Chapter 8

Mark sighed as Roger slammed the door. Ana came skipping up to him.

"Can I go with Collins and Jaylah and Arty?" she wanted to know.

"Where are they going?"

"Back to Collins' hotel room to play video games and get some pizza and then on to the Life Café." she told him.

"Yeah go ahead. Just be careful and make sure you stay with Collins at all times. New York is a dangerous place but he knows it well." Mark advised. Ana gave him a hug.

"Should I go tell Roger I'm leaving?" she asked.

"I'll tell him. You just go have fun." Ana nodded and ran back into the living room to tell Collins it was okay. "Bye you guys." he called as they left. He was worried about Ana going out without him or Roger, but he was glad he had some time alone with Roger.

He walked over to the bedroom door and opened it slowly. His love was sitting on the bed holding his guitar but not playing it, and staring blankly at the bedspread.

Mark came over to the bed and sat down. Roger put his guitar down and laid his head in Mark's lap. They sat there quietly for a while, not saying anything. Mark absently stroked Roger's blond curls.

Finally Roger broke the silence. "I've only ever had one person hate me before Mark." he said sadly. "That was April's mom. She hated me for a long time after April died. I guess she thought it was my fault. I guess this whole Mimi thing is my fault."

"No." Mark whispered fiercely. "It's not your fault. You haven't been responsible for Mimi in over ten years. If anybody is to blame it's Darren. He's the one who has been with her all this time. And maybe Mimi's a little to blame herself. Probably more than a little."

Roger sighed. "You're right, but I just can't shake the feeling that I'm responsible for this some how. I don't understand it."

"Well I do." Mark said bitterly. "When you left Mimi stopped caring. I tried to help her but she wouldn't let me. And that wasn't your fault. It was hers. She told you to leave because she'd be okay, but she didn't even really try to be."

"What do you mean?" Roger wanted to know. Mark took a deep breath.

Ten years earlier…

Mark and Mimi were walking down the street about seven months after Roger had left for L.A. They had just come from a Life Support meeting.

"Don't you need to pick up your AZT soon?" Mark asked her.

Mimi shook her head and kept walking.

"But you haven't gotten a refill in about three months." Mark protested. "You must need to get some more."

"I'm fine Mark." Mimi said in her warning voice. "In fact I'm better than fine. Last week when I was at the Club, a professional dancer named Darren Mathews asked me to come and audition for a place at the Pascal Theater. He said they were looking for young dancers with spirits like mine."

"That's great Meems. But isn't the Pascal Theater like way uptown?" Mark said.

"It's actually on the upper west side. And if I get the job they will pay to put me up in an apartment over there. Then when I save enough I can get my own house."

"It's seems like a lot to think about." Mark said shrugging.

"It really isn't." Mimi told him. "In fact I auditioned and made it. So I will be leaving in a month." She walked off and left Mark staring after her.

The month flew by and before he knew it, Mimi was leaving. All of their friends, except for Roger of course, gathered to see her off. After many tears and promises to call and keep in touch, Mimi was gone, leaving behind her a lonely Mark and a half empty bottle of AZT dated six months earlier.

"So she just stopped taking it?" Roger asked incredulously. "But how can she still be alive?"

"Oh she takes it now." Mark assured him. "Or at least I think she is. All I know is that Darren tries to stay on top of it. That's what she told me."

Roger was shaking his head. "What's wrong with her? She's getting married to an idiot and she seems to have a death wish and a baby on the way!" he sighed sadly.

Mark pushed Roger off of his lap. He looked at him startled.

"Don't." Mark said forcefully. "Don't start feeling sorry for her and blaming yourself. Mimi isn't April Roger. You aren't responsible for her and her well being. You are neither her boyfriend nor her fiancé. This is Darren's problem now. And of course Mimi's. She knows what she's doing. If she didn't she wouldn't still be alive. It has nothing to do with you. "

Roger stared into Mark's blue eyes. Mark looked back into Roger's green ones without blinking. Then Roger fell forward onto Mark, pinning him to the bed.

"You are the most wonderful person on the face of this planet Mark. All you think about is others, never wondering how you might be affected. I love that about you. You always feel the need to make sure I'm okay. What would I do without you?"

"You'd probably hang yourself." Mark muttered under his breath. Then Roger's lips were on his, and they were kissing. A deep, passionate, soul-touching kiss that only true lovers can share. Then it wasn't enough that their mouths were touching. They needed more contact than that. Soon they were shedding their clothes and kissing each other practically everywhere. It wasn't frantic messy love making. It was something beautiful they both shared and treasured. They took the necessary precautions and joined themselves together.

Nearly an hour later they finally collapsed against each other, sweating and panting. Mark felt himself drifting off to sleep.

He smiled at Roger. "Wake me up at three thirty." he said. "And don't forget to take your AZT before we leave."

Roger looked at his best friend, his lover, his life. "I doubt I'll ever forget again." he said softly. "I love you." he said softly.

"I know." Mark said back, then he was asleep.

Author's Note: I know that sounded like the end. But it really isn't; I promise. There will be a lot more coming. Probably ten chapters more. And I know Mark and Roger are getting really sappy. But they are so cute together and I can't help myself. Oh and Mimi's problems are the creation of my friend Hayden. Most of the last chapter and the flashback are his. Anyway you know what's next. Hit that little button that says "Go" and review. Do you like Hayden's writing, or should I fire him?