-1A: /N- This is going to be a weird story and very au, I plan on going through with this story as well as my others, I just procrastinate a lot lol.

I own nothing.

Summary- Roger gets suspicious when Mark begins to show up late.

Chapter One

Roger had put all his effort into tidying up the rather messy lower east side apartment that he and his boyfriend now shared. He smiled at the thought of Mark. He knew Mark would be way proud of him when he came home from work and saw how clean he managed to get the loft, not to mention the candle light dinner he had prepared with a little help from thier downstairs neighbor Mimi.

He wore a big smile as he looked down at his beeper. Mark should be coming home now. You smile again and begin to pick at the long metal table you had decorated with a white table cloth, a few flowers stolen out of central park in an old soup can and how nicely placed the food was. Hot and ready to serve. He clapped his hands together and looked down at what he had achieved.

Mark was always so tired after he got off from work at CTN where he co-directed many independent films and sometimes some of his own creations. He also mentored many other aspiring filmmakers in his spare time. Mark, Roger knew, worked hard every day. Roger thought of this as a way to say thank you to Mark for supporting him. He smiled again when he thought about how lucky he was to have Mark.

He looks back down at his beeper again. He should be here by now…he should have been here by now. He thinks and relights the shirking candle for the fourth time and leans his elbows on the table, playing with the hot wax dripping from the candle. His stomach grumbles and he rests a hand on top it. The food is getting cold. So he removes the aluminum foil off of one of the dishes and sighs lightly. So much for being romantic. Roger eats a dinner by candle light alone, his only company being one of his band posters staring back at him from across the room. He pushes his food around a little before finally pushing the whole plate aside and looking towards the door. Where is he?

It's around eleven, Roger guesses, when he feels hands wrapping around his waist. Roger pulls away, reaches across the man and flips the beside lamp on. Roger wears a disappointed scowl on his face as he looks at Mark.

"You're late"

"I know"

"Really late" he rephrases with a bitter tone in his voice

"I'm sorry" Roger feels that Mark is only saying that because Mark knows that's what he wants to hear.

"Where were you?"

"Filming ran late" Roger can't help but believe this, he knows this is true.

"Oh... I had made dinner" you tell him quietly.

Mark smiles "Really?"

"Candle light and everything…I even cleaned up for you" Roger begins to pick at the covers when Mark places a hand on top of his.

"I really am sorry Roger" Roger believes this apology. "Can I make it up to you tomorrow?" he smiles at you

"By being my servant boy?" He smirks.

"Something like that" he cocks his head to the side with a lop-sided smile on his face

Roger pulls the boy to him by his scarf and kisses him. Mark lingers a bit before giving into Roger's advances. Roger tries to ignore a sharp pain in the pit of his stomach that tells him something isn't right here.

"He came home late last night…."

Roger is sitting with his legs tucked under him in his plaid pajama pants and baggy navy blue sweatshirt as he sits and talks with Collins who had decided to pay him and Mark a visit. Problem being Mark was called to work on his off day. Something about editing. Roger hadn't remembered the details. He was more upset that Mark was being hauled off to work when he was suppose to be here with him. Roger barely saw his boyfriend these days.

"Are things okay with you guys? You don't think Mark's seeing someone else do ya?" Tom questions while stirring a finger inside his hot chocolate overflowing with multicolor marshmallows.

Roger shrugs and looks down inside his own cup "He seems distance these days…its like he's there but he isn't ya know?"

"Mmm" Collins nods while taking a sip of his drink "And he's at work….on his off day?"

"Yeah…or so he says" you pout as you roll your eyes and sip at your hot chocolate.

"Someones sounding like a suspicious boyfriend" Collins laughs

"Am not" He whines "It's just…Mark is acting weird these days…you can't blame me for being a little suspicious"

Collins nods again and sits his cup down "Maybe a little communication between you two would help"

" But what if its just me thinking that he's acting weird but he's actually not and I bring this up and he-"

"Whoa" Tom laughs and raises a hand "Talk to him, trust me, tell him what's going on with you and things will get back to normal"

Roger looks skeptical "I don't wanna ruin things by talking about it"

"If you don't talk about it, then how do you expect anything to get resolved?"

"What if I'm afraid of what it might be?" Roger tells his friend softly, feeling vunerable at the moment and not looking him in the eye

"Ignorance isn't bliss Rog, you either ask him about it or drive yourself insane thinking about all the possible things that could be happening. Please Roger...talk to him" Collins touches his shoulder as a sign of support.

Roger nods quietly "Sure Tom-I-I'll talk to him"