This is my very first fanfic, so please be nice :) It's set about a year after the end of RENT. Enjoy!
Warnings: T for swearing and some violence. No slash. No beta, so any and all mistakes are my own.
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except the plotline *sigh*
Behind Closed Doors
Prologue
It was a normal day when Mark got the call that changed everything. 'Speeeeaaak!' At first all he could hear was sobbing, and he ran to the phone.
'Hello? Who is this?' He knew in his heart – something had been wrong for a while. 'Mimi? Is that you?'
'Mark…' More crying.
'Mimi? What's the matter? What's happened?'
Mark said desperately.
He tried to think of something that would make her cry like this, and a thought that had been at the back of his mind since the phone had rang rushed forwards and turned his insides to ice.
No,he thought, Itcan'tbethat…
'Mimi, please…Is it Roger? Has he…Is he ill?'
'No, no, not that –' Mark relaxed slightly, but the fear was still there – 'He's not ill, but…' She started to cry again.
'Mimi, where are you? I'll meet you –'
'Roger's back on drugs.'
Mark's stomach lurched and his throat closed up. He couldn't talk, he couldn't think, he couldn't –
The phone dropped out of his hands, but he didn't notice. A wave of nausea rode through him and he sank to the floor, his head in his hands.
A loud rattling told him that someone was entering the loft, but he couldn't bring himself to react. After everything they'd been through, all those months of withdrawal.
Roger had fought so hard against his addiction – they all had. They had all suffered, and he had thrown it away.
'Hello? Anybody home?' Collins's voice rang out through the loft. Mark didn't move. He couldn't.
'Well ain't that typical.' Collins sighed dramatically to himself. 'I go to all the trouble of buying food for him, and the little motherfucker goes and disap-
Mark heard Collins suck in a breath as he rounded the couch and caught sight of Mark slumped on the floor. 'Shit! Mark? Mark!' Warm hands pulled the filmmaker up and twisted him round. He found himself staring into Collins's kind eyes. He saw the fear in them, and felt a pang of guilt that brought him out of his shocked state. Collins had been through enough, what with losing Angel, and he didn't need this.
Collins visibly relaxed when he saw that Mark was conscious and not obviously hurt. 'Shit, Mark,' he sighed, 'I thought-' He stopped himself. 'Are you alright? What happened?'
Mark forced himself to answer. 'Roger's using again'
If you guys like it, I'll put chapter one up soon.
Review and constructive criticism much appreciated :)