Some people might say Jaebum was being a tad overprotective of his best friend, but he had his reasons. 

Jinyoung didn’t date a lot of people; he didn’t like to fool around.  He was always looking for a serious committed relationship.  Jaebum couldn’t quite understand why he was looking to settle down while he was still so young, but he respected his life choices nonetheless.

There weren’t many guys he dated seriously.  He was notorious for never getting to the second date so it was only natural for Jaebum to be concerned when Jinyoung found a guy that he ended up going out with four times in one week.

He was even more concerned when Jinyoung kindly asked him to find somewhere else to stay for the night because he was planning to have his boyfriend of only a week stay overnight.  It was so unlike Jinyoung to even date seriously, let alone invite someone to stay over after such a short period of time.

Jaebum was convinced this guy had to be either the Adonis of man or Jinyoung had finally found his one true soul mate.

Once he laid eyes on him he decided the former had to be true at least.

Jaebum had convinced himself what he was doing was not wrong, spying on someone may have been a bit of an invasion of privacy but, it was to make sure his best friend wasn’t making a huge mistake.  It was all for the greater good in the end.

Jaebum had picked this table specifically, not too close that they would sense him staring and not too far that he didn’t have a good view of them.  They sat together eating, talking and laughing together.  They seemed to have a real connection but Jaebum wasn’t going to let it slide that easily.

Every time they turned their heads in their direction Jaebum dived behind the cover of his large menu, probably for no reason.  The chances that they would actually see him and recognize him were minimal, he was wearing sunglasses and a snapback and if he just made sure to stay really quiet…

“Excuse me!”  Jaebum was shocked out of his intensive spy session when a man came up and started talking to him loudly.  “I’m sorry, but I reallyneed to sit at this table specifically.”

Jaebum looked up at the man, backward snapback on his head, a loose black tank top showing off all his muscles, and crotch-drop pants that made him look like his legs started from his knees.  “What?”

“I said I need to sit here!  This table!  There are plenty of empty tables and you didn’t order yet so, do you mind moving?”  The man was tapping his foot impatiently and Jaebum was just utterly confused.

“Why do you need to sit at this table specifically?”

“It’s uh… my favourite table!  I can’t sit anywhere else.”  Whoever this guy was he was a bad liar.

“I’m sorry, you’re not allowed to kick me out of my table if I was already sitting here. “  He couldn’t move from this table, this was the only table in the restaurant the offered the perfect spying angle.

The man groaned dramatically in front of him.  “Fine!  You leave me no choice.”  The man slid into the seat across from him and picked up the second menu lying on the table.  “Guess I’ll just sit here with you.”

“What?  No, that’s not how it works.”  Jaebum was not going to let this guy ruin his evening of spying.

“Hey!  Relax.”  The man lowered his voice down to a whisper and leaned in to talk to him.  “Listen, this may sound a bit strange but I really need to sit here because I’m looking out for a friend.” The guy gestured at the table Jinyoung was sitting at and then turned back to him.  “My friend Mark over there has dated this guy less than a week and last night he blurted out that he thinks that he’s the one.”

Jaebum nodded in realization.

“I haven’t even met the guy!  He usually at least introduces me to his boyfriends but this guy is a complete mystery, and suddenly after a week he’s the one?  Not on my watch.”  The man sat down in his seat and crossed his arms.  “So, that’s why I need to sit here.”

“Alright, you can sit here then.”  Jaebum said coolly, turned his gaze back to his menu.

“Is that all, you’re not going to move?”

“I need to sit here, I have to make sure my friend Jinyoung over there,” Jaebum gestured back at the table. “Isn’t dating anyone strange as well.”

The man looked over at the table and back at Jaebum before he finally realized the situation.  “Mark is not strange.”

“That’s for me to decide.”  Jaebum took another glance over at the table, they had just finished ordering food and Mark was holding his hand lovingly while they talked.  Nothing was unusual, yet.

“My name’s Jackson,” He held out his hand for him to shake. “Since we’re partners in crime for today we might as well get to know each other.”

Jaebum was just planning on them both silently observing and ignoring each other, but this guy was obviously way too personable to let that happen.  “Jaebum.”  He shook his hand reluctantly.

A cheery waiter walked up to their table and asked them for their order.  “I’ll just have lemonade please.”  Jaebum didn’t really need to order anything since he wasn’t there to eat, but he didn’t want to be rude and not order anything.

She nodded to him and turned to Jackson, who was probably not looking to get a meal either.

“Is your never-ending mozzarella stick promotion still going on?”  He asked in a serious tone.  Jaebum looked at him stunned but he didn’t pay any attention to him.

“Yes!  Ten dollars and you can get all the mozzarella sticks you can eat!”  She was way too happy, Jaebum decided.

“Excellent!  I’ll take that and… a strawberry milkshake with extra whipped cream!  Thanks!”  She was about to take their menus away but Jaebum kindly shoved her hand away, indicating that they might need them for later.  She gave them a confused look before speed walking away to her next table.

“Really, you’re ordering food?”                                                     

“I’m here at a restaurant; I might as well order food!  Besides, I just came from an intense workout session, I’m treating myself.”  Jackson declared soundly.

Jaebum rolled his eyes and picked up the menu to hide behind again, going back to his silent observing.  Not much was going on at the table across the way, the waiter had just walked over with their food and Mark immediately grabbed a forkful of his pasta and offered it to Jinyoung, feeding him cutely.  He had to force his gaze away before he was thoroughly disgusted by how adorable they were.

“You should take off those sunglasses, you look ridiculous wearing those inside.” 

“I need them to stay inconspicuous.”

“Bro, I’m telling you they can’t even see us from here!”  Jackson leaned over the table again and pulled the sunglasses right off his face.  “There!  Can you actually see now?”

Jaebum squinted due to the sudden change in lighting before his eyes settled on Jackson.  He could see him much clearer, he had distinct features that Jaebum had to admit were really attractive.  “Give me those.”  He snatched the sunglasses back from Jackson but decided he would leave them off.

“So, Jaebum… what’s this Jinyoung guy like?”  Jackson fiddled with the napkins and condiments sitting on the table.

Jaebum didn’t realize his night of quiet spying would end up turning into a social engagement.  “He’s nice, very caring.  More on the serious side; loves to read books…”

“Wait?  Are you telling me Mark is dating…. a nerd?”  Jackson’s nose scrunched up in disgust.

“I wouldn’t say he’s a nerd… just not really a party guy I guess.  He can pretty fun after a few drinks.”  Jaebum deadpanned.

“Is this why he was so reluctant to introduce him to me?  He kept avoiding the subject… I’m always the first one to meet his boyfriends!”

“He was probably worried you would scare him away.”  Jaebum said matter-of-factly.  Jackson picked up the salt shaker and threatened to throw it at him.

“Okay!  One lemonade, one strawberry milkshake extra whip, and one plate of mozzarella sticks,” The waitress skipped over and set everything down on the table.  “Enjoy!”

Jackson immediately grabbed the plate and held it up to his nose, inhaling the scent deeply.  “Mmm, so cheesy…”  He put the plate back down the picked up the first one, dipping it into the sauce and popping it into his mouth, leaning back in his seat and practically over how good they were.

Jaebum just sipped his lemonade and pretended he didn’t know him.

“Hey, do you want to share?  They are endless after all.”  Jackson slid the plate towards him and Jaebum eyed in cautiously.

“You said these were…mozzarella sticks?”

“Yeah!  They’re so good, oh my god…”

“I’ve never tried them before.”  Jackson dropped the stick he was holding on his plate and clutched his chest in shock.

“What?!  Have you even lived?!”  Jackson gawked at him.

“I’m not really a fan of cheese.”  He admitted.

“There’s no way you won’t like these!  Just try one!”  He slid the plate closer and Jaebum eyed the sticks with disgust.  He picked one up and examined it before taking a small bite.  The cheese didn’t break off no matter how far he pulled it away from his mouth and Jackson started snickering at him.  After struggling for far too long he just shoved the rest of it into his mouth and chewed it slowly.

Jackson stared at him expectantly while he chewed and swallowed.  “So…?”

“They’re disgusting.”  Jaebum stated bluntly.

Jackson threw himself back into his seat in shock.  “What?! How could this be?!  I don’t know you!”

“Technically, you don’t know me.”

“Hey!  Just because you’re so chic and y doesn’t mean you have to be a smartass. “

Jaebum had to admit, it was kind of fun to .  “Wait, you think I’m y?”

“What!  Maybe!  Just a little!  What’s it to you?!”  Jaebum had to burst into laughter over how flustered he made him.  Then he realized he should probably tone it down to make sure Jinyoung wouldn’t hear it and recognize him.  He turned around to look back at their table but as usual, they were lost in their own world.  Mark was getting up to take a selfie with him it seemed.

“Ha!  Did you see that!  What a sly move Mark…”  Jackson desperately tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.

“What?”

“See when he got up to take the selfie,” Jackson mimicked Mark and walked over to Jaebum’s side.  “He discreetly put his arm around Jinyoung,” Jackson copied the way he moved, sliding his arm around Jaebum’s neck.  “Talk about discreet flirting!”

“Uh, sorry to break this to you Jackson, but I think they’re way past the shy but discreet flirting stage in their relationship.”  Jackson ended up sitting down on his side of the booth, not bothering to remove his arm from Jaebum’s neck.

“What are you talking about?  They’ve only been dating for a week.”  When Jackson turned towards him as he spoke his face was so close he could feel his breath on his face.  It flustered Jaebum a bit; he couldn’t tell you why it did.

“Jinyoung told me this morning that I needed to find someplace to stay tonight because he was planning to have Mark stay the night back at our apartment.”  At this Jackson abruptly removed his arm from Jaebum’s neck and reached into his pocket for his phone.  “What are you doing?”

“I’m texting Mark telling him he’s getting laid tonight.”  Jackson calmly said.  Jaebum immediately tried to grab the phone out his hand but it was too late, he had already sent the text.

“No!  You idiot! You’re going to blow our cover!”  Jaebum yelled, not caring how loud he was as he leaned over Jackson to look back toward Jinyoung’s table.  Jackson’s face fell when he realized what he had just done and he scrambled to look over for the reaction as well except…

“Wait, where did they go?  Did they leave?”  Jackson started animatedly looking around the restaurant, checking even in silly places like under their table and behind the chairs.

Jaebum groaned put and rested his head on his hand.  “They must’ve left while we weren’t paying attention.”  Jaebum was just about ready for this night to be over so when he saw the waiter walking by he motioned to her. “Cheque, please.”

“Hey!  Wait!”  Jackson scrambled back over to his side of the booth.  “I’ve barely finished my first round of mozzarella sticks!  You don’t order never-ending mozzarella sticks and only eat one round!”  He downed his strawberry milkshake in one gulp and Jaebum tried not to cringe.

“You can stay if you want, but I need to find some place to crash for the night or else I’ll be sleeping on the streets.”  Jaebum was already reaching to put his sunglasses back on and pulling out his wallet.

“Hey, you know, if Mark isn’t coming home tonight I’m going to have an extra bed anyways, you can stay over at my place if you want.”  Jaebum wouldn’t usually agree to stay over at the house of someone he had just met, but from the time they’ve known each other Jaebum could say he was a bit eccentric but overall harmless.

“…Alright, only because it’s late and I don’t think anyone’s going to be willing to let me stay over on such short notice.”  Jackson grinned a little too widely and Jaebum gave him a questioning look.  “What are you so happy about?”

“It’s nothing.”  Jackson finished the last mozzarella stick on his plate unable to stop himself from smiling.

The waiter came over to take their plates away and give them the cheque but Jackson stopped her before she could leave.  “Hey, excuse me, is there any way I could get these never-ending mozzarella sticks to go?” he asked sincerely.

Jaebum and the waitress exchanged glances before Jaebum motioned for her to leave and he rested face-down against the cold table top.

It’s going to be a long night.