Gymnastics was all Mark knew his whole life so when he quit to heal his torn meniscus, his body completely freaked out. He was restless and jumpy, ready to back flip down the stairs at any given moment. But he can't. At least until his knee is healed, that is.

In all honesty, Mark never really fancied gymnastics. He never particularly loved the bars or the balancing beam. Well, he did enjoy the trampoline. But then again, who doesn't? Mark is just in it for the tumbling. He loved jumping and flipping, twisting his body in the air and eventually landing safely on the ground. 

But alas, gone were the days of gymnastics for his injury had caused him to miss out on the last competition before he aged out of that section. So after abruptly stopping all forms of exercise, Mark took to the lifestyle of a hermit - choosing to rot on his all too comfortable couch with his laptop and multiple seasons of television series to catch up on. He rather appreciates his current routine, taking it as a break from the endless practices he had before. Plus, his parents were also glad that he wasn't spending the whole day at the gym only to crash onto the bed in exhaustion once he’s home. Jackson, however, didn't share that joy. 

Jackson is the friend that whenever anyone asked how they met, Mark would say "he came up to me and slapped me and we became friends afterwards". That would technically be true, given the fact that there was a huge spider stuck to the side of Mark's face and Mark had been too scared to swat it away so Jackson took it upon himself to murder that little devil. They were 5 when that happened but Mark's fear of spiders remained till this day. 

"You really need to get out of your house. You look like you've aged 10 years within the course of 3 months." Jackson said as he changed out of his overly sequined cheer uniform in the middle of Mark's living room. 

"Can't. Injured, remember?" Mark spoke through a mouthful of nachos as he started yet another episode of Game of Thrones. It was an excuse and Jackson knew it. The last time he checked, the doctor said he would be able to exercise as per usual but Mark had fully embraced the lazy life and refused to let it go so easily. 

"Maybe you should join me in cheer."

Mark paused - both his chewing and Game of Thrones. That actually didn't sound too bad. Cheerleading for a guy sounded odd to him and the uniforms are way too colorful and sparkly for his taste, but he gets to tumble and finally move those rusted joints of his. He was about to say yes when he choked on the nachos he had in his mouth and proceeded to hack like a dying witch.

Jackson judged him, like the true friend he is, before interpreting everything the wrong way. "It's not that bad. Look, cheer isn't just for girls you know? I mean, look at me in all my glory. If you knew better, you'll tag along next practice or something." Jackson announced dramatically, hands flailing about as he gesticulates in ways only a braggart like him would.  

"Sure." 

Jackson raised an eyebrow. That was easy. He half expected to drag a whiny Mark to the gym while he struggled to break free. Oh well. Jackson puts it that Mark finally came to terms with how ridiculously good-looking he is and wants to learn from senpai's ways.

And tag along he did. Mark trudged behind an overly hyperactive Jackson as they made their way to the gym, mentally drained by Jackson's presence in its entirety and the worry for what was to come. 

The gym was quaint, albeit the walls were covered in pictures and medals of the team's achievements over the years - tacky but endearing in a way. Mark concluded that the place wasn't half bad and he could really get used to training here. While he busied himself with checking out the place, Jackson skipped off to a middle-aged man in the middle of a heated discussion about dance routines with a bunch of stretching boys.

"Coach! I brought Mark." Jackson hollered while he vigorously waved Mark over. 

"Ah, good morning, Jackson. Thank you."

The man turned towards Mark and gave him a bright smile. He introduced himself as the head coach of K. All Stars Level 6 boys cheer team, Mr Park Jinyoung and led him to sit with the group of boys he was with.

"Hey, Jackson said you're an awesome tumbler. Can't wait to see what you can do. I'm Jaebum by the way. You can just call me JB."

JB was rather intimidating looking and Mark being the socially inept idiot he is, shifted his gaze to the floor before mumbling a quiet 'hi'.

"Ew gross, Jaebum hyung. Nobody calls you that." A young boy with a pink stripe of hair yells as he stretches himself into a split. He shifts his gaze to Mark, giving him a warm earnest smile before introducing himself as Bam Bam.

"Bam Bam?" Mark can't help but to inquire. It sounds like some cheesy excuse of a rapper's stage name.

"Do you prefer Kunpimook Bhuwakul?" said another boy stretching alongside Bam Bam. "Trust me, it took me a full year of practice before I stopped butchering his name."

The boy stood, rotating his ankles briefly before moving towards the mats, ignoring Bam Bam's pout. For once, Mark's gaze on someone didn't falter, intrigued by what this boy could do as he nailed a back tuck with such beautiful form that Mark was taken aback. 

"Forgive that show-off. He's Jinyoung. He literally has the same name as head coach so most of us just call him Junior. He's been here so long he might as well be the next coach. Can you imagine? Head Coach Park and Coach Park. That would be-"

"Enough Youngjae hyung. You're scaring him." A tall boy chided as he fiddled with the strap of his gym bag, having just entered the gym not long after Mark's introduction. Mark later found out that the tall one is Yugyeom and he's apparently the youngest even though he looks at least 2 years older than his actual age.

Mark, although a tad bit traumatized by everyone's outward character felt like he couldn't have a warmer welcome to the team. He could sense the bond between all the team members even though their bickering could get a little overwhelming sometimes. It's actually really amusing to watch everyone interact with each other. He could really get used to training here. 

Mark joined Jackson and a few other people whose names he has yet to remember for some basic warm ups and stretches before practice officially started. He sighed at how inflexible and unfit he had become in just 3 months of inactivity. It was inevitable, he guessed.

His eyes naturally wandered around the gym, watching the other boys stretch their flyers and practice their tumbling with the coach. He could see Jinyoung spotting Youngjae as he attempted a round off back handspring back tuck. The boy really acted like a second coach and Mark can’t help but stare a little longer than necessary. 

"Junior. Can you come assess Mark with me?" Coach Park asked, his voice way too loud to be directed at one person barely a few feet away from him. True enough, the whole team drops what they're doing and forms an uneven circle near the middle of the gym. Mark takes that as his cue to walk over and get ready to be tested.

It's not like he didn't expect it. He's sure that at some point the team had to see what skills he possesses before they can accept a new member. That didn't stop him from feeling nervous though. He bit his lip, hoping that he hasn't lost all his tumbling skills in the span of 3 months. 

"Hey, don't worry. You'll do great." Jackson slapped him on the back, sensing his nerves by how silent and stiff he had become. 

Oh Jackson and his optimism. Mark silently thanks his best friend for that little confidence booster. Even though he constantly annoys Mark, Jackson can be a really good friend when he needs to be.

They start out with the basics. Mark nailing the cartwheels and round-offs that Jinyoung tells him to do. Coach Park remained silent, looking down every now and then to jot something down into his clipboard. Everybody's eyes are on him and Mark can't help but feel a little self-conscious. He feels worse every time he looks at Jinyoung while he announces the next skill. The boy's gaze burned holes into him. His deep brown eyes observed Mark’s every move with such intensity that Mark finds himself not wanting to disappoint him with sloppy tumbling. Mark grits his teeth and puts in extra effort to ensure his ankles are together while he does a standing double full.

As he rights himself again, he sees Jinyoung raise his eyebrows, mouth pressed together as though contemplating hard. Next to him, Jackson flashes a proud smile.

Mark swears he almost died when he did a front aerial but when he looked around, everyone is smiling and no one seemed to notice the fact that he almost lost his footing. He seemed to have impressed them enough with his tumbling because even Jinyoung was smiling at him, eyes crinkling and all. And suddenly Mark becomes oblivious to the obnoxious round of applause that the team gives him and drowns himself in Jinyoung's smile. Needless to say, Mark became an official member of the team that day.

The team decided that an appropriate initiation for Mark would be conditioning. 

Bless them for the warm welcome. 

Mark cursed under his breath as he finishes his last lap around the track.  It didn’t help that Jinyoung ran beside him throughout the 8 rounds, obligated as a second coach to initiate Mark in some way. His presence, however, only succeeded in making Mark feel slightly embarrassed by how much he's panting. Mark appreciated the company though, and the fact that Jinyoung didn’t demand to keep up a conversation while running like Jackson does makes everything so much better. 

For the next few practices, Mark gets well acquainted with bear crawls, burpees and long runs around the track. On top of that, he also gets closer to some of the boys in the team. He even eats Youngjae's cucumbers during lunch because the younger apparently has PTSD from a time when a cucumber almost killed him, or something along that line. Mark doesn't know how much of that story is true. Anyway, this is an incredible feat for someone as awkward as him. It took Mark at least a year before he opened up to his gymnastics friends but here, it seems as through everybody is naturally friendly and bubbly and Mark really enjoys the energy they exude.

In particular, Jinyoung remained a constant in every practice. He wasn’t like the rest; he was much quieter and spoke with a pace and tone that Mark swears is hypnotizing. He could hear Jinyoung recite monologues in old English and would still be entertained despite not understanding a word. When he bursts out in laughter at Mark’s jokes and lifts his hand to cover his mouth in embarrassment, Mark feels proud of the achievements he has attained in his life. But Mark is also slightly biased, and Jinyoung slightly too perfect. During practice, Jinyoung never strayed far from Mark’s side, constantly giving him little words of encouragement and tips on how to improve. Mark heard Bam Bam and Yugyeom call him the team mom a few times and he can’t help but agree. He brought it up to Jinyoung one practice in hopes of getting a cute whine but the boy replied with a playful “I am your mom” in English. Mark never knew he needed another mother in his life until then.

"Jinyoung's our centre for the pyramid. He's been flying for years and he really is the best." Jackson explains as they headed home from Friday’s practice.

"You might end up in his stunt group. I heard they're short of a back spot."

Mark contemplates asking more about Jinyoung but decides to keep quiet just to spite Jackson. Because if there’s one thing Jackson hates, it’s when Mark blatantly ignores him when he speaks.

Jackson's right. The next practice, they work on stunting and Mark finds himself amongst the two other people that make up Jinyoung's stunt group. They give him a crash course on what stunting is like which only succeeded in making Mark more fearful. Being a back spot means that Jinyoung's life is literally in his hands. One wrong move and he could come crashing down, splitting his skull open. Mark's strong and tall but he seriously doubts the team's judgment in putting him there. Mark is not ready to murder the one person he’s trying to impress.

"Relax, at least you have an excuse to stare at Jinyoung's now."

Mark sputters at Jackson’s comment, turning red in the face at an instant.

“W-what?”

“I’ve seen you ogling him. I’m your best friend, you can’t keep anything from me.”

He didn’t realize he was being that obvious. In his defense, Jinyoung’s got a cute so he can’t help but stare a little longer than necessary.

“Mark, can you help stretch me?” Jinyoung asks.

Mark cheered inwardly at the opportunity to escape Jackson’s prying and heads over to the mats with a bit too much enthusiasm to be deemed appropriate. Oh well, anything to avoid seeing the said best friend waggling his eyebrows and throwing him a knowing smirk.

Mark presses Jinyoung into the mat to stretch his legs, busying himself with redirecting the blood flow away from his nether regions at the sight of Jinyoung’s open and pliant body.

“You scared?” Jinyoung’s voice was soft, understanding Mark’s predicament.

“Of course. I don’t want to kill you.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll do fine.” Mark shoots him a worried look and Jinyoung smiles softly. “Plus, I trust you.” Jinyoung’s voice dropped when he said that, almost as though that statement held so much importance that it had to be spoken with barely a whisper. Mark can’t help but feel a flush in his face. Jinyoung’s words, although platonic in nature seemed laced with meaning and emotion. And Mark suddenly doesn’t feel scared anymore.

When they eventually got to stunting, Mark feels nervous all over again. Jinyoung seemed to sense it and gives Mark’s hand a tight squeeze before they start. The group starts with the basics, showing Mark how to grip Jinyoung’s ankles when he’s in the air and how to position himself to maintain stability.

Mark gets it really fast, mostly because Jinyoung flashes him a proud smile every time he does gets a correct grip and Mark gets a huge rush of energy and confidence every time that happens.

“Let’s do a standard elevation again.” Coach Park instructs as he walks around the gym to check on each stunt group.

It really wasn’t Mark’s fault. The other base didn’t manage to get a good grip on Jinyoung’s foot. Mark felt every wobble get bigger as Jinyoung tried to regain balance before tipping backwards and falling. Mark just happened at the right place at the right time, quickly stretching out his arm to brace Jinyoung’s fall and going down along with him. When everything stopped being a blur to Mark, he could hear Yugyeom’s distinct laughter and the sound of a camera going off.

He then notices the compromising position he and Jinyoung were in. He had his arms wrapped around the boy’s frame and Jinyoung’s face was in his chest.

“Ouch” He says and everyone bursts out in laughter while helping them up. Mark and Jinyoung were both red in the face, too embarrassed to listen to the base apologize for his mistake. 

The team decides to call it a day and everyone leaves to pack up their belongings and shower, leaving Mark and Jinyoung in the gym alone. And if Mark thinks that it’s a plot to get them to be alone together, he is correct. Damn it. It’s now or never. No going back now.

Jinyoung kept his gaze to the floor, busying himself with putting away the mats and refusing to make eye contact with Mark. He’s probably still freaked out about what happened and now is really not the right time for Mark to ask him out. The boy almost died!

But Mark is a hopeless romantic - extremely and unfortunately hopeless. So how can Mark not ask him when he’s already felt every inch of his body pressed against him?

Mark clears his throat and gathers up what little courage he has to ask, “Are you free after practice?”

Jinyoung freezes in his spot before smiling his usual eye-crinkling smile. “Mark Tuan, are you asking me out?”

“Maybe.”

“Well then, maybe I’ll go out with you.” He replies with a smirk.

“I did save your life today.” Mark hesitantly takes a step closer to Jinyoung.

“So? If you think playing the knight-in-shining-armor card is going to score you a date, then you’re horribly wrong.”

“So, Park Jinyoung, will you be my boyfriend?” Mark stood in front of him, taking Jinyoung’s hand in his. Jinyoung let out a breathy laugh. His cheeks are tinted a light shade of pink and Mark thinks he’s the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.

“Hmm... Let me think about it.” Jinyoung says in mock contemplation as he presses a small kiss to Mark’s cheek.

~

[A/N]

I know nothing about cheer! I'm so sorry if I got everything wrong. The flow in this fic is horrible and I don't know how to save it. Also, Jackson's a meme and so am I. On the other hand, yay for longer chapters and (hopefuly) more frequent uploads since A levels are over. :D