Yugyeom is in the middle of struggling with his false eyelashes when he realizes something.

“Have we taken off?” He asks. Jinyoung and Mark are casually leaning against the corridor wall. Mark gives Yugyeom a slight nod, and Yugyeom’s insides turn cold.

“Where are Jaebum and Jackson?” He stills, a false eyelash hanging from his eyelid. “Did we just leave them?”

“Don’t be silly,” Jinyoung says, grinning. “They’re both dead.” Mark hits him.

BamBam chimes in: “Jaebum won’t come out of his room. I went to ask him where Jackson is, and I heard him moving around inside. He’s not saying anything.”

“Kids,” Jinyoung sighs. “There’s something you should know about our dear leader. He’s currently going through a phase.”

Youngjae snorts. “Yeah, he probably got rejected by Jackson today. We told him to forget about it, but Jaebum never listens to us.”

“It’s not that,” Jinyoung says. “Jaebum was a trainee in the military unit, unlike us science buffs. He’s got a strange behavior hardwired into his system. He’s in the middle of coming out of it, and it’ll take him a few hours to realize that there’s no rank-threatening mission to complete. He’s just cleaning and reloading all his weaponry right now.”

Youngjae frowns. “That’s insane. Military is so weird.”  

“What about Jackson?” Yugyeom asks, features pinched in worry. “I haven’t seen him since we came back.”

“Dark room,” Jinyoung says. “If you want to visit him, you can. But he’s stuck there on Jaebum’s orders.”

“Definitely rejected,” Youngjae, BamBam, and Yugyeom say at the same time. Youngjae huffs. “That’s awfully petty of leader, but whatever.”

“I actually think Jackson likes JB.” Jinyoung smiles a cryptic smile. “I bet that they’ll be married within this month.”

“That’s not possible!” BamBam shouts. “Also, how much do you bet?”

“Cleaning duties for a month,” Jinyoung immediately replies.

“Deal.”

--

The dinner bell rings, and Jaebum snaps out of his trance.

His room is in a state of unnatural cleanliness, every obstruction to the exit cleared. The windows are boarded up--Jaebum remembers rationalizing that decision, something about plasma resistance and escape attempts. Every weapon he has is laid out within arm’s reach, polished and loaded. Jackson is in the dark room.

“,” Jaebum moans. “, , .” He launches himself out the door and runs past corridors, past the training rooms and the kitchen, and into Jinyoung’s laboratory section. The dark room plasma entrance is unguarded by security locks. Jaebum perforates it easily.

The moment he steps in, he hears Jackson crying.

Jaebum freezes--he can’t bring himself to make any noise to announce his presence. The sounds of Jackson’s soft snuffling and frustrated whimpers make his gut twist.

For a few moments, Jackson quiets. He starts again, and then stops, pausing occasionally to take uneven breaths. Jaebum pinches himself.

“Jackson,” he says. He hears Jackson’s breath hitch. “It’s me,” Jaebum continues. “I’m going to. Um. I’m about to untie you.” He takes slow, loud steps to Jackson’s side. Jackson says nothing.

Jaebum takes his time gently unraveling Jinyoung’s handiwork, freeing Jackson’s midsection, legs, and then his arms. Jackson doesn’t make a sound, and somehow, that makes Jaebum ache more than if Jackson had yelled at him and attacked him. Small talk doesn’t seem appropriate.

“Do you need help to get up?” Jaebum whispers, once Jackson’s completely free.

Jackson wordlessly shifts away from him and gets up on his own, sneakered feet squeaking against the floor. Jaebum tries to rest a hand against his back, but Jackson suddenly slaps him away.

“Is it dinner yet?” he asks dully, voice stuffy and small. “I’m starving.”

Jaebum clutches at his own hand--the one Jackson had hit--and clears his throat. “Yes. We should go to the kitchen.”

Jackson steps away, presumably towards the exit. Jaebum suddenly snatches him by his waist. Jackson cries out and smacks him in the chest.

“Sorry,” Jaebum says. “You were about to run into Jinyoung’s preservatives rack.” He clears his throat again, feeling intolerably uncomfortable and guilty. Jackson doesn’t relax against him.

“You can let me go now,” Jackson says. “I’m not going anywhere. Obviously.”

“Right.” Jaebum lets go, and Jackson shuffles away from him. They walk out, Jaebum’s fingertips lightly guiding Jackson towards the door.

Once they exit, Jaebum stops Jackson in his tracks by his shoulders and then cups his wet face in his hands. He examines the puffiness of Jackson’s eyes and the angry redness of his cheeks. Jaebum wants to hit himself.

“What the hell are you doing,” Jackson states flatly. “Are you making fun of me?”

“No,” Jaebum murmurs. “Jackson... I’m sorry.”

“You should be,” Jackson says, frowning with his face still in Jaebum’s palms. Jaebum wonders if he’s in too deep, if he still can only think of how cute Jackson looks right now in his grasp.

“I’m sorry,” Jaebum whispers again, more to himself than anything. Jackson snorts.

“Oh my god! Ew!” BamBam yells from somewhere from down the hall. Jaebum and Jackson both flinch.

“Are you guys?” BamBam pauses. “Am I going to lose the bet?”

“Go to dinner,” Jaebum says sternly, swiftly moving his hands to his sides. BamBam’s expression manages to be accusing, suspicious, and ridiculous all at once.

“Are you guys getting married?” BamBam asks, squinting. Jackson snickers.

“You look like you’re taking a dump,” Jackson says. Jaebum looks at him fondly, a little bit grateful for BamBam and his silliness.

BamBam’s face morphs into an expression of disgust and fascination. “It’s happening,” he breathes. “Jinyoung was right.”

“Don’t dawdle,” Jaebum commands. “I think there are some toilets that need cleaning, and you don’t look very hungry.”

BamBam runs away faster than the human eye can discern.

“Why does everyone think we’re getting married?” Jackson asks, looking at the floor. “I’m just a specimen to you.”

“No,” Jaebum says, a little bit too quickly. “You’re more important to me than anyone. I mean. I like you, Jackson.”

“If you liked me you would treat me like a person,” Jackson replies. His eyes stay downcast. “How’s it possible that we’d marry?”

Jaebum, for a brief moment, imagines what it would be like if he and Jackson married. Romantic dinners, casual affection--a family. Even though Jackson won’t look at him, the shadow of his eyelashes is enough to capture Jaebum’s wholehearted attention. Jaebum suddenly needs to kiss him.

“Whoa,” Jackson says, an inch away from Jaebum’s face. “What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry,” Jaebum mutters. He presses his lips against Jackson’s. They’re smooth and yield easily, and Jaebum’s arms automatically come up to hold Jackson by his waist. Jackson makes a soft noise; the light puff of his exhale makes Jaebum embrace him tighter. Jaebum feels as if he could be in love, and that Jackson feels like his--like he belongs in Jaebum’s arms. It lasts for seconds.

Jackson turns his head away.

“Don’t do this,” Jackson whispers. Jaebum can’t see his face.

“I’m sorry,” Jaebum says. A faint ringing starts in his ears. Numbness spreads within him. Jackson pries Jaebum’s hands away from his waist.

“Let’s go eat,” Jackson suggests, his voice unusually even. He won’t face Jaebum.

“Right,” Jaebum chokes out.

--

When Jaebum returns to his room after dinner, Jinyoung is waiting for him. “We have to talk,” he says, not a hint of a smile on his face. Jaebum has rarely seen him this serious.

“It can wait.” Jaebum tries to pass him, but Jinyoung backs up in front of his door.

“It’s about Jackson.”

“I don’t want to talk about Jackson,” Jaebum states, chest tightening at the thought. Jinyoung frowns.

“Whatever happened between you two, I don’t care,” Jinyoung snorts. “This is important. You have to marry him.”

“Shut up,” Jaebum growls, remembering that small, stupid hope he had conjured up. “Shut the up, Jinyoung. I don’t want you to say another word.”

“He’s going to die if you don’t,” Jinyoung says. He looks at Jaebum as if he’s the idiot. “You realize that he’s a tertiary citizen and a specimen, and that we’re probably going to be done with him before next week. The next lab to take him in isn’t going to half as kind as I am.”

“What’s your point?” Jaebum asks, wanting to escape this conversation as soon as possible. “We’ll request an extension. We’ll delay meeting 2PM. Let’s talk about this later.”

“That’s not a long term solution!” Jinyoung shouts. Jaebum’s eyes widen--Jinyoung never raises his voice. Jinyoung sighs, obviously attempting to regain his composure. “If your feelings for him are what I think they are, you would do this. He isn’t just a specimen for GOT6, he’s a part of us.”

“Why don’t you marry him?” Jaebum responds. Even as he speaks, an ugly unhappiness wells up in him.

“You know that’s not going to happen.” Jinyoung smirks. “I can see it on your face.”

“Jackson doesn’t want to marry me,” Jaebum says. The words come out hushed, and his heart goes cold. “He would hate me.”  

“Who cares.”

“Let’s appeal to the president for revocation,” Jaebum tries. “Let’s change course. Mark can fake ship malfunctions. We’ll drop him off on some other planet not under JYP jurisdiction. Say he ran away. I-”

“When did you become so spineless?” Jinyoung hisses. “None of that would work. We would get found out and lose everything. Why are you so afraid of him?”

“I won’t make him unhappy,” Jaebum says. The truth of it settles in him, and Jinyoung looks at him in disbelief. “I’ll take full responsibility.”

“I won’t let you do that to yourself, you moron.” An uncanny anger comes over Jinyoung’s features. “We have been through too much together for this to make us lose you. This isn’t just about you. We’ve always been a team! The both of us!”

“You’ll get a new commander,” Jaebum says, smiling.

Jinyoung punches him in the face. Jaebum’s neck cracks from the force of it, and immediate pain blooms in his cheek.

“You stupid er,” Jinyoung pants, fist shaking at his side. “Why do I always fix the real problems by myself?”

“Because you’ve never needed me,” Jaebum replies. He turns back and makes determined eye contact with Jinyoung. “Nothing will change.”

What Jaebum most regrets is how lost he’s made Jinyoung look--he regrets causing that expression of insecurity. He hasn’t seen it on Jinyoung’s face since they were still in school, both of them simultaneously too capable and too young to make any other friends. Jaebum knows that he’s being selfish.

“You think this will make Jackson happy,” Jinyoung says. “It won’t.”

“He won’t get hurt, and he won’t have to marry me. I won’t let him marry any of you, and you know that,” Jaebum says. He can’t stop smiling, even though he knows it’s pissing Jinyoung off. “I’d rather send him away than have to see him with one of you.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jinyoung spits. “This is the end of our team? Because of your crush?”

A loud noise resounds from the end of the hall. BamBam, Yugyeom, and Youngjae appear from behind a wall, falling on each other in a pile.

“Those little s,” Jinyoung breathes. Jaebum sighs.

“We heard everything,” Yugyeom says, standing up. “Leader, you’re making the wrong decision.”

“Jackson totally loves you!” Youngjae shouts. Yugyeom kicks him in the shin.

“Even if Jackson doesn’t like you, there’s potential!” Yugyeom insists. “You guys are always together. It’s so easy to change that guy’s mind. Just go for it, and we’ll support you.”

“I threatened him,” Jaebum says. “I hurt him. There’s no way.”

BamBam suddenly starts walking toward him. Everyone quiets to watch. He stops less than a foot away from Jaebum, and then gives him a solid slap. Youngjae yells: “Oh my god!”

“Be a man,” BamBam commands.

--

In the early morning, Jackson comes back to his shared room with Jaebum. Jaebum doesn’t know what he could have been doing.

Jackson tiptoes in, obviously trying to keep quiet. The lights are off, and Jaebum can see Jackson fumbling at his surroundings to make his way in. Jaebum turns on the lights from behind him. Jackson screeches.

“Holy !” Jackson clutches at his chest and looks at Jaebum accusingly. “Can you give a guy a warning?”

“We’re going to be meeting 2PM next week,” Jaebum states. “At that time, I might never see you again.”

“Um, okay,” Jackson says.

“I won’t let JYP hurt you,” Jaebum continues. “You know that, right?”

“Not really.”

Jaebum strides over to Jackson, and Jackson squeezes his eyes shut. Jaebum grabs him by the shoulders and brings their faces close--the tip of his nose touches Jackson’s, and Jackson blinks.

“Jackson.” Jaebum watches Jackson, taking in his clear gaze and furrowed eyebrows. He steels himself.

“Jackson, I love you.”