Trust Your Instincts

-48- Under the Bleachers

 It wasn't often that Jack got to say this, but at this particular point in time, he loved his life. Nothing was going wrong for once. The bullying he was receiving had reached an all time low now that Will and his gang had split up and went their... separate ways. His grades were steady and he was passing every subject, despite the few days he had missed. His physical wounds were healing, the purple of his face and body fading away and slowly returning to their original pale complexion. Best of all, he had Mark by his side every second of the day he possibly could. There was no awkwardness, no animosity between them anymore. It was just love, true love.

 Jack knew that he had found the one. Sure, he was only eighteen and there weren't a whole lot of people who could say that they grew old with their high school lover, but there was no doubt in his mind that Jack would be one of those few people. He just hoped for his own sake that Mark felt the same.

 "Hey, Mark." Jack said optimistically from the other side of the lunch table that the five sat at. Felix was next to him, and Ken was on the other side of Felix, Mark was across from him, and Isaac diagonal.

 "Yeah? What's up babe?" Mark replied, not taking his attention away from the candy wrapper that he was struggling to tear open. Isaac and Felix faked disgust at the use of the word 'babe', earning a sarcastic glare from Jack before he continued his suggestion.

 He leaned in closer, almost level with Mark's ear, causing the other to drop the candy bar on the table and focus all of his attention on his boyfriend. 

 "Football field after school?" He said teasingly, making sure to keep his voice quiet enough for the other three not to hear, but they must've realised that this conversation didn't involve them, as they were having their own by this point.

 "You got it." Mark breathed. Jack could feel his smile when he pressed his lips to his cheek, but he soon pulled away, realising that he was in public, and nobody wants to be labelled the annoyingly over attached couple at school.

 Mark returned to trying to open his candy wrapper, occasionally glancing up at Jack, who was now involving himself in Felix's conversation with Ken and Isaac. Mark didn't bother that he was staying silent, his mind was rushing anyway, with both excitement and anticipation.

---

 Mark walked out of the school after his last class of the day, the sun beaming down on him despite the temperature being near freezing, the air crisp and his breath misting in front of him before rising up and mingling with the periwinkle blue skies, cloudless behind the bare branches of the trees that lined the perimeter of the school.

 The air was extremely cold, but Mark failed to see the downside as he made his way giddily to the football field, allowing the cold to nip at his cheeks and fingertips, giving them an icy pink hue. There was no doubt about it, winter was upon them, the late November nights getting longer and longer and the festive lights already being hung in the town centre.

 He rounded the last corner and walked out onto the football field, scanning the area briefly in search for a particular person, who he saw standing by the side of the bleachers, leaning against the frame nonchalantly.

 He smiled to himself before he started to make his way further in the direction of the Irish man, his green hair covered almost fully by the beanie he wore. He breathed into his cupped hands once more, and Mark noticed that he was shivering slightly once he got closer.

 Jack's expression changed completely when he looked up to see his boyfriend getting closer though, practically sprinting into his arms and embracing him tightly. Mark was knocked back a couple of steps by the impact, but he eventually regained his footing, lifting Jack up and spinning him slightly before returning him to his own feet.