Prompt: A Markbum canon verse were Jae Bum gets jealous over Jackson hugging and touching Mark

Jackson is a lot of things to Mark. An annoying roommate, a trustworthy best friend, a shoulder to lean on when the practice hour’s stretch for miles and his legs shake unsteadily underneath him. However Jackson was not his lover and most certainly not his boyfriend. But he could understand the confusion.

They’re in the practice room one day, sweaty and tried from learning the choreography to a new single when Mark hears heavy footsteps approach him from behind.

“Maaaaarky!” A obnoxiously high pitched voice rang through his ears, and a pair of two muscular arms wrapped around him from behind, bringing him into an unwanted back hug. The red head tried his best to shrug off the younger but his movements where sluggish and his attempt failed. Jackson, relentless as ever, only hung on tighter. The other members looked on amusedly at the spectacle, Jinyoung even adding his own comments too it.

“Get a room Jackson! You and your boyfriend can be all lovey dovey elsewhere.” Mark immediately stiffens. The comment brought a roar of laughter from the younger members to which Jackson only replied with a show of his tongue before getting off the redhead presumably to go bother someone else.

With nervous eyes the oldest member quickly scours the room before it lands on a black haired member, his back is facing him but there’s a row of mirrors in front of him, hiding nothing from the redhead.

He catches the frown on his face, the furrowed eyebrows and set jaw. Jaebum squeezes his fists together before hauling himself up. It only takes him a few long strides before he’s walked out of the room. The members quickly turn at the sound of the practice door swinging shut from the force he used to open it.

Mark curses softly under his breath, quickly scrambling to his feet to go chase after him but before he can get anywhere a warm hand grips his forearm.

“Let him go, he’s probably just stressed from practice.” Jinyoung tells him, voice calm and steady, he’s his best friend after all, he should know best.

He really has no idea how wrong he is.

The dance instructor walks through the doors commanding them to their positions and Mark’s scowl deepens, and uncomfortable feeling spreading through his body with every step he takes.

—-

JB and Mark are not necessarily dating after all there where never any midnight confessions of love, any romantic candlelit dinners.  

It was always just them two, sleepy and sweat slicked after practice, leaning against each other when they were far too tired to walk with two feet. Them two when it was 2am and Mark was cuddled into JB’s bed (long before Youngjae took that away from him) and JB would teach him Korean by mouthing it into the space between his neck and shoulder and Mark would sigh and trace his fingers over JB’s tired eyes and kiss him to sleep.

Their love is quiet but it is also dangerous.

Because idols, especially in Korea do not kiss boys and especially not their own bandmates and if they where to be caught, whether by their own members or by the media it would destroy everything they worked so hard to achieve. All the hours spent dancing until the morning or singing until their voiced were raw would be rendered meaningless.

And Mark and JB cared too much about their brothers to do that to them, so they restrained themselves. Only meeting when the dorm was quiet or when they had a moment to themselves. It was rare and painful because Mark craved JB like oxygen but it was the only way.

Jackson (and Jr as well) had a knack for making things difficult for them, but Mark knew they had no ill intentions, it was a joke to them, just messing around with their bandmates, but the frown that forms on JB’s face or the way his shoulders slump downward defeated whenever Jackson touches him freely wasn’t something to laugh about.

Not to Mark.

—-

Today’s been worse than usual in terms of skinship. Nowadays Jacksons been pretty keen to cuddle up with Bambam when he has the urge for affection, but Bambam’s cooped up in the back of the van with Yugyeom and Youngjae leaving Mark, Jackson and Jr in the middle row, the trusty leader sitting at the front with their manager.

It starts off harmless; they’re sharing music since Jackson’s headphones have been malfunctioning so he’s leaning into Mark’s space his fingers drumming along the car seat and head bobbing to the rap music.

The car ride is slow in the ever over bearing traffic of Seoul and Mark sighs as he sinks into his seat, eyes falling shut in attempt to drown out the noisy traffic sounds coming from his free ear. The song changes and after a moment Mark feels a hand sneak through his elbow and reach for his ipod.

The redhead cracks an eye open and frowns when he sees Jackson pressed against him, messing with his ipod from Mark’s lap. The older moves the device into Jacksons hand but the HK native continues to look through the playlist in Mark’s lap. The angle must be uncomfortable because after another moment Jackson brings his chin down to rest on Mark’s shoulder.

Mark feels an odd sensation and his eyes quickly glance up to the rear view mirror. He meets JB’s eyes through it and see’s the other glance away. JB is sporting a familiar grimace and Mark feels his insides twisting, guilt pooling in his stomach like spider webs. The redhead turns his head away to look out the window, ignoring the heated gaze aimed his way.

Later that day they’re doing promotional videos and Jackson is loud and boisterous as usual. He clings to Mark on and off camera and Mark forces a smile because the director is watching them and they can’t afford mistakes. They’ve had to restart a couple times to remind JB to smile and some of the other members are getting concerned for their leader. Mark bites his lips and wishes he was sitting next to the black haired male, things are getting out of hand and the redhead knows it’s only a matter of time before the other explodes.

Mark is on the verge himself as well and it takes him more willpower than it should to calmly remove Jacksons hand from his shoulder, rather than yanking it off. He hates seeing JB like this and he can’t help but build up resentment for Jackson for being the one to cause it.

When they get back to the JYP building at night they squeeze in a few hours of practice. Mark is collapsed on the floor; breathing heavily and enjoying the breeze of the air conditioner as it cools his body. He hears a body collapse next to him and the strong cologne is a dead giveaway to who it is.

Mark shuts his eyes and prays to whatever higher being there is for Jackson not to bother him because he knows JB is watching them with hawk eyes.  For a moment he thinks his prayers were answered because all he hears is the heavy panting from his side but the peace quickly breaks.

A hand reaches out blindly and taps Mark on his stomach, surprising the redhead to the point he sits up.

“Oh sorry.” Jacksons apologizes lazily but his gaze quickly hardens as a sudden realization passes through his brain. “Whoa hey where those muscles I felt? Mark don’t tell me you’ve gotten a six pack.”  Jackson quickly sits up and reaches for the redhead again but Mark dodges his invasive hands and quickly stands on his feet, Jackson not far behind him.

“Leave me alone Jackson.” Mark says stiffly, hoping his tone would convey his seriousness, but Jackson, dull as ever takes it as a challenge and with swift feet glides forward. His years of fencing experience beat Mark and soon Jackson has a hand sliding into Mark’s shirt despite the older male’s protests. His laugh piercing through the practice room and Mark struggles.

Mark feels the cold fingers pressed into his stomach before Jackson is being shoved away roughly to the point he falters on his feet and almost goes crashing down onto the floor.

“Don’t touch him.”

JB is standing next to them, breathing heavily through his nostrils and eyes livid with anger. The practice room goes quiet in an instant and all eyes turn towards them. Mark’s heart almost stops as he hurriedly grabs Jaebums arm, stopping the black haired male from swinging a fist at the Hong Kong male’s face.

Jackson just stands shocked when he regains his footing, looking at JB with furrowed eyebrows not understanding the situation. Mark starts pulling JB and is relieved when the other lets him. He guides him out of the practice room. Every room in the building either has people in it or cameras somewhere so Mark leads them to the next best thing. The restrooms.

He enters the private male restroom with JB and quickly locks the door behind them, he knows there are going to be questions when they come back but right now the situation is dangerous and Mark needs to calm the leader down.

The black haired male shrugs out Mark’s hold and walks to face the wall after a heavy breath he brings up a fist and rams it into the wall angrily. Mark yelps out of surprise and runs to stop JB before he does it again, grabbing his fist softly and cradling it in his palms.

When JB turns around Mark is shocked by his watery eyes, tears of frustration most likely. In that moment all of Mark’s resolve to be the strong one crumbled as he latches himself onto the leader bringing him into a hug. He feels Jaebums fingers gripping into his waist; one hand smoothing onto his back as his head buries itself into Mark’s shoulder.

“I hate this, I hate this so much.” Mark feels Jaebum murmur into his shoulder blade, his fingers tightening to the point its almost unbearable, Mark just bites his lip. “It’s not his fault.” Mark whispers back, referring to Jackson. He really doesn’t want to bring him up right not but Mark needs to do damage control if they’re going to remain a strong team.

Some of Mark’s calmness swept through JB because his hold relaxes and he sighs dejectedly into Mark’s neck. “I know…it’s just that, he does it so freely. Touches you without a care in the world and I’m there so goddamn scared to even glance at you in case someone notices.”

JB pulls away enough to slide his hands around Mark’s neck, fingers threading through his hair on the back of his head as he gazes into the redhead’s eyes. Mark doesn’t flinch and stares right back, bringing his own hands up to cradle the black haired males face.

“I want to though” Jaebum continues softly, staring into Mark’s eyes. “I want to touch you like this in front of everyone, hold your hand in an interview and kiss you whenever I feel like it whether it’s in the middle of our living room or the middle of a concert. I want that so badly.”

Mark feels tears well up in his eyes but he pushes them back, instead pressing on his toes to capture Jaebums mouth in his own. They kiss for the first time in weeks and it feels heavenly like all of Mark’s worries and struggles float away and all that’s left is Jaebums lips between his teeth and a roaring in his heart.

They break away even though that’s the last thing Mark wants and take a moment to collect their breathes. JB’s face breaks out into a grin and Mark finds himself mirroring it with a smile of his own.

“Next time you feel like punching Jackson, just kiss me instead.” Mark say’s in between breaths, eyes crinkling into crescents.

Jaebum lets out a short chuckle and brings up one his hands, pinky finger extended into the air. “Ok” he replies softly, in a hushed whisper.

Mark mimics the gesture and entwines their fingers.

“Ok.” Jaebum repeats louder this time, grin never leaving his face.

There’s complications of course, and dangers and risks but at the end of the day if Mark could see that grin on Jaebums face it made it all so so worth it.