It wasn’t like it was the first time Jackson was doing this but it still felt wrong. How did he even get to this point in his life? He looked around the coffee shop, it was full of people having a good time, either with their group of friends or their loved ones. That made Jackson sigh inwardly. He hated how the world remained a good place even when he was hurting. Sometimes Jackson wanted the world to go in tandem with his emotions. If that happened, the world would appear grey right now. He found a table for himself in the corner and made himself comfortable. He was meeting someone his friend Jinyoung had set him up with. The many ways Jinyoung annoyed him included constantly getting him in situations he hated, invading his personal space often, not respecting his privacy and resorting to painful sarcasm from time to time to prove a point. Jinyoung was an of a best friend but deep inside his heart Jackson knew he wouldn’t have it any other way. He was afloat just because of Jinyoung and his spontaneity to get Jackson out of his slump. It made Jackson think of the good old days when things were just right and all he needed to feel happy was a good cup of coffee and a chance to talk to people. Another sigh left his lips.

“Err hello? Are you Jackson?” a blonde male asked him politely and Jackson wanted so badly to say no but he didn’t want his kicked by Jinyoung so he nodded. “You must be Mark, please have a seat,” he got up and shook hands with the stranger and sat down. They looked at each other, as if accessing what kind of person the other was.

Jackson jumped right in without any restraints. “Umm…so what did Jinyoung tell you about me? Don’t mind me asking, he can be too much sometimes. I don’t want us to start off with any misunderstandings, so…” Jackson shifted in his spot uncomfortably. Mark eyed Jackson for a minute before answering, trying very carefully to choose words that wouldn’t turn the other off. “Well…he told me about what happened with you and that according to him you need to have someone good in your life to get back on track,” he his lips and met Jackson’s widened eyes. “So you are a self-certified angel?” Jackson couldn’t help it but Jinyoung got on his nerves in so many ways, portraying him as a desperate man to strangers like Mark. “Well, if you want proof of how good I am, we will have to go on a date again,” Mark shrugs. Jackson eyes the man curiously, opening and closing his mouth several times because he doesn’t know what to say. “Is this Jinyoung’s trick or something?” “What do you mean?” “Oh God! Anyway. So what would you like to have?” Jackson tries so hard to not roll his eyes because he knows Jinyoung is a jerk and has set him up with a smartass this time. As if setting him up with a possessive jerk and a free loader wasn’t enough! The pain he had to go through to tell them he wasn’t interested was something he didn’t want to go through again. So he was just going to treat this man to coffee and snake his way out of this situation without getting too involved.

“Iced Americano and a blueberry muffin,” Mark said, staring at the menu on the board for about a minute. “Some choice after staring at the board for so long,” Jackson couldn’t help but be a bit condescending. “Well, I don’t hurry myself into anything, it just leads to disaster,” Jackson seriously rolled his eyes without any remorse this time. “Okay! Why don’t you go have a seat? I will be back in a minute,” Mark heads back to their seat while Jackson taps on the counter impatiently. “Did you just hear him? God, so full of himself! Ugh, and you guys think I am the one who boasts,” Jackson vents the moment Youngjae is at the counter. “Hyung, don’t you think he is good looking though?” Youngjae is looking at Mark and Jackson wants to pull his hair out. “The good looking ones always have some or the other problem! Don’t you remember the last two guys? Oh God, why is Jinyoung hell bent on ruining my peace of mind like this?” “Because he cares hyung. It is time you forget what that did to you and just move on,” Youngjae clicks his tongue in annoyance. Jackson is pulled back into the memory of how his fiancée of one year and girlfriend of 3 years had not only cheated on him three days before their wedding but also stolen all his money and his mother’s ring before eloping with her boyfriend. He cannot forget the ‘I told you so’ expression Jinyoung had on his face when he got to know all that happened.

Being a biual made life easier after all that transpired but personal or romantic life was least of Jackson’s worries. Not only did he have to take up two jobs to pay his debts but also the amount of money he spent on the intended wedding and private detectives to nab the girl who wronged him had him dry. Past one year he had been coping with all kinds of problems and his family was beyond shattered with what had happened. It was like having a perfect dream and waking up to a nightmare. He was going one step at a time and Jinyoung kept on nagging him to find personal happiness in order to lead a better life, hence his quest for trying his luck with guys! He was getting back on his feet, slowly but steadily so he couldn’t keep Jinyoung at bay about this whole dating issue and at first he had felt pretty exciting about trying this. But he didn’t want to give in to Jinyoung easily so he had taken his own sweet time to warm up to the idea of dating a guy or at least trying to find someone he could feel remotely interested in. Jinyoung had terrible taste in finding guys Jackson could date or be interested in so it was a debacle since the very beginning.

“I want to murder Jinyoung in twenty different ways,” Jackson muttered to Youngjae before carrying his order towards the table where Mark was waiting. Youngjae couldn’t help but chuckle at how much Jinyoung got under Jackson’s skin. He also couldn’t deny that Jackson needed to be loved and taken care of for once and Jinyoung was just being a good friend. Youngjae felt so lucky to be with a man who cared to this end.

“So Mark what do you do and how do you know Jinyoung?” Jackson made sure he asked all the right questions and he always set up dates at Youngjae’s café because he needed someone to agree with him on how stupid the guy that Jinyoung sent was. Youngjae always betrayed him though! “I am a primary school teacher in a school around the corner from here. I know Jinyoung because I used to baby sit his nephew a few years back. After his sister moved away, we hardly remained in touch until I met him in a mall a few weeks back. We got up to speed with each other’s lives and he was so eager to set me up with you. I didn’t have anything better to do after my working hours so I thought, why not?” Jackson was hating every bit of Mark at that moment, he was on a date with him just because he didn’t have anything better to do? How rude can someone be on their first date? Jackson felt hot steam coming out of his ears but he pushed his anger down. “I see. I can’t picture you taking care of children with the way you are somehow,” Jackson was trying so hard to not let his anger slip through his words. “With how honest, good looking and easy going I am? The children love me, you should come around sometime. Even you might get lucky with whatever you have here,” Mark smiled cheekily as he glanced up and down at Jackson. Jackson wanted to punch him in the face. “Are you always so full of yourself?” Jackson fired and rolled his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. “Are you always so closed minded about people who have confidence in themselves?” Mark shot back. “That’s it. See you some other time Mark,” Jackson got up hastily and bowed out of habit and started to walk off.

“Jinyoung did tell me you would have problem with how straightforward I am. I guess he was right. But hey, at least I am not being someone I am not. You need some real people in your life after what happened. Think about it, okay? I would love to see you again. If you are interested or if you change your mind, you know how to find me,” Jackson was standing halfway in between the table and the exit door and whatever Mark said made him turn around.

“You kidding? Problem with just your straightforwardness? How about you assuming you are good looking and easy going? Also you are a really rude man. Easy going people make others comfortable in their company. They don’t attack you with self-proclamations or rudeness like you did. I don’t think I am gonna change my mind but thanks anyways. Unlike you, I do have a lot to do when I am not working, so no. You will definitely be hard to forget in the list of the many that Jinyoung is going to set me up with. It is so ing annoying to have such a dedicated best friend,” Jackson sighed and bowed again because whether he liked Mark or not, every man deserved respect. Mark bowed in return and left with a goofy smile on his face which made Jackson sigh in relief again. “May be he is a sociopath or something. God save the kids!” he shook his head and left for home.

**

It had been two weeks since the date with Mark had been an epic fail on Jackson’s end. “Of course he was a jerk. Every guy I set you up with is a jerk by default in your eyes. I don’t know what to do with you Jacks! I thought Mark was the one for you,” Jinyoung was pulling his hair out angrily and somehow Jackson was smiling inwardly at the sight. “See, doesn’t this make you want to pull your hair out? Can you please stop setting me up with people now? You can’t control everything Jinyoungie, I will find someone on my own. Don’t burn yourself up for me like this,” Jackson walked towards Jinyoung faking a concerned expression but Jinyoung saw right through it. “You should meet Mark again. He couldn’t stop gushing about how amazing you were,” Jackson’s eyes widened at what Jinyoung said. “You have got to be kidding me. There wasn’t a single spark between us and all we talked about was you and his job. God! I am telling you, he has some mental problem. He is a boastful weirdo Jinyoung, I am not seeing him again,” Jackson raised both his hands up in surrender.

“Hey come on Jacks, he is interested in you. What’s the harm in giving the guy one last chance? You should see how amazing he is with kids. What’s the big deal about one more date?” Jinyoung wasn’t backing down. Half because he knew Mark pretty well and half because he already told Mark that Jackson would meet him the following day. “Yah! Are you even listening to me? We didn’t have any spark, I didn’t think he was good looking nor did I find him to be interested in me. Can you not force me this time?” “One last time Jacks. If you see him again tomorrow, I promise I won’t set you up with anyone for the next one month, come on,” Jinyoung had tempted Jackson good and Jackson caved because he desperately wanted out of Jinyoung’s match making plans. “You won’t regret this Sseunie,” Jackson knew when Jinyoung called him that name, he was doomed.  

**

Jackson was waiting outside the school where Mark worked. He was supposed to pick Mark up this time. Seriously sometimes Jackson didn’t know why he was friends with Jinyoung. He always felt he was being portrayed as a needy man when in fact he was here because Mark had gushed about him and wanted to see him again. Mark was taking forever to come out so Jackson decided to go in and complain a bit. This way he could get out of this date sooner than expected.

The school wasn’t a big one but it felt homey in some weird kind of way. It had a small playground equipped with playing instruments like swing sets and slides. The walls were painted brightly and had caricatures of smiling suns and flowers, fairies and cartoons. Children were laughing and talking animatedly and all of them looked adorable. Jackson loved little kids, he found them curious and entertaining. It didn’t take long for Jackson to spot Mark. He was on his knees and wiping the tears off of a little girl’s face. A small group of children had surrounded Mark and he was saying something to the girl that Jackson couldn’t hear, so he walked closer.

“Princess, look at me. Don’t cry. So what if you have two daddies? Don’t they love you a lot?” the little girl nodded her head at those words. “So why are you sad?” “Jihyo teased me that I don’t have a mommy. She said I was unlucky,” Mark was her back soothingly and her sobs were slowly coming to a stop. Jackson could see what Jinyoung was talking about.  “You are so lucky that you have two daddies because daddies are fun. Okay? Don’t listen to Jihyo, listen to me. Okay? Princesses with two daddies are just as lucky as Princesses with a mommy and daddy. Remember that, okay? Come on, your daddies must be waiting for their Princess, come on come on,” he led her towards the other gate of the school and she hopped along with him happily. It made Jackson smile. Well, happy children always made Jackson happy.

Mark sprinted towards Jackson with a small bag in his hands, glasses on his nose, looking nothing like he did two weeks ago. He wasn’t blonde anymore, he had black hair now. Jackson was so lost in the scene moments ago that he hadn’t noticed the boy’s hair. He was wearing a white button down shirt and a pair of comfortable navy blue trousers. A loose sweater vest hung on his shoulders as he took quick steps towards Jackson. “Hey sorry, did you have to wait for long?” Mark genuinely sounded apologetic so Jackson gave up on the thought of playing it evil with Mark. “No, I just got here a couple of minutes ago. Let’s go then?” Mark nodded and followed Jackson to his car.

“Umm…so listen. I don’t know what you said to Jinyoung about me but he is under the impression that you were gushing about me or something. Honestly, there wasn’t a single moment that day that I felt you were good to me and I was good to you. I am a bit confused about you asking to see me again,” Jackson didn’t like beating around the bush and he was really eager to just find an end to this before it got complicated to get out of. Also, he was eager for Jinyoung to stop setting him up with people.

“Oh. Jinyoung can be too much sometimes, you were right about that. All I said was that you seemed interesting and that it’s a shame I won’t get you know you better. He said you would see me today because quote, “Jackson doesn’t know what is good for him so I have to step in like this,” and here we are,” Mark said calmly and Jackson felt a vein on his temple throb.

“That son of a ! He said you wanted to see me. This is so embarrassing,” Jackson grabbed the steering angrily. “Hey, hey, listen. Don’t lose it. I did really find you interesting, and I was really looking forward to today. I don’t know if this changes anything but I really want to know you better,” Mark shrugged and pushed his glasses back on his nose.

“Where do you want to go?” Jackson tried really hard to maintain his composure and asked Mark calmly. “There’s this little Chinese place downtown. Let’s have something there? I am really hungry,” Mark looked at Jackson to confirm if the boy was out of his angry mode. Jackson turned to look at Mark and nodded. The drive was a silent one, except for Mark making a few statements about the weather and Jackson nodding in affirmative.

They ordered a good meal and ate to their heart’s content. Jackson couldn’t stop praising the food and Mark was glad that they went there. After they were done they both walked to the counter. “You paid for the coffee the last time, so let this be my treat,” “No, more than half the things were ordered by me, so let me pay,” “But coming here was my idea, let me treat you,” “Can you stop and just let me pay?” “Can’t we just split the bill?” They argued for a bit before settling to split the bill. The owner smiled at them both and they were both confused. “It is so cute to see you two fighting over who pays the bill like this. It’s refreshing. Boys are always paying for girls, hyungs are always paying for their dongsaengs, husbands for their wives, parents for their children but this seems new,” she smiles wider as she points at Mark and Jackson. Mark can see a faint smile on Jackson’s face for the very first time, and he knows that he really likes it.

“Would you like to have some tiramisu? There’s a place around the corner,” Mark asks Jackson the moment they start walking towards the car. “Umm okay sure,” Jackson follows Mark and is surprised how some good food and impending dessert makes him feel so much better about this date. “Jackson, you must feel lonely right?” Mark asks out of nowhere and Jackson shoots his head up. “What makes you say that? Is it something about my face? Oh God, please tell me it has nothing to do with my face. I hate Jinyoung so much. He always tells me I have a face that yearns for love and affection like a lonely puppy,” Jackson throws his head back in embarrassment, not sure why he just shared this info with Mark. Mark looks visibly amused. “Well it has nothing to do with your face, but now that I think about it…” “Don’t you dare complete that sentence,” Jackson points his spoon menacingly at Mark and Mark laughs. Jackson is stunned because Mark’s laugh is high pitched and a never heard before kind of a laugh. His glasses displace a bit on his nose and his teeth, Jackson notices, really sharp canines and really straight set of teeth peek out. “Okay! I asked you because you do something you really don’t want to do because Jinyoung suggests it. May be you secretly hope to find someone good and be happy for once or you do it to not lose Jinyoung, who is your only friend right now,” Mark says calmly, a small smile still decorating his face.

“Well may be. I haven’t dated guys before because I was in a happy relationship with a girl. But after everything happened, what Jinyoung was suggesting was interesting. That bastard will never leave me, no matter what. It’s not that I can’t trust a girl again but may be with a boy it might be easier? Or not? I don’t know. You ask difficult questions Mark,” Jackson sighs and Mark laughs heartily.

“So what’s interesting about me?” now Mark is the one surprised by the question. “I don’t know. But it was fun for me that day. You were squirming and trying so hard to not be mean to me. You were losing your patience but still being polite but sassy at the same time. That was interesting. I realized even in your weakest moments you have an ethic. And personally, I like people who go through a difficult time and still try to turn their life around,” Mark looks right into Jackson’s eyes and Jackson cannot miss the respect that they reflect.

“Uhh! Aren’t you a smooth talker?” Jackson smirks and Mark rolls his eyes. “Thank you though. I guess I am still trying to get out of stuff. People face worst things, you know. I still feel privileged that I have a chance to turn things around,” Jackson shrugs. They walk out of the place and the evening is pretty pleasant. They make their way towards the car. “Thanks for seeing me. I can hail a cab from here. I don’t want to bother you again so rest assured. I am going to tell Jinyoung to not trouble you again,” Mark chuckles. “Hey, I will drop you home, okay? I am not a jerk to let you take a cab home when I have a car. Come on,” Jackson motions his head to the car door and Mark gets in, albeit hesitantly.

They reach Mark’s house after a short drive and Mark is about to get down when Jackson taps his shoulder. “It wasn’t half bad today. You aren’t a total jerk after all,” Jackson puts a hand on his lips and giggles. “Also, you didn’t act boastful at all today. Good improvement on that,” he laughs his hyena laugh and Mark glares at him. “Yeah? You didn’t roll your eyes and sighed less today. Also, you were not squirming non-stop with anger. Wasn’t half bad for me as well,” Mark shrugs and gets out of the car.

“See you around Jackson,” Mark waves and starts walking towards his house, feeling a little unfulfilled but happy that he just cemented his place in Jackson’s mind by not pissing him off for a change.

“Mark, wait!” Jackson calls and Mark turns back. Jackson gets out of the car and runs to Mark. “You forgot your bag,” Jackson hands Mark the bag but Mark looks a bit disappointed. “May be we can hang out sometime? As friends? Without Jinyoung’s annoying interference?” Jackson asks and Mark’s face lights up. “Sure, I would really like that. Here save your number,” Mark hands Jackson his phone and Jackson is a bit surprised at how fast he is giving out his number to Mark when just two weeks ago he was ing about him to Youngjae. He feeds his number into Mark’s phone and hands it back to him. “See you later Jackson, bye. Drive safe,” Mark waves and Jackson sprints back to his car, with a weirdly fast beating heart.

**

A week passed by and Mark couldn’t bring himself to text Jackson and set a date. He just found it weird to initiate but at the same time he wanted to see Jackson again. He liked how his mind worked when he was with Jackson. Mark is a very calm and happy person, he doesn’t get savage or crooked when he is with people. But when he is with Jackson, something changes. He wants to get a reaction out of Jackson because when Jackson reacts he finds it really entertaining. He admired Jackson for being able to work his way around his problems without letting go of his true self. Jinyoung told Mark that Jackson really loved that girl. He cried for days after she left. He was hurt because he didn’t know how long she had been cheating on him while he worked hard to make her happy. He didn’t know if she really did love him or was with him just for money. He understood why Jackson didn’t trust people easily and quickly asked questions to assure himself that he was being careful.

Mark couldn’t deny that Jackson was a very handsome man in his eyes. The first time he laid eyes on Jackson, he thought that Jinyoung had set him up with a model. But Mark wasn’t the kind to be just swayed by looks, but at the same time, he wasn’t someone who could ignore someone’s good looks. Mark thought he himself wasn’t bad looking. He was used to heads turning when he walked in at shops or passed by a group of people. He was very confident about his looks but Jackson didn’t seem least bit affected by his looks. That somehow bothered Mark because Mark received compliments on every date he had ever been on but Jackson didn’t once compliment him on his looks. Their second date didn’t even include Mark getting ready for it so Mark had met him in his work clothes and hadn’t even bothered to freshen up. May be that’s why Jackson didn’t think he was good looking even on their second date? Had he not made enough of an impression on Jackson? Not with looks and not with personality? This was worse than he thought.

“Oh no!” Mark cannot get rid of his anxiety so he finally decided to text Jackson.

**

It was going really well for Jackson this past week. He got a promotion at his job and the salary bump was going to ease up his tension a little bit if not much. Jinyoung had been nothing but tolerable and that made Jackson question everything but he decided to give his brain some time off. He spent his evenings leisurely either at Youngjae’s café or roaming around the town buying titbits for his house because he loved decorating it with little things. Jackson was skippy and it surprised him because he didn’t know why. He couldn’t put a finger on it but he thought it was because a few good things amounted to a lot when they happened in succession. He was walking down the street to his house when he got a message and he waited to read it.

Unknown Number: Hey Jackson, wanna