didn’t even think he had a type until he saw their faces; they were all handsome, but something was lacking... perhaps it would be more correct to say that they weren't lacking anything, the problem was just Youngjae.

(Maybe he’s Mark ual.)

Youngjae didn’t know what it was exactly, because he was clearly interested in getting to know some of them better, but it didn’t go farther from that. It stayed as a friendly curiosity, and that worries him. Youngjae has a goal in mind: To Get Over Mark Tuan. It sounds simple, but it’s turning out a bit more complicated than that.

Just as Youngjae is letting out a sigh, he receives a text from Bambam. It said the following:

 

To: Youngjae

From: B.B.

 

I think I found the perfect guy 4 u

I told him to meet u at the coffee shop next to the university

4:00 P.M

Have fun ;)

 

Youngjae looks at the text message, re-reads it once more, and instantly regrets asking his friend to set him up with someone. He’s getting tired of going out to meet someone new every day; he just wants to laze around his house, walk around half , and be alone. Youngjae needs more alone time to sort out his thoughts and feelings because they’re all over the place lately. Surely, this can’t continue. 

It can’t continue, but he sends a text to Bambam anyways. Youngjae reasons that it’s because his friend is doing everything he can to help him out, and not because he’s starting to worry if the side effects are long lasting. His hands are sweating as he presses the send button.  

 

To: B.B.

From: Youngjae

 

All right

 

►►►►►►

 

Youngjae makes a small effort to dress up for his date. He styles his hair the way he would normally style it for the university, and decides to dress up simple as well. Youngjae picks out a white v neck shirt and a pair of dark blue, high waisted pants he bought recently online. He looks somewhat classy because he tucks the shirt inside, but the red Converse makes him look otherwise. 

On his way to the coffee shop, Youngjae almost passed by Mark’s usual spot again. The only reason why he realized before it was too late was because he saw the familiar giant build board. Thankfully, the build board is doing its job by serving Youngjae as some type of landmark for him to remember. Otherwise, he would’ve kept going until he reached the coffee shop.

Still, even though Youngjae took the longer route to get there, he arrived just in time. Bless his need on being time for everything!

Immediately right after Youngjae enters the coffee shop, he realizes two things. One, he’s never been here before, and he’s not sure why. The coffee shop’s interior appeals to him a lot; its rustic furniture makes it seem homey and comfortable. The music is also really appealing; if Youngjae’s not mistaken, the song they're currently playing is Cold Rain by 4MINUTE. Its ambience is a quiet one since people appear to be reading or working on something as they sip on their drinks. Youngjae prays that the coffee is just as lovely as everything else.

And two, he’s not sure how his date looks like. How is Youngjae supposed to find someone that he doesn’t even know? Contrary to previous times, Bambam was being secretive after the first messages he sent; he wouldn’t reveal any type of information on his date. “That’s the fun of these types of things,” his friend texted, “You get to find out on your own!”

Yeah, well, Youngjae’s calling bull right now. He’s not going to walk up to everyone in the coffee shop and ask if they’re waiting for someone. Youngjae doesn’t want anyone misunderstanding him because he’s not the mood for a commotion, so instead of looking for his date right away, he orders a coffee. He sits down at a table with a clear view of everyone because the cashier told him that they bring the order to his table. (Which was excellent.)

As he waits for his order, Youngjae looks for anyone mildly suspicious. He has a mental list in his mind: they have to be alone and consistently checking for the time. So far Bambam has set him up with guys, so it's safe to say that he'll be set up with another guy again. It’s also safe to say that the person is around his height because Bambam doesn’t have tall friends except for one, and that’s Yugyeom. They’re also dating. The person also has to be around Youngjae’s age because he vaguely remembers telling Bambam he doesn’t likes them too old. It’s a small list of things he knows, but it keeps him preoccupied until his order arrives.

A few minutes pass of Youngjae observing people, and none of them fit the bill according to his mental list. No one’s alone, no one’s checking the time, most are women, no one appears to be tall, and ages can be deceiving. Youngjae lets out a sigh when someone places a coffee on his table, and he instinctively looks up.

It was one of the male employees from the coffee shop, “Did someone order an Americano?”

Youngjae raises his arm a little, even though the answer was obvious, “That would be me.”

“Huh,” the employee says in wonder as he stares at Youngjae, “You look cuter in person.”

Youngjae was just taking a sip when he almost spits, “Excuse me?”

The employee smiles widely, “Nice to meet you, Youngjae. I’m Bambam’s friend, Wang Jackson.”

Well, that took a turn. “I hope that you don’t mind that we’re meeting at my workplace though. I couldn’t really afford to take you out to somewhere fancy.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Youngjae says as he wipes his face a little with a napkin, “I actually really like this coffee shop so far.”

“Awesome,” Jackson says before turning around to look at the counter, “I’ll join you in a moment.”

Then after a moment, Jackson’s back behind the counter working on another quick order. He exchanges words with his coworker as he’s working, and Youngjae takes this moment to breathe. It’s nothing new, he’s done this before, and very recently, too, so there’s nothing to worry about. Jackson seems like a genuinely nice person, and it’s nothing more than that for now. Don’t think about it too much and don’t think back to Mark…

Once Youngjae snaps out of it, he realizes that Jackson’s coming over to the table. The latter sits down across Youngjae, looking a bit more nervous than before when he introduced himself. “I’m not really used to this type of thing,” Jackson confesses right away, “I’m always practicing on my fencing, so I guess Bambam thought I needed to spice things up.”

Youngjae smiles knowingly because he’s been in the same position as Jackson was, “It’s cool; I’m not used to it either.”

Jackson looks surprised, “Really? You haven’t done this before?”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Youngjae gently corrects as he sips his Americano, “I meant being set up with someone. I’ve gone out on dates before, but for different reasons, it never worked out.”

He nods like he gets it. “Do you mind me asking why you’re being set up then?” Jackson asks before supplying with a, “Since you dislike it.”

Then Youngjae’s at loss for words because explaining why would imply talking about Mark for the first time since he met him. He hasn’t even told this to Bambam or to anyone else, and now he’s not sure whether he wants it to stay like that. People have secrets that nobody else wants to find out, and maybe this is Youngjae’s secret from the world… but then again, he’s aware that it’s not good to let it bottle up for so long. Youngjae’s in need to talk to someone about it, he has been for a while now, and Jackson seems like the perfect person he could talk to.

After all, Jackson’s practically a stranger to him.

Just like that, Youngjae’s shoulders slump as he gets comfortable in his seat. He takes a sip from his Americano and speaks softly, his voice small like he’s afraid of what he’s going to say (in which case, he is), “The truth is… I’m actually trying to get over someone.”

Jackson doesn’t interrupt. Instead, he continues to listen quietly to Youngjae speaking, “I… I think it was love at first sight when I met him, because I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I’d think about him, and then I wouldn’t because it was weird that I was wondering so much about a stranger, but I’d think about him again… and again.”

“And when I imagined him smiling, God, I had to go see him again.” Youngjae lets out a breathy laugh, “Maybe that’s what drove me to speed drive.”

Jackson is silent before quipping with a comical, "Wait, what? Speed driving?". 

Youngjae continues, unfazed, “Then we talked a bit more… they weren’t really full conversations, but it made me more curious about him and I just realized one day out of nowhere, boom, I liked him. A lot.”

“I thought there was something, but that went down the drain when I realized he was taken by someone else,” Youngjae finishes sadly, his smile, for once, looking out of place on his face.

He finally looks at Jackson, expecting some type of comment on his pathetic story, but he doesn’t receive any type of comment. Instead, Jackson looks thoughtful as he stares at something else that isn't Youngjae. At first, Youngjae thinks Jackson’s taking in the story, but then he realizes that he’s actually looking at something behind him. Youngjae turns around then to see what Jackson’s looking at, and stops all together.

Because it just couldn’t be happening. This isn’t a Disney movie.

It came close to that though, because Youngjae’s staring at Mark for the first time since that happened and he’s real. Youngjae knows he’s real because Mark’s standing beside their table and he’s taking him by the wrist.

(And for the love of God, Youngjae can’t believe Mark’s grip around his wrist is ing strong. Mark looked strong from the beginning, so why hadn’t he registered it until now?)

Everything’s happening so fast that Youngjae can barely register it all at once. After Mark took him by his wrist, he leads him somewhere else. Even though Youngjae’s complaining and making a scene, Mark ignores him and continues silently with whatever he has in mind. Struggling is starting to seem futile, but Youngjae doesn’t want to give in easily, so he continues throwing a fit, even if it’s half assed.

Soon they arrive at a police car, and Mark opens a door for Youngjae to get in. He reluctantly does so, and watches Mark walk back to the other door. Mark finally gets inside the car and turns around immediately at Youngjae, “Who was that guy?”

Youngjae immediately frowns, “Um, none of your business?”

“It kinda is,” Marks says as he frowns as well, looking frustrated for some reason, “Because how can I ignore that the person I’m interested in is seeing someone else?”

“Excuse me?,” Youngjae cuts him off angrily, ignoring completely the most important words Mark has said since he saw him, “But last time I checked, you were taken!”

This caught Mark off guard, “Wait, what? Who said I was taken?”

Youngjae rolls his eyes, “Oh, please. Don’t give me that bull.”

“No, seriously… who said I was?”

“Maybe that handsome guy you were with a while ago?” Youngjae supplies sweetly, sarcasm dripping every word he said, “You were supposed to go on a date together.”

They’re both silent, but for different reasons. While Mark’s processing Youngjae’s words, Youngjae’s trying to keep his calm by breathing in and out. None of this was supposed to happen today, or ever for that fact, because Youngjae’s set on moving on. Mark’s supposed to be part of a past he didn’t want to get back to ever again, but when he’s sitting next to Youngjae, the thought weakens.

(A part of him is screaming in delight because this is the first time they’re both sitting down next to each other, really conversing with one another.)

Mark starts to laugh abruptly, catching Youngjae off guard (because it’s also the first time he’s seeing him laugh, and his heart’s being stupid again). “I can’t believe you thought I was dating Jaebum!”

Somehow, despite everything, Youngjae feels a bit annoyed, “Well, I wouldn’t know.”

“It’s just, Jaebum’s my friend,” Mark explains as he wipes a tear from his eye, “We like to joke like that sometimes.”

Youngjae crosses his arms as he looks away, his cheeks tainted red from embarrassment. Mark looks at him and asks, “Did you really think we were a thing?”

No response.

“I think it’s important to mention, again, that the one I’m crushing on is you,” Mark says bluntly, “Not Jaebum or not anyone else… you. So please, look at me?”

Youngjae doesn’t move to look at him, so Mark gently cups his cheeks. The eye contact is inevitable, but neither of them is looking away from each other. The gap between their faces is closed by Mark when he presses his lips on Youngjae’s for a moment, and the world is at peace again. “I actually like you a lot,” Youngjae confesses shyly, breaking the eye contact.

“I know. I overheard the last bit of your conversation earlier,” Mark grins at how the latter’s eyes widen in shock, “Does this mean we’re official?”

This time, it’s Youngjae’s turn to smile, “Now you’re going too fast. Let’s start off with that date I never got the chance to ask you out on.”

(After properly introducing each other for the first time, Mark decides to take Youngjae out for a drive since they’re already in his car. Youngjae points out that Mark’s breaking the law by speed driving into the sunset, no less, until he remembers something important, “By the way, how did you know I was at the coffee shop?") 

 

 

The end. 

 

---

A/N: Happy birthday, Youngjae <3 I hope you had an amazing day yesterday with the members, your friends, & family. I hope you ate lots of cake and opened many presents because you deserve so much. Thank you for being such a great person, for being you, for always smiling, for working hard for both of us, thank you for being born, & for being my inspiration.

I honestly think that if it wasn't because I was determined to write more stories about you, I wouldn't have gotten better at what I do; it's just a fraction of what I write, but I can definitely say that it's helped me broaden out. I still have a long way to go, but I know I'm not alone. Let's both work hard for our dreams & futures. I love you lots <3 Please take care of yourself more from now, & no matter what, just keep swimming ;)    

Happy Sunshine Day!!! I hope everyone is hashtagging like crazy ahaha I know I am! Next year though, we should definitely use the hashtag #PrinceYoungjaeDay because I'm a firm believer that he is a prince in every way! XD

Well, anyways, I don't have much to say. I can't say that I'm going to be more active from now on, because I know for a fact that I'll be super ing busy for a while. I'll probably write whenever I have the chance, but the chances of uploading something new are pretty low for now. I'm sorry about that u.u

For now, I hope this was worth the read :) subscribes are lovely, comments are nicer, & upvotes are a plus! Enjoy! :D