The days passed and before the new couple knew it, it was school holidays again. This time for two weeks. Flora was at a camp with her friends for the first week. The camp had been organized by their dance club and so John brought his daughter to the camp on Monday and wished her a lot of fun, but from the moment she saw her friends she stopped listening to him. John just smiled. The record salesman had called Mark that same day and asked him to pack a travel bag and then pick him up with his car. Mark had been confused at first, but did what he was told. And so it was that Mark Knopfler was waiting in his green Golf in front of John's record shop. He was wearing sunglasses and smoking out of the window when John came out of the shop. He pulled a small suitcase behind him and locked the record shop. But not before he had hung up a sign that said: We're on vacation! John pulled his suitcase to the car.

"Hello darling." Mark kissed him on the cheek. He had gotten out of the car and opened the trunk for him. John lifted his suitcase into the car and then closed the trunk again. They got into the car together. Mark threw his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out before closing the car door. "So Mr Illsley. What the hell is all this about? A duffel bag? A suitcase?" Mark raised an eyebrow and looked at the taller man next to him. John let out a laugh.

"Don't ask me so many questions and start the engine. I'll tell you where to go."

"Okay, Mr Secret." Mark sighed, grinning, and drove off. John navigated Mark out of London and soon the two found themselves on the highway. There wasn't much traffic yet, as it was still early. Mark turned on the radio and drummed his fingertips on the steering wheel. John smiled at him while Mark sang along with the songs on the radio. They drove in silence for a while before John reached into the back seat and got his bag. He rummaged around in it a bit before pulling out a few biscuits and popping one in his mouth. "Can I have one too?" Mark asked, looking at him out of the corner of his eye. John grinned and popped a biscuit into his mouth so that half of it was still visible. He leaned forward and waited. Mark turned his head and looked at him. "John! I'm driving! Just give me the biscuit!" The younger man laughed.

"You have to earn it." John mumbled around the biscuit. Mark rolled his eyes and leaned forward to kiss John and take a bite of his half of the biscuit at the same time. Both men giggled. John reached out and placed his hand on Mark's knee. He rubbed it gently through the fabric of Mark's jeans. "I love you." Mark smiled gently at him as he rested his elbow on the window and drove with only one hand on the steering wheel.

"I love you too, you know? But I would love you even more if you told me where the hell we're going." John laughed.

"Let yourself be surprised, Mr." Mark rolled his eyes. It didn't take long and an hour had already passed. The two of them were at a motorway rest area. John had been whining that he had to pee. So Mark had been looking for a rest area. The car hadn't even parked yet and John had already gotten out. He ran as fast as he could into the gas station, accompanied by Mark's laughter. When John came back from the gas station, Mark was leaning against his car with a cigarette between his lips. He had his eyes closed and was enjoying the rays of sun on his face. John smiled. Shit, he was lucky. John was pretty sure that Mark was the son of Venus. He was just so beautiful it was criminal. John kissed Mark's lips gently. The younger man opened his eyes in shock before giggling. John reached out and wiped Mark's cheek roughly. The smaller man flinched when he felt wetness on his skin. "What the hell?"

"I peed on my hands." John grinned and sat down in the passenger seat. Mark stared at him.

"John! What the hell! You didn't! You washed your hands and didn't dry them." John burst out laughing. "Didn't you?" The curly-headed man shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't you?" Mark asked uncertainly.

"Sit down and drive off, idiot." John laughed.

*

"All we need is: One world wide vision!" The two men sang happily along to the song on the radio.

"One flesh, one bone, one true religion!" John laughed.

"One voice, one hope, one real decision!" Mark grinned. John rocked excitedly on his seat, which made Mark laugh.

"Do you know what I love about the two of us?" John asked slowly.

"Mh? No idea." Mark giggled and enjoyed the guitar solo.

"We're both idiots." John said thoughtfully. h. There was silence between the two for a while before they burst into laughter. "Mark!" John suddenly shouted. Mark flinched.

"What...what the hell is going on?"

"Mark! That was our exit!" John screamed, pointing behind him to the exit they had just passed. "You should have gotten off the highway there!"

"How was I supposed to know?" Mark laughed. "You didn't even tell me where we were going!"

"Shut up." John grumbled. "So what do we do now?"

"Stupid question." Mark giggled. He reached out and gently rubbed John's thigh. "We take the next exit and turn around." One word. One man. And so they did exactly what Mark had said. Soon they were driving along the country road. John had calmed down a bit and was eating a sandwich he had had in his bag pack. "I'm hungry too." Mark complained.

"You're driving." John said, shrugging.

"And that's why I have to starve?" Mark asked. "My boyfriend's letting me starve, using me as a taxi driver, and not even telling me what he's up to." John laughed.

"Okay, okay, okay." The curly-headed man tore off a piece of his sandwich and held it in front of Mark's mouth. When Mark opened his mouth and let himself be fed, he accidentally licked John's finger. The older man immediately felt his face heat up and blush. Damn. Mark grinned at him out of the corner of his eye. It was about half an hour before Mark saw the first town sign that gave him pause. Leicester 5 miles Mark bit his lower lip and looked over at John, who was looking out the window in a good mood. The teacher said nothing, however, and drove on in silence while Eric Clapton's guitar playing could be heard in the car. Soon the little green car reached Leicester. John navigated Mark through the streets until they arrived at a small settlement outside of town. The houses looked quite similar. A large front yard with a wooden picket fence and a house in the same architectural style. "You drive into the driveway over there!" John called, pointing to one of the houses.

"Which house?" Mark asked, baffled. "The yellow one?"

"No! The blue one, Mark!" John called, annoyed. Mark giggled a little and did as he was told. He drove into the driveway and parked behind a red pickup truck. Mark turned off the engine and turned his head to look at John.

"John? What are we doing here?" Mark asked cautiously. "You didn't tell me what was going on and where we were going the whole time. Why I should have packed a duffel bag?" John bit his lower lip.

"I love you, Mark." He leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I'm very proud to be your boyfriend." Mark blushed slightly. "And that's why I wanted to introduce you to my parents." Mark gasped sharply.

"John! What the hell!" He screamed. John's eyes widened.

"I...surprise?"

"What the hell!? You let me drive all the way to Leicester and then tell me on your parents' doorstep that you want me to meet them?" Mark screamed in shock. John bit his lower lip and felt tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry if we weren't ready, I...I thought you'd be happy and...I'm sorry." John felt fingers slide under his chin and lift his head. Mark smiled gently at him. He leaned forward and kissed John gently on the lips.

"Stop crying, you idiot." Mark giggled. "There's no reason to."

"I thought you were angry." John whimpered.

"Oh John." Mark sighed, pulling the taller man into a tight hug. "I'm not angry. But if you'd told me in London what the hell your plan was, I could've at least bought flowers for your mother or something." John burst out laughing. Mark smiled and gently rubbed John's back. John wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand to wipe away the tears.

"There's a flower shop down the street." He sniffed. Mark giggled. He started the engine again and kissed John gently before backing out onto the street and letting John navigate him. The curly-head waited in the car until Mark was ready. Knopfler came out with two bouquets. One was bigger than the other. The larger was in shades of yellow and the smaller in shades of red. Mark put the yellow bouquet on the back seat and handed John the red one. The curly-head stared at him with wide eyes. Mark giggled. He kissed John gently on the lips.

"I love you."

"I love you too." John sighed, smiling.

*

A few minutes later they were back in the driveway. Mark held the yellow bouquet in his hands as he followed John up the white sandy path to the house. They climbed the three small stairs before they stood in front of the front door. John smiled at Mark before ringing the bell. Mark took a deep breath and held it. Damn. His heart was pounding in his throat. He was very excited and really scared of messing something up. Damn, why hadn't John told him where they were going!? Mark nervously ran his left hand through his hair. John giggled at him. It was a moment before the door opened inwards. Mark held his breath.

"John! What a surprise!"