No Day But Today
DISCLAIMER: I do not own RENT or anything affiliated with it.
A/n: Okay, so I haven't been updating once a week. So sue me. I've been busy, not to mention the fact that I can't really stay on the computer for more than an hour or so at a time (I start feeling bad if I'm on for too long).
Mark watched through his camera lens as Liz did a goofy pirouette around the apartment. Seeing as it was Saturday and they were off, they'd gotten a bit bored. Which, for some reason, had led them into some strange behavior. Not to mention the Stoli Collins had supplied.
"I used to dance," Liz said, falling down on the couch very gracefully for a drunken woman. "I hated it. But my mom made me keep going. I had to do it for the pageants."
"Pageants?" Mark asked, smiling as he continued to film. He wound his camera up again to make sure he got her reply.
"Yep. I was first runner up for Miss Teen Connecticut when I was fifteen. I could have won the next year, but I sort of fractured my ankle… on purpose."
"Sounds desperate."
"If you'd seen my dress, you'd understand," she replied. Then she smiled at him and motioned for him to come closer. "Put down that camera and come here."
"Why should I?" he asked.
"Because if you don't, I'll chase you down and take the camera by force, and then I'll tape you acting like a drunken fool," she told him.
"And why on Earth would you want to do that?" he asked, egging her on more than anything else.
"Because you did the same thing to me. And I just want to see you squirm in front of the camera," she replied, getting up and coming towards him. He quickly put down the camera as she began to chase him around the room, laughing hysterically. This went on for several minutes, until Mark was forced to stop. He felt as though his lungs would literally explode.
"Stop…" he wheezed, dropping to the ground. Liz fell down next to him, still giggling. It took her a moment to realize what was going on.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her laughter stopping instantly. Mark was still breathing heavily, but it had eased enough that he could talk.
"Out of shape," he muttered. After a moment he forced himself to his feet and collapsed onto the couch. Liz once again followed him, gently lifting his head so that she could sit with his head in her lap. She gingerly stroked his hair and waited for his breath to even out. Despite her drunkenness, she could easily see how exhausted he was and how much he needed to sleep.
"Maybe you should go lie down for a bit. Catch up on some sleep," she suggested.
"Who needs sleep when you've got coffee?" he asked, a slight smile on his face.
"True. But we don't have coffee, so you need sleep," Liz said, forcing him to get off the couch and then pushing him into the bedroom. She laid down in the bed with him and pulled him closer to her. "Night, Mark."
"Night."
"Oh God," Liz muttered, walking out into the bright morning sunshine that radiated through the loft. "Who the hell invented the sun?"
"Ah, so Miss Priss finally got herself drunk," Collins said, an evil smile on his face.
"If you ever give us Stoli again, I will personally see to it that you are castrated," Liz replied, pouring herself a cup of orange juice.
"You and Mark are too much alike. He can't hold his alcohol, either," Collins said.
"Kiss my ass, Thomas."
"Let me guess… first hangover?"
"Since college," Liz replied, downing a bit of her juice. She made a face and put the glass down. "Oh God that's gross. I'm going to the Life for some coffee."
"Should we wake Mark, or are you the only one who had that much to drink last night?" Collins asked. Liz glanced back towards the door to Mark's room.
"We'd probably better wake him… but I don't know how drunk he got. I don't remember much of anything between the time we started drinking and when I woke up," Liz admitted, walking back towards the door. She went in and emerged again a few minutes later, a half-asleep Mark in tow. Without glasses.
"Where are we going?" he asked. Collins laughed. "Who's here?"
"It's just Collins. And I told you, we're going to the Life for coffee," Liz said. She turned and looked at him. "Where are your glasses?"
"I don't know. Did we lose them last night?" Mark asked.
"I don't know. Do you remember what we did last night?" Liz asked. Mark shook his head.
"Collins, do you remember?" he asked.
"I wasn't here, man. I didn't get home until you were asleep," Collins told him. Mark started looking around the room, although it didn't do him any good since he couldn't see very well without his glasses. Liz and Collins followed his lead, both in a hurry to find them so they could go get some coffee and end their misery.
"I found them," Collins said a few minutes later. He picked up the remnants of Mark's glasses with a sigh. "Either the two of you were really drunk, or someone had a fight with these and won."
Liz looked at the broken pieces in Collins's hands and suddenly remembered them falling off as Mark had hit the floor, panting to regain his breath the night before. "Shit."
"What?" Mark asked, coming over. He looked at the object in Collins's hand closely. "Damnit," he muttered, walking back toward the couch. He sat down without a word and closed his eyes. "I need those," he said, sighing.
"We'll get you another pair," Liz said.
"I can't afford another pair. And how the hell am I supposed to get them by Monday?" Mark asked. He stood up. "Let's just go get some coffee. Then I'll be able to think," he said. He walked off towards what he thought was the front door, but was really the bathroom. Collins just shook his head and went to rescue him before he did something stupid, like step into the toilet.