Triple Update, is that you?

Getting sick does wonders to me, apparently. Or it's prolly just my source of inspiration doing that. I'm afraid the Mark Arc (hehehe) might be the shortest, right after the Genda Arc, which was like 2-3 chapters only. Don't worry, Claire and Genda'll be back! :D

Disclaimer: I suddenly wish I owned someone cool like Rein. (Sokudone: WHAT?)

26: The Morning Text

Tell me you still love me.

The last time Rein checked, three boys were sprawled on the now drool-infested floor; seven managed to squeeze into the queen-sized bed; and four hogged the second heavenly mattress.

Three plus seven plus four…

Weren't there fifteen Unicorn members?

The sole female tried to swallow her tongue and restrain her diaphragm at the sight of – well, nothing but darkness and a small curved slope that she could only make out as a neck.

What was a neck doing at a very close proximity?

Mark awoke to the feel of cold sheets and icy solitude in an endlessly spreading bed of white, but it wasn't the same white as last night.

"Tyler Glenn's awake, boys!" Dyke hollered from his Indian squat at the foot of Mark's bed. "Tyler Glenn?" He squinted. "The adulterer's finally up!" Alex shouted at the corridor where the rest were. "Adulterer?" Mark demanded, eyes widening.

"Yes, my beloved other half," Dylan suddenly appeared, surprisingly without his signature shades. The rest of the team crowded around their captain. "It has occurred to us that you have committed the SWaF Act." Mark mouthed the word in question, but the pale blond continued. "And while that's questionably acceptable in America, we're in the land of saints now."

"And that's a no-no." Steve added.

"We're not in Rome, genius," Mark interjected. "And what in Lincoln's name is a SWaF Act?" The group looked at one another, surprised that their own captain didn't know.

"The Sleeping With a Friend Act."

"Good morning, Mark,"

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Caller ID," The voice crackled on the phone. "What be your business with me, pray?"

"Is it a bad time?" The sandy blond settled for a sleeveless cotton top as he shook his pants on. He heard a ruffling from the other side. "Well I did just wake up, but it's alright. Would you like to meet somewhere?"

"You gotta pick me up at Hotel Mido-ree-ma first…"

Sokudone allowed a more unguarded laugh; the same laugh he enjoyed causing."Of course. But breakfast will be sundaes."

The walk to Sherry's was unusually quiet, but Mark would blame it on the early morning blues; eight o'clock was too early for his liking. He couldn't really think, though – the shock of what he had done to Rein, a Japanese teenage girl, had meddled with his usual routine. The sandy blond fiddled with the soft fabric as they walked, and he looked around the streets more often than he should. "Kamisama bears gifts," The blackette beside him murmured in her native tongue.

"Pardon?"

Donnie smiled instead, and the doors to the sundae shop automatically slid open. The female nodded to the waiters who were all too familiar with their most loyal costumer, and Mark headed for the second floor; the booths in the first floor were all too weird and risky-looking for a shaky him.

He settled for the yoga mats on the veranda of the shop. The place was comfortingly weird. Why did someone of a high-class standing like Donnie love this place? "The yoga mats," He heard her muse as the door hissed her entrance. "Good choice. I need the light, and you need the air," Her black mane was untied that morning, despite the impending summer. "Am I right?"

"What happens to a person who's done something un-Japanese to someone who's Japanese?"

"Seppuku," She deadpanned. Funny bone broken, Mark stood and headed for the railing. "For crying out loud, come back here and tell me what happened!" The chestnut-haired American turned to see a half-smile on the Japanese blackette's face.

How he had met Donnie was a story. He had come to respect her capabilities and talents, and to some extent had even fought for and alongside her. She was so much like Rein but she was nothing like her at the same time.

Rein.

"I slept with Rei." Mark plopped on his seat the same time Donnie spat her first scoop.

"You're American! I couldn't help it!" The violet-eyed local handed her blue-eyed companion more tissue. He remained disgusted at her. "And here I was, thinking the Japs were innocent people."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do," Donnie quoted, "But on spotting the Greek, speak his language and earn his trust."

"Point taken," The sandy blond wiped the last of the peanut butter camouflaged in his hair. "But that Greek may have been doing as the Romans did."

"Yes, but such Greek spoke Greek; how else could the Roman have communicated?"

Mark scoffed; he so did try to speak Japanese. "Back on topic, I didn't mean to, really!"

"But you weren't tired when she dozed off, and you promised that the bed was for her use only." The sun was in full view now, and reflected the triumphant glint in the girl's eyes. "Is there anything I missed?" Mark shook his head in disbelief. "I wanted her to tour me around town the next morning, she fell asleep in the middle of my plan, I tucked her to bed, watched a little with the boys, and the next thing I know, I'm holding her so close, and when I woke up, she was gone again."

"'Again'?"

"Donnie, she stopped talking to me one day," The look in Mark's face was distraught. "While we were playing soccer a year ago, she suddenly missed the ball, looked at me dead in the eye, and ran away. The next day was their flight back here. She talked to me months later, but she sounded so stiff and formal," He flailed with his hands, "She wasn't the Rei I knew then. I've dated before, and always asked her for help, and she complied, but everything ended in disaster; none of those girls shared Rei's interests. When I told her I'd take a break from dating, she stopped talking to me – she shut me off, left me in the dust, kept me on my toes because the next time she came back I didn't want to miss it.

"She was a ghost that wanted to terrorize me when I least expected it. She talked to me again, early this year, just because she wanted to share the news that Unicorn was invited to their prom. She sounded so held back and restrained – and I knew that just by reading an electronic mail! I sent her a reply right after, as if nothing weird had ever gone on, and she sent the same stiff answers!

"I finally arrive here, miraculously find her house on day two, and she's treated me like I was a pervert – which is a long story but I can't blame her – but she sounded so guarded, Donnie," Mark looked so close to breaking, and even Sokudone couldn't help but clutch at her chest. "That's not the Rei I met a year ago; that's not the vampire moonchild I knew. And I miss that vampire moonchild. And just when I thought we were patching things up that night – she agreeing to stay with the team even if it risked her dignity – I just had to—!"

"I miss her so much, Donnie," Mark could barely bring his head up. "And that fragile bond of ours…it's broken, gone, forever. All because I…"

"Frozen dairy is comfort food," The blackette offered, pushing the spoon his way. "Eat up while you listen to me."

When all was said, and Mark felt brainfrozen, and Donnie had paid (much to his dismay), the female left ahead, and Mark headed to the riverbank on his own. He took out his phone and almost decided to ignore Donnie's warning and text her, but threw the mobile to his side.

He almost regurgitated his frozen breakfast when he checked the device again after it buzzed.

Fr: Rei

Subj: Morning

How do I say I miss you without sounding like I miss you? Because I still do.

I'll leave this here. You guys try to figure that out, and in case anybody's wondering why there are transitions of Donnie-Sokudone and Rei-Rein, that's because those parts of the story are told the way Mark sees it, and he sees Sokudone as Donnie and Rein as Rei.

How is this chapter? How's Mark and his history with Rei? Comments, reviews, spams, flames!

-Strawbeariiis