. I so gave everyone the wrong idea by asking that question. I only asked because a reviewer brought it to my attention and I was curious. Because...well, who knows what everyone else thinks, right? Anyway, Soul-searching813 put it best. A sex scene would be totally out of place in this story. Therefore it probably won't be here. Bu-u-ut I got mucho many yays here. So, maybe....maybe....we'll see about the sequel having it. Because really, I don't think I could do it right now anyway. I'd be stuttering all over myself trying to. :D
Anyway, here it is. All 3,000 words. Enjoy! :P
The room was dim and the only light in the room was from his computer screen. Marco leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face tiredly. School was getting harder with the end looming ever closer. He was up at three a.m. in his pajamas trying to finish up an english essay. It was already a page longer than it had to be. But...he just couldn't help it. The over-achiever strikes again, he supposed.
Marco sighed and grabbed his mug by the monitor, plodding down the stairs to get some more coffee. He groped his way through the dark living room, following the light from the kitchen. God, could this night get any longer? It's like it was purposefully dragging itself out.
Pouring the hot liquid in his cup he smiled a bit. Dylan always tasted like coffee. It never failed. It didn't matter what Dylan had been eating before he kissed him...he always tasted of coffee and spearmint. Marco smiled even wider and placed the pot back into the machine.
Life saving coffee in hand he padded back up to his room, being extra quiet walking next to his parents room. If they knew how hard he was pushing himself at his schoolwork they would kill him. Back in front of the almost blinding computer screen he sighed deeply. Almost done. A few more paragraphs. Just a little more.
A few tries at the essay later his eyes began to wander. He couldn't really concentrate right now. His mind was buzzing from too much coffee and the anxiety, and his body was too tired to work correctly. Marco looked around his room, trying to clear his mind a bit, taking in all the little details, as the absent mind usually does.
Unmade bed. Dirty clothes on the floor. Endless cans of empty soda littering his night table. As his gaze kept moving he became more and more disgusted with himself. Open textbook on the ground. Plate with a half-finished bag of skittles on the computer tower. Papers laying precariously on top of the monitor.
A single picture next to the mouse.
Marco smiled softly and reached over, picking up the framed photograph. The fatigue in his eyes disappated a bit gazing at it. Beneath the glass was a smiling blonde with his arms around himself, spinning him around in the snow. The pale winter sunlight shining down, throwing the older boy's face into a cascade of feeble shadows. Whispers of laughter hung in the air around him, tickling his mind, making him smile at the memories.
"I bet you can't throw a snowball as far as that fence!"
"Yeah? What do I get if I can?"
"Depends. You can either have a snowball pelted at your head or a kiss? Which one sounds more appealing?"
"Oh the snowball, definitely."
"You are so dead!"
With another soul-deep sigh he tried to get his mind back to his work, placing the picture back down he turned to his computer, typing out the last couple of lines. Hitting print he started to clear up his room a bit. He was awake so he might as well tidy up the place. It wouldn't get done otherwise. Three a.m. in the morning seemed to be as good a time as any.
Picking up the clothes off his floor he smiled again, picking up a fake leather jacket that was several sizes too big for him off his computer chair. Holding it up to his nose while he continued to clean he grinned into the plush fabric, breathing in deeply. His impromptu cleaning session done, he folded it up and placed it on the dresser next to his door so he'd see it and remember to grab it in the morning.
Ten minutes later, placing his papers and newly typed out essay into his bag, he reached over to the calender and ticked off another day. Only a month and a half to go until school ended. Then he could rest. Collapsing into bed he fell into deep and pleasant dreams instantly.
He had been thinking about Dylan after all.
"Paige!"
Dylan frantically pushed his hair out of his eyes as he ransacked his room, ten minutes to go before he had to leave for school. It was shaping up to be one of those mornings.
"Paige! I need your help! I'm going mental!"
He dropped onto his stomach, lifting up the bed skirt and peering expectantly under his bed, finding nothing more than some old hockey gear. A throat cleared behind him and he banged his head on the bed frame in his hurry to stand up.
Cursing loudly, Dylan rose, rubbing his head pathetically where it had banged it on the bed frame in his hurry to stand. Turning around he found Paige leaning on the side of his doorway waving the phone boredly, an amused expression gracing her face.
"Your jacket's at Marco's."
Dylan smacked his forehead at his own idiocy, hurting the bump that was already there from the bed. Yet again rubbing his head and whining pathetically he stepped forward to grab the phone.
He was halfway through dialing Marco's number when he stopped and turned back to his sister. "How did you know I couldn't find my jacket anyway?"
Paige just rolled her eyes. "Because you had to call last week because you left your math book and you had to drive the van that day you left your keys at his place." She walked up, took the phone gruffly from her brother, hurriedly dialed Marco's number, and shoved it back into his chest.
"Honestly. That boy practically fries your brain when you're around him." Grabbing Dylan's bookbag from beside his bed she left the room to start the car and wait for Dylan to finish the call so they could leave for school.
He smiled after her and put the phone to his ear just as Marco answered.
"Hello?"
"Marco, I-"
"It's sitting next to the door with my bag." Dylan could just imagine the smug smile on Marco's face. He could hear it in his voice, even though his voice sounded extremely tired at the moment.
"What would I do without you?"
"Misplace your own brain I'm sure." Dylan laughed loudly, grabbing his wallet off his dresser and running out his room, flipping off lights behind himself with his elbow.
"I don't doubt that for a second. See you in about five minutes."
"Alright. I'm waiting."
Dylan stopped for a moment. "Marco?"
"Yeah?" Dylan could hear the other boy rummaging through his things across the line. Soft, swift, clipped movements. He could see him in his mind....checking through his bag making sure everything was there, the phone shrugged near his ear on his shoulder, a mug of lukewarm coffee a foot away from him. It was rather scary how well he knew him by now.
"I just wanted you to know...." Dylan paused again. Choked up. A little scared.
"Yeah?"
Dylan sighed in defeat. "....nevermind. See you in five minutes." Coward.
"Um, okay, I guess." replied Marco unsurely. "Bye Dyl."
"Bye." Hanging up, he threw the phone on the kitchen counter and ran out the door, locking up behind himself. Inwardly cursing himself into oblivion for being such a wimp about this, he climbed into the car and slammed the door shut.
He had to tell him sometime after all.
Marco dug some change out of his pocket as he made his hurried, tired way down the halls inbetween classes.
He felt like he was wading through wet cement. His head was aching in quiet protest. It was only third period and already he felt like he usually did closer to eighth.
His essay had gotten the highest grade in the class, but it had many spelling errors. Marco was still silently berating himself over it. If he hadn't been so out of it last night it would have been better. He couldn't afford to screw up again right now. Everyone was expecting too much from him. He had to please his teachers. He couldn't disappoint his mother. He had to continue to be good enough for his father. He had to try harder.
He slipped the coins into the machine at the end of the hall, waiting for the soda to drop.
Come on. What was taking so long?
Paige walked by attached to Spinner's arm like a leech. He waved half-heartedly and flitted his gaze back to the machine. Really. It should have dropped by now. He needed it. He needed some caffeine, what with the three tests he had left and the fact that he couldn't fall asleep during them.
Everyone was expecting too much from him.
The hallway was deserted by this point. God where was the damn drink! He was going to be late.
"Marco!" yelled Paige's voice from his next period class's doorway. "The bell is going to ring! Forget about it! Come on!" Marco growled at the stupid machine and turned on his heel quickly, in the direction of his next class.
A little too quickly perhaps. All the sudden an intense blanket of pressure drifted over his mind, as if he was holding in a sneeze that wasn't really there. The color was fading out of his vision. His balance was gone and he was falling. He could hear someone screaming...but he didn't care. The black beckoned. And it was welcoming compared to how dead tired his body felt right now, so he allowed it to encompass him.
"Excuse me, I need Dylan please."
Dylan spun around in his seat, away from his teacher and the dull psychology lecture he had been listening to, to see his sister clutching the door tightly, knuckles white, anxiety all over her face. "Please. It's an emergency."
Dylan, more than a little worried at this point, turned back to his teacher. "Alright. Dylan read all of chapter seventeen for homework." He nodded and started gathering his things as quickly as he could.
In the hallway, all but slinging his bag over his shoulder, he turned scared eyes to Paige. "What's going on? What's wrong?"
She just started to walk faster, biting her perfectly manicured fingernails. She flung her broken response over her shoulder as she kept speeding along. "Dylan...Marco....he fainted."
He stopped walking for a second, his expression changing to outright shock.
Shit.
Dylan shook his head vigorously and his pace quickened as he started to all but run down the empty hallway, eyes on fire, passing Paige as he went.
Dylan sat in the chair beside the nurse's room's doorway, watching Marco's every move as he talked to the nurse. The younger boy had only been gone for about ten minutes, so he had been awake by the time Dylan had burst into the room, hair flying all over the place.
"Tell me Marco, how much have you eaten in the past week?" Marco looked at his feet instead of at the inquiring woman. His response was mumbled. "Little meals everyday. Atleast three times a day."
Dylan snorted from his chair in the room. "He's lying Miss. He's barely had one meal everyday for two weeks." The nurse tutted and Marco glared at Dylan through his hair.
"Okay, then. How much have you slept?"
Again Marco kept his gaze directed at the floor. "About six hours a night."
Dylan hissed the breath he'd been holding through his teeth. "He's lying again. I doubt he's had two hours a night."
"Dylan! What's your problem!?" roared Marco, looking up from the floor, nostrils flaring and hair falling in his face.
Dylan stood up from his spot, eyes ablaze. "What's my problem? Everytime I call you're working on schoolwork! Everytime I come over you have textbooks and papers absolutely everywhere! Anytime I ever call your house late at night you're still up when you should be asleep." Warming to his theme, Dylan stalked forward a bit. "I have yet to see you eat at lunch! You've always got your nose buried in a book! Hell! You even work on your homework when you come to my house!"
Marco still glared stonily at him. Dylan turned abruptly towards the door, facing his back towards Marco. He jerkily ran a hand through his hair, trying to even his breathing. He stared at the door for several seconds, counting to ten, then very slowly turned around to meet Marco's eyes.
Dylan's voice became soft and desperate as he looked at the dark haired teen. "Jesus, Marco. What are you doing to yourself?" Every little thing he had seen Marco do over the past month was coming together at an alarming rate. Every morning he saw Marco walk out of his house to the car with blue circles under his eyes and unkept hair. Every time he had called only to have Mrs. del Rossi say Marco was busy.
Marco averted his gaze to his shoes, away from the overly caring blue eyes that were looking at him pleadingly.
Dylan turned to the nurse. "Can I take him home please? I want him to sleep. I'll force him to eat later. Please?" The nurse nodded and started fluttering around her office looking for an excuse slip. Dylan just turned back around and stared at the bowed head of his boyfriend.
What had he been thinking?
Silence reigned in the car on the way to Marco's house. The dark haired teen stared out the window with the horrid fascination that comes with too much time spent in an awkward silence. Dylan kept glancing over at him, worried.
The quiet was getting opressive. Marco could feel it's weight. He didn't like it. It reminded him too much of earlier when he had blacked out.
He finally gave up trying to be quiet. "Why don't you just say it, Dylan? I screwed up okay."
Dylan jerked out of his reverie and flung his gaze back at the other boy. "You did screw up." He watched as Marco flinched at his words. He reached over and tenatively grasped Marco's hand, his voice softening. "I'm just trying to figure out why."
Marco looked down at their joined hands, tears of shame stinging his eyes but not falling. Why had he done it? Now that all the drama was over he was having a hard time trying to figure out just how he had ended up in this train wreck.
He squeezed the older boy's hand desperately, a little scared he was hurting him. He brought their hands up to his lips and kissed Dylan's softly. It had become a way of showing understanding between them. A way to show they were still really there. "I'm so sorry." Marco whispered against their hands, eyes locked with the blue pair across from him.
Dylan nodded and kissed Marco's hand. He understood. He hated the fact that the boy had done that to himself...but he understood. "S'okay. It's over now."
Marco squeezed his hand even tighter and turned back to looking out the window again, letting the silence leak back in. Atleast it wasn't smothering this time.
At Marco's house they found that Mrs. del Rossi was gone and, of course, Mr. del Rossi was at work, so it was deadly still when they walked in. Dylan forced Marco to eat something then guided him to his room. He lay down beside Marco, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him against his chest, kissing his hair.
"I'm not a baby Dylan."
He smiled into the dark hair that was tickling his nose. "Yeah. I know."
Marco rolled his eyes and laughed feebly. "As long as we've got that straight."
Minutes passed in silence, and Dylan watched the sunlight pouring onto the bed move steadily across the blanket, inching ever nearer to Marco's hand. He knew Marco wasn't asleep yet...his breathing was still uneven.
Laying here like this, he had an overwhelming sense of dejavu. The night he had slept with Marco on the couch all over again. Every fragile breath. Every slight movement. Every ghost of touch from Marco's thumb rubbing against his forearm. Intoxicating.
Minutes ticked by, and still the golden light inched it's way nearer. Still the unhurried relaxed movement of the boys chest went, rising and falling against him. Still the whisper soft feeling of Marco's thumb went across his arm.
An hour later the light finally touched Marco's hand that lay sprawled across the bedspread.....and it was like it all clicked into place. Everything was so pure and simple. He didn't have to think anymore.
"Marco?"
"Yeah?" said Marco blearily, his voice leadened from being a breath away from sleep.
"I-....I love you."
Marco's eyes pinged open and he stared forward at the wall blankly. Dylan what? Oh my god. Slowly, unsurely, Marco turned around beneath Dylan's arm to face him.
"I-...." Did he? Marco stared into the blue eyes a few inches away from his own. Beautiful, caring, heartbreakingly sincere.
Yes. Yes he did.
"I love you too."
Marco leaned forward and kissed him as honestly as he could, trying to show through this kiss alone, just how much he meant it. Dylan responded with equal ardor, hand around the younger boy's waist sliding up to tangle in his hair. Lips sliding, heart beating in counter part with the heat pulsing in their brains. Passionate emotions floating around them, mingling with the rays of gold falling in from the window.
They parted, staring into each others eyes, a hushed pitter patter starting in the background. Vaguely Marco took in the fact that a summer shower had started. How odd he thought.
How odd it was for it to rain on the happiest day of his life.
But then again, without rain there wouldn't be rainbows.
XD I've updated! Yay! That turned out way longer than I planned. But that's okay. It can be to make up for the shortness of 15. Can you believe I actually wasn't going to put this chapter? I started it with Marco doing his homework and halfway through got some inspiration. It's better than I planned. Again, yay!
If you liked it...let me know. There's a pretty purple button down there that you should click. :D
