pure unadulterated crack lol enjoy!

The university they all attend prides itself in offering the best for its students and so therefore, requires the best from its students in return. There are annual award ceremonies held to praise the best of the best, acknowledgements in all departments; in the arts, the sciences, the performing arts, and also, for sports. The university’s sports program is not bad, above average in most sports, but if there was one thing they were truly known for in athletics, it was oddly enough, dancing and fencing.

Mark knows now that the entire reason Jackson chose this university is specifically because of its fencing program, coaches, and facilities, all able to help him improve more in his sport; it was the exact reason Mark chose this university: for its mathematics program.

Tonight is the athletics program award night which is why Mark is out and about on a Friday evening when he could be sleeping. Jackson had left before him to go to banquet hall where the ceremony will be at with a few of his fencing mates so Mark’s taking an taxi there now. Jackson had said that he could wait for him, but Mark smacked him in the arm, pointing out that his classes ran later today than Jackson’s and that Jackson has more incentive to be there since he is nominated for an award; Mark is just his date.

When the taxi pulls up to the hotel the university booked, Mark thanks the driver and gets out, straightening his suit out nervously as he makes his way inside. He hopes what he’s wearing is okay, since he picked it out last minute. Mark has no doubt that the suit is nice, he just feels that it may be a little too flamboyant for a ceremony such as this.

He’s wearing a royal blue suit with red stripes and a navy blue long sleeve blouse. He knows that Jackson wanted to match a little and so he picked something out with red detailing, but now he’s wondering if this was the right choice when he enters the hotel and sees other athletes and their dates enter in grey and black suits. He clutches at the hems of his sleeves before he takes a deep breath and enters the banquet hall.

He scans the room, trying to spot Jackson quickly when he hears Jackson’s laugh somewhere over to the left. He starts walking over to that side of the hall, smiling and sidestepping a few people who accidentally get into his path. He stops when he hears his name called.

“Mark!”

Mark stops and turns, face lighting up in a genuine smile at the sight of Jackson’s coach making his way over to him. He’s glaring at a few other athletes that Mark had just passed, but Mark knows that may just be Coach’s resting face; he’s like Jaebum, looks menacing on the outside but is actually just as sweet and gooey as a pastry on the inside.

Mark greets him with a bow when he gets close enough and smiles bashfully when Coach waves him up, muttering a none of that now. He gestures for Mark to follow him and they make small talk as he is lead to the fencers’ table, Coach keeping a protective arm around him, steering him clear of people. Mark rolls his eyes. He has no idea what’s with fencers and protective steaks but literally all of Jackson’s fencing mates and even his coaches think that Mark can’t take care of himself. It’s sweet but exasperating.

(For the record, the entire fencing team knows that Mark can take care of himself; they’ve seen flips and tricks come as easy as breathing to him, have even seen him use his deceptively quick reflexes to save a member of their practice audience from being speared by a few flying sabers. To tell the truth, they’re more worried about how he might accidentally hurt someone’s feelings beyond repair with his cluelessness, oblivious beauty indeed.)

They find Jackson laughing rambunctiously with the rest of the team at their assigned table, joking amongst themselves. When Jackson spots him, his face brightens, eyes lighting up like the chandelier crystals hanging above them, and he immediately makes grabby hands at him, pulling Mark against him; Mark goes willingly.

There aren’t any seats available to sit in, so Mark just casually lounges in Jackson’s lap for the time being; he’ll just ask for an extra chair from one of the waitstaff when one of them passes. He listens to the conversation around him quietly, cheek laying in Jackson’s softly gelled hair, playing with Jackson’s fingers in his lap, selectively participating in the conversation.

Someone gives Mark their chair from a table over even though they already asked the waitstaff but Mark pays it no mind, thanking the football (soccer) player with a smile, missing Jackson glaring at the guy over his head. At 7:00 P.M. sharp, the hall’s lights dim and the university’s sports director steps up to the podium and begins to speak.

The awards begin to be announced and handed out in a timely manner after the speech, everyone wanting to eat. Everyone claps politely for all the awardees even if Mark tunes out most of it, calculating how much studying he has to do this weekend and when, to optimize his gaming time, only remembering to clap when everyone else does too. Jackson’s leg is pressed against his, warm, the other periodically squeezing his knee, his thigh, running his thumb against the pulse point in Mark’s wrist; it’s comforting so he let’s Jackson do what he wants as he speaks to his fencing mates about whatever. Mark is trying to be polite and not pull out his phone and hopes his impatience isn’t displayed on his face.

Mark only comes back to when the athletics director finally announces the last and most prestigious award of the night -Athlete of the Year. Mark sits up straight and shoots an excited grin at Jackson as this was one of the awards he was nominated for.

He mouths a proud ‘I told you so’ when Jackson is announced as Athlete of the Year, he and Mark had talked a few days earlier and Jackson had doubted that the award would go to him, completely disregarding how far he’s advanced their university and himself individually, in fencing.

The crowd cheers as Jackson makes his way up to the stage, having friends from multiple sports and teams. He bows to the director as he accepts the small plaque and does a few quick bows to the crowd. He steps up to the mic with a surprised grin, running a nervous hand through his hair and Mark sighs dreamily, giddy and completely love-struck.

Jackson looks so handsome and is receiving an award that he completely deserves, applauded by the rest of his peers and Mark is so, so proud of him.

-

Park Chaemin applauds distractedly as Jackson Wang is called up to the podium to accept the honor of Athlete of the Year. The spotlight shines brightly into the crowd of people before it locates Jackson and follows him to the stage. He looks handsome in his red-brown suit and dark hair, even though he’s not Chaemin’s style, even he can admit that Jackson is attractive as he makes his way to the stage.

But he’s not who’s keeping Chaemin’s attention. And everyone else’s attention it looks like too.

As Jackson steps up onto the stage, he directs his attention to the crowd, nodding his head and holding up his plaque and gesturing to the athletics director, his coaches, and to the fencing team, bowing. Jackson’s smile, however, he directs to one particular person: Mark Tuan.

Mark Tuan, what to say? He’s a math prodigy basically -one of the only people under thirty-five in the university’s graduate program and in the university’s math fellowship; a kind, humble, multi-lingual man who is one of the sweetest souls one could ever meet; one of the school’s elusive beauties, with long, fluttering eyelashes and a smile, laugh, and personality that could outshine the sun.

Chaemin couldn’t believe his eyes when Mark Tuan walked into the banquet hall, looking even more stunning in his blue suit. Chaemin had to elbow a rugby player just to get to stand in front of him, but before he could say hello, one of the fencing coaches pulled Mark away. Chaemin knew he wasn’t the only one confused, he wondered why Mark was here (he didn’t play any varsity sports) and why he knew a fencing coach.

All was answered when Mark was led to the fencers’ table and Jackson Wang immediately stood up and greeted him. With a kiss.

Chaemin’s heart wasn’t the only one that broke tonight, he’s sure.

It didn’t stop him and the majority of the athletes in the hall from sighing dreamily at Mark Tuan though. If one could ignore how he all but flung himself into Jackson’s arms and sat himself in Jackson’s lap, looking more than content at being held in Jackson’s arms.

Chaemin glanced down at his arms while they were eating to compare. He tried not to look at Jackson’s arms for the rest of the night.

It just wasn’t fair, Chaemin decided, not only was Jackson Wang an Olympic bound athlete at this point, but he was also good looking, held an impressive GPA despite his tournament schedule and field of study, and to top all of this unfairness off, he snagged the breathtakingly, obliviously beautiful Mark Tuan.

Mark Tuan, who had only truly stared at Jackson the whole time he was here, not even glancing at all the people glancing at him, smiling, laughing, pointing all his attention towards Jackson. What Chaemin wouldn’t give to be Jackson Wang; he’s sure that a lot of people, not just him, would trade a lot as he felt his whole table sob in unison when the saw Mark smile, eyes glittering in the light as he listened to Jackson’s speech.

“-and finally, I’d like to thank the one who inspires me most: my Mark-”

Chaemin tuned out the rest of whatever Jackson had said, not wanting to hear how good he had it with Mark and also because he started speaking in Chinese and whatever he said made Mark blush beautifully, red rouging his cheeks up to his ears.

When Jackson came back to his table, the entire fencing team cheered at his arrival and he presented his plaque to the head fencing coach, bowing low before him. Mark turned to observe the scene, his head tilting to show off the marble line of his jaw and allowing the soft, crystal lighting to highlight his sharp cheekbones, skin glowing as he grinned.

Chaemin saw one of the tennis players spill their water into their lap and felt a sense of camaraderie, life was so hard to live when Mark Tuan kept getting increasingly more beautiful as the night went on. He thinks he actually felt a few tears escape when he saw Mark tilt his head up, body language making evident what he wanted was a kiss, eyes sparkling before Jackson blocked Chaemin’s view of Mark to lean down and kiss him.

Mark’s eyes opened when Jackson pulled back slightly, still in his space.

“Congratulations,” Mark said, his words the only thing separating them. “I’m proud of you.”

Mark’s lips quirked into a grin when he sees Jackson get visibly flustered. He runs a thumb over the red of Jackson's cheek, huffing a laugh under his breath, amused. Jackson pouts at him and Mark tries not to grinning too wide, but ends up smiling anyway when Jackson takes his hand and presses a warm kiss to the inside of his wrist, murmuring a quiet ‘thank you.’

They both glanced up from their little bubble when the lights dimmed some more and one of the board directors made the announcement that the ceremony was over and that the attendees were free to enjoy the rest of the banquet as they wished. When she stepped down, a DJ stepped up and started playing music, a good portion of the athletes already migrating towards the dance floor, others heading to the bar. Jackson tilted his head towards the dance floor and didn’t even try to stop the dopey grin he knew was painted on his face when Mark smiled playfully back at him, standing and pulling him towards the dance floor.