Disclaimer: I still don't own it. The song used is again by the local duo, David and Lucas.
Author's notes: OK, well…unfortunately the story is winding down. It's only going to be this chapter, and then I will post two endings, a happy one, and a sad one. And then I will get to work on my next story…which I haven't quite worked out yet, but I have lots of ideas, so it won't be very long.
I chose the song that I did, because A) I can't write songs, and B) I think it really fits the attitude that Mark and Roger have adopted in this fic.
Italics are flashbacks.
"Stuff in quotes that's bold is song lyrics."
Roger looked around the crowded theater, with Mark's camera in his hand. It didn't feel right…being here without him. People were milling about, struggling to find seats that were decent. Maureen and Joanne were holding seats up front of the front row that held couches instead of chairs. He stood next to Collins who was also just watching the crowd. Roger panned the camera around the room making sure to catch glimpses of all the young people that were there. "September 13th 9:45 eastern standard time." He narrated quietly. "Welcome to the first and probably only Bohemia night at Mark's place of work, where we'll be showing his film and I'll play a song or two."
"Speaking of which you have to go tune your guitar." Collins interrupted. "I'll take over the filming."
Roger nodded and started heading to the backroom where Mark's boss had had him store his guitar. With a sigh he sat down and started to check the sound of the acoustic guitar that he had brought, thinking on how the night had come to be.
Roger stood from his position leaning against the outside wall of the theater when he saw Mark come out from inside. "So are you done sweeping the floor of that place?"
"Yeah." Mark nodded, wrapping his black and white scarf around his neck. It was only September, but slight chills in the air got to him easily. "I thought I told you to just head home." He chastised a little, but not really caring.
Roger slipped a hand around Mark's waist as they started walking. "You did. But I couldn't leave you to walk home alone."
Mark rolled his eyes, but said nothing at the musician's caring nature. "Thanks. I'm sorry it took so long. I was waiting to talk to Rose, but she was busy. It seems all the customers wanted to talk to her."
"What about?" Roger could see a happy glint in his friend's eyes. He had a feeling it had to do with more than just the fact that he had been able to see his film in a real theater.
"They liked it!" Mark exclaimed after a brief moment of silence. "They liked my film."
Now Roger was grinning. "That's great Mark."
"Rose wants to show it again. Some of the people said they were going to tell their friends about it."
"It looks like we've got a blockbuster on our hands then." Roger stopped walking when they hit a corner. "I'm real proud of you Mark."
It was odd to hear the words come out of his mouth. Roger didn't just offer his praises like that. Most of he time, you just had to realize that he was thinking something like that. "Thanks."
After that they didn't say much else. Roger couldn't really bring himself to be too happy about the whole thing. Sure, Mark was his love, and Mark was really happy, but there was a problem. Everyone knew that Mark was getting weaker and running out of time. It had been full on AIDS for only seven months, but it was just attacking his body. He hadn't shown any true signs of dying as of yet; Roger knew it was just a matter of time. Mark had said it himself. He didn't plan on going until finished his film. And now he had.
The rest had happened in a whirlwind of activity. The next showing of the film had attracted more people, who told their friends, and then there was another that got more people to come. This prompted Rose to design an official premiere for the movie. A Night of Bohemia she had called it. They would show the film, and she had Mark convince Roger to play a song before the show. It made sense to her to also give Roger's career as a musician a boost along with Mark's.
So that was how he had ended up there, tuning his guitar. But he didn't really want to be there. He wanted to be at the loft. The loft was where Mark was. Not at the theater like he should have.
"Do you want me to call Rose? I can have her postpone the Bohemia night." Roger offered quietly, rubbing small circles in his back.
A fit of coughs had just finished wracking Mark's body. He had thrown up twice already in the day, not that he had been able to throw up much with his esophagitis flaring up once more. He was barely able to talk. It was not a good day. In fact it was probably the worst day. He just shook his head at Roger's question, ignoring the pain that it caused his headache.
"Well I'm calling her and telling her that we can't make it." Roger sighed, grabbing Mark's glass of water and handing it to him. "You're not going out like this."
Mark didn't actually want to speak. His chest rattled a little with every breath, and his throat felt like it had been scraped raw with sandpaper. "You should still go..." He trailed off to cough, and drink some water. "You're supposed to play your song."
"Mark I'm not going anywhere with you like this." Roger shook his head now. "You're more important than that song."
He drank more water, swallowing gingerly. "Just tell her I can't make it for now." He paused, coughing again. "Who knows, I might get better enough by tonight so that you can leave me alone for three hours." This sentence led to another long fit of coughs.
"Yeah we'll see about that." Roger rolled his eyes a little, but did as Mark asked.
The rest of the day Roger was surprised at the sudden turnaround. Mark had slept a lot; the fever hadn't gone down, but the amount of coughing did, and when he had woken up, Mark had claimed that his throat wasn't nearly as sore. But as the time came around, Roger still didn't want to leave.
"Roger, I'll be fine for a few hours." Mark tried to convince him, pausing after every sentence to take a drink. "Please…just go and film everything for me. There's no reason for you to miss it."
Roger really wanted to argue, but he couldn't bring himself to when he saw Mark's eyes pleading with him a little. Mark really wanted to be able to see this night, and he wanted Roger to go out and have fun. So it was with a resigned sigh that he made sure Mark had everything he would need, grabbed the camera and his guitar, and left the loft.
After he was done tuning he took his guitar with him out to the main theater once more. He checked in with Rose, who told him to just go up on the small stage in front of the movie screen when he was ready. Then he went down to the couch where Collins, Maureen and Joanne sat. Collins was panning the room the camera, Maureen kept trying to jump into the shot. "And here comes Roger Davis, brilliant musician, who will be performing momentarily." Collins narrated. "Tell us Roger…are you prepared to go back into a world were drunk and fawning groupies hang on your every word hoping to get a piece of that ass of yours?"
Roger laughed a little. "I don't think that's gonna happen."
"You'd be surprised." Collins spoke as if he knew that this would happen. "Are you all set to play your song?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna go up in a sec." Roger nodded.
Maureen propped herself into Joanne's lap, as though she had realized she wasn't going to get into the shot. "Well you're gonna be great." She encouraged, in an attitude that was brought on by the wine she and Joanne had drank before their arrival.
"Yeah I hope so…" Roger muttered glancing down to the guitar. "I'd better go start."
He left the trio, and went onto the stage, sitting on a stool that was in front of a microphone that had been set up for him. There was a sudden hush that fell over the crowd and he was then aware of the sets of eyes watching him. Every person in the theater had a seat, and were now eagerly awaiting what it was he had to say. His hands were actually shaking a little, but he knew it wasn't all nerves. There was an energy in the room. But there was part of it that was nerves. This was Mark's night. All of the people that were crowding the theater were here to see Mark's film…so it was weird for him to be performing. Mark had wanted it though, and Roger wanted the night to be perfect for him; he was nervous that the song wouldn't be good enough.
With a glance into the camera lens being held up by Collins, he took a deep breath. "Hey, I'm Roger Davis. You're all here to see my friend Mark's film. Mark wanted me to play this song for you. It's called 'To Those Days.'"
"Blinded by deliberation,
Hold the truths to greater lives,
Though dark corners fold into another.
Gray mornings may come with the blankets cold.
My days will be young, but my spirits will grow old.
And I will carry on.
Keep above you're falling down, you're falling to your knees.
Memories in the back of your mind, memories unending
To those days, to those days
When I held your hand you knew what to say
Oh, to those days.
Time and time again, I followed you with hope and a smile
And it soothed the bitterness of my lifelong trials,
That stole me away
You guided my way.
Though gray mornings may come with the blankets cold,
My days will be young but my spirits will grow old.
And I will carry on.
Keep above you're falling down, you're falling to your knees.
Memories in the back of your mind, memories unending
To those days, to those days
When I held your hand, you knew what to say
Oh, to those days.
When I held you hand, you knew what to say
Oh, to those days.
Keep above you're falling down, you're falling to your knees
Memories, oh those memories
To those days
When I hold your hand, I'll know what to say
Woah, to those days."
Roger waited to the end of the applause before speaking again. "Thanks." He paused. "Mark really wanted you to hear that song." An even longer pause. "Mark was really looking forward tonight. Unfortunately, he couldn't be here tonight, but I know that he really appreciates that you guys have come out to see his film, and if he were here, he'd be saying something unbelievably sentimental to you all about all the work that went into this over the four years that he's been working on it, but I'm not very good at that shit." He saw Collins laugh from behind the camera. "So I'll just let you guys watch the movie…Thanks for coming."
As he left the stage, the lights dimmed and a flickering on the screen started before the title was revealed. Today 4 U: Proof Positive.
The endings will be up soon. Promise. Thanks for reviews.