"Nothing that concerns you." Jackson pulled his wrist out of Mark's grasp and stomped out of the mansion and into the garden.

Dusk slowly darkened into a saddened darkness. Grey clouds hovered over the skies, a sign of a potention rain -- a brewing storm perhaps. Jackson didn't give a damn, he needed somewhere to sort out his thoughts, somewhere other than the mansion. There was so much for him to figure out, and so little time for him to do so. Sometimes he wished he hadn't met them. His life would be free of complications and even anxiety. Yet, apparently fate has decided to tie them together with an invisible string. For what cause? Jackson didn't know. He sat on at the exact spot he and Youngjae sat the other day. He looked up at the sky, letting himself be immersed with the bright brilliance of the stars.

"What did I do to deserve this," Jackson sighed. "Really. I wonder."

He felt his eyes get watery. A stray tear escaped his eye.

"If we're looking at the same sky, then we must be communicating, right mum?" Jackson's voiced sounded quavery. 

He rested on the soft patch and started making trails from the starts with his finger, connecting each one by one. Time stood still as Jackson reminisced about the past with his mother, about what she told him. 

"Remember, darling. All of us human beings are interconnected. We're like the branches and twigs of a large tree but this large tree is stretched over seven continents and seas. Whoever you meet serves a purpose in your life. Things may not go well as planned, there will be days where you wished you didn't meet someone but remember, everyone in your life is important. People come and go, even your loved ones, sadly. People will either change you else you change them. It's up to you and every decision to change someone or to be changed leads to a different result. Whatever the outcome, it isn't solely your fault."

He was wiping his tears away, sniffling. "Mum, I know you're watching on me, right?" Jackson placed a hand over his forehead. "Because I know you are, thank you." 

Jackson closed his eyes, absorbing the scent of a thousand different flowers. The atmosphere was calm, he really liked it.

***

Youngjae served Mark food on a pristine white plate. They only shot short glances between each other and none of them has spoken a word to each other. Despite Mark's collected state, he was burning on the inside. Answers, he needed answers so badly but he couldn't just flare it all at Youngjae. He took the first step, trying to seem "normal".

"So, what happened today?" Mark asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual," Youngjae sat, looking at Mark. "chores, the garden, errands." Youngjae sighed.

"And Jackson?" Mark raised an eyebrow.

"Lazing around in this mansion. What else do you expect him to be doing as a captive?" Youngjae smirked alittle. 

Mark sighed, taking a spoonful of the served dish. "Why do I feel like I can't trust you?" Mark said in between bites.

"What?!" Youngjae exclaimed. "What makes you say that?"

"It's not that -- I mean eversince he's here you've been ... different?" Mark said while taking another spoonful.

"I think it's just in your head. Speaking of Jackson, I'll find h-" Youngjae said only to be cut abruptly by the other.

"No, I'll find him. There's something we need to ... solve." Mark rose from his seat and headed outside.

"This isn't going to go well ..." Youngjae murmured under his breath.

Mark turned his head to his sides once he was out, hoping to find Jackson. A slim figure was all he saw and it was lying on the grass. Mark slowly inched closer, trying not to startle him. When he was close enough, he could see that the other has his eyes closed. Mark was afraid to wake him because he might not be asleep after all.

"Okay, Mark, breathe in, breathe out." he whispered to himself. 

Before long, he realized that he had been standing there for minutes, staring at Jackson, deciding whether or not to wake him up. If he decided to wake Jackson up, he'd be risking his "superiority" and he'd seem like a casual. The sight from the edge of his eye of Youngjae running in interrupted his train of thoughts. Youngjae ambled to Mark, with a weird look on his face.

"So, what are you doing here, looking at him?" Youngjae said, clearly emphasizing on the word 'looking'.

Mark gave no answer, instead of looking at Jackson he was in deep thought.

Youngjae gave Mark a light nudge before asking, "So? Aren't you going to wake him up or something?" 

"On second thought," Mark said, turning away. "You wake him up." He gave a light pat on Youngjae's shoulder.

***

Is there more to lose than gain? What's in it for me anyway? What if I lose my calm side? Why did I want to find him in the first place? These thoughts were running all about Mark's mind. He let out a roar of frustration behind closed doors before deciding,

"I'll just be the cruel and callous fool I am."

***

"Hey, Jackson. Wake up." It took Youngjae a few nudges but he finally got Jackson to wake up.

"How are you feeling? Good?" Youngjae helped Jackson sit up. "You must have been really poofed out to be asleep out here-"

Youngjae realized Jackson's dampened cheeks and pale lips. He never saw the latter in this state and he knew it would have to take lots of bottled and pent up emotions for it to make Jackson a wreck.

"Did you-" Youngjae was cut off by Jackson resting his head on the other's chest.

 He must be really tired. Youngjae let the other rest his head.

"If it's about wanting to go home then," Youngjae wrapped his arms around Jackson. "I may not be able to help at all."

The stars above them shone brightly, as though they were delighted. The dark cloud continued to swirl and a crack of thunder could be here just by the distance. 

"H-hey, Jackson," Youngjae said. "We'd better get inside, seems like a bad weather is on it's way." 

Youngjae guided the other, a hand behind the other's back. Jackson seemed really weak and tired.

Entering the mansion, he settled Jackson on the couch which he shortly fell asleep on. He walked up, looking for Mark in his room. A knock on the door with a 'come in' as a reply signalled Youngjae. He opened the door, stepping in the room to meet the usual cold looking Mark. 

"Jackson is, well, tired and he's asleep right now. Do you mind if he sleeps wi-"

"No," Mark said. "It's fine. He can sleep in your room." Mark abruptly cut him.

"But the ... I thought-" Youngjae was cut abruptly again.

"Nevermind that. I take that back. Just go." Mark turned the screen of his phone on and the look of dismay plastered onto his face.

Youngjae nodded and ran back down, eager to pick Jackson. This time, Jackson was deep in his sleep, in the depths of the realm of dreams. A simple nudge won't do it.

"Guess I'll just have to do it." Youngjae sighed as he mustered all the might and strength in his arm muscles to carry Jackson up bridal style. 

It's going to be a tedious journey, climbing up the staircase with a heavy body weighing you down and slowing your pace. Not that Youngjae saw him as a burden of any kind. Jackson's face looked totally pure, devoid of his natural hot-tempered behaviour. 

Kicking the door of his room, he entered the vast area and slowly put Jackson down. He gave Jackson a small smile, sweeping the sleeping one's fringe to the side as he procedeed to turn the lights off. It was time for a goodnight's rest.