Disclaimers and summary on first chapter
Notes: This is the last chapter before this part of the story starts to merge with RENT. Mimi should be popping up any chappie now, so watch for her. The RENT section won't be too long, I promise there will be more, uh, present day M/R slash in the future, POST-RENT. Hmmm... How to kill off Mimi this story? Lol. J/k. Until then, enjoy and thanks all for reading/reviewing.
P.s. staticrader, you might enjoy this chapter, even if it is slightly evil of me. ;)
Chapter 33 -What We Had At The Beginning-
+Roger's POV+ (6 weeks before RENT)
It's almost 4 in the morning. I sigh and glance over at Mark's closed door. Until about an hour ago we were both waiting up for Maureen together, me really just for his benefit. He got too tired though, and went to bed after I promised to do the same. However, after seeing the pain in Mark's eyes at having to go to sleep alone for the fourth time this week I decided to stay up and make one last effort with Maureen to get her to realize what she's doing to him. He's more sullen and withdrawn than I've ever seen him. He knows what's happening, yet can't accept it. No matter what I say he won't leave her or say anything. The door finally clicks open. If he won't, I will.
"Where've you been?" I ask her in a heated whisper.
She looks up in shock, squinting in the nearly dark room. We've got one candle burning on the table.
"Roger?" She sighs. "What do you want?"
"Where were you, Maureen? Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Are you really going to lecture me?" She asks, her voice rising.
"Shut up!" I hiss. "Mark is sleeping. Not that you would actually care about your 'boyfriend'."
She rolls her eyes.
"If you're going to treat him like this, do him a favor and break up with him! Let him be with someone else who'll appreciate him!"
"Like you?" She asks, coldly.
I lower my eyes and clench my fists at her challenge.
"Do you feel guilty at all? Doesn't it bother you?" I ask in a quieter tone, hoping it'll give me a more honest answer.
It works. She pulls herself onto the table and wraps her arms around her upper body.
"Yeah, it does bother me, Roger. Do you have any idea how horrible I feel when I wake up beside someone in the middle of the night that isn't Mark?"
"Then why do you do it?" I ask, a little harsher than I mean to be.
She shrugs and in the light of the flickering candle I can see her tears.
"I can't stop." She whispers.
I walk over to her and she looks up at me, her tear-filled eyes glistening in the candlelight. She's really pretty when she cries. I sigh and reluctantly open my arms to her. She smiles sadly and slides off the table and wraps her arms around my waist, laying her head on my chest. I hold her for a few moments and run my fingers through her hair, my other hand on her back. I feel bad for her because I know what it's like to have a problem that you can't resolve, even when it's hurting everyone around you. Mainly Mark.
She pulls back and looks at me for a moment and I stare back, confused. Before I can ask her what's wrong, she presses her lips over mine. Shocked and angry I push her violently backwards. She falls against the table and the force knocks the candle off of it. It burns out on its fall to the floor.
"You're a slut, Maureen! You know? You're just a worthless, fucking whore!"
I go on and on, calling her every degrading name for a girl I can think of. She lies on the ground, crying. Someone pushes me, hard. I stumble and turn around, my fists raised.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He yells. He comes forward and pushes me again, harder.
"What did you do to her, Roger?"
He comes closer but I can't justify hurting him to defend myself, so I make no move when his fist connects with my face. It's a lot harder of a punch than I figured Mark could throw. When I stand there holding my face he goes to her and helps her up, holding her close. I can still hear her crying after he closes the door to their room.
+++ (one month before RENT)
I've stopped talking to Mark, or more accurately, he's stopped talking to or caring about me. For a few days they were closer than they've probably ever been, but then it went back to normal, only Mark waits up alone these days. He doesn't want me there, he doesn't want me anywhere really. I know he's out there now, sitting on the table holding his camera, swinging his legs. I hear the door open and him set his camera down and slide off the table. I quietly open my door an inch and watch them through it.
Mark asks her where she was in a sad, soft voice. Instead of her usual jovial reassurance for him, she sighs deeply and walks up to him and takes his hands.
"Marky, we have to talk, sweetie."
"What's on your neck?" He asks her.
Probably a hickey. Or two, I think bitterly.
"Oh, it's. . ."
"And on your collar?"
I lean closer to the door. He pulls one of his hands away and touches her neck. He looks at his fingers.
"Is that. . . lipstick?" He asks, unbelieving.
I cringe when she looks down and nods.
He drops her other hand and takes a step backwards.
"Women now too?" He asks her. I think it's the first time he's ever directly confronted her about her cheating.
"Woman." She says softly. She looks up hopefully. "Her name's Joanne. You'd like her, Marky, she's really nice!"
"I'd like her?" He screams. Maureen backs up. I've never seen him yell at her before.
"I don't want to like her, Maureen! I don't want to know her, I don't want there to be a 'her'!"
"Marky. . ."
"Why am I not good enough for you?" He sits on the table again. "For either of you?" He whispers. I don't want him to know I'm listening so I say nothing, though I desperately want to correct him.
Maureen rushes to him and grabs his arm.
"No, it's not like that, Marky! I love you! You're my best friend ever but," She pauses and bites her lip. "I guess we just don't work together as a couple." She sighs. "I love Joanne now, and she wants me to move in with her." She finishes.
Mark sits there stunned as Maureen goes in their room. She comes out a few minutes later with a small bag. She stands next to him awkwardly.
"I'm gonna go back there, I'll come back for the rest of my stuff tomorrow or something. Please still be my friend, Marky. I love you."
She kisses him on the cheek and hurries out the door.
Ignoring the fact that he'll probably be even more upset that he knows I'm here, I open my door the rest of the way and move out of my room towards him.
"Mark? Mark, are you ok?"
Instead of being angry or crying or something else horrible that I expected, he completely shocks me by laughing. Not just subtle chuckling but a loud, continuous, real laugh. He rests his head in his hands and his shoulders shake from the force of it. I cautiously step closer to him, hoping this is a good sign.
"Mark? Hey, uh. . ."
He looks up and when he sees me he gestures for me to come closer, which I gladly do.
"She's leaving me," Laughter. "For a woman, Rog!" More laughter.
"That's funny?" I ask, hesitantly.
"Damn right it is!"
Cautiously I climb up on the table beside him and he leans against me, still laughing. I put my arm around him at the same moment his laughs turn to tears. His shoulders, his whole body, still shake with the same velocity but the only sound that comes from him now is a soft choked sobbing. I put my other arm around him and hold him close as he cries. I kiss his forehead gently, but when I do he stiffens and pulls away.
"You can't do that, Roger. You can't tell me you don't want to be with me and then do stuff like that."
"I didn't mean to. . ."
"I know you didn't, but I'm just telling you that you can't. It makes what we have really confusing."
"What exactly do we have, Mark?" I ask him slowly.
He smiles sadly. "What we had at the beginning. Friendship."
I return his smile and nudge him in the side. He nudges me back.
"Yeah, I think I can handle that."
+++
Notes Continued: I have one more chapter written, but I'll probably post it tomorrow. So it's great to be back and I'll be back on schedule soon. I also got another story idea while I was away on vacation. I don't know if it's going to be a smaller side project or my next epic, but it's forming in my head. I will say that it's pre-rent, and again involves Maureen/Roger/Mark, however sadly, not slash. Which means it'll probably be a mini-chapter side story. Fun for the whole family. Not quite as far back as this story goes though, more like a year or so before RENT. If I decide to start posting it while I'm still working on this one I'll let you all know in case you're interested. Thanks for reading! :P
Notes: This is the last chapter before this part of the story starts to merge with RENT. Mimi should be popping up any chappie now, so watch for her. The RENT section won't be too long, I promise there will be more, uh, present day M/R slash in the future, POST-RENT. Hmmm... How to kill off Mimi this story? Lol. J/k. Until then, enjoy and thanks all for reading/reviewing.
P.s. staticrader, you might enjoy this chapter, even if it is slightly evil of me. ;)
Chapter 33 -What We Had At The Beginning-
+Roger's POV+ (6 weeks before RENT)
It's almost 4 in the morning. I sigh and glance over at Mark's closed door. Until about an hour ago we were both waiting up for Maureen together, me really just for his benefit. He got too tired though, and went to bed after I promised to do the same. However, after seeing the pain in Mark's eyes at having to go to sleep alone for the fourth time this week I decided to stay up and make one last effort with Maureen to get her to realize what she's doing to him. He's more sullen and withdrawn than I've ever seen him. He knows what's happening, yet can't accept it. No matter what I say he won't leave her or say anything. The door finally clicks open. If he won't, I will.
"Where've you been?" I ask her in a heated whisper.
She looks up in shock, squinting in the nearly dark room. We've got one candle burning on the table.
"Roger?" She sighs. "What do you want?"
"Where were you, Maureen? Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Are you really going to lecture me?" She asks, her voice rising.
"Shut up!" I hiss. "Mark is sleeping. Not that you would actually care about your 'boyfriend'."
She rolls her eyes.
"If you're going to treat him like this, do him a favor and break up with him! Let him be with someone else who'll appreciate him!"
"Like you?" She asks, coldly.
I lower my eyes and clench my fists at her challenge.
"Do you feel guilty at all? Doesn't it bother you?" I ask in a quieter tone, hoping it'll give me a more honest answer.
It works. She pulls herself onto the table and wraps her arms around her upper body.
"Yeah, it does bother me, Roger. Do you have any idea how horrible I feel when I wake up beside someone in the middle of the night that isn't Mark?"
"Then why do you do it?" I ask, a little harsher than I mean to be.
She shrugs and in the light of the flickering candle I can see her tears.
"I can't stop." She whispers.
I walk over to her and she looks up at me, her tear-filled eyes glistening in the candlelight. She's really pretty when she cries. I sigh and reluctantly open my arms to her. She smiles sadly and slides off the table and wraps her arms around my waist, laying her head on my chest. I hold her for a few moments and run my fingers through her hair, my other hand on her back. I feel bad for her because I know what it's like to have a problem that you can't resolve, even when it's hurting everyone around you. Mainly Mark.
She pulls back and looks at me for a moment and I stare back, confused. Before I can ask her what's wrong, she presses her lips over mine. Shocked and angry I push her violently backwards. She falls against the table and the force knocks the candle off of it. It burns out on its fall to the floor.
"You're a slut, Maureen! You know? You're just a worthless, fucking whore!"
I go on and on, calling her every degrading name for a girl I can think of. She lies on the ground, crying. Someone pushes me, hard. I stumble and turn around, my fists raised.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He yells. He comes forward and pushes me again, harder.
"What did you do to her, Roger?"
He comes closer but I can't justify hurting him to defend myself, so I make no move when his fist connects with my face. It's a lot harder of a punch than I figured Mark could throw. When I stand there holding my face he goes to her and helps her up, holding her close. I can still hear her crying after he closes the door to their room.
+++ (one month before RENT)
I've stopped talking to Mark, or more accurately, he's stopped talking to or caring about me. For a few days they were closer than they've probably ever been, but then it went back to normal, only Mark waits up alone these days. He doesn't want me there, he doesn't want me anywhere really. I know he's out there now, sitting on the table holding his camera, swinging his legs. I hear the door open and him set his camera down and slide off the table. I quietly open my door an inch and watch them through it.
Mark asks her where she was in a sad, soft voice. Instead of her usual jovial reassurance for him, she sighs deeply and walks up to him and takes his hands.
"Marky, we have to talk, sweetie."
"What's on your neck?" He asks her.
Probably a hickey. Or two, I think bitterly.
"Oh, it's. . ."
"And on your collar?"
I lean closer to the door. He pulls one of his hands away and touches her neck. He looks at his fingers.
"Is that. . . lipstick?" He asks, unbelieving.
I cringe when she looks down and nods.
He drops her other hand and takes a step backwards.
"Women now too?" He asks her. I think it's the first time he's ever directly confronted her about her cheating.
"Woman." She says softly. She looks up hopefully. "Her name's Joanne. You'd like her, Marky, she's really nice!"
"I'd like her?" He screams. Maureen backs up. I've never seen him yell at her before.
"I don't want to like her, Maureen! I don't want to know her, I don't want there to be a 'her'!"
"Marky. . ."
"Why am I not good enough for you?" He sits on the table again. "For either of you?" He whispers. I don't want him to know I'm listening so I say nothing, though I desperately want to correct him.
Maureen rushes to him and grabs his arm.
"No, it's not like that, Marky! I love you! You're my best friend ever but," She pauses and bites her lip. "I guess we just don't work together as a couple." She sighs. "I love Joanne now, and she wants me to move in with her." She finishes.
Mark sits there stunned as Maureen goes in their room. She comes out a few minutes later with a small bag. She stands next to him awkwardly.
"I'm gonna go back there, I'll come back for the rest of my stuff tomorrow or something. Please still be my friend, Marky. I love you."
She kisses him on the cheek and hurries out the door.
Ignoring the fact that he'll probably be even more upset that he knows I'm here, I open my door the rest of the way and move out of my room towards him.
"Mark? Mark, are you ok?"
Instead of being angry or crying or something else horrible that I expected, he completely shocks me by laughing. Not just subtle chuckling but a loud, continuous, real laugh. He rests his head in his hands and his shoulders shake from the force of it. I cautiously step closer to him, hoping this is a good sign.
"Mark? Hey, uh. . ."
He looks up and when he sees me he gestures for me to come closer, which I gladly do.
"She's leaving me," Laughter. "For a woman, Rog!" More laughter.
"That's funny?" I ask, hesitantly.
"Damn right it is!"
Cautiously I climb up on the table beside him and he leans against me, still laughing. I put my arm around him at the same moment his laughs turn to tears. His shoulders, his whole body, still shake with the same velocity but the only sound that comes from him now is a soft choked sobbing. I put my other arm around him and hold him close as he cries. I kiss his forehead gently, but when I do he stiffens and pulls away.
"You can't do that, Roger. You can't tell me you don't want to be with me and then do stuff like that."
"I didn't mean to. . ."
"I know you didn't, but I'm just telling you that you can't. It makes what we have really confusing."
"What exactly do we have, Mark?" I ask him slowly.
He smiles sadly. "What we had at the beginning. Friendship."
I return his smile and nudge him in the side. He nudges me back.
"Yeah, I think I can handle that."
+++
Notes Continued: I have one more chapter written, but I'll probably post it tomorrow. So it's great to be back and I'll be back on schedule soon. I also got another story idea while I was away on vacation. I don't know if it's going to be a smaller side project or my next epic, but it's forming in my head. I will say that it's pre-rent, and again involves Maureen/Roger/Mark, however sadly, not slash. Which means it'll probably be a mini-chapter side story. Fun for the whole family. Not quite as far back as this story goes though, more like a year or so before RENT. If I decide to start posting it while I'm still working on this one I'll let you all know in case you're interested. Thanks for reading! :P