Chapter Ten

After a few hours of hanging out with Jackson, though he was wondering why he was still here, he decides to text the others instead of calling since he's always hated talking on the phone. He only makes phone calls when deemed absolutely necessary. He sends everyone, minus Jin, a text message asking if they could meet him up at a restaurant (though he had to inform Epsilon earlier since he had asked him to meet him up at his house). 
    
He didn't expect Jackson to want to come but he does anyways. Though, when Mark goes to get dressed in something more formal, he notices Jackson still sitting on the couch, playing with his phone, in pjamas. "Jackson Wang, get up off of your damn and get yourself looking nicer."

"This isn't my house, Mark. I got nothing to wear and I doubt I'd fit in your clothes, you're a damn toothpick." Jackson remarks and Mark can only groan and mutter profanities under his breath.

"How far away is your house then?" Mark asks, ready to hit Jackson with a pillow.

"Not that far, we'd make it if you quit nagging at me." Jackson remarks, looking up from his phone. 

Mark didn't like the fact that Jackson's eyes were glued to him and he coughs. "Right well, whatever. Let's just go." He doesn't give Jackson any time to respond and grabs his wrist, yanking the younger male off of the couch. "Best behavior today Jackson, you already caused a scene when I worked at the office."

"That was an accident, dammit!" Jackson complained as Mark shoved him out of the house that Jackson so rudely invaded. (Mark knew he let Jackson invade but his mood told him otherwise). "Also, I'm not wearing a suit."

"Never said you have to but you are not wearing damn pjamas." Mark remarks, yelping as Jackson tugs him in the direction they're supposed to go. His face heats up considering the fact that he was too busy looking at Jackson to realize where he was going and Jackson just grins, pretending he didn't notice it. "Slow down, athlete."

Jackson laughs at that. "So you do stalk me."

"What, I don't!" Mark defends himself and Jackson just snorts as he opens his front door. "Why would I stalk your dumb ?"

Jackson raises an eyebrow as he lets Mark in first, closing the door behind them. "'Cause I really never told you I was an athlete." Before Mark could respond, Jackson left to go change his outfit.

"Jackson's an athlete?" Mark mumbles to himself before sitting down on the couch, looking at the place Jackson calls home. Since he knew Jackson would probably take his time, he grabs a picture that was resting on the table and inspects it. "Must be his parents." He figures before placing it back down. There were a few picture frames here and there, mostly of him and his mother, alongside one or two of him and his father.

The picture frame that really caught his eye was one of him and three other males, two of them he recognized as Yugyeom and Bambam, the two kids that also happened to be in the mess. The other one he doesn't recognize or know. "I see you're enjoying my pictures." Mark almost drops the picture frame due to being startled and sighs, placing it down before glaring towards Jackson but before he could curse him out for scaring him, Jackson's appearance shut him up. "Like what you see?" He asks cockily and Mark stands up and straightens himself out.

"Shut up, we have to go." Mark refuses to let Jackson . He was the older of the two so Jackson should respect him as a hyung. Mark almost drags Jackson out of the house due to him being an narcisstic , and they head towards the meeting place. Mark made a guest list in his head to make sure he had invited everyone he deemed fit.

That easily included Epsilon and Fie, Code, Wonsik, and not Jin. Mark had told Jackson he would contact Jin but he never did. He didn't need Jin, Jin was suspicious to him and he really didn't like it. But this also lead to a problem because with three designers, a hair stylist, a possible model, and two CEO's, this company couldn't get a jump start.

Mark groaned when he noticed he and Jackson were almost the last ones to arrive. Wonsik wasn't there yet but the three designers were and they smiled when they saw Mark. "Mark! in' hell, what happened?" Epsilon asks, pulling him into a hug.

"Wish I knew." Mark replies, hugging him back before greeting the other two. "Guess we just need Wonsik and oh- this is Jackson." He points at Jackson who is just standing there awkwardly. 

"I remember you," Epsilon says, the tone in his voice different from the one he used with Mark. "Guess you two are a thing now, huh?"

Mark's eyes widened. "NO, no." He coughs and glances at Jackson, who is just staring at him. "Jackson's... just a friend." Mark was visibly embarrassed because thanks to Jin, Epsilon and Fie most likely knew who Jackson was since he had told them that Mark slept with someone.

Fie just pats Jackson's shoulder and whispers. "Mark totally likes you, he admitted he'd have a night with you again while talkin' to Jin. Don't tell him I said that." That makes Jackson glance in Mark's direction.

Mark notices him staring and Fie's already back at Epsilon's side. He motions Jackson over, and he awkwardly makes his way to Mark. "Don't be so awkward when Wonsik gets here, you look like you're about to yourself."

"Might as well." Jackson replied to which Mark smacks his side. "What?!"

"Don't be gross." Mark replies and Wonsik's voice comes into play.

"Hey you fo-five?" Wonsik looks confused at Jackson's presence and he shrugs it off. "Hope you don't mind waiting for one more."

Mark raises an eyebrow. One more? He only asked for- Mark ends up cursing in his head. "What do you mean one more? I didn't contact someone else, this is an important matter that needs to be kept confidential!" 

Epsilon folds his arms across his chest and Fie just watches in amusement as the scene unfolds in front of him. Code, along with Jackson, both look awkward and they both just kind of stay silent. "Mark, it's just Jin." 

"You invited JIN?" Mark almost yells at him, but he catches himself and lowers his voice. "Great." Mark replies before turning to face Jackson, who gives him a look. "Before you say anything, no, I didn't contact Jin."

"But you said," Jackson starts before Mark gives him a look that silences him for a few seconds. "Mark, he could be useful." 

"Yeah and what if he's on my cousin's side? He's suspicious as hell, Jackson! I don't ing trust him anymore." Mark says after moving him and Jackson to the side so they could have their privacy. "He could try to sabotage this, Wonsik must've told Jin he was going out with me and the others." 

Jackson looked to the others, who were glancing over at them here and there and sighs. "Mark, you have to take that chance. Jin is your friend, isn't he?" He stays silent and drags Jackson back to where Code was standing. 

Code smiled softly at him before frowning. Wonsik greeted Jin and Jin greeted everyone, including Mark. Though, just like everyone else, he wasn't expecting to see Jackson there. After the blowout in the office between the two, it was weird that they were friends now. Before Jin could say anything, Mark decided to interrupt it. "Let's get seated, we have a reservation." 

Fie seems the most relieved. "in' finally, I'm starving! Epsilon refused to feed me today." 

Epsilon hits him against the arm. "Stop making up lies, plus we aren't here for you to be a big pig!" 

Mark snorted and got their table before someone got killed, most likely Fie would be the one to be killed, and they sat down in a dark red booth. Jackson stayed next to Mark to avoid feeling more awkward then he already does and Mark sits as far away from Jin as he can. "Just order, we'll discuss matters later." Mark's voice came off as professional, one he'd use during office hours, it was a tone Jackson really still wasn't used to.

Everyone nods while Mark and Jackson try to find something they want to eat. Mark decided to go with a steak because he felt deprived of his steak and Jackson went for whatever sounded good. Mark noticed that Jackson liked to eat everything and anything he could get his hands on yet he still keeps his figure. 

I'm not jealous.

"So," Wonsik starts before sipping on his water. "What's this whole thing about?" 

Mark didn't want to say considering Jin was staring at him like he knew something was up. He was tempted to lie, say that nothing was up. He just wanted to spend some time with old