50 We Just Go Around Baby
Boomerang by Jidenna
Mark spent the rest of the day floating around the office like a ghost. It was like he was on auto pilot. His colleagues must have senses something was wrong because no one pushed him and they left him alone to do his own thing for the most part.
Annie took him aside at some point as someone who was not just a work friend but an actual friend and asked him what was up, he shook his head and claimed it was nothing.
"Clearly it's not nothing Mark, you've been off all day. Everyone's worried."
"Okay it's not nothing to me but it's nothing to worry about. It's not a big deal, don't worry I'll get over it."
"Have you talked to Shields?"
"Really Annie it's not a big deal, nothing I can't handle myself."
"But you don't have to-"
"I was going to do something and I'm worried I missed the opportunity I probably haven't so once I... check up on that I'll be back to regular old Watney. Really Annie I'm grateful but you don't have to worry."
"Okay, and you'd talk to someone if it was?"
"Of course." He hesitated before he asked "Hey Annie, how long do you think I'll be a hot topic for?"
"Honestly I thought you would die out after you got back but it seems all this stuff with Mars, Olympus Mons, Ares V, you're a celebrity now Mark; there's always going to some news sight interested in you."
"Mmmm. Okay. Thanks."
Annie took the reply as the dismissal that it was and took it as her cue to leave but not without shooting off a text to Dr Shields about if Mark was dealing with the media attention and if he'd gotten used to the idea that he might never have true privacy again, at least not for a long while.
Mindy Park opened her door to a rapid knocking only to find Mark outside. "Mark!" She exclaimed surprised, she took in his figure there was something slightly off from his usual self and she couldn't put her finger on it "Are you okay?"
"Yes. No. Mindy... you're amazing."
"I... what?"
"You're amazing, you are. You're smart and you're kind and you're beautiful."
She scoffed "Beautiful? Maybe when I slap some make up on but-"
"I've always thought you were beautiful. When you where your baggy cardigans and your mom jeans and your glasses that have about the thickest rims I've ever seen since Urkel."
"Who?"
"You're beautiful no matter what. And I've wanted to tell you something and I never did because I'm a coward."
"Mark, you're one of the bravest people I know, you're not a coward."
"But I am! I'm cowardly and I have panic attacks and I hate being alone but I hate being crowded and the paps follow me everywhere and I have touch aversion but I crave contact because I'm touch starved and I've got all sorts of other issues and I never wanted to put any of that on you. I never wanted to be a burden to you."
"Mark, you're not a burden. We're friends, when I'm hurting you help me and when you're hurting I help you, that's just how it works."
Mark huffed "I've gone and ruined this whole thing. I didn't come here to tell you all my flaws but I feel you should know them now before... I came here to tell you that I love you. I've loved you since-" Mark tried to remember a time before Mindy came into his life when he didn't love her "-since we met."
Mindy stared at him for a second in shock. She was silent for about ten seconds the two of them just staring at each other and then M ark looked away and cringed "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"
"-Mark-" she tried to get his attention.
"-I'll just go-"
"-Mark-" she tried again.
"-We can forget I ever said anything-"
"-Mark!" She yelled, snapping him out of his embarrassment begotten rant, Mindy pulled him forward, down to her level and kissed him full on the mouth. "I love you too." She said with a huge grin on her face "I've been meaning to tell you that for ages as well. I guess I'm just as cowardly."
He chortled "Wow, we're just a bunch of cowards here."
She pulled him fully into her apartment seeing as this whole time he'd just been standing awkwardly outside her door.
Mark laughed "You know... I feel like some of our friends are going to make some money from us getting together. I just know Rick started putting money on the odds of us getting together."
She laughed "Who do you think won?"
"I'm hoping Beth. She usually just knows these things."
"So you really liked me back this whole time?" She asked still in disbelief.
"Yeah, and you liked me, like like-liked me."
"We're honestly ridiculous." Mindy laughed as she kissed him again.
"So does this make you my girlfriend?"
"Does this make you my boyfriend?"
"So that's a yes?"
"Yes, that's a yes."
