Disclaimer: See first two chapters :p

"Roger, could you slow down already?" Mark panted, struggling to keep up.

"Hell no!" Roger grinned, tugging Mark's arm harder and lengthening his already large stride.

How he manages to smoke and not be out of breath already is beyond me, Mark mused as he was pulled along. When Roger finally stopped, Mark rubbed his shoulder and took a moment to catch his breath.

"You're such a wimp." Roger smirked and punched Mark's shoulder.

"OW!"

Roger rolled his eyes. "C'mon, let's go in already!"

---

Inside the club, the music was pounding and bodies smashed together in a writhing mass. It was a struggle to keep up with Roger, but Mark finally found himself standing in front of a bar. Roger was already knocking back a drink. "Want some, Marky?"

"Um, thanks, but I'd rather ot drink."

"Why, are you gonna start stripping and singing 'Stayin' Alive' on the bar if you have too much alcohol in you?"

Mark shrunk away, turning red. Roger's grin widened. "I'm right?"

Mark nodded miserably. "Some variation of that plot."

"I don't wanna know, man." Roger shook his head, laughing.

"ROGER BABY!"

Mark jumped as a flash of hot pink zoomed past him in a blur, tackling Roger.

"Maureen!"

'Maureen' had Roger in a death-trap hug. Over her shoulder, Roger pretended he couldn't breathe and winked at Mark. He pried her off, laughing. "Well at least you don't do anything half-assed."

Maureen looked haughty and struck a pose. "Of course I don't. Honey, I'm a performance artist."

Roger rolled his eyes, then gestured to Mark. "This is my new roomate, Mark Cohen."

Maureen glanced briefly at Mark. "Charmed." She turned back to Roger. "Decided to swing the other way, Rogie-boy? April-sex not hot enough?"

Mark's eyes widened. "Oh, we're not- I mean- I don't- WE don't-"

"It's okay, Mark, she's just joking," Roger assured him, patting his shoulder. "She thinks she can get to me because we grew up together and she followed me to New York."

Mark grinned and mock gasped. "You mean from HICKSVILLE?"

Roger growled and clapped his hand over Mark's mouth, looking around nervously. "They're gonna hear you!"

Mark's grin became a smirk. "Oh, the millions of fangirls that aren't all over you right now?

Maureen laughed at the expression on Roger's face. "Wow. Someone besides me who is able to bug Roger? I'm impressed." She turned to Mark and studied him, a sly smile growing on her face. She placed her hand on his lap and squeezed him through his pants, causing him to yelp. "Hey, you're cute."

Mark blushed. "Thanks."

"No problem," she replied, her eyes lingering on his lap. "Well I'm off to dance. Maybe I'll pick up a nice one with a big-"

"Okay, Maureen, we get the idea," Roger said, cutting her off.

She pouted. "You know you love me, Roger." Roger made a non-commitical noise.

"Grunting? How very primitive of you." Maureen deadpanned before smiling suddenly, practically blinding Mark with her teeth, then bounded back to the dance floor.

Throughout the whole night, Mark found it hard to keep his attention off of Maureen. While not classically beautiful, she drew people to her with her sparkle, like moths about a flame.

--

Later that night, as they were arriving back to the loft, Mark turned to Roger and casually asked, "So, is Maureen seeing anyone?"

Roger raised his eyebrow. "Are you interested?"

"I was just asking," Mark replied, looking away.

Roger pointed at Mark. "HAH! I knew it! You couldn't keep your eyes off of her."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mark said, sitting down on the couch.

Roger leapt on the couch, pinning Mark down and straddling him to hold him in place. "You so do." He grinned, his face inches from Mark's. "You wish it was her on top of you right now, don't you, Marky?"

Mark attempted to push Roger off to no avail. "Roger, stop it!"

"You know you do!" Roger wiggled on top of Mark. "You want her to do this!" He leaned down and nipped Mark's ear, then began tickling him. "You want her SO BAD."

Mark squirmed, trying to get out from under Roger's weight. As Roger hit the most ticklish spot in his side, he yelled out, "ROGER!"

"What the fuck is going on?"

Both boys stopped and looked up to see April standing in the doorway, staring angrily at them.

"Baby," Roger said, getting off of Mark and crossing to kiss her cheek. She pushed him away. "Were you two doing what I think you were doing?"

"No way." Roger wrapped his arm over her shoulder. "I was just teasing Marky cause he's got a widdle crush on our Maureen."

April still looked suspiciously at Mark, who stared blankly back. After a moment, she stuck her nose up slightly at him and turned back to Roger. "Baby, I want to fuck."

A sly grin appeared on Roger's face. "Sounds great." He pressed up against April and kissed her, heading towards the bedroom. At the doorway, he stopped and turned. "Hey Mark?"

"Yeah?"

Roger looked slightly uncomfortable. "If you're gonna go after Maureen... be careful, okay?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Just be careful. I grew up with her, and I know her. She's not good at relationships."

April appeared in the doorway. "ROGER. Bed. NOW."

After the door closed, Mark shook his head. He is so whipped. But at least he's getting some. He leaned back on the couch, thinking about what Roger said and trying to drown out the sounds floating in from the bedroom. Images from the night he met April and Roger kept flashing through his mind. Anxious to get rid of them, he got up and went to sit out on the fire escape. Maureen looks harmless. A little flirty, sure, but harmless. He probably doesn't know what he's talking about.