Mark watched as Maureen and Joanne went their separate ways, not entirely surprised at the action occuring on the day of their engagement.
"Maybe now you two can get back together!" Maureen's mother exclaimed, turning to face Mark.
Mark blushed, looking from the mother to the father, who also was watching him expectantly.
"Well, actually..." he began, feeling Roger place his hand on the small of his back.
"Come on." Roger said, gently pushing him away from Maureen's parents, with Collins, Angel, and Mimi in tow.
Upon reaching the doors of the church, Roger gently kissed Mimi on the lips, allowing her, Collins, and Angel to exit ahead of him and Mark.
He reached out to Mark, squeezing his right shoulder gently.
"She wasn't serious." he whispered.
Mark looked up at him questioningly.
"Who?" he asked, shrugging out of Roger's touch.
"Maureen's mother. She knows that you and Maureen are old news." Roger replied.
Mark chuckled, rolling his eyes.
"I still love her." he admitted, looking to his feet as means of hiding his rising blush.
Roger laughed throatily, throwing his left arm around Mark's shoulders.
"You're not exactly hiding it, Marky." he teased, leading Mark out the church.
After a moment of silence, Roger spoke.
"What was it you were going to say to her? Actually...what?" he questioned.
Mark glanced at him, quickly looking away.
"Nothing. I...nothing." he lied, pulling from Roger's grasp and skipping down the stairway that lead to a leaf-ridden sidewalk.
Roger jogged after him.
"You're lying! I know you too well, Mark!" he insisted, racing to pause in front of Mark, who froze before his nose could come in contact with Roger's chest.
"I was just going to tell her there was no hope." he replied, looking up at Roger, nodding.
Roger shook his head.
"Try again." he said with a sneer.
Mark threw his hands up in the air.
"Mark, you can tell me." Roger said softly.
Mark swallowed and let out a sigh.
"We were together again...after the engagement." he said quietly.
Roger's jaw dropped.
"Mark!" he exclaimed.
"Right after she accepted Joanne's proposal, she came to the loft. You were out with Mimi. She sulked her way into the apartment and fell to my lap. She became the Maureen I came to know and love...and it just happened." Mark continued on softly.
Roger found himself laughing.
Mark glared at him.
Roger blanched, reaching out, pulling Mark into his embrace.
"I'm sorry, buddy...it's just...we saw it coming." he admitted.
Mark looked up at him, eyes widened.
"Excuse me?" he questioned, pulling away from Roger yet again.
Roger shrugged listlessly.
"You've pined for her for, like, ever, Marky. Joanne wasn't going to stand in your way. It was just a matter of time." he replied, looking to his feet as they came upon a pinecone that lay stray on the sidewalk.
He kicked it to the side, glancing up as he and Mark came upon Mimi, Collins, and Angel, who had stopped for a joint outside the Life Cafe.
Mimi reached out, wrapping her arms around his waist, kissing at his neck.
"What took you?" she questioned, watching Mark numbly enter into the Cafe.
"What's with him?" she asked, pointing his direction.
Roger shared a glance with Mark, who shook his head as the door shut behind him.
"You'd have to ask him that." he replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
Mimi narrowed her eyes, eventually shrugging it off, tossing her joint off to the side, cocking her head towards Collins and Angel, who had pulled close and were nearing a full-blown make-out-session.
"Get a room, you two!" she teased with a giggle.
Collins pulled from Angel, blushing slightly.
Angel only snuggled closer to Collins.
Roger glanced into the Cafe, catching Mark's eyes, which were moving from Collins and Angel's warm embrace to Mimi placing gentle kisses on Roger's neck.
After making sure Mark was as far away from the door as he could be, Roger notioned for the group to come in for a huddle of sorts.
"Could we lay off the couply-ness for the evening?" he asked.
Mimi pouted, looking to Collins and Angel.
"Mark's really missing Maureen. He still loves her, the twat." Roger pointed out in a joking way.
Collins and Angel nodded in agreement and understanding.
"Roger..." Mimi pouted, reaching forward, placing a hand on either side of Roger's cheeks, pulling him for a passionate kiss.
Roger pulled back quickly, glancing into the Cafe.
"Please." he begged.
Mimi sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides.
"Okay, baby. But you so owe me tonight." she exclaimed, linking arms with Angel and entering into the Life, with Roger and Collins not far behind in tow.
Roger, having come into a conversation with Collins, ran into Mimi's back as she paused halfway into the restraunt.
Roger wrapped his arm around Mimi's waist, leaning into her ear.
"What is it, baby?" he questioned, his breath warm on the back of her ear.
Mimi pointed to the booth ten feet from where they stood.
Roger followed her finger, as did Collins and Angel, and they all let out a noise of confusion.
Mark's lips were upon Maureen's, her arms placed strategically upon his neck, his resting on either side of her waist.
"There goes your theory, Davis." Collins said with a sigh.
Roger shook his head.
"Love and desperation...quite a match." he commented, pulling away from Mimi, taking her hands and leading her the way they had come, despite her protests.
He knew that Collins and Angel were following, ever so reluctantly.
Quietly exiting the Cafe, Roger led Mimi and the crew to the other side of the street.
"I need to talk to him." Roger suggested.
Collins nodded, wrapping his arms around Angel's waist from behind.
"Get him back to the loft...knock some sense into the boy. Joanne would kill him if she saw those two right now." he said tenderly.
Mimi snorted.
"Joanne and Maureen broke up, remember!" she exclaimed in a hiss.
"Joanne and Maureen never break up. Not truly, Meems." Roger pointed out.
Mimi sighed, rolling her eyes, walking towards Roger and placing her hands on his chest.
"You're overprotective over him, Roger. It's almost as if it's you that loves him." she teased.
Roger blushed.
Luckily, Mimi looked over that, leaning in and kissing his lips softly.
"When things are settled, you'll find me at my loft. Waiting. Impatiently." she teased, pulling back and winking at Roger before taking off down the sidewalk.
Collins saluted Roger before following Mimi with Angel in tow.
"Do you think he'll get through to him?" Angel questioned.
Collins chuckled.
"If anyone can get through to Mark, it's our Roger." he replied, turning left at the intersection.
Roger sighed, closing his eyes and trying to put together the words he would say to Mark.
Shaking his head, he crossed back over to the Life Cafe and walked in, shrugging out of his coat, hanging it on the coat rack and heading towards where Mark now held a sobbing Maureen.
He quickly ducked to the left and into a booth, sliding low, opening his ears to their conversation.
"I don't know what to do, Marky!" Maureen wailed, leaning forward and sniffling into Mark's shoulder.
Mark ran a hand up and down her back comfortingly.
"She's so damned...Joanne!" Maureen exclaimed, pulling back and looking into Mark's eyes.
Mark averted his gaze, looking to the left, where Roger sunk even lower into his booth to avoid being seen.
"Pookie...what do I do? I still love her." Maureen whispered, placing her hand on Mark's cheek, caressing it gently.
Mark turned back towards her, raising his hand to hers, taking it in his and squeezing it tightly.
"You need to tell her that." he suggested, placing a kiss on each one of her knuckles.
Maureen threw her head back in a hearty chuckle.
"You don't think I haven't don't done that? I do that on a daily occasion, Mark! She never listens! It's always, 'Maureen, you were flirting with the girl at the cashier's counter.' or 'Maureen, I can't do this anymore. You're not faithful to me. As you weren't with Mark.'." she spoke, pulling her hand from Mark's and sliding off his lap, falling in next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Have you? Been faithful?" Mark questioned, resting his left hand on her shoulder, pulling her close.
Maureen sniffled.
"More than ever, baby." she replied, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh.
Roger peered over the booth, watching as Mark leaned in to kiss her hair softly, running his hand tenderly up and down her arm.
Maureen looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears and bloodshot.
"Look at us." she said with a giggle.
Mark raised his eyebrows in question.
"Look at you. Comforting your ex. I'm so damned..." Maureen began, pausing when Mark leaned in, taking her lips in hers for the second time that evening.
She let herself succomb, moving against him for a second before hastily pulling back.
"Look at us." Mark repeated, eyes trailing Maureen's body.
Maureen blushed.
"I don't want to be your rebound." Mark insisted.
Maureen reached out, placing her left hand on Mark's cheek.
"We can't do this." Mark said, pulling from Maureen's grasp, falling out of the booth, hitting the floor hard.
"Pookie? Are you okay?" Maureen questioned, looking down at him.
Mark quickly stood, dusting himself off.
"I'm fine...I just...look, talk things out with Joanne. Not with me." he said, turning and heading towards the exit, nearly bumping into Roger, who was attempting to leave before Mark.
"Roger?" Mark questioned, eyes wide, glancing back at Maureen, who had gone back to the way she was when Mark had first encountered her in the Cafe: Brooding.
"Mark." Roger retorted, nodding back to Maureen.
"You heard?" Mark hissed, grabbing Roger by the arm and dragging him out of the Cafe.
He threw Roger against the building's wall, glaring daggars at him.
"You were fucking eavesdropping!" he exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest, cocking his head to the side.
"I didn't know what else to do, Mark! You were all over Maureen!" Roger hissed back.
Mark snarled.
"You're a fucking dope around her, Mark! Need I point out that she cheated on you with Joanne only for you to be the one she cheated on Joanne with?" Roger continued on.
"Shut up, Roger! You don't know what she's going through!" Mark said through gritted teeth.
Roger raised his eyebrows.
"It doesn't matter what she's going through...you're nothing but a rebound for her!" he shot back.
"I'm nothing for her! If you must know, I turned her down! Believe it or not, I do have common sense! More than when you allowed April into your fucking life!" Mark screamed, instantly regretting it as Roger's palm came across his face.
He grabbed at his now throbbing cheek, staring at Roger, who was breathing heavily.
Roger growled low in his throat, eyes wide, ready to strike.
Mark took a deep breath, bracing himself.
When the hit didn't come, Mark looked at Roger, confusion glinting in his eyes.
"I didn't mean that." Mark spoke softly.
Roger pushed himself from the wall.
"Yes, yes, you did." he said, shaking his head and disappearing down the sidewalk in a brisk jog.
Mark sighed and took off after him.
"Roger! Damnit, slow down!" he exclaimed, panting slightly.
He nearly ran into Roger's back as Roger came to a stop.
He pulled away, blushing furiously.
"I didn't mean it." Mark insisted, looking into Roger's eyes.
"It's true, though, isn't it? The minute I knew of April's obsession, I could have pulled away. I didn't." Roger whispered, looking to the sidewalk and then at Mark.
"I could have let her go. But I didn't." he continued on.
Mark reached out to Roger, placing his hand on his neck.
"We al make mistakes." he insisted, caressing at the older boy's nape gently.
Roger cocked his head so that Mark's palm engulfed his neck fully.
"Yours was April, mine was Maureen." Mark said with a shy smile, ruffling Roger's hair before pulling away.
Roger stumbled at the loss of Mark's hand.
"You foud your cure in Mimi. I'll find mine in due time, Davis. You don't have to worry about me." Mark said with a sly wink, smiling at Roger wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pulling him into his embrace.
He wrapped his arms around Roger's waist, holding him close and tight.
Awkwardly, the two quickly pulled away, smiles on a flushed face.
"What are you going to do about Maureen? You know she's going to be at the loft tonight." Roger asked.
Mark let out a sigh.
"What I should have done before. Push her away. I can't let myself become her rebound..." he began.
Roger snorted.
"Again." he teased.
Mark gently pushed at Roger's chest.
"Hush, now." he growled.
Roger cocked his head towards the sidewalk.
"Come on." he said, a twinkle gleaming in his eyes.
Mark frowned, matching Roger's stride.
"Where are we going?" he questioned.
Roger only winked, turning his back to Mark and disappearing down an alleyway.
Mark froze, watching Roger disappear into a building's side entrance.
"Roger?" he whispered, shivering.
Roger peeked his head back out the door, chuckling.
"Get in here!" he exclaimed, motioning for Mark to follow his lead.
Mark entered into the building, looking around.
"Where are we?" he queried.
Roger pouted.
"You don't recognize it?" he retorted, pretending to sniffle.
Mark took in the sights and sounds that surrounded him and then smiled softly.
"We met here. CBGB." he answered in a reminiscing tone.
Roger nodded.
"CBGB." he concurred.