Summary: A series of one shots revolving around the positive influence that Mark has had in the life of every bohemian, and how he quickly became their guardian angel.
A/N: This idea was actually inspired by a friend of mine. We were talking and she suddenly mentioned something about Mark being an angel. This got my brain churning and I was thought, "What if that was how everyone he has come across feels about him?" It will involve insight from each of the bohemians, even the ones that have passed away in the plot.
Disclaimer: I do not own RENT.
I'd die without you.
He was always .. there. No matter what you needed, no matter what time it was, he would be at your side within a heart beat. If you cried out in the middle of the night, he would lazily walk into the room, glasses askew on his face as he walked to the bed, questioning what was wrong and if there was something he could do to fix it. He was a sweet kid, he really was.
There would never be another Mark Cohen, she knew this. As she shifted in her sitting position on the fire escape, the large windows open so that the timid spring breeze could blow into the loft, the female turned and cast a gaze into the living area of the industrial sized loft she had come to call home. She had to tell him just how special he was, and how lucky they were to have someone like him -- how lucky Roger was to have a best friend like him.
"Marky," The female soprano called into the loft. It was about seven in the morning and she knew that he would be up and about, filling himself a cup of tea that she had started to make when she had first awoken. A mug of the warm liquid was gripped in her hand as the aforementioned blonde shuffled towards the window, taking a seat on the ledge as he peered at the young woman who was sitting outside. His own cup of tea held lightly within his hands.
"Yes, April?" The male questioned, eyebrows knit down in confusion as he took the first sip from his tea, savoring the warmth. The red-head lifted her gaze to him, and what he saw caught him by surprise. Her green eyes shone with tears as she locked her forest-green gaze to his bright blue, her lips twitching up in a shaky smile. Almost immediately Mark went into his 'mother mode', as April liked to call it. "April, are you okay?" She only nodded, glancing to the horizon where the sun was still rising into the sky. "I'm just fine, Mark. I wanted .. I wanted to thank-you." This caught the pale blonde off guard, and he simply stared at her.
"Thank you for what, April?" Biting on the inside of her bottom lip, the female fought back the tears. Oh god, she felt so guilty. If Mark knew what she was going to do, he would try so hard to stop her. "For always being there. Not just for me, but for Roger, and for everyone else, Mark. You watch over us like a little angel, always perched on our shoulder to make sure we do what's right." He was always so supportive of both Roger and herself when they attempted to get off the heroin. She was always the weak one, however, breaking down only after a week and quickly running back to The Man. Mark felt himself smiling, the small, timid smile he rarely allowed to show.
"You don't have to thank me for that." He said, taking a sip of his tea afterwards. April shook her head from side to side. "No, Mark, I do. I also want to say that I'm sorry for causing any hardship on both you and Roger." She was standing, slowly, tears still collecting in her eyes as she crawled back into the loft, glancing once more at the sunrise. "April, don't talk like that. It .. it has to be hard. I'll always be there to support you and Roger, but he just doesn't need me, he needs you too." April shook her head from side to side and laughed, a laugh that caused her entire face to light up and echo softly through the loft.
"You'll always be there to take care of Roger, won't you? Even If I'm gone?" The nod from the blonde was enough to reassure her, but she continued before Mark could say anything. "Thank-you, Mark. That makes me feel .. a lot better, it really does." She bent down and placed a kiss on the blonde's forehead, which earned her a confused stare from the blonde. "You're like a brother to me, Mark. .. Thanks. Take care of Roger, okay? He's not always the brightest bulb in the box." She gave another laugh and set her mug down on the ledge. "I'm going to take a shower before everyone gets up. Bye, Mark."
She headed in the direction of the bathroom, leaving the blonde to muse about the discussion they had just had. It was too early for this, and he was extremely confused by it all. A guardian angel? "April, I'll watch out for Roger but --" He was only greeted by the shutting of the bathroom door. Frowning, Mark shook his head and finished his cup of tea, gathered his things and left a note that said he was going out filming. Heading towards the bathroom as he held his camera in his hands he listened to the sound of the water and then smiled softly to himself, knocking. "Bye April, I'm going out filming. If Roger wakes up before I get back, tell him what I'm doing."
The female on the other side of the door smiled.
Mark Cohen was one in a million, and he really was their guardian angel. He would take care of Roger and everything would be okay. If only he knew of the weight that he had lifted off her shoulders.