Spice of Love

Chapter 17

Jinyoung could not sleep, shifting from side to side. Today as well Mark didn't come back home. Or perhaps he was just late.

Although he wanted to ask Mark what was happening to him, Mark was nowhere to be seen. Whenever Jinyoung got back home, he always found Mark's room locked and even till midnight, he did not hear Mark coming back home.

Jackson's words rang inside his head again; if Mark really liked him. Was that why Mark was avoiding him? But it did not seem to make sense.

Today was the third day that Mark had not come back home. Jinyoung regretted not having asked Mark's number before. Now, he had nothing that would help him contact Mark.

As much as he was being worried and concerned about Mark, the latter seemed to care very little for him. Had Mark not thought that Jinyoung would be worrying about him? Jinyoung thought. At least, he should have left some words if he was not going to be home or was staying at some other place.

Jinyoung buried his face in the pillow. He was not supposed to feel like this. But he felt hurt and abandoned. It was unfair that in the end, it was always Mark who won and succeeded in torturing him.

It was weekends and Mark was not home. Jinyoung woke up from his nap a little after five in the evening; waiting for Mark with the hope that he might come back, Jinyoung had fallen asleep on the couch.

But the place was as deserted as ever and there was no one else aside from Jinyoung. He walked to the kitchen to drink some water. He was just about to boil some eggs when he heard the door being unlocked and someone coming in.

He had no doubt it was Mark and rushed to the living-room, his heart beating fast and his head processing fast what he should say to Mark.

But when he got to the living-room, he stopped short, with his eyes fixed on an unexpected sight.

Mark was drunk and wobbling on his feet. If not for the girl who was holding him close to her, he would have stumbled over the floor and never been able to get up again.

Mark did not seem to see Jinyoung, who was just a few feet away from him, and he was commanding the girl to take him to the couch.

"You didn't say there was someone else," said she, with a disapproving glance at Jinyoung.

Jinyoung bit his lip, with anger and something so unfamiliar and painful burning inside him.

Mark looked up at Jinyoung and let out a snort, before turning his head to the girl beside him.

"Sh'd you care? Look at h'm," Mark pointed his finger weakly at Jinyoung, "He's juss nothin'. Come'n, take me to the couch and mak' love to me, alright?"

"Take him to the couch and leave," said Jinyoung, in fury.

"Who are you to command us so and so?"

"This place, no one is allowed to have any hook-up sex here. As long as I'm here, you can't. Go somewhere else if you want to."

But Jinyoung did not really mean to let them go somewhere else, either. He wanted to dismiss the girl as soon as possible.

She placed Mark's body on the couch and stood up to face Jinyoung.

"Who're you? Are you his brother or lover? If not, mind your own business. We're doing whatever we want to do, no matter what. You can leave if you don't like."

Hookers. They were shameless and cared about nothing. Was it bars and clubs that Mark had been at? Jinyoung thought. He racked his brain to think of ways to drive her away.

"What do I have to do to make you leave?"

"Nothing," she did not seem to falter, "He's already given me money and I must carry out what he wants me to."

She turned away from Jinyoung and bent down to Mark.

"I'll give you more money. Will you leave?"

At last it was settled and Jinyoung forced her to leave. It was no loss on her side and she left gladly.

Jinyoung went to Mark and crouched down beside the couch. Mark was in a sitting-position but his head was almost touching his own chest, turning downward.

"What should I do with you? You disappeared and then appeared again with some random girl to fuck," Jinyoung muttered.

Mark threw his head back against the back of the couch and let out a drunken laugh.

"Wh't you expect then? No sex allowed here, huh? Who said so?"

"Then you want to have sex with some girl, who you paid money for that, here in this very room and in front of me?"

Mark looked at Jinyoung with his blurry eyes, "Yes - Yes, then you know how fe'l to see someone you lov' in someone else's arms. But you won't coz you have no lov'," said Mark, bitterly. "Go away!"

Mark's words left Jinyoung at a loss and mostly he did not understand what Mark meant. Jackson's words reminded him again and he tried to connect them with Mark's words.

But what did it mean by 'how you feel to see someone you love in someone else's arms'? Jinyoung pondered but could not make out anything clearly.

"Go away!" Mark repeated.

"I can't leave you like that," Jinyoung stood up and took Mark in his arms, so that Mark could lean against him to stand up. He needed to help Mark to his room.

He tried to walk Mark to his room but he was stopped short by the arm, which had been previously on his shoulder, moving to his waist. Which turned Jinyoung around, so that he came face to face with Mark.

Mark's eyes were cold and his gaze was threateningly intent. The smell of the alcohol was strong but Jinyoung could not care. He felt weak in Mark's tight grip on his body, and a little frightened by Mark's stony, unwavering gaze.

Mark's another hand reached for Jinyoung's lips and pressed them lightly.

"I w'nt to wipe th't kis off you," Mark mumbled. And before Jinyoung could struggle, Mark's lips had already crashed against Jinyoung's aggressively and yet searchingly.

Jinyoung's instinct was to push Mark away, but he did not. With one swift movement, Mark would have fallen down and Jinyoung would have been free of him. But Jinyoung did not do anything.

He felt his own lips starting to follow the rhythm of Mark's lips. Before he could stop himself, he was kissing Mark back, with the same amount of energy. Everything else was forgotten and he loosened himself into this kiss, letting himself get lost in the bliss.