"FREAK EARTHQUAKE AND FLOODING UPSTATE CAUSES MAJOR POWER LOSS-NEW YORK CITY IN SHOCK" the headline of yesterday's newspaper read. Throwing it on the table, Mark Cohen scoffed.
"Well who would've guessed?" Walking towards the window, he looked at the once busy streets below. Now they were deserted. "No ones out there. There's nothing left." Roger Davis got up from his seat at the table and walked to the fridge.
"And we're fucked. We have barely any food left." He slammed the door shut and threw himself on the couch next to his favorite Fender guitar.
Mark just stood staring out the window, watching for any signs of life. Taking his camera out, he began to record. "Day number two of this godforsaken blackout..." He panned over to Roger on the couch. "And our very own Roger Davis is living the life of luxury" he teased.
"Shut it, Cohen." Roger threw a pillow at him, purposefully missing. Mark laughed, picked up the pillow and chucked it back, hitting him in the chest. The two had been dating for a little over six months, and play fights like this were common. Though they usually ended in Mark being pinned down with Roger kissing him. Mark shut his camera off and went over and pinned Roger, who then flipped and sent them both falling onto the floor. Laughing, he sat back and let the smaller man get off the floor. Mark adjusted his rectangular glasses and went and sat on Roger's lap. Roger showered him with kisses and Mark nuzzled into his lover's chest.
Just then, Roger's watch beeped, reminding him it was time to take his AZT. Mark stood up and Roger walked over to the medicine cabinet. A second later, his face drained of color. His hands began to shake, and a crushing feeling was in his chest. There was only enough AZT to last him three more days. Power wasn't expected to come back for at least a month. Mark looked concerned, but Roger took a deep breath and pretended all was well. He took his dose and went back to Mark, leaving his boyfriend with no knowledge of his predicament. Deep down, Roger felt terrible for not telling Mark, but he knew Mark would worry obsessively and get clingy. It'll be okay, Roger told himself. Mark doesn't need to know. What he doesn't know wont kill him. After all, ignorance is bliss, right?
Mark didn't wanna let it go that easy, but he knew that if he tried pressing Roger to tell him, Roger would get mad and it could lead to a fight. And the last thing Mark wanted was a fight. He decided that if he were to find out, it would be when and if Roger was ready to tell him. But that didn't mean he still wasn't worried…
Later that night, Mark and Roger went out to see if any stores had any food left. They suspected most would've been raided already, but it was worth a try. The two walked together, Roger looking out for Mark. When they had first started dating, Roger silently vowed to protect the smaller man from anything and everything that tried to hurt him. Roger would rather he himself get hurt than god-forbid Mark get hurt. This vow seemed to be put to the test now. Crime had gone up due to the blackout, and who knew what lurked in the shadows? The rocker didn't trust anyone he saw on the street. With no power, the police couldn't be called to help. It was every man for himself-survival of the fittest.
Something out of the corner of Roger's eye caught his attention. There was a man wearing a black coat who seemed to be following him. Without looking back, Roger leaned over to whisper to Mark. "Don't look back, don't turn back. Keep your head up and whatever you do keep moving forward no matter what happens." The filmmaker did as he was told and kept going, while his boyfriend held back. He turned around and came face to face with his stalker. "So. Who do you think you are, eh?" The man just snickered, his hand reaching into his coat pocket. The guitarist's adrenaline soared. The man most likely had a gun. Roger had to act. With the thought of saving Mark in mind, Roger threw himself onto the attacker, knocking him to the ground. The stalkers body hit the ground with a thud. The rocker was soon thrown over, so he was the one pinned. The stalker was at least twice his size. Roger was starting to fear for his life. The guy smiled an evil smile and reached in his pocket, pulling out a knife. The rocker lay on the ground, helpless, looking for a way to fight his way out. He had his legs and arms pinned. He couldn't move. This was it. This was the end. Only one thought crossed his mind: Mark. His last words to him were going to be telling him to keep going. Is this how it was gonna happen? How he would go? He didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.
Just then, a body barreled into the man on top of him and knocked him off of Roger. He could hear the clang of the knife hitting the ground and felt relieved. He jumped up to see who his savior was. Mark! The filmmaker was now pinning the attacker on the ground and yelling "RUN! ROGER, GO! RUN!" There was a fire in his eyes, a fury Roger had never seen before. Roger's first instinct was to do a he was told, but he thought better of it. The man was at least twice the size of Mark, and surely Mark couldn't last long on his own. Roger's protectiveness once again kicked in, and together he and Mark beat the attacker enough so they could get away safely. The couple began to run, but soon Roger turned back. He bent over, grabbed the knife and stashed it into his pocket. He jogged to catch up with his boyfriend and held his hand.