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Jackson traced circles into the back of Mark’s hand with his thumb as they sat next to each other in a lecture, neither of them hardly paying any attention. After it was over, they would head to Jackson’s apartment and go over the slides together, they only turned up to keep their attendance looking good. It was a hazy mid May morning, the sun threatening to break through the clouds and turn into a warm spring afternoon. Mark’s mind wandered as he enjoyed Jackson’s touch, thinking about how they could maybe spend the afternoon by the river.
~
It all started when they both turned up late to their first seminar, and were put in a group together to do ice breaker activities. Jackson commented on Mark’s sweatshirt, calling it “ugly”, as a joke. Mark never picked up on the joke, and didn’t wear it again.
When the day was over, Mark asked where Jackson lived to keep the conversation moving forwards, and to their surprise, the pair lived five minutes apart. Jackson asked Mark for his number, and requested he text him when he was leaving for class, so Jackson could meet him outside his apartment block on the way.
They started going over powerpoints together at Jackson’s, watching films at Mark’s, working together in every group project. Both of them had made other friends on their course, but there was a welcoming familiarity between them.
Before Mark was heading home for the winter break, he met Jackson over a coffee, to air his concerns about the course. It wasn’t what he was expecting, he wasn’t stimulated and inspired by the topics he was being taught. Turned out that Jackson agreed, and summed it up in one sentence, more precise than Mark ever could.
Second semester brought new classes, but in light of their shared distaste, they became each other's inspiration. Pushing the other further to do more reading on wider topics, question their lecturers, be bold with their work. They had started enjoying uni again.
On their bad days and dark nights, they were shoulders to cry on, somebody to grocery shop with, order take-out with, somebody to listen to a rant. They easily fell into this friendship, a special kind that the pair both thought would last forever. (But they never told each other this)
At an end of year party, they got wasted. Happy to be done with essays for the summer, and finally get to spend time with friends without the main topic of conversation to be deadlines.
Clenching a beer bottle, standing in a friend-of-a-friend’s kitchen, Jackson drunkenly declared that Mark was the only reason he decided to stay at uni. If he hadn't have met Mark, he would have dropped out, because of the boring course and nearly as boring course-mates.
Mark broke out in laughter citing the same thing, that Jackson made their course interesting and that he was the main motivator in making Mark want to explore and learn. They were so eternally thankful for the other, by pure chance, being at that specific university, in that country.
Mark and Jackson spent summer separately, not seeing each other for months, but still texting and sharing videos like usual. When they saw each other again, it felt like they had not spent one second apart.
Everyone was invited to a coursemate’s pre “before uni takes over our lives again” party not long after being back in the city. It’s this party where they kissed for the first time. Mark was listening to Jackson complain about something when he felt the urge to lean in and kiss him. So he did, quickly. A barely there peck. Jackson pulled a confused face and stared at Mark for a second, before leaning in to kiss him. It only lasted a few seconds before Mark pulled back, asking if “we’re really doing this?”, causing Jackson to shrug, the pair of them not really caring that much. They let the kiss subject die as Jackson went back to complaining.
Neither of them spoke about it, as it felt like something they didn't have to discuss. Their bond ran deeper than for something, to them, so minuscule to get in the way.
It was about a month later, Jackson was staying at Mark’s, and they were getting ready for bed. Brushing their teeth side by side, and after rinsing, Jackson pressed a kiss onto Mark’s cheek. Mark turned to face Jackson, without much of an expression, and kissed him on the lips. It lasted slightly longer than their first kiss, and much like the first one, they continued their evening without any disruptions.
“Maybe we should try dating” Mark proposed as they browsed ugly blouses in a vintage shop, Jackson hummed a “Sure” without removing his eyes from the garish patterned silks before them. Turns out, most people thought they were dating already.
The first time they were going to have sex, Mark lost his nerve and Jackson couldn’t help but smile as he comforted the other, as they opted to cuddle in bed instead. When it eventually did happen, Mark was inwardly saddened that it hadn’t happened sooner.
Not much between them changed, other than gaining a label. They did all the same things they did before, but now they had purpose. Mark thought meeting his soulmate would be more spectacular, an event, but he had crept up on him. From strangers, to friends, to something else, but undeniably, Mark knew it was meant to be.