Mark's Dorm

@Mark For a brief moment, Jackson lost himself. He let go of reality around him, he let go of the pain and loss of hope that he'd held on to for so long. Jackson finally let go of everything and let himself be swept up in the arms of the one person he has always longed to have. His father. Healing tears wouldn't stop, his face turning a little ugly due to it, and all Jackson could do was cling to the elder for dear life, his face burrowing in Kris' neck as he sobbed. It took a few minutes for him to actually calm down, Jackson pulling back to look at the fact that resembled him so much. "I a-always hoped I-I w-would find you...and y-you found m-me ins-stead..." A watery smile plastered itself on Jackson's mouth as he hugged Kris again, sniffling profusely while trying to dry his face. "I knew you existed...deep down.." he whispered once he was calm, wiping his eyes and refusing to move from Kris' lap.

Beside them sat the twins, Eli fighting his own tears as they once again found another piece of their little family...the last piece that put the puzzle together. He was happy, but at the same time worried for Jackson's health, and happened to glance at Mark when he came in, going to the other to reassure him. "Mark," he said softly, placing his hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to be so paranoid. Mom and dad are gonna love you. I know me a Kam do already, so don't panic, okay?"

@Jackson Their sighs of relief were simultaneous, Mark holding tighter to the shaking hand as he silently watched his lover reach for the envelope, smiling softly to reassure Jackson he was still there. His hands didn't leave the trembling body, holding onto his bicep and wrapping around his shoulders as he held him close, adding his strength to the obviously overwhelmed male and holding his breath as well. He read the paper at the same time and froze, staring just as hard at the results, missing the smile he was given and taking the paper once his fiance had leapt into his father's arms...His father's..Father..Jackson had a father, a family. Oh god..His chest clenched, making his breaths shorten and pick up speed as panic settled in his stomach. What if they didn't like him? What if..what if..No no no, he couldn't think like that, he couldn't panic and make this about him. Mark forcefully pushed the panic down, running a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath as he stood to make his way towards the kitchen, deciding that drinks could be a good way to ease the atmosphere.

Kris couldn't breathe, holding his breath as he watched the younger move and open the envelope, his lips starting to turn blue by the time the boy read it. His breath came in all at once in the form of a gasp, his eyes wide as he reached for the paper to confirm it...he was right..it was positive. Jackson was his child. Before he could fully comprehend the fact, Kris had his arms full of his son and truthfully he couldn't be happier to hold the boy after so long. Kris chuckled softly as he rocked the boy now officially sitting in his lap, petting his head and rubbing his back to try and comfort him, "Shhh yes baby..Daddy's here..You're my son..my little boy. Don't cry baby, daddy's here..I'm not going anywhere..don't cry." His own eyes teared up as he fought the urge to cry, burying his face in the top of Jackson's head and just holding onto the younger with every bit of strength his arms had.

@Mark A small releived sigh left Jackson's lips as he reached for the envelope, his mouth suddenly going dry and his hands shaking just as bad as Kris'. Was this real life? Was this really happening? Jackson wasn't sure, all he knew was that this one piece of paper held the fate of his life in his hands...and he really hoped it wouldn't disappoint him. Swallowing as best he could, Jackson slowly let go of Mark's hand but quickly leaned close to him, trembling fingers undoing the seal. He stole a nervous glance at his fiance, finding the reassurance he needed, and pulled out the paper face down, his heart thumping rappidly in his chest. This could mean nothing, he thought to himself, but then again it could mean everything. the twins seeming impatient is what made him then the paper over and begin looking at the results. And what he found shocked him to his core. "My God..." Breathed Jackson, feeling the tears welling in his eyes as he fought to speak. There is black and white read one word that had Jackson's world turning upside down. Positive. "It...it says positive..." His eyes slowly raised to meet Kris...his father. And after giving his fiance a water smile, the child all but leapt to his feet and flung himself into Kris open arms. Weeping like the lost child he was, Jackson let his guard fall and became small once more in his father's arms, sobs leaving his lips while clinging to Kris. Kris was his father. Finally after all these years he found the one thing he'd been searching and longkng for...a family. "Y-Youre my dad...my dad...dad.." he sobbed, the words a bit choked, but never the less holding the meaning that he knew was so dear to him. "Daddy.." he whimpered, squeezing Kris just the slightest bit tighter.

@Jackson Mark was..horrified when he woke up and heard the story the next morning, curling into a ball and hiding under the sheets for a good hour or two before he allowed Jackson to coax him out and tell him it was okay. It really wasn't..he'd just embarrassed himself in front of their friends and his fiance's possible family..it really wasn't okay at all. Not to mention, he wasn't there to calm Jackson down or anything. He tried his hardest to make up for it, holding onto the larger body as if he were the most precious thing in the world until he had to leave for his own shift. It was a few days later that he finally got a chance to fully redeem himself, the same three showed up and while Mark couldn't really look them in the eyes, his full attention was on Jackson as he turned towards him and held his hand tightly in both of his own, gently petting at the hand squeezing the life out of his own and ignoring the fact that his was going numb slowly.

Kris wasn't much better than Jackson, holding the envelope tight to his chest as he followed the twins to the apartment where they'd been days before. He hadn't opened the envelope yet, hadn't read the results because after they'd taken the test he'd become more and more hopeful that this boy really was his son, he wasn't sure he was prepared to deal with that hope being crushed. So when they were led inside and offered a seat, Kris merely placed the envelope on his lap and cleared his throat, "I'm not sure..I haven't opened it..I, um..thought I'd let you do that ..here.." He held the envelope out, waiting for Jackson to take it as his hands started shaking a bit.

@Mark Hesitating, Jackson took the phone and began to type his phone number in. A small part of him wanted believe this was true...but at the same time he struggled with really grasping the situation in full. He did, however, notice that he and Kris...had similar means of handling awkwarf situations, especially when it came to this. None the less he did as told, texting himself and saving the number and then figuring out a good day. It didn't take long to work around his schedule of work, being able to do the test the following day on his lunch hour. And coming home that day he collapsed in his loves arms and hoped that he would have answers soon. He waited...and when a knock was at his door a few days later, Jackson let the same trio he'd seen the prior week in, sitting down and gripping mark's hand like his life depended on it. "...so?" He asked, his voice hoarse with worry as he waited for the news. The fact that Kris was sitting in front of him could possibly mean one thing...and if it did, he knew he would break instantly.

@Jackson Kris wasn't hurt in the least, chuckling under his breath, straightening up and shrugging a bit at the rather blunt statement of skepticism, "I don't blame you, this isn't exactly a normal situation to begin with...If I had any other option I would've done this differently, but the guy I had on the cases isn't exactly experienced with American law..he didn't know where to start.. So..here I am." He stood, digging in his pocket to find his phone before unlocking it and holding it towards the younger, "Add your number..I'll text you the hospital, you text me when you're free and we'll take a DNA test, It won't take long and we'll know for sure within a few days..If it's not favorable, I'll give your results to my guy and have him look for your parents while he's searching..Even if you're hope's wavering I'm sure your parents', at least one of them, would like to meet you..I uh...I guess we've bothered you enough..I don't want to ruin your night any more than I already have.." Finally..he shut his mouth, his lips nervously and clearing his throat a bit as he reached for one of the twins, smiling softly when Kam popped up next to him within seconds and gestured to his brother cutely, " Da-..Hyungie let's go~ "

@Mark Kris standing did intimidate Jackson to a certain degree, but he held his gaze with the older man, refusing to look away even as he looked down at him. The smile creeped him out too, though for some reason when Kris told him to calm down he felt his shoulders relax, listening for a moment and slowly beginning to understand what was being said. Still, Jackson seemed a bit skeptical of the whole thing. Much like the man sitting across from him. "I mean...I'd like to find out, but still the same time I'm skeptical myself. It's not every day you get a random man on your door step claiming to possibly be your father." He looked over at the twins and sighed, rubbing his head. "I'm gonna be straight up with you, I highly doubt you're my father. Yeah, you may look a bit like me and apparently I have your glare, but I'm done getting my hopes up. I can't rely on other people anymore other than Mark...so...yeah. I'll let you check, but like I said, I doubt it." Jackson had trust issues, that was clear, however deep down inside he secretly hoped it would be true. "So, what do we need to do?"

@Jackson Of course Jackson was right, Mark didn't want to go and puffed his cheeks as he was lead to the other room, leaving the whining for when they actually entered, his most pitiful pout aimed towards Jackson as he spoke, "Don't wanna..Don't go Daddy..staaay.". He shook his head a bit but let himself be tucked in, grabbing one of his stuffed elephants to snuggle as he whined through his nose, reluctantly settling in for a wait, "..Don't take too long..please?.."
Kris wasn't as convinced and simple shook his head a bit as he waited for the boy in question to return, looking up when Jackson returned and meeting the eyes staring straight at him. He just observed for a bit, smiling a bit as Eli spoke and opening his mouth to respond and being stopped by Jackson's hand in the same second. The man held his breath for a moment, standing and leaning over to get a closer look at the stranger's eyes before a genuine smile spread on his lips, "I don't know about anything else...but that..That glare's mine..100%..Calm yourself, I just want to help. My boys told me about your issues and coincidentally I've been having some similar problems. You see..my ex hid her pregnancies..and my sons, I'd only found out recently and I've been searching since. I found two..was loosing hope that they're would be another, then they met you..Call it wishful thinking, but you fit the criteria and with you having your own problems..I had to see for myself..Even if you're not..one of my sons..I'd still like to help you..so, I'm not really sure how to ask this..but would you like to find out?"

@Mark Quite frankly, Jackson couldn't be happier to do so with Mark for the time being but he knew the younger wouldn't go without a big fuss. He sighed softly, gaze turning to Mark where he tugged the younger up and quietly excused them for a moment. "Come on baby, let daddy put you to bed." His words were genlte, cooing as he lead Mark to their room and shut the door. "Listen, daddy is going to talk with the guests for a little bit and then I'm gonna come to bed with you, okay? Come snuggle with your stuffies while you wait, I'll even let you watch a movie." Movies before bed weren't an often thing, but hopefully it would keep Mark occupied till he was done. Tucking the younger under the covers, Mark kissed his lips gently and d his hair. "Just s fee minutes, okay?" He told him, pecking his forehead and going out to the living room once more. "Now what's this about something not being confirmed?" He asked, sitting comfortably and staring directly at the man who.. oddly enough resembled him. It was strange, the mannerisms, the way he held himself, even the way he spoke was similar to Jackson. Just what was this about anyeaus? Eli sighed and shook his head, cutting his eyes at his dad and chuckling. "It may not be confirmed yet, but it will be. It's him. Call it a hunch, but I know it's him. He's been searching for years for his. Birth parents to no avail, always dead ends. It's him." Again Jackson was confused, tilting his head and shaking his hand a bit to stop their conversation. "Woah woah woah, what are you talking about? The does your visit have to do with my birth parents? Now I want some goddamn answers, because you three are talking crazy and it makes no sense." His eyes snapped toward Kris, the same fire the elder had reflecting in Jackson's eyes.

@Jackson Mark didn't know about the trouble he was in, didn't care about the trouble he was in and just wanted his Jackson back, his pout growing deeper when he heard the truly horrible news. He didn't want guests..he wanted Daddy and every inch of him screamed it as he avoided eye contact with the 'guests' and leaned against Jackson's side cutely, his pout still present and his common sense not in full swing with his little being in control at the moment. He wanted Daddy to cuddle and had no idea just how horrible of a time it was for him to be needy.

Kris stayed quite as the boys spoke, following the three inside and claiming a seat that was offered as he observed the second boy in the apartment, an eyebrow raised in amusement as he read the submissive posture and hostile air around the stranger just as it was meant. He shook his head a bit, using his hand to cover a smile, turning to Eli when he spoke, "Sure..but first..Why don't you put your..uh..Mark to bed, maybe he'll be a bit more patient in there.." The man turned back to his twins and rubbed the back of his head, "I think we came at a bad time boys...told you we should have waited until tomorrow..nothing's for sure yet anyway.."

@Mark Well . Jackson blinked a bit as he stared at the stranger, noting the two twins behind him who appeared out of nowhere, and raising his eye brow at Kameron's words. Just as he was about to respond he heard the voice of his fiance, eyes blowing wide before closing them and counting slowly in his head. "I swear to God I'm gonna beat his for that later..." Jackson growled to himself, clearing his throat right after. "Mark, we have company." he called, turning to Eli and rubbing his forehead. "You wanna explain to me what's going on? Is this your dad?" he asked, stepping aside for the trio to come in. Eli chuckled, shaking his head slowly and glancing over at Kameron. "Well...we kinda need to talk with you." he said, moving into the apartment and motioning for the other to sit down. "Remember how we were talking about your situation with trying to find your birth parents a few weeks ago?" Jackson nodded in response. "Alright, well, I'm not really sure how to put this so...Dad, you wanna talk to him?" he asked. Jackson was beyond confused by now, not knowing what in the world was going on nor why Eli and Kameron's dad had something to explain to him. But none the less, he turned and gave the man his full attention, reaching for Mark absentmindedly and wrapping his arm around him.

@Jackson Mark sobbed without a care as his love started taking care of him, shaking a bit as he clung to the strong chest that always managed to calm him down without much work. He curled in on himself, whining under his breath as he started to push reality out of his mind, all his fears and worries burying themselves deeper and deeper with each kiss and quiet reassurance from his lover. Mark was completely under by the time he met Jackson's eyes, the tell-tale innocence and love the only thing reflecting back at the elder from Mark's dark eyes. The boy giggled softly at the peck, wrinkling his nose up as he briefly pressed their foreheads together, naturally leaning his head back when the kisses trailed down his neck. softly, the smaller flushed a light pink and squirmed ever so slightly when Jackson growled, the sound going straight to his core and making Mark whine under his breath in response. He arched into the touch, biting his lip and seconds away from begging the other to continue when the sound of the doorbell made him tense up. A deep pout instantly settling on his lips as he unhappily watched his boyfriend move to answer the door, curling into a ball on the couch and chewing on his fingernail in an attempt to wait patiently. He only lasted maybe a minute before calling out in a needy voice, "Ddaaadddddy...what's taking so loooong?"

Kris of course was frozen when the door opened, his mouth gaping slightly as he looked at the man that was suspected of being his son, looking up and down the tall body before nodding a bit to himself. He'd just opened his mouth to talk when Kam popped over his shoulder and grinned at Jackson, waving a bit before addressing his father, "Soooooo? I was right wasn't I Daddy?"

@Mark Deep down, Jackson knew the answer would be no. For now at least. And as he watched his fiance he gently moved to cup the youngers face, shushing him softly and kissing his lips to silence any further tears or "no's". "Baby...shh...it's okay," Jackson said, his strong arms lifting the other up and easily plopping him in his lap. Those same arms ecased Mark in a tight embrace, lips wandering from his forehead to his cheek, then back to his lips. "It was just an idea, you know me, I'm patient." It was true. Even if he was still irritated that he couldn't find his birth parents, one day Jackson knew it would happen. Call him crazy, but he was for sure an optimist. In the silence, Jackson began to slowly rock Mark back and forth, humming a little as he did so, and waited till his love was calm before speaking again. "It's okay baby." He kept reassuring Mark over and over again, wanting him to know that nothing could ever make him leave or want to be away from Mark. "I love you." He whispered, pecking the youngers lips and staring into his eyes. God, Mark was so gorgeous, thought Jackson. "How did I ever get so lucky to have you?" Asked Jackson, leaning his head down and slowly kissing along Mark's neck. "You're all mine...and I'll never let you go..." He growled, his voice low, and slowly his hand slipped under Mark's shirt. "I want you...so badly.." he groanrd, about to slip the shirt off when there was a ing knock at the door. "Mother er," Jackson hissed as he stood, gently moving Mark aside and heading for the door. "Who the is this?" Jackson was more so talking to himself, and as soon as the door opened he blinked, eye brow raised in confusion. "Can...I help you?" He asked, staring at the strange man before him.

@Jackson His eagerness grew, his imagination running wild with images of Jackson's muscular back covered in the dark ink as well as his left finger, the second filling Mark with more emotion than he really knew what to do with. The smaller took deep breaths after the soft kiss, wrapping back around his lover in order to collect himself as tears of joy threatened to fall over his cheeks. He didn't expect the next words and tensed up, freezing with eyes wide and his head tilted a bit as he pulled back enough to meet Jackson's eyes again, remaining a bit breathless as he tried to process the offer, "I-i..uh.." He wanted nothing more than to scream and shout 'yes Yes YES' at the top of his lungs but Mark had always been a rational person, and something was nagging at the back of his mind even in the moment of extreme happiness that had his tears falling as he fanned at his face, "Y-you're gonna kill me..oh god..I want to more than anything.." That was when it hit..his family, his mom, his dad..their power, they'd find out and they'd do everything in their power to separate him from Jackson forever. His mom would be more heartbroken, being kept from her only baby's wedding but his dad..his dad would be furious, "J-jack.." Mark grew pale as he thought through only a few scenarios, every one of them ending with Jackson dead or seriously injured, his worst nightmare and the only reason he would ever shake his head furiously in response to anything Jackson said, "N-nono can't, we can't."

@Mark [**]

@Mark Eager eyes watched Mark as he gazed at the sketch, a grin spreading across Jackson's lips in seeing his response. "Good, cause I already went for the consultation and I've made my session appointment for my next off day to go have it done." Jackson replied, smiling when Mark whimpered a bit and hugged him back just as tightly. Even if Jackson didn't know where he came from, he knew he had Mark, and for now that would be enough until he had to find a way to fill the void again. He didn't even realize Mark was having y thoughts till the younger moved back, humming as he made mention of the ring...his smile grew wider. It was perfect, not only would it be perfect for when Mark couldn't wear his ring, but when Jackson was working out he wouldn't have to worry about loosing it at the gym. "It's perfect," Jackson said, smiling over at Mark and kissing his lips with a soft hum. It was quiet for a minute, but a thought popped into Jackson's head, one that he couldn't keep inside him. "You know I was thinking...we could elope." the elder suggested. "And then we could have a little wedding whenever we wanted for our friends and stuff."

@Jackson It wasn't working...he knew it and that hurt more than anything as he frowned and gently nuzzled into his love's neck and ran his fingers through Jackson's hair. He smiled back only slightly and gently pecked the elder as he pulled away, giggling softly as his nose was nuzzled, "Mhm...I know that..you better know it too.." Mark bumped his nose against the grin he loved so much and chuckled softly with the next words, watching silently when the elder reached for something. He knew of Jackson's drawings and tilted his head in interest, taking the book into his own hands and nearly aloud when the positioning was revealed, "Oh..god..that'd be so hot..please please please yes..." Mark whimpered softly as he wrapped his arms around the slightly larger male, pressing against him and nuzzling into his neck as he kept picturing the beautiful piece on his fiance's muscular back. It was...exhilarating and flat out hot as ..making him want to nip and claw at the elder's skin to make his own marks. He froze for a moment though, pulling himself out of the downward spiral and reaching for his phone since he had his own idea he needed to run by the man, "Wait..wait..I need to show you something too.." He flipped through his save pictures and smiled when he found the design, turning it around to show the other and biting his lip, "What do you think?...since I can't wear my ring..don't you think it's pretty?.."

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-biaTivI6KIc/VI5rHzWJO8I/AAAAAAAAEew/C4BESkGhFTQ/s800/35-ideas-for-wedding-ring-tattoos-inked-weddings.jpg

[post deleted by owner]

@Mark As much as Jackson loved Mark for trying to console him, trying to reassure him that his thought process was just him over thinking, it still didn't put the thought out of his head. He still wanted to know, partially because of issues that lied deep within him from bullies at school. Even to this day Jackson couldn't get their words out of his head. But Mark was so sweet to put in the effort, Jackson couldn't crush that, so for the time being he accepted the words, smiling as he leaned down and kissed Mark's lips deeply. "Alright..." he said softly, nuzzling Mark's nose and sighing softly. "I love you too...you knew that though." Jackson chuckled, grinning wider when he realized the younger called him Jack again, a nick name that started not long ago. He liked it. "You're right, you know me I think too much," the elder waved his hand, sighing as he hummed and reached for a book. Jackson often sketched for the hell of it, so the other day when he drew up a tattoo idea he saved it to show mark. "Look at this and tell me what you think," he said, grinning as he extended it. "I thought about getting it tattooed on my upper back."

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/4f/db/46/4fdb46b57a4eb0ffe38b63200b4edabd.jpg

@Jackson He used the hand that was decorated with the beautiful ring, that normally stayed safe around his neck, to pet the elder's head as he made himself comfortable. Mark always enjoyed holding his boyfriend, running his hands through his hair as he nuzzled into the strong neck, "Good good..my Jacky.." He mumbled, humming deep in his chest and closing his eyes as he played with the soft hair at the nape of Jackson's neck, frowning a bit when he spoke, "Hmm?.." He sighed, pulling back to look at the elder and cupping his cheeks as he used his thumbs to caress the soft skin, "Shh..Jack..shh..Let me tell you something love. Where you came from..it's not important..It really isn't..Half the time I wish I didn't know my parents..with or without knowing your family..I still love you Jackson..I love you so much..and you are you, nothing can change that love..Don't worry too much, don't let it discourage you..if you find something good..if you don't..it's okay..you're still the same you."

@Mark Jackson hardly ever had his moments where he was a child, but when it came to mark he would occasionally be the one that acted whiny and wanted cuddles. Though he kept it to a minimum so Mark wouldn't feel like his spotlight was being taken. He grinned at the sight of said male scooting over, wiggling his arm around him with a soft sigh and nodding his head. "Much." he replied, kissing Mark's forehead and closing his eyes for a moment. It was nice, just relaxing with the man he loved. Till his mind began to work again. What if he never found anything? What if every road he took was a dead end? What if Mark and their future children became the only family he would ever have? Then what? His smile slowly fell, the elder resting his lips against Mark's forehead. "I tried this when i was younger, but didn't have the resources to find anything. Now I have the resources but little to no information." said Jackson. "Why am I even bothering to try, Mark?" he asked, looking down at the younger with a serious expression. He really didn't know why he was wasting his time on something he would never find. "I just want to know where I came from..."

@Jackson He'd given his answer, he'd said he'd marry the elder the biggest question was..when?. He tried not to focus on that simple question and moved forward, working through class after class until he was so very close to graduating that he could finally breathe. Three years..it took three years for things to settle down again, Jackson had bought his own apartment and Mark had pretty much moved in with him. He only used his dorm to sleep...if he even did that but most of his nights were spent with the elder now that he had most of his thesis written and was just working on finishing up his classes. Mark was doing just that, studying on the couch as Jackson sat near him and did his own thing, attempting to research his own mysterious origin. He jumped a bit when the computer shut, looking up over his own laptop and blinking his large eyes a few times before a slight smirk slowly formed, "Silly..." He set his computer aside and crawled his way closer, a playful smile on his lips as he wiggled his way into the elder's hold and leaned against him, hugging Jackson close with a small hum, "That better?..Hmm?"

@Mark Out of all the people Jackson had ever known, Mark was the only one who he'd ever been so open and transparent with. Even now as he knew his little boyfriend couldn't say yes, the elder had hope that some day he would and that the would indeed get the life they always wanted, on that was filled with so much happiness that neither of them would know how to comprehend it. For now, he waited. "Shh," Jackson whispered, kissing the younger's head and smiling. "Stop apologizing, okay? I'm not upset, you're not at fault, and I love you too." he told the younger grinning and kissing his lips deeply this time.
Time seemed to suddenly fly by, Jackson graduating from college and landing himself a job at a small investment firm as a junior adviser over the loan department, and in turn he was able to purchase an apartment straight out of college. Somehow he convinced Mark to move half his things in so he could spend the night when he wasn't busy with school, which whenever the younger wasn't he was always at Jackson's. Life was kind to the both of them, working their way up and finally figuring out how to move up more in life. By the time three years rolled around Mark was one year shy of graduating and Jackson had gotten promoted to senior adviser in his department. Life was good, incredibly good, though there was still part of him missing. Part of him that made him question why he couldn't move forward from it. Someone in the office had asked about his parents, and because as far as he knew he didn't have any...well, he couldn't give them an answer. So he went digging, and currently he was seated in his living room searching online with the scraps of information he had, groaning softly in frustration. "Mother er," He hissed, slamming the computer shut and sighing. "Nothing. Not one thing. I've been searching for a damn month and I've gotten nowhere." he complained, rubbing his head as he reached for his wine on the coffee table. "I need something stronger." said Jackson, looking up at Mark with a frown. "Marky i want cuddles." he said with a pout, holding out his arms.

@Jackson Mark sobbed a bit harder as he was moved, rubbing at his eyes with closed fists and flinching a bit as Jackson spoke. He knew the elder had probably prepared himself...but he didn't want that...he didn't want his boyfriend to /have/ to prepare himself for denial...He wanted to say yes and run off into the damn sunset, not look back or worry about such stupid things again. Those facts combined made him sob even harder for a moment, flailing in preparation for a full-blown tantrum that Jackson saved himself from by coaxing the smaller to calm down and look at him. Mark did just that, staring at the elder's lips as he spoke and sniffling through the tears. The first part didn't make him feel better, having the boy ready to break down again when Jackson paused and kissed his lips, the 'I love you' stopping him and making him tense up as he blinked a few times. The words settled in his stomach, making him feel warm and fuzzy as he sniffled again and rubbed at his nose, shaking his head a bit in answer before leaning his head against his boyfriend's shoulder, "H-how.." His tears slowed, his chest swelling with emotion as his elder lover confessed in the most beautiful way he'd ever heard, his lips trembling with new emotion as he hugged his hand to his chest, "J-jacky..I love you..so much..I'm sorry..s-so sorry..I love you.."

@Mark Jackson blinked in response to Mark's panicking, only just then remembering how his father pretty much hated gays. And on top of it his little boyfriend was worried about everything else, the sight made his heart clench. He'd expected the rejection, but Jackson knew the truth, he knew how Mark felt about him and he wasn't going to give up so easily. "Hey...hey, shhh, Mark, shhh," Jackson said softly, pulling Mark into his lap and wrapping his arms around him. "You don't think I didn't prepare myself for this? I know baby, I know you can't say yes right now because of your parents and school, but that doesn't mean I can't wait for you." Jackson said, tucking his fingers under Mark's chin and making him look up at him. "Mark, shh, look at me..look at me baby, breathe, I need you to calm down and breathe," Jackson said, coaxing the younger to at least stop hyperventilating for a moment. "You don't have to say yes now, okay? You can wait. Or you can say yes now and I'll wait until the right time for us to get married. You don't have to wear it around your parents, hell you don't even have to wear it to class, I know you don't want to ruin it," Jackson said, wiping away his tears and kissing the younger's lips deeply. "I love you. Love doesn't come with stipulations, it's unconditional and freely given. I don't care about obsticles, because someday it's gonna just be you and me and we'll be together and we'll be able to have a life and be married, and things will get better. You know how I know that?" Jackson asked, smiling and staring deeply into Mark's eyes. "Because my life was one big show until I met you...people told me things would get better, and I didn't believe them my whole life...and then I met you. You give me that hope Mark." His smile never faded as he kissed the younger again, opening the box and putting the ring back on his finger. "Just for tonight...then you can tuck it away and save it till the right time."

@Jackson He wanted to go along, smile like an idiot and act like everything would be perfectly fine but he knew his parents, especially his dad who still had issues with him being gay, would not agree with the optimistic statements. Age was not just a number..it was everything, he was pre-med and had four more years of school ahead of him followed by internship..and residency..he could hear his mother now..'You have a career to plan for, you can't get married..What are you thinking?' The smaller sat there, frozen as he tried to think of how to break the elder's heart in the least traumatic way, his lips trembling and eyes watering as that very panic that Jackson knew so well started welling up in his chest. Oh and the ring....god the ring was a whole other hurdle. It was ing beautiful, looked absolutely perfect on his slender finger and made his heart clench as he sobbed softly and tugged his hand away, scrambling with the ring and tucking the beautiful trinket back in the little box, his hands shaking as he laid them on top of the box. His jaw trembling and his eyes full of pain and fear, the younger looked up at his wonderfully sweet boyfriend and whimpered, "I-I..I..I c-can't.." He looked absolutely crushed as he held tight to the little box and brought it close to his chest, shaking more, "I-it's beautiful..P-perfect...and I-I love you..so much..b-but I can't..They won't allow it..M-my parents..My dad..H-he'd have a cow if he saw me wearing something so..." Feminine..his father had a problem with his son being feminine, often saying Mark was a man..and he should act like one..and there was no way he'd approve of his obviously much more masculine boyfriend. Gasping as he attempted to breathe properly, Mark shook and choked down a sob as he kept talking, "S-school..labs..I can't wear it..I'll ruin it..lose it..break it..I can't ever wear it.."

@Mark Jackson waited with bated breath, worried as to how Mark would react. It was sudden, that much was clear, and not to mention Mark had a tendency to freak out over things, or at least panic. So far so good, and when he heard the younger's reply all he could do was smile like an idiot, leaning down and kissing Mark deeply with the biggest grin on his face. "Age is but a number, I'll still ask your parents for permission, and of course I'm sure," Jackson replied, smiling from ear to ear as he climbed down from the top of the bunk to get his jeans. "I'd meant to do this earlier, but someone distracted me." Jackson chuckled, climbing back up the bed and sitting in front of Mark, opening the little ring box to reveal a rose shaped ring. "It's not the most elaborate...but I've been saving up to buy it for you ever since I saw it in the window. I want you to have something unique." Said Jackson, chuckling as he slipped the ring on and admired it on Mark's finger. "Perfect...it looks absolutely perfect..." He said, looking up and kissing his young boyfriend again. "Just like you. You're perfect for me Marky, I don't need or want to marry anyone else."

@Jackson The younger groaned softly and puffed his cheeks as he was pulled closer, staring at the other and wondering what was so important all of a sudden. He blinked slowly and nodded along with the elder's babbles, yawning softly mid-rant and squeaking as Jackson moved to hover over him, his eyes going wide as he held his breath, "What are you..huh..Ja-MM.." The kiss stole his breath and his sanity for a moment, obviously..because Jackson did not just ask what he thought he'd heard..did he? Panting and blinking a few times until his senses came back, Mark gasped quietly and covered his mouth as his eyes went wide and he held his breath as well, "W-wh-wha..wh..wh.h-huh..you..y-you..b-but..Jac-." Confusion, joy, fear: all of the emotions merged as he floundered and wiggled beneath the elder with tears forming in his eyes. He felt the same of course, was head-over-heels for the elder and wanted to spend the rest of his life with him but this step..it was so sudden..so big, he didn't how to react properly, "J-ja..m-marry..I..Bu-ut..We're so young..m-my parents..your..It's so..Y-yes..Of course I will..b-but.Jacky..A-are you sure?"

@Mark God, why was he so nervous? Taking a deep breath, Jackson pulled Mark closer with his arm wrapped around the younger's waist, and gazed deeply into Mark's eyes. "I've been doing a lot of thinking...like for a while now, and I...well...I wanted to...to ask if- if you would-I mean, if you would want to-" Jackson sighed harshly, moving to hover over Mark and kissed his lips deeply. "Will you marry me?" he asked, his voice gentle and a bit wary since he didn't know how Mark would respond. He loved him, that much was for sure, and throughout their knowing each other and dating well...Jackson realized just how much he needed him in his life, how much he wanted him there. Jackson knew Mark was the man for him, that no one else would do. He loved him more than anything in the world. "Well...?" he asked softly, waiting with bated breath for a response.

http://66.media.tumblr.com/6d74588899e55d6f0269bd7c186b6c06/tumblr_nybmpiIM1f1u8ukb8o1_1280.jpg

@Jackson The younger purred softly, wrapping his legs tightly around the larger body as he pecked and nibbled at the full lips so close to his. Mark whined as the elder pulled out, rolling towards him and curling into Jackson to enjoy his warmth, wrinkling his nose up once it was pecked, "Hee..yes..yes...you more than made up for it you .. .." his lips as he looked through his tired eyes at the elder, Mark hummed softly and rubbed over the firm chest slowly, nuzzling into it with a content sigh, "I do..I do know, I love you too Jackson..Really do." He mumbled as his eyes closed, wrapping his arms around the elder tightly and cuddling into his side as he blinked his eyes open to look up at him, "What is it?...."