Mark and Jackson walked up the street in an awkward silence, the last words they'd said to each other was five minutes ago when Jackson had nervously asked to walk Mark home. Jackson had so much he wanted to say to Mark, he wanted to know everything about him, he wanted to know what went on in that beautiful head of his when he's all zoned out. He wanted to know what made him tick, what made him smile, what made him cry, everything and anything. Every time he was around Mark he seemed to lose his ability to talk, he could only imagine the endless teasing the guys would put him through if they should see him now. He, Jackson Wang, the guy who could talk till thy kingdom come, the hyper active Jackson tamed before Mark. He shuddered a little at the thought of the guys finding out about Mark and how he felt about him. He knew he had to say something but what should he say, he had so much he wanted to tell him yet his lips just wouldn't form the words his mind was telling them to. 

Mark was in a mental battle with himself, he hated the effect Jackson had on him, he was scared of how he made him feel, he wanted to let himself go and fall in love, I mean this is what he'd always wanted right?, to fall in love and be swept off his feet, so why was he so afraid to let the walls he'd built around his heart down? What if he allowed himself to fall in love and then got hurt? Then what? What if for once in his life he lived a little, you know, gave a little something to someone and received something back? He wanted it all, the morning kisses, the dinners together, the late night talks, the rainy day cuddles on the couch, all of it, but what if he woke up one morning and he couldn't have them anymore? Would he survive the hurt? What if he just let it all go and save his heart, you can't miss what you never had, right? He'd waited his whole life, all twenty-one years of it, for that special someone to come and when it did, he was afraid to take the big leap. 

They walked on, looking everywhere else except at each other, each person very much aware of the other, aware of the fact that they had unknowingly closed the gap between them, now walking closely side by side and hands brushing against each other every now and then as they walked, aware of the fact that they had unknowingly slowed down their pace despite the awful winter cold. "D..." Mark had started to say at the same time that Jackson had started to say "Sh...", both speaking at the same time made them laugh nervously, breaking the awkward silence. "You go first" Mark said smiling, "No you first" Jackson replied, they went back and forth with this for a while. " Ok" said Jackson “I’ll go first" as Mark smiled triumphantly. "I was just gonna ask if I should help you push the bike...we've been walking for a while, I thought you might be tired". Mark pushed the bike toward Jackson "here...thanks" he said as Jackson took the bike. 

"So what were you gonna ask me?" Jackson said as he looked sideways at Mark, he liked the way the shadows played on his face, it looked surreal. 

"Oh...uh...just...if you weren't cold, your clothes look a little thin, I have a spare scarf in my backpack...if you want"

"I didn't realize it was going to be a cold night...I should check the weather more often" Jackson was saying as he watched Mark open his bag and take out a large red knitted scarf.

"Here" Mark said wrapping the scarf around Jackson's neck, using all the willpower left in him to keep his hands steady, he could feel his whole body shake from how close he was to Jackson, his heart was racing and his knees felt weak.

Jackson stiffened when Mark leaned over to wrap the scarf around his neck, he felt his breath catch in his throat as Mark's face came an inch from his, he let out a little gasp, one that he hoped Mark didn't hear. "Thanks" he managed to say softly, the words almost inaudible, he smiled a little as Mark nodded his head. They walked the rest of the way in silence, each recovering from the effects of having the others face so close to his.

"Here we are" Mark said with the faintest sound of disappointment in his voice.

"Yea...here" Jackson replied tilting the bike toward Mark who took it and locked it on the rail in front of his apartment.

"Thanks for walking me home" Mark was looking down at his feet as he spoke.

"Don't mention it"

"Hey...uh...do you want to come in for a cup of hot cocoa...it'll help warm you up a little, it's the least i can do in return"

Jackson wanted to, hell he would stay all night if Mark asked him to, but he couldn't. He didn't trust himself to be in a room alone with Mark. He didn't know what he wanted from Mark, but he knew he was obsessed with him, he even got aroused thinking about him. "I...uh...I can't, but thank you...rain check?" he lied.

"Ok, sure...and thanks" Mark said and walked into his apartment.

Jackson watched Mark go up the stairs and into his apartment before he walked away. " Babo" he whispered to himself as he pulled the scarf tight around his neck, breathing in what smelled like spring, like a large field of blossoming flowers and something else he couldn't quite place his finger on. " So this is what you smell like " he said smiling and breathing in the smell of spring on a cold winter's night.

~~~7777777~~~

Jackson was slouched lazily in his chair with his feet up on his office table, absent mindedly bouncing a tennis ball on and off the wall repeatedly, whilst Jaebum and Youngjae sat on the couch talking and laughing heartily, Youngjae was the vocal trainer at the company. Jackson could hear them talk about something that had happened last night at the club, and Jaebum was asking why he had been ditching them for the past month or so, he heard Jaebum say something which he thought was a diss but didn't really care, he heard them go back to their conversation when he ignored them. He was thinking about Mark as usual, every time he wasn't with Mark he was thinking of him, if he wasn't thinking about him he was talking about him to anyone who would listen, of course he wouldn't mention it was a boy, he just used the nickname Muse, everyone knew about his muse. He had been walking him home every night for two weeks now, after that first night, their conversations got easier. He knew a whole lot more about him now, he knew he was from L.A but was Taiwanese, He knew he was a professional dancer in between jobs, he knew they spoke the same languages, he smiled while he recollected how they would start one sentence with Chinese and end in English, or how one would ask the other a question in Korean and the other would reply with a mixture of Mandarin, Korean and English, it was almost as if they had their own unique language that only they could understand. He knew now that Mark wasn't so quiet after all, he knew now how Mark would go on and on once he started talking. He knew how mark blew his hair out of his eyes instead of using his hand, he liked the way Marks bottom lip would crease and stick out every time he did that. He was smiling at the thought of Mark's lips when he felt someone push his legs off the office table. He looked up and realized Yugyeom had come into the office as well and was talking to him. He straightened himself in the chair while Yugyeom sat at the spot where his legs had been. "You wanted to talk to me?" Yugyeom asked unwrapping a fun sized chocolate bar he'd picked from the desk.

"Ah...yea...there's someone I want you to meet, a dancer...maybe you can give him a part time job here?"

"Um... I don't know Jackson...I would have to ask JYP first cos we might not have enough funds to bring on a new employee and not forgetting Bambam, he's in charge of casting and hiring"

"I'll deal with Bambam...and JYP will agree if you say you need an assistant or something"..."Pleease" he added cutely trying to convince Yugyeom

" Ok, ok , ok...please stop making that face, I think I’m gonna be sick....besides I have to see him dance first...can he audition?"

"Audition?... do employees do auditions...don't you need like a resume or something like that..." Jackson asked with a confused look on his face not quite sure what the process was at the company.

"Well...if I’m gonna vouch for the guy I have to at least see what he's got...don't you think?"

"Alright, I’ll get him here" Jackson said not knowing how he was going to do that, things were still a little awkward between them.

"Hyung" Yugyeom called to Jaebum and Youngjae "let's go grab dinner together...Jackson is buying" he grinned.

"When did i offer to treat you" Jackson said defensively looking down at his watch, it was almost time Mark closed. He got up, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair " If you keep eating this late you will end up with pot bellies" he said while putting his jacket on.

"What..it's only..."Youngjae said looking at his phone for the time " ten thirty" he finished.

"Yea...that's late.." Jackson said.

"since when is ten thirty late" Jaebum said wide eyed.

" It is.. besides i have plans" Jackson said searching Jaebum's pockets for his keys.

"Ya,ya, what are you doing" Jaebum screamed jumping out of the couch laughing, Jackson was able to reach Jaebum’s back pockets when he jumped up, he pulled out the keys and jingled it in front of Jaebum and began walking out.

"where are you going" Jaebum screamed trying to grab the keys back from Jackson and missed as Jackson dashed for the door.

" Will you come to club later?" Youngjae asked.

"How should I get home?" Jaebum asked

"Nope" Jackson said "and I don't care" turning to Jaebum. He run out of the door in time to miss the staple Jaebum threw at him.

"I think Jackson is seeing a girl" Yugyeom said squinting his eyes as if he just solved a mystery.

"Well, duh...as if that's not obvious" Youngjae spat out.

"Do you guys think he's finally going to settle on one girl?" Yugyeom asked.

"Pft, who? Jackson?...I highly doubt that" Jaebum said picking up the staple he had thrown earlier "how am I going home?" he said almost to himself.

"I'll take you" Youngjae chirped.

Yugyeom didn't fail to catch the look on both of their faces as Jaebum nodded in response, he's been suspecting something weird about the way the two behaved around each other when they thought no one was looking. " well I guess I’m on my own tonight" he shrugged and walked out the room.