A/N: I'm back! Again! Third time in two days, I'm on a roll here. Sorry if this is...INCREDIBLY sappy, but I liked the idea. Roger being sentimental. Aww...
Disclaimer: These things always depress me. I don't own Mark or Roger, Jonathan Larson does...but if I did own them...(giggles in delight). Um...anywho, I don't own the song Roger sings either, Adam Pascal does. His songs have really come in handy lately...(kinda creepy, I'm about to upload this and the song just started playing on my playlist...It's a sign!)
Roger was sprawled out on the couch when Mark left that morning. Mark did his usual routine: Closed the windows that for some reason, Roger always found it necessary to open, laid a blanket on top of his friend, put a few dozen post-its around the loft telling Roger to take his AZT, put on his scarf and finally headed out the door.
When Roger woke up, however, he noticed that Mark forgot one very important, almost unbelievable detail.
He forgot his camera.
"What the fuck?" Roger muttered, brushing his hair out of his face.
Mark never, ever forgets his camera. He'd sooner eat a live gerbil than leave his camera anywhere.
Roger got off the couch and walked over to it slowly, as if the camera was going to attack at any moment. When he finally reached the camera, he picked it up and examined it closely before he smiled the biggest smile that's appeared on his face in what seemed like years.
---
A week later, Mark took the film out of the camera and watched for what he wanted to cut and what he was going to save. It was mostly footage of homeless people or the New York traffic or his friends telling him to turn off the damn camera.
Until he came to something he was certain he'd never filmed.
On the screen, he saw someone struggling to put the camera in the stand, and then Roger scurried over the couch and sat down.
"Hey Marky!" Roger gave a little wave.
"You uh...you left your camera home, what the hell is up with that? So anyway, you of all people should know that your birthday is coming up. I mean, if I remembered, then you're bound to remember too, right? And even if you don't remember, you look at your film constantly, so this'll be a little reminder."
Mark thought for a few seconds. Tomorrow would be his birthday. He never even realized.
"Well, you should also know that your friend Roger over here...kinda low on cash. But I figure, you're an artsy kinda guy, you'll appreciate something like this more.
"First off, I wanted to thank you. I know, whenever you tell me to take my AZT, I grunt and get angry and sigh and throw things at you occasionally. But I can honestly say, without you, I'd be dead by now."
Roger being sincere. That's new.
"You're probably thinking this is some sort of a joke..." Mark smiled. "But it's not. No matter how much I treat you like shit or how much I ignore you and isolate myself, I can always guarantee that when I wake up in the morning, you'll be there. That's one comfort that I've learned to love above all other things."
Mark stared at the screen in disbelief. He was still wondering how Roger managed to figure out how the camera worked and now...it was just phenomenal.
"That's something that April never gave me." Mark inhaled sharply. "I know that I spent more time with April than I did with you, but for some reason...I couldn't lose her. Maybe it was that possibility. With you, I never had the possibility that I'd lose you. I guess I had kind of taken that for granted. But now, I can honestly say that I wake up every day and thank God to have someone like you."
Mark couldn't believe it. He actually felt himself start to get choked up.
"I've been working on something for a while now. Mostly when you go out. Or when you sleep. I'm not completely out of inspiration."
Mark watched as Roger leaned over and picked up the shabby looking guitar.
"I tuned it too. I was very proud of myself for that. Anyway, here goes nothing. I um...I wrote this when I was thinking about when I...when I eventually...anyway, I just wanted you to know that I'll be here. Maybe not physically, but I'll be here."
Roger played a few chords before singing.
"Starlight and wonder
The universe seen through your eyes
The moon is a glorious halo
Hanging high over your head every night
Spinning and spinning
A flick of the wrist and a smile
And in the morning so early
Deep conversations are spoken
in tongues by sunlight
Tonight, you can dream you're a star
You can walk on the clouds
And float to the ground
And I'm with you
Tonight you can get very far
The calm and the storm, and forever yours
And I'm with you..."
The guitar faded out and Roger looked up at the camera with what looked like tears lingering in his eyes.
"I didn't finish it yet. But I figured the preview would work for a good gift. I'm sorry if it sounded sort of...sappy, but um...I don't know, I sort of started writing and couldn't stop."
Roger smiled. "Happy Birthday, Marky."
He put the guitar down to his side and got off the couch before the film turned to black.
Mark slowly lifted himself off the bed he was sitting on and walked out to the main room in the loft.
Roger looked up from the couch and smiled. "You know, you're birthday's tomorrow, want anything specific?"
Mark smiled back. "Believe me, the gift I just got was more than enough."
Fin