“Where is Mark?”

 

“He went back to the old temple, he said something about trying to figure stuff out.”

 

“He will miss dinner. You all eat, don’t wait for us to return.”

 

Jinyoung grumbled to himself, looking over at the door to the temple grounds before he quickly moved to his room. He changed into something more suited for being out in public, annoyed that Mark would make him worry like this. He moved to the front gate, ignoring the looks Jaebum was giving him as he slipped through the front door. It would soon be dark, and Mark being out by himself had him nervous. The tensions in the air due to the threat of war had been growing the last few weeks, with no signs of a peace being reached any time soon. He had gotten word that enemy forces were spotted camping in the distant hills, but that their path of attack was unclear. He didn’t want a battle to emerge, nobody wanted a battle, but he needed to be on guard; more so now than ever.

 

Which meant he didn’t have time for this.

 

Jinyoung moved through the city easily, the townsfolk never really paid attention to them anyway. They had made a home there for several years, and it was almost as if they didn’t want to admit that there was a threat to their city, or a chance of war. Ignoring was always easier than accepting it, even if they knew that one day they would be hit with the harsh realization.

 

The path to the old temple was familiar for Jinyoung. He often found himself there praying in his darkest times of need, it’s what he was doing the day Mark arrived.

 

He remembers the woman running to him, going on about a dead body laying near the statue. Jinyoung needed to help, that wasn’t her area. He was annoyed with her bothering his prayer, but it seemed that going to see what the fuss was helped change his life for the better.

 

Even if he wasn’t ready to admit it yet.

 

Jinyoung stopped along the way to grab food at one of the local shops, something simple that would be easy to carry. The woman wrapped everything for him, handing him over the neat package and thanked him for his business. Jinyoung bowed, paying her before he continued on his path for the temple. The sun was nearly gone, and Jinyoung feared more for Mark’s safety as time ticked by.

 

Mark didn’t leave often, not for extended periods of time anyway, and never at night. Jinyoung tried not to worry but Mark was under his protection. He let himself into the temple, bowing to the priests that watched over the temple. They nodded in reply before carrying on. Jinyoung was no stranger so they didn’t treat him as such. They went about their business as Jinyoung moved through the temple, saying a quick prayer out of respect for the main temple first, before he let himself out back. It was getting darker, the path was not well lit but he figured Mark would be near the statue he had been found by.

 

Walking down the small stone steps, Jinyoung saw Mark kneeling by the statue, he was moving his hands around the base as if he were trying to find some sort of marking or button that would explain what happened to him. Jinyoung walked closer, making himself known early as to not scare Mark and risk him hitting himself again. Mark turned to see Jinyoung and got up, bowing his head politely.

 

“Hey, what are you doing here?” He asked, curious as Jinyoung came closer to him. He looked almost guilty.

 

“You scold me about the importance of keeping yourself healthy, but don’t follow your own advice.” Jinyoung sighed, holding up the food he had wrapped up for Mark. Looking at the bundle, Mark was hit with a wave of guilt. He hoped he didn’t keep everyone waiting for him.

 

“You brought me dinner? You didn’t have to do that for me. I’m sorry, I lost track of time. Did the others eat?” Mark sighed, taking the small bundle from him, carefully setting it down close by. Jinyoung sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“You make me worry about you constantly, how am I supposed to be on guard protecting the city if I’m always having to stop what I’m doing to remind you to do something as simple as eating?” Jinyoung reprimanded, standing taller in hopes of proving his point. Mark sighed, sliding his hands in his pockets.

 

“I’m not a child Jinyoung, nobody asked you to take it upon yourself to take care of me.” Mark regretted it as soon as he spoke, sighing to himself as he turned and looked back at the statue. “I’m sorry. I know you’re only doing it because you care. I’m just trying to find a way to get back, or how to explain what happened to me so that I can be out of your hair.” Mark bent down to pick up the food.

 

“Why do you want to get back so badly? Are you not being taken care of here? Is there no prospect of you finding a wife and staying here?” Jinyoung asked, and Mark was almost taken back by his questions. Why Jinyoung would want him to stay was beyond him. He seemed to annoy Jinyoung more often than not.

 

“It’s not that simple. I wish it was, but… I don’t want to get in the way, should anything happen. I may be a soldier in my time but I know nothing of this era. I’m lost when it comes to fighting here, of how medicine is like in this time. What if I could go home and learn more, I could study more.” Mark looked down at the food, not sure where he was going with that. That would mean he would be coming back.

 

“Then what? Would you come back and better serve us? What if you can only go back once and you never return to us?” Jinyoung almost sounded worried, as if he didn’t want Mark to go. The affliction in his voice had Mark stunned, almost, it was the most genuine he’d ever seen Jinyoung be with someone since he arrived.

 

“I have no real ties or connections to my time. I have my parents, but that’s it. I joined the Military because I felt lost and I had already been training in Martial Arts since I was young. So I knew how to fight, but I also wanted to heal. There is so much war in my time, so much loss, if I wasn’t able to do anything, I could at least go and try to help.” Mark spoke softly, wanting to keep the tone soft, if Jinyoung was willing to show his vulnerable side, he could at least be respectful back.

 

“Then what do you say to training with us? I can help you be of more use, not just medical, so this way when the fight comes you know better how to aid us.” Jinyoung relaxed his position, uncrossing his arms some. Slowly letting his guard down around Mark.

 

“I will consider it. Have you eaten yet?” Mark looked from the food to Jinyoung, watching him shake his head no.

 

“Then come.” Mark reached out to take Jinyoung’s hand, yanking him down a small path leading to a quiet sitting area. Their fingers laced together as Mark dragged him along. Jinyoung looked at their fingers in shock, unsure how to handle this sort of attention, or the way it was making him feel. Mark let go, kneeling down on one of the blankets set out to dry, carefully undoing the cloth binding together the food Jinyoung had brought for them.

 

“I must return.” Jinyoung tried, but couldn’t say no to Mark pulling him like this. He sighed, sitting down next to him, watching carefully as he separated the food to make it even for the both of them.

 

“How will we eat? I have asked for only one set of chopsticks.” Jinyoung looked nervous, pulling the set from his pocket to hand over to Mark.

 

“We will share it.” Mark said simply, taking a small bite before handing the pair, and the food over to Jinyoung.

 

“Share… it.” Jinyoung looked at Mark like he was insane. His eyes trained on the chopsticks for a while before he carefully took it, eating from the other end of the dish as to not pick at the food Mark was eating at. “Is this common in your time? People sharing food together.”

 

“Good friends do it.” Mark commented, taking the chopsticks back to keep eating. Jinyoung watched him carefully.

 

“Good friends, or married people? I feel this is something intimate you share with one special person.” Jinyoung added, but he took the chopsticks back from Mark and ate without question or hesitation.

 

“Well married people do it all the time I’m sure. I had an ex lover, we shared food often. But I’ve also done it with my closest friends, before I left for the military.” Mark sat back some, thinking about those times, about the life he lived outside of these times. It felt weird, the longer he stayed the more he felt as if his life in 2017 was the one he was out of place in.

 

Would he even be able to adjust going back? Or would he spend all his time worrying what happened to Jinyoung and the others... What if they died in battle because he wasn’t there to save them, or could he go study what happened and help prevent it?

 

He snapped to when he felt Jinyoung nudge his side, looking at him quickly before he was handed the chopsticks.

 

“An ex.. I’m not sure the meaning of this.”

 

“Oh uhm. So in my time, you don’t get set up with someone to marry them… you go out and you meet someone. You decide that you want to get to know them. You see each other often, go out together, if things don’t work out then you can break up and go see other people. If things work out, then you guys will probably get married.” Mark shrugged, taking a few bites of the food before handing the rest to Jinyoung to finish. He didn’t want to eat as much, knowing that Jinyoung often ate the least and last every night.

 

“So you have had people that you have courted, never married though.. Surely this is a strange time. Why would you bother with anyone you don’t plan on getting married to?” Jinyoung shook his head, as if the idea was unfathomable.

 

“Well when you first start to see the person you don’t really know if you will or won’t get married. You know that you care for them a lot, and you hope that you two can make it to getting married, but sometimes things don’t always work out. It’s better for you both then to break it off, because being married, at least to me, is a one and done deal. I only ever want to get married once, to the person I love the most in life.” Mark smiled, looking up at the sky for a few moments before he turned to Jinyoung.

 

“You didn’t answer my question, you’ve been with women before but you never married?” Jinyoung finished off the food, setting the container down on the ground.

 

“Oh uh no. I mean, well. It’s complicated.” Mark rubbed the back of his neck, over his lips lightly.

 

“Are you hiding more from me?” Jinyoung started to frown, and Mark shifted uncomfortably.

 

“No. I’m not hiding anything. I just don’t know how to properly explain myself.” Mark started to tie up all the leftover bowls just as they had been presented to him, not wanting them to leave a mess in the temple. Jinyoung seemed content to hold onto the chopsticks though.

 

“Do you think I won’t understand, or I won’t accept what you have to say. I have believed almost everything else, even if it’s very crazy to think about. I am not so proud that I can’t be understanding of others.” Jinyoung seemed offended, which is what Mark was trying not to do.

 

“Give me a little more time, and I will be able to tell you. I’m not sure if you guys have a word for it, or if you have an understanding of it. I’m not sure if it’s allowed or not here, so I don’t want to say anything and it be a problem.” Mark admitted, looking down at the floor. Jinyoung watched him carefully for a moment before he turned to look the other way. Mark didn’t know what that meant, but Jinyoung was still there so it couldn’t have been bad.

 

“I will give you all the time that you need, if that means that you will be with us for more time.” Jinyoung admitted, keeping his eyes away from Mark. Almost as if he were scared to see Mark’s reaction.

 

Mark honestly never knew how to react in these moments. When Jinyoung’s honesty was so forward, Mark felt ashamed to acknowledge it.

 

Was Jinyoung wanting Mark to stay for his own benefits, or did he really not want him to leave the group. Mark was nervous to think what the first would mean, given how beautiful Jinyoung could be, so he let himself believe it to be the latter of the two. over his lips, he got to his feet, holding his hand out for Jinyoung to help him up. He didn’t get offended when Jinyoung denied his request for help, just held onto the food tighter and looked down at his feet as Jinyoung brushed his clothes off.

 

“I doubt I’m going to find a way home any time soon, maybe I was sent back for a reason and won't be allowed to return until I find that reason. At least that’s how it works in the movies.” Mark sighed, looking at the confused look in Jinyoung’s eyes at the reference.

 

“Movies?” Jinyoung questioned, cocking his head slightly in the most adorable way.

 

“Don’t worry about it. One day I’ll show you what those are.” Mark let out a soft giggle, moving to head back up the stairs with Jinyoung.

 

Mark went to go say something else when Jinyoung quickly pulled him to the side, covering them in the darkness by some thick bushes and tall trees. Mark was unsure of what was going on, though he had enough training to be quiet in a situation like this. He remained still, looking up at Jinyoung who seemed to be intently listening to their surroundings. After a moment he looked down at Mark and nodded his head in a backwards direction, Mark nodded, signaling he understood before he rolled over onto his belly and started to crawl away. Jinyoung watched amused, following behind as quietly as he could before he signaled for Mark to stop moving with the wave of his hand.

 

Picking his head up off the ground, Mark listened carefully, it wasn’t until he heard a branch snap did he quickly point. Jinyoung must have heard it as well since he went right up into the tree without a second hesitation, also without making a sound. Mark remained still, carefully listening for footsteps before he heard the rustling of the bushes nearby. Mark looked up in the tree trying to find Jinyoung but it was as if he had vanished. Mark carefully got into a crouching position, careful not to make noise as the man drew closer. The dark night, and dark colors of his uniform helped shroud him from being seen as the man got within reach.

 

Within seconds, Mark sprung up and got the man flipped down into an arm bar, pressing his face into the dirt. He struggled against his weight as Jinyoung jumped down attacking a second body that was headed for Mark. Once the man Mark was holding went to sleep from the strangled pressure, Mark got up, looking around carefully for Jinyoung who seemed to have vanished again. He rushed over to where Jinyoung had been, checking the soldier who lay on the ground. No pulse. He was dead, how; Mark wasn’t sure. There were no stab wounds, or other obvious marks to show what happened. Mark closed the man’s eyes out of respect and turned to look, seeing Jinyoung hovering over the body Mark had subdued.

 

“Is he alive?” He asked on hushed tones, Mark nodded his head yes.

 

“Impressive.” Jinyoung commented before he bent over and struck the man in a way Mark had never seen before. His breathing soon stopped, body lifeless on the floor. Mark sighed and walked over to Jinyoung, bending down to feel a pulse.

 

The man was dead.

 

“Japanese soldiers, we have been finding them scouting around the temples and shore line. None have relevant information, but they have been showing up more frequently.” Jinyoung sighed, Mark searched the body for anything of use. He found several small daggers, some letters written in a text he couldn’t read, and food rations. Mark got up and slid the items into his bag, nodding to Jinyoung before he took another look around them. Jinyoung looked amused at Mark’s scavenging.

 

“Well they are clearly scouting, probably trying to find the easiest way inside the village. Just over that hill, that would be a growing city right?” Mark pointed and Jinyoung nodded.

 

“Yes. Rumor has it our King is sick, he won't last much longer. The perfect time to try and invade the shore line I assume.” Jinyoung sighed, watching as Mark crouched down and opened his bag. Pulling out his book and his phone, Mark put the flashlight on and sat down flipping through several pages. Jinyoung looked over his shoulder in awe before he snatched the book up

 

“Yugyeom told me of this. What is in here?” Jinyoung demanded, though his voice was still hushed incase more people were around.

 

“It’s a history book.” Mark grabbed for it, making a face when Jinyoung tucked it into his shirt.

 

“Put your thing away, someone will see us with that.” Jinyoung frowned, waiting for Mark to pocket the device before he started back for the main temple. Mark looked back at the bodies before he quickly followed after Jinyoung.

 

“Shouldn’t we do something with the bodies?” Mark asked, keeping his eyes to the ground. Jinyoung made a noise as if he were thinking before he opened the gate for Mark.

 

“I’ll have someone do it.” He added, waiting for Mark to lace up his boots before heading back into town.

 

“Your uniform takes too long to put on. Why do you still wear it?” Jinyoung questioned, annoyance dripping off his words even if his face remained indifferent.

 

“Because I’m adjusted to wearing it. Like you’re used to all of this.” Mark explained, gesturing to Jinyoung before he slid his hands into his pockets.

 

“I guess. But it seems such a bother. Those on your feet, they are so bulky. We can hear you coming from a mile away. How does your world fight? Where is the element of surprise,” Jinyoung looked over, questioning eyes made Mark sigh.

 

“Most everything is done on these.” He pulled his phone out, careful not to light up the screen and scare anyone that might be seeing them.

 

“That is silly. How does that small box control anything?” Jinyoung laughed, a real laugh, which was the first time Mark ever heard him do so. over his lips, Mark stopped them, moving Jinyoung off to the side of the building where they were alone before he pulled up a clip of his time before Korea, simple days.

 

Pressing play, he held up the phone for Jinyoung to see, watching his eyes get wide in amusement.

 

—————————————————————————————————

 

The ship was grand to say the least. A not so modest destroyer sailing along the north atlantic ocean off the coast of Maryland. A pride and joy of the Navy. Mark came into view quickly, smiling brightly as he walked through the narrow hallways of the ships inside, and out onto the ships deck which was bright and clear. There was a man close behind him, dressed in the same uniform, all smiles as well, wearing sunglasses that Mark promptly stole from him and put on his own face. Once out in the open a few lower ranked soldiers walking around nodded and greeted them, he nodded back before flipping the camera to front view so he was no longer in the shot.

 

“Get to test this bad boy out today.” Mark’s voice was heard, walking over to a group of soldiers working on a small computer near one of the large guns.

 

“Don’t kill yourselves.” Mark teased, one of the soldiers looked up and gave him a wink. Mark’s giggle could be heard from behind the phone.

 

“You medical nerds and your worrying. Where did your boyfriend go? I thought he wanted to see this.” A soldier asked, the phone spun showing the bright open ocean, and more of the ship as Mark tried to find the person in question.

 

“He was right behind me, must have gotten called by someone.” Mark said with a shrug before he turned back to show what the boys were doing.

 

Mark zoomed in as the soldier working punched in the coordinates to a blank spot on the map, making sure nobody was around it before he fired up the gun. The thing moved without anyone touching it, getting into position as Mark zoomed out to see it all. Once the thing was ready, the soldier hit the button and they all watched as it exploded, sending the rocket out to the designated area. Mark zoomed in on the targets location, watching it land in the water and explode, causing a giant burst of water to shoot up like a geyser out of the ocean. Everyone started to laugh, some people clapped, Mark let out a soft giggle before arms wrapped around him. The camera panned down to the hands but not the face, there was a kissing sound heard before he held the camera back up to the machine.

 

“There's the boyfriend, you missed it!”

 

There was more talking, a few people rushing around as something seemed to be going on. Mark laughed a final time and spun to see who was talking to them. The video ended shortly after that.

 

—————————————————————————————————

 

Jinyoung watched in awe, his eyes wide at the images on the screen before he looked up at Mark once it was over. He looked like he had so much to say, so many thoughts running through his head. They were talking in so many languages, most of which he didn’t understand. He didn’t understand just what he was watching either, but everyone was dressed like Mark, which meant they were matching soldiers right? He took a step back, putting his hands to his neck to rub at it gently before he looked over to Mark, struggling to find the words.

 

“That’s how we fight. We just… blow each other up with those. From the sea, from the sky, from land. It’s… it’s what was happening here before I landed here?” Mark put his phone away, over his lips before he looked over to Jinyoung.

 

“Who is, who had their arms wrapped around you? Boyfriend, what is that word? They said boyfriend and then someone was holding you. Explain.” Jinyoung, out of everything he had just heard and saw, latched onto those two things. Mark groaned, taking a step back to lean against the wall.

 

“That is a complicated thing that I told you I would talk to you about when I was ready, but they meant boyfriend when they spoke about the person who had their arms wrapped around me. Like a back hug.” Mark hoped that was explanation enough. Jinyoung chewed at his lower lip before he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“You and your hidden meanings. I feel as if you have more secrets than I do, and that’s saying something. I don’t want you to be scared to talk to me, but know that act is very intimate. People should not joke like that with you. Boyfriends.. Whatever that word means, does not give people the right to touch others as such. That is a personal… thing.” Jinyoung stated, stepping away from Mark almost as if he were personally offended at what he saw in the video.

 

Not the blowing up of things. No shock and awe there.

 

No.

 

Nothing to do with what they were doing, it had everything to do with the fact that Mark got a back hug, from his boyfriend. Which was acceptable, but he didn’t want to explain to Jinyoung who that was. Or what that meant.

 

More so because they broke up shortly after that, and Mark chose to take the job in South Korea to forget the relationship. Which in turn was how he wounded up in his current situation, stuck in the past still several months later.

 

Mark gave it a moment before he followed after Jinyoung, happy that for the time being he dropped the subject, but Mark knew it was only a matter of time before it got brought up again.

 

He thought to himself of how to phrase things, he knew that Jinyoung and the boys were sworn to a life of serving nothing but their order, but Jinyoung often spoke of getting married. Finding a bride and having a family. Would he be okay knowing Mark liked men, that he would never want a bride or a family like Jinyoung did? He wasn’t sure how forbidden that type of love was in this region, in this part of time.

 

It wasn’t like it would stop Jinyoung from doing so. Even as beautiful as he was, Mark knew he was off limits.

 

He must have looked as worried as he felt, Jinyoung stopped them before they got inside to ask if he was okay, but Mark assured him that he was. Brushing it off quickly before he bowed to Jinyoung, and took his leave for the night. Jinyoung watched Mark vanish off to his room before he sighed, heading into the courtyard where the others were training.

 

“Leader, did you find him?” Jackson walked over, using a rag to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

 

“I did, he was at the temple again in the same spot I found him. There were two Japanese spies in the woods, we managed to take them out together. He has some skills as a fighter.” Jinyoung commented, getting ready for his time to train.

 

“Spies? That makes six this month.” Jackson sighed, putting the rag around the back of his neck, holding on to the two ends as he watched Jaebum and Yugyeom fight each other.

 

“Can I ask you a personal question, you spend much time talking with Mark during the days right?” Jinyoung looked down at the floor before he looked up to Jackson. He ignored the strange look Jackson was giving him, putting on his most expressionless face to try and show that his question was just general, rather than eating away at him like it was.

 

“Ask away. I talk to him some, more than the others for sure. He doesn’t open up a lot.” Jackson bit his lip, nervous with the look Jinyoung had.

 

“Have you ever heard the word boyfriend? Do you know it’s meaning? Mark showed me a moving painting he has on his phone thing, they said the word in regards to him, and he received a hug from someone in an intimate manner shortly after. I want to ensure that he’s not stuck here, leaving behind a family.” Jinyoung turned to Jackson who had a rather shocked look on his face. Jinyoung looked around carefully, almost confused. “What?”

 

“Nothing no, I just have never seen you show you care like this before.” Jackson ducked, trying to get away from the punch he knew Jinyoung would throw. What he wasn’t expecting was to have his legs kicked out from under him, falling back to the ground with a thud, he let out a loud groan.

 

“I don’t have an answer for you, he has never mentioned it to me before. I can find out for you, or have one of the others do so. I don’t think we should dig up too much about who he is, what if that makes things hard for us? Are you not worried it might change our future to know.. The future.” Jackson groaned, sitting up some before he rubbed the back of his neck. Jinyoung made a quick strike with his hand, wounding Jackson’s chest. Jackson groaned, but knew not to yell.   

 

“You can start now.” He said, taking a few steps away to join the others. Jackson groaned, glaring off towards where Jinyoung was before he got himself up. Clutching his chest, he limped away towards Mark’s room.

 

“What was that about?” Jaebum asked, looking at Jackson walking away before he looked to Jinyoung.

 

“Get back to practice.” Jinyoung ordered, watching Jackson vanish towards Mark’s room before he went to his training.

 

Opening the sliding door once he heard a knock, Mark was half expecting to see Jinyoung standing there again. When he saw Jackson with a fresh wound on himself, he raised an eyebrow, turning to let him into the room. Jackson grumbled to himself as he started to undress, leaving his pants on before he moved to lay back on the little bed they had made up for exams like this. Mark got down on his knees, carefully cleaning Jackson up. He noticed the way the wound was perfectly placed, he didn’t doubt that Jinyoung did it.

 

“So want to tell me what got him so bothered tonight?” Jackson frowned, looking up to Mark.

 

“I don’t know. We had dinner together, then walked home.” Mark commented, keeping his eyes focused on what he was doing.

 

“He is bothered by things. What you said to him weighs heavy on his mind. Do you think you can teach me, some of your language. He was saying words I didn’t understand.” Jackson looked up at Mark, used to the sting of whatever he used to fix their wounds.

 

“I can if you want, during your free time. Where would you like to start?” Mark put the bandages over the wound before he helped Jackson sit up.

 

“Boyfriend. What is the meaning?” Jackson tried to look as if he wasn’t interested, but Mark just rolled his eyes and sat by his side.

 

“How about we start with saying Hello and Goodbye.” Mark teased, smirking.

 

“You know that I will be back with more wounds if that’s what I bring back to him.” Jackson groaned, not even wanting to think about it.

 

“I told him that when the time was right I would tell him what it meant. I will teach you a phrase however that you can bring back to him.” Mark moved to grab a piece of paper, writing in both English, and Hangul. Jackson took the paper and looked at it confused, blinking a few times before Mark said the sentence to him in his native language. Jackson wrote it down for him as he said it, trying to make sense of what each character was.

 

“Patience comes to those who wait.” Mark broke it up by language.

 

“Patience comes to those who wait.” Jackson repeated, Mark nodded his head helping him with the annunciation for a while before Jackson started to be able to say it properly.

 

“You learn fast. If you really do want to learn, come to me when you’re free and I will teach you. Eventually you can learn what boyfriend means.” Mark wrote the word down, boyfriend, in english at the bottom of the paper before he got up to clean himself off. Jackson sighed, knowing that he would get hit again once he walked out there with the papers.

 

“Tell Jinyoung I said to go to bed.” Mark added, hearing Jackson grumble something before he heard the sound of the shade closing.

 

Mark felt bad in the morning for Jackson’s bruised cheek.

 

That didn’t stop him from giggling when Jinyoung sat there pouting the whole time.

 

Good things would come, so long as he waited.

 

—————————————————————————————————

 

Just as Mark had predicted a new king rose to power in a few short months, and Mark wasn’t sure what surprised him more. The fact that he had become so comfortable where he was and hadn’t noticed how much time had passed, or that Jinyoung hadn’t again brought up the word Boyfriend.

 

Or rather Jackson stopped bringing it up, and Jinyoung seemed to get more and more moody.

 

There was a steady rhythm to his life now. He would have breakfast with everyone in the morning, go out for a walk around the town while the boys worked on their training, come back in the afternoon to see if they were all still alive, treat anyone that needed it before they all sat down for dinner, they would go back to training, and he would find things to do in the temple. It was like an extended vacation that didn’t get boring.

 

This afternoon, Mark was down by the water. Youngjae had asked for help picking out food from the local market, and Mark could never say no to him. The two of them walked side by side, Youngjae was happy holding the bags they would transport the food back in, poking and sniffing at everything he saw. It wasn’t the first time Mark had gone with Youngjae, he liked to be there and see all the people interacting. The sights and the sounds, hearing people negotiate for good deals. He learned a lot about the people in the area, some even started to know his name and face, though he continued to remain a mystery to most.

 

“What do you want us to cook tonight?” Youngjae asked, turning to look at Mark who seemed lost in thought.

 

“What about goldongban?” Mark had to learn the new names for things.

 

Bibimbap wasn’t a thing yet.

 

“It’s not really the season for that? Do you eat it all the time in your world?” Youngjae started to grab some vegetables, paying for them before adding them to one of the bags.

 

“Yeah but we call it something different now, you can get it at almost every restaurant whenever you want.” Mark smiled, looking up at one of the boys who was laying fresh fish out. Mark bowed his head.

 

“Wah! So rich you all are. This used to be only for Kings. Now we get it but only sometimes.” Youngjae was amazed, something Mark found endearing.

 

“Mark! I didn’t expect to see you today.” A boy bowed, smiling brightly towards Mark. Mark could only smile more, looking at him with fond eyes. He noticed Youngjae and bowed his head. Youngjae pretended to ignore the way the boy seemed to be trying to fix his hair and clean himself up, as if he were trying to impress Mark. That would be silly.

 

“Eunwoo, did you work hard last night catching these?” Mark asked, Eunwoo nodded again.

 

“Of course. I knew you would be by soon so I wanted to ensure I got the best just for you.” He said and Mark had to look away, a faint blush coming to his cheeks. Youngjae watched their interaction, raising an eyebrow before he moved to look the fish over.

 

“These are impressive.” He commented, and Eunwoo seemed to have a hard time taking his eyes off Mark long enough to notice he was being spoken to.

 

“Goldongban doesn’t normally have fish in it.” Youngjae looked back down at the fish, checking a few of them out.

 

“Tongyeong-bibimbap does! Also Hoedeopbap, which is the same but with raw fish.” Mark smiled wide, ignoring the confused looks from both Eunwoo and Youngjae.

 

“You say such silly things sometimes.” Eunwoo let out a soft laugh, looking back as his friend brought more fish over to be put out.

 

“Even fresher. But go with these, I caught them myself.” Eunwoo chewed at his lower lip, looking at Mark with a look that was all too familiar. Youngjae had seen someone else look at Mark that way, and that meant this wasn’t good news, for anyone involved.

 

“We will go with these then. Thank you.” Youngjae cut in before Mark could. Picking out several fish before Eunwoo left to bag them up. Mark turned to Youngjae with a happy face, smiling softly at him. Youngjae smirked to himself, not sure what to make of this interaction.

 

He knew Jinyoung would be angry had he been there to witness it. He was so protective of Mark. Never really letting strangers near him.

 

But that was for Mark’s safety right?

 

“Here you guys go!” Eunwoo handed the fish over, Mark handed him the money in exchange. When he got the change back he thanked him and pocketed the rest.

 

Youngjae started to walk away, Mark by his side before he heard his name being called. Stopping in place, both of them turned to see Eunwoo leaving the stand to rush over to the both of them. He looked nervously down at the floor before his eyes darted back up to Mark.

 

“Hey I was wondering, if you might possibly want to go for a walk with me later in the evening. There is a very beautiful place on top of the hill, you can see the sunset perfectly on the water, and I remember you telling me how much you enjoy watching it. If you are busy we can do it another day.” Eunwoo was blushing, and Mark had to wonder if he knew what he was doing and openly flirting, or had honest intentions. Either way, Mark found him to be gorgeous, and watching the sunset with a beautiful boy wouldn’t be the worst way to spend his evening.

 

“Mark typically remains with us for the evenings, in case any soldier is wounded during training.” Youngjae spoke up again and Mark gave him a look.  “Jinyoung will…”

 

“After I eat tonight, I will meet you at the edge of town, you can take me to your hill.” Mark said, not giving Youngjae a chance to try and scare him with what Jinyoung would think about him leaving for a night.

 

Why would Jinyoung even care?

 

Outside of their meals, their checkups, and occasionally visiting the temple to eat together, Jinyoung had very little to do with him. He wasn’t blind to how possessive Jinyoung got if he saw the other boys smiling with him for long periods of time, or getting too close during their meals; but he always figured it had something to do with their rule of not being distracted during training.

 

Even if he had told Jinyoung he liked men, he knew none of the other boys did or were even thinking of him in that way, he still treated them as if they were just soldiers that he quickly became attached to. Not so much protectors, as they were friends.

 

Eunwoo seemed happy with this, he smiled brightly, about to say something else when one of the other workers called him back over. He turned his head before apologizing for having to leave.

 

“I’m sorry! But I’ll see you tonight.” Eunwoo bowed and rushed off, Mark watched him with fond eyes before he bit at his lower lip, trying to hide his giant smile. Youngjae worried, looking between the two before he pulled Mark to gather the rest of what they needed, not saying a word on the subject.

 

They bought what they needed to get, enjoyed a little snack together, and then made their way back to the temple. Walking towards the training center, Mark noticed Yugyeom sitting out with his hand over his face, Bambam worrying about him before he noticed Mark and ran over.

 

“I thought he would go left, but he went right and I struck him in the eye.” Bambam was in a panic, reaching up to grab Mark before he pulled him over towards Yugyeom. Youngjae held the groceries close as he watched the two run off.

 

“His smile is bright today, I take it the market was enjoyable for you both?” Jinyoung said, Youngjae nearly jumping out of his skin not noticing he had come up to his side. He stuttered several times before looking away. Jinyoung's face was intimidating when it wanted to be.

 

“It was, but I’m worried.” Youngjae chewed at his lower lip.

 

“Tell me your worries, I’m in a helping mood.” Jinyoung smiled slightly, moving to take some of the bags, helping Youngjae head back towards the kitchen.

 

“The boy in town, Eunwoo, the one who runs the fish stands with his mother and brother. Do you know of him?” Youngjae asked, looking to Jinyoung occasionally to make sure he was still there.

 

He had a habit of just vanishing.

 

“I’ve talked with him once or twice, when I went with you to get food when we first got here. He seems like a decent person.” Jinyoung shrugged, not knowing much of him.

 

“When we went to get food today he and Mark seemed familiar with each other. They smiled so brightly at each other… I’ve never seen Mark smile so much. Nor Eunwoo. He commented on how he caught fish last night just in hopes that Mark would be there to buy them. Only the best for Mark.” Youngjae laughed at that, a silly notion.

 

“Oh? The best for Mark or the best for us?” Jinyoung gripped the food tighter, unsure why he felt a tightness in his chest and a sudden heat to his skin.

 

Jealousy wasn’t really a thing yet.

 

“The best for Mark. We bought several fish and went to leave but he stopped us. He asked Mark out to the lovers spot tonight. Said he wanted to show him the sunset. Hyung… do you think he has those kind of intentions with Mark? Is that something that can happen between two men?” Youngjae was so innocent, setting the food down on the table before he turned to Jinyoung with a worried look on his face.

 

“I… uh…” Jinyoung stammered, setting the food down as well. A heated blush came to his cheeks, and neck. He knew he’d had un-pure thoughts towards men before, but that’s why he was in the situation he was in. To prevent himself from acting, from further disappointing his family name, and to learn to fix it.

 

But could Mark..

 

“I have heard stories of it. There were some in my old village, rumor has it. Men that lived together as friends but had a deep love for each other. Nobody ever spoke of it in detail. But our Mark is not in this way, his going will send the wrong message to Eunwoo. He said no, correct?” Jinyoung tried to hide his emotions, doing his best to remain stone-faced and indifferent towards it.

 

“No. I said no for him thinking it would be simple, I know what that location is often used for and didn’t want Mark to be put in that position. But he went against me and said yes. They plan to meet after dinner and go together.” Youngjae leaned against the table, watching Jinyoung. It was the first time he ever saw a slight glimpse of strangled emotion about him.

 

“I will talk to him, tell him it’s not safe for him there. Young men often take women up there to seduce them, I know Mark is strong but what if he is not strong enough.” Both shivered at the thought. Jinyoung trying to shake this ugly feeling settling in his chest. He didn’t know what was wrong, or why he was feeling this way, but the thought of them going up there struck a nerve with him.

 

“He seemed set to go, and you know how Mark gets when he makes up his mind. Don’t upset him, maybe… they both...?” Youngjae looked down and sighed. He didn’t have a problem with it, but he wasn’t used to the thought of it.

 

“Don’t. Just don’t. Not our Mark.” Jinyoung stated, quickly taking his leave.

 

He wanted to go to Mark and scold him on going, but he knew he was tending to Yugyeom. He walked back down to the training area, grabbing one of the practice sticks and started to furiously attack the wooden training apparatus. He worked with such a force, that soon after he began, he shattered not only the stick, but the entire wooden tower. The object snapped in half, top piece falling to the floor with a loud crash. Everyone halted what they were doing, turning to face their leader. Jinyoung took deep breaths, eyes lost in a fog as he looked at the sight he had made. Everyone around him still stunned, looking with wide eyes at what happened.

 

“Hyung are you okay?” Yugyeom ran over, carefully taking the broken stick from Jinyoung’s hand before he inspected it for wounds. There were several small cuts where the wood had shattered, and splintered out, but other than that he was fine.

 

“Mark went to lay down, but you need to go see him now.” Yugyeom pulled Jinyoung from the wreck, groaning as he was shoved back hard. Bambam caught him thankfully, looking to Jinyoung confused.

 

“Hyung go to Mark and get healed.” He encouraged, looking to Yugyeom to make sure he wasn’t hurt further.

 

“Get back to training.” Jinyoung yelled, so loud everyone jumped. They all did as they were told, no hesitation. Jinyoung hadn’t looked this angry in quite some time, and none of them wanted to further agitate their leader even if none of them knew why he was mad.

 

Jinyoung took his leave, rushing away from the training area and through the temple until he got to where Mark’s room was. He wanted to break it down, he wanted to rip it open, he took a few moments to calm his breathing and try to clear his mind before he reached up and knocked a few times.

 

“Come in.” a sleepy voice said, Jinyoung frowned. Yugyeom did say Mark was going to sleep.

 

Sliding the door open, Jinyoung removed his shoes and stepped in, he saw Mark climbing out of the bed area. His hair was disheveled, his clothing removed down to those boxers, he had a soft glow to his skin. Jinyoung found his eyes lingering before he forced himself to look down at the floor. Mark quickly pulled his clothes back on, a private matter that Jinyoung needed to respect.

 

“What happened?” Mark walked over, tucking his shirt into his pants. He noticed the blood dripping from Jinyoung's hand and sighed. “You never come to me for these, what happened?”

 

“Faulty testing equipment.” Jinyoung stated, letting Mark guide him to sit down near his exam area. Jinyoung’s top layer was removed to give Mark easier access to his wounds.

 

“Hold still please.” Mark carefully got the wood out of Jinyoung’s forearm, being as gentle as he could. He was thankful his kit came with a decent pair of tweezers.

 

Once everything was out, he took the time to clean it all up. Making sure that there was no chance of infection before he bandaged everything up. Mark’s fingers made quick work along Jinyoung’s skin, careful to dance around the small cuts. He pinned the bandage with it’s hooks before he looked up to Jinyoung with a worried look about his face.

 

“I will be okay.” Jinyoung assured, feeling bad that Mark looked so worried. He almost forgot the reason he came in the first place.

 

“After dinner tonight I was wondering if you would be interested in getting some training. I know we spoke about it weeks ago.” Jinyoung offered, it took Mark by surprise since he had been so closed off about their training even after all this time.

 

“I would have loved to say yes, however I have something I need to do in town. Tomorrow night though, we can.” Mark smiled wide, thinking about his plans later. His eyes wandered to the window, he couldn’t help but bite his lip as he remembered just how happy Eunwoo got when he agreed to meet him, how could he let him down? Plus it had been forever since he’d allowed himself to flirt. 600 years is enough time to get over an ex boyfriend right?

 

“Then I will join you to ensure you are safe, the nights are dangerous.” Jinyoung stated, carefully getting up. Mark rose with him, shaking his head no.

 

“This isn’t needed. I can handle this on my own, plus I won't be alone.” Mark assured, smiling up at Jinyoung, hoping he would get the idea that Mark was an adult, and wanted to do this without watchful eyes.

 

“I understand that, however you’re in my care. I will go with you.” Jinyoung kept at it, heading for the door and opening it. Mark sighed, chewing his lip. He knew better than to argue with Jinyoung when he made up his mind about something, but Mark wouldn’t be caught dead with a babysitter, even though it was olden times and that was proper when you went on a date with someone.

 

Was this even a date?

 

Mark didn’t reply. He just watched Jinyoung shut the door behind him before his footsteps could be heard leading down the hall. The sounds of his wooden shoes clanking against the stone pathway outside. Mark waited for the sounds to be gone before he moved to slump back down against his bed, groaning at the thought of Jinyoung shadowing over him as he spent time with Eunwoo.

 

If there was one person that could chase away any prospects of romance, it would be Jinyoung.

 

The bell for dinner rang a few hours later. Mark dressed in the spare set of clothes he had in his room. They were similar to how everyone dressed, though Mark still never seemed to tie it correctly. He spent some time trying to fix his hair, knowing it was almost useless with no hair products, but he tried. It had gotten so long he didn’t know what to do with it. When he was happy with the way he looked, he made his way down to the main hall. All the others were waiting for him around the table ready to eat. Bowing his head he moved to sit down next to Jinyoung like he always did.

 

“You look nice tonight.” Jackson smiled, noting the way Mark seemed to have taken care of his appearance. If he had known the cause, he never would have opened his mouth.

 

“Do I not look nice every night?” Mark teased, jumping when Jinyoung hit the table. He acted as if he had just bumped into it. Mark ignored him and helped himself to the food, watching as Jinyoung took his shortly after. He had waited for Mark before he started to eat, which made him feel bad seeing as everyone else was already halfway through their dinner.

 

“You do when you’re not in that strange uniform.” Bambam laughed, sitting back once he was done with his dinner. Jinyoung got up when Youngjae asked him to help carry some things back to the kitchen area that were too heavy to manage on his own.

 

“That’s not very nice of you to say.” Mark teased right back, eating quickly before he looked out of the nearby window. There was still a small bit of light, but the sun was starting to set. He finished his meal and got up from where he was sitting. He noticed that Jinyoung was still gone, it was the perfect time for him to leave.

 

“Don’t get hurt until I get back. I will see you all in the morning.” Mark bowed, quickly moving to head out of the temple while he still could. The boys looked at each other confused as the door shut behind Mark.

 

“Where is he?” Jinyoung asked when he returned, looking around confused.

 

“He said he will see us in the morning.” Bambam said, putting together all the empty plates to help take back to the kitchen.

 

“The morning??” Jinyoung glared at the door. There was no way Mark would be out with another male that late… even if it was just two men hanging out. That was intimate, he needed to be back at the temple and safe.

 

Without a moment's hesitation, Jinyoung moved quickly for the door. Mark had seemingly vanished. Jinyoung grumbled to himself, looking over at Youngjae who was walking out of the building.

 

“Where did they say they were meeting?” Jinyoung demanded, Youngjae fumbled, blurting out the location before Jinyoung ran out of the temple. Wincing at the sight, Youngjae silently prayed that Mark forgave him for telling Jinyoung, he didn’t know Jinyoung would try to go.

 

Mark wasn’t overly familiar with every inch of the village, but luckily for Eunwoo, he picked one of the spots that Mark had been to several times before. He got there with ease, looking around for Eunwoo. He spotted him, all cleaned up and looking as nervous as Mark felt. Giving him a small wave, Mark walked over, bowing his head hello before he moved to stand by his side.

 

“I’m pleased you made it okay. I’m excited to take you. My brothers often take friends there, I know it has a reputation but I’m a very big fan of beautiful sunsets, even more so when you can share them with beautiful people..” Eunwoo realized what he said, his cheeks turning a bright red before he bowed. Body bent in half. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that… not that you aren’t but I know that...” Eunwoo winced, half curling up on himself for being unable to talk.

 

“It’s okay, I understand. I enjoy beautiful sights with beautiful people.” He commented, making it clear that he wasn’t going to run or judge Eunwoo for his words. That seemed to relieve the other boy, he smiled brightly and nodded for Mark to follow him.

 

The path they walked was narrow. It was a simple dirt road, human created, in the side of a decently high mountain. Probably a path farmers used to take their animals up for grazing. The two walked shoulder to shoulder, their pace slow. They talked about simple things. The weather, the fishing, the new buildings being built. The rise of the new king. Things that Mark could understand, knowing that he couldn’t just give away who he really was to someone he didn’t know that well yet. It was easy for him to stay quiet. When Eunwoo got on a topic of something he liked, he tended to ramble on. It was both adorable, and enjoyable. The less Mark had to say, the better.

 

“I hope you don’t think me forward in bringing you here. You are one of the few kind faces I’ve seen around here. I felt I could bring you here, and it wouldn’t be treated badly.” Eunwoo said, looking down at the ground. Mark felt both proud, and saddened by this.

 

“I don’t think this ever gets easier, with time at least. Things seem to take forever in getting better, or they get better and then something makes it worse, so you have to start all over again.” Mark looked as they got to the clearing at the top of the mountain. He gasped gently at the sight. The sea seemed to go on forever with no end in sight. The sky was a gorgeous mix of orange, pale pink, and violet, that spanned up to an almost sapphire blue. There were no obstructions, no smog distorting the colors, just pure sky and sea. He had never really stopped to enjoy that since he had gotten there. He’d been so busy at the temple that stopping to see sights such as this didn’t cross his mind.

 

“They say older generations had it easy. That things like this were more easily accepted than they are now. Older ways were more open to love, to who people loved. My grandfather often spoke to me about how it wasn’t uncommon for people to love many, of all kinds.” Eunwoo sighed as he laid out a small blanket he had brought and knelt down on it. Mark joined, sitting close by him as they watched the sun start to sink towards the endless ocean. The further up Mark looked, the more stars he could see in the sky. He remembered looking up at the sky in the same city in 2017, only the stars he was seeing then were not as bright and vibrant as they were right now.

 

“That’s backwards to how things are where I am from.” Mark sighed, moving to lay down on his back. “Hopefully history will repeat itself though and in the future things will start to get better if the right people make the change.”

 

“I want my children to grow up in a world where they shouldn’t be nervous. It’s so hard to tell too. It’s like you would rather keep your life hidden, marry with no real love, or be proud and risk people knowing for fear of what people will think. Don’t get me wrong, I love my God, but am I not created the way I am because of him?” Eunwoo laid down next to Mark, letting out a sigh. Mark looked over and offered him a kind smile.

 

“You are. Don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t.” Mark smiled more, looking back up at the stars. Eunwoo returned the smile, watching Mark for a moment longer before he too looked up at the sky. Their hands close, skin brushing against skin as neither one of them had the courage to move just a little.

 

Perhaps this was enough for now.

 

“Mark. When did you know, how you were…” Eunwoo finally said, though he kept his eyes on the sky.

 

“Young. It wasn’t hard to come to grips with it, where I’m from it’s not so uncommon or hated. My parents were an amazing support system for me.” Mark sighed, sitting up some to adjust his back.

 

“I wish that’s where I was from. This life isn’t a life I wanted to live. Fishing, working, it’s just because it’s what my family does.” Eunwoo sat up as well, getting more comfortable. His body leaned slightly against Mark’s own.

 

“You should be thankful for what you have, both of you.” A voice came from behind them making them both jump. Mark turned quickly to see Jinyoung standing there with his arms crossed, glaring at Mark as if he had done something wrong.

 

“I am thankful for it.” Eunwoo quickly got to his feet and bowed his head, intimidated by Jinyoung’s vicious look. Everyone in the village knew who commanded the order, and who was the top fighter among them. Everyone knew to leave Jinyoung alone.

 

“Then why do you complain about your life?” Jinyoung questioned, watching as Mark got to his feet.

 

“Enough. You have no right to talk to him this way.” Mark defended, showing no signs of fear with Jinyoung. Eunwoo looked up at him, pulling on his shirt as if he wanted him to stop. To not anger Jinyoung.

 

“I have no right? He’s taken you to a spot where young men seduce young women, his ersion is a thing of the past. He can’t force that on anyone, you are not familiar with this world and it’s ways, but he’s trying...”

 

“To take me on a date. To hold my hand. To kiss me. Yes. I know what he’s doing.” Mark glared, his eyes narrowing.

 

“How..” Jinyoung took a step back, looking to Eunwoo as if he were a dead man.

 

“You think I came out tonight because I just wanted to see the sun? That I made it clear I could go alone because I just wanted a guys night out?” Mark’s hands balled into fists, getting angrier the less Jinyoung seemed to understand.

 

“You can’t be okay with this, with the ways of old. Multiple wives and husbands, a non monogamous lifestyle. Men with both men and women, it’s not…”

 

“Natural? Yes it is. It’s been going on since before the records of man, and is still going strong where I’m from.” Mark looked Jinyoung directly in the eyes. Jinyoung huffed, his eyes narrowing into an anger Mark had never seen before, but he knew that he had to hold his ground.

 

“IT’S NOT NATURAL. He is already infecting your mind.” Jinyoung yelled, both Mark and Eunwoo jumped back at the power in his voice. Mark tried to remain strong but seeing Jinyoung act like this was upsetting. He knew that things were distorted, and that it seemed the younger generations had more of an issue with homouality than the older ones did, but he didn’t expect that from Jinyoung.

 

Or maybe he did, and that’s why he never said anything.

 

“Jinyoung, I think you should go back to the temple.” Mark’s voice shook, it was clear that he was getting upset despite trying so hard not to. Jinyoung noticed, saw the glossy look in Mark’s eyes, and the way his lip was trembling. He couldn’t control it though, his entire body felt on fire, a rage he had never felt before seeing both Eunwoo and Mark close like that. Together like that. It wasn’t okay to him.

 

“I will leave when you come with me, you are finished here.” Jinyoung added, further upsetting Mark.

 

Mark hung his head, trying to prevent Jinyoung from seeing the tear run down his cheek. Jinyoung could be beautiful when he wanted, but this was not one of those times. Eunwoo reached out to gently touch the back of Mark’s arm, letting him know he was still there before Mark looked back at him.

 

“I owe you a better night, and I promise you before I go home I’ll give you one. Be patient, I promise it gets better.” Mark said, Eunwoo looked to Jinyoung before he looked to Mark and nodded his head.

 

“I trust you.” Eunwoo said, bending down to fold up the blanket before he bowed to the both of them.

 

He took his leave, not saying another word but Mark could tell he was upset. He watched him for a moment before he turned to Jinyoung.

 

“Boyfriends.” Mark stated, Jinyoung narrowed his eyes.

 

“When you are in a relationship, when you love someone, and you want to see if eventually you will marry that person and spend the rest of your life with them, they become your significant other. A girlfriend if you are dating a girl, and a boyfriend if you are dating a boy.” Mark glared, not even caring now if Jinyoung saw his tears.

 

“That means you… were…”

 

“I am, a man who is attracted to other men, in my time we call that being Gay. I was on a military ship with my boyfriend, but we broke up due to him cheating on me with another man. I came to Korea to get away from the heartbreak of losing someone I loved who betrayed my trust.”

 

“Gay…” Jinyoung said the word a few times before he looked away, not wanting to keep eye contact with Mark. “Is this lifestyle accepted in the future, where you are from? Is it okay?”

 

“For a long time it wasn’t. People like me were tortured and killed through the ages for loving who they loved. Men loving men, women loving women. But where I’m from, I’m allowed to love how I want, I’m allowed to marry any man that I want and it’s legal.” Mark said, moving a hand up to wipe at his eyes. Jinyoung finally looked at him, features softening at the sight of Mark crying.

 

This was something he never wanted to do.

 

“The problem started with us… and took until you to be okay.” Jinyoung said softly, moving a few steps closer to Mark. He tried to reach out for him but Mark pulled back, looking up to meet Jinyoung’s eyes.

 

“Only two kinds of people hate people like me. Those who don’t understand that love is love and it’s okay for anyone to love whom they want to. Or people that feel the same as I do, and are too scared to admit it to themselves.” Mark stated, through his tears, he remained firm in his stance though.

 

“Your heart was broken, that is why you came to Korea. You were betrayed because you loved a man, how can you be sure it will not happen if you date another man. Why not be with a woman and be happy.” Jinyoung tried, Mark could tell from the way his face was moving that he was trying. But that didn’t make his ignorance okay.

 

“Because I’m not ually attracted to women. I don’t… my body doesn’t work the way it should around women, only men. I’m physically unable to make love to a woman, it does nothing for me, I know, I’ve tried.”

 

“And you’ve tried with a man..”

 

“Yes.”

 

“But when you were with the woman, you felt...?”

 

“Nothing. Nothing but a burning urge for it to be over.” Mark looked away, not feeling ashamed but he didn’t want to watch Jinyoung judging him.

 

“How will you marry if you have already been touched by others?” Jinyoung sighed, looking off at the horizon. The darkness blended the ocean in with the stars. The reflection of them sparkling in the sky flickered on the calm waters, almost making the sky look as if it were lapping at the sand.

 

“Nobody cares about that in 2017.” Mark sighed, wrapping his arms around himself to negate the chill he was now feeling. Jinyoung looked over and saw him, removing his top layer and wrapping it around Mark to try and keep him warm.

 

“Two thousand… and seventeen? You’re… 600 years lost in time?” Jinyoung was shocked. He knew that Mark was from another time but that was, further than he expected.

 

“I am.” Mark sniffled, letting Jinyoung bundle him up in his clothes. He looked up to see Jinyoung, sure that nobody had seen him so informal before. At least not outside of his exam room.

 

“It’s time for sleep, come. Tomorrow when you are calm we can work on fixing this. I worked to fix myself, you can too.” Jinyoung encouraged, nodding in the direction Eunwoo had left.

 

“I’m not ready to go back, and there is no fix. You are born to love who you love. It’s unavoidable.” Mark sighed, moving to sit back down in the grass. Jinyoung frowned, his heart weighing heavy in his chest. He had gotten so mad, so angry, and in doing so pushed Mark to tears.

 

He stood there, silently. His eyes focused on the sea at the bottom of the mountain. He was trying to process Mark’s words, not only to understand but maybe find a reason for why he was acting the way that he was. He felt a rush of emotions flooding through him, becoming scared, angry, and happy all at once. He closed his eyes, needing to take a deep breath before he allowed himself to get too lost in his head. Eventually he knelt down next to Mark, keeping quiet as Mark was doing. He noticed that Mark was still crying, silently tears fell down his cheeks. Jinyoung reached up to wipe one away, frowning some when Mark turned to look at him.

 

“I’m sorry I reacted as I did. I need you to know that you’re important to me, and I’m only trying to keep you safe.” Jinyoung frowned, rubbing Mark’s cheek with his hand before he let it fall into his own lap.

 

“I know. It’s different in this time.” Mark over his lips, looking down at the ground for a few moments before he finally met eyes with Jinyoung. “But that doesn’t make your behaviour okay.”

 

Jinyoung let out a sigh, not used to being scolded. He was typically on the other end of something like this, and for some reason since it was coming from Mark, it made him feel even worse. He shifted, looking away from Mark, suddenly uncomfortable.

 

“Can you forgive me?” Jinyoung finally spoke, his voice a whisper.

 

“In time.”