"i can't believe dongfuck really convinced me into doing this, like really? blind dates? what is this? fifth grade?" jamie muttered under her breath, kicking a rock in front of her.
jamie sat at the bus stop, leaning back and staring at the sky through the glass and listening to the cars go by. a burgundy oversized sweater was keeping her some what warm, even in the cold december air, a short black skirt on with black pantyhose and black platform strapped heels. donghyuck had literally told her this morning he found someone for her to go on a blind date with and that she should wait at the bus stop for him, that he would know who she was.
a sigh left her lips, hugging herself tighter, wishing she hadn't yelled at jaehyun earlier for trying to control her over wearing a jacket.
lucas had watched in panic as the two fought loudly and aggressively, something they had never done before.
she had really needed this day out, stress piling on stress, especially with jaehyun and renjun.
"uh, jamie?" a familiar voice called, causing jamie's head to perk up and turn towards it.
mark lee stood there awkwardly shifting from one foot to another, his hands playing with the ends of his brown hoodie. he had on black jeans and black sneakers as well, a camera around his neck and round glasses sitting on his nose.
"mark!" jamie excitedly got up, "are you who donghyuck set me up with?"
"hahaha, yeah," mark awkwardly laughed. his english made her smile and physically relax, her following suit in the language.
"i'm still angry at you for telling donghyuck," jamie pouted, "but in all honestly i was so scared sitting here, thinking donghyuck was going to prank me."
mark shook his head, smiling softly, "nope, but i am here... i hope i'm enough?"
his nervous giggles sent a smile to her face, "more than enough. you wanna get going?"
mark nodded, "where do you, uh, wanna go? like, to the park? or the movies?"
jamie laughed, cutting him off, "mark, it's me, you don't have to be so anxious. i was thinking maybe we could go to an animal cafe?"
"there is a really good dog cafe donghyuck took me to down the street," mark commented, "we could go there? like, only if you want to."
"i love dogs," jamie grinned, "johnny keeps trying to convince us to get one, but we haven't had the time yet."
mark smiled brightly and nodded, "i'll lead the way then."
"i really like blond on you," jamie voices absentmindedly, "what if i made it wavy? that would look good. i'm really good at hair styling, you should let me try once, bet you'll like it."
mark's face paled, "been there, done that, never again."
jamie frowned, "but, you'd look so cute! just some waves, nothing crazy."
"i got a perm once, never again," mark grumbled, "donghyuck still makes fun of it to this day."
"yeah, a perm," jamie argued, "but, like, waves, you know?"
"lee know," mark mumbled making jamie laughed.
"exactly," she chirped.
"you seem to dye your hair a lot, almost like my brother," mark commented.
"you have a brother?" jamie asked in shock, "who? does he live near here? and yes, i love to dye my hair."
"lee taeyong," mark said, putting his hands in his pockets, looking out at the street, snow littering the ground and smoke leaving their lips.
"oh my god," jamie gasped, "him and johnny are like, best friends!"
mark nodded, "apparently! the world is so small, you know? it's amazing."
"you already knew this, didn't you?" jamie said softly.
mark nodded once again, "i knew when i first met you. i started working at the convenience store because i had told my brother i was like looking for a job and he said johnny's store was looking for employees. taeyong talked about you like a lot when we lived together years ago."
"why don't you live together anymore?" jamie asked.
"taeyong and his girlfriend live together now," mark answered, shrugging, "i didn't want to like intrude on them so i moved into the dorms."
jamie nodded in understanding, "at one point jaehyun almost moved into lizzy and jisung's apartment, it's sad."
mark let out a hum, "taeyong and i aren't like, very close. i lived in canada with my mom before on a trip she met taeyong's dad and they got married. hahaha, it's funny thinking about it now. we hated each other at first, then got close, and now aren't again."
"it's funny how life works," jamie mused, "is this it?"
mark nodded and opened the door.
immediately, puppies ran up to the fence gate, jamie cooing and going to pet them.
while she did, mark sneakily paid for the two of them.
"why did you pay?" jamie whined as the two entered and went to place their orders, "i would've paid for me."
"we're on a date," mark grinned shyly, "isn't that what i should do?"
"smooth," jamie muttered, leaning down to pet the dog that was jumping on her legs.
mark insisted on paying for her drink as well, so the two drank their drinks as they sat at a table, dogs all around them.
mark had his camera up to his eye most of the time, taking pictures of jamie and the puppies.
at some point, jamie had taken it from him and took pictures of him, making the two laugh.
after their time was up, jamie giggled like she was plotting something.
"i don't trust that laugh," mark muttered, making jamie laugh again.
"just follow me," jamie sang, grabbing his hand and pulling him behind her.
"hey," mark cried, "you're walking so fast! how?"
"i literally sleep in heels," jamie laughed, "i've gotten good at walking in them!"
mark laughed along, swinging their intertwined hands, ending up in step with her.
"really? here?"
jamie stood proudly, a bright smile on her lips.
thanks nature cafe was in front of them.
"have you heard of this place?" jamie asked mark who shook his head.
"i'm surprised we're going to another cafe, that's all haha."
jamie grinned, "you'll love this place, trust me. i saw an episode of battle likes and they went here! i have two other places in mind too."
mark laughed, shaking his head, "fine, let's go."
jamie excitedly led him in, insisting on paying.
they ate their sheep-looking food before jamie led mark to a pen in the back.
"no," mark gasped.
"yes!" jamie squealed.
sheep were in a pen, ready for them to pet.
"i'm the last sheep in china," jamie sung, playing with a sheep's ears, "you know what i'm saying man?"
mark laughed too hard at that, making jamie laugh along at his contagious laugh.
sadly, their time went too fast, the busy owners practically pushing them out so someone else could come in.
"where to next?" mark asked, excitement in his voice.
jamie beamed at him, "noodles!"
"we are being so unhealthy today," mark laughed.
"oh no," jamie grinned, "we are being healthy, you'll see."
"holy fuck, i think i'm in love."
jamie laughed, tears in her eyes as she watched mark stare in awe and love at the watermelon spicy noodles in front of him.
he looked up at her and she swore her heart stopped for a minute at the cute grin on his face and the pure excitement radiating off of him.
"i just found my new favorite place," mark jokingly cried, "i love you jamie."
"i love you too my fellow watermelon enthusiast," jamie chirped, "now come on, eat it! it's good, trust me!"
the two watermelon lovers dug into their food, happily eating it.
"wait so how did you like find out about this place?" mark asked.
"battle likes!" jamie chirped, "i religiously watch those four episodes because like, mark and bambam and then joshua and jeonghan? both ultimate duos that i love so of course i watch."
"is the last place from battle likes too?" mark asked teasingly.
jamie shook her head, "nope! the last place is somewhere johnny brought me when i first moved here! he said we needed bonding time!"
jamie, who had already finished her food, watched as mark ate happily, mostly eating the watermelon and not as much the spicy noodles.
"was it far to come here?" jamie asked, "i mean, you live kind of far away now."
mark shook his head, "don't worry, it really wasn't. taeyong has begging for me to visit, so since it's break, i'm staying with him for a bit. he lives like ten minutes from the bus stop we met at."
jamie hummed, "i haven't seen taeyong in a while, i wonder if johnny invited him to the party, it's exactly a week from then now!"
"he did," mark nodded his head, "tae is joining but his girlfriend isn't."
"that's sad," jamie pouted, "i haven't met her yet."
"she's like, really nice," mark emphasized, "you'd get along, she's in med school."
"oh," jamie nodded, "that's cool! i want to go to med school too."
"i never asked you what you plan to do, did i?" mark asked, kind of panicked, "you asked me but i never asked you."
"it's okay," jamie laughed, "i'm still a second year. right now though i'm planning on majoring in criminal justice because i want to be a detective."
"woah," mark gasped, "that's so cool."
jamie nodded, beaming, "my biological dad was a cop in chicago! it was cool listening to the stories he had."
"you, uh, helped jaemin too right?" mark asked awkwardly, "like, to get away from his home?"
"did he finally tell everyone?" jamie asked in shock, "he said he didn't want to."
mark nodded, "he told us in the group chat about what happened and how cool you were."
she laughed and shook her head, "i wasn't that cool. my biological mom and her brother owned a taekwondo school so i learned that and thai boxing when i was little, so i know how to fight pretty well."
"you'd be a great cop," mark said in awe, "teach me some taekwondo please."
jamie laughed, nodding, "next time i will."
mark's ears turned slightly pink at her choice of words, "next time?"
"yeah," she smiled brightly, "this has been so much fun so far! i'd love to go out more, date or just hanging out."
"but renjun?" mark mumbled, making jamie stop, her smile faltering.
yes, renjun. he had been in her mind on and off all day, thinking about how he would react or if he would like where they were. she felt guilt rush in.
"sorry, sorry," mark repeated, seeing the atmosphere go down a little, "forget i said that. i'd love to go out more too, friends or not. you're so much better than my other ones."
"what?" jamie asked, "what do you mean better than?"
"nothing," mark panicked, "let's pay and go."
jamie watched as he paid for the meal, a fake smile on his lips. was he having problems with his friends? if so, which ones? their friends? others?
jamie shook her head, getting the thoughts out, she could worry about that later, she had a date to finish first.
"karaoke? really?"
mark's laugh made jamie laugh as she lightly hit his arm, "hey! johnny told me you're a good rapper and singer, so i wanna see!"
mark's ears turned light pink, "i'm not that good."
"well i shall be the judge today," jamie said proudly, "now come on! let's go!"
the two rented a room and went in, jamie practically radiating excitement, making mark excited as well.
"i'll go first?" jamie said, looking at mark for approval.
he nodded, smiling brightly, "hahaha man, i'm excited yo!"
jamie laughed, relaxing as she chose a song.
mark went into a fit of laughter when red velvet's bad boy started to play, jamie singing along and dancing somewhat as well.
"i should've seen that coming," mark laughed, "you're so good though."
"thanks," jamie beamed, "jaehyun, johnny, and i used to come here a lot when i first moved!"
mark went next, singing along to finesse by bruno mars and cardi b, jamie piping in every now and then.
the two sang and rapped for two hours, laughing and enjoying themselves.
"this was fun," mark commented as they left, his voice hoarse, "i haven't relaxed this much in who knows how long."
"it was! i can't wait for the next time we go out," jamie beamed, looking at the star filed sky.
"i think we should go ice skating next week with everyone," mark commented, "it's like, one of my favorite sports."
"same!" jamie laughed, "we should make them, that'd be hilarious. i'd pay to see jisung and chenle fall on the ice."
mark laughed, nodding along.
the two fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying having company.
mark sneakily and slowly held her hand, jamie smiling happily and swinging them as they walked.
"i'll talk to you later?" jamie asked after they had gotten to her apartment.
mark nodded, "of course."
"text me when you get home," jamie sung, "i seriously had fun today.. bye mark."
"bye jamie," mark beamed, waving as she went into her apartment.
"young lady!"
jamie jumped, seeing lucas sitting in a desk chair at the entryway of their apartment, a pikachu onesie on.
"it's ten o'clock!" lucas scolded, "we haven't heard from you since eight this morning!"
jamie laughed, going over and hugging him, making him relax and hug her back, "i'm here now!"
lucas quickly realized what she was doing, "no, no, no, i am not letting johnny think i am a bad guardian! where were you?"
jamie laughed. lucas had really been trying hard to fit into their small family, following jaehyun and johnny's lead, being overprotective and doting over jamie.
with jaehyun slacking since their fight days prior, lucas has taken up his place it seemed.
"i was just out with mark," jamie smiled, patting lucas's shoulder as she walked by and into the kitchen, "we went on a date."
"a date?" lucas yelled, jumping up and trailing after her, "with mark? mark lee? how? why? where? tell me!"
jamie teasingly smirked at him, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, "wouldn't you like to know."
"jamie, i'm dying here!" lucas groaned, "just tell me!"
"donghyuck set us up," jamie explained, laughing lightly, "we were both bored so he made us go out together because he didn't want to, we had a good time."
"are you, like, together now?" lucas made puppy dog eyes that shined in expectation.
"no," jamie muttered, "i like someone else still."
lucas frowned, "who?"
jamie felt embarrassed at the question, feeling saying it aloud was weird, "uh."
"jaehyun and johnny aren't here and i promise i won't tell anyone!" lucas promised, crossing his heart.
"pinky promise?" jamie asked, holding out her pinky.
lucas wrapped his pinky around hers, "pinky promise!"
"huang renjun," jamie said after a minute of silence, "he's who i like."
"i haven't met him yet, but it sounds familiar," lucas hummed, "go get your mans!"
jamie stared at him, deadpan, "you sound like donghyuck. he has a girlfriend, i can't just swoop in. besides, he's in an abusive relationship, he'll need time to heal."
"tomorrow we are starting on getting your confidence up," lucas stated, "but now it's late and i'm tired, so go to bed."
"night lucas," jamie smiled.
"night!" he beamed back before leaving to his room.
jamie leaned against the counter, looking at her hand, the very one that was in mark's not too long ago.
why couldn't she just fall for him? he was a great friend, such boyfriend material, and a sweetheart who would definitely put her first. why did she have to fall for the broken boy in a relationship?
why was life so unfair to her?