Markjin: The Walking Dead

Heated Journey

The rain seemed endless. How long had they been walking now? Jinyoung couldn't remember. His boots slushed through the leaves and mud as he followed Mark . The rain had them both on edge. It masked the sound of oncoming danger. It filled up the spaces in between the trees, it weighed down the branches above. Jinyoung had never thought he'd feel claustrophobic in a forest. Mark came to a halt suddenly and turned to Jinyoung with a furrowed brow.

"I think I hear something," he said quietly. Jinyoung lowered his hood and strained his ears, trying to hear past the thudding downpour.

"I don't‐" he began but then they both started as the overcast sky lit up and a clap of thunder followed barely a second after. Their startled eyes met, and Mark smiled in response. Jinyoung's heart, which had leapt in a sudden surge of adrenaline at the thunder, was soothed back into a steady rhythm.

They continued on their way, Mark always at least two metres ahead. Jinyoung broke into a brief jog to make up the space. Mark wasn't his leader, they were a pair. This was Mark and him against the world, quite literally. Mark sighed irritably as Jinyoung drew alongside him.

"What?" Jinyoung questioned Mark's frown.

"Don't move suddenly like that," Mark muttered.

"Why are you so on edge?"

"I'm not," Mark scowled.

"You are," Jinyoung scoffed, a little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He knew he was goading Mark.

"Not!"

"Are," Jinyoung drawled out. He gave Mark a playful prod on his upper arm.

"I'm not on edge!" Mark swivelled round and caught Jinyoung's wrist. Jinyoung tried to pull his arm away but Mark's hold was tight. He met Mark's fierce glare. There were two ways he could respond to this. The normal Jinyoung way or...

He grinned.

"Did I hit a nerve?"

Mark face remained aggressive but Jinyoung could swear he saw something twitch in his countenance. Maybe one of his golden brown eyes registering surprise.

"This isn't a time for joking around. A minute from now one of us could be dead," Mark gritted. Jinyoung was placid.

"Maybe that's exactly why we should be joking around." He wasn't quite sure why, or even how, he was being like this. The rain perhaps. It seemed to swallow the whole world. It felt like it was just them in their own little pocket of space and time. He couldn't even feel the rain soaking his clothes or trickling down his collar. Mark's hand, however, it was burning into his skin.

"Jinyoung!" Mark pulled forcefully on his wrist. Calling for his attention and, perhaps not expecting Jinyoung to give no resistance at all, pulling him far too close. "I...you.." he began but the words were lost. Jinyoung was staring right back at him with a confidence in the dark depths of his eyes that Mark hadn't seen before. It threw him off.

"Me...?" Jinyoung was close enough that Mark could feel his heat, his breath. He could see his dark lashes, the pink that slightly tickled his soft cheeks. And the raindrops that rolled down his face, sliding over his lips.

"You," Mark's hand fell from Jinyoung's wrist and gently cupped those soft cheeks. He tilted his head forward silently praying Jinyoung would not pull away. He didn't. Jinyoung met Mark's lips with his own. Warm and cold at the same time. And soft. And demanding. Jinyoung's hands found the opening of Mark's jacket and slid his hands under it and around Mark's surprisingly delicate waist, pulling him closer. Mark's kisses became more eager in response, he gently tugged on Jinyoung's bottom lip. Jinyoung's head was light, buzzing, electric running down his torso.