Chapter Text
Mark gritted his teeth, his blood seeming to boil as he came all over his stomach, actually able to see the heat radiating off his body in blurry waves. He quickly cleaned himself up and stood, his fiery red hair mocking him in the mirror. Why did he let Jackson talk him into dying it?
He knew he’d present as a fire elemental, everyone in his family had been strictly married into select family lines to preserve that. He was just surprised that it was happening now, on the next-to-last day before Christmas break . He was quite possibly the last of his friends to present. Jackson and Jinyoung were Light elementals, and Yugyeom was a shadow elemental, which was super rare, especially since he presented early and was years younger than Mark, but whatever. He shrugged on a tee shirt and forced himself into pants, hating the closeness of them to his heated skin. He hurriedly put on his shoes and rushed downstairs to see his mother pottering about the kitchen preparing breakfast.
“Good morning honey, would you like cereal or-- oh!” she gasped as she turned around and saw the heat radiating off his body.
She smiled at him knowingly, reaching up to tuck a strand of silky black hair behind her ear. “Good thinking with the tank top,” she said, patting his shoulder. “I’m so proud of you.” Mark blushed and thanked his mother, reaching for an apple on the counter.
“I think I’m gonna head out now,” he said, gently pulling her close for a very warm hug. She nodded and pointed to him.
“Be safe today. Presentations aren’t always taken lightly in public,” she warned. Mark nodded to show he understood, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and heading out of the house. Once the door closed, he let out a heavy breath, setting a steady pace to school and allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts. It was beginning to cool down outside, and if Mark wasn’t an elemental, he’d be concerned for his health, wearing only a tank top.. He’d never gotten sick as a child, because fire elementals have such high temperatures naturally, but until he presented, it wasn’t definite if he was a fire elemental or a light elemental. Freak occurances happened like that, especially with how closely the two elements behaved.
He was pulled from his thoughts for a moment by the scuff of a shoe on pavement, one that wasn’t his, and his head whipped around. A bit back, a boy around his age walked with his head down and his earbuds in, windbreaker pulled up almost to his ears. Mark didn’t recognize him, but he recognized the specialized ice-elemental jacket, designed to keep their internal body temperature down in the heat so they would maintain control over their element. The boy looked up and his gaze caught Mark’s, sharp and slanted and piercing, and Mark could feel the cold radiating off of him even from where he stood, stronger than the winter air around them.
He turned back around, ignoring the light steps behind him. His mind began to wander again, this time focusing on the boy. Who was he? Where did he come from? Mark could still feel the cold waves coming off of him, and they washed over his heated skin deliciously, soothing the heated burn and bringing with each pulsing wave a scent, the boy’s scent, and Mark decided that it was soothing too.
The boy smelled fresh and clean, crisp and undeniably cold, like something spicy but sweet, and Mark considered this as he walked onto the campus.
He saw Youngjae first, sitting in the grass with his hands lying gently to either side, fingers pushed deep into the soil. Mark smiled at his friend, sitting on the bench not too far from him so as not to harm the grass with his heat. Youngjae was a nature elemental, and could connect with plants and animals of every kind, including people, with his elementally-gifted abilities, but he much preferred using music to connect to people, Mark learned.
He was a gentle boy, soft in every aspect and precious beyond belief. Plants and people alike blossomed under his gentle touch and loving attitude, and he was well-liked around campus. He had many suitors, practically everyone who talked to him, with the exception of Mark, which was why he liked Mark’s company more than theirs. Mark was quiet, and he supposed that Youngjae appreciated the break from requests of “can you fix my plant?” to “Are you free tomorrow night?” and Mark was more than happy to be a calming presence.
He waited for Youngjae to say something first, letting him finish meditating lest he be playfully smacked and chided for interrupting his connection.
After a few moments his friend looked up, brown doe eyes lifting as he smiled at Mark. “Hey, Mark-hyung. You finally presented!” Mark smiled back, nodding.
“It was really unexpected.” Youngjae nodded, brushing the dirt from his fingers and folding them in his lap as he listened.
“I bet. I presented last year on the reservation field trip, do you remember that?” Mark did. Youngjae had felt faint and nauseous all day until he sat on the ground, and the plants listed towards him like he was the sunlight they needed to survive. He’d thrown up soft leaves and flower petals, and that was that. Mark inhaled his friend’s calming, earthy scent before replying.
“I was scared for you,” he admitted, not for the first time.
“I know.”
The bell rang then, ending their conversation, and Mark belatedly realized that at some point, the ice elemental had walked past and left, taking his cooling presence with him, whilst Mark chatted with Youngjae.
Mark looked up from his notes (which were more doodles than anything,) when the teacher cleared his throat for an announcement.
“Class, we have a new transfer student,” he said, gesturing for someone behind the door to enter. Mark decided to ignore it, since it didn’t pertain to him. He was too shy to look anyway. “His name is Jaebum and I expect you all to treat him respectfully, show him around and help him with the class.” There was a hum of unwilling agreement as the class regarded the new student, and a few gasps from the girls behind him caused Mark to look up again.
Standing there was the ice elemental, Jaebum, and a shiver ran down Mark’s spine when he realized that Jaebum’s gaze was, and had been, fixed pointedly on him. Mark felt a different heat rush to his cheeks and glanced away.
“Jaebum, there’s an empty seat next to Mark, right there in the corner,” the teacher said, and Mark cursed mentally. He watched through his eyelashes as Jaebum’s lips formed around Mark’s name silently, as if tasting it for a moment before he nodded and proceeded to the desk next to his. The boy’s walk was easy, and his ears glittered with piercings. Again, his scent washed over Mark, stronger this time as he sat down and took out a sketchbook. As he flicked through the pages, Mark saw beautifully drawn portraits, watercolor pieces, and an in-depth study of the structure of plants. It was all in Mandarin, and it took a moment for Mark’s brain to switch language before he recognized the characters.
The boy glanced up at him and Mark blushed at being caught staring. He instead chose to focus on his own doodles, mind seemingly magnetized to the boy next to him. Waves of cold washed over him and soothed his burning skin, and Mark knew his warmth was probably suffocating to the boy. He decidedly ripped a piece of paper out of his spiral-bound notebook, scrawling in sloppy characters across the top few lines.
Sorry, I’m probably way too warm right now. Presented today. Almost as an afterthought, in Mandarin, he wrote, I like your sketchbook, I wish I could draw. He added a sad face, enveloping it in a circle to make it a head, and drew little cartoon flames coming off of it before meticulously and precisely folding it up into a crisp paper airplane before realizing that it was ridiculous to fold it like that because he was right there.
But it was already folded. Mark used his palm to toss it up onto Jaebum’s desk as soon as the teacher’s back was turned, hurriedly burying himself in his work when he looked up. He missed the confused smile that crinkled Jaebum’s eyes into little crescents as he looked over the paper. Jaebum wrote a response before folding it again, and Mark’s eyes latched onto the veins curving over the back of his hands. The paper airplane landed suddenly in front of his nose, and Mark glanced at the boy, who was avidly paying attention to the lesson being scrawled on the dry-erase board. He unfolded it as quietly as he could.
It’s not too warm at all, it said. It’s a welcome change, actually. And thank you, but my drawings are nothing special. You presented today?
Mark wrinkled his nose and scrawled a reply.
Shush, your drawings are amazing. And yeah, I know, late bloomer and all, but I don’t mind.
He tossed it onto Jaebum’s desk. A few moments later, it landed on his again.
Do you like rap or hip hop? Or even just dance?
Mark’s brow furrowed as he responded.
I love all three, why?
This time he saw the smile that threatened to break Jaebum’s face, and wondered why his reply could elicit such a beautiful grin. Jaebum wrote quickly, pausing for a moment as the bell rang. He hurriedly wrote and didn’t bother folding it up again, instead placing it on Mark’s desk as he slung his backpack over one shoulder and smirked at him before walking out of the room.
There was an address, one that he knew to be a few streets away from the school. Beneath that, in Jaebum’s messy blue pen, was this:
I’d like to take you here sometime. I think you’d like it. I b-boy sometimes.
I know this is sudden, and weird if you really think about it, but you’re cute. I hope this doesn’t make things weird in the future. It’s up to you if you’d want to go.
Mark’s cheeks flamed as he saw the phone number beneath this. The entire walk to his next class was spent grinning like an idiot.
At lunch, Jackson noticed his expression, and immediately began bombarding him with questions.
“Why are you so happy? You sat down with that tray like it was the best food in the world.” He plastered himself against Mark’s side, unaffected by the heat, since he was such a close element to Mark. Jackson’s hands came up to Mark’s arm and he shook him back and forth.
“Is it someone? Are you dating? Did you find money? What happened? Who pulled a rainbow out of your ass this morning?” Jackson pestered. Mark hummed noncommittally.
“Maaaaaaaark, tell meeeee,” he whined. Mark patted him on the head and put a fry into his own mouth.
“I’m just happy, Jacks,” he said. Jackson huffed.
“Tell him what?” Said a voice behind them, and Mark looked over his shoulder to see Bambam and Yugyeom standing behind them, trays in hand. Bambam was Yugyeom’s boyfriend, a slim Thai boy with a shock of pink in his dark bangs and carefree tanned skin. Yugyeom’s own blond hair hung in his eyes as he sat.
“Mark’s seeing someone, or something,” Jackson said. “He’s insanely happy. He’s actually smiling while eating school food.” By the end of this statement, Jackson’s voice lowered conspiratorially into a whisper. Bambam gasped, leaning in like it was a secret being shared over soggy fries. Yugyeom just watched calmly, one arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders. It was an awkward pose, because his boyfriend leaned in to whisper with Jackson in mock whispers, loud enough to be heard by anyone who cared to listen, but Yugyeom looked content to be there.
The bench next to Mark creaked as Youngjae sat next to him, tupperware full of salad placed in front of him. To Jackson’s side, Jinyoung sat down, and Jackson simpered and complained to him about Mark’s sudden mood change.
“Someone’s glowing,” Youngjae murmured to Mark. Mark allowed himself to smile.
“It’s nothing,” He said.
Youngjae smiled too.
“Okay. But, if it was something, I’d want to know.” Mark’s smile widened.
“Maybe.”
{three weeks later.}
Mark walked home with his earbuds stuffed into his ears and his music blasting. As Mark scuffed his feet on the asphalt, he pondered his day. He’d caught fleeting glances of Jaebum in the hallways all week, and every time, he looked up to find the other boy’s eyes trained on him, though he only talked to Mark respectfully and occasionally in class. It was unnerving.
(read: It made him blush every time.)
He didn’t see Jaebum at all on his walk home, didn’t feel the waves of cold air that flowed off of him. Mark himself had stayed behind to attend a math tutoring class, so he wasn’t surprised. If anything, he was slightly disappointed to not see the mysterious boy. But he pushed those thoughts aside. He focused on getting home without being hit by a car, listening to his music on shuffle, and hoping that a breeze would come through and cool his skin. He was always warmer, now that he’d presented. He’d also bleached his hair to a platinum white in an effort to get Jaebum to talk to him again, but the boy barely took notice. (Not that Mark would admit his reasons for dying it, if he had been asked.)
As Mark reached his porch and stepped inside, he pulled his earbuds out, ears ringing, and greeted his mother. There was no reply, and he’d been too distracted to see if her car was in the driveway while walking, suggesting that she was working late again.
Ruffling through his backpack, he pulled out a very crumpled piece of paper with graphite rubbed into the folded crease and writing on it. As he opened it up and carefully straightened it out, his stomach sank.
Jaebum’s phone number and the address he’d written glared up at him in the same blue ink, stark against the paper.
Mark hurriedly took out his phone and put the number into his contact list, saving it as Jaebummie, since the boy was probably younger than him. He sent out a hurried message and sunk down to sit against the wall, heart pounding. He might have messed up what could have been a great friendship with his carelessness, and he jumped as his phone vibrated almost instantly.
It’s okay, the message read, but I was scared you were ignoring me. Mark swallowed heavily.
I couldn’t find our note paper.
It’s all good :)
Mark found himself smiling at the emoji.
The rest of his afternoon was spent sitting in the same spot on the floor, texting back and forth with Jaebum like gunfire. They clicked, and they had a lot of the same interests, comparing music libraries and favorite authors like they were together in person.
In person.
Mark ignored the sudden twist of his stomach as his thumb hovered over the send button, eyeing the question with wariness.
When can I see this b-boying of yours?
He closed his eyes and hit send. A small typing bubble popped up.
I’m actually scheduled for tonight if you’re free?
Mark caught his lip between his teeth in a smile.
When?
8:00, Jaebum replied. Dress casually but don’t look homeless, lol, I have a reputation to uphold at this place.
Mark snorted.
Damn, there go my plans to show up in a garbage bag.
Jaebum sent a laughing emoji and Mark smiled as he stood up and stretched his sore muscles, cracking his joints and loosening up after sitting for so long.
Mark glanced at himself in the mirror for a moment. Jaebum had said casual, but Mark wasn’t sure about his outfit. He wore tight leather pants with a chain dangling over his right hip, a black turtleneck sweater to keep his heat close to him, and god, was it tight. It showed the slender taper of his hips, the slight definition to his arms. He knew that there’d be at least a few pairs of eyes on him, but all he cared about was whether or not Jaebum’s were one of them.
With a quick decision, he smoked some eyeliner across the outer corner of his upper lids, accentuating the sleek shape, and looked at himself again. Definitely better.
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
I’m outside. Hope you’re ready for aux cord duty, cause you’re riding shotgun. Mark flushed with excitement and left a note for his mother on the table, explaining that he’d gone out with a friend.
He stepped out of the front door and saw Jaebum parked in a sleek car, solid black like Mark’s outfit, and Mark swallowed nervously, thankful for the darkness of early nightfall covering his blush. He waved lightly as he walked around to the passenger door, sliding inside.
Jaebum’s car smelled like weed and strawberry air fresheners, and Mark’s mouth watered as he regarded Jaebum. He wasn’t dressed any particular way, definitely not more than casually, but his legs were framed nicely in distressed jeans, and the slight muscle of his chest was accentuated by the white tee he wore, leather jacket holding his elemental cold close to his skin. His mind blanked as he saw the backwards hat, exposing Jaebum’s forehead and drawing attention to his strong eyebrows and feline eyes.
Jaebum smiled nervously at him.
“You look nice,” he said. Mark was pretty sure he imagined the hoarseness in his voice and smiled back.
“Thanks, you do too.”
“You ready?” Mark nodded, buckling up and plugging the aux into his phone and pulling up his music library.
“What’re you in the mood for?”
“You said you have Frank Ocean, right?”
“Yeah, dude, of course.”
He started playing an older album and Jaebum grinned, pulling away from the house. Jaebum fiddled with the steering wheel, tapping his fingers and scratching at the leather’s seams, and Mark figured he was nervous about performing in front of him.
“Do you mind if I smoke?” Jaebum blurted.
“Go ahead, man, but you’d better share.”
Jaebum laughed breathily and gestured to the glove box. “I already rolled, they’re in there.” Mark grinned easily and pulled it open, seeing three large spiffs and a tie-dye print lighter lying amongst the paper napkins and coupons. He plucked out the largest one and held it out. Jaebum shook his head.
“You can have the first pull.”
Mark’s grin widened as he placed it between his own lips, lighting it and letting his eyes drift shut as he inhaled the smoke. It’d been so long, too long, and the heady scent of weed mixed with the crisp scent of Jaebum that was drifting over, and Mark felt his nerves begin to melt away.
He passed the blunt to Jaebum, who took a deep pull before letting the smoke flow out of his mouth, arcing up shortly into his nose in a reverse waterfall. He smiled at Mark as he blew the smoke out of his nostrils like a dragon before passing it back.
Mark giggled boyishly, and soon their entire ride was spent laughing without a care and passing the blunt back and forth. The smoke accumulated in the car, mixing with the cold pulsing off of Jabum and the warmth off of Mark. They laughed at each other singing along goofily to the choruses of songs, they laughed at a broken streetlight, once, and Mark was glad that the tension between them had dissipated like the smoke they exhaled.
Jaebum parked the car and snorted back his laughter, leaving both windows cracked open a bit to air out the car before turning it off. Mark blinked and he was gone, opening Mark’s door from the outside, and Mark flushed easily, floating too freely to care. He took in their surroundings, seeing the flickering neon lights a few stories up and the crumbling brick facade they were attached to. Mark let Jaebum grip softly onto his elbow as he walked them up to the door and knocked, the tinkling of Mark’s chain mingling with their echoing footsteps.
The door cracked open and a breathy laugh was heard before it opened and Mark’s mouth fell open to see Yugyeom standing behind it, dressed totally different than he usually did. He had on eyeliner and a snapback, clad in all black, and he looked dangerous.
Until he laughed.
Mark laughed too, frowning slightly at the situation but happy to see his friend nevertheless.
“I didn’t know you were bringing someone along tonight, man,” Yugyeom said, giving Jaebum a familiar bro handshake.
“I think you already know each other,” Jaebum grinned, “Just make sure he doesn’t get too wasted.” Yugyeom’s grin darkened and he looked more than mischievous as he nodded, stepping aside to let them in.
It was crowded inside, with strobe lights flashing from one corner and the thick musk of weed and alcohol mingling with the scents of the elements.
“Whoa,” Mark breathed. Yugyeom made a noise of agreement, gesturing towards an empty chair by the wall.
“It’ll be a few before he comes out, and I’d advise sitting down until then so you don’t get caught up in the grind chain. Unless you want that.” Mark shook his head, considering the floor of sweaty bodies. His brain helpfully supplied an image of he and Jaebum in said grind chain, and he blushed uncontrollably before sitting down in the provided chair.
“See Wonpil at the bar if you want a drink,” Yugyeom muttered, eyeing the door. Mark figured that they didn’t card, since it was an exclusive hideout and there was a door monitor, and he nodded. Yugyeom nodded back and went to stand by the door again.
Mark let his mind drift, pleasantly hazy with the cloud of smoke above them and the thumping of the bass shaking his bones. The music stopped and there was a collective buzz about the crowd as they murmured, and the lights went out all at once. There were a few excited screams, more excited murmurs. There was a slight pause in the crowd and the entire building lapsed into eager silence. A spotlight lit up the small stage Mark had failed to notice. Out from the darkness stepped Jaebum, looking impossibly imposing and dangerous.
The crowd erupted into screams and cheers, a few muffled yells of “Defsoul” or something of the like ringing out.
The music started, a beat that Mark recognized but couldn’t place, and Jaebum started moving.
His feet were a blur as he danced, and Mark was impressed. Jaebum turned and dropped, landing on his palms and beginning to breakdance, and Mark was beyond impressed.
He watched with open curiosity and admiration as Jaebum twisted and spun, shirt riding down and exposing a wonderfully toned stomach. His skin began to glow with a sheen of what looked like sweat, and Mark briefly wondered if it was possible for ice elementals to heat up enough to sweat before Jaebum backflipped up to a standing position, resuming dancing.
The tempo slowed and he locked eyes with Mark as he began a sexier, slower dance with so many body rolls. At one part he grabbed his crotch, lip trapped tight between his teeth, and Mark felt something pulsing in his stomach begin to travel south.
Notnownotnownotnow, he hissed at himself. Jaebum seemed to sense this and smirked, lip still trapped between perfect teeth, and if Mark wasn’t sitting, his knees would have felt weak.
Jaebum’s entire act was incredibly sexy, so incredibly different from the boy Mark had known in the car, over text. Jaebum’s hooded eyes glanced around the crowd as he performed, lids hanging lower than usual and darkened with shadow. He looked wanton, dangerous, thrillingly and effortlessly hot. Mark’s eyes followed a drip of sweat as it ran down his glistening neck, pausing at the exposed collar bone before hitting the shirt. He swallowed heavily.
The crowd’s chants began to pick up volume, the echoing cries of “Defsoul!” turning to background noise as Mark watched Jaebum’s body seem to unfurl and twist in ways that shouldn’t have been possible, or legal at the very least.
The music stopped with one last striking chord that held its own for a long moment, and Jaebum held a pose for the same duration. His left arm was up, hand angled like he was about to snap his fingers, his other hand gripped tightly onto the front of his pants. His head was almost completely lowered, dripping beads of sweat that formed little ice crystals as they fell. His eyes were barely visible, but they were locked on Mark with an unreadable expression, and Mark felt as though he’d completely sobered up. As Jaebum exited the stage with a bow, Mark shakily stood up and wobbled over to the bar.
A handsome young man stood cleaning a glass, an incredibly cliche bar visual.
“Um, hi,” Mark said. “Yugyeom told me to talk to someone named Wonpil?”
The man smiled easily.
“That’s me. Thirsty?”
Mark nodded. “Jagerbomb, please.” The man’s eyes narrowed in a wider smile as he began to prepare it, and Mark downed it almost as soon as he placed it on the counter. The glass felt cool against his skin and he gripped onto it, turning not-so-subtly to scan the crowd for Jaebum.
He spotted him with his hands on the hips of a girl, one he’d seen at school. Dana? Dara? Something like that. She arched her back and swayed her hips rhythmically, her water element giving her the fluidity and flexibility to work well with Jaebum’s ice.
Mark felt a burning start in his chest, working its way down through his veins.
He’d never been properly jealous, and he didn’t know why he was jealous, but it turned to lava in his veins. Well, literally. He looked down to see his skin glowing a muted orange, more prominent where his veins were. It was unreal. The glass his drink had been in was melting, an angry red glow forming around the hand shape pressed into the melted glass. He glanced at Wonpil, slightly terrified, and Wonpil looked the same.
“Hey, uh, maybe you should go to the bathroom, or something, alright? Cool down?” Mark nodded numbly, passing by Jaebum and his pretty companion and almost shoving Yugyeom out of the way, stepping out into the cool outside air. His skin was still alight with burning veins, and anger simmered deep within his chest. He didn’t care that Jaebum had driven him here, he wanted to go home, and he wanted to go now.
He took a steadying breath, however, and willed the burn in him to lessen. Regardless of what he wanted, everyone expected him to remain, and so, with the veins in his skin a little less bright than before, he stepped back inside, past a startled Yugyeom, to his seat at the bar.
After his second Jagerbomb and a few shots of something that felt warm but incredibly sour as he took them down, Mark’s anger was gone, replaced by a (more than) tipsy excitement. He’d come up with an incredibly bad plan, and as he sipped at the water he was supposed to be drinking more of, he decided to set it into action.
His first step was to find Jaebum. He was so pretty, no. He’s still kinda mad at him. He spotted him talking to the girl from earlier and another one, this one with long blonde hair and heavy false lashes. Helpfully, his brain supplied “chongin” (even though her name was Chaelin.)
Step two was to pull Jaebum onto the dance floor under the guise of a dance. Then he’d wink at the DJ, who would play a song similar to the one Jaebum danced to, and it would be Mark’s turn. He’d do the same thing to Jaebum that Jaebum had done to him, and then they’d be friends again, and they’d be even.
Step three was optional, but Mark kind of hoped it’d happen anyway. Step three consisted of kissing Jaebum and making out in his car, maybe going further, whatever.
With a hazy plan in mind, Mark shakily stood up, teetering dangerously for a moment before finding his balance. He took one step, two steps, and then he was tipping backwards. He fell right into a strong chest, and well-muscled arms grabbed him around the middle and hoisted him up. He looked up and saw that he’d bumped into Jaebum, who had gotten up whilst Mark was planning and was about to check on him.
So, step one was essentially done, and this counted as part of step two, right?
Mark stood, with Jaebum’s help, and looked over his shoulder to where the DJ would be. He winked exaggeratedly and gave a thumbs up, much to Jaebum’s confusion.
And nothing happened.
Apparently, if you make a plan involving other people, you have to get them in on it first.
“Who are you winking at?” Jaebum asked.
Mark looked back at him and shushed him, giggling drunkenly as he winked again, this time looking more at the wall than anyone.
Jaebum held back a snicker.
“Come on, you’re drunk. Let’s get you home.”
“No,” Mark whined. “Gotta.. Step two! Yeah, we gotta do step two,” he babbled, grabbing Jaebum’s wrist and pulling him unsteadily into the crowd of dancing people.
“Step.. two?” Jaebum murmured, the question in his tone escaping Mark’s fuzzy mind. Mark grabbed one of Jaebum’s hands in each of his own, placing them on his hips and wrapping his own arms around his neck. Mark swayed a bit too dramatically to the music, slow dancing even though it was an energetic dance beat. Jaebum bit back a smile and let him drag him from side to side.
Mark looked up at him with unfocused eyes.
“Um, step two is done now I guess. Can we do three?”
“Huh?” Jaebum frowned.
“Um, well, uh, step three.” he pressed a quick kiss to Jaebum’s lips. “Like that, see? Except more tongue and open mouthing and stuff, and like, our hands would do like this.” He gently took Jaebum’s wrists in his hands and wiggled them up and down on his own back.
Jaebum looked frozen, a pink blush spreading across his high cheekbones, and Mark pondered this for a moment before deciding he wasn’t mad at him anymore, couldn’t be mad at someone so beautiful.
He pouted. “Fuck, we can’t do it now.” Jaebum snapped out of his daze.
“What?”
Mark huffed. “I said, we can’t do step three now. I’m not mad anymore, ‘cause you’re so pretty. Did you know that? You’re, like, handsome, really handsome, but you’re just kinda, I dunno, pretty. It’s distracting.” Mark poked Jaebum’s side just under his ribs. “You’re distracting.”
Jaebum frowned slightly. “Mad?”
Mark huffed again, rolling his eyes and leaning into Jaebum’s shoulder dazedly.
“Yeah, I was mad ‘cause you had these girls on you, you know,” he lowered his voice conspiratorially, “grinding and stuff, and I got kinda jealous but kinda not jealous but mostly jealous and a little angry and so I started ordering drinks,” he slurred. “Have you ever had a Jagerbomb? They’re great, really, you should try one.”
Jaebum seemed to be processing and so Mark dragged him over to the now vacant couch and pushed him down onto it, giggling maniacally as he bounced, and maybe they could do step three after all?
Jaebum looked up at him with wide eyes and Mark grinned, feeling the alcohol in his veins slow his movements, but confident in them nevertheless. He placed his hands on Jaebum’s shoulders and placed a knee on either side of his hips, straddling him and pinning him to the couch. His skin was cold as it always was, and Mark’s was warm but not hot, dampened by the proximity and the alcohol. He pressed his lips to Jaebum’s and licked at the seam fervently, and as soon as the younger opened his mouth, Mark was kissing him, and he was hesitantly kissing back, and Mark felt arousal pump in his veins and head south.
He began to rock his hips against Jaebum’s, and he felt his hands come up to his waist, and holyshitwasthisactuallyhappening, but then Jaebum used those hands to stop him, hold him in place over his thighs. He pulled away and looked at Mark with lips shiny with spit.
“We can’t do this,” Jaebum said.
“Why?”
“You’re drunk. I’m not going to take advantage of you like that.”
Mark pouted and leaned down again to mouth at his neck, trying to taste the sweat from earlier. Jaebum’s breath hitched as he darted his tongue out and licked a small section, nibbling on it soon after.
“Mark,” He rasped. Mark grinned against his skin, letting the pounding bass of the music set the pace as he sucked bruises into the skin where Jaebum’s neck and shoulder met.
“What if,” Mark murmured next to his ear, “I want you to take advantage of me?”
Jaebum swallowed heavily, exhaling harshly as Mark nibbled up to his ear and gave it a quick nip.
He seemed to tense beneath him, and Mark took a moment to feel Jaebum’s cool skin against his cheek.
“What if,” he repeated, licking a sinful stripe up Jaebum’s neck, “I like being taken advantage of? If I want you to use me for your own pleasure?” Jaebum groaned again and his fingertips pressed harshly into Mark’s hips.
“Don’t do this,” Jaebum rasped.
“Do what?”
“Make me want you like this,” he whispered.
Mark knew he couldn’t see his grin.
“I want you to want it,” Mark murmured, (slurred), letting one hand tease the hem of Jaebum’s shirt up, the other placed on his opposite shoulder. He mouthed and nipped at his skin, humming against him as his hands tightened on his hips again.
He rolled his hips once more, this time meeting no resistance from Jaebum. In fact, the younger used his hands to pull Mark down harder, and oh, Mark felt exactly how hard he was, pressing next to how hard Jaebum was, and he didn’t even know ice elementals could get so warm. The boy’s crotch was absolutely burning, and the rest of his skin was beginning to feel cooler than before.
Jaebum rutted up against him, and Mark switched sides on his neck, sucking mottled bruises into the beautifully tanned skin, nipping and licking and sucking like he was a delicious snack, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t. He pulled back to admire his work in the flashing lights, loving how absolutely wrecked Jaebum looked. He crashed their lips together once more and kissed him desperately, hips moving faster. Jaebum moaned against his mouth, and Mark thought it was the best thing he’d ever heard.
“We can’t do this here,” Jaebum said between kisses.
“Let’s leave then.”
Jaebum agreed by gripping Mark’s belt loops and picking him up with ease, standing up and grabbing his hand, and Mark did his best to ignore how perfectly their hands fit together. At the door, Yugyeom caught his eye, winking like he wasn’t a sophomore in high school, no doubt already knowing why Mark and Jaebum were leaving. Mark blushed and smiled dumbly at him. He was starting to feel less unstable on his feet, and the excitement of what they were leaving to do made his stomach tingle with butterflies.
Once they were outside, Jaebum pushed him up against the brick wall, kissing him fervently. One of his knees slid between Mark’s thighs, putting delicious pressure on his crotch, and eliciting a moan. Mark didn’t even care that the wall he was against was probably disgusting, or that they were in full view of any possible pedestrians, he simply let his head fall back and lost himself in Jaebum’s mouth on his neck and the friction on his erection. Jaebum nibbled at the skin just behind his ear, and Mark gasped, because he didn’t even know that the skin there was that sensitive. Every puff of breath turned into an icy cloud in the cold air, and it felt surreal.
“Let’s-- mmf,-- let’s get to the car,” Mark panted, and Jaebum hummed against him. One of his hands gripped Mark’s, pulling him to the car.
It still smelled like weed inside, but Mark couldn’t care less as Jaebum sat in the passenger seat and pulled Mark into his lap, reclining the seat as far back as it could go and closing the door before locking it. He grinned up at Mark wickedly.
At this angle, Mark’s weight pushed his crotch down against Jaebum’s where he straddled him, and he leaned forward to kiss him again.
Jaebum’s hands slipped under his shirt, and Jaebum’s thumbs worked slow, warm circles into the skin of his hips, and Mark felt the last of his drunkenness step aside in favor of tingling from head to toe.
Mark tugged at Jaebum’s clothes, whining quietly.
“Off,” he insisted. Jaebum complied and Mark leaned back to let him peel off his jacket and shirt, letting him take off Mark’s as well. Their lips met again, cool skin meeting unusually warm skin, and Mark’s eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the contrasting temperatures of their chests as they pressed together.
“So pretty,” Jaebum murmured, pulling away to look at Mark’s torso illuminated by the moonlight through the car windows and the neon lights. Mark let out a shaky breath as Jaebum sucked bruises into his shoulders and across his collar bones. Their crotches moved slowly back and forth across each other, and Mark let out an embarrassing whimper. Jaebum liked it, judging by the way his eyes darkened with arousal.
“Do you want,” Jaebum began. Mark cut him off with a kiss.
“I want to.”
Jaebum looked at him with stars in his eyes, swallowing heavily. His hair was starting to stick to his forehead with the thin sheen of sweat that dusted his skin, and he gestured to the center console.
“I have lube and condoms.”
Mark blushed and opened it, Jaebum helping him to slide his pants and boxers off.
“Have you ever done this before?” Jaebum asked softly. Mark shook his head.
Jaebum nodded and slicked up his fingers, tracing Mark’s hole with the tip of his finger before pressing in experimentally. Mark’s face distorted in discomfort, and Jaebum distracted him by kissing him deeply and stroking his now freed erection. His finger slid in up to the second knuckle, and he stilled for a moment, allowing Mark to adjust to the sudden intrusion. Jaebum moved it slowly in and out, and, okay, it felt nice and all, but Mark didn’t see what all the hype was about.
Jaebum added a second finger, continuing to pump his other hand around Mark’s straining cock and kissing him just as passionately, and Mark whimpered against the burn. But as Jaebum moved his fingers slowly in and out again, he crooked them a certain way and Mark’s back arched, a helpless squeak escaping his lips as galaxies flashed behind his eyes.
“Holy fuck,” he panted, pressing back onto Jaebum’s fingers desperately. They brushed the spot again and Mark keened, barely noticing the third finger Jaebum added.
He scissored Mark open slowly, brushing against his prostate as often as possible, and Mark was light years away. His head swam and all he could feel was Jaebum, Jaebum’s chest under his fingertips, Jaebum’s fingers inside him, Jaebum’s cool skin, Jaebum, Jaebum, everything Jaebum. Jaebum’s fingers left and he whined for a moment, too out of it to notice that he was rolling on a condom and spreading lube over his length. The tip pressed against his entrance, and even though Jaebum had stretched him, it fucking hurt. He clenched his teeth and let his forehead rest on Jaebum’s, letting him bottom out.
“I know it hurts, lovely boy, just tell me when it’s okay to move.” Mark whimpered and adjusted his hips slightly, getting used to the feeling of being so full, waiting for the burn to recede.
Once it did, he nodded at Jaebum, who moved his hips experimentally slow. Mark could feel the drag of his cock along his insides, could feel the pressure against his prostate, could feel Jaebum’s hand begin stroking him again in time with his thrusts.
Mark’s head swam, the pain gone.
“Faster, fuck, please, please go faster,” he babbled. Jaebum placed both hands on his hips, steadying him as he pounded into him. The sound of skin slapping against skin was so lewd, so loud in the small space. He hit Mark’s prostate every few thrusts and Mark cried out, taking his own cock in hand and using his thumb to spread the beads of precome around the head, stroking himself to Jaebum’s pace.
Jaebum watched him with celestial eyes, like Mark was the entirety of the galaxy and he was just now seeing it, like Mark was made of diamonds and he was a poor man. His eyes were blown wide with pleasure and something else as he watched Mark, and Mark choked out Jaebum’s name as he came, spilling onto Jaebum’s chest with a broken sob of pleasure.
Jaebum’s hips stuttered and then he came, too, holding Mark’s hips down hard as he filled the condom. He gently lifted Mark off of him and tied the condom off, tossing it out the door.
Mark blinked sleepily at him as Jaebum as he wiped the cum from his chest and put his shirt back on, pulling up his jeans. He helped Mark back into his shirt and brushed the sweaty bangs from his forehead gently, his expression hard to read. He started up the car and the air conditioning felt great on his overheated skin, and as he wiggled back into his underwear and curled into the seat, Jaebum put on a song that they’d both agreed was their favorite earlier in the day. Mark’s senses lasered in not on the song, not on the movements of the car as they began driving, but on Jaebum. His skin was beginning to emanate the same coldness as it did before, and something about it was comforting, in an odd way. It balanced out the heat radiating from Mark’s own skin. The song was quiet, and Jaebum was there, and Mark fell asleep, for the first time in a long time, unburdened by loneliness.
He woke up in a bed that wasn’t his. His head pounded and he couldn’t remember much more than Jaebum’s dance and then them, in the car, and oh. Oh. The scent of Jaebum hit him, mixed with warm sheets and incense, and he knew that this was Jaebum’s room.
Mark rubbed at his eyes and sat up slowly, taking in the room. The walls were a medium blue and covered in posters, with a few guitars hanging opposite the bed and a multitude of dream catchers hanging from the ceiling above him. He slid to the edge of the bed, glancing around more as he did. The floor was a bit messy, but it was mostly clothes and the occasional guitar pick. He almost shrieked as something cold and wet bumped against his ankle, and he looked down warily to see a cat.
Jaebum. Cool, effortlessly amazing Jaebum, had a cat. Mark was beginning to think he was actually a softie.
She was cute, with a dark gray nose and ears, the same gray tinting her feet and tail. Wide blue eyes peered up at him innocently from within white fur and he picked her up, stroking the soft fur of her ears as he pondered what he should do. She didn’t seem to mind his dilemma, instead choosing to settle herself in his arms, purring. He barely registered the noise.
A loud clank outside the door made him wince, and before he could attempt to lay back down and pretend to be asleep, the cat jumped off of him and onto the floor, meowing up at the door loudly. Mark held his head in his hands as the door opened, and guessing from the immediate influx of cold, it was Jaebum.
“I brought you some painkillers,” He said quietly. Mark appreciated the quiet tone of his voice.
“Thanks,” he rasped.
Jaebum placed them in the hand Mark stretched out, followed by a glass of water.
“Are you okay other than the headache?” Jaebum asked, sitting next to Mark on the small bed. Mark shrugged.
“I don’t feel horrible, but I’ve been better.” Jaebum hummed. That seemed to be the end of their conversation, then, and Mark was glad. He was hoping he could ignore the awkwardness of reliving last night, maybe rely on the alcohol as an excuse to say he didn’t remember, if it was brought up.
He didn’t want this to affect their growing friendship, especially since it was so early on. He didn’t want this to affect how Jaebum thought of him, either, because some of the things he’d said last night were a bit exaggerated, even for him. Bits and pieces of their conversation between the dance and car filtered back to him as he pondered.
What if I want you to take advantage of me?
Mark mentally smacked himself.
Jaebum shifted slightly, catching his attention again. He stood quietly.
“Feel free to nap, you know, sleep it off, okay? I’ll be in the living room. If you get hungry, I’ll show you where the snacks and stuff are, but you’re not eating a ton of shitty food on a hangover.” Mark wheezed out a laugh, agreeing.
“Thank you, for letting me sleep in your bed, and stuff,” Mark blurted as Jaebum turned to leave. Jaebum smiled softly over his shoulder, that same unreadable expression back on his face for a moment.
“Of course.”
Mark woke up a few hours later, feeling significantly better. His headache was reduced to a dull throb, and he no longer felt like his throat was made of sandpaper. His lower half was sore, but that was something he’d have to ignore for both their sakes. The dull hum of the TV in the living room filtered through the walls. He stretched, loosening up his shoulders, before fixing his sleep-rumpled shirt and padding out of the bedroom on quiet feet.
Jaebum was on the couch in the living room, as he said he’d be. He must’ve heard Mark, for he glanced over the back of the couch before smirking and pointing to a door next to the sink. Mark opened it, happy to see a pantry full of food. There was an assortment, from apples to cheez-its, and he grabbed the latter, as well as a bottle of water from the pack on the floor. Jaebum patted the couch next to him as Mark walked in.
“What’re we watching?” Mark asked quietly.
Jaebum smiled.
“Pawn Stars.”
Mark groaned, flopping down next to him. “Really? Isn’t that show for, like, bored dads?” he asked. Jaebum scoffed, mouth falling slightly open.
“No,” he hissed. “It’s an interesting show! You’ll see.” With that he settled back onto the couch, arms folded. Mark decided not to tell him that his own father watched it.