As Jackson walked away from the check-in counter, he couldn’t help but marvel at how awake he felt. Usually after a night of little to no sleep, exhaustion hit him dead in the face. But something about a whole night of just sitting under the stars, talking with Mark made him feel more refreshed than ever. The two had talked about anything and everything they could think of, from past relationships to whether cats or dogs were better, to where they wanted to be in five years. Once he broke through Mark’s shy exterior a little more, Jackson was amazed by the answers the older gave. He thought about every detail when it came to his future, even though he admitted he had no idea where he’d end up even in one year, let alone five. “Life changes too much,” he said. “What’s the use in predicting when you’ll probably be wrong?”

That statement stuck with Jackson, making him reconsider a lot of things. Well, that was probably a tiny bit dramatic. But it did make him really think about life and his goals, something that Mark caught on to and proceeded to about. “Am I changing the great Jackson Wang’s life?” he joked.

"You already have," Jackson replied, grabbing Mark's hand and kissing his fingers gently. That made the older look away, red coloring his cheeks and ears.

Mark's mother woke up at dawn to find them outside, her son asleep with his head in Jackson's lap. Jackson sat with his back propped against the wall, Mark's blonde hair gently. He was too lost in his own thoughts to notice Mrs. Tuan standing in the doorway. "You match him well," she said in Mandarin. "I never would have put you two together on my own. I guess that's why I'm not in charge." She smiled at him lightly before fixing her gaze down the small village road.

"I knew right when I saw him that he was special," Jackson admitted. "But every time I see him, I somehow manage to fall deeper. I know he has his doubts, but I think he feels the same way."

Mrs. Tuan smiled even wider, her eyes crinkling pleasantly at the edges. "He cares for you more than I've seen him care for anyone," she said. With that, she turned, about to head back inside, before pausing again. "I booked him a flight home for this morning. Maybe you can spend just a little more time together before you have to split up again."

That's how Mark ended up in the airport half an hour before Jackson, drawing all the public attention to himself so the idol could slip through the crowd unnoticed. It surprised him, seeing a mob of fans circle around Mark almost immediately after he stepped into the airport. They were all surrounding him just because he'd been seen with Jackson once.

Once both of them made it through security and customs, they met up at a small table in the back corner of a cafe, hoping to hide themselves away enough for prying eyes not to find them. Letting his bag fall to the ground, Jackson slid his chair closer to Mark. He positioned himself just close enough to where his legs could press up against the older's without anyone else thinking twice.

"I'm glad she did this," Mark muttered as he clutched onto the warm mug in front of him. "I'll never tell her that, but I'm glad." Jackson grinned, moving his hand to grip Mark's wrist in the best attempt at comfort he could muster while still remaining cautious of the people around them. He rubbed the top of the older’s hand a few times with his thumb.

“The more time I get with you, the happier I am,” Jackson said. “I don’t know how I’m gonna survive not knowing when I’ll see you again.”

The over-dramatic flair that Jackson had for anything and everything in life could be a little much sometimes. Mark rolled his eyes playfully and said “You’ve survived before. You can do it again.”

“That was before I knew that you’re a dog person that can only cook ramen," Jackson joked. When Mark smacked him lightly, he giggled and squirmed in his seat, subtly hooking his leg around the back of Mark's. "It doesn't help that I know what it's like to kiss you now, either." The instantaneous shift of his tone made Mark's smile drop just a little. Jackson's eyes dropped to the older's lips, watching as he pulled the lower back between his teeth.

Part of him wanted to whine and complain about how unfair the other was being. Didn't he know that acting so y just hours before they had to split up yet again was the worst kind of torture? But saying something wouldn't do anything to stop him from being enticing. Nothing could stop that.

So, instead, Jackson leaned over and kissed him. It wasn't as breathtakingly frantic as their makeout session the night before, but it ran deep with passion and just a hint of sadness. Mark let his hand fall from the table to rest on Jackson's thigh, leaning against it as he matched the calm intensity of the kiss. He pulled back after a moment, ending it all too soon in Jackson’s opinion. As the younger blinked his eyes open again, he stared at the dark brown eyes looking back at him, just inches away. They were curious and a little confused.

"What?" Jackson whispered. "Bad?"

The blonde locks that swept across Mark's forehead jostled around as he shook his head. His lips stayed pursed together, though, as if he still couldn't figure something out. Jackson tried his best to wait, distracting himself by soaking in the feeling of Mark's thin fingers wrapped around his leg. He wanted to remember exactly how it felt for Mark Tuan to touch him so that, when they were back to being on the opposite end of the world, he could try and pretend that they were still together. Keyword being try. Nothing would replace the older actually being there. But maybe pretending could be second best.

When he moved his hand to rest on top of Mark's, the other jolted out of his mildly confused trance. He slipped his hand off of Jackson's leg and straightened back up in his chair.  "Okay, what?" Jackson asked, a little more demanding this time. "What's wrong?"

Mark shook his head again, letting his hair fall into his eyes. The silver strands were just the perfect length to hide his expression, like a built-in blindfold. Jackson moved his fingers up to sweep it away, gasping as he saw the older's glistening eyes underneath. "Hey hey hey," he comforted, automatically pulling Mark into his arms. "Shhhhh. It's okay." His hand moved to rest on the back of the older's hood-covered head, rubbing comforting patterns through the cloth.

"It's not okay," Mark muttered into Jackson's shoulder. "It's not fair. Why did I have to meet you?" The sting he felt in his chest made Jackson pause for a minute, re-evaluating what had just been said into his shirt. He knew that Mark didn't mean it in any sort of mean way, but it still hurt. Jackson wouldn't have traded meeting the boy in his arms for anything in the world.

"You would rather not to have met me at all?" he asked, his voice more curious than accusing.

"I didn't mean it like that."

Jackson smirked and pressed his lips to the side of Mark's head. "I know you didn't," he said. "Just remember that I'll never regret meeting you." He leaned a little closer so his lips were hovering just over where he guessed was the older's ear and whispered, "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

The quick hitch of Mark's breath was enough to kick Jackson out of his ultra mushy mood. "This is starting to feel too much like some ultimate goodbye and I don't like it," he said. Grabbing Mark's shoulders, he pulled the older away from him and smiled. "Let's go look at some of the shops or something." He wiped a tear streak off of Mark's cheek. "I'll get you something that's a little more your style.

Mark's mouth fell open for a second before he closed it and turned to his backpack. It only took him a minute to find what he was looking for, pulling it out and holding it inconspicuously in his hands. "This is my style," he said, smiling.

In his hands was the golden bracelet that Jackson had given him that night in Hong Kong. When he hadn't seen Mark wearing it, Jackson had figured the older forgot about it or just didn't want to wear it. "I'd wear it, but you said you didn't want people to know about us," he explained. "They'd probably be able to guess if they saw me wearing it. So I carry it around with me instead."

Jackson's fingers hovered over the metal before he pulled his hand back into his lap. "You're a quick learner," he said, chuckling a little. "Well, I'll get you something you can actually wear, too." He grabbed Mark's wrist lightly, tugging at him as he stood up. They only had a couple hours left together. Jackson wanted to make the most of it.

They walked though a few different shops, laughing at embarrassing tourist t-shirts and cheap electronics that they both knew would only work once before breaking. When they got to the more expensive stores, Mark slowed down a little, staring at all the luxuries he could never afford. Designer clothes and unique accessories that only someone with a stuffed wallet could think of buying.

Noticing when the older slowed down even more in front of a fine jewelry store, Jackson grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. "Look around," he urged when Mark stared at him, eyes wide. Everything in the store was at least $1500, but unless his soulmate decided he wanted a diamond-encrusted necklace that covered his whole neck and most of his upper chest, Jackson could afford it.

It only took a few minutes of careful browsing for Mark to find more than a few things that caught his eye, pointing them out to Jackson like a kid in a candy store. But he stopped in his tracks when he saw a gold ring with a midnight black square stamped into the top. "Can I see that?" Mark asked the man behind the counter, who simply nodded and pulled it out of the display.

Jackson tilted his head as he looked at the ring in Mark's fingers. It was probably the most simple looking piece in the whole store, not a single jewel on it, but it was elegant at the same time. Beautiful without trying, just like the person holding it.

"It suits you," Jackson said. He shifted so he was hovering just behind Mark, hand secretly resting on the small of the older’s back. Though he didn’t move away, Jackson felt the muscles in Mark’s back tighten at the touch. It was a nervous tension that melted away after a few seconds into a relaxed ease. Jackson almost thought he felt Mark leaning back into him a little.

The man behind the counter asked Mark what finger he’d be wearing it on, which Mark immediately responded to by motioning to his left pinky. As he slid the ring onto his finger, he muttered a quiet “woah”. The ring fit almost perfectly.

“Is there anything else I can show you today?” the salesman asked, smiling politely.

Jackson’s eyes dropped to Mark, who was still staring at the ring on his finger. “No, I think that will be everything,” he replied. It took him a minute to open his wallet and pull out a card, handing it over to the man.

As the man walked away to ring up the transaction, Mark glanced back at Jackson. “Aren’t you going to ask him the price first?” he asked. Jackson just shrugged, smiling as the salesman returned with his card and a receipt to sign. He tried his best to hide the price from Mark’s view, but he knew he failed as soon as he heard the sharp inhale next to his ear.

No one had ever signed a receipt as quickly as Jackson did after that. He wanted to get out of the store before Mark had some sort of anxiety attack or started demanding he return the ring. Once the last of his signature was done, Jackson dropped the pen, nodding at the salesman quickly, and grabbed Mark’s hand, dragging him out into the concourse.

“Jackson, it’s too much!” Mark complained a little too loudly as they walked. A few people looked around after hearing the name, immediately seeming to connect it with the idol. Before they could find him, though, Jackson pulled Mark into a small corner hidden from most of the people around them.

“If you wanted everyone to know I was here, you really should have yelled,” he joked, backing Mark into the corner. The older looked shocked and confused and concerned all at the same time. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but closed it again after a minute, eyes darting all over the place. “Hey,” Jackson said, tipping his head so his face was right in Mark’s line of sight. “It was a joke. No one saw us. We’re fine.”

Taking a deep breath and nodding, Mark looked around again, suddenly noticing he was backed into a corner with Jackson’s arms on either side. He was trapped in place, not that he would’ve moved away in the first place. His eyes dropped down to look at Jackson’s lips, tongue glazing his own lips slowly. That just made heat start to pool in Jackson’s stomach, heart racing.

“You can’t do that to me now,” Jackson whispered, letting his face get dangerously close to Mark’s.

“Do what?” Mark asked, trying to play innocent despite the fact that he was still blatantly staring at Jackson’s lips.

“You can’t make me want to do unspeakable things to you when I have to get on a plane in fifteen minutes.” He stepped a little closer to Mark, their bodies now just millimeters apart.

“Wait, what?” Mark immediately broke out of his trance, staring wide eyed right into Jackson’s eyes. “Fifteen minutes? That’s it?” He looked almost like he was on the verge of tears, without the glistening eyes.

Jackson smirked a little, unable to believe how adorable his soulmate could look at the most random times. Ah, who was he kidding? He always looked adorable. “And to think that less than an hour ago, you said you wished you’d never met me,” Jackson joked.

A strong fist thudded against his chest, making Jackson just laugh and pull Mark into his arms. “Come here,” he said, pulling the other tight against him. “I promise I’ll see you soon, okay? I don’t care what I have to cancel or what I have to turn down, I’ll make sure we’re together again in no time.” Mark just huffed, forehead resting against Jackson’s shoulder.

After a minute of just standing there, soaking each other’s presence in, Mark lifted his head again. Without wasting a second, he moved his lips to Jackson’s, kissing him yet again. Jackson could feel all of Mark’s sadness and doubt in the kiss. It felt too hopeless for him, too much like a goodbye with no hopes of seeing each other again. Jackson let his frustration and uncurbed passion flow back, fighting against Mark’s feelings. The younger pushed Mark back into the wall, hands dropping to Mark’s waist.

He felt Mark try and fight back for a minute before giving in, letting himself melt into a puddle of hormonal lust, desperate to taste as much of Jackson’s lips as he could in their last moments together. The older’s dark hood fell back as he leaned to the side, moving his lips kiss-by-kiss down Jackson’s jaw to the spot just below the idol’s left ear. With a quick peck to loosen up the skin, Mark bit down just enough to make a bruise form later.

“Ah!” Jackson gasped, trying to keep his voice down despite the shock. “You couldn’t have done that in a more hidden spot?” Though it was clearly a complaint, the moan of pleasure that lived under the surface of his words made Mark giggle. “I’ll have to wear a hood or a scarf or something now. It’s summer, though…”

Mark cut off his rambling by returning his lips back to Jackson’s. His fingers slid into the pockets of Jackson’s jeans, pulling him closer again, and smirked as the younger’s breath ghosted across his lips.

Now boarding Korea Air flight 682 to Seoul.

Never before had Jackson hated that announcement so much. Savoring the feeling of Mark’s lips against his for another brief moment, Jackson leaned back, breaking the kiss. “That’s my flight,” he muttered.

“Oh.” It was all Mark could say before his expression dropped back into one on the verge of tears. “I… uhm,” he muttered, searching for his words. “I…”

“I’ll miss you too,” Jackson interrupted. “I promise I’ll message you as soon as I land and I won’t stop until you have to turn your phone off. I might not even stop then.”

When Mark’s expression didn’t change, Jackson grabbed his chin, lightly tipping his face up to look at him. “Promise me you won’t think of this as the end,” Jackson said. “You told me we could try to make us work, remember?”

Mark nodded, still refusing to look Jackson in the eye. “Mark, please. Look at me?” Jackson pleaded. That got him to look up. Smiling at the sight of the deep brown orbs, the idol pressed one last kiss on his lips. “I’ll see you soon.”

“You promise?” Though Jackson knew he was trying his best to stay strong, Mark’s voice sounded small and quiet like a child’s.

“Swear on my life,” Jackson said, pressing a quick peck to Mark’s forehead. “I need to go.

As he pulled away from his soulmate’s warm embrace, Jackson felt his heart crack for the first time. It didn’t shatter or anything. There was more than enough hope to keep it in tact. But the pain he felt in his chest as he turned and walked away from Mark could only be described as damaging.

He turned back one last time before he reached his gate. Moving up the nearest escalator, alone and hidden in his hood and extra-large sunglasses, was his other half looking back at him. Jackson raised a hand and waved, wishing he could be silly and crazy without drawing attention to himself. He wanted to cheer the other up.

The wave seemed to be enough to make him smile, though. He waved back quickly before disappearing yet again from Jackson’s sight.

Hey everyone! Long time no see! Well, unless you read my other stuff. Then it hasn't been that long. Anyway, I had a really fun time writing this chapter, which I'm sure is obvious since it's about 1k more words than my usual updates. Haha.

Their separation was inevitable. Again. When do you think they'll see each other again? Let me know in the comments.