I've been on a writing frenzy this last week, maybe because I've been so excited to see new people following this story! Thanks for your reviews. Please keep them up, good or constructive, I appreciate them all. One thing though, please keep your comments directed at me. I do not tolerate flames so please let's all be nice to each other

Special thanks to notamarshmallowanymore for your thoughts and ideas.

Chapter 7

A few days after she'd discovered him with Kevin, Mark sat next to Tess on the bench by the window in her apartment. They were enjoying their usual morning coffee. Something was bothering the usually perky girl, Mark could tell from her unusual silence and the way she furrowed her eyebrows every now and then.

"What's wrong, T?"

"Nothing. Why do you ask?"

"You haven't smiled once since I came in." He pointed at her frown for emphasis.

Tess shrugged. "I'm not a morning person."

"That's not true. The only time you're cranky in the morning is when you have a hangover, and I doubt you have one today because you said you stopped drinking. Unless you lied to me." He was trying to keep his tone light even though he was worried about her. Mark hoped she wasn't sick, she looked as though she hadn't slept very well.

She smiled. "I didn't lie. I have things on my mind that's all."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Have you seen much of Kevin lately?" She made a feeble attempt at distraction.

"Don't change the subject." Kevin was not something he was up for discussing at the moment.

They hadn't seen each other since she'd walked in on them together. The day after having been caught, Mark had told Kevin over the phone that he hadn't come out to his friends or family yet. They'd had an argument about it. Mark wasn't ready and Kevin didn't want to sneak around. He was openly gay and didn't want to feel as if he were Mark's dirty little secret.

Tess rolled her eyes and put her coffee down. "Okay, fine. I feel like Roger wants to get closer, you know, physically but I'm just not ready yet."

Marks eyebrows went up as he let out an embarrassed, "Oh." He wasn't keen on discussing his best friend's sex life.

Tess had already opened up, so she continued on oblivious to his reddening face. "I keep putting it off, and I think he might be starting to get annoyed."

Accepting defeat, Mark asked, "Why are you putting it off? Aren't you two doing well or do you feel like it's too soon?"

"There's so much I haven't told him. I don't want to jump in without looking. That's gotten me into enough trouble already. Not to mention he keeps freaking out and running."

"You should talk to him. You have to be honest. He doesn't like being lied to. No one does." Mark shook his head knowing that he should take his own advice in respect to his friends. But he wasn't really lying to them was he? He was just withholding information and that was not lying.

"I know, it's just, I'm scared he'll run away and things are going so well. I might fuck it up, I'm so good at that. I tend to mess things up for myself a lot."

"Don't be scared, Tess. Yes, Roger tends to run away from his problems, but I don't think he's going to do that with you. Every time I see him when he doesn't know I'm looking, he has a stupid grin on his face. I don't think your past is going to be an issue for him. I didn't run away when you told me some of the things you've been through did I? Besides, his past isn't great either."

"Yeah, I guess you're right but you guys are completely different when it comes to stuff like that. You're a supportive friend. Roger, well he's supportive but only after he runs away for a while. I make him get a stupid grin?" A smile appeared on her face as she finally realized what Mark had just said.

"Yeah. So what are you doing to him? I don't think I've ever seen Roger express anything but angst. I might even dare to say he's been happy."

Tess shrugged and smiled. "Guess he has reason to be in a good mood."

"Yeah, a wild haired little girl with strong feminine wiles. Don't worry so much T, open up to him. It will all work out, trust me." He placed his hand under her chin and smiled at her, feeling grateful for the difference she was making in his best friend's life.

Just then Roger walked in the door and saw the image of his best friend touching his girlfriend intimately. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice tinged with anger.

Tess turned to see him, and smiling brilliantly stood up to give him a hug. "Roger, hi. You're up early. We were just having some coffee. Come, sit and join us."

Roger nodded but continued to glare at Mark who became increasingly uncomfortable at the situation.

"Um, I'm actually going to go and get some filming done. It looks like a beautiful morning out there." Mark stood up, nodded at Roger and waved at Tess before practically running out the door.

"What was that about?" Tess wondered out loud.

"I don't like the way he was looking at you."

"What? Roger, Mark's-" Tess abruptly stopped herself before she said too much.

"Mark's what Tess?" Roger had a feeling the two were keeping something from him and this pushed his suspicions further.

"My friend. Not interested in me like that so chill."

"Chill? I walk in on my best friend holding my girlfriend a little too close, and I'm supposed to chill?" He was pacing back and forth now, his hands balled into fists. He had seen how close the two had become and didn't like the way he felt left out when they were together.

She walked to him and placing her hand on his shoulder said, "Mark's the closest friend I've ever had, that's all. He has no interest in me in that way, in fact he was just telling me how happy he is that we're together. I was telling him about the stupid grin that comes across my face every time I think about you or hear your name."

Now he had her wrapped in his arms. "Really?" He whispered in her ear.

She played with his shirt collar as she looked at him and nodded. He captured her mouth in his and kissed her with intensity, his hands roaming to her hips and gripping her against him. She pulled away and caught her breath.

"Roger,"

"Yeah?" His hands moved further south and landed on her bottom. "Love these pants on you. So tight, and short."

"What are you doing down here?" Taking his hands off of her ass and holding them in her own, she gave him her brightest smile in hopes that he wouldn't notice what she was doing.

"I came to see you. What else would I be doing?" He frowned at her but played along.

"I don't know. Just seems kind of early for you." She had suspicions that he'd woken up, found the apartment empty, and come downstairs to check on her and Mark.

He took a step back. "Tess, I just wanted to see you."

Feeling guilty, she gave him a kiss on the mouth. "I'm so honored you woke up before mid- afternoon to come see me. I like it."

He smiled. "Well, you're worth it. Glad I caught you in your sleep clothes."

She was wearing boxer shorts and a tank top, nothing special but her nipples poked right through the thin material of her shirt and her legs looked hot in those shorts, she knew she was driving him mad. In her defense, she hadn't been expecting him until after 1 PM as that was his usual visiting time just after rolling out of bed.

"I'm going to go shower, then we can do something. We can have the whole day to ourselves." She leaned in for a quick peck on his lips then ran into the bathroom before he had another chance to touch her.

Later that night, after they'd gone out and walked around New York and spent some time at the park, Roger leaned Tess against her front door and kissed her heatedly. Pulling away from her he whispered, "Come upstairs with me, babe. I promise you won't regret it."

Tess gave him a dreamy look then turned serious, pulling away emotionally before she went too far. "Rog, I can't. I'm not ready."

She placed her hands on his chest and pushed away as she straightened up.

Roger sighed. "Okay, I can respect that."

But he had been denied one too many times and with each rejection he got a stronger feeling that it was more than her not being ready. "What's going on Tess?"

"Nothing. I'm just not ready."

"Bullshit."

"What?"

"I know it's more than that." He sounded angry but his eyes were tender as he looked at her.

She shook her head at him. Roger took her face in his hands and made her look at him. "Tess, be honest. Please? I know something's bothering you."

She took his hands and put them back down on his side. "It's my turn to be scared."

"Why? Okay, stupid question. Yes, I've been an ass and I know I've given you every reason to be scared but… well, I thought we'd moved on from that."

Tess turned toward her door then looked back at him. "Do you want to come in? Just to talk."

He nodded and followed her inside sitting on the couch watching her pace back and forth, wringing her hands. He allowed her to work through her anxiety for a bit and was about to say something when she finally turned to look at him.