Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Who's Who in the world of high school cliches! Now, the cliches are just how others in the school perceive them, NOT how they actually are which you will see in the story.
Let's start with the friend groups:
1) Jinyoung, Youngjae, Yugyeom, Mark
2) Jaebum, BamBam, Jackson

Next, what "grade" they are in:
BamBam- 9th- Freshman
Yugyeom- 9th- Freshman
Jaebum- 12th- Senior
Jinyoung- 12th- Senior
Youngjae- 11th- Junior
Mark- 12th- Senior
Jackson- 10th- Sophomore
*Since it's a HS AU I'm playing with ages cause why not!*

Finally, the cliches:
BamBam- The New Kid
Yugyeom- The Shy Boy
Jinyoung- The Nerd
Jaebum- The Cool Guy
Youngjae- The Class President
Mark- The Quiet One
Jackson- The Class Clown

This is all you need to know for now! I'll be posting the first real chapter soon!!

Chapter Text

          BamBam had been pacing back and forth in his room for the last 15 minutes trying to figure out what to wear. That was a fairly normal amount of time for him but today he was extra stressed. It was his first day at a new school in a fairly small town. He knows that everyone has probably known each other since they were little and that'll make it harder for him to make friends. Who would be friends with the new freshman who came in halfway through the year? When he finally settles on what to wear, he gets dressed and styles his hair. BamBam doubles- no triple checks his hair in the mirror before grabbing his bag, throwing on his shoes, and leaving the house.

          I'm gonna miss the bus, he thinks, I spent too long getting ready and I'm gonna have to walk on the first day.

          Of course he is thinking about the worst things that could happen and BamBam arrives at the bus stop on time. On the bus he ends up sitting next to a guy who doesn't even realize that he's sat there.

          Wow his face is pretty, BamBam thinks to himself, before shutting down the thoughts. Stupid. You haven't even got to school yet. You can't be drooling over cute boys and he looks really disinterested anyway.

          He arrives at school and is immediately confused. None of the room numbers go in order, there are three floors and it's huge. He never got any kind of tour and is completely on his own. They had given him a map but it wasn't much help. There were 20 minutes until class was to start and he spent the whole 20 minutes walking in circles. The bell rings and BamBam suddenly stops, petrified that he'll be in trouble for being late on his first day.

          Before he can think of what to do or where to go, someone runs right into him from behind and knocks BamBam on the ground. Out of shock, he grabs the kid who ran into him's shirt so, he ended up getting pulled down to the ground too.

          Before BamBam could get angry, the boy that knocked him down laughed and said, "Oh. I'm so sorry. I was running late and I'm never late for class. I got a little caught up in something. I'm Jackson by the way. Nice to meet you! Bye!"

          Jackson helps BamBam up and heads off to class.

          When Jackson began to walk away BamBam yells, "Hey! I'm new here and I have no idea where I'm going. Help!"

          BamBam knows he had to be blunt and straight forward, even if he did sound a bit dumb wording it like that. Jackson immediately turns around and smiles. BamBam finally gets a look at his face; he's very handsome but also has a bit of unexplainable cuteness in his smile. Jackson looks like he works out but not too much, it's good, BamBam thinks.

          "Of course I'll help! Jackson Wang is here to help!! What's your name? You never told me." Jackson replies cheerfully.

          "I'm BamBam."

          "Is BamBam your real name?"

          "We don't have time for this conversation, I'm very late and I don't want to get in trouble on my first day."

          "Ok 'BamBam,' if that's even your real name. What room are you going to?"

          "It's not my real name and I'm going to room 307."

          "I have homeroom in 307 too! This makes this easier and I have an excuse for being late!" Jackson grabs BamBam's wrist and drags him up the stairs and down the hallway, chattering about how much drama there is in school. BamBam doesn't want to get involved in all this drama and it seems like Jackson's the center of it.

          When they get to the room Jackson swings open the door and says, a little too loudly, "I found the new kid!" And pushes BamBam into the room. BamBam looked like a deer in headlights as the whole room stares at him.

          "Are you Kun... kun.... pi..?" the teachers tries to say his name as Jackson drags him to the back of the room to find seats.

          "Kunpimook Bhuwakul. I prefer BamBam" he says respectfully even though he is sick of nobody being able to say his actual name or understanding Thai culture.

          They've only missed 10 minutes of homeroom which isn't the worst thing since homeroom is basically a study hall. Jackson continues to tell BamBam about all the drama, the sports drama, the girl drama and everything else you could possibly think of. BamBam tries to act like he's listening but finds himself staring into space and looking around the room to see his new classmates. On the other side of the room BamBam sees a boy with black hair that's just a little too long and covers a bit of his eyes. He's got a round face and his nose is a bit big but in an attractive way. While the rest of the room talks, this kid sits there with his headphones in, subtly moving his body to the music. BamBam tries so hard not to stare but damn, he thinks. That boy is so attractive and he can't deny it. His hair seems to sparkle and he's in his own world enjoying music. He looks so peaceful.

          "BamBam!" Jacksons says a little too loudly in his ear and BamBam jumps. "Stop staring. You look creepy."

          "I was not staring" BamBam replies.

          "Yes, you were. You were totally checking Yugyeom out."

          "Oh... his name is Yugyeom."

          "Yes it is but don't think you are getting anywhere. He only talks to like 3 other people. And when he does talk to other people he's too quiet and gets too embarrassed to be heard." Jackson informs.

          "Oh." BamBam says, disappointed.

          "Don't look so down, maybe you'll be another person he talks to."

          They chat the rest of class and BamBam has to try really hard not to stare at Yugyeom. Jackson tells BamBam how to get to his classes and lets him know that he can sit with him and his friend Jaebum at lunch. They even exchanged phone numbers and of course Jackson made his contact name "Your new best friend Jackson." BamBam was happy that he has already made a friend.

          When the bell rang and everyone got up BamBam looked at Yugyeom and wow he's tall, it's hot, he thought. BamBam walks quickly to catch up with Yugyeom and crosses in front of him, trying to get his attention. He struts like he owns the place but gives up when Yugyeom doesn't notice. He's too absorbed in his music to notice anything else going on around him. BamBam realizes this is going to be harder than he thought.

Chapter Text

          I can't believe he didn't notice me, BamBam thinks, that walk shouldn't fail.

          He heads to his next class with his head held high. He keeps reminding himself that confidence is key. If Yugyeom sees him confident, there is no way he can resist, BamBam tries to tell himself, but on the inside he feels hopeless and embarrassed. BamBam embarrassed? He can't believe himself. He continues walking to class, worrying about how he looks since Yugyeom is walking behind him. When he finds the classroom he thinks he'll finally be free of torment of the oblivious boy but... of course! Yugyeom is in the same class as him. BamBam takes a second to introduce himself to the teacher and when he was informed he could sit anywhere, he immediately took the empty seat in front of Yugyeom.

          BamBam tried to focus on class and get caught up with the work but all he could think about was the gorgeous boy behind him. He'd brush his hair back dramatically and get up to throw out something, just to get Yugyeom's attention. He even tried to drop his pencil so he could pick it up dramatically but he accidentally threw it and hit Yugyeom in the face.

          BamBam turned around to apologize but couldn't get a word in because Yugyeom took out one earbud said, "You threw this" handed the pencil back and put his ear bud back in.

          BamBam's first interaction with Yugyeom was a failure and he thinks that Yugyeom probably thinks he's a jerk. BamBam doesn't try to get his attention again, thinking that he's ruined his chances.

          It's finally time for lunch. He needs to share this disaster with Jackson and ask for advice. Once BamBam finds the cafeteria, he wanders aimlessly until he hears, "Hey! Bam! Over here!"

          He turns around to find the source of the words and sees Jackson waving his arms dramatically. He heads over to where Jackson is sitting and sits down. Jackson's friend Jaebum isn't there yet so BamBam thinks it's a good time to tell Jackson about what happened with Yugyeom. After he tells the story..... Jackson laughs!

          "You hit...him in the face..." Jackson says through laughs, "with...a pencil..."

          BamBam feels humiliated. BamBam sees a guy approaching the table, he's tall and chic. He's got two noticeable birthmarks, perfectly aligned, above his eye.

          "I'm Jaebum. You are?" he says coldly to BamBam.

          "I'm BamBam, Jackson said I could sit with you guys." BamBam explains, while Jackson is still in hysterics not paying attention at all.

          "Oh, you're the new kid that Jackson mentioned in a weird message." Jaebum said with a laugh as he took the seat next to Jackson.

          "Oh... hi... Jae... jae... bum..." Jackson says still laughing.

          "Chill dude. What's so funny?" Jaebum says.

          "BamBam... he hit... Yugyeom.... that shy kid... with a pencil... in the face..."

          "Jackson! Shut up! It's not that funny." Jaebum says before turning his attention to BamBam, "You seem cool, what happened?"

          BamBam retells the story to Jaebum, including the important details like how hot he thinks Yugyeom is.

          "BamBam. You're a freshman and it's your first day. Slow down. I know you wanna go for it but you need to take your time, especially with someone as shy as him. Get adjusted to school, don't worry too much. Your time will come." Jaebum's words of wisdom resonate in BamBam's head. He can't believe he's been so stupid already, it hasn't even been a day yet.

          "Thanks." BamBam says to Jaebum.

          Jaebum just nods, knowing that BamBam appreciates what he said. The conversation between the three quickly becomes more casual and Jaebum takes a liking to BamBam quickly. A little later in the period, a girl comes over to the table giggling and hands Jaebum a tiny piece of paper. When he unfolds it, written is a phone number. Jaebum immediately throws it on the ground and shrugs it off like it's nothing.

          "Why'd you toss it?" BamBam asks honestly, he would have been flattered if he was in Jaebum's place.

          "Oh! You don't know! Jaebum is like the coolest guy in school. He gets stuff like this all the time so it doesn't really matter. He could get any girl he wants." Jackson answers over-dramatically.

          "Yes, but really, I'm not a player. I'm also gay so, you know that kinda plays a part in how I dismiss girls." Jaebum answers.

          "Oh wow. I didn't expect you to be gay." BamBam says, honestly surprised.

          "Most people don't expect it, but I am and I'm actually thinking of asking someone out soon." Jaebum says, with a slight blush.

          "Oooooooh! Who?!" Jackson says loudly getting excited.

          "Shh. I'll tell you if you're quiet." Jaebum says.

          "I'll be quiet. I NEED to know." Jackson says whispering.

          "Ok. It's Youngjae. He's a junior." Jaebum says looking away.

          "Aaaaawwwwweeeee!" Jackson squeals, "That's so cute!"

          "Who's Youngjae?" asks BamBam.

          Jackson points over to three tables down.

          "The one that's laughing." BamBam looks over and sees Youngjae laughing a big laugh that they could hear from their table.

          At the table also sat the guy he sat next to on the bus, a boy with glasses that's engrossed in a book and Yugyeom. BamBam just ignores that he's there. This isn't the time.

          "Oh! He's cute. You need to ask him out." BamBam advises.

          "I would but I don't know what I'd invite him to do." Jaebum says, his confidence disappearing.

          Thoughtfully BamBam suggests, "How about ice cream and a movie? It's a no fail date idea."

          "That'll work. That's good. I can do this. I'm never this nervous." Jaebum speaks quietly. Jaebum is gonna ask Youngjae out.

~~~~ Three Tables Down ~~~~

          "Did you see that?" Jinyoung asks the other boys at the table.

          "See what?" Youngjae replies, which is followed by "yeah"s from Yugyeom and Mark.

          "Jaebum and Jackson and some kid I've never seen before were looking over here." Jinyoung explains.

          Youngjae peps up and gets a little excited, "What do you think Jaebum was looking at?"

          "None of us." Mark adds negatively, "The most popular boy in school, who's probably straight as a board, is NOT looking at either of you. Especially not you, Jinyoung."

          "Jaebum is so hot." Jinyoung says with a sigh and stares at Jaebum from across the room. Yugyeom who has been quiet the whole time takes the book Jinyoung is holding out of his hand and hits him with it.

          "Ow! Gyeom!" Jinyoung yells.

          "I agree with Yugyeom. Stop staring. Jaebum doesn't like either of us." Youngjae says.

          "Jinyoung, do you really think that someone as cool as Jaebum is gonna like someone as nerdy as you?" Yugyeom laughs.

          "I don't know." Jinyoung says angrily.

          "Don't get so upset, Jinyoungie." Yugyeom giggles.

          "You can't call me that."

          "Yes I can. I can call you whatever I want." After this comment, Jinyoung launches himself across the table and smacks Yugyeom in the head.

          "Owwww!" Yugyeom whines.

          "Can you not fight now?" Youngjae The Peacemaker asks.

          "Just because you got elected student council president doesn't mean you can stop us from fighting." Jinyoung snaps backs and Yugyeom giggles.

          "I got elected because I'm responsible and a people person! My job is to listen to students' concerns and try to unite everyone and have a peaceful school community. Keyword is peaceful." Youngjae says proudly.

          "You're irresistible, Youngjae." Mark comments before going silent again.

          "Thank you Mark. How has your day been so far?" Youngjae says cheerfully.

          "Awful. For my self-defense class we have to do presentations and I got partnered with Jackson Wang." Mark complains.

          "Why's that bad?" Yugyeom asks.

          "Have you heard him talk? He's so annoying." Mark continues.

          "But he's hot." Youngjae adds.

          "So, what? He's such a player and I doubt he's gay." Mark says.

          "So, you admit he's hot?" Yugyeom teases.

          "Yes. Cause it's true. You've seen his biceps." Mark comments, "I don't want to work with him though. We'll have to work outside of class and I don't want to spend time with someone that loud and irritating. I doubt he's gonna do any work and I'll have to do everything."

          "Wow Mark." Jinyoung looks up from his book, "You never talk this much."

          "I do when someone really bothers me." Mark scoffs.

          "Sorry to change the subject but have you seen the new kid that's hanging out with Jaebum?" Jinyoung asks.

          "Yeah, his name is BamBam. I have homeroom and English with him. He threw a pencil at my face today, I don't think he meant to." Yugyeom informs the others.

          "Well, I can't believe that he's already friends with Jaebum. Look at them laughing and talking. I've known Jaebum forever but this BamBam kid is already friends with him." Jinyoung laments.

          "I'm a little sad. I wanted to be friends with him. He's kinda cute. He walks with so much confidence." Yugyeom quiets down with those words.

          "Sorry Gyeom. He's friends with Jaebum now. You've lost your chance at ever even speaking to him. Like you talk to anyone but us anyway." Jinyoung laughs not realizing how it makes Yugyeom's heart hurt a little bit.

~~~~ Back at The Other Table ~~~~

          "Can you believe I got partnered with Mark Tuan for a project for self-defense?" Jackson complains, "he's not gonna do anything. I don't think he's ever spoken a word. He's got real RBF and always looks so miserable. We have to work outside of class on this! Spending time with someone who doesn't speak is a waste of time. I'm gonna have to do the whole thing myself."

          "Chill. He's friends with Youngjae he can't be that bad." Jaebum says, "Youngjae is such a sunshine, he's friends can't be bad."

          "I guess. Mark seems so boring." Jackson adds.

          "Which one is Mark?" BamBam asks looking back over at the other table.

          "The one without glasses. The one with glasses is Jinyoung by the way." Jaebum tells him.

          "There are so many good looking guys at this school." BamBam comments.

          "That's true. Especially me." Jackson laughs.

          "The bell is about to ring, Bam do you know where you are going?" Jaebum asks kindly.

          "Yeah, I have music theory." BamBam answers.

          "I actually have it also. I'm retaking the class because I had an extra space in my schedule and I need to review before college." Jaebum says coolly. The bells rings suddenly and it makes BamBam jump. The two new friends say bye to Jackson and head off to their class.

          "Have you told me about anyone else that's in that class?" BamBam asks, wondering if Yugyeom was in their class.

          "Yeah, Youngjae, Jinyoung and... Yugyeom are actually in that class also." Jaebum says with slight hesitation because he doesn't want to get BamBam's hopes up.

          "Oh." BamBam sighs.

          "Huh? You ok?" Jaebum asks, worried at BamBam's sudden change in tone and energy.

          "Yeah. I don't want to have another class with Yugyeom. Seeing him like torments me. I'm going to go insane." BamBam tells Jaebum as they walk into the classroom.

          "It hasn't even been a day. Don't give up. Let him give you a chance. I'm going to sit in my usual seat, go introduce yourself to the teacher. By the time you do Yugyeom should be here, sit next to him." Jaebum says, "You won't regret it."

          BamBam takes Jaebum's advice and ends up taking a seat next to Yugyeom. Now he has has the next hour and a half to figure out what he's going to say.

Chapter Text

~~~~~ Music Theory Class ~~~~~

          The teacher completes the lesson in a half hour and hands out a packet for the class to work on. She requests that they work in pairs but since there are an uneven number of students, there will need to be a group of three. Jaebum asks to work with Youngjae but with Youngjae comes Jinyoung. They are the group of three.

          Since BamBam is sitting next to Yugyeom he turns and asks, "Hey...," he takes a long pause, "want to work together?"

          "Sure." Yugyeom answers voice barely a whisper as he feels his face turn pink.

          BamBam notices and giggles. The two freshman do their work and chat a little bit. Yugyeom cannot believe that BamBam is actually having a conversation with him. Throughout class Yugyeom noticed girls giggling and pointing at BamBam. He even heard one of them say that he's hot. Yugyeom's stomach sank, BamBam was already known thanks to Jaebum.

~~~~~~~~~~

          Jaebum, Youngjae, and Jinyoung finished their classwork quickly and had time to talk. Jaebum was only interested in Youngjae.

          "Youngjae, how has your day been?" Jaebum asks coolly.

          "It was great! Every day is a good day when talking to you." Youngjae said with a blinding smile.

          Jinyoung scoffed.

          "Excuse me?" Jaebum snaps before taking a breath and calming down, "Sorry, I didn't ask you. How was your day?"

          Jaebum knows he can't make an enemy out of Jinyoung or Youngjae would never date him. How could Youngjae's best friend be such a nerd? Such a loser.

          Jinyoung scoffs again, "Fine. Thanks."

          Jinyoung burns with jealousy and anger. He knows he'll never be enough for Jaebum and it kills him. He'll use sass and sarcasm as a defense. Jinyoung leaves Jaebum and Youngjae to their conversation and pulls out a book. Books are his escape from reality. No worrying about grades, popularity, or Jaebum. Youngjae on the other hand, is having the time of his life. Jaebum is actually talking to him and they are getting along. Jaebum is just as charming and cool as Youngjae imagined. Jaebum tries to keep his cool and cold exterior but it's hard when Youngjae smiles like that. Especially when that smile is aimed at him.

          Something was up with Jaebum and Jinyoung couldn't quite place it at first. Jaebum has always been known for having an ice box for a heart and not caring about anyone. His voice sounded so different when talking to Youngjae and it made Jinyoung sad. There is no better word to use than sad, that was it, just sad. The boy that Jinyoung admired from a far for so many years likes his best friend. He can just feel that Jaebum likes Youngjae. No matter how much it hurts he wants to support his best friend and he just hopes that Youngjae really likes Jaebum. Jinyoung tried his hardest to not listen the conversation happening next to him and focus on his book but he found his eyes wandering the room.

          He looks over at Yugyeom and sees what he knows upsets Yugyeom. BamBam is surrounded by a group of girls that are all giggling, complimenting him, and asking him weird questions. From what Jinyoung sees BamBam is exactly how he expected someone who becomes friends with Jaebum so quickly to be. Jinyoung has to warn Yugyeom before the little hopeless romantic falls for him.

          Jinyoung met Yugyeom on the first day of the school year when Yugyeom tried to ask him for directions but was so shy he could barely speak. Jinyoung made it his goal to protect him, he needs someone to help him build confidence and even though Jinyoung doesn't feel he's the best for the job he will try his hardest.

~~~~~~~~~~

          BamBam was quickly becoming annoyed with the girls. He just wanted to talk to Yugyeom not have girls gawk at him but he has to be polite, he can't ruin his reputation already.

          "Girls, class is about to end so you should probably go get your stuff together," BamBam advises, trying to hint that they should leave him alone,

          "I'll see you all around." Some of the girls return to their seats but most of them pull out pens and a small scrap of paper, to scribble down their phone numbers.

          "I'm not accepting anyone's phone numbers at the moment. Thank you though." BamBam tells them. They all finally leave and BamBam turns to Yugyeom.

          "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." BamBam tells him.

          "It's fine. You're popular already." Yugyeom speaks, once again barely a whisper.

          "I know you're shy but you don't need to be so quiet around me." BamBam tells him, hoping that he'll speak up a little. BamBam pulls out paper and writes down his number and hands it to Yugyeom.

          "Here" BamBam says, "Text me anytime."

          Before Yugyeom can reply the bell rings and Jinyoung is suddenly pulling him out of the classroom.

          "Can you come over to my house after school?" Jinyoung asks, "We need to talk." Yugyeom is absolutely terrified of what that could mean but agrees anyway because he can't say no to Jinyoung.

          "Yeah, sure. I'll just call my mom and let her know. I'll say you're helping me with homework." Yugyeom resolves.

          "My mom will pick us up, no talk of boys in the car. If she finds out she'll murder me." Jinyoung informs, "Our conversations today will need to be kept quiet." Yugyeom understands that there will be a lot of talk about boys today and agrees to meet Jinyoung outside the school after their last class.

~~~~A Little Later~~~~

          BamBam is trying to focus in History but all he can think about is last period. He can't believe he stopped talking to Yugyeom to let girls gawk at him and wishes he would've talked to him more.

          Yugyeom is never gonna text me, BamBam thinks to himself, giving up on paying attention to class. All he can think about is Yugyeom. I barely even know him. All I know is that he is shy and extremely good looking. I can't let myself like him based on looks only. That's shallow and awful. I can't do that to someone. I want to get to know him better. Learn what he likes, what classes he takes, what he wants to pursue a career in, if he has any kinks- NO. Bad BamBam. I want to get to know him as a friend, I can't think like that.

~~~~Meanwhile~~~~

          Youngjae finds himself daydreaming in class about Jaebum. He daydreams often but never about boys but after talking to Jaebum it's all he can think about.

          I can't believe someone as hot as Jaebum was talking to me. I talk to everyone but he seemed so invested in our conversation. I didn't really agree with a lot of what he said but he's hot so why would it matter. He doesn't seem to value school, he thinks we should be able to study what we want but I think that's what college is for. Creating a positive school environment is my goal and Jaebum is one of the people who never listens. He should be polite to everyone but I guess it's fine since he's so attractive and cool. Wow, he's so gorgeous but Mark is probably right about him being straight.

~~~~~~~~~~

          The school day is finally over and Yugyeom meets Jinyoung outside of school.

          "Hi, Yugyeom" Jinyoung's mother says when the boys get in the car, "How are you?"

          "I'm good, thank you. How are you, Mrs. Park?" Yugyeom replies politely, trying to speak at a normal volume.

          "You're quiet as I ever I see." Mrs. Park laughs, "I'm happy to see you're doing well. How was school today Jinyoung?"

          "It was fine" Jinyoung tells his mother, followed by a detailed description of all the academic work.

          "That's very good. Are you sure Yugyeom should come over? You have a lot of work to do." she asks.

          "Yugyeom needs help with his Geometry homework. My work is very easy and won't take too long." Jinyoung lies.

          They arrive at the Park family's house and Yugyeom and Jinyoung are both grateful to end the conversation with Mrs. Park. The boys head upstairs to Jinyoung's room as soon as they get inside. Jinyoung is very urgent to warn Yugyeom about BamBam.

Chapter Text

          “So, what’s up?” Yugyeom asks Jinyoung, still not totally sure why he had to talk to him so urgently.

          “Remember how the new kid, BamBam was sitting with Jaebum at lunch?”

          “Yes… why?”

          “Did you notice anything strange during Music Theory?”

          “Strange?” Yugyeom asks, “Why are you being so weird? Can you just tell me what’s up?”

          “Did you not see those girls all over him?”

          “Yeah, I did but he didn’t seem interested.”

          “Yugyeom! You’ve got to be kidding! He doesn’t want them to think he’s interested but you know he loves the attention.”

          “How do you know?” Yugyeom looks down, not wanting to listen.

          “I saw the way he looked at those girls and how as soon as they walked over he ignored you completely.”

          “He apologized after and it wasn’t like I was trying to talk to him.”

          “Stop making excuses. You looked like a love sick puppy and I can’t let you get hurt.” Jinyoung sighs.

          Jinyoung has a really bad feeling about BamBam, he can’t let his little Yugyeom get hurt by Jaebum’s new friend. He can’t trust Jaebum or the people he associates himself with because of something that happened when they were younger.

~~~~~~~~~~

          Jaebum and Jinyoung went to the same Elementary school and have always known each other but they were never friends. Jinyoung always admired Jaebum from afar and tried to be his friend when they were younger but Jaebum always called him a nerd and pushed him aside. When Jinyoung was 13 he realized he was gay. He realized because he saw Jaebum being flirty with a girl he’d never seen before and Jinyoung felt a burning jealousy that made him want to cry. Jinyoung was pretty sure Jaebum was straight but that didn’t stop him from trying. Every morning before homeroom he’d say “good morning” to Jaebum but he’d always get brushed off.

          Jinyoung can remember the turning point, it was Thursday February 9th, everyone was getting ready for Valentine’s Day and he was feeling so alone. He had Youngjae but they were only friends. Jinyoung wanted romance and snuggles and kisses and hugs.

          On that day Jinyoung said “good morning” to Jaebum, like usual, but that day was different. Jaebum snapped.

          “What do you want from me?!” he yelled at Jinyoung, “Leave me alone you loser! I don’t understand what you’re problem is!” Jaebum approached him intimidatingly.

          “I ju..just want to… to be… nice.. an-”

          “Shut up!” Jaebum grabbed Jinyoung and pushed him against the locker.

          As soon as he hit the locker Jaebum let go and Jinyoung stood there, horrified. Jinyoung had always been picked on but that was the first time it got physical. He expected Jaebum to turn and walk away without a regret but Jaebum just sat down on the floor in front of Jinyoung, buried his face in his hands and started to ramble.

          “I don’t know… what… what happened… my temper…. And I get… get really… really mad...sometimes… and don’t...don’t know what… what.. To do…”

          Jinyoung just stood there filled with anger and fear but it felt so satisfying seeing Jaebum on the ground, hysterical. He felt powerful, like he could kick Jaebum and walk away and it would all be over. He wanted to kick him but something stopped him. His heart felt heavy so, he walked away. So two-faced.

          “Goodbye.” He said to Jaebum as he made his way to class, leaving Jaebum still on the floor. Jaebum didn’t look at him or reply, too consumed in whatever it was he was feeling.

          After that, Jinyoung didn’t understand why he’d still find himself staring at Jaebum from across the room, it infuriated him that he still liked Jaebum after what happened. Some days he’d catch Jaebum staring in his direction, fear and longing would appear in his eyes before he’d return to the charismatic charming Jaebum. Jinyoung thinks he’s the only one who has seen Jaebum so weak and vulnerable. It makes him feel like he knows him better than any of Jaebum’s friends. He still longs to get to know Jaebum, to mean something to him. Jaebum could kick him to the ground and step on him and he’d still chase after him. Though after what happened in Middle School, which he believes Jaebum has forgotten about, he tries to keep his distance.

~~~~~~~~~~

          “Jiiinyouuung,” Yugyeom whines, “I’ll be fine. He’s very nice.”

          “You think he’s nice now,” Jinyoung replies, “Just wait I--”

          “Have you talked to him?”

          “No but--”

          “No ‘but’s, you don’t know him so you can’t tell me whether or not I should talk to him. And I can’t control that I have a crush on him.”

          “I’m warning you Gyeomie. I wouldn’t trust that boy. There could be another side to him that he hides.”

          Yugyeom begins to laugh, “You have no idea how crazy you sound”

          “I’m not crazy! I’m warning you. BamBam is no good. You can control who you have a crush on.”

          “Says you. You can’t control who you like, cough Jaebum cough.”

          “Did you really pull that card? And say cough cough?”

          “Yes and yes!” Yugyeom announces proudly. They both begin to laugh, Jinyoung lightening up at Yugyeom’s response.

          “I’m serious though,” Jinyoung says, breaking the laughter, “Please be careful. I don’t you to get hurt. If he turns out to be nice then I’ll support you but for now I’m still suspicious."

          “Trust me. Pleeeeeaasseeee.”

          “I’ll try Gyeomie.”

~~~~ At BamBam’s House ~~~~

          BamBam gets home from school, greets his mom, grabs a bottle of water and a bag of chips and heads up to his room. He tosses his bag onto a chair and flops down on his bed and sighs.

I screwed up. Yugyeom must think I’m a total ass. I wish those girls wouldn’t have said anything. I hope Yugyeom gets that I’m interested in him and not those dumb girls. I hope he texts me. BamBam laments in his head. He’s a bit proud of himself though, he actually gave Yugyeom his number. He turns on some music and starts on his homework while snacking. He can’t start at his new school and be a slacker, he has a lot to catch up on anyway.

After about an hour of working his phone dings:

Your new best friend Jackson added you to “ Lunch Buddies”

BamBam unlocks his phone and sees that he’s now in a group chat with Jackson and one other person, who he assumes is JaeBum.

Your new best friend Jackson:

Hey! Bam! Btw Jaebum’s the other one

Double B:

Hey Jackson! Hey Jaebum!

JB:

Hi

Your new best friend Jackson:

I tell you guys Mark and I had to get each others #s?

Double B:

Nope. Why?

JB:

You might have told me.

Your new best friend Jackson:

He just invited me over to his house

JB:

When and why?

Your new best friend Jackson:

Tomorrow, for the project

JB:

You gonna go?

Your new best friend Jackson:

Of course. I can’t say no just cause i dont want to go

JB:

You can

Double B:

if you hate this guy that much then don’t go

JB:

Make up an excuse.

Your new best friend Jackson:

It’s for a school project. I can’t just say no

JB:

ohh that sucks

Double B:

Maybe he’s not that bad

Your new best friend Jackson:

He seems so boring. I bet he’s awful

Double B:

Isn’t he friends with Yugyeom?

JB:

yeah, why?

Double B:

If he’s friends with Yugyeom he can’t be that bad

JB:

Can Yugyeom even speak without crying?

Double B:

YES! In fact he can!

JB:

No need to yell lol. Last time I saw him try to speak he cried

Double B:

aww, poor Yugyeom

JB:

tbh is was kinda funny.

The teacher called on him in music theory

on the like second day of school.

Your new best friend Jackson:

He cried over speaking that recently?! Haha

Double B:

Stop. That’s so awful.

Maybe he’s so shy cause people like you exist!!

~~~~~~~~~~

          BamBam locks his phone and throws it down next to him. How dare they? He can’t believe he’s gotten himself involved with these awful people. His phone begins to ring non-stop message after message flooding in from the two boys. BamBam sees they are trying to apologize but now is not the time.

          That’s what people think of Yugyeom, he thinks.

          Jackson didn’t seem to be so rude in person but often times first impressions are incorrect. BamBam wants Yugyeom to trust him and open up. This is more than attraction, BamBam longs to be able to love Yugyeom for who he is.

          Please please please text me. I want to talk to him. Please.

Chapter Text

          It’s Tuesday and BamBam pulls himself out of bed, feet dragging as he shuffles to get ready. He’s going to have to see Jackson, and Jaebum and he dreads it. He, as usual tries to look his best, it gives him more confidence and it makes him feel better. His mind is racing, wondering how today will be. BamBam gets to school and gets dragged into homeroom by Jackson, of course.

          “Why did you stop replying in the chat?” Jackson pouts innocently, not seeing the seriousness of last night’s situation.

          “Cause you guys are jerks” BamBam says calmly and goes to move to the other side of the room.

          “Is this about Yugyeom?” BamBam nods and Jackson continues, “Well, it’s not our fault that he’s like that.”

          “But it is your fault that you're so rude about it.”

          “He shouldn’t be so sensitive.”

          “Wow. You really are dumb.” BamBam sighs and tries to walk away again but Jackson grabs his sleeve.

          “What the hell Bam?”

          BamBam stands looking down at Jackson, “You really don’t get it do you?”

          “I don’t. Explain instead of making me look like a jerk.” BamBam sits back down, hoping to settle this.

          “Yugyeom is shy, clearly. He seems to have a lot of anxiety that goes along with that shyness. Maybe there’s a reason he’s like that. Maybe experience with his parents or other kids at school.” BamBam explains.

          “But what does that have to do with us?” Jackson asks, still unsure of why BamBam is so upset.

          “You guys making fun of him, even behind his back, is incredibly rude. Maybe one of the reasons he’s so nervous about talking is because of people making fun of his shyness.” BamBam continues to break down and explain the situation to Jackson for the next 15 minutes before class starts.

          “Ohhhhhh.” Jackson finally understands! “I get it now. I guess we were kinda being jerks, I’ll let Jaebum know that we were being awful.”

          “Yeah.” BamBam says as the bell rings.

          “Are you mad at me?” Jackson pouts cutely. BamBam can’t help but smile.

          “Yes.”

          “Then why are you smiling?” Jackson laughs.

          “Your face. It’s funny looking.” BamBam teases. He just can’t stay mad at Jackson no matter how badly he wants to. He can tell that Jackson’s intentions aren’t bad, just uninformed sometimes. Jackson has a big heart but it seems he doesn’t let it show through that much.

          Jackson and BamBam’s phones ring simultaneously and they both know it’s Jaebum.

~~~~ Jaebum’s Homeroom ~~~~

Lunch Buddies

Jaebum:

Guys. I’m gonna do it.

BamBam:

Do what?

Jaebum:

Oh, hi Bam, nice to hear from you D<

JACKSON:

Dude don’t leave us hanging, what are gonna do?

Jaebum:

Ask Youngjae out

BamBam:

Now?

Jaebum:

YES! For once Jinyoung’s not with him.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

~~~~~~~~~~

          Jaebum puts his phone away and takes a deep breath. He spent all of last night thinking about exactly what he’s going to say and how he’ll react if he gets rejected. He’s ready. He can do this. He makes his way to a few rows up where Youngjae is and sits in the empty seat next to him that Jinyoung usually occupies.

          “Hey, Youngjae.” Jaebum says, trying to sound calm but his voice shakes. Damn it.

          “Hi Jaebum! How are you today? There is a student council meeting after school, so I assume there is something you want me to bring up.” Youngjae replies cheerfully.

          He’s always so smiley and happy. Being around him makes Jaebum’s heart feel so light.

          “I’m good. I actually want to ask you something unrelated to school.” Jaebum feels like he’s gonna pass out.

          “Sure! Go ahead!”

          “Choi Youngjae, will you go on a date with me?” Jaebum sighs after finishing the question, relieved he got it out of the way.

          “Yeah, sure!” Youngjae says and begins to laugh. Jaebum’s thrilled to hear a yes but his face drops when Youngjae begins to laugh.

          “Are you laughing at me?” Jaebum asks, not wanting to play games.

          “Not at you. I’m just surprised and flattered.”

          Jaebum smiles again, “Does Friday after school work? We can go see a movie and get some ice cream… if that’s ok with you?”

          “That sounds like a great idea! Would we just go to the mall right after school?”

          “Yeah. If that works. Whatever is easiest for you. We can walk to the mall from school cause I’d rather not have my dad drive us.”

          “Walking is good!” Youngjae confirms and then tries to go back to what he was doing.

          “Wait, can I give you my number… just so you have it?”

          “Sure…” Youngjae doesn’t seem to want his number, Jaebum doesn’t know how to justify this for him. It seems very strange. Still, they exchange numbers and Jaebum goes back to his normal seat.

Lunch Buddies

Jaebum:

He said yes

JACKSON:

YAYYYY

BamBam:

That’s great, I’m really happy for you.

Jaebum:

I’m happy but he laughed after saying yes.

And seemed to not want my number

JACKSON:

Doesn’t he like drool over you though?

Jaebum:

I didn’t think so but idk

JACKSON:

I’ve seen him drool over you, with Jinyoung

Jaebum:

Weird friendship but that loser isn’t important.

Youngjae’s important!

BamBam:

I bet he was just nervous. You got your date!

JACKSON:

True. Chill out a little, he said yes.

Jaebum:

I know, I just want this to go well.

JACKSON:

It’ll be fine Jaebummie~~ don’t worry ;)

~~~~ Later on at Lunch ~~~~

          Youngjae joins Mark, Yugyeom and Jinyoung at their table. Smiling bright like usual.

          “The sunshine has arrived!” Jinyoung jokes and the other boys laugh.

          “Jinyoung why were you not in homeroom?”

          “I had a dentist’s appointment, no worries.”

          “Well, you missed something very exciting!” Youngjae chirps, “Jaebum is gay!”

          “How do you know?” Jinyoung asks, dumbfounded by this statement.

          “He asked me out.” Youngjae answers casually.

          “What?!” Jinyoung explains, “Why are you so calm about it? It’s Im Jaebum we are talking about here!”

          “He’s gorgeous, I know.”

          “I’m surprised you’re so calm about this? It’s Jaebum, the most popular boy in school!”

          “I know, this is gonna help my popularity so much. I’ll definitely be elected student council president again next year!”

          “Youngjae! Is that all you care about?” Jinyoung complains, “Don’t you want to get to know him.”

          “I mean, he’s hot, that’s about all there is to him.”

          “I bet he’s an ass.” Mark adds.

          “He has a nice ass, that’s for sure.” Youngjae laughs.

          “I guess so” Yugyeom comments.

          “Do you not think he’s hot as hell?” Youngjae gasps over dramatically.

          “Gyeomie is too hung up on that new boy, BamBam.” Jinyoung teases.

          “Oh shut up” Yugyeom blushes, “He’s way out of my league.”

          “Aren’t you the one who says you are still gonna try?” Jinyoung teases.

          “Yeah I guess… he did give me his number.” Yugyeom says quietly.

          “What?!” Jinyoung exclaims, “When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

          “Yesterday… I didn't want to tell you.”

          “Why wouldn’t you tell me?!” Jinyoung begins to get frustrated, does Yugyeom not trust him?

          “You seemed so against me liking him that I didn’t want to upset you.” Yugyeom gets quieter, thinking that Jinyoung is mad.

          “You should have told me he gave you his number! That changes everything.”

          “Oh… sorry.”

          “Have you texted him?” Youngjae butts in, being the nosy social butterfly he is.

          “Of course not.”

          “You haaaaaaave to!” Youngjae encourages.

          “I'm really not sure.”

          “Text him after school. What if he's waiting?” Youngjae urges.

          “Then make him wait” Jinyoung laughs.

          “No!” Youngjae says, a bit too loud, “after school, text him.”

          “Fine.” Yugyeom gives in easily.

          “So, Mark how are you?” Youngjae asks, changing the topic.

          “Annoyed.”

          “Why?” Youngjae asks.

          “Jackson. We need to work on our project. I invited him over today after school and he hasn't replied.” Mark explains.

          “He's right over there, go ask. He can't ignore you now.” Jinyoung advises.

          “Ugh, but he's with Jaebum and Jackson is such an ass anyway.”

          “Just go.” Yugyeom adds.

          “Not alone.”

          “I'll go with you but I won't be of much help talking…” Yugyeom offers, only thinking about how BamBam sits with Jackson.

          “Thanks Gyeom.” Mark says as he gets up and Yugyeom follows him over to the popular boys’ table.

~~~~~~~~~~

          “Jackson, you didn't answer my text.” Mark says, not in the mood for chit chat, as always.

          “I didn't see it.” Jackson lies.

          “Yes, it said you did.” Mark retorts, “Yes or no. It's a simple question, I want to get this project over with and then we never have to see each other again.”

          “But what if I want to see your pretty face again?” Jackson being the flirty ass that Mark hates. Mark rolls his eyes.

          “Not important. Are you coming over or not?”

          “Sure.”

          “I know we have last period together but just meet me in front of the school. We can walk to my house. See you later.” Mark begins to walk away and Yugyeom follows.

          As he's walking away Yugyeom waves and smiles timidly at BamBam and he receives a huge smile and wave back. Yugyeom feels his heart flutter.

~~~~~~~~~~

          Mark and Yugyeom sit back down at the table and Mark groans.

          “What’d he say?” Youngjae asks.

          “He said sure but ugghhhhhh.”

          “He flirted with Mark.” Yugyeom adds and begins to laugh.

          “I hate him so much.” Mark complains.

          “What did he say?”

          “‘What if I want to see your pretty face again?’” Yugyeom mocks, laughing hysterically.

          Jinyoung and Youngjae join laughing as Mark sits there fed up with his friends.

~~~~ Last Period ~~~~

          The next class is uneventful for all the boys but, they all happen to have the same last period class, Dance. They are all there for different reasons, some enjoy dance, some are there for the arts credit and others because their friends begged them to but they all ended up finding it’s fun.

          Even though they are all in the same class they never talked to each other. Until today. Class begins and everyone is stretching, Jaebum is sitting with Youngjae and having a very nice friendly conversation. Jinyoung, Mark and Yugyeom are together trying to listen to the conversation to make sure Jaebum isn’t saying anything weird. Jackson and BamBam are having their own conversation but keep looking over at Jaebum and Youngjae trying to see how it’s going.

          None of the 5 boys had ever seen Jaebum that happy. Jackson, BamBam, Yugyeom and Mark hope that things work out between the two boys but Jinyoung thinks otherwise. Jinyoung feels hurt, he hasn’t really talked to Jaebum in years yet he still  feels a pain in his heart that he can’t describe. Jealousy fuels anger, argument and confrontation. All the things that Youngjae hates more than he hates cucumbers. Jinyoung doesn’t want to start a conflict, he wants to support his best friend but it’s so hard when he feels like his heart has been ripped out of his chest. Jinyoung can’t be jealous. He can’t do this to himself. He can’t do this to Youngjae. He can’t do this to Jaebum.

Chapter Text

          Last period was over and Mark darted out of the room quickly, not wanting to walk with Jackson but Jackson chased after him, hopping on one foot and still trying to put his shoe on.

          “Mark! Wait up!” Jackson yelled as he fumbled with his shoelaces, gave up and ran to catch up with Mark.

          Mark doesn't say anything.

          “Hey, Mark. Where is your house? Like how far away is it?”

          Mark continues to ignore him.

          “Why won’t you talk to meeee?” Jackson whines like a child. Mark still doesn’t say anything but Jackson follows him like an obedient puppy until they are a few blocks away from school. Throughout that time every few seconds Jackson would whine about how he’s being ignored.

          “Talk to meeeeeeeee.” Jackson continued to whine.

          “What?” Mark finally replied.

          “Finally!” Jackson shrieks, “Why wouldn’t you talk to me?”

          “Cause there were people around.”

          “But I’m cool. I’m friends with the coolest guy in school.”

          “Exactly.”

          “Markieeeeee. You don’t make sense.” Jackson teases.

          “Don’t call me that.”

          “You’re so cuteeee. I can’t help it.” Jackson continues to tease.

          In Jackson’s mind this is all fun and games, he loves to flirt and flatter people, and it makes him more likeable. Usually. Mark wasn’t having it and was quickly becoming more and more frustrated.

          “Two more blocks until we are at my house. Don’t be too weird.”

          “Ok, Markieeee.”

          “Oh my god. Stop.”

          “Does it bother you Markieeee?” Jackson continues to push his luck.

          “Yes. Now stop. I have no clue what’s wrong with you. And I’m about to lock you out of my house do the project on my own and make sure you get an F.”

          “Oh.”

          “Oh! And you know what? I hate you.” Mark couldn’t control himself and just let it slip out.

          Very few things bother Jackson but the one thing that hurts to hear is “I hate you.” No matter who it comes from he can’t stand to be told that someone hates him.

          “Sorry.”

~~~~~~~~~~

          They get to Mark’s house and head inside. Jackson takes a seat on the floor in the living room and Mark digs through a cabinet to get art supplies, which include, poster board, markers, crayons, paint and glitter. He lays everything out on the ground and realizes that Jackson hasn’t said a word and is just staring at him. Mark’s dad walks in and Mark introduces Jackson. Jackson speaks intelligently and respectfully, surprising Mark. Mark had no idea that Jackson could stop talking, let alone be polite.

          “Well, I’ll be in the other room if you boys need anything.” Mr. Tuan finishes and leaves the boys to do their project. The two sit on the floor surrounded by art supplies and Mark tells Jackson what he thinks they should do. Jackson just sits and listens, he doesn’t interrupt Mark or make sarcastic or flirty comments.

          When Mark finishes explaining his idea Jackson smiles appreciatively and says, “That’s a good idea. Let’s do that.” Mark appreciates Jackson not being so loud and annoying but he’s so quiet that something seems wrong.

          “Are you okay?” Mark asks with a concerned expression.

          “Yeah.”

          “You sure? You’re really quiet.”

          “Just listening.” Jackson looks away, trying to disengage from the conversation.

          “I’m sorry.”

          “Huh?” Jackson’s head snaps back to meet Marks serious gaze.

          “Is this about earlier when I was ignoring you?”

          “Not exactly.”

          “What is it then?” Mark pries, feeling bad that Jackson seems so upset.

          “Humph.” Jackson pouts.

          “What is it?”

          “Why should I tell you?” Jackson snaps back.

          “Jackson…” Mark moves closer, sitting next to the younger boy. Jackson moves away from him.

          “You hate me. I don’t want to tell you anything… now.”

          Mark finally understands, he told Jackson he hates him. Shit, Mark thinks. Mark tries to move on and encourages them to continue to work on the project and they do. They plan out what they’ll put on the poster and draw a sketch of what it’ll look like. Quickly the boys begin to be more friendly toward each other and Jackson starts to return to his normal self.

          “Markieee, can it be sparklier?” Mark rolls his eyes, feeling oddly happy to hear that ridiculous nickname again.

          “Of course.” The two boys laugh. They keep working and talking and laughing for the next hour until Mark’s dad comes into the room.

          “Sorry to interrupt but I have an important question. Would you boys like me to order a pizza for dinner?”

          “Oh, if you are having dinner soon I should probably head home. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.” Jackson rambles, seeming to panic and begin to grab his things.

          “Jackson, I’m offering because you boys seem to be having a good time. I thought you’d want to stay for dinner.” Mr. Tuan explains.

          “Yeah. Jackson, you can stay if you want. I’d like for you to stay.” Mark admits. Jackson puts his belongings back down and he relaxes.

          “Thank you so much Mr. Tuan. I’m very grateful for the offer.” Jackson responds.

          Mr. Tuan smiles, “So, what pizza toppings do you want?”

          Mark and Jackson go back and forth, having a friendly argument over whether to get pepperoni or plain. They settle on pepperoni with a laugh. Mark’s dad leaves to go order the pizza and the boys are alone again.

          “What was that about?” Mark asks.

          “Oh, it’s nothing.” Jackson becomes quiet again. Mark thinks this is a good moment to try and solve the conflict from earlier.

          “You know I don’t really hate you, right?” Mark asks, looking Jackson right in the eyes.

          “I don’t know.” Jackson looks away.

          “Hey. Look at me.” Mark commands and slowly Jackson returns to looking him in the eyes, “I don’t hate you. I’m sorry. You’ve been so…” Mark hesitates, not wanting to creep him out, “so nice while you’ve been here. It’s different and I kind of like it.”

          Jackson doesn’t know what to say, he just stares at Mark in disbelief. Jackson has been trying to deny that he’s enjoyed spending time with Mark because he thought that Mark hates him but now he doesn’t quite know what to say. Jackson tries to be cool and confident as usual, he can’t seem nervous. He moves closer to Mark.

          “Like in what way?”

          “What do you mean?” Mark says, not moving back, even though there isn’t much space between them.

          “Like in a friend way or a more than friend way?” Jackson leans in even closer but before Mark can answer, the doorbell rings and Mark jumps up.

          “Pizza’s here!” he yells to let his dad know.

          Mark can yell? Jackson thinks.

          He’s a little disappointed he didn’t get an answer from Mark though. Jackson has so many emotions running through him about Mark. He’s really seen a different side of Mark, he’s seen someone clever, smart and caring. Mark isn’t just some boring quiet guy from school, he’s more than that. Jackson doesn’t know what Mark is but he’s something. He thinks about how flirty he is with Mark and thinks about how it’s not really that much of a joke.

          Mark returns with a pizza box in hand.

          “All for us!” he laughs as he puts the box down on the floor.

          “Shouldn’t we eat at the table or at least with plates and napkins? Do you not eat with your family?” Jackson asks, honestly concerned about how informal this is, especially when they have company over.

          “Jackson, chill. We usually eat at the table, with plates and napkins but today is a little different.” Mark laughs at how serious Jackson gets over being polite.

          “It’s not cause of me, right?” Jackson gets worried about if he’s messing up their normal evening.

          “Kinda. I just wanted us to have more time alone.” Mark looks down and blushes. Jackson giggles, opening the box and grabbing a slice.

          “Are you blushing because of me?” Jackson teases, taking a bite of his pizza.

          “Yes.” Mark mumbles while grabbing a piece of pizza.

          “You’re blushing because of a little sophomore?” Jackson continues to tease.

          “Oh, shut up. It’s not my fault you’re charming.” Mark makes a pouty face.

          Wow, he’s cute. Jackson thinks.

          “Where did this come from Markie?”

          “I don’t know. Don’t just make fun of me, that’s not nice.” After that, Jackson moves on from teasing, listening to Mark.

          “Well, I’ll admit you’re actually pretty cute” Jackson whispers, “especially when you make that cute pout face.” Mark makes that exact pouty face again and Jackson blushes.

          “Ok, you’re really cute.” Jackson adds.

          The two boys laugh and continue to eat their pizza. They talk about what classes they take and what their friends are like. Jackson and Mark fool around and become more comfortable with each other. Opposites really do attract.

          Of course they don't finish their project.

          They barely even started the poster so, Mark asks, “Can you… or would you want to come over again on Thursday to finish?”

          “I'd love to” Jackson says with a blinding smile. Mark blushes. Jackson moves closer to Mark.

          “I really don't hate you. At all.” Mark reminds him.

          “I know.” Jackson leans in closer until their lips are almost touching.

          Before either of them could lean in and fill the space a car honks outside. Both boys jump, moving away from each other. Jackson looks out my window and sees that it's his mom’s car. She's here to pick him up.

          “Yeah, that's my mom. I gotta go. Thanks and please please please tell your dad I say thank you very much and that I appreciate him letting me stay and buying us pizza.” Jackson says.

          “Of course. See you tomorrow.” Mark replies as they walk toward the front door.

          “Yeah. See you tomorrow Markie.” Jackson says, before placing a quick kiss on Mark’s cheek and bolting out the door.

          Did he really just do that? Jackson Wang, that dumbass 10th grader that never shuts up, just kissed me and I don't hate him for it. I mean it was only on the cheek…. oh stop that. Mark! Pull yourself together! Yeah, today was really great and fun but I do not and will never have feelings for Jackson. He's so annoying and loud and dumb…. I mean… he's not actually. He's kind, polite, respectful, funny, charming and handsome…..ugh. He's really hot. Jackson, you need to leave me alone before I'm too charmed by you.

Chapter Text

          Once Jackson gets home from Mark's house he looks at his phone for the first time since he was at school. His phone is filled with messages from Jaebum and BamBam.

Chat: Lunch Buddies

57 Unread Messages

Jackson:

I'm alive. Don't worry

Jaebummie:

Dude, why haven't you checked your phone?

The BAM:

Yeah. I was getting worried.

Jackson:

Chill guys.

I was at Mark's remember

The BAM:

It's 8:30!

Jackson:

I just got home don't worry

Jaebummie:

Just?! Dude.

The BAM:

I thought Mark was boring…

Jackson:

I was wrong

He's actually pretty great

The BAM:

But you were just complaining

About how boring and quiet he is

Jaebummie:

Yeah, did something happen?

Jackson:

Yeah, kinda.

He's really sweet

And I really liked spending time with him

I'm going over there again Thursday

To finish the project

Jaebummie:

Why didn't you finish?

Jackson:

We fooled around a lot

And ate pizza

It was nice

He's nice

Jaebummie:

Jackson? You good?

You're acting weird

Jackson:

Yeah

The BAM:

Seriously

Did something happen?

Jackson:

Yeah actually

We were flirting and almost kissed

Like twice

And when I was leaving I

May or may not have kissed him

On the cheek

Jaebummie:

JACKSON WTF?!!!!

The BAM:

YOU WHAT?!!

Jackson:

I know…

I shouldn't have kissed him

But I couldn't help myself

Jaebummie:

Do you like him?

Jackson:

Yeah, of course

Jaebummie:

No, I mean would you date him?

Jackson:

Yeah…

Jaebummie:

Would you hold his hand and kiss him?

Jackson:

Yeah…

The BAM:

Would you… do the dirty?

Jaebummie:

BAMBAM!

The BAM:

Sorry…

Jackson:

I mean I probably would

Not right away though

Jaebummie:

JACKSON WTF?!!!!

You've gotta be kidding

Jackson:

I'm not.

I think I really like him

Jaebummie:

I don't even know what to say

The BAM:

So…. what are you gonna do now?

Jackson:

Probably get to know him better

Jaebummie:

What's up with you?

You're never like this.

You're always so careless

Jackson:

Idk.

I feel different around him

Jaebummie:

Once again

Wtf?

The BAM:

Don't be mean

~~~~ BamBam’s House~~~~

          Their conversation ended there, with BamBam laying on his bed flailing because he's so happy for his friend. He really hopes that everything works out of Jackson and hopes that Jaebum will approve at some point. For now he just had to wait. Wait to see what will happen with Jackson and Mark. Wait to see what will happen with Jaebum and Youngjae. Wait to see if YUGYEOM WILL EVER TEXT HIM! BamBam just wants to talk to Yugyeom and get to know him better. He has so many questions and there is so much he wants to know but he'll never find out if Yugyeom never texts him. He lays around playing on his phone, watching tv and anything else he can do to try and keep his mind occupied until, he hears his phone ring.

New Message: Unknown Number

“ Hey, this is Yugyeom. ”

Oh. My. God.

Double B:

Hey! Its BamBam!

Yugyeom <3:

I know lol

That's why I texted you

Double B:

Oh yeah haha

Yugyeom <3:

So….

why'd you give me your number?

Double B:

So we can talk

Yugyeom <3:

Talk about what?

Double B:

Idk.

Us.

Yugyeom <3:

Oh…. Us?

Double B:

Oh my god.

I'm sorry.

That seemed really flirty.

Sorry.

I just meant so

we can get to know each other

Yugyeom <3:

Don't apologize

Texting is hard.

Double B:

Lolol

          Both boys stare at their phones for the next ten minutes, trying to think of what to say. BamBam is terrified that he's gonna mess this up. He already almost messed it up.

Yugyeom <3:

Thanks for working with me

The other day in class

Double B:

Anytime.

It was nice.

You have such a great personality

I don't get why you're so quiet.

Yugyeom <3:

Thanks

I'm just shy

I've always been

Double B:

You don't need to be shy around me

I like you the way you are

Yugyeom <3:

You like me?

Double B:

Yeah

That's why I want to get to know you

Yugyeom <3:

Duh lolol

Double B:

Do you like me? ;)

(Was that too much?)

Yugyeom <3:

Maybe, idk you well enough yet

(No, not at all)

Double B:

What do you wanna know?

So you can know me better

Yugyeom <3:

Do you like dancing?

Double B:

Yeah! I love it!

Wbu?

Yugyeom <3:

Dancing is my fav thing ever.

U any good?

Double B:

I'd like to say so lolol

U?

Yugyeom <3:

Same lolol

Double B:

How long have you been dancing for?

Yugyeom <3:

Like my whole life.

It's always been a hobby.

Double B:

Same. That's cool.

I never really took lessons though

Yugyeom <3:

Same here.

I've never taken a lesson.

          From there the conversation flowed naturally. They talked about dancing and other hobbies and their families and more. Once the conversation died down it was 2am and both boys needed to get to sleep. They didn't want to stop talking but they knew they had to.

Chapter Text

          BamBam’s alarm goes off in the morning and despite being unbelievably tired he jumps out of bed. He spends some extra time getting ready because he wants to look extra nice today. Talking to Yugyeom has made BamBam feel extra nervous and he needs a big confidence boost. BamBam can’t deny that he wears makeup, it’s not a big deal and he doesn’t do things that are too flashy or extravagant. He just wears enough to make himself less self-conscious. BamBam dresses nice and wears makeup for himself but he can’t help finding himself thinking about what Yugyeom might think of his outfit. BamBam grabs a quick breakfast once he’s ready and heads off to school.

          BamBam pulls out his phone and sees a message from Yugyeom!

New Message from Yugyeom <3

“ Good morning! :) ”

Double B:

Good morning!

Yugyeom <3:

:D

You replied quick

Double B:

Only when it’s a message from you, of course

Yugyeom <3:

…

Double B:

Wait

Shit

Was that weird?

Yugyeom <3:

No, I just don’t know what to say

Tbh I agree.

It usually takes me like an hour to reply.

Double B:

Aww, I’m flattered

Yugyeom <3:

Hah. I bet you get messages constantly.

Double B:

Just from Jackson and Jaebum

Yugyeom <3:

No girls?

Double B:

I have no interest in girls

Yugyeom <3:

Oh!

See you at school I guess

          Yugyeom had ended the conversation there and BamBam was extremely confused. Had he said something wrong? Did he scare him away? He had no clue but he’ll see Yugyeom at school and he’ll try to figure it out.

~~~~~~~~~~

          Once at school he meets up with Jackson and Jaebum to hang out before class starts. They sit in the courtyard and BamBam tells them about texting Yugyeom as Jaebum sits there with a cup of coffee, trying his hardest to listen to BamBam’s story.

          “Jaebum, are you listening?” BamBam stops his story when he notices Jaebum staring at his cup intensely.

          “Yeah, yeah. I zoned out.” Jaebum replies snapping back into reality. BamBam finishes his story and Jaebum zones out again. He stares into space and startles himself and his friends when he drops his half full coffee cup on the cement, coffee getting everywhere.

          Jaebum yells, not even any real words, just yells. He wasted a good cup of coffee and spilled it on his shoes.

          “Dude, you good?” Jackson asks, surprised by Jaebum’s absent mindedness today.

          “JusttiredandgrumpyandIdidn’tsleepwellIneversleepwellandIhavealotonmymindandImtiredandannoyedandthinktoomuchand AHHH” Jaebum rambles, mumbling to himself before yelling again.

          Before Jackson or BamBam can do anything to help, the bell rings and they need to head to class.

          “Have a nice day Jaebum!” Jackson says as they are walking away, trying to positive.

~~~~~~~~~~

          “Does he get like that often?” BamBam asks Jackson.

          “Not really. He seems really off today.” Jackson replies.

          “Maybe he's nervous about his date.”

          “Oh my god Bam! You're a genius! That's gotta be it.”

          “We can ask him about it at lunch. I hope he makes it through his classes okay.”

          “Yeah, he's Jaebum he'll be fine.” Jackson assures BamBam.

          The boys reach their homeroom class and BamBam tells Jackson that he's gonna sit with Yugyeom today. He hopes that conversation will flow just as well in person. 

          “Good morning again,” BamBam says as he takes the seat next to Yugyeom.

          “Hi.” Yugyeom looks down, not making eye contact with BamBam.

          “You alright?”

          “Yeah.”

          “You sure? You ended the conversation really quick this morning.”

          “Oh sorry. I panicked.” Yugyeom continues to look down, which does bother BamBam a lot, eye contact is important.

          BamBam places his hand under Yugyeom’s chin and moves his head so, he’s looking him in the eye.

          “Look at me. No need to be nervous.” BamBam pulls his hand away and Yugyeom blushes.

          “Ok. Sorry.” Yugyeom keeps eye contact.

          “Don’t be sorry. I just want to be able to look at your face when we talk.”

          “Oh!” Yugyeom’s blush deepens, he feels so embarrassed, no one talks to him like that.

          There is something so different about BamBam and Yugyeom loves it. BamBam seems adventurous and crazy. He seems like the person to take chances and do whatever he feels like. Yugyeom is nothing like that, he’d never do anything crazy and prefers to just keep to himself and listen to music. BamBam makes him feel so different, he feels like he’d jump out of a plane or go camping in a forest with bears for BamBam!

          “You’re blushing…” BamBam giggles and begins to blush himself.

          “You are too.” Yugyeom points out to him. The two boys laugh.

          “Why are you so cute?” BamBam looks Yugyeom right in the eye when he says it.

          “You think I’m cute?” Yugyeom’s response is sweet and honest but BamBam freezes.

          “Yeah. I do. I’m sorry. That was weird.”

          “Stop doing that.”

          “Doing what?”

          “Apologizing.”

          “But I don’t want to creep you out.”

          “BamBam, if you creeped me out I wouldn’t be talking to you.”

          “Oh… so you don’t mind me calling you cute?”

          “Not at all.” Yugyeom blushes again.

          “Well, you’re really cute.”

          “You are too.” Yugyeom whispers.

          “I heard that” The boys laugh until their giggles die out and they are left with an awkward silence between them.

          BamBam feels his phone vibrate in his pocket.

~~~~~~~~~~

New Message from Your new best friend Jackson

“ What’s happening? ”

Double B:

Chill

Your new best friend Jackson:

No!

~~~~~~~~~~

          BamBam puts his phone back in his pocket, not wanting to deal with Jackson who is clearly watching him from the other side of the room. He wants to give Yugyeom all his attention when they talk, he wants Yugyeom to feel special. To know he’s special.

          “Can I ask you a question?” Yugyeom asks shyly, starting up the conversation again.

          “Of course.” Yugyeom takes a really long pause and takes a deep breath, “There is this new bubble tea place that just opened… and I was wondering if you’d want to go with me sometime?”

          “Sure!” BamBam replies, just then Jackson sits in the seat in front of Yugyeom.

          “Oooooooooh! Can I come too?” Jackson says enthusiastically.

          “Umm...sure.” Yugyeom’s voice drops to barely a whisper.

          “How about today after school?” Jackson suggests.

          “Yeah… that works. Maybe I’ll… um… invite some other people… if that’s ok?”

          “Oh course it’s ok. Please don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with please.” BamBam assures Yugyeom. He can’t believe Jackson’s done this, Yugyeom looks and sounds very uncomfortable.

          “No no. It’s fine. I’ll invite some of my friends and you guys can even… invite Jaebum…” Yugyeom tries not to stutter.

          “Cool! How about we all meet in front of school at the end of the day?” Jackson says over enthusiastically.

          “Sure.” Yugyeom replies.

          After that Jackson goes back to his seat and BamBam frantically apologizes to Yugyeom about Jackson. Yugyeom insists that it’s fine but he really does seem bothered by it. BamBam needs to discuss this with Jackson because this cannot happen again. Yugyeom and BamBam walk together to their English class and sit together. They chat throughout class and Yugyeom seems less uncomfortable now. They talk about music and their assignment and tell funny stories. Next, is lunch and they walk together but separate to join their friend groups.

~~~~~~~~~~

          Yugyeom sits down with Mark and Jinyoung, Youngjae isn’t there yet. Mark is playing a game on his phone but still greets Yugyeom and Jinyoung’s got his head stuck in a book, as usual. Mark and Yugyeom talk a little and Mark complains about some annoying girls in his homeroom. After a minute Youngjae joins them at the table and makes Jinyoung look up from his book, finally. Conversation between the four boys stays casual and Yugyeom knows he needs to bring up today after school.

          “Guys. Do you have plans today after school?”

          “Nope.” Mark answers.

          “Not today.” Youngjae says.

          “No, why?” Jinyoung asks.

          “Ok, well I tried making plans with someone and now I need to invite you guys to come with me to that new bubble tea place.”

          “Of course I’ll go!” Youngjae exclaims!

          “I’ll go.” Mark says.

          “Who else is going?” Jinyoung asks, he’s always asking so many questions.

          “BamBam, Jackson… maybe Jaebum.” Yugyeom flinches when he gets to Jaebum’s name.

          “I’ll go, only because I'm doing it's you.” Jinyoung scoffs.

          “Yay! Thanks so much!” Yugyeom cheers.

          Yugyeom has no clue how he’s going to survive after school today but he’s happy to have his friends there.

Chapter Text

          The rest of the day went on the same as it always does and once classes are over all the boys meet where they planned. Jackson goes to greet Mark with a hug but Mark pushes him away. Jinyoung, Youngjae and Jaebum see this and the air becomes tense. BamBam and Yugyeom stand side by side, BamBam looking up to admire Yugyeom’s face and appreciate how much taller Yugyeom is. The two youngest are in their own world, barely noticing the awkward situation in front of them. Youngjae is all over Jaebum but Jaebum looks very awkward, accepting Youngjae’s very physical actions but not quite enjoying it. Jinyoung starts walking in the direction of the bubble tea place,

          “Are the rest of you coming or not?” Jinyoung groans and the rest of the boys follow.

          Jinyoung, Mark and Jackson begin to have a friendly conversation. Jackson tries to ignore that Mark rejected his hug and hold a normal conversation but his spirits have been crushed a little. Talking to Mark does make him feel better, he knows Mark doesn’t hate him. Maybe Jackson is just moving too fast for Mark. He doesn’t know that Mark just hasn’t told his friends about what happened and is honestly too embarrassed to tell them.

          Jaebum and Youngjae are right behind them. Youngjae can’t keep his hands off of Jaebum and Jaebum just lets it happen. They haven’t gone on their date yet and Jaebum doesn’t want to screw it up now. He’s thrilled that Youngjae seems interested and isn’t uncomfortable with physical contact but he just wants a little bit of personal space. They talk and Jaebum is charmed by Youngjae’s loud cheerful laugh. He begins to loosen up.

          Yugyeom and BamBam walk quite far behind the rest of the group. Happy to have a little bit of time alone before they get to their destination. They are quiet, not talking much, just enjoying each other's company. They walk pressed against each other; it feels so natural to them, to be so close to each other. Yugyeom’s mind is racing and he thinks about all the things he could do. He could flirt, hold his hand or put his arm around him. He takes a chance and puts his arm around BamBam, happy about how small he is in comparison. BamBam jumps, surprised that Yugyeom made a move. Yugyeom panics and pulls his arm away, only to get stopped and have BamBam put his arm back.

          “You just scared me.” BamBam says quietly and the two boys laugh. Jaebum looks back and Yugyeom pulls his arm off of BamBam and the two youngest pretend as if nothing happened. Jaebum seems suspicious but turns back and both boys sigh in relief.

          “Jaebum is kinda scary.” Yugyeom tells BamBam.

          “Not really. Especially once you get to know him.” BamBam assures, “He's really not as cold and cool as people think.”

          “Oh really?” Yugyeom’s surprised.

          “I know you didn't really want this to be so many people but try talking to Jaebum, he's really very nice.”

          “I’d rather just talk to you.”

          “Don't be such a dork” BamBam playfully slaps Yugyeom’s arm.

          “You're a dork.” Yugyeom retaliates.

          “You're a… bigger dork!”

          “You're. A. Tiny. Dork.”

          “Don't make fun of me! I'm only tiny next to you. And I'm still growing!” BamBam justifies.

          “I'm still growing too!” Yugyeom argues back. BamBam pouts cutely.

          “I like that you're so small.” Yugyeom says and then whispers, “It's very cute.”

          “You're cute.” BamBam replies, just to say it. They walk for a little while longer until they get to the bubble tea place and put their stuff down at a table inside. It's more of a cafe and it's very open and spacious. It's more than a bubble tea place, it's dessert heaven! They all sit down at the table before going to the counter to order.

          “Okay! Let's all introduce ourselves because I don't know all of you.” Jackson begins, “I'll start. I'm the wild and sexy, Jackson Wang!”

          Mark giggles a bit under his breath, knowing that Jackson is kinda right. Jackson looks at Mark, who’s sitting next to him, to signal Mark to go next.

          “I'm Mark.” At this point Jinyoung had pulled out a book and had been reading, Mark taps him on the shoulder to get his attention.

          “Oh, I'm Jinyoung!”

          “I'm Student Council President, Choi Youngjae!”

          “Jaebum.”

          “I'm BamBam.”

          “Um… Yugyeom…” he tenses up.

          “Don't get nervous now. I saw and heard you talking to BamBam. You don't need to be so nervous.” Jaebum tries to assure him but Yugyeom slouches, looking like he wants to disappear.

          “Yeah, Jaebum is right.” Jinyoung agrees, “Pretend that it's like lunch. Just me and Mark and Youngjae. Ignore the others.”
Yugyeom nods.

          “I don't think it's right for him to ignore us just because we aren't part of your lunch group.” BamBam defends, “Yugyeom can do what he wants. If he wants to talk to us he can, if he doesn't, he doesn't have to. It's his choice not yours.”

          “Wait! Before this continues we need to order! We need to discuss if anyone is sharing so we can either buy together or separately.” The boys discuss among themselves what they are getting and then discuss as a group.

          “Yugyeom and I are gonna share that big ice cream sundae, the one with the cake and brownie. And we're each getting a bubble tea.” BamBam starts, “He and I can split the price of that.”

          “I'm just gonna get bubble tea” Jaebum says.

          “Noooo, pleaseee share a piece of cake with me! I won't be able to finish the whole piece.” Youngjae almost begs.

          “Sure,” Jaebum can't say no to Youngjae, he's just too cute and Jaebum is head over heels, “You want a bubble tea too?”

          “Of course! Thanks Jaebummie!”

          “No problem, I'll pay for ours.” Jaebum can't let Youngjae pay, he knows it's not a date but it just feels wrong not to.

          “I'm gonna get that same gigantic sundae that Bam and Yugyeom are getting and a bubble tea.” Jackson states proudly.

          “I'm just getting a bubble tea, what about you Jinyoung?” Mark says and tries to get Jinyoung’s attention.

          “I'm getting bubble tea and a cupcake. I'll pay for myself.” Jinyoung, looks up from his book to say that and then returns to reading.

          “Mark, I'll pay for your bubble tea since that's all you're getting.” Jackson offers.

          “Oh wow!” Mark brightens up at the kind offer before going back to his emotionless facial expression, “thanks a lot.”

          The boys all order and pay and bring everything back to the table. Everyone eats and drinks and chats and it stays pretty friendly for a while. That's only because Jinyoung has kept to himself. Youngjae and Jaebum finish quickly and step outside to talk a little. Jackson hasn't realized how big the sundae was and knows he isn't gonna finish it. He offers Mark a bite and the two boys end up sharing it. Mark can't hide that Jackson is charming anymore. He smiles and laughs and feels so much happier when he's with Jackson. Jackson gets flirtier and decides to feed Mark a bite of ice cream, which Mark, of course, accepts. Jinyoung sees this happen and snaps.

          “What are you doing?” Jinyoung’s eyes shoot up from his book.

          “Who?” Jackson's totally confused, is he doing something wrong?

          “You, Jackson!” Jinyoung is burning with anger, “what makes you think you have the right to do that?”

          “I thought… I thought… Mark didn't mind…” Jackson fumbles with words, so caught off guard.

          “Well! He does mind!” Jinyoung snaps back!

          “Jinyoung! Stop! I don't mind, don't speak for me when you don't know what I'm thinking.” Mark stands up for himself.

          “You don't mind?! What are you thinking?” Jinyoung cannot believe him! Jackson Wang is a player and doesn't deserve Mark’s attention. Jackson always stays single but flirts with everyone, he's not the ideal boyfriend. Jinyoung doesn't want Mark to have to deal with that. Mark’s already expressed how much he doesn't like Jackson, nothing could have changed.

          “I'm thinking that I really like Jackson!” Mark admits, regretting it immediately.

          “You like him? Ridiculous! What did you do yesterday Jackson? Give him a blow job? Screw him in the ass?” Jinyoung loses all self control and lets anger win.

          Jackson is absolutely horrified and retreats to the bathroom to hide. He doesn't know how to face this. This was all so innocent to him and Mark, how could someone say such… disgusting things? BamBam and Yugyeom sit at the table watching in horror. Yugyeom has his arm around BamBam, holding on tight, as if to help protect him. Mark tries his hardest to defend Jackson and himself but Jinyoung just won't listen. Jinyoung won't listen to Mark and continues to pour nonsense out of his mouth. Mark knows that it's untrue but it still hurts to hear Jinyoung say such awful things about Jackson and that Jinyoung thinks so lowly of him too. Mark stomps off going to find Jackson.

          Mark walks into the bathroom and finds Jackson sitting on the floor crying. Mark runs over to him, drops to the floor and wraps his arms around him. They sit there like that for a moment, just breathing.

          “I'm-- so-- so-- sorry--” Mark chokes out, trying to hold back tears. Jackson hugs Mark back and his tears start to stop.

          “I'm sorry.” Jackson whispers.

          “No no no. It wasn't you. Not at all.”

          “It wasn't you, though.”

          “I know I know. It's just Jinyoung. I'm sorry.”

          The two go back to silence, still embracing, still breathing. Mark leans in and kisses Jackson on the cheek. After Mark pulls back, Jackson leans in and presses a kiss against Mark’s lips. They stay, lips pressed together, for a few seconds; before the both lean away. Neither boy knows how to face Jinyoung. Neither knows why Jinyoung is so bitter and unhappy.

Chapter Text

          Mark and Jackson get up; they need to face Jinyoung. His behavior was not acceptable and Mark isn’t gonna put up with it because Jackson doesn’t deserve it. Jackson deserves the world and deserves to be loved and protected. Even though Mark’s known Jinyoung much longer he will do whatever it takes to protect Jackson. Mark pecks Jackson quick on the lips before taking his hand, walking out of the bathroom and back over to the table.

          When they return Jinyoung is back to reading his book like nothing ever happened. Jackson tries to pull his hand out of Mark’s when Jinyoung looks up from his book but Mark doesn’t let him. Mark won’t let go, he just grips his hand tighter and pulls him closer. They sit back down at the table and stay quiet. It’s quiet until Jaebum finally says something.

          “I’ve been told what happened while Youngjae and I were outside. This is ridiculous.” Jaebum tries to stay calm but he’s finding it very hard, “Jinyoung, that was disgusting. BamBam and Yugyeom, I’m sorry you had to see that. Mark and Jackson, why did you keep this a secret?”

          “But… I told you guys…” Jackson can’t believe that Jaebum thinks he’s keeping a secret, “nothing more than what I told you happened.”

          “I’m sorry, for not telling Jinyoung and Yugyeom and Youngjae what happened.” Mark looks down in shame, “I should have told you how I feel about Jackson.”

          “You should apologize for being such a whore.” Jinyoung replies not looking up.

          “Excuse you Jinyoung!” Jaebum shouts, “You can’t talk to Mark that way! Isn’t he supposed to be your friend?!”

          “Not anymore. I can’t be friends with someone that low. I had no idea that Mark would go and sleep with the first guy that flirts with him. I wonder how many dicks have been up his ass.” Jinyoung replies casually.

          “You know Mark’s not like that.” Youngjae tries to remind Jinyoung.

          “No! Mark is like that.” He turns to Mark, “All you are is a slutty whore. You'll let any attractive guy screw you and then you'll go find someone else. I really wonder how many guys there have been. Get what you can before he moves on Jackson.”

          “Jinyoung! Get out! Leave! Go home! Why are you wasting your time here?!” Jaebum has lost it, he is baffled by how badly Mark is being treated completely out of the blue.

          Jinyoung gets up and leaves. That was it, he just left. No apology, no goodbye, nothing.

          “How dare he speak to you like that? Is he like that all the time?” Jaebum asks, absolutely furious.

          “Never.” Mark answers, he leans his head on Jackson’s shoulder, trying not to cry, Jackson runs his fingers through Mark’s hair to comfort him.

          “I can’t believe that happened.” Youngjae says, “I could never imagine Jinyoung saying things like that. He’s always so nice.”

          “I don’t think any of us can believe it.” Yugyeom whispers.

          The boys all sit there is silence for a minute. Jaebum breathes heavy, trying to calm down.

          “So, Jackson…?” Jaebum begins to question after he thinks he's calm enough.

          “Yeah?” Jackson answers, still running his hands through Mark’s hair.

          “Did you really tell Bam and I everything that happened?”

          “Yeah. I promise.” He immediately removes his hand from Mark’s hair and Mark looks at him and pouts a little.

          “It’s just... a lot happened today.” Mark adds, “I hope I made it clear to Jackson that I really do like him.”

          “I really like you too. I promise that I'm not just being flirty. I really really reallyyyyyyyyyy like you.” Jackson wraps his arms around Mark pulling him into a big hug, followed by a chorus of “awww”s and “so cute”s from the other boys.

          “Are you guys like a thing now?” BamBam teases a little, trying to lighten the conversation.

          “I want us to be but we've never been on a real date.” Mark answers.

          “Yeah, that and I just don't know if it's safe. Safe, emotionally safe.” Jackson adds, “I'm just scared. I don't want Jinyoung to say those things to you.”

          “He won't Jackson. I promise he won't. I won't let him.” Mark assures him; taking Jackson’s hands into his own.

          “But you just let him say those things to you. I saw the look on your face when he said those awful things. I don’t want to see you that hurt ever ever again.” Jackson says, looking like a sad puppy.

          “Oh my god Jackson! Listen to me. Don't worry about Jinyoung, he wouldn't dare speak badly about us. He's just angry and bitter. He doesn't know what it feels like.”

          “He doesn't know what what feels like?”

          “Us. He doesn't know what us feels like. He doesn't know what love feels like.”

          “Love?”

          “Jesus christ Jackson! Will you please be my boyfriend?”

          Jackson pulls Mark into a tight hug, confirming that, YES Jackson will be his boyfriend. The other boys at the table start chanting “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” until Mark pecks Jackson on the lips; the other boys cheer.

          A car outside beeps loudly. Youngjae looks out the window and sees his parent’s car.

          “I gotta go now. Yugyeom, do you need a ride home?” Youngjae offers.

          “Yeah, actually that would be nice. Thanks.” Yugyeom accepts quietly and they both get up to leave.

          Yugyeom looks behind him as he's leaving and realizes he didn't say goodbye to BamBam. He runs back and gives BamBam a hug before running outside to catch up with Youngjae. Not long after Youngjae and Yugyeom leave the other boys’ parents arrive and everyone goes home. Jaebum is the last to leave and as he's walking out he apologizes to the store owners and gives them an extra tip to help say sorry for this nightmare of an afternoon.

~~~~ BamBam’s House ~~~~

Double B:

Sorry about today

Yugyeom <3:

It's fine

I wish it could have been just us

Double B:

Same

But at least it kinda got Jackson and Mark together

Yugyeom <3:

Yeah but idk if it was worth it

Cause of Jinyoung

I can't believe he called Mark that

Mark's so quiet and reserved, he'd never do that

I'm so angry and I want to give Mark a hug or something

Double B:

Mark and Jackson are really happy together

And that's really important

Yugyeom <3:

That is true

I don't think I've ever seen Mark that happy

I don't wanna talk about this anymore

It’s too upsetting

Double B:

Same

Do you wanna video chat?

Yugyeom <3:

Why?

Double B:

Cause I want to see your face

Yugyeom <3:

Whyyyyyy?

Double B:

Cause I like to look at it

Yugyeom <3:

Whyyyyyyyyyy?

Double B:

 Stop asking why and just call me

~~~~~~~~~~

          A moment later BamBam gets a video chat request from Yugyeom and of course he accepts.

          “Hi Gyeomie!” BamBam exclaims when he answers.

          “Hi Bammie!” Yugyeom replies. Yugyeom’s phone is pointing toward the ceiling so BamBam can only see his forehead.

          “I said I wanted to see your face!” BamBam pouts, “please show me your face.”

          Yugyeom tilts his phone so his face can be seen for a second and then points it back at the ceiling, “There.”

          “Gyeomie! I want to see your face the whole time we talk. You can see my face, I want to see yours too.” BamBam whines cutely.

          “Only for you.” Yugyeom moves his phone so BamBam can see his face.

          “Yay! You're face is cute, I'm happy now.” BamBam continues to talk childishly.

          “You're face is pretty cute too…” Yugyeom replies shyly, still feeling strange about complimenting him.

          “Thank you but yours is cuter.”

          “My face isn't cute.”

          “Well… it's sexy then.”

          “Oh… wow… I'm flattered…” Yugyeom blushes and gets really embarrassed.

          “That was too much. I'm sorry. I shouldn't, we’re just friends.” BamBam is so mad at himself, as usual when he talks to Yugyeom.

          “Bammie… there is no way we are ‘just friends.’ I don't know what we are but ‘just friends’ isn't quite right.”

          “Really? You think that too? I was worried you thought we were only friends.”

          “Do you think I'm totally oblivious? Did any of today not happen? I put my arm around you… do you not understand? I tried so hard…”

          “Yugyeom… I'm so sorry. I just don't want to make assumptions. I really like you-- I like like you. You know? Romantically?”

          “I don't know what to say--”

          “YUGYEOM GET DOWNSTAIRS AND DO YOUR CHORES NOW!” He was cut off my his mom yelling at him from outside his door.

          Yugyeom hangs up quickly without a goodbye and BamBam lays on his bed, praying that Yugyeom feels the same way and isn't gonna ignore him.

~~~~ Jackson’s House ~~~~

          “Markieeee!” Jackson chimes when Mark answers his video chat request.

          “Jackson!”

          “Markie, you to find a cute nickname for me too. Jackson is too boring” Jackson complains.

          “I'll think of one soon. I promise.” Mark laughs.

          “I'm happy to see your face, it's a hot face. I hope you're happy to see mine, cause my face is very hot too.”

          “All of you is very hot. You really are the Wild and Sexy, Jackson Wang.”

          “I wanna kiss you. You're too far away.” Jackson changes the topic suddenly and whines.

          “We’ll see each other tomorrow. Remember we are finishing the project.”

          “Will we have plenty of time to… kiss?”

          “... um… I guess…”

          “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. Is what Jinyoung said still bothering you?”

          “Yeah… I don't want to do anything too much… this is already moving so quickly”

          “Markie. I promise I'm not using you and I won't do anything that you aren't comfortable with. I really care about and I want you to be happy.”

          “Thanks.” Mark smiles and blushes a little.

          “So… will I get lots of kisses tomorrow?” Jackson teases.

          “Oh course. My boyfriend won't go unkissed tomorrow or ever for that matter.”

          “It's so weird to hear that. I'm your boyfriend, you're my boyfriend. We're official.”

          “Yeah, it makes me really happy though. I'm so happy that we are official.”

          “Ok. I'm changing the topic cause this is important. BamBam and Yugyeom.”

          “What about BamBam and Yugyeom?”

          “Did you see them today?”

          “Yeah. Clinging onto each other for dear life cause they were afraid Jinyoung was gonna jump across the table and murder them!”

          “No! Before that when we were eating, before Jinyoung lost his mind. They shared an ice cream and the way they look at each other! Ahh!” Jackson overdramatically clutches his heart and falls over on his bed.

          “Oh yeah! How could I forget? What's going on between them?”

          “I have no clue. I thought you might know since you're close with Yugyeom.”

          “They are really cute together. I think Yugyeom likes BamBam but I'm not totally sure, he hasn't said much about him.

          “I know for a fact that BamBam likes Yugyeom!” Jackson confirms, “But I had no clue that they are that adorable.”

          “They look very cute together. Yugyeom is so tall and BamBam is so small and it just really works.”

          “Markie, can you help me get them together? They are like perfect for each other.”

          “I think that they can handle it on their own. If they need a little push in the right direction, that's ok but I want them to figure it out themselves. I will talk to Yugyeom and see how much information I can get out of him.”

          “Good plan!” Jackson looks at the time and realizes he has to go, “Markieeeee, I'm sorry but I have to go and finish some school work. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

          “Goodnight, see you tomorrow.” Mark ends the call.

          Wow! Jackson thinks, Mark is really my boyfriend. I had no clue this was gonna happen so fast or happen at all. He’s so beautiful and I want to be around him all the time. I know I’m younger but I want to protect him. It’s my job to protect and take care of my Markie. I’ve got to man up and be the ideal boyfriend.

Chapter Text

~~~~Thursday~~~~

          BamBam gets to homeroom early and sits in the seat next to where Yugyeom sits; waiting for him to get there. The bell rings and Yugyeom still isn’t there. After another two or three minutes, Yugyeom sneaks into class and sits next to BamBam; he’s out of breath.

          “Gyeomie, you good?” BamBam asks, concerned about why he’s late and out of breath.

          “I’m fine.” Yugyeom’s breathing slowing down enough for him to speak, “But we have to stay away from Jinyoung.”

          “What happened?” BamBam fears that Jinyoung did something.

          “Jinyoung came to me, and he’s jealous of Mark and Jackson. If he sees us together, I have no clue what he’s gonna do.”

          “Yugyeom, we aren’t dating. We shouldn’t have a problem.”

          “I know but I’m just worried. If Jinyoung thinks there is anything going on between us then he’ll tell my parents and that can’t happen.” Yugyeom seems so frantic and flustered; BamBam is so worried.

          “Calm down Yugyeom. Please.” BamBam tries to take Yugyeom’s hand into his own but Yugyeom pulls away and avoids looking BamBam in the eyes.

          “Look at me and calm down. Please. For me.” BamBam emphasizes but Yugyeom still won’t look him in the eye.

          “No.”

          “Gyeomie. I can’t let you be like this. There’s something you’re not telling me. Please.”

          “I can’t do this Bammie. I really like you but I can’t do this.”

          “Do what? What are you talking about?”

          “I really like you. I… I… I love you.”

          “Yugyeom! Why are you so upset? Please explain.”

          “My parents… they think I’m straight… but I’m not and I can’t tell them…”

          “Yugyeom, you aren’t making any sense,” BamBam moves his desk closer to Yugyeom’s, “Slow down and explain please.” BamBam takes Yugyeom’s hand into his own, squeezing it tightly.

          After a minute Yugyeom looks at BamBam and begins, “Before class Jinyoung came to me and told me that he’s jealous of Mark and Jackson and that’s why he’s so angry. He ranted to me about it and when I defended Jackson and Mark, saying that they are happy together and that that is what’s most important, he got mad at me. He knows that my parents are really homophobic and he said that if he even thinks I might be dating someone he’ll tell my parents. Jinyoung threatened to out me to my parents, that he knows will disown me! We can’t hang out anymore BamBam. It’s not safe. I know we’ve only known each other a little while but I love you. We can’t be seen together, we can’t talk, video chat or text. This is it.” Yugyeom tears up; he tries not to start sobbing loudly in class.

          BamBam is still holding his hand tightly and he doesn’t want to ever let go.

          “Don’t let Jinyoung do this to you. He wouldn’t dare say anything to your parents. Jackson, Jaebum, probably Mark and I are all on your side. Jinyoung won’t be able to do anything to hurt any of us.” Yugyeom begins to cry quietly, “Damn. Don’t cry please. I’m gonna start crying too.” Yugyeom giggles a little at that.

          “Look, you can’t stay sad when I’m here.” BamBam teases a little and then pulls him into a hug, “I just want you to be happy. No matter what it takes. Even if I have to go away and never see you again.”

          “No no no I don’t want that! Don’t ever go away.”

          “I won’t. I promise.”

          “Jinyoung doesn’t stand a chance against us!” Yugyeom puts his arm around BamBam confidently and Bam cuddles closer to him. Yugyeom and BamBam spend the next few minutes watching dance videos and talking, trying to let life be normal.

          Jackson has been sitting in his normal seat on the other side of the room but he’s gotten bored and moves to go sit near the other two boys.

          “Good morning!” Jackson chirps.

          “Morning, you’re in a good mood.” BamBam comments.

          “Of course! I’m seeing Markie after school today!”

          “Of course…” BamBam sighs and Yugyeom laughs.

          “Markie is my boyfriend! Mark Tuan is my boyfriend! I want to shout from the top of the tallest building for everyone to hear because I’m so happy that Mark’s my boyfriend!” Jackson sing-songs.

          “This is adorable.” BamBam whispers to Yugyeom and he nods in agreeance.

          “I’m really happy for you guys.” Yugyeom says, “And by the way, Jinyoung is just jealous of you and Mark.”

          “Of course he’s jealous. Mark is perfect and I’m perfect so we’re perfect together.” Yugyeom can’t help but smile and laugh. Jackson is just so head-over-heels and it’s the most wonderful thing.

          “What are you and Mark doing after school?” BamBam asks.

          “Finishing our project and… kissing” Jackson bursts out into a fit of over-dramatic giggles.

          “Jackson! Oh my god you’re cute.” BamBam teases.

          “No I’m not.” Jackson defends, “I’m manly and cool and hot. Not cute.”

          “You’re giggling shows otherwise.” Yugyeom laughs.

          “I need to stop giggling. I’m cool. I’m a man. Mark’s supposed to be the cute one.”

          “Oh, I see how it is.” BamBam teases, “You wanna be the man.”

          BamBam and Yugyeom spend the rest of the period teasing Jackson and that helps Jackson make up his mind.

          Jackson wants to be the man of the relationship. The cool, confident one who pairs nicely with someone as cute as Mark. His height will make it a little more difficult but he can do it. Jackson can’t be giggly and soft, especially when he knows he will always be a top.

~~~~~~~~~~

          The day continues on fairly normal until lunch. Youngjae and Yugyeom sit with Jinyoung; Youngjae isn’t going to abandon his best friend that quickly and Yugyeom can’t sit with BamBam, it’d be too suspicious. Mark, on the other hand, sits with Jackson, Jaebum and BamBam.

          “Wow, Mark’s really going all the way isn’t he. Abandoning us for his new boyfriend.” Jinyoung says when he sees Mark sit down at the other table.

          “Yeah…” Yugyeom forces himself to agree.

          “I don’t understand why you’re so mad, Jinyoung.” Youngjae says, “Mark hasn’t done anything wrong. You know that he’s never had a boyfriend before.”

          “I don’t trust him. He didn’t tell us about Jackson and pretended like he hated him. This can’t be the first time he lied.”

          “What if he didn’t lie? I don’t think he said anything about working on the project with Jackson. What if he just didn’t tell us yet?” Yugyeom tries to guide Jinyoung to a logical conclusion.

          “That’s the same as lying. He didn’t tell us and kept it a secret.” Jinyoung replies, still keeping the same negative mentality.

          “Maybe he was embarrassed” Yugyeom tries again.

          “I’d be too if I were him” Jinyoung scoffs.

          “I don’t think Mark meant any harm,” Yugyeom says, trying to lowkey defend Mark.

          “I don’t understand why you’re siding with him. What did he ever do for you?” Jinyoung knows that Yugyeom isn’t on his side, even though he should be.

          “Nothing…” Yugyeom backs down.

          “This probably has something to do with your little Thai boyfriend, doesn’t it?”

          “He’s not my boyfriend.” Yugyeom stiffens up. Youngjae can’t take all this negativity so he just gets up and leaves. He stomps out of the cafeteria, only to be followed by Jaebum, who must have noticed Youngjae leaving the room.

          “Youngjae too. The three of you are so weak that it’s funny. Well, Youngjae isn’t that weak but Jaebum sure is.” Jinyoung practically cackles.

          “Liking someone doesn’t make you weak.”

          “Yes it does. I know for sure. You fell so easily for your little boyfriend and look, he won’t even sit with you.”

          “Stop. He’s not my boyfriend.”

          “What is he then?”

          “My friend.”

          “Friend? Come on. I know that there is stuff going on between you two. You’re the one who told me that you like him.”

          “He’s not my boyfriend.”

          “Then what is he?!” Jinyoung begins to raise his voice.

          “He’s… nothing. Absolutely nothing” Yugyeom’s defiance crumbles.

          “Good. He hasn’t done anything to deserve you. Find someone better than him.” 

~~~~ The other table ~~~~

          “Why’d Jaebum leave?” Mark asks after Jaebum rushes away from the table.

          “To follow Youngjae. He’s head over heels for that boy” Jackson tells Mark, “I’ve never seen him gush like that over anyone before.”

          “Youngjae didn’t seem that interested when talking to me and the others about it.” Mark’s a little confused.

          “Maybe Youngjae just hasn’t realized how much Jaebum really likes him. They have their date tomorrow so, hopefully it will all work out.” BamBam says positively.

          Mark feels so guilty but he knows he can’t tell Jaebum’s friends that Youngjae doesn’t feel the same way. Youngjae’s goal is to be popular, well-known, well-loved and above all, appreciated. Mark knows how hard Youngjae works for every school election and how beyond thrilled he was at getting elected president of the student council. Everyone loves Youngjae and everyone knows it, except Youngjae. Mark has noticed that Youngjae is so focused on himself and his life goals that he rarely pays attention to other people, unless they can benefit him. Mark thinks it’s very sad and hopes that Jaebum can open Youngjae’s eyes. Youngjae is only giving Jaebum a chance because he’s good looking and popular, Mark wishes this weren’t the case, because after talking to Jaebum he knows that he means no harm. Jaebum has found someone he really cares about and Youngjae just needs to open his eyes and see that.

          “If things work out between Youngjae and Jaebum we can go on double dates!” Jackson suggests to Mark.

          Mark winks and says, “Maybe even a triple date.”

          “Yeah, that won’t be happening.” BamBam sighs.

          “What? Why? You guys are were all cuddly earlier.” Jackson asks, confused after seeing Yugyeom with his arm around BamBam and Bam cuddled next to him during homeroom.

          “Yugyeom’s parents are super homophobic and if Jinyoung believes that Yugyeom and I are a couple he’ll out Yugyeom to his parents.” BamBam explains.

          “Forget about that shit.” Mark says, “If you both really care about each other you can’t let someone else stop you.”

          “Mark’s right. Don’t give up on Yugyeom. You both really care about each other, I can tell.” Jackson adds.

          “I’ll try.” BamBam sighs, “I just wish he’d give up on Jinyoung. He’s only gonna drag Yugyeom down.”

          “That is true. Yugyeom is so vulnerable and he’s always done everything Jinyoung asks. It always made me angry. At least I’m not the only person who sees it.” Mark says.

          “We need to get Yugyeom away from Jinyoung. He manipulates him and Yugyeom seems to not know how to fight it.” BamBam states, “I can’t see Yugyeom with Jinyoung anymore, it hurts. Jinyoung doesn’t want us to be together and I can’t stand it, I just want Yugyeom to be happy and he’s not happy like this.”

          “We’ll do whatever it takes.” Mark assures him.

~~~~ Meanwhile ~~~~

          “Youngjae! Wait up!” Jaebum calls. Youngjae stops and turns around to see who it is.

          “Oh, hi Jaebum.” Youngjae stops and waits for Jaebum to catch up to him.

          “You ok?” Jaebum asks, “You looked pretty pissed when you left your table.”

          “I am pissed. Jinyoung needs to stop being an idiot.” Youngjae says as they walk down the hallway to an outdoor courtyard.

          “What did he do?” Jaebum asks, as they sit down outside.

          “Well, Yugyeom’s got a little crush on the new kid, BamBam. Yugyeom was defending Mark and Jinyoung made comments about it being about BamBam and I’m just so frustrated. He’s my best friend but he’s acting ridiculous and upsetting Yugyeom and acts like he’s protecting him.”

          “That shit.”

          “Don’t say that. But still I agree. This isn’t fair to Yugyeom.”

          “Have you tried talking to Jinyoung?” Jaebum thinks Youngjae might be the only person that might be able to knock some sense into Jinyoung.

          “I’ve tried a little but he won’t listen to a word I say, unless I’m agreeing with him.”

          “Can you try again?” Jaebum asks, “It might help.”

          “I’ll try.” Youngjae agrees. The two boys sit together for the rest of the period, staying away from the others for a little while is a good idea when there is so much tension. Youngjae wouldn’t want to sit back with Jinyoung but wouldn’t want to sit with Jaebum. There would be too much conflict, it was the best option for them to stay outside. They have friendly conversation but everything always leads Youngjae to talk about Jinyoung. He never says any negative things, only positives. Like how Jinyoung is smart, talented, passionate, caring, loyal, focused and a great friend. Jaebum can’t seem to understand how someone who is all of those positive things can be so cruel. Jaebum has never been particularly kind to Jinyoung but hasn’t given him a reason to treat the people he knows so awful. There must be a lot Jaebum doesn’t know about Jinyoung and he almost wants to know more.

~~~~ Last Period ~~~~

          6 of the 7 boys are in class together, Yugyeom isn’t there. No one knows why. Jaebum fears that it has something to do with Jinyoung and despite protest from Jackson, BamBam and Mark, Jaebum decides to ask.

          “Hey. Jinyoung. Do you know where Yugyeom is?” Jaebum asks, tone serious but not cold.

          “Kind of.”

          “What do you mean, ‘kind of’?”

          Jinyoung’s voice drops to a whisper, “I advised him to stay away from BamBam. He didn’t show up to this class.”

          “Are you kidding?”

          “No. I swear. I didn’t think he wouldn’t show up to class, it’s not like him to cut class.” Jinyoung’s tone is lighter, less cruel. Jaebum wonders if it’s him or the situation that’s making Jinyoung less rude.

          “Well, I’m going to advise you to stop advising Yugyeom to not talk to people. Remember that he’s his own person.”

          “But you don’t know him like I do.”

          “I don’t. You’re right but I don’t think he needs or wants you to control him. He trusts you, don’t abuse that.” With that statement Jaebum walks away, hoping that Jinyoung understands.

          “Yugyeom cut class.” Jaebum tells Mark, Jackson and BamBam when he walks back over to them.

          “What? Why?” Jackson exclaims.

          “He wouldn’t do that.” Mark comments firmly.

          “Jinyoung said he ‘advised’ Yugyeom to stay away from BamBam. I guess Yugyeom thought that that means to cut class.” Jaebum tells them.

          “I’m texting him.” BamBam sneaks off to the back of the room where he can’t be seen using his phone.

Double B:

Where are you?

Yugyeom <3:

Home

Double B:

Why?

Yugyeom <3:

I shouldn’t be talking to you

Double B:

Why aren’t you in class?

Yugyeom <3:

Stop. It’s no big deal.

Don’t worry about it.

Double B:

Just tell me the real reason you cut class

Yugyeom <3:

Jinyoung told me to stay away from you.

I can’t see you in person.

I can’t stay away from you.

I’m drawn to you when we’re in the same room.

It was easier to just go home.

Double B:

Don’t listen to him!

Do I matter to you?

Yugyeom <3:

Yes. You’re so important to me.

Double B:

You’re important to me too.

And that’s what matters.

Jinyoung shouldn’t be able to tell you what to do.

Our relationship is more important than Jinyoung’s bitterness.

Yugyeom <3:

You’re right.

But what if Jinyoung outs me to my parents.

He’ll do it.

Double B:

Hi, Yugyeom. This is Jaebum.

I won’t let Jinyoung out you.

Trust me on this.

Just focus on you and BamBam.

If you need anything, I’m here.

Yugyeom <3:

Thank you so much.

BamBam, I’ll talk to you later right?

<3

          BamBam smiles at that last message and puts his phone away so he doesn’t get in trouble. He thanks Jaebum and they all get through the rest of class. Once class is over they are all relieved that they can go home. BamBam is going to go and hopefully video chat with Yugyeom, Jinyoung and Youngjae have school work to get done, Jaebum needs to get ready for his big date tomorrow and Jackson and Mark… we know what they’re going to do.

Chapter Text

~~~~ Mark’s House ~~~~

          “Hey Mom and Dad! I’m home and Jackson’s here too! We’re gonna be in my room if you need us!” Mark yells as the two boys enter the house and take their shoes off. Jackson follows Mark down the hallway and they into his room. The room is small but very neat. Everything seems to have a place and is organized in a particular way.

          “Wow. It’s really neat.” Jackson says as he sits down on Mark’s bed.

          “Yeah, with a room this small I need to keep it clean.” Mark sits down next to him.

          “It’s really nice.”

          “Thanks”

          “I guess we are in here and not the living room so we can have some privacy.” Jackson winks at the end of the sentence.

          “Of course.” Mark places a quick peck on Jackson’s lips and as Jackson goes in for more there is a knock on the door and both boys jump back.

          “Mark, can I come in for a moment?” A woman’s voice asks from the other side of the door.

          “Sure, Mom.” Mark answers and his mom opens the door.

          “I thought I should bring you and your guest a snack.” Mrs. Tuan says as she brings cheese and crackers and water bottles over to the boys.

          “We’re not five but thanks.” Mark takes the food and puts it down on his desk.

          “Thank you very much Mrs. Tuan. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jackson.” Jackson says politely.

          “You’re welcome. Mark’s told me a lot about you.” Mrs. Tuan replies and Mark looks down trying to hide the fact that he’s blushing, “Well, I’ll leave you boys alone now.” She finishes and leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

          “So, you talk about me a lot?” Jackson teases.

          “Yeah…”

          “You’re cute.” Jackson pulls Mark towards him and puts his arm around Mark.

          “You’re hot.”

          “You’re adorable.”

          “You’re sexy.”

          “You’re perfect.”

          “You’re more perfect.”

          “That’s not possible.” Jackson takes Mark’s face in his hands and pulls him into a kiss. It lasts about 10 seconds before Mark pulls away, blushing and begins to giggle.

          “Why are you laughing?” Jackson asks.

          “I still can’t believe we’re a couple.”

          “Come closer and I’ll make you believe” Jackson flirts. Mark scoots closer of course and Jackson leans in slowly and Mark can feel his heart pounding in his chest. Jackson’s kisses are soft and Mark just feels so safe when Jackson wraps his arms around him. Mark tenses up a little when Jackson tries to deepen the kiss, adding a little tongue. Mark feels Jackson pull away and worries that he’s done something wrong.

          “You okay?” Jackson asks and Mark can tell Jackson doesn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

          “Yeah” Mark makes a bold move and lays down on his bed and tugs on Jackson’s sleeve signaling him to come closer. Jackson awkwardly scoots over to Mark and hovers over him, not knowing exactly what to do. After a moment of them awkwardly staring at each other and Mark blushing Jackson leans down, kissing Mark again. This time Jackson is a little more confident, which Mark appreciates since he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Jackson adds some tongue and Mark doesn’t freeze up this time. Jackson seems to know what he’s doing and Mark accepts it and enjoys the moment. Mark starts to get the hang of it and the kiss gets a little more heated and Mark, getting a little caught up in the moment, tugs on the bottom of Jackson’s shirt. Jackson gets what Mark’s hinting at and breaks the kiss to pull his shirt off. Mark gasps and Jackson freezes, hoping he didn’t misread Mark’s actions. Mark runs his hands across Jackson’s stomach where abs are beginning to form; Jackson loosens up and moves Mark’s arms so they are around his neck and they return to kissing. It just feels so right, despite the little fumbles and the moments of awkwardness, being together just feels so right to both of them. Jackson kisses down Mark’s jaw and down his neck. Mark squirms a little at the new feeling but he can’t deny that it feels good.

          “Have you kissed anyone like this before?” Jackson asks, sitting up, straddling Mark’s legs.

          “I mean once. With Jinyoung, Youngjae was in the bathroom and we were messing around and Jinyoung accidentally left a huge ass hickey on my neck and it was awkward but that was like a year ago and it wasn’t like this and now I’ve ruined the moment” Mark rambles.

          “No no, it’s fine you’re cute. I was just curious. I’ll be honest I’ve never kissed anyone past a peck on the lips before you.”

          “Oh wow. I’m--” Before Mark could finish his sentence Jackson has returned to kissing down his neck and Mark moans a little which makes Jackson laugh.

          “Whatever you did, do it again.” Mark mumbles and Jackson complies, which ends with Mark having a bunch of hickeys on his neck and collarbone.

~~~~~~~~~~

          “Ugh… Jackson. Why’d you do this?” Mark complains when he looks in the mirror seeing all the hickeys.

          “You told me to do what I did again. I was just listening to you.” Jackson says casually, lounging on Mark’s bed, still shirtless.

          “I didn’t know that’s what you were doing. It just felt nice.”

          “I bet it felt more than nice. Judging by the little moans you let slip out.”

          “Shut up. Don’t make fun of me.” Mark pouts as he sits down criss-cross at the end of his bed, where Jackson’s feet are.

          “You sure your parents didn’t hear anything?”

          “Yup. They are on the other side of the house and sound doesn’t really travel here.”

          “That’s good.”

          “I don’t think it should matter. They wouldn’t care.” Mark tells Jackson.

          “My parents probably wouldn’t care either.”

          “Why don’t we tell them we’re a couple?” Mark suggests, “my parents don’t know I’m gay so it’d be a surprise but they wouldn’t care.”

          “I came out to my parents as bisexual but they just think it’s a phase, so I wouldn’t mind telling them we’re together.”

          “I have a great idea! Why don’t we have a nice dinner for our parents? We can invite your parents here and the two of us can make a huge dinner, like a full three or four course meal and then we’ll share the news over food.” Mark suggests gleefully.

          “That’s a pretty good idea but I’m not totally sure if we can handle cooking that much.”

          “Youngjae and Yugyeom can come and help. Maybe BamBam and Jaebum too?”

          “Yeah! That sounds great! Can any of us actually cook though?” Jackson laughs.

          “I’m not sure. Let’s make a group chat and ask.” Mark pulls out his phone and gets BamBam and Jaebum’s numbers from Jackson. Jackson of course decides to change everyone’s contact names in Mark’s phone.

~~~~~~~~~~

Chat Name: Operation Markson Reveal

Markie:

Hey guys! It’s Mark!

Jackson and I have a plan to tell our parents we’re dating

But we need your help

Bam Boi:

Hey! Whatcha need?

Jaebutt:

Sure, what’s up?

Giant Baby:

What do I need to do?

LoudJae:

How can I help?

Markie:

Can any of you cook?

Jaebutt:

I’m alright

Giant Baby:

Enough to get by

LoudJae:

I’m actually quite good

Best boyfriend ever Jackson:

What about you Bam?

Bam Boi:

It’s a little embarrassing but

I’m an amazing cook

According to my whole family

And everyone else that I’ve cooked for

Giant Baby:

Woah! That’s amazing. Why did you never tell me?

Bam Boi:

Cause it’s embarrassing

Markie:

Great! We’re all at least competent.

What are you all doing next Saturday?

Jackson and I just checked and our parents are free that day

We’ll need like all day to cook

LoudJae:

I’ll make sure I’m free

Giant Baby:

I’ve got nothing to do

Jaebutt:

I’m good

Bam Boi:

I’m not busy

I have one concern though…

Menu?

Markie:

I’m thinking a 3 or 4 course meal

Appetizer, Meal, Dessert

Ya know?

Bam Boi:

Wanna do this for real?

Markie:

Of course

Bam Boi:

Give me a few days

I’ll make a menu

We’ll all need to go shopping

And everyone will need to pitch in

But it’ll be worth it

Jaebutt:

Wow. Bam really seems to have this under control

Bam Boi:

Oh yeah I do.

Mark wants to do it for real

I’m gonna make this as legit as possible

Markie:

My parents just said they’d give us the money we need

To buy groceries

Bam Boi:

Idk, it’s not gonna be cheap

They can’t pay for all of it.

Markie:

Great! We’ve got a plan!

Jaebutt:

How’d you ask your parents so quick?

Without them asking any questions

Markie:

I just texted them from the other side of the house

Jaebutt:

And they didn’t ask any questions?

Markie:

I told them we are cooking them dinner

They aren’t gonna say no

Jaebutt:

Your parents seem really chill

LoudJae:

They are. I’ve been over there a bunch of times

~~~~~~~~~~

          Mark puts his phone away since he has nothing else to say and wants to get back to Jackson, who's been reading the chat over his shoulder.

          “We have a plan.” Mark says and kisses Jackson.

          “Don’t tempt me.” Jackson laughs.

          “Hm…” Mark kisses Jackson again, for a little longer and then tickles Jackson’s exposed stomach. Jackson flails over-dramatically and throws himself on the bed.

          “You’re not getting away with this.” Jackson says fighting off Mark’s tickles by flipping him so Jackson has Mark pinned to the bed; Mark squirms trying to get out of his grip but Jackson’s too strong. Jackson lets go of Mark but proceeds to tickles him and both boys have laughed themselves to tears by the time they both get tired and Jackson lays down on top of Mark; head resting on his chest. Jackson scoots up so he’s face to face with Mark and kisses him again. They can’t get enough of each other and every moment they spend together is perfect.

          “Jackson, enough. We need to get that project done.” Mark tries to push Jackson off of him.

          “Yeah, but then I can kiss you more?” Jackson gets off of Mark so they can get to work.

          Mark just laughs and hops off the bed and is about to leave the room to get the art supplies but then he remembers,

          “Jackson! My neck. I can’t go out there.”

          “I don’t know where the project is.”

          “The same place it was last time!”

          “Um… I’ll try to go and find it.” Jackson throws his shirt back on and manages to make it to the living room, find everything he needs to and make it back to Mark’s room without being seen.

          “Success!” Jackson exclaims when he gets back to Mark’s room, “Let’s finish this!”

~~~~ Yugyeom’s House ~~~~

New Message from Bammie <3

“Hey, Gyeomie!”

Yugyeom:

Hi

Bammie <3:

How are you?

Yugyeom:

I’m ok. Wbu?

Bammie <3:

I’m ok.

Do you want to come over to my house after school tomorrow?

Yugyeom:

Sure.

What would we do?

Bammie <3:

Idk. Talk.

Spend time together with no worries.

Yugyeom:

Sounds good.

Bammie <3:

Great! I can’t wait to see you.

<3

Yugyeom:

<3

Bammie <3:

Hehehe

Yugyeom:

What’s your contact name for me?

I’m just curious.

Bammie <3:

It’s Yugyeom <3

What’s mine?

Yugyeom:

Bammie <3

We think alike

Bammie <3:

Lots of hearts hehe

Yugyeom:

Don’t tease

Bammie <3:

Wanna video chat?

Yugyeom:

I’d love to

But I only can for a minute

          Yugyeom’s phone rings with a video chat request a moment later and he answers.

          “Hey, Yugyeommie” BamBam sing songs when Yugyeom accepts the call.

          “Hi, Bammie.” Yugyeom tilts his phone so BamBam can see his face because he knows that’s why he’s calling.

          “I miss you.” BamBam whines.

          “We just saw each other today.”

          “That was so long ago, Gyeommie.”

          “It wasn’t that long ago.” Yugyeom states.

          “I miss you anyway. Don’t kill the mood. I’m trying to be sweet here and I really do miss you.”

          “You’re too cute. I’ll be honest, I miss you too.” BamBam squeals in response to Yugyeom’s little confession.

          “So, you’re totally sure you can come over tomorrow?”

          “Yeah. How are we getting to your house?”

          “My mom will pick us up from school. That good?”

          “Of course. I’m excited. We never get to spend time alone.”

          “I really can’t wait.”

          “I have to go now Bam. I’m sorry. My parents are very strict and I need to be downstairs for dinner at 6 and it’s 5:58 so I really need to go.” Yugyeom frowns.

          “Alright. See you tomorrow.” BamBam makes a sad face and hangs up.

          What Yugyeom said is true but he wanted to end that conversation to avoid the possibility of his parents over hearing. His parents seem to hear everything. For example, Jinyoung was over and they were upstairs in his room and Yugyeom said “fuck” and his parents bolted upstairs and threw a big fit about it. He was terrified his parents had bugged his room or something; he had no clue that they’d be able to hear him say one little curse word. Yugyeom remembers how pissed off Jinyoung was about the whole situation.

~~~~~~~~~~

          “Why did they come in here and scream at you? You said one swear word, they can be mad and tell you not to say that all they want but yelling at you was totally unnecessary. Yugyeom, you need to stand up for yourself better. Don’t let them walk all over you. They may be your parents but that’s just unfair. Are they always like that?” Jinyoung had ranted.

          “Yeah they are. Everything I do is wrong and bad. That’s what they seem to tell me.”

          “Don’t let them! Don’t listen to them.”

          “They’re my parents. I have to listen.”

          “But you don’t have to obey.”

          “Jinyoung, you don’t understand.”

          “I’ve got a lot to teach you. You can’t let people walk all over you.”

          Yugyeom still doesn’t understand what Jinyoung has been trying to teach him. Listening to and obeying his parents really seems like the easiest route. He knows that Jinyoung really cares about him but maybe his intentions aren’t totally selfless.

~~~~ Jaebum’s House ~~~~

          Tomorrow is my date with Youngjae. I had no idea it would be this soon. I don’t know if I can do this. Jaebum thinks as he paces around his room, What if Youngjae doesn’t really like me? What if he stands me up? What if he doesn’t pay attention to me? Or worse pays too much attention and tries to do something sexual? Youngjae doesn’t seem like he’d do that but you never know. He could turn out to be a terrible person in relationships… maybe that’s why he’s never been in a relationship before. Or maybe he’s just too busy and won’t have any time for me. What if he just leaves in the middle of the movie?! Ok, chill Jaebum. You’re overthinking this. This is just a date. No commitments, just a date. If it goes well, great. If not, well that sucks and you need to get over yourself and move on. It’s not a big deal, you’ve been asked on plenty of dates. Well, you’ve said no to all those girls but it’s still no pressure. It’s no big deal. Yes, it is with Youngjae but it’ll be fine. He’s a sweetheart and you know that. He’s like the happiest, loudest, most wonderful person on the planet. It’ll go great! It’ll be fine. Fuck! What do I wear? Cool but casual. Grey sweatshirt, leather jacket, black jeans and sneakers. With a snapback, sunglasses and cool earrings. No, that’s not comfy enough. That long plain white shirt I have is good. With a pair of ripped jeans… blue. And sunglasses and sneakers should be fine. Yeah, cool but casual. That’ll work. Should I wear earrings in all of my piercings? Yeah, but I won’t wear anything dangly, they’ll be distracting I guess. I’m not ready for tomorrow. I cannot believe this is actually happening. I need to calm down and go to sleep.

          Jaebum finally stops pacing and decides to go take a shower and get ready for bed, even though it’s only about 6:30. By the time he’s out of the shower and in his pajamas it’s 7:30 and he goes to bed anyway. He doesn’t want to sit around worrying all night so sleeping is the answer. That, of course, doesn’t go as planned and he spends the next hour laying in bed worrying until he finally falls asleep at 8:30. Jaebum cannot believe how terrified he is for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

~~~~ Jaebum’s House | Friday ~~~~

           Jaebum’s alarm goes off and he rolls out of bed with a groan. Today’s the day, he thinks as gets up and makes his way to the bathroom. He uses the bathroom, washes his hands and face and then heads back to his room to get dressed. He puts on the outfit he planned and goes downstairs to have breakfast before he leaves for school. He paces around the kitchen trying to find something to eat but he’s too nervous and fears he’ll puke if he eats anything. He finally settles for just stopping to get coffee on his way to school. Jaebum has his driver’s license but he doesn’t drive that often because he doesn’t have his own car yet. Today he’s lucky because his mom doesn’t have work so she’s letting him use her car. He checks himself in the mirror three- no four times before leaving. He needs to look good today.

          He gets to school, coffee in hand, trying to look cool. Usually he doesn’t need to try, he is cool and everyone in school knows it. Jaebum keeps his friend group small; last year, and all other years, he had tons of friends but he didn’t value any of them. They didn’t share the same morals as him but he wanted to be with people just as cool and popular as him. He never revealed his sexuality and people assumed, and still assume, that he’s straight. His friends throughout school were all about relationships, and once they got to high school, sex. Jaebum didn’t value sex and didn’t think it was “cool” like his friends. Almost all of his friends were a year older than him, so last year when he was a junior and they were seniors, they began to drift apart due to this major conflicting moral. About halfway through the year, last year, Jackson was being brought into this group and Jaebum noticed that Jackson seemed to be in a similar situation to him. Jackson was only a freshman and the seniors were always pressuring him to date and have sex and Jaebum noticed that Jackson didn’t like that. Jaebum remembers Jackson pulling him aside at a party and telling him,

         “I don’t know what to do. A lot of people keep telling me to hook up with this girl but I really don’t want to. You’re the only one who seems to never have sex or date. I really don’t know what to do. Please help me.”

          Jackson looked like a lost and misguided puppy and Jaebum told him, “Just say no. It may seem hard but if you don’t want to do something listen to yourself. Say no. That’s what I do. I’ll be honest with you, I’m not straight but it still isn’t easy to say no.”

          Jackson’s eyes lit up and Jaebum remember so clearly that look, he looked at him like he was some kind of god,

         “Thank you so much Jaebum. Can- can I- I- hang with you the rest of the party?”

          “Of course.” From that moment on Jackson and Jaebum were friends and spent a lot of time together.

          This whole year Jaebum has been untouchable and people have been admiring him from afar. He’s reached this level of coolness and popularity that has gotten him left alone. Quite often girls flirt with him and try to get his number but it doesn’t bother him. He’s got his own life and can do what he wants without any fear of being judged since everyone admires him. If his relationship with Youngjae works out it’ll be a big shock to everyone. Of course, Jaebum doesn’t care.

          He meets up with Jackson and BamBam in the courtyard before class and Jaebum tries to act normal. He’s an anxious mess and can barely hold a conversation; Jackson and BamBam notice.

          “Dude, are you okay? That didn’t make any sense.” Jackson asks after Jaebum mumbled a nonsensical sentence.

          “I don’t know.” Jaebum says, totally serious.

          “You don’t know?” BamBam questions before realizing, “Wait! Isn’t your date with Youngjae after school today?”

          “Yes.” Jaebum answers, voice shaking a little.

          “Oh my god! Jaebum’s nervous for his date!” Jackson teases.

          “Don’t make fun of me. This is bad.” Jaebum says.

          “It’s not bad. It’s okay to be nervous.” BamBam assures.

          “It is bad! How am I supposed to hold a conversation?” Jaebum begins to get a little worked up and raise his voice.

          “Calm down. You’ll be fine. Don’t think too much about it, the date will go smoothly. Don’t worry.” Jackson tries to tell him.

          “I’m gonna go to class.” Jaebum says, getting up and as he’s about to walk away he stops and says, “I don’t want to go to class. I have homeroom with Youngjae.”

          “Go to class. Talk to him, it’ll make you feel better.” Jackson tells him.

          “Okay.” Jaebum says and then heads to class.

          He gets to class and sees Youngjae sitting by himself, Jinyoung isn’t there like usual. Jaebum sits next to Youngjae, clears his throat and says cooly,

          “Good morning, Youngjae.”

          “Good morning Jaebum!” Youngjae says, smiling brightly, “Did you do the assignment for music theory?”

          “Of course, it was easy. You?”

          “Yup! I agree, it was simple.”

          “And we were told it was gonna be hard.” The two boys laugh.

          “I guess you know a lot about music.” Youngjae comments.

          “Yeah, I write and try to compose music.”

          “That’s cool. I’m trained in voice and piano.”

          “Oh wow. I’m totally self taught. I didn’t know that you sing.”

          “Yeah, I’m not too confident with my voice so I don’t sing often but I am trained.”

          “Oh, you’ll have to sing for me sometime. I’d love to hear you.”

          Youngjae blushes, “Maybe… I’m really not that good…”

          “I bet you’re just being humble. You’re great at everything.”

          Jinyoung walks into the room, and the bell rings. Jinyoung eyes Jaebum and Jaebum honestly thought that Jinyoung was gonna kill him. He didn’t, Jinyoung takes the seat behind Youngjae and tells him good morning. Jaebum doesn’t know if he should continue his conversation with Youngjae, he doesn’t want to be outwardly rude and exclude Jinyoung from the conversation. He doesn’t want to make an enemy so Jaebum says,

          “Good morning Jinyoung.”

          Jinyoung looks at Jaebum, he looks completely shocked, “Oh, good morning.”

          “How are you today?” Jaebum asks politely.

          “I’m okay. Why are you talking to me?” Jinyoung asks, baffled by Jaebum acknowledging him kindly.

          “Because I sat here to talk to Youngjae and I didn’t want to exclude you from the conversation.”

          “Oh.” Jinyoung looks a little dejected and Jaebum can’t seem to understand why.

          Jinyoung still has a longing for Jaebum to be kind to him. This kindness doesn’t seem genuine to him anymore. Jaebum is only being nice to him to get to Youngjae and that drives Jinyoung insane. He’s done so well, admiring Jaebum from a distance; he was this unapproachable guy on a much higher level but now he’s so close all the time. Jinyoung found comfort in drooling over Jaebum, it was normal, everyone did it. He wants Jaebum and he knows he can’t have him. He wants Jaebum to talk to him, only him: Youngjae doesn’t care the same way that he does. Youngjae is only gonna let Jaebum down.

          “Aww. That’s so nice of you.” Youngjae chimes, “I’m happy that you’re trying to get along.”

          “Yeah, I’m trying.” Jaebum comments.

          “I’m not being disagreeable.” Jinyoung stands his ground.

          “For once.” Jaebum states.

          “Do you want me to put up a fight? Make everything an argument? I can and I will. You know that.”

          “You also walk away when someone needs you!” Jaebum begins to get worked up as memories from the past flood his head. He’s tried so hard to forget about what happened in the past but he just can’t.

          “When have you seen that? No one needs me!”

          “I did Jinyoung! Do you not remember? It was years ago, but still I can’t forget what you did.”

          “What I did? If this is about the day you shoved me against a locker? Cause if it is I did no wrong.”

          “Yes it is! You left me there, on the floor crying."

          “YOU PUSHED ME! FOR NO REASON!”

          “THERE WAS REASON!”

          “WHAT REASON?”

          “I… I can’t say…” Jaebum’s voice calms down. Though the argument was heated they barely raised their voices, only changed tones.

          “You can’t say?”

          “I don’t want to say.”

          “Look, Jinyoung. Just leave him alone.” Youngjae defends Jaebum and Jinyoung feels betrayed.

          “He started this.” Jinyoung accuses.

          “I did. I’m sorry.” Jaebum admits, he knows he started it, his snappy comments weren’t needed; being around Jinyoung sparks so many conflicting emotions.

          Jinyoung doesn’t say anything he just pulls a book out of his bag and reads, ignoring the other two for the rest of the period. Jaebum and Youngjae have friendly, casual conversation as usual. Nothing special, their conversations are never special but Jaebum feels special when he’s with Youngjae.

~~~~ After School ~~~~

          Jaebum goes to the bathroom after class is over to check and make sure he still looks good and guess who he runs into, Youngjae! Both boys had the same idea. They walk with each other out to the student parking lot, where Jaebum’s mom’s car is parked.

          “Did you realize we never picked a movie to see?” Youngjae laughs as they get into the car.

          “Oh. It’s my fault. Sorry.” Jaebum feels so dumb; how could he forget to talk about what movie? He’s been so caught up in worrying that he forgot about important details.

          “It’s fine,” Youngjae laughs again, “I’ll see anything I guess.”

          Jaebum suddenly thinks he has a great idea, “What about a horror movie? There’s a new one that just came out that I’ve been wanting to see.”

          Youngjae answers hesitantly, “That’ll be alright…” Youngjae pauses and Jaebum thought he was gonna add a “because I’m with you” or “only if you’ll hold my hand” or something like that but Youngjae’s sentence ends there.

          “Ok,” Jaebum says as they pull out of the school parking lot.

          After a minute of awkward silence Youngjae finally says, “So, is this your car?”

          “Actually, it’s not. It’s my mom’s but she lets me use it on days she doesn’t have work.”

          “Oh, that’s nice of her.”

          “Do you drive yet?” Jaebum asks.

          “No… I failed the driving portion of the permit test… twice.”

          “Oh.” Jaebum laughs a little.

          “What’s funny?” Youngjae looks a little offended.

          “I don’t know. Sorry.”

          After another few minutes of driving and small talk they pull into the mall parking lot. They walk up to the movie theater and see that the movie Jaebum wants to see is playing in 20 minutes. Jaebum buys them both tickets and they head inside to get snacks and get good seats.

          “Do you want popcorn?” Jaebum asks, “I’ll pay.”

          “You don’t need to pay for everything.”

          “But I want to. It’s my treat. You don’t need to spend a dollar today.”

          “Thank you so much.” Youngjae smiles brightly, “Should we get a popcorn to share?”

          "Sure! I’ll get a large so we don’t finish the bag before the movie starts.” They laugh and get online to buy.

          “Water?” Jaebum asks when the cashier asks if they want drinks, Youngjae nods.

          With popcorn in hand they find the theater and get seats in the back row and, of course, at the center of the row. There aren’t many people sitting that far back, most others there sat towards the middle, which Jaebum was grateful for. After 20 minutes of previews the movie finally starts and they’ve already eaten a quarter of their popcorn. A few minutes in and Youngjae is clutching onto the bag of popcorn for dear life, terrified. Jaebum of course notices, he’s been paying more attention to his date than the movie. Jaebum puts his hand on Youngjae’s lower thigh to try and comfort him. Youngjae immediately grabs Jaebum’s hand tightly.

          “Are you okay?” Jaebum whispers to Youngjae.

          “N-n- not really,” Youngjae stutters a little, eyes glued to the screen, despite being so scared.

          Jaebum moves a little closer to Youngjae and says, “You don’t have to watch. It’s okay.”

          A moment later the movie gets particularly gruesome and Youngjae drops the popcorn and buries his face in Jaebum’s shirt breathing heavy. Jaebum wraps the arm that isn’t holding Youngjae’s hand around him, pulling him a little closer. Youngjae lets go of Jaebum’s hand and puts his arms around Jaebum’s waist and Jaebum’s now freed arm hugs Youngjae like the other. Youngjae turns his head to try and watch the movie but turns back to face Jaebum’s chest everytime it gets too scary. Jaebum doesn’t bother to watch the movie; he just watches Youngjae. He can’t help but think he’s cute.

          By the end of the movie Youngjae is holding on to Jaebum so tight that it hurts; Jaebum doesn’t mind. When the credits start Youngjae looks up, tears in his eyes; Jaebum wipes away the few tears on Youngjae’s cheeks.

          “Thank you.” Youngjae laughs a little when his tears are wiped away. Jaebum doesn’t laugh, he looks more horrified than Youngjae.

          “I’m so sorry,” he hugs Youngjae tighter, “I shouldn’t have suggested such a scary movie.”

          “It’s ok,” Youngjae perks up, letting go of Jaebum, smiling he continues, “You didn’t know I’d be this scared. I didn’t know I’d be this scared. Let’s go get pizza and forget about this stupid movie.”

          Youngjae hops up, grabs Jaebum’s hand and they leave the theater. There is a little pizzeria next to the mall that has the best pizza in town but not many people know that it exists. It’s usually pretty empty which makes it perfect for a date. They find a table toward the back and order a few slices of pizza. Jaebum pays, even after Youngjae protests.

          “I don’t understand why you insist on paying.”

          “Because I want to.” Jaebum answers.

          “You don’t have to.”

          “I want to. I asked you out. It’s my responsibility to pay.”

          “But it’s not.”

          “I’m paying. End of story.” Jaebum says seriously, Youngjae realizes resisting is probably going to make him mad.

          They sit down at the table with their pizza and return to friendly conversation.

          “So, earlier you mentioned you play piano and sing, do you write music?” Jaebum asks; so far music is their only common interest.

          “A little bit. I’m very busy with school and student government so I don’t really have the time to write. I don’t even have time to practice piano any more”

          “Oh, that really sucks. Do you still sing?”

          “Yeah, I still have weekly lessons worked into my schedule.”

          “That’s good. Do you miss playing and writing music?”

          “Of course. I used to want to pursue music as a career but it’s not realistic enough.”

          “Oh…” Jaebum sighs, “I think it can be realistic, if you work hard enough.”

          “It’s practically impossible to make a living doing music, I’d rather play it safe and do something more practical.”

          “That’s your choice. You shouldn’t give up though, if you love it.”

          “Maybe but I really don’t have the time.” Youngjae persists.

          “What kind of music do you listen to?”

          “Pop and ballads. That kind of stuff.”

          “Cool, is that what genre you used to write?”

          “Yeah, mostly ballads.”

          “That’s cool.”

          Their conversation continues like this as they eat. Jaebum asking questions but never being asked in return. He doesn’t even realize, he’s enjoying Youngjae’s company and he loves listening to him talk so it doesn’t matter. They finish eating pretty quickly but still stay and talk more. Youngjae’s hand was resting on the table and Jaebum took a chance and held his hand. They talk and hold hands for about 10 minutes until Youngjae suggests they walk back over to the mall and walk around there; of course, Jaebum agrees.

          The mall is pretty crowded since it’s a Friday evening, which makes Jaebum a little nervous since he and Youngjae are holding hands and no one outside of their friend groups know that Jaebum’s not straight. Youngjae pulls Jaebum to all his favorite stores and they look around; Youngjae even modeled a few outfits for Jaebum. Jaebum was so caught up in enjoying his time with Youngjae that he didn’t realize that a lot of people from school saw them and were sneaking pictures of them to post on Snapchat. Unlike Jaebum, Youngjae was totally aware of the pictures; he didn’t care because this was only going to help him become popular. Youngjae was clearly on a date with the hottest guy in school, what better way to rise to the top of the food chain that is high school.

          It’s now late in the evening and the date is coming to an end. Jaebum offers to drive Youngjae home and the offer is accepted so they head out to the parking lot and to Jaebum’s (mom’s) car. Youngjae gives Jaebum directions to his house as they drive. Jaebum doesn’t want this date to end but he knows that they’ve run out of things to talk about. They pull up outside Youngjae’s house and Jaebum walks Youngjae to the door.

          “I had fun today.” Jaebum says, taking Youngjae’s hands into his own. It looks like a cliche scene out of a romance movie.

          “I did too. I’ll see you on Monday then.” Youngjae says.

          “Yeah,” as Youngjae is about to let go of Jaebum’s hands, Jaebum leans in and kisses Youngjae. It’s more than a peck but isn’t quite a full kiss.

          Youngjae’s face turns bright red and he gives Jaebum a quick hug before running inside.

          Jaebum gets back in the car and heads home; he’s slightly dazed from what just happened. Did I really just go on a date with Youngjae? Did I really have a nice time with Youngjae? Did I really just hold hands with Youngjae? DID I REALLY JUST KISS YOUNGJAE? JAEBUM WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING! That was such a bad idea. He probably hates me now or something! I don’t even know, I can’t think straight. Today was insane. I can’t believe I just went on a date with Youngjae. I can’t believe I just went on a date with Jinyoung’s best friend.

Chapter Text

~~~~ BamBam’s House ~~~~

          “Yesss boiiiiii!” BamBam cheers, he and Yugyeom are hanging out in his basement listening to music and dancing and messing around. Yugyeom was showing off his freestyling skills and BamBam is surprised; he can’t wrap his head around how someone so shy and timid can be such a confident, outgoing dancer. The song ends and Yugyeom plops down on the couch, out of breath.

          “Wow, you’re amazing!” BamBam gushes and lays his head on Yugyeom’s lap.

          “No, I’m not,” he runs his hands through BamBam’s hair.

          “Yes, you are.”

          “No, I’m not.”

          “Yes. You. Are. End of story.”

          Yugyeom sighs, “I don’t understand you.”

          “I don’t understand how you don’t know that you’re amazing.”

          “Oh stop it,” Yugyeom flicks BamBam on the forehead.

          “Ow! That hurt.”

          “Good.”

          “No fair,” BamBam pouts, “You hurt me.”

          “Do you want me to kiss it better?” Yugyeom says jokingly.

          BamBam looks him straight in the eye and says, “You know my answer is yes.”

          “Oh…” Yugyeom begins to crawl back into his shell of shyness.

          “Don’t get all shy now.”

          “I’m embarrassed.” Yugyeom pushes BamBam off him and onto the floor. BamBam crawls to kneel in between Yugyeom’s legs and rests his elbows on the taller boy’s thighs.

          “Don’t be embarrassed, it’s just me.”

          “Exactly, it’s you.”

          BamBam throws himself backwards and lays on the floor, “I’m going insane Yugyeom. We both like each other, our feelings are totally mutual but we are still awkwardly floating in between friends and couple. I hate this.”

          Yugyeom lays down on the floor next to BamBam, “Same.” They lay there for a minute, and then Yugyeom grabs BamBam’s hand; they lay there, holding hands, for a little while longer.

          “BamBam?”

          “Yeah?”

          “Will you be my boyfriend?”

          “Of course.” BamBam answers and then Yugyeom sits up and pulls BamBam to sit up too.

          “You’re my boyfriend now. Boyfriend…” BamBam notices Yugyeom tearing up, “I never thought I’d say that I have a boyfriend.”

          “Please, don’t cry. Please, don’t cry. Be happy, this is happy.” BamBam hugs Yugyeom tightly.

          “It’s happy tears. Don’t worry.” Yugyeom says between sniffles.

          “Stop that.” BamBam giggles and wipes away the other’s tears, making the taller boy laugh too.

          “Bam… the other day, I said something and you kinda ignored it… cause I was freaking out.”

          “Oh…”

          “And, what I said was kinda important and maybe I’m a little happy you ignored it… cause you may hate me…”

          “I won’t hate you. No matter what.”

          “I said that I… love you…” Yugyeom bursts out into tears.

          “Stop crying please, you’re gonna make me cry too,” BamBam wraps his arms around Yugyeom and squeezes him tight.

          “Do you not love me back?” Yugyeom chokes out between sobs.

          “I do. I do love you. I love you so much. I didn’t think I needed to say it out loud, I thought that you could tell,” Yugyeom hugs BamBam back in reply. They both want to stay like that forever. The two boys want to stay together no matter what.

~~~~ Jackson’s House ~~~~

Jackson:

Hey Markie~~ <3

Markie:

Hi <3

Jackson:

Sooooooo….

My parents aren’t home…

Wanna come over?

Markie:

It’s 9pm

Jackson:

Well… wanna sleep over?

Markie:

Maybe~~

Jackson:

My parents are away until tomorrow night

Markie:

Idk, this is a little…

Risky? Suggestive?

Jackson:

Markie, we’re dating

It’s no big deal

Markie:

It is kinda a big deal

Jackson:

No one will know

Please, I know you miss me

Markie:

Fine.

My parents are fine with it, they’ll drop me off

Jackson:

Yay!

See you soon

~~~~~~~~~~

          A little while later Jackson hears the doorbell ring and he flies downstairs to answer it. He trips on the bottom step and falls, he scrambles to get up and opens the door, rubbing his head and looking flustered. Mark stares at Jackson for a second, trying to figure out why there were loud banging sounds before the door was opened. Mark enters the house and slips his shoes off, looking around; Jackson’s house is very homey, cozy and welcoming.

          “You alright?” Mark asks.

          “I’m fine, I just tripped and fell. It’s ok though.” Jackson answers; he takes Mark upstairs to his room.

          “Well, that’s good.” Mark says.

          “Make yourself comfortable,” Jackson says, taking a seat on his bed; Mark stands awkwardly in the middle of the room, “ Put your bag down, come sit with me.” Mark does what Jackson suggests; he kisses Jackson’s cheek when he sits next to him.

          “You’re extra quiet. Everything okay?” Jackson’s concerned.

          “Yeah, this is just a little weird. Sleeping over at my boyfriend’s house.” Mark answers.

          “Why do you think it’s weird?”

          “We shouldn't do this. If someone finds out then they'll think that we… ya know… did stuff?”

          “Don't worry. Even if we did ‘do stuff’ we’re dating, it's nothing to worry about.”

          “Are you sure? I'm just worried, what if Jinyoung finds out?”

          “Markieeee,” Jackson whines, “stop worrying. Just enjoy some time with your boyfriend.”

          Before Mark can reply, Jackson pulls his boyfriend closer to him and kisses his lips. Mark pulls away pretty quick, not wanting the kiss to get heated. They haven't known each other very long and Mark is a little too aware of how fast their relationship is moving.

          “Wanna watch a movie?” Mark asks, awkwardly scooting away from his boyfriend.

          “Sure,” Jackson says, getting up from his bed, “the big tv is downstairs.” Jackson opens the door and walks out, Mark follows, a few steps behind. They go downstairs and into the family room. The room is pretty small, a couch taking up most of the space and there are lots of pillows and blankets around the room.

          “What movie do you want to watch?” Jackson asks, trying to sound cheerful but Mark is being too awkward.

          “Anything. It's up to you. I like horror movies.” Mark says, sounding bored.

          “Okay. Horror movie it is.” Jackson tries again to sound cheerful and finds a movie to put on. Jackson doesn't want to watch a horror movie but if that’s what Mark likes then that's what they'll watch. Jackson puts the movie in the DVD player and sits down next to Mark.

          “You're acting weird.” Jackson says to Mark, “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

          “No. Not at all. I'm a little too comfortable.”

          “That doesn't make sense.”

          “I just don't want anything to happen. Okay?”

          “Okay…” Jackson replies and there is a moment of silence as the previews before the movie begin. Jackson can't find the remote so they have to wait for the previews to play, “Why?”

          “Why what?”

          “Mark. Why don't you want anything to happen? You don't even want to kiss me or sit close to me.”

          “I like you a lot but you are too young. I don't want you to get hurt if something happens too soon.”

          “I'm old enough.”

          “Jackson… don't you feel like this is moving too fast?”

          “No. It’s not. We're meant to be, soulmates. I swear.”

          “Listen to me. We’ve known each other for a very short amount of time. I'm not gonna pressure you into anything you don't want to do.”

          “What if I want it?”

          “You're not ready. We're not ready.”

          “But I am! Mark!”

          “What if someone found out? We aren't in a place in our relationship where we can have sex.”

          “Why not?”

          “If other people found out we'd get a lot of judgement. It's too risky.”

          “What other people think of our relationship doesn't matter!”

          “I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want someone to find out and hurt you. I don't want you to be judged like that.”

          “Do you not want it?” Jackson asks, worried.

          “I do, I want it too much. I want you too much.”

          “Mark. Please.”

          “No Jackson. Not yet.”

          “Okay…” Jackson sighs, “Cuddle with me?”

          “Of course,” Mark snuggles next to Jackson and the movie starts.

          Jackson wants to be the man and hold Mark when he gets scared of the movie but Mark doesn't even flinch. Jackson’s the one squirming and yelling about the movie. He's wrapped himself so tightly around Mark that Mark can barely breath. Once the movie is over the boys order pizza and eat while watching a movie of Jackson’s choice. They barely watch the movie and spend more time fooling around. They are happy together. No matter what happens they are together and they love each other. Eventually they get tired and go back up to Jackson’s room. The couple lay together on Jackson’s bed, snuggled up next to each other. Jackson places gentle little kisses all over Mark’s face and Mark giggles every time.

          Mark falls asleep in Jackson’s arms and before Jackson falls asleep he whispers into Mark’s ear, “I love you my Markie. Forever and ever.”

Chapter Text

          It's currently the end of January but it hasn't been that cold so Mark and Jackson were very surprised when they woke up in the morning. Mark wakes up snuggled up against Jackson and smiles, it wasn't a dream. He quietly gets up, hoping he doesn't wake Jackson. He glances out the window and notices that everything is white!

          “Jackson, Jackson, Jackson,” Mark says quietly; trying to wake him up.

          “Huh?” Jackson groans sleepily.

          “Look outside! It snowed!” Jackson rubs his eyes, sits up and then looks at the window; seeing the ground outside covered in a thick layer of snow.

          “Woah.” Jackson says, starting to be fully awake.

          “Good morning,” Mark says and kisses Jackson on the cheek, “what's for breakfast?”

          “We can make pancakes,” Jackson suggests, “We have the mix.” Before going to make food the boys go into the bathroom to brush their teeth; they both know you can't kiss with gross morning breath.

          Jackson opens the cabinet and spots the pancake mix on the very top shelf. He reaches to try and grab it but it’s just a little too high. Mark giggles as Jackson jumps and knocks the box onto the floor, spilling the powder everywhere.

          “Like you could have reached?” Jackson mumbles to himself as he cleans up what he spilled.

          “You could have just kneeled on the counter,” Mark laughs, “you really don’t think sometimes.”

          Jackson makes an unintelligible noise and Mark giggles again. The boys go about making their pancakes. Mark gets the mix on his hands and he wipes it off on Jackson’s shirt; Jackson responds by throwing a pinch of the mix in Mark’s face. They go back and forth until they are both laughing hysterically, are covered in a white powder, and need to get more from the box to complete their food. They tease each other and finish making pancakes. They pile the pancakes onto a plate and sit down at the table. They each take a few from the stack for themselves.

          “What the hell are you doing?” Mark exclaims as Jackson smothers his pancakes in syrup, “You don’t need that much!”

          “Yes, I do.” Jackson replies stubbornly and continues to pour syrup on his breakfast.

          “Stop that.” Mark sighs and takes the syrup from Jackson.

          “Heeeeeeeeeeeeey! It’s my cheat day!” Jackson whines. Mark just laughs puts a little bit of syrup on his pancakes and starts to eat. Jackson pouts and begins to stuff his face. When they finish eating they go back up to Jackson’s room.

          “What do you wanna do now?” Mark asks as he sits down on Jackson’s bed. Jackson doesn’t even reply; he lightly pushes Mark back on the bed and hovers over him and smirks. Jackson leans down to kiss him, but he gets pushed off and Mark sits up.

          “Markie?” Jackson sits back up and grabs his boyfriend’s hand.

          “I’m not falling for your tricks.”

          “Tricks? I just wanted a kiss.” Jackson tries to be casual but Mark isn’t falling for it.

          “You’re a horny 15 year old. I know what you want.” Mark places a quick peck on Jackson’s lips, but moves away when Jackson tries to go back for more.

          “You’re being ridiculous.” Jackson groans.

          “You know that relationships aren’t all about intimacy, right?”

          “I know, but it’s still really important.” Jackson tries to persuade.

          “Not that important. You’re 15. You need to chill.”

          “I don’t wanna chill. I wanna make out with my gorgeous boyfriend!” Jackson laments; making Mark frustrated.

          “Stop being so annoying and get over it,” Mark snaps, “I’m not gonna make out with you. I should probably go home now.” Mark gets up, grabs his stuff, and goes downstairs. Jackson follows, begging him to not leave. Mark puts his shoes on and opens the door to see that they are totally snowed in and that it’s snowing violently outside.

          “Great,” Mark says sarcastically, “I’m stuck here.” He trudges back up to Jackson’s room and sits on the desk chair, instead of on the bed. Jackson follows again, looking absolutely mortified.

          “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Jackson says dejectedly.

          “It’s fine.” Mark replies with no emotion.

          “I hope we can move past this. I didn’t think this would fall apart so quickly.”

          “Yup.”

          “I really like you. I like you more than I could ever like anyone else. You are already so important to me. I know we’ve been moving too fast, but I can’t deny how much I love you. Everything about you is perfect. You’re caring and smart and I just like you so much. I don’t want to screw this up. I should have listened to you and now I’ll listen to you. I’m just being stupid and annoying. I really don’t want to screw this up already. I’ll do anything to make it up to you. Literally anything. I just want us to be together and be happy. I can’t stand seeing you like this.”

          Mark stands up and walks across the room to where Jackson is standing. He pulls Jackson into a big bear hug and squeezes him tightly; his boyfriend hugs back.

          “I think I’m in love with you.” Jackson says and breaks away from the hug.

          “I know that I’m in love with you.” Mark replies and lays down on the bed with a long sigh. Jackson lays down next to him and sighs too. Mark moves closer and Jackson puts him arm around his boyfriend. They snuggle and talk about nonsense for hours until their phones both buzz.

New Message from:  Operation Markson Reveal

“I’ve got a plan.”

Bam Boi:

It’s pretty crazy

But we can do it

Hopefully

Markie:

Whatcha got?

Bam Boi:

Well…

I planned out a Thai-Chinese-American Fusion menu

But it’s too complicated

We’ll never manage it

How do your parents feel about more European food?

Markie:

That should be fine

Bam Boi:

Good!

It’s a 7 course meal

But it won’t be that bad

Markie:

Explain

Jaebutt:

What the hell?

LoudJae:

I appreciate the work

But you’re insane!

How are we supposed to manage?

Bam Boi:

Here’s the course by course menu

1- Mandarin Oranges with Salmon Mousse Quenelles

And Fresh Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce

2- Smoked Trout Pate with Champagne Granita

3- Salad Greens with Lemon Vinaigrette

(served in an Asparagus house!)

4- Shrimp Bisque Flambe

5- Pink Grapefruit Sorbet

6- Trout filled with Salmon Mousse in Puff Pastry

With Potato Baskets and Zucchini Flower garnish

7- Ice Cream Wrapped in a Tuille Cookie

Jaebutt:

Jfc

LoudJae:

I have no clue what any of this is

Bam Boi:

They really aren’t that hard to make

The soup has to be set on fire

But aside from that it’ll be easy

There is one complication…

Markie:

What?!

Bam Boi:

We need to get alcohol

For cooking

Markie:

Tell me what you need

As long as we are only cooking with it

my parents would get it for us

Bam Boi:

Champagne, Sherry wine, Brandy

And maybe some Pinot Gris

For the adults to drink with the main course

Jaebutt:

You are so lucky you’re nice

The things I’m doing for you

LoudJae:

BamBam?

U sure we can do this?

You seem to expect a lot from us

Markie:

Yeah…

Tbh this does seem like a little much

Giant Baby:

Guys

Stop doubting

We can do this

Btw Wow Bam! That’s really impressive

Bam Boi:

Thanks sm Yugyeom! <3

Markie:

Awwwwwww

~~~~~~~~~~

          Jackson laughs, looking over Mark’s shoulder, at BamBam’s message. Jackson really can’t wait for next weekend because he knows that it’s going to be so much fun. He squeals into Mark’s ear out of excitement and jumps around a little.

          “I can’t believe it’s gonna happen!” Jackson exclaims, “Our parents are gonna know and we’ll really be an official couple.”

          “Yeah, it’s gonna be really nice to have them know, but what if we can’t do stuff like this again?”

          “It’ll be fine.”

          “Jackson… we don’t know. They might not let us be alone together anymore. Parents can get really paranoid about their teenagers doing sexual stuff.”

          “I don’t think they’ll do that. Don’t worry Markie!”

          “I’ll try not to.” Mark replies with a sigh. The two boys spend the rest of the day cuddling, listening to music, and talking until, Jackson gets a call from his parents saying that they’ll be home soon. He explains to them the situation and they say that they’ll shovel them out when they get back. Mark and Jackson enjoy the rest of their time together and once Jackson’s parents get home Mark leaves.

          “I love you,” Jackson whispers as he walks Mark out.

          “I love you too,” Mark replies quietly as he shuts Jackson’s front door behind him.

~~~~~~~ Sunday Night, Jinyoung’s House ~~~~~~

New Message from Youngjae

“Hey…”

Youngjae:

Can I ask you something?

Jinyoung:

Depends

Youngjae:

Well…

I’ve been thinking a lot

About that argument…

You had with JB

Jinyoung:

And?

Youngjae:

What happened?

Jinyoung:

It’s not important, it’s all in the past now

Youngjae:

Ok…

Speaking of Jaebum…

The date went well.

He’s hot.

Jinyoung:

That’s it?

Youngjae:

Yeah, basically.

There’s not much more to him

He’s hot and popular

I’m gonna keep going out with him

since it’ll help me gain more popularity

I’ll probably dump him after student council elections

when I win pres

Jinyoung:

That’s really rude

Youngjae:

Since when did you care about not being rude?

Jinyoung:

When did you start being such an attention whore?

I can’t even talk to you.

          Jinyoung isn’t going to waste his energy on this conversation. Youngjae is wrong. Jinyoung is baffled and hurt by how cruel Youngjae is being. Jinyoung knows how heartbroken Jaebum will be and he wishes he could stop this. He never thought his best friend could be so heartless. He knew from the beginning that Youngjae doesn’t truly care about Jaebum. Jinyoung wants Jaebum to be happy, but Youngjae will ruin everything. Jinyoung has to stop Youngjae or warn Jaebum. He needs to do something, but he’ll always be the bad guy.

          He has to try.

Jinyoung:

You can’t go out with Jaebum again

Youngjae:

Why? You can’t tell me what not to do

Jinyoung:

Are you trying to hurt Jaebum?

Youngjae:

When did you start caring about him?

Jinyoung:

Answer my question

Youngjae:

He can get anyone he wants

He’ll be fine

Jinyoung:

You really don’t get it

Can’t you see that you’re the one he wants?

He really cares about you

Youngjae:

Ok…

I don’t really care about him

Jinyoung:

Then don’t go out with him again

Youngjae:

But, then I won’t be more popular

and confirm my spot as student council pres

Jinyoung:

Aren’t a person’s feelings more important?

Youngjae:

You have no right to tell me about feelings

You’re cold and cruel

All you ever do is hurt people

No one really likes you

You’re just jealous

Jinyoung:

Don’t hurt him

Please

 ~~~~~~~~~~

          The world has been turned upside down as Youngjae becomes someone he is not and Jinyoung lets his vulnerability show. Jinyoung’s heart aches knowing that Youngjae’s selfish actions will seriously harm Jaebum.

Chapter Text

~~~~Monday~~~~

          “Youngjae!” Jaebum calls across the courtyard before class. Youngjae turns around and stops walking; he waves. Jaebum speed walks over to him and greets him with small hug that Youngjae willingly embraces.

          “How are you?” Youngjae asks politely, as they sit down on a bench.”

          “I’m good. You?” Jaebum answers, already invested in the conversation. Sadly, Youngjae wasn’t; he was staring at his phone scrolling through social media and playing games.

          “Hmm?” Youngjae doesn’t even look up.

          “Nevermind.”

          The silence between them is painful to Jaebum. He just wants a normal conversation, but Youngjae won’t even look at him.

          “Are you okay?” Youngjae asks, finally looking up from his phone.

          “I’m fine. Just fi- Do you have plans after school?” Jaebum asks suddenly.

          “I actually don’t. Why?”

          “Do you want to come over to my house after school?”

          “Sure.” Youngjae answers quickly.

          “Both my parents have work today, so we’ll be alone. We’ll have to walk though. Is that okay?”

          “Yeah.” Another plain, emotionless answer. Jaebum notices that he isn’t acting like himself and it’s worrying, “I’ll see you later then.”

          Youngjae gets up and walks away, leaving Jaebum shocked at the lack of sunshine radiating off the boy that usually brightens his world. Something must be wrong, he thinks, Youngjae didn't smile or laugh. He looked so unhappy. Something must have happened and he doesn't want to tell me. I'll have to ask him. I hope I can make him feel better. I just want him to be happy. His smile brightens up my life and I can't imagine a day without it. I can't be happy knowing that he isn't.

~~~~~~~~~~

          Jaebum sits down in homeroom, next to Youngjae’s seat and waits. He looks at the clock, noticing that it's only a minute until class starts and Youngjae still isn't there. Jinyoung walks in right before the bell rings and Jaebum expects Youngjae to be with him. Jinyoung is alone and takes the seat on the other side of Youngjae’s desk.

          “Do you know where Youngjae is?” Jaebum asks Jinyoung with hesitation.

          “I saw him. I don't know why he isn't here.” Jinyoung replies stiffly.

          “I saw him too. He seemed off.”

          “I've noticed too. He hasn't been acting like himself. He's been being completely selfish.” Jinyoung sighs.

          “Like how?”

          “I said, he is being selfish.” Jinyoung repeats, voice harsher.

          “How is he being selfish?” Jaebum emphasizes.

          “I can't tell you.”

          “You can't tell me or you won't tell me?”

          “I won't. It’s fine. He’ll be fine.” Jinyoung is stubborn and Jaebum can't stand it.

          “Jinyoung! He's clearly not fine! What's wrong with him?!” Jaebum exclaims, followed by a chorus of “shh”s from the rest of the class.

          “I don't know! He's acting like a different person! He's going to hurt you and I don't know what to do! I can't let him!” Jinyoung impulsively shout-whispers back.

          “Hurt me? He's an angel,” Jaebum’s face drops, “what could he do to me?”

          Jinyoung doesn't answer; he raises his hand and asks the teacher if he could go to the library. She scribbles him a pass and then he's gone. Jaebum is left in shock, staring at the empty space that Jinyoung occupied a moment prior. What does he mean? Jaebum wonders, How could Youngjae hurt me? And why would Jinyoung care? Jinyoung hates me, he must just be trying to scare me. Youngjae is probably having a hard time with something. I'll comfort him when we hang out after school. He’ll be back to his grinning self in no time.

          Jaebum takes this positive outlook and carries it with him the rest of the day. It's worrying that he hasn't seen Youngjae or Jinyoung at all.

          At lunch, he sits with Jackson, Mark, and BamBam. BamBam tells them that Yugyeom is spending the period getting extra help from one of his teachers. Of course, BamBam goes on about how proud he is that “Yugyeom is taking initiative and trying to get better grades.” BamBam spends a long time gushing about his boyfriend, until Jackson and Mark start giggling.

          “What's so funny?” BamBam whines.

          “Nothing.” Jackson says, but the couple keeps laughing.

          “Whaaaaaaaaaaat?” BamBam says, whining again.

          “The way you talk about Yugyeom is so cute!” Mark answers. BamBam blushes and looks down into his lap.

          “I just wish we didn't have to keep it such a secret. It's gonna be really hard. Whenever I'm with him all I want to do is cuddle him and kiss him. I can't do that and it's really hard.” BamBam sighs, twiddling his fingers anxiously. Mark comforts him and soon conversation is back to normal for the rest of lunch.

          The rest of the day ticks by slowly. Jaebum hasn't seen Youngjae anywhere and he's beginning to worry. He texts him but he doesn't get a reply. The more he thinks about it, he realizes he hasn't seen Jinyoung anywhere either. They must be together! Jaebum thinks, they must be doing something. Maybe Youngjae is cheating on me! But we aren't even a real couple. If he's been screwing around with Jinyoung I'll be furious. That's the only possible option. I have to confront him.

          Jaebum sees Youngjae leaving the library after last period and speed walks to catch up with him. Youngjae greets him enthusiastically and they walk silently out of school. They trudge through the snow to Jaebum’s house, speaking very little. They go inside and Youngjae still doesn’t speak. Jaebum can’t think of what to say, so he just tries to be a good host.

          “Do you want a drink, or something to eat?” Jaebum asks politely as they sit on the couch in the living room.

          “Water would be nice, please.” Youngjae requests simply. Jaebum hurries into the kitchen and when he returns Youngjae is typing furiously on his phone. Jaebum places the cup on the coffee table and sits back down next to Youngjae.

          “Who are you talking to? Jinyoung?” Jaebum asks, jealousy getting the best of him.

          “How’d you know?” Youngjae groans slamming his phone down next to him.

          “Is there something going on? You can tell me anything, I promise I won’t tell anyone.” Jaebum tries to comfort, but he was lowkey just trying to get Youngjae to confess.

          “Yeah. He and I are fighting. He’s so immature and hypocritical. I’m my own person and he can’t tell me what to do. I’m going to do what I can to be happy and not worry about his delicate little feelings. He makes everyone else feel terrible because he’s insecure and pathetic. He has no right to tell me to worry about someone’s feelings.” Youngjae rants.

          “Oh,” Jaebum begins, surprised at the response that he wasn’t expecting, “I’m sorry. Best friends fight sometimes, I’m sure you’ll work past it.”

          “No! He’s not my best friend anymore. He wants me to be miserable. He’s trying to ruin my senior year!”

          “How would he ruin next year?”

          “He wants to stop me from getting elected student council president again!”

          “He’s graduating; he can’t stop that from happening! You just have to have a really good campaign.” Jaebum continues trying to be positive, he just wants Youngjae to be happy.

          “He can. That monster is trying to take away the one thing that will guarantee my win!”

          “What is that thing?” Jaebum asks, only trying to help and be supportive.

          Youngjae doesn’t reply. He looks away. He can’t tell Jaebum that he’s the “thing.” Jaebum puts his arm around Youngjae and pulls him closer. Youngjae looks at him for a moment, but quickly looks away. Jaebum just smiles, being with Youngjae feels so right and he can’t help but grin. The moment ends when Youngjae’s phone vibrates furiously next to him and he picks it up to see what it is. Jaebum looks over the younger boy’s shoulder and sees that Jinyoung is texting Youngjae. He slowly moves to take the phone out of Youngjae’s hand and place it out of the owner’s reach. Youngjae pouts; his pout deepens when Jaebum laughs a little.

          “You’re just so cute.” Jaebum gushes. Youngjae blushes and tries to push away, but Jaebum hugs him tightly. The two begin to laugh and Youngjae hugs back.

          Jaebum presses a very light kiss on Youngjae’s forehead. Youngjae giggles and looks at the older boy with a big smile. Jaebum places a kiss on the tip of Youngjae’s nose; earning another giggle. He takes a chance and finally kisses Youngjae’s lips. Neither boy pulls away and they kiss softly, feeling the warmth of each other. Youngjae giggles into the kiss and Jaebum pulls away to look at the younger’s beautiful face.

          “Kiss me.” Youngjae says, blushing deeper.

          Of course Jaebum complies and they two kiss again. This time it’s more heated and the hormones race through their bodies. Jaebum lays back on the couch and Youngjae ends up straddling the older’s waist as they make out. Jaebum’s hands rest on Youngjae’s ass comfortably. Youngjae begins to grind lightly against Jaebum. Suddenly, he adds more pressure and Jaebum sits up, breaking the kiss and breathing heavily. Youngjae looks at him, confused.

          “Can I….?” Jaebum tries to ask, eyes glued to the bulge in Youngjae’s pants.

          Youngjae nods, blushing. They resume kissing and Jaebum slowly strokes the younger’s dick through his jeans. Youngjae groans at the motion and grinds against Jaebum’s hand. With one hand, Jaebum manages to unbutton the other’s jeans and releases his hard cock from his underwear. Jaebum moves to kneel on the floor between Youngjae’s legs and runs his hands down the younger boy’s slim thighs. Youngjae bites his lip and stares down with wide eyes.

          “This ok?” Jaebum asks, making sure he isn’t making the other uncomfortable.

          “Yeah,” Youngjae nods, “I’m just nervous.”

          “Don’t be. I’ll make you feel good, Baby.” Jaebum says.

          Youngjae nods and Jaebum smiles before taking the head of Youngjae’s dick into his mouth. He slowly takes it further into his mouth, earning soft moans from Youngjae. He runs his tongue up and down Youngjae’s cock and then returns to sucking him off. Youngjae’s moans grow louder and louder over the next few minutes.

          “Jae- Jaebum I- I’m…. hmmm…. gonna c- c- cum…” Youngjae groans out. Jaebum releases the younger’s cock with a pop and began to jerk him off. Soon, Youngjae moans loudly and his cock spurts warm, sticky cum all over Jaebum’s hand.

          Jaebum quickly grabs some tissues from the box on the table and cleans up, while Youngjae sits on the couch trying to calm down.

          “Wow.” Youngjae sighs, zipping his pants back up, “You’re amazing.”

          “Oh… um, thanks.” Jaebum replies awkwardly. That was the first time he had ever given a blowjob. I guess I did well, he thinks.

          “So… are we a couple?”

          “Ifyouwanttobe becauseilikeyoualot andiwouldlike ustobeacouple butimnotsure ifyouwanttobeone andidontwantto forceyouinto anythingyou dontwantan-”

          “Slow down, Jaebum! I’d li-” Youngjae pauses for a long time, thinking about what to say. Instinct tells him to say he wants them to be a couple, even though his feelings aren’t sincere.

          “I’d like us to be a couple too.” Youngjae forces out, even though it’s a lie. Jaebum’s face lights up and wraps his boyfriend in a warm hug.

          “I’m glad.” Jaebum whispers.

          I’m not, Youngjae thinks.

Chapter Text

~~~~ Jinyoung’s ~~~~

          Great! Jinyoung thinks sarcastically, now he's ignoring me!

          Jinyoung had been texting Youngjae; trying to talk some sense into him, but not making any progress. After arguing, Youngjae stopped replying. Jinyoung is frustrated and worked up; he needs a break. He works on homework and relaxes for a few hours, until he hears his phone bing.

New Message from Youngjae

“Sorry…”

Youngjae:

I was at Jaebum’s house

But you'd NEVER guess what happened!

Jinyoung:

Did you tell him that you're not gonna go out with him anymore?

Youngjae:

No we’re an official couple now

And….

Jinyoung:

And what?

Youngjae:

He gave me a blowjob

Jinyoung:

Stop leading him on

I keep telling you not to do that

Don't take advantage of him

Youngjae:

We were making out and he offered

I wasn't gonna turn it down

I've never gotten one before

It was really good

And Jaebum is really hot

Jinyoung:

NO!

YOU NEED TO END THIS NOW!

Youngjae:

I'm not gonna listen to you!

I'm not dumping him!

Jinyoung:

WHY? DO YOU LOVE HIM?

I’LL KEEP ASKING

Youngjae:

I do NOT love him but…

I LOVE HIS mouth

          Jinyoung stares at his phone for a moment and feels a tear drip down his face. The overwhelming emotions of the past few days have become too much. Jealousy runs through his veins. Each and every cell in his body is burning with it. He's jealous of Youngjae and Mark and Yugyeom. He just wants love and he can't understand why he's the only one who doesn't get any. All he wants is Jaebum. Im Jaebum. He's all Jinyoung thinks about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

          The next day at school, Jinyoung sits by himself in the courtyard. He sees Yugyeom and BamBam walk by and sit on a bench a few feet away. He hears them giggling and internally groans. He glances over at them every couple seconds, curious. He watches as BamBam slides his hand over Yugyeom’s and intertwines their fingers. The two younger boys become more physical and Yugyeom puts his arm around BamBam. Jinyoung can't stand to watch and just as he's about to pull his eyes away, BamBam and Yugyeom kiss. Jinyoung storms off. Yugyeom stopped hanging out with him for that. For a stupid little boy.

          Right after school, Jinyoung quickly calls Yugyeom’s mother.

          “Hello, Mrs. Kim.” Jinyoung greets politely.

          “Jinyoung, is everything ok? Yugyeom hasn't mentioned you recently.” Mrs. Kim asks, not knowing of the events that tore the friends apart.

          “Not really. I have something important to tell you. Earlier today I saw Yugyeom… kissing a boy. There's a new student that came recently and I've seen him and Yugyeom together quite often. They are dating and I just thought you should know.”

          “I can't believe… Thank you, Jinyoung.” Yugyeom's mother replies, exasperated.

          “You're very welcome. I know that you don't approve of Yugyeom dating another boy, so I thought it would be good for you to know.”

          “I will be speaking to him when he gets home. And our home is your home so stop by anytime.” Mrs. Kim says and hangs up.

          Very very deep inside Jinyoung feels bad, but he really feels fine. Yugyeom abandoned him. Jinyoung just wanted to protect him, but Yugyeom got caught up in a little crush and stopped speaking to him. He even gave his former friend advice! This is how he gets repaid for helping Yugyeom. He deserves this.

~~~~ Yugyeom’s House ~~~~

          Yugyeom gets home from school, same as he always does, and heads into the kitchen to get a snack. He finds his mother sitting at the kitchen table with her arms crossed, furious. He knows that he's going to get in trouble. He can't imagine what for, but they'll be something. He cautiously sits across from his mother.

          “How was your day, Yugyeom?” His mother asks dryly.

          He takes a deep breath and replies, “Good. How was yours?”

          “Fine. Until I discovered your little secret.” Mrs. Kim glares as Yugyeom’s face drops, “I always knew this would happen… Agh you disgust me. How dare you do this and disobey me? Turn me into an embarrassment? My son is gay … how humiliating!”

          “Mom… I- I'm sorry.” Yugyeom stutters.

          “You should be! You're an embarrassment to me and your father! You're lucky I love you, or else I'd kick you out!” She yells, standing suddenly.

          Yugyeom looks at her, eyes wide.

          “You will go to school in the morning and come home right after. With special permission from me you might be allowed to have a friend over occasionally. Aside from that, you will remain home at all times. When you arrive home I will get your cell phone and I'm turning off your data. You may only use your phone to contact your family or people we approve of. If I hear that you are seeing your little ‘boyfriend’ your punishments will become much more severe. Understand?”

          “Yes, Mom.” Yugyeom replies quietly, retreating back into his shell, “How di- di-did you find ou- out?”

          “It's not important. Just know that you're being watched.” Mrs. Kim says condescendingly, “Upstairs. Now.”

          Yugyeom drags himself upstairs and he lays lifelessly on his bed. He tries to hold back tears, but he can't help it. He sobs into his pillow, trying to muffle the sound. He cries for his life. He cries for his relationship, but most of all he cries for the most happiness he has ever had, BamBam. Yugyeom feels as if he has nothing to live for. BamBam is everything to him. He cries himself to sleep, wishing BamBam was with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Yugyeom reluctantly goes to school in the morning. He's a mess, but he must obey his parents. He avoids BamBam, but eventually he does have to go to class. He sits as far away from BamBam as he can, not even looking in his direction. After a few minutes of the class getting settled and beginning conversations, Jackson sits next to Yugyeom and taps him. Yugyeom’s head shoots around and he looks at Jackson with fear in his eyes. He's so on edge and it's a little comforting to see Jackson.

          “What's wrong?” Jackson asks simply, having no idea what had happened.

          “My p- p- parents found out.”

          “Found what out?” Jackson’s face drops.

          “That I'm gay. And- and- and about BamBam.” Yugyeom chokes out quietly.

          “Do you know how?” Jackson worries, eyes darting from Yugyeom to BamBam to Yugyeom again.

          Yugyeom looks down and shakes his head. After a moment of silence he continues,  “But it has to be someone from school. My mom said someone is watching me. If they see me with Bammie I'm dead.”

          “I- I-” Jackson stutters, “I can't believe. No one has any reason to do this to you. You've never caused anyone any harm.”

          “I never wanted to hurt Bammie. I knew this would happen. I shouldn't have done this…” Yugyeom’s voice fades to nothing and he turns away, looking out the window.

          “Who could have told your mom?” Jackson asks, trying to figure out who’s out to get such a sweet person.

          “Youngjae, Mark, and Ji-Jinyoung are the only ones who know my mom.”

          A lightbulb turns on in Jackson’s head, “Jinyoung did it. I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind!”

          “No!” Yugyeom’s gaze darts back to meet Jackson’s eyes, with a look of pure terror, “Don't say anything. If you stand up to him he'll make it worse. Please don't say anything. This is my problem.”

          “I can't not do anything! I have to help you!” The wheels in Jackson’s head turn rapidly, trying to find a solution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

          BamBam tried to listen from across the room, but he couldn't hear over all the other conversations. He could see his teary eyed boyfriend and his heart broke. Why? He can't help but wonder, why? They were together and they were happy, but today Yugyeom won't even look at him.

          Suddenly, Jackson dashes back over to him and spills what Yugyeom told him.

          "Jinyoung outed him! Just because he's jealous!" Jackson whisper-shouts angrily.

          BamBam stares back blankly.

          "We can't let him get away with this. How dare he do this to Yugyeom?" Jackson continues, shaking with frustration.

          "My Yugyeom..." BamBam pauses, not breathing, "I- I- love my Y-yugyeom. I need him."

          "I know you do." Jackson sighs, before returning to Yugyeom's side.

          BamBam’s phone buzzes in his pocket.

New Message from Your new best friend Jackson

“ Talk to Gyeom ”

Your new best friend Jackson:

Hi, it's Yugyeom. Jackson told me to use his phone.

Bam Boi:

Hi, I'm sorry

This is my fault

Your new best friend Jackson:

No! It's mine.

Bam Boi:

Never! You can't do anything wrong

Your new best friend Jackson:

I miss you

Bam Boi:

Same. I need you so badly.

Your new best friend Jackson:

Same.

Bam Boi:

We can get through this.

I love you.

We'll be together forever.

Your new best friend Jackson:

We can't. Bammie.

I love you sm but we can't.

Bam Boi:

Gyeomie please don't give up.

We're meant to be

We can make it through

Your new best friend Jackson:

I'm sorry but im being realistic.

We can't stay together.

Bam Boi:

Don't break up with me.

Please.

Your new best friend Jackson:

Bammie...

IVE TAKEN MY PHONE BACK YOU ARE NOT BREAKING UP

~~~~~~~~~~~~

          “You are not breaking up with him,” Jackson says firmly. His sweet puppy dog face changing into a cold firm glare. “Your love will win. I’ll make sure of it.”

          “My mom will kill me!” Yugyeom insists, “She has things she’ll do if I keep seeing him. She’ll make me transfer schools, then go to military school, and if I’m still with him she’ll disown me and kick me out.”

          “That won’t happen. I’ll make sure it all stays a secret.”

          “Ji- He is watching. I bet he has other people watching.”

          “He’s one person. He has no friends and no one would help him stalk you.” Jackson smiles reassuringly, the puppy dog face returning.

          “Ja-Jackson…” Yugyeom stutters, “What ha-happens at l-l-lunch?”

          “Go to the library. If Jinyoung tries to sit with you, let him.” Jackson advises.

          “Why should I let him?”

          “You can’t let him know that you know that he outed you. You have to act like your mother wants.”

          “I have to make sure I don’t seem sneaky and suspicious! I get it.” Yugyeom confirms his understanding of Jackson’s plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

          Yugyeom drags himself through his classes, until it’s time for lunch. He shuffles to the library and finds a seat at the empty table in the back of the nonfiction section. He busies himself with school work and tries to not focus on the problems in his life.

          After a few minutes of quiet, he hears a familiar voice,

          “Mind if I sit here?”

          He looks up from his work and sees Jinyoung. He takes a deep breath and whispers softly, “Nah, it’s fine.”

          “How are you?” Jinyoung asks casually, as he sits down across the small table.

          “I’m fine. You?” Yugyeom mumbles.

          “I’m ok. Any reason why you’re here and not at lunch?” Yugyeom can tell by the smug look on the other’s face that he’s trying to get Yugyeom to crack.

          “I just have some work to do.” Yugyeom replies, looking back down at his books.

          “How are things with your boyfriend?”

          “I broke up with him” Yugyeom replies quietly, “It just wasn’t working out.”

          “I told you so.” Jinyoung smirks.

          Yugyeom’s face begins to burn with rage, before calming down and replying, “He’s not like you thought, we just didn’t work out.”

          “Hmm…” Jinyoung then, pauses, “I’m glad that you seem to be over it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

          BamBam is silent at lunch. He’s always talkative and goofy, but today he cannot bring himself to smile. He thinks about Yugyeom. He thinks about how he wants to be wrapped in his arms, safe and warm. He dreams about a future for them and all they could be. He remembers how their hands feel intertwined and how his lips feel pressed against his. He imagines them smiling again. He can picture them dancing together and sharing ideas. He hopes that his Yugyeom is ok. He wishes they could be happy again.

          “BAMBAM!” BamBam is suddenly jolted out of his thoughts when Jackson shouts in his ear.

          “Yeah?” He replies in a daze.

          “Jaebum just asked you a question.” Mark says.

          “I asked, what’s gonna happen this weekend?” Jaebum repeats.

          “I won’t go.” BamBam replies.

          “You have to come, but Yugyeom needs to be there too.” Youngjae says.

          “We can just say that BamBam’s not going?” Mark suggests.

          “Yeah… that could work,” Jaebum agrees, “but we need to be very careful to not get caught.”

          “If we get caught it’ll be even worse.” Youngjae sighs.

          “Please make this work.” BamBam says to the others.

          “We will. By the end of the week it’ll be set and you’ll get to talk to him again. I promise.” Jaebum says.

Chapter Text

           It’s finally Friday, but the days that passed were torture with Yugyeom and BamBam only communicating through their friends, and Yugyeom spending lunch with Jinyoung.

          “I’m glad that we’ve been able to talk again.” Jinyoung tells Yugyeom honestly.

           “Yeah… me too.” Yugyeom hesitates.

          “I really just want to help you. I know what’s best for you. You’re my freshman. I feel responsible for you.”

           Yugyeom sighs, “I appreciate it, but I can handle myself.”

           “I know, I know. Just know I’m here for you. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

          “Jinyoung?”

           “Huh?”

           “Why do you tell me you care, but then hurt people I care about?” Yugyeom asks honestly; innocence in his eyes.

           “Do you mean Mark?”

           Yugyeom nods softly.

           Jinyoung looks away; the gears in his head turn quickly. He hadn’t thought about what happened and insisted to himself that he was right. He finally replays that day in his head and thinks.

           Mark lied… but- but he didn’t. He just didn’t tell us because he was embarrassed. He thought- he knew we- I would judge him. Mark didn’t mean any harm and Jackson didn’t mean any harm. They were sharing an ice cream; it was innocent, but I assumed the worst. How could I? How could I hurt him? Mark’s been nothing but a friend to me. I didn’t try to hurt him; I thought I was right. I was wrong. I was oh-so wrong. Mark’s quiet; he’s always been. I shouldn’t have said those things. I knew I was jealous… I didn’t realize I hurt him.

           “I was wrong.” Jinyoung looks down, “I was irrational and jumped to conclusions.”

           “Oh!” A light flickers in Yugyeom’s eyes.

           “I’m sorry.”

           “Apologize to Mark; not me.” Yugyeom advises, glad that Jinyoung is finally seeing his wrong.

~~~~~ The Cafeteria ~~~~~

New Message from Jinyoung

“ I’m sorry ”

Jinyoung:

I was thinking about the other day

I was wrong and

I’m sorry

I wasn’t thinking

~~~~~~~~~~

           Mark looks up from his phone is shock. He shows the others the messages and they all look just as surprised.

           “I can’t believe he apologized.” Mark says, staring at his phone screen.

           “Do you think he means it?” Jackson ask, crossing his arms; he doesn’t buy the apology.

           “He’d never apologize unless he means it. When Jinyoung thinks he’s right, he stands by it.” Youngjae explains.

           “What should I say?” Mark asks; his mind is blank.

           “Say ‘thank you.’” Jaebum says, “And do you accept his apology?”

           “I would like to talk to him. I can’t just accept it and move on.” Mark answers before he begins to type his response.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mark:

Thank you

I appreciate the apology

But

Id like to talk to you

asap

Jinyoung:

Meet me in front of

the library

after school?

Mark:

Yes

But i only have a minute

See you there

~~~~~~~~~~~

          “I’m meeting him after school for a minute.” Mark sighs as he puts his phone in his sweatshirt pocket.

           “Do you think Yugyeom talked some sense into him?” Jaebum asks.

           “He made him rethink, I guess.” BamBam finally speaks, looking away from the table with his dark hair covering his eyes.

           BamBam has become lazy about his appearance over the past week. Since he hasn’t been able to see Yugyeom, BamBam’s worn sweatpants and oversized t-shirts. He’s traded in his boots for sneakers. He hasn’t even bothered to style his hair; he just lets it hang lifelessly in his face.

~~~~~ Back in the Library ~~~~~

           “I feel better now.” Jinyoung says slowly, while putting his phone away.

           “What about Youngjae?”

          Jinyoung stiffens up and his face hardens, “I will never apologize to him.”

          Yugyeom feels defeated. He thought he was helping Jinyoung make progress, but now he feels like he failed until...

           “He doesn’t love Jaebum. He’s using Jaebum for popularity. I cannot be friends with someone who’s going to hurt Jaebum. You all joke that I’m hung up on Jaebum, but he’s important to me. Something about him is soft and vulnerable. I’m the only one that has seen that side of him. He’s special and Youngjae is going to break his heart.”

           Jinyoung takes off his glasses and cleans them on his shirt with shaky hands.

           “Youngjae? Sweet, sunshine Youngjae?” Yugyeom’s mouth hangs open.

          “Sweet and sunshine Youngjae is the real him, but he’s not acting like himself. He’s turned into a monster.”

          “Like you did. You both became monsters. If you can become good again, then you can help Youngjae.”

          “He won’t listen t-”

           “He’ll listen when you’re being rational!” Yugyeom raises his voice, “You were being irrational and he was replying by being irrational!”

           Jinyoung stares back, eyes wide. Yugyeom raised his voice. Jinyoung’s heart pounds as the guilt sets in. Does Yugyeom know?

            I hurt Yugyeom. I didn’t want to hurt him… I mean, I did at the time, but now… I was jealous because he was happy. My little freshman that I wanted to protect and keep safe from harm, but I was the one that hurt him. I can’t go back. I can’t undo what I’ve done. I have to tell him.

           “Yugyeom… I- I- I was the one that outed you.”

           Jinyoung waits for Yugyeom to cry or leave. He waits for some reaction of shock, but Yugyeom only nods thoughtfully.

           “I know.” Yugyeom says.

           “Please keep seeing BamBam. I will keep your secret. I won’t be your mother’s eyes. I promise, and I will not break a promise.” Jinyoung says, and watches as Yugyeom’s eyes fill up with tears and a small smile appears on his face.

           “You’re back.” Yugyeom whispers and wipes a tear off his cheek.

~~~~~~~~~~

           Jinyoung spends the rest of his day sulking and thinking. He hurt Mark because he was jealous. He hurt Yugyeom because he was jealous. He’s jealous of Youngjae, but he hasn’t hurt him… because he cares about- loves Jaebum.

          He rushes to the library after class, and waits for Mark. Jinyoung paces and worries that Mark’s won’t show up. He might not want to talk to me. He probably doesn’t want to forgive me. Why should he? I just want him to hear what I have to say.

          “Jinyoung.” Jinyoung snaps out of a daze when he hears Mark.

          “Mark I-”

          “You’re sorry. I know. Why?” Mark cuts him off and gets right to the point.

          “I realized that I was wrong and that I hurt you. You just wanted to enjoy time with Jackson, but kept it a secret… you kept it a secret because you knew I’d judge you. I apologize for what I did, and I know that I was wrong. I don’t expect you to forgive.”

          “Oh… I’m glad you’re thinking straight again. I do accept your apology.”

          “Thank you, Mark. How are things with Jackson?” Jinyoung asks politely.

          “Great, actually. He’s really sweet and kind-hearted.”

          “I’m glad. I’ll see you around, Mark.” Jinyoung ends the conversation quickly. He didn’t want to drag on his apology, or try to make excuses.

          Jinyoung heads home to do homework and spend another Friday night alone. He doesn’t expect anything to change in such a short amount of time. Once he arrives home and greets his mother, he goes straight upstairs. He has piles of homework, so he gets started right away. After an hour and a half of mind numbing, boring homework, Jinyoung gets a text… from Mark.

New Message from Mark

“ Hey Jinyoung! ”

Jinyoung:

Hello Mark :)

Mark:

What’s up?

Jinyoung:

Doing homework

You?

Mark:

Nothing much

Was just wondering…

are you busy tomorrow?

Jinyoung:

Um… I don’t think I have plans

But I might still have homework

Why?

Mark:

Jackson and I are making dinner for our parents

And we’re going to announce we’re together

We’d love an extra hand for cooking!

Jinyoung:

Sure! But why me? Is anyone else going?

Mark:

Yeah, everyone is. BamBam, Jaebum, Youngjae, Yugyeom

I hope that’s ok.

And please keep this a secret from Yugyeom’s mom

If she finds out she’ll kill him

Jinyoung:

I won’t say a word.

Are the others ok with me being there?

Mark:

They will have to be

I didn’t tell them yet that I invited you

I promise they’ll all be nice though

I’m glad our Jinyounggie is back!

Jinyoung:

Thanks a lot Mark! I’ll see you tomorrow!

~~~~~~~~~~

          Jinyoung puts his phone away and goes back to doing his work. Or he tries to. He can’t believe Mark actually invited him to hang out with everyone. He worries though, that everyone will treat him badly. He wants this to go well for Mark and Jackson and prays that him being there won’t fuck it up.

          Tomorrow is a test. A test to see if he can get along with them. If he can deal with watching Youngjae use Jaebum. Tomorrow will be difficult, but Jinyoung will try his hardest to positive and helpful.

~~~~~~~~~~

          “You invited Jinyoung?! How dare you? He’s gonna fuck everything up! How can you be so fucking stupid? Just  because he apologized, it doesn’t mean he can just hang out with us again! This isn’t fair to anyone! You want this to fail!”

Chapter Text

“You invited Jinyoung?! How dare you? He’s gonna fuck everything up! How can you be so fucking stupid? Just because he apologized, it doesn’t mean he can just hang out with us again! This isn’t fair to anyone! You want this to fail!”

          “Youngjae! Calm the fuck down!” Jackson shouts, “He’s not gonna do anything!”

          “YES HE WILL! He’s gonna fuck everything up for everyone! He’s out to get me I swear!”

          “Youngjae….” Jaebum sighs and tries to take Youngjae’s hand into his own. The angry boy snaps his hand away and stomps out of the room. Everyone stands frozen at the sudden outburst. Jaebum runs after him and finds his boyfriend crying on the couch. “Baby…”

          “Stop it. Leave me alone.” Youngjae sniffles, trying to act like he wasn’t crying.

          Jaebum sighs deeply and sits next to him. “My boy…. my baby…” He strokes Youngjae’s hair and down his back. The younger’s stress seems to melt away. Youngjae loves how good Jaebum is with physical affection, even though he doesn’t love his boyfriend he can’t deny his touch is soothing. Jaebum pulls Youngjae to face him and wipes away his tears.

          “I’m right here, my love. Don’t worry about Jinyoung. I’m here to protect you.” Jaebum leans in and kisses Youngjae’s lips softly.

          Youngjae kisses back and moves closer. He’s never initiated anything, but now he’s taking advantage of Jaebum’s willingness.

          “Mm~ I see you’re warming up to me.” Jaebum chuckles and stands up. He’s starting to assume that the younger is just shy about their relationship. Youngjae stays seated and frowns.

          “I’m not going back in there. I’m gonna call my mom and just go home.”

          “What about Mark and Jackson? You promised you’d help them. Mark’s your close friend. Stay and deal with Jinyoung for him. Maybe you two will make up.” 

          “I doubt it. He’s such a fucking assho-”

          “He genuinely apologized to Mark. Something must have changed. Please stay.” Jaebum says with a sigh.

          Jaebum was starting to piss him off so Youngjae stands sharply and stomps back into the kitchen, his boyfriend following close behind.

          The room is still tense and awkward when they return. BamBam is clinging to Yugyeom’s sweater and holds tighter when Youngjae enters. Jackson was talking to Mark, but immediately drops the conversation to turn and glare at Youngjae.

          “So, are you gonna apologize?” Jackson gives him an attitude.

           “Yes… I’m sorry. Jinyoung and I are just in a big fight right now. I overreacted.” Youngjae lies. He didn’t overreact, or at least he didn’t think he did.

          “Don’t ever question my boyfriend again!” The younger snaps.

           The doorbell rings, stopping Youngjae from fighting back and Mark dives for the door. He greets Jinyoung with a friendly hug and lets him in. Jinyoung appears more shy and vulnerable than usual. It’s clear he’s worried about being there with everyone.

          “Jinyounggie~” Yugyeom smiles and gives him a hug. “I’m glad you could make it.” He then whispers, “talk to Bammie. I promise he’s nice.”

          Jinyoung gives Yugyeom a smile and is dragged over to BamBam. “Jinyounggie~ this is Bammie and he’s my boyfriend. I promise he’s very nice and that he won’t hurt me. I’m taking good care of him.”

          The older friend smiles and ruffles Yugyeom’s hair fondly. “You two are cute. I’m happy for you. You better be taking good care of him Yuggie, but he better take good care of you too.” Jinyoung teases. 

          “I promise he is! He’d never hurt me or do anything bad at all.” Yugyeom ruffles the small boy’s dark hair and grins brightly.

          “I believe you.” Jinyoung nods and then turns his attention to BamBam, “I’m really sorry about all the stuff that happened… and what I did. I really hope we can move past it and… be friends?” Jinyoung internally scolds himself for the last part coming out like a question.

          “Totally. I trust that you won’t do anything bad like that again.” BamBam gives him a sweet smile.

          Then, Jinyoung hesitantly approaches Jackson. The bleach blonde is staring out the window, jaw clenched and breathing heavily. He’s still furious at Youngjae for not trusting Mark’s judgement.

“Jackson? Are you ok?” His question is followed by Jackson’s long sigh.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Anyway, I’m glad you're here.” The younger says dryly.

“OK!” BamBam suddenly squeaks, “We NEED to get started now! We have a ton of things to do! Got it?” He’s met with silence. “GOT IT?”

“Yes Chef!” Jackson, Mark, and Yugyeom yell back. BamBam rolls his eyes and giggles a bit. Tasks are given to each of the boys while BamBam oversees and makes sure they are doing their assignments properly.

“JACKSON! You’re gonna slice your fingers like that!” BamBam shrieks and grabs the knife from Jackson’s hands. Jackson tried to show off and act like a chef on TV, which he most definitely is not. BamBam shows Jackson how to cut properly and watches closely when he finally gives the knife back. “Slowly, Jackson, slowly.”

While BamBam is helping Jackson with his knife skills, Yugyeom ends up playing on his phone and water boils over on the stove. “Yugyeom! I leave you alone for two seconds and you let this happen! Why’d you turn the heat up? Ahhh!” He makes Yugyeom clean up and kisses his cheek when he’s finished.

The boys cook the day away. BamBam hovers over them like a hawk and criticizes their technique. He means it with love. He teaches them when they’re wrong, but dear god is it frustrating for him to watch them pathetically attempt their tasks. He’s constantly snatching knives and scolding them. He screeches when they go to take things out of the oven or off the stove without oven mitts. They all don’t seem to understand that turning the heat up will not make anything cook faster; it will only burn the outsides and leave the insides uncooked. BamBam spends too long taking care of his boyfriend who stupidly stuck his finger in a boiling hot sauce. After many hours of yelling and some shockingly amazing teamwork, they finish. No drama. No nothing. They all take a step back and look at their beautifully plated dishes. The aromatic food fills the kitchen and they’re all proud of themselves. BamBam sets the table how he wants, with Mark and Jackson’s approval of course, and then it’s completely done. Mark and Jackson head upstairs to change into nice clothes.

“Markie! This is happening!” He picks his small boyfriend up and swings him around. “We’re coming out! No more hiding!” He kisses Mark’s nose and smiles.

“I never thought I’d do this.” Mark sighs, and smiles slightly. “I’m nervous though. What if they don’t let us be alone together anymore?”

“Oh, baby! Don’t worry about that. It’ll all be okay. I promise. I promise. They won’t be that strict. We’ll talk to them about it.” Mark’s smile widens at Jackson’s comforting words. They kiss softly for a few moments until they hear the doorbell ring. They run downstairs and answer. Their parents are there. They invite them in, even though one set of parents lives there, and leads them to the dining room. The table is elegantly set and the adults gasp in awe. They can smell the food and see the effort the boys put into it. They all take a seat and BamBam comes out, to be their “waiter.”

BamBam and the other boys bring out drinks and the first course. The parents are amazed at the lengths the teens went to for this dinner. They honestly didn’t know why.

“Boys, you really didn’t have to do all this.” Mr. Tuan smiles, “What is this all about?” Mark and Jackson look at eachother and sigh.

“Oh, we’ll talk about that later. Just enjoy the food for now!” Jackson finally says.

Throughout the dinner Jackson and Mark sneak anxious smiles at each other as the anticipation grows. Everyone is waiting for the moment the reason for this dinner is revealed. As the other boys clear the dishes and prepare for the extravagant dessert Jackson takes a deep breath and looks across the table at Mark. His boyfriend gives him a reassuring nod. 

“So…” He awkwardly interrupts the conversation their parents are having.

“Yes, Jackson?” His mother can tell that there is something he wants to say. She knows her son and how he makes a big deal out of things. Everytime he has to tell her something important he makes it into a big event.

“You are probably wondering why we planned this dinner for y-”

“Just tell us! We’ve been waiting all evening to know what you’re making such a fuss about!” Mr. Wang cuts him off. Jackson was about to begin his long drawn out speech instead of just getting to the point.

“Oh- oh.. Okay…” He takes a second to think, “So, I know that Mark and I have both expressed having feelings for those of the same gender. We wanted our parents to have a nice dinner together and get to know each other before we tell you that we’re dating!” He finishes his statement with some jazz hands.

The adults all laugh; the other boys file into the room and they’re all so confused as to why the parents are laughing.

“You thought we didn’t know?” Mr. Tuan chuckles, “We know you kids better than you think we do. Parents aren’t oblivious.” 

“What? You knew?” Jackson is shocked, while Mark just hides his face in embarrassment. 

“Of course we did! But it’s so great to meet your boyfriend’s parents and see how serious you two are about this relationship.” Mrs. Wang smiles and goes to give her son a hug. The couple’s friends all coo at the sweet moment. 

Everyone is thrilled that the evening went so smoothly. The teenagers all rush back into the kitchen and silently rejoice with hi-fives as they prepare to serve dessert. The parents have another laugh amongst themselves. They noticed how their sons have been happier, talk about the other one constantly and find every excuse to spend time together. Mark and Jackson are so satisfied with the conclusion of the evening.

After a phenomenal dessert prepared and presented by BamBam everyone plans to head home. Mark stops Jinyoung before he leaves and asks if he’d like to sleep over. It’s been a long time since the two spent time together and Mark truly wants to rekindle the friendship and bring things back to the way they were before. Jinyoung can’t believe his ears and immediately says yes. He misses Mark and the friendship that they’ve had. Despite the drama not lasting long it felt like years of distance were put between them.

Chapter Text

          Jinyoung sits awkwardly on the edge of Mark’s bed. He waits for Mark to return from the bathroom. He used to spend a lot of time at Mark’s house but it feels weird this time. They grew up together, yet he feels like he doesn’t belong there. Mark’s rearranged and redecorated since the last time Jinyoung was here. LED lights and minimalistic decor. Very chill and very Mark. He returns from the bathroom in his pajamas and tosses his towel on a desk chair.

          “You Okay?” He asks Jinyoung, who looks around the room, deep in thought. 

          “Oh— yeah. I’m fine.” Jinyoung sighs.

          “Are you sure?” Mark presses as he grabs a spare t-shirt, sweatpants and a clean towel for Jinyoung.

          “Yeah, just tired.” He responds as Mark tosses him the clothes and towel.

          “A quick shower will wake you up.” Mark smiles and also throws Jinyoung a pair of socks. Jinyoung has a thing about wearing socks to bed. Mark tries his best to remember the little things about all his friends.

          Jinyoung smiles back. A wave of comfort rushes over him. Mark’s caring gesture is all it takes for Jinyoung to feel at ease. He doesn’t feel like a stranger here anymore.

          Jinyoung showers as fast as he can. He tends to get lost in his thoughts. He tries not to think too hard about everything that has happened in the last few weeks. He focuses on the positive. His friendship with Mark. Mark is one of the most thoughtful people he’s ever known but he always forgets it. 

          Jinyoung returns to Mark’s room and thanks him for the pajamas. Of course, it’s no problem for Mark. No worry or annoyance. Mark plops down on his bed and pats the spot next to him. Jinyoung pauses but takes a seat on the bed.

          “Thank you for accepting my apology… I’m really surprised you did. And I’m surprised you invited me to help today. And I’m surprised that you invited me to sleep over. Thank you, Mark.” Jinyoung starts a speech he thought out while he was showering.

          “Dude… don’t worry. You’re one of my closest friends and I know that everyone deserves a second chance. I wasn’t about to throw away years of friendship because of what happened.”

          All of Jinyoung’s worries melt away. He knows that everything that he did was horrible and disgusting. He’s ready to move on from that and become a better person and a better friend. He sighs softly and smiles.

          “Mark?” He says as if it’s a question, “Can I tell you something?”

          “Yeah, of course.” Mark furrows his brow, sensing that something is wrong.

          “I’m worried about Youngjae…”

          “I am too. He’s been acting strange recently.” Mark nods in agreement.

          “Yeah… he’s not the same sunshine he used to be… he’s been so focused on his future and his life plan that he’s been doing really bad things.” Jinyoung fidgets with his phone in his hand, knowing he has all the text messages as proof of what has been going on.

          “Bad things? I just thought you two were fighting.” Mark is genuinely confused. He thought the two of them were just being immature and arguing over something stupid. He knows that Jinyoung holds grudges and doesn’t let things go easily. 

          “We are fighting… but I promise you that he’s in the wrong this time-”

          “Jinyoung, please stop being defensive just tell me what’s going on.”

          Jinyoung is getting mad but he just takes a deep breath and remembers that Mark is here to help. He unlocks his phone and finds his conversations with Youngjae. He can’t bring himself to verbalize the situation. Mark reads the conversation 3 or 4 times before he looks up at Jinyoung in complete shock. He cannot believe that this is Youngjae.

          “No way… you’re joking…” Mark can’t fathom that the sunshine of their lives spoke such horrible words.

          “I’m not, and none of what I said has anything to do with my feelings for Jaebum. No matter who the other person is, Youngjae is just acting so ridiculous and evil.”

          “I don’t know what to do… should we tell Jaebum? I don’t know him that well so I don’t think it’s my place.” Mark thinks hard about what to do.

          “Yeah, and he’s not going to listen to me. We just don’t get along. I don’t wanna get into it.” Jinyoung feels so discouraged. He wants to help Jaebum but he doesn’t know how. Mark and Jinyoung have known him since primary school, but they were never friends. They don’t know how to get through to Jaebum and make him see the situation that he’s in.

          “This is hard… we will figure it out. I do have one thing to ask though… if you don’t mind…”

          “Go ahead.”

          “How do you really feel about Jaebum? Honestly.”

          “Well… I find him to be interesting and handsome… I would like to get to know him better because I may only like the idea of him… I don’t know but I want to have a chance with him. I feel drawn to him.” Jinyoung stares down at his lap as he explains. It’s embarrassing to really express how he feels about Jaebum; the guy he’s been pining after for years.

          Mark nods understandingly, “I won’t ask anymore about it. I just wanted to understand you.” Mark then changes the topic, “Is it ok if I text Jackson really quick? It’s getting late and I want to wish him a good night and make sure he gets to bed.”

         “Please do. You two have such a sweet relationship.” Jinyoung gives a genuine little eye smile.

          Mark beams as he grabs his phone off his night table and begins to type quickly.

__________________________________________________________________________

Markiepoo:

Hey Jacky~~

You still awake?

Jackson:

Yupppppp

How r thingssssss?

Markiepoo:

Good good

Just wanted to say

that I love you and

that you should go

to sleep soon!

Jackson:

Awwwwwwwwwww

Thank you MY markiepoo!

I love you sooooooooooo much

I will sleep just because you said so!

Night night baby~ love you everyday

__________________________________________________________________________

          “Okay! All done.” Mark smiles as he locks his phone and sighs a little shy of love.

          “Wow, you’re so in love. Still can’t believe it, but it’s great. I haven’t seen you this happy in a while.” Jinyoung watches his friend fondly. He’s proud of how far Mark has come since they were kids.

          They two friends chat and laugh and have a good time until the words start to roll off their tongues in a slow heavy way. The two teenagers remember every fun time they’ve had together. From Kindergarten to Senior Year; they’ve been through it all together. Sometimes you forget to cherish the people closest to you, but once you remember you’ll never forget again. Mark was able to look past everything that happened and forgive Jinyoung. He’ll never forget but he knows that Jinyoung has grown. Mark has full faith in him. The hours pass by and soon everything becomes funny as they lay on Mark’s bed. Soon their eyes drift shut and the lifelong friends fall fast asleep.

Chapter Text

Hello fellow ahgase! I hope you are all still out here!

It’s been 5 years since I’ve logged into Ao3 and I wanted to share that I’m back! Flirt With Me is being discontinued, if anyone cares, as I’m no longer a high schooler and it would be weird for me to continue this as an adult.

I’ll be releasing the first chapter of a new fic by the end of this week that follows a similar concept but brings them to college. 

I wanted to share this to attempt to reconnect with any of my former readers or new members of the fandom! The content does not exist as it used to but their joy in making the music they want to make continues to fill me with inspirations. Writing this, I realized that I’ve been a fan of Got7 for 9 years which is impossible to believe. 2 tattoos and 3 concerts later, how could I ever leave them behind? Well…. Clearly I can’t!

I hope to see some interest in the comments here as I am a bit nervous to restart and I hope to bring iGot7 together again!