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“Why can’t we pick something easy, like a car wash?”
Mark rolled his eyes, taking a drink from his reusable water bottle as the remainder of the men’s gymnastics team bickered amongst themselves. A few weeks into his final semester, Mark was more concerned with surviving his last undergraduate classes rather than planning the team’s annual winter fundraiser. With so many large personalities arguing about what idea would be best, it felt easier to observe the verbal fight, laughing under his breath as his teammates began to lose their cool.
“You can’t keep shooting down every idea I have,” BamBam, one of the younger gymnasts, whined, crossing his arms and jutting out his bottom lip in a soft pout. “I want to do something fun.”
“Are you saying a silent auction isn’t fun?” Brian asked, visibly irritated from the conversation.
“It’s not!” BamBam countered, standing up as he shouted. “It has the word silent right in the title!”
Holding back a laugh, Mark wiped his mouth with the back of his arm, moving from his place along the gym wall to pack up his bag as he remained neutral to the situation. If the argument was going to run the usual course, leaving in the next few moments would have been the best chance at escaping unnoticed.
“Both of you need to shut up,” Hyungwon cut in, effectively silencing the chatter. “It has to be something… clever. Something students want to go to, not just staff or alumni.”
“Then we should give the people what they want,” BamBam stated, clapping his hands together firmly for emphasis. “Let’s do a dating auction.”
“A what?” Mark couldn’t help but finally interject, curious as to where the younger man was going with his idea.
“You know,” BamBam giggled under his breath, “we pick the hottest eligible bachelors on the team, dress them up and sell them off to the highest bidder. We can totally get some of the local businesses to donate gift cards for the dates, too.”
“That sounds like a recipe for disaster,” Brian argued. “What if the person that wins is a total creep? I don’t want to get in a weird situation.”
“Just make every winner sign some agreement when they pay,” Mark offered, shrugging against the wall. “If whoever from the team ends up on a bad date, they can stop it.”
“Exactly,” BamBam smiled. “Besides, with enough of us promoting it around campus, I bet we’ll get some good candidates to show up. There’s lots of good faces to choose from to raise the money we need.”
As everyone seemed to get on board with the idea, a few volunteered to be part of the available dates, all joking about how much they could potentially bring to the team. Mark finished packing his things up, slipping his shoes on as the conversation seemed to come to a close, everyone else acting similarly.
“I think we need one more strong contender,” Mark overheard BamBam comment, pulling the hood from his sweatshirt over his head. “I would volunteer as I know I was made to be a part of something like this, but I have to remain loyal to my man… and I think we all know I’d make a killer host.”
Mark thought he was in the clear as he went to push open the right-hand side of the double doors to exit the gym.
“What about you, Mark?”
Shit.
“Uh,” Mark turned around slowly, laughing softly in an attempt to play off the suggestion. “I don’t think I’m really made for this kind of thing.”
“Are you kidding me?” BamBam gaped, hand motioning from the top to the bottom of Mark’s frame. “You’re exactly what the auction needs!”
Mark cursed under his breath, wondering why he hadn’t left sooner than he tried.
“I don’t think I can sell myself,” Mark replied, the team laughing at his choice of words before he cleared his throat to speak again. “What I mean is…”
“Please?” BamBam pouted, hands clasped together as he pleaded for Mark’s involvement the only way he knew how.
The older man wanted to help his team and it was the final semester he would be an active part of the collective, but Mark’s uncertainty about walking on stage for everyone to see and offering himself out for a date was looming overhead, casting a large shadow of doubt on his abilities to seem handsome or charming enough. On one hand, Mark wanted to suck it up and act as one of the leaders of the squad, doing anything it took to help them out for the future; on the other, Mark wasn’t one to break out of his shell for just anyone, leaving much to be desired in a potential date with a stranger who would probably expect more than he would offer.
“He’s in,” Brian spoke on his behalf without asking, Mark glaring at him as he turned to open the door in another attempt to leave.
“Send me a headshot and fun facts!” BamBam shouted as the door clicked shut behind him, Mark taking a deep breath with his eyes closed as he began the short walk back to his dorm, ready to turn in for the night and ignore the small task from his overly-enthusiastic teammate.
The next morning, Mark got ready and went off to his classes, grabbing a bite to eat in the dining hall before swinging by the nearest computer lab, opening up a worksheet to complete before his next lecture. After attempting to come up with a feasible excuse to remove himself from the dater lineup and failing, he pulled up the email BamBam had sent him the night before, a questionnaire to complete attached along with a gentle reminder to send along the best photo of himself.
Mark wasn’t one to brag or boast about any of his personal achievements; he was humble even in his personal bests as an athlete, preferring the rush of adrenaline he felt when he would compete as the ultimate reward. If he really wanted to, Mark could pass the answers back unfilled and let BamBam talk him up, letting the younger do what he did best and add frills to every aspect of his life.
However, Mark didn’t want to grant him another easy win, slowly beginning to fill out the categories, starting with his name and sign. Favorite color (red) and food (any type of grilled meat) were easy enough, but more creatives ones such as go-to karaoke song and what he would consider his perfect date irritated him, making him wonder why he couldn’t find the nerve to reply to the message with two words: I’m out.
Debating returning to his other coursework, Mark caved and finished the document BamBam needed, filtering through his Instagram feed to find his cutest selca before attaching it and sending the message off, figuring it wouldn’t hurt to remind the younger that he was doing him a huge favor.
Bam--
You owe me. I won’t forget.
Mark
Classes complete and dinner purchased, Mark camped himself out in front of his dorm room television, shoveling in heaping spoonfuls of rice into his mouth, relaxing before his scheduled gaming night with friends. Just as his favorite show ended, there was a frantic knock at the door, a voice following quickly behind it.
“Oh, Maaark,” BamBam nearly sang. “I have something important for you!”
Sighing as he swung his legs off the couch, Mark took his time walking to the door, unlocking it and pulling it open, revealing the skinny smug pest with a stack full of copy paper under his arm.
“Thank god you don’t have those god-awful headphones on your head,” BamBam walked in, unaware of the loving eye-roll Mark could never hold back around his friend. “I’ve brought you your fliers.”
“Cool,” Mark commented, taking one as BamBam set them on his desk and frowning. “You added more photos…”
“The one you picked was good, but I wanted more that were great,” BamBam grinned, clearly proud of his self-sufficiency. “I’ve already created the event online and invited everyone I know, you should do the same. There’s fliers hanging in the gym and dining hall, so if you could hang these up in this dorm and maybe the one next door, it would be a huge help.”
“Sure,” Mark looked up from the page, scratching the back of his neck. “So… you really think I can do this?”
“Duh,” BamBam laughed, checking his phone for the time. “I know you’re not fond of making a big deal about yourself, but I think you’re the best thing we’re offering. Blond, handsome and hopelessly single. Who knows, maybe the one who wins could be the one.”
“Yeah, right,” Mark laughed, shaking his head. “I’m doing this for the team, end of story.”
“That’s all I need you to say,” BamBam smiled, pocketing his phone as he headed for the door. “See you at practice tomorrow.”
With a wave, BamBam slipped out, Mark sighing in relief as he returned to the couch for his plans for the rest of the night, pulling on the headphones the other mocked half-heartedly.
The fliers could wait. After all, sacrificing his free time to promote a date he didn’t even want to go on seemed like more than he signed up for.
Mark struggled to wake up on time to start his day, dreading the idea of publicly hanging up fliers covered in multiple angles of his face while other students would certainly be gawking from yards away. Unlike the shameless antics of BamBam, Mark prefered to slip under the radar, making it through his classes and spending his free time outside of gymnastics practice however he pleased, maybe choosing to attend a weekend party here or there. Throughout his time at his university, Mark had dated a couple of students his own age, nothing lasting beyond the six month anniversary as his heart never was fully in it, shrugging off nagging advances from both boys and girls alike. Mark was an independent guy with his best of friends operating on a completely different time zone from his current home, focused on finishing out his degree before getting serious about anything else. Finding a serious relationship in the sea of stress and binge drinking never appealed to Mark, leading him to perfect what became his simple single life.
After his first class, Mark stopped by the dorm next to his own to hang up the advertisements like BamBam had asked, holding the small stack of papers in his hand with a roll of tape. His plan was simple: hang a few up on each level and place one on the communal bulletin board near the entrance and slip out before students would be returning from class, easily avoiding any embarrassing confrontations.
Once inside, Mark started at the top level, placing two by what seemed like high traffic areas before going down to the floor below, repeating the same actions before finding himself down by the common room, which was even emptier than it was when he first arrived. Sighing in relief, Mark made his way over to the board, searching for a push pin for his own use without taking another from a different flier, finally pinning the sheet covered in his smiling face to an empty slot.
“Dating auction?”
Mark spun around, completely unaware he had an audience behind him, a brunet boy with big eyes looking straight past him at the flier he had hung up seconds ago.
“Yeah,” Mark nodded back towards the board, stack of extras still in hand. “It’s a fundraiser for the gymnastics team.”
“How does that work?” The boy continued to focus on the paper, eyes squinting as if he wasn’t able to read it from the distance from which he stood.
“Um, well…”
How does this even work?
“We’ll get on stage and people will have a chance to bid for a date with us,” Mark attempted to summarize the vague details BamBam had been peppering into recent conversations. “People who are the highest bidder get to immediately go out with whoever they won, we have restaurant gift certificates and stuff.”
“Cool,” the other grinned, finally shifting his eyes to Mark himself. “You seem… excited about it.”
Before Mark could respond, the mystery boy let out a bubbly laugh, clearly amused at his own observational joke. Mark furrowed his eyebrows slightly, calculating what could be best to say to slip out of the building and back to his own without sounding rude.
“I think it’s a fun idea, but I’m only doing it to help the team out,” Mark replied with a shrug.
“Taking one for the team, literally,” the other laughed again before stepping a foot closer. “Hey, mind if I snag one of those extras from you?”
“Sure,” Mark raised an eyebrow in suspicion, taking one from his stack to hand over. “It’s in a few days and we’re also taking donations if you don’t want to bid on any of us.”
“Noted,” he smiled, looking over the page again now that he seemed to be able to read the text on it. “I’ll share it with my friends, too.”
“Thanks,” Mark grinned a tight-lipped smile, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder. “Appreciate it.”
Turning on his heel, Mark finally found a gap in the conversation to leave on, feeling thankful that he was able to promote the event without sounding desperate. Hoping BamBam wasn’t around to see, Mark slipped half of the remaining stack of fliers into a nearby trash can, wanting his task (and the auction) to be done with as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, no natural disaster or act of god interfered with the day of the auction, Mark groaning as he woke up under his thin comforter as his alarm sounded for the third time that morning. Checking his phone, Mark ignored the multiple texts and threats from BamBam about missing the auction, strolling slowly to the bathroom to shower for the big day. Even though he had done the bare minimum to be involved with and promote the event, Mark would never let him or his friends down, knowing it was only a few more months before he would no longer be a part of the team that had welcomed him with open arms freshman year. It seemed fitting to participate in the most ridiculous fundraiser idea any of them had thought of to that point, even if his pride was a bit shaken by what was required of him.
Once back in his room and dry, Mark took his time dressing for the auction, a brand new charcoal button down with a silky black tie and skinny black pants completing his look. After tying his dress shoes and running a bit of styling gel through his hair, Mark stared at himself in the mirror as he slipped on his favorite bracelet and necklace, proud of himself for cleaning up so nicely, almost appearing as if he were taking the event as seriously as BamBam did.
Even though he was thoroughly disinterested with being a bidding item, Mark still felt familiar nerves as he began to walk to the auditorium BamBam had selected for the auction, wondering if people would want him as much as his teammates seemed to think they would. It was slightly embarrassing to be up for sale, but it would be mortifying to receive little-to-no offers, going along with someone who bid the bare minimum. As always, Mark hoped to land somewhere in the middle: not too showy, not too disappointing - somewhere just right.
Following BamBam’s directions to enter through the front doors and find the dressing rooms backstage, Mark smiled and greeted his fellow teammates that would be doing a similar song and dance on stage for cash, giving a friendly handshake to BamBam’s beau, Yugyeom, as he waited around for more direction.
“He thinks you’re gonna be the best,” Yugyeom giggled, wiggling his eyebrows in an attempt to psych Mark out more than he already was. “The top prize!”
“Stop,” Mark shoved him away gently, shaking his head. “I showed up, don’t make me regret it.”
“Mark!” BamBam smiled, showing off his flashy purple blazer and matching pants as he walked over to him with clipboard in hand. “Finally, you’re here. Did Yugyeom fill you in?”
“That I’m apparently the top prize?” Mark chuckled, shaking his head.
“That’s about half of the info,” BamBam grinned mischievously. “You’re up last… our grand finale.”
“What?” Mark hissed, surprised that he, of all the dates, would be picked as the best option. “Why didn’t anyone else volunteer?”
“Oh, they did,” BamBam giggled, showing him the order in which everyone would be presented, “but I overruled them all. I told you, I think you’re the best one we’re offering.”
“You’re such a brat,” Mark groaned, running his fingers through his hair. “You’re lucky this is for the team.”
“You’ll be thanking me when you meet the person of your dreams because of this,” BamBam winked, smiling as Yugyeom pulled him along to speak to the rest of the participants.
With the added pressure of being the final contestant of the day, Mark took a few deep breaths as BamBam began to get everyone in order, instructing Yugyeom to help keep the show running backstage as he went out front to begin hosting the event. Nervous enough, Mark decided to make a quick peek through a gap in the long black curtains concealing the stage, noticing most of the seats filled in the small auditorium. Taking a deep breath, Mark closed his eyes to calm himself as heard BamBam begin the show on stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us here today for our special event,” BamBam began in his signature cheerful voice. “As you may know, we will have multiple eligible bachelors available for your bidding pleasure… please don’t forget the general rules of the auction.”
As BamBam explained how participants were to bid, Mark found himself in his own safe zone, tuning out the world around him as his teammates walked up to the stage one by one. Each time, BamBam would read some of the fun facts each participant had supplied as they strutted across the hardwood stage, posing and winking to work up the crowd of mostly women their own age. Once he had finished introducing the dater, BamBam would begin the auction, bidders raising a provided paddle in the air to put their offers in.
The first few offers seemed to be a reasonable amount and Mark wondered how much he could bring in for the team. Because BamBam had chosen him to go last, Mark guessed it would be at least double of what the lowest offering had been, feeling a strange sense of pride in himself for being able to help his team in such an odd way.
“You’re next,” Yugyeom smiled as Mark snapped from his personal daze. “You ready?”
“I guess,” Mark shrugged, putting on a smile as he walked up three stairs onto the stage, waiting for the announcement to come around from behind the curtain. As BamBam read his name and the applause rang out, Yugyeom gave him a cue to walk, Mark taking a deep breath before moving out onto the stage.
“Mark is one of the senior members of the team and will do anything to help a friend when they need it,” BamBam winked in his direction, Mark suppressing an eye roll as he moved about the stage. “He’s a mysterious virgo and looks best in red. If he’s not taking you out for a casual barbecue meal, he’d be happy to go for a romantic moonlit stroll along the beach.”
Wait, what?
“If Mark could compare himself to a season, it would be summer because he’s blazin’ hot!” BamBam apparently had decided to spice up Mark’s questionnaire, filling in the blanks better than Mark’s imagination could. Knowing he wasn’t going to win that battle, Mark turned on the charm, playing up the descriptions BamBam was offering by posing alongside of the stage, pointing a winking at a few eager girls waiting for their chance to begin bidding.
“If Mark is the one for you, you both can enjoy a romantic dinner for two and a movie… if you’re our highest bidder,” BamBam concluded, moving over to stand next to Mark in the middle of the stage. “Let’s begin the bidding at $25…”
Immediately, several paddles in the audience went up, BamBam rolling words off his tongue as the auction started off quickly. Mark could hardly keep up with how his teammate was selecting who was bidding and how much he was even worth to them, the amount escalating faster than it had with any of the previous dates. BamBam had been correct about Mark being the hottest commodity, girls offering what could be their entire week’s pay just to get some one-on-one time for a single night with no promise that it could ever turn into something more. Just as Mark thought he had the whole process figured out, the offers began to slow, BamBam pointing at one final bidder as he rattled off the cost.
“Last chance to bid otherwise she’s taking the gold medal today, folks!” BamBam smiled wide. “Final bid of $175 going once, going twice…”
“Wait!” A strangely familiar voice rang out, paddle shooting in the air as a young man stood up towards the back, the entire audience turning around in their seats to look at the last-minute bidder as the room went silent. As Mark followed everyone else’s line of sight, his mouth fell open in surprise as the random boy from the other dorm sheepishly moved his paddle down as he observed the stares from everyone else around him.
“Sir, are you actually bidding?” BamBam asked after a moment of silence, everyone still watching the boy in anticipation.
“Yes,” he stated, Mark watching closely as his brain attempted to make sense of it all. Was the other student so interested in learning more about the auction the other day because he… wanted to bid himself? Mark didn’t fully understand, wondering if he were potentially bidding for someone else, but nothing could have prepared him, BamBam or his team for the amount he offered.
“I’d like to bid $250.”
The overall silence in the room was replaced by small gasps of surprise and tiny giggles, but nothing could compare to the absolute shock on Mark’s face. While that amount was a generous donation, he couldn’t understand why someone would want to spend it on him. Did the other man have an ulterior motive? Was there some sort of sick joke behind outbidding everyone else by $75?
“Going once… twice… sold!” BamBam continued on, demeanor filled with complete joy as the audience applauded. “Congratulations! Thank you to all of our bidders, please come to the table to your right to pay. If you did not win today but would still like to donate, we have a donation box at the table as well. Thanks again and see you next year!”
Gulping slightly as he watched the boy move from the back up to the table to pay, Mark retreated backstage, looking for some water to calm his nerves. Yes, the other boy was handsome and as far as he could tell, polite and kind, but there had to be some catch. Most of the other winners were eager and excited, but the person he had to attend his date with acted completely different than the others: cool, collected and determined.
“I knew it,” Yugyeom smiled, finding Mark in a slight panic backstage. “Who could resist that blond hair and bright smile?”
“You don’t think it’s weird, right?” Mark asked, hoping for an honest opinion.
“What? No!” Yugyeom replied. “He won, fair and square. I think you’re lucky… he seems cute.”
“Yeah,” Mark sighed to himself, pacing around slowly. “If it sucks, I have to remember I did it for the team. If it gets strange…”
“Call me or Bam,” Yugyeom offered with a soft smile. “We aren’t going to let a creep take advantage of winning a dating auction.”
“Thanks,” Mark smiled slightly, temporarily relieved from the additional nerves. “I should get out there, introduce myself for real.”
“Good luck,” Yugyeom gave him a small hug of encouragement. “I’m rooting for you!”
With a short laugh, Mark waved, heading back out front to wait for his date to pay the final amount. The rest of the team that had been a part of the auction was hanging around a small section of seats, each teammate saying a quick goodbye as their date came over to introduce themselves. Mark tuned everyone else out as he watched his future date wait in line, the two making brief eye contact as they shared a smile. Maybe, Mark thought to himself, the night would go better than anticipated. The other man was dressed in black slacks and a formal black shirt, hair styled down the middle with a simple tiny hoop earring in each lobe. If Mark was being honest with himself, he had to admit he was one of the best looking winners at the auction. After finishing up his donation with the team, Mark’s date walked over, offering his hand to shake.
“I’m sorry I never introduced myself the other day,” he grinned as Mark shook his hand firmly. “I’m Jackson.”
“Mark,” he replied, moving his hands back into his pockets. “I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Well, you did a great job explaining it, so I figured I’d come and see what the fuss was about,” Jackson smiled. “You ready for our date? The restaurant is only a few blocks away.”
“Sure,” Mark nodded, turning around and signalling to BamBam and Yugyeom that he was heading out, following Jackson through the double doors outside. Walking next to Jackson, Mark realized they were about the same height, although built a bit differently; Mark’s frame was thin and lanky, neck skinny and long while Jackson seemed more muscular, thick around all the right places.
“I haven’t seen you around before,” Jackson continued, clearly more outgoing than Mark tended to be. “We’re both seniors.”
“Really?” Mark looked over as the walked along the sidewalk of the main road, making their way closer to the area containing most of the local businesses and restaurants. “What program are you in?”
“Business,” Jackson shrugged. “International. Not sure what I’m going to do with it, but I’m figuring that out now. What about you?”
“Sociology,” Mark looked over. “No idea what I’m doing either.”
“Guess we’re on the same page,” Jackson laughed, shaking his head. Mark managed a small smile to himself as he glanced at Jackson, admiring the pure joy he seemed to radiate with every laugh. If he had to spend the whole night with the other boy, it could be possible to leave with at least a new friendship in tow.
A little bit of generic small talk kept them occupied on the rest of their walk, eventually arriving at the restaurant and being seated at a small table for two, Mark clearing his throat as they sat down to clear up any expectations.
“Listen…” Mark began opening his menu in front of him, glancing over the flickering candle in the center of the table. “I just want you to know that we don’t have to take this seriously, it was all for the fundraiser…”
“I know,” Jackson smiled softly, opening his menu as well. “I don’t count on anything happening, but you seem cool, so… I’ve got nothing to lose.”
“You’re very honest,” Mark smiled, liking the refreshing take from the other.
“That’s one way of putting it,” Jackson giggled, thanking the waitress as she filled their glasses with water and took their drink orders. “Most people just say I have a big mouth.”
“BamBam… the one running the auction, he sometimes asks if I’m even alive if I go a few days without speaking to him,” Mark laughed softly, shaking his head. “I guess we’re different in that way.”
“Guess so,” Jackson smiled down at his menu, looking over some of the options. “Wow, some of this food seems…”
“Pretentious?” Mark offered, smiling as Jackson nodded in agreement. “I know, but it’s free. I would much rather spend my hard earned cash at the take-out place a few blocks over. It’s the closest thing to my mom’s cooking within a twenty mile radius.”
“I love that place,” Jackson agreed, shutting his menu with a smile. “Their dumplings are so good. One time, I took a girl there and she was so offended that I wanted our date to be centered around take-out food. She seemed insulted, but that was her loss.”
“Tragic,” Mark giggled, finally picking something off the menu to order as the waitress brought their drinks around.
After ordering and picking at the free bread each table received, Jackson and Mark returned to their light conversation from the walk over, getting along as if they hadn’t only met a few days prior. Mark learned that Jackson spoke multiple languages, much like himself, and was originally born in Hong Kong (a parallel to Mark moving from the states a few years prior). They found common ground in being transplants in a country that finally felt like home, only months away from figuring out what to do with their lives once graduation was over.
“So, gymnastics…” Jackson began as they started to eat their meal, leaning over the table a bit to remain in Mark’s personal space. “Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” Mark laughed, cutting into his steak. “I’ve done it since I was little. Turns out I’m good, so I kept up with it.”
“Just wondering if there was any specific reason,” Jackson explained in his defense. “I’m on the fencing team. My dad was a coach growing up, so I didn’t really have a choice.”
“That’s cool,” Mark perked up, unaware that Jackson was a fellow athlete, finally having a slight explanation for how good of shape Jackson seemed to be in. “Any good?”
“Any good? Any good?” Jackson laughed before sighing, settling into a sentimental smile. “I was on the national team, but figured focusing on my education was more important. Being on the team here is more to pacify my parents’ nagging.”
“Wow,” Mark smiled, shoveling another bite into his mouth. “I’m impressed.”
“What about you, any good at gymnastics?” Jackson giggled, proud of his similar rebuttal.
“Eh,” Mark shrugged, sipping on his drink. “I never really place that well, but the team is small and super close, so it’s more about the experience. It would probably be better to show you than explain.”
“I’d love that,” Jackson beamed, immediately taking Mark’s suggestion as gospel. “I’ve always wondered how people do it, all the flips and stuff.”
Stunned at the fact that Jackson would so easily to agree to the suggestion, Mark tried to hold back a growing smile, honestly a bit touched at the fact that someone seemed interested in his hobbies and skills more than only his looks.
“You could come to practice sometime,” Mark offered on a whim. “That way, you could see me and maybe after I could teach you a little.”
“That… would be… amazing,” Jackson looked genuinely touched by the invitation, the pair sharing a genuine smile before they both continued with their meal.
“I have to admit, that was better than I expected,” Jackson joked as they exited the restaurant, heading down the street in the direction of the movie theater.
“I agree,” Mark smiled, feeling more relaxed and comfortable as the date went on, the stigma of it being paid-for suddenly lost amongst other newly developing feelings. “So, what movie did you wanna see?”
“Actually…” Jackson trailed off as he paused in the middle of the sidewalk, Mark tugging him off to the side as he waited for the other to finish his thought.
“What?” Mark asked, afraid that maybe Jackson had only wanted the free meal and nothing more.
“You offer about the gymnastics thing,” Jackson began. “Maybe we could…”
“Could what?” Mark asked, looking over at a playful expression facing him.
“You could show me now,” Jackson suggested, smile growing wide. “After our meal settles, of course.”
“But the movie,” Mark tried to interject as a reminder. “We still have those tickets to use.”
“We can save that for our second date,” Jackson clarified as if it were obvious, waving his hands around and redirecting them back on the sidewalk towards campus instead. “I’m way too curious, I can’t stop thinking about you flying through the air.”
“Don’t say that too loud,” Mark laughed. “People may get the wrong idea.”
“Well, is that a yes?” Jackson asked, standing in front of Mark as they walked, hands pressed together as if he were praying to a higher power. “Please show me?”
It wasn’t part of the package Jackson had bid on earlier that afternoon, but Mark didn’t consider the new flirty feelings he was feeling for Jackson to be a requirement either, suddenly feeling a little risky and really generous to indulge the other in what seemed to be pure curiosity.
“Fine,” Mark acted annoyed, even though he was sure his smile gave away his true feelings. “I’ll show you, but you can’t tell anyone else who won that we did more than the date and details promised.”
“I swear I won’t,” Jackson smiled, reaching down and grabbing Mark’s hand before tugging him along. “Let’s go!”
Unsure if his laughter was in pure joy or utter disbelief, Mark followed Jackson’s lead, surprised that a date from a fundraiser had already been twice as good as anything he had tried to organize in his own love life for the past year.
“Don’t laugh,” Mark shouted from behind the locker room door where Jackson waited patiently after changing into a spare t-shirt and gym shorts Mark offered, excitement still flowing between them.
“I already told you I wouldn’t,” Jackson groaned and crossed his arms. “It’s the uniform for the sport, I know what that’s like.”
“But you’re completely covered!” Mark countered.
“You’re acting like I don’t enjoy men in extremely short shorts,” Jackson laughed. “Please come out?”
“Fine,” Mark sighed, opening the door as Jackson stepped to the side. The outfit was less embarrassing than Mark originally described; he couldn’t tell if Jackson was disappointed due to that fact or attempting to cover up other unsavory emotions with a blank face.
“S-so,” Jackson coughed, clearing his throat as they walked over to the area Mark usually used. “Floor?”
“I have a whole routine,” Mark explained, finishing some stretches as he warmed up. “Would you like to see it?”
“Absolutely,” Jackson smiled what Mark had determined was his signature grin, taking a seat along the side. Mark smiled back with a slight blush, walking over to his phone on the side to have some background music filling in the echo of the near-empty gym.
Once in place to begin his tricks, Mark stood at the corner of the mat, taking a deep breath before diving straight in. Just like every time he executed his routine, Mark was fearless and strong, lost in a complete trance of tricks and flips, landing each stop perfectly before rolling into the next section. The idea of Jackson finding the sport fascinating only fueled him more, pushing himself to his limits to really shine and go the extra mile. With one final combination of what seemed like everything he could think of, Mark stuck the landing, perfectly ending his exercise.
For the first time all night, Jackson was completely speechless, the boy slowly climbing to his feet in awe before offering a round of applause.
“Holy shit,” Jackson gasped, coming over and shaking Mark by the arm. “Are you kidding me? That was unbelievable!”
“Thanks,” Mark sighed, smiling as he caught his breath. “Felt good to do that.”
“I can’t believe you don’t have like… a medal or trophy for that,” Jackson smiled, offering Mark his water bottle he had left on the sidelines. “I’m beyond impressed.”
“You still wanna learn?” Mark asked, shaking off the rush of adrenaline that always followed after a stellar performance.
“Yes, I’m ready,” Jackson smiled, Mark’s t-shirt and shorts fitting a bit more snugly around his body.
Mark began to walk him through the basics of a flip, knowing that the likelihood of Jackson landing it his first, second or even third try would be slim to none. The other boy was bulkier and not as flexible, but Mark wanted to try his best to get Jackson ready to try, enjoying their time together. While his teammates were some of his closest friends, Mark hadn’t had many people to talk about the gymnastics-side of his life to outside of the squad, and for once, someone was more interested than he considered himself to be.
“Do you want to give it a shot?” Mark asked after doing a few examples in a row before realizing Jackson was still ogling over him in his shorts.
“Fine, sure,” Jackson smiled a bit weaker, looking nervous as Mark moved in spotting position.
“You’ll be fine,” Mark offered, hoping to comfort any nerves Jackson had developed. “If you fall, it’s all part of the learning process.”
Jackson went quiet as he nodded, moving himself into the exact position Mark had instructed him to, both quiet as Jackson moved to start the flip. While Mark seemed surprised at his form in the way he swung his arms, Jackson quickly went off course, falling over to the side on top of Mark, pinning him back against the padded floor.
“Shit!” Jackson sighed, eyes still squeezed shut. “I’m so sorry, are you okay? I don’t want to open my eyes if I broke you.”
“I’m f-fine…” Mark managed to laugh, somehow enjoying the weight of the other man on top of him. “Open and see for yourself.”
Slowly opening his eyes, Jackson blinked a few times before looking down at Mark, their faces only inches apart as they both quickly realized what kind of position they had gotten themselves into. Before Jackson could pull away and continue his apology, Mark moved a hand onto his back, a lazy smile gracing his lips.
“Can I make it up to you?” Jackson spoke in a near whisper, taking the hint to lean down slowly.
“Absolutely,” Mark giggled quietly, leaning up to meet Jackson’s lips halfway, oddly thankful that he hadn’t landed the flip at all.
One quick make out session and a quick change in the locker room later, the pair headed towards their dorms to turn in for the night, both pausing outside the doors leading into Mark’s building as they shared a smile.
“I had fun tonight,” Mark admitted, happy he could be honest about the date. “I’m really glad you won.”
“Me too,” Jackson stayed close, seemingly already smitten by the other.
“I only have one more question for you,” Mark smiled, leaning against the side of the building. “Why did you come to the auction and bid on me?”
Jackson giggled, mirroring Mark’s actions as he turned pink under the dim outdoor lights.
“It was a very small price to pay to get to know you,” Jackson began, “and the photos on your fliers were very cute and I couldn’t let that other girl take you out! What if you ended up ditching the movies and showing her how to flip instead of me?”
“Jackson,” Mark chuckled, shaking his head. “I can promise you… that never would have happened if it were anyone else on this date with me.”
“Really?” Jackson’s grin was back, confidence clearly soaring.
“Really,” Mark stood back up straight, heading for the door. “Now, you have my number… don’t go too long asking when I’d like to go see a movie.”
“I won’t,” Jackson giggled. “I paid good money for those tickets… and our meal… and to learn that maybe a backflip isn’t in the cards for my body.”
Mark smiled along with Jackson’s laughter, offering a small, sweet kiss before parting ways.
“I’m worth it,” Mark cockily declared as he opened the dorm’s front door.
“Can’t argue with that,” Jackson smiled smugly, waving as he made his way to his own residence next door, $250 lighter, but feeling richer than ever before.