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If someone were to say that Mark Lee was pretty popular in their high school, it would be the understatement of the decade. The entire student body practically worshipped the ground he walked on. Sweet, sweet Mark Lee who's captain of the basketball team and easily one of the smartest kids in their grade.
Na Jaemin has known the slightly older boy for years. Back when Mark was still taller than him and was too shy to speak in his broken korean. The same sweet and intelligent Mark he is now, just smaller and chubbier.
They became classmates when Jaemin was eight years old, and perhaps the now pink haired boy could consider the older as his friend back in the day, but then again, everyone was your friend in second grade.
Naturally, they all grew apart as years passed by. Jaemin opting to stay with his generally (not really) quiet and loyal best friends, Jisung and Renjun. While beautiful and athletically gifted people like Mark and Jeno, and all their other friends, flocked together.
The younger was content with only occasionally talking to the basketball star, mostly just awkward greetings in the hallways or questions about their shared classes. The pink haired boy was fine with staring from afar, smiling briefly before turning away when he gets caught looking. The pink haired boy totally does not go red when Jisung tells him to "Just ask him out already, your pining is suffocating me." The pink haired boy was totally not lying when he replied, "I am not pining Jisungie -- no I have not been in love with him for the past 10 years, shut up!"
A lot of people were in love with Mark, a lot of them weren't shy about admitting it too. Jaemin couldn't count the number of times the older has been confessed to just this month alone, but Mark never said yes to any of them.
A lot of people speculated that he must've been dating someone already. Half of the student body was convinced it was an older girl from a neighbouring college, the other half was convinced it was Donghyuck Lee, one of Mark's closest friends. But when the sunkissed boy was questioned about it, all he did was snort obnoxiously in the person's face, and that was enough answer for them all.
It shouldn't be a surprise to the pink haired boy that the older would corner him on a normal tuesday afternoon, after all, Mark has always been the type to acknowledge everyone, whatever sort of high school group they belong in.
But it does. Especially, when the older was looking this handsome in blue jeans and a simple white shirt. Seriously, Jaemin thinks, right in front of my salad?
"-- your help, I know this is random but you did pinky promise me that I could ask you for any favor." The older was slightly out of breath, glasses that he usually wears whenever they didn't have any games askew.
Jaemin wanted to reach up and fix the older's glasses, "Wait, what?" He doesn't even realize that the other has been talking for a solid minute.
Mark patiently repeats himself, "Look -- I know this might sound weird, but I'm kind of a little -- a lot actually -- desperate. I maybe need you to... like only if you're okay with it -- pretend to be my fake boyfriend, at least just for an hour at most. It's just that this one girl from my class keeps asking me out, and I keep saying no, and I really don't wanna hurt her anymore so I said I was already dating someone -- and you were sorta just there, and you were the first person I saw -- so I kind of blurted out that I was dating... you."
The younger blanks. "What?"
"I also suddenly remembered that you owe me a favor? Because I traded my tater tots for your carrots that one day in second grade and you pinky promised me that you'd do anything for me in return." The dark haired boy pales, "Oh god, are you angry? Oh my god, ofcourse you are. I'm so sorry for asking--"
Jaemin interrupts the other's rambling, because god, the older boy was acting too cute, he wouldn't be able to handle another second of it. "Wait, wait. Crayons? I what -- pinky promise? When did I -- oh."
Oh was right.
The younger suddenly remembers that one bright day ten whole years ago. He thinks of a cute boy with pretty cheekbones and tater tots in a batman lunchbox.
"Okay."
This time, it's the older boy's turn to look at him bewilderedly, "Okay?"
Yes okay, Jaemin wanted to say, like I'd ever say no to the boy I've been hopelessly in love with for the past ten years. But instead he says, in a voice he tried his best to sound calm, "I promised didn't I? Wh-what do you want me to do?"
The older boy sighs in relief, "I'm really sorry for dragging you into this but I just really don't wanna hurt anyone. I just -- can you just, I don't know. Uh, just hold my hand? And try to pretend you like me for a few minutes when we pass by them?"
The pink haired boy gulped at the mere thought of the older's hand. But the second was easy.
"Where are they anyway?"
"Just by the field, we can just take a walk there or something, i don't know. She just seemed suspicious of me earlier, I just wanted to prove it to her."
There was a slight frown in the other's face, making the younger's heart swell, "O-okay. So we just, uh, yeah -- I"
They reach for each other's hand and the older intertwines their fingers. Jaemin marvels at the fact that Mark's hand was surprisingly slightly bigger than his. Longer. Warmer. Rougher too. The older gives his hand a squeeze. Jaemin melts.
Mark clears his throat before tugging at the other's hand. They exit through the double doors and was immediately greeted by the sight of bright skies and people buzzing around in their school field.
Immediately, the younger boy feels all eyes zoom in on them and their held hands. Whoops. He definitely did not think this through.
"I'm really sorry about this, Nana." The older boy says, making the other turn his head towards him so fast, he swears he could've gotten whiplash.
The younger boy just stares at him, making the other worry, "I -- I'm sorry, did I do something?"
"Uh.." The pink haired boy shakes his head lightly, cheeks heating up, "N-no. It's just that, I haven't been called Nana in a while."
"O-oh, sorry. I didn't know. Everybody used to call you that. Sorry."
Jaemin smiles warmly, avoiding eye contact with the other, "No, no. It's okay. I missed being called Nana. It's kind of... cute, coming from you."
The older boy giggles nervously, his cheekbones doing that thing that makes Jaemin want to hide under a rock for the rest of his life, "Y-yeah?"
"Mmm hmm... Who are we trying to convince again? Is she from our year? I might know her."
"Ah, well, she's actually a friend somehow? It's Eunji. I think we all have one class together. She already saw us I think, all her friends are looking." Mark says shyly, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck.
Ofcourse. Jaemin doesn't know much about Ko Eunji, other than the fact that she's the captain of the women's swimming team, and has really really nice skin.
"She doesn't seem too bad."
"Yeah, I mean she's really sweet. But I -- There's already someone I --"
"I can't believe Mark Lee finally grew a backbone. Christ." A deep voice from their right interrupts them.
They both turn towards the source of the voice, fingers still intertwined. The sight that greets them is of three boys. One with crescents for eyes, one sunkissed, and one with curly blonde hair.
"Someone put Johnny on the phone, he's gonna have an aneurism." Jeno Lee continues, voice teasing, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Wait, Jeno I --" The oldest boy starts, a slight panic in his voice, before getting interrupted once again by his so-called best friends.
"Took you long enough, Markie." This time, it was Donghyuck who speaks up, eyeing the pink haired boy, a glint in his eyes that the other can't quite pinpoint. "Thought you'd wait another ten years to shoot your shot."
The oldest boy tenses, "Shut up, guys, listen to me --"
Chenle giggles maniacally, the pink haired boy didn't even know that was possible, "Oh don't be shy now, it's not like you gush daily about your Nana's cute laugh and his long eyelashes and his really pretty hands. Oh no, that would be embarrassing."
"Yeah," The sunkissed boy adds, tilting his head, "It's not like you coo at him in that really pathetic voice you use whenever you talk about his favorite pink sweater, Hyuck, look at his sweater paws oh my god."
Jeno laughs heartedly, then looks straight at Jaemin, "How did he do it? I'm sure you must've known for a while now, Mark's not very discr--"
The oldest boy groans and tugs at the pink haired boy's hand gently, stirring him away from his former best friends. He tugs the other towards the other side of the field, not before calling out to the three boys, "I hate all of you so much!"
Thousands of things are running through Jaemin's mind, when he chances a look at the older boy.
When they stop at the corner of the field and the older turns to him, he notices that Marl's shoulders were tense, his movements fidgety, and his eyes worried but also a bit hopeful?
"I'm so sorry about my friends, they're -- they're a little crazy."
The younger just stares at him for a while, still a little shaken about whatever the hell was happening. "I -- I don't quite understand. What were they talking about?"
The older boy lets go of his hand, and Jaemin berates himself a little for missing it immediately.
"Look, I'm sorry, this must be so weird to you. But I -- well, I kind of --" Mark groans, rubbing his face furiously before continuing, "I'm kind of -- sort of -- a little bit, I think? In love with you. Possibly since second grade. I don't know, I'm not too sure. Please don't be angry."
Jaemin blanks. "What?"
Mark waves his arm between them immediately, "You don'y have to say anything! It's... It's okay if you get angry. I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have dragged you into this."
"I -- wait. I'm not... I'm not angry." The pink haired boy finds his voice. "You don't have to be sorry."
"You're not? I don't?"
"Yeah, I.. well. I've been denying it since second grade. But, I think. I'm kind of -- sort of -- a little bit. In love with you. Too."
It was the older boy's turn to blank. Mouth agape, eyes wide, and heart thudding in his chest. "What?"
Jaemin buries his face in his hands, "Please don't make me say it again, oh my god, I can't believe I told you I like you. I can't believe you told me you like me."
After the longest most awkward minute of both of their lives in silence, the older boy reaches for the other's hand and tugs it away from his face. "Hey."
"Hey." The younger replies in a shy voice.
"I lied a little. I'm sure that I've been in love with you since the second grade. Even before the tater tots incident. I would've given them to you, by the way. Even without the carrots and the pinky promise of a favor. I'm glad that you owed me though, I wouldn't have had the courage to tell you on my own. Ever. I still can't believe you're telling me that you like me too. I hope I'm not dreaming."
Jaemin feels a whole fucking zoo rioting in his stomach, he feels like his heart is about to melt. "I hope I'm not dreaming."
They look into each other's eyes silently, for a moment.
"Hey."
"Hey."
The older boy rubs the back of his neck, "So... do you wanna -- do you wanna go on a date? With me? Tomorrow, we can have dinner or watch a movie or do whatever you want."
"Y-yeah. I would love that." The younger boy couldn't help it, he feels a bright grin blossom in his face.
"Oh god." Mark groans, "Please don't smile like that when I'm this close, my heart won't be able to take it."
The pink haired boy laughs, and in a surge of surprising courage, he leans towards Mark's face and places a soft kiss on the corner of the other's lip.
Mark gapes, whispering a soft, "Holy shit."
The younger boy giggles. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He takes a step back, and gives the older a small wave.
When the dark haired boy finally gets off of his high from getting kissed (albeit just on the corner of his lips) by the love of his life, he steps forward immediately and clutches on the front of the other's shirt, "Hey, you can't just do that."
The younger's eyes widen, worried that he might've angered the other, but then the older continues, "Not if it isn't done properly."
Jaemin was about to question the meaning of the other's statement but was quickly cut off by the older boy's lips pressed agains his.
Mark kissed him in a way that was shy and long and sweet, all at once, and the younger boy wasn't very experienced but he indeed felt that this was the proper way to be kissed.