Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Adult language, mentions of sexual activity, lots of Mark-angst/drama

Song Featured: "Invisible Man" as performed by the group 98 Degrees

Disclaimer: RENT is the sole property of Jonathan Larson. Also, the song "Invisible Man" is the sole property of its writers.

"Oh my gosh, April, he's so sweet! Last night, we were out at this restaurant and he said he had to use the bathroom and he snuck out and went to this guy who was selling roses on the corner and got me a single red rose."

"Oh! That is so adorable!" April said, smiling at Maureen.

"I know! And so then he…"

Mark tuned out the rest of what she was saying. He didn't want to hear about how wonderful this new guy was, how perfect he was for her.

You can hardly wait to tell all your friends how his kisses taste sweet like wine
And how he always makes your heart skip a beat every time he walks by

Mark sat on the fire escape with his notebook.

"Mark! Throw down a key!"

He looked down and saw Maureen. He stepped into the loft long enough to grab the key and dropped it down to her. A minute later, the loft door slid open.

"Is April around?" she asked right away.

"No, no, she went out with Roger. Sorry."

Maureen sighed. "Oh, it's okay. I just…I was really hoping she'd be here."

"Are, uh, are you okay? I mean, you seem kind of upset."

Maureen flopped down onto the couch. "I got fired. My stupid boss is such an asshole! He gave me this whole lecture about how I need to conform to the management setting."

"Why?"

She shrugged.

"Don't listen to him. You don't need to conform to anything."

She gave a small smile. "Thanks, Marky…listen, you mind if I use your phone?"

"Oh, not at all. Go ahead," he said, gesturing to it.

Mark went to the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot, wanting to give her some measure of privacy. She hung up a couple minutes later, the small smile now a huge grin. "He's so awesome!"

"Who?"

"Darren. He just always knows exactly what to say when I'm upset. It's like I don't even care anymore that I got fired."

Mark smiled. Not because he actually gave a damn about Darren, Mark was just glad to see Maureen less upset. He hated seeing her sad.

And if you're feeling down, he'll pick you up
He'll hold you close when you're making love
He's everything you been dreaming of, oh baby

"Guys, this is Darren. Darren, this is Mark, Roger, and April."

A dark haired man extended his hand. Roger and April shook his hand. Mark reluctantly followed their lead. Maureen and Darren sat down across from April and Roger, leaving Mark sitting at the end of the table. Alone.

"So, Darren, what do you do?"

"I'm actually a sports writer."

"He covers sports for the newspaper."

"Which one?"

"Times," he said.

Mark resisted the urge to shrink into his seat. Maureen glowed with admiration and adoration as he and Roger talked about various sports and games. How could he compete with that?

I wish you'd look at me that way
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine
Telling me more than any words could say
But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby, to you all I am is the invisible man

"Babe, I thought you and Maureen were going to go out tonight?" Roger asked.

April flopped down on the couch. "No. Phone was busy the whole fuckin' afternoon. Couldn't get through to even ask if she wanted to go."

"Sorry."

Mark sat by the windowsill, hoping for inspiration for his next screenplay. He couldn't tear his thoughts from Maureen. She was probably with the wonderful Darren. Why did he have to be so damned perfect? All through last week's dinner, Mark had watched for some reason to hate him, some reason that he was better than Darren. The guy was perfect, though. Smart but not condescending. Sweet and good to Maureen but not a pushover and a complete macho man. Creative and successful. The guy was two steps from sainthood, as far as Mark could tell.

You probably spend hours on the phone talking 'bout nothing at all
It doesn't matter what the conversation, just as long as he calls

"I love you," Darren said, pulling Maureen into his lap.

She giggled and slipped her arms around his neck. "I love you too."

Roger rolled his eyes. "Get a room, you two."

They didn't seem aware of the rest of the group. Instead they spent the next several minutes whispering and giggling. Mark fought the jealous nausea as long as he could. Finally he stood up and grabbed his camera.

"I need to get some filming done," he mumbled to Roger.

Lost in a love so real, and so sincere, and you'll wipe away other's tears
Your face lights up whenever he appears

"You like her, don't you?" Roger asked.

"Huh?"

"Maureen. You like her."

Mark blushed. "No."

Roger raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine. Maybe I like her a little…okay, a lot."

"So have you told her?"

"What? No. Of course not. She's got Darren."

"So?"

Before Mark could answer, the phone rang. The machine picked up after the first ring. "Speak!"

"Mark! Roger! Throw us the keys!"

Mark cringed. "Us? They're an 'us'?"

Roger laughed and patted his back. "You got it bad, Mark. We'll talk 'bout this later."

A few minutes later, Mark watched as Maureen danced in, arms wrapped around Darren.

"Hey, Mark. How's it going?" Darren asked, grinning.

"Pretty good. You?"

"Awesome. Long as I got my girl I'm flyin' high."

Mark resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He held his breath and forced the smile to stay plastered to his face when Maureen leaned up on tiptoe to kiss him.

I wish you'd look at me that way
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine
Telling me more than any words could say

"We're getting married!" Maureen said.

April jumped from Roger's lap. She and Maureen danced around, giggling like they were still in high school.

"Let me see the ring," April said.

"Oh he didn't get one yet. It was so spontaneous that he didn't have it yet."

"Congratulations," Mark mumbled and slipped out of the loft.

But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby, to you all I am is the invisible man

"Mark, you have to tell her," Roger said.

"Yeah, right."

"Damn it, Mark! Grow some balls and tell her!"

"Why the hell do you care so much?"

"Because I don't think he's right for her."

"What?"

Roger shook his head. "I know. Doesn't make sense. Not even a real reason. I just…gut instinct or whatever…I don't think he's right for her."

"Even if I happen to agree, why the hell would a girl like her go for a guy like me? Especially when a guy like Darren's ready to marry her?"

"Ready to marry her? Prick didn't even have a ring! That spontaneity crap was just…crap. What decent guy proposes without thinking enough to get a ring?"

Mark nodded. They both nearly jumped when April and Maureen came in.

"Hey guys!" April said.

"Hey. You two have fun?"

"Oh yeah. We were just looking at rings."

"Rings?"

"Well, Darren's really busy with the paper so he figured that it'd be easier if I pick out my ring with April and then just go buy it with him when he's got a day off."

"Why not just look for rings together when he has a day off?" Roger asked.

"Because…just…because…" Maureen clearly hadn't thought of that.

Roger looked at Mark.

"What?" Maureen asked.

They looked back at her.

"Why are you two staring at each other like that?" April asked.

Mark gave a small nod.

"April, I need to talk to you in the bedroom for a minute."

April looked confused, but followed.

"Is everything okay?" Maureen asked when Roger's door clicked shut.

"I have to talk to you."

"Okay. About what?"

"I love you."

"What?"

"Look, I know it's bad timing and I know that you're marrying Darren, but I just had to say it. I love you. I'm completely in love with you and I couldn't watch you get married without telling you that."

Maureen stared at him and bit her lip. Her eyes filled with tears. She shook her head. "I'm sorry…I have to go…"

I see you all the time baby…huh, the way you look at him
I wish it was me, sweetheart…boy, I wish it was me but I guess...

"I told you what happened," Mark said. "I told her that I love her and that I didn't want to see her marry Darren without telling her that and she bolted."

Roger shook his head. "That's not like her. Maureen Johnson doesn't run from anything."

"Apparently I'm the lucky exception to that."

Mark flipped through the latest pictures he'd developed. Maureen staring at Darren. Maureen smiling at Darren. Maureen. Maureen. Roger and April. Roger and April. Maureen and April. Maureen and Darren.

I wish you'd look at me that way
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine
Telling me more than any words could say
But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby, to you all I am is the invisible man

A week later, Maureen returned to the loft. Mark was the only one home.

"Hey. April and Roger are out."

"That's fine. I need to talk to you," she said.

Mark fidgeted with his camera. "Okay, 'bout what?"

She covered one of his hands with one of hers. "Mark, put the camera down."

He set it on the table.

"Fine. Talk about what?"

"You know what."

Mark nodded and sat down on the couch. Maureen paced slowly in front of it.

"Did you mean it?"

"What?"

"Did you mean it? When you said that you love me, did you mean it?"

"Of course I meant it. I do love you. But I want you to be happy. If that's with Darren, I'll deal with it."

Her eyes filled with tears as she walked. "Darren and I are through…he cheated."

"He what?" Mark felt his heart fill with rage.

"He cheated. Some slut at the paper. And that's not even the worst part."

Mark leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"When I found out, when I saw them, you know what he said? He said I should've figured it out by now. He said it's been going on for months and that the only reason he's still with me…was for the sex."

Mark stood up. "I thought you guys were getting married."

"Apparently that was a spur of the moment I-want-a-night-of-real-hot-sex thing. God, I'm such an idiot!"

Mark stepped in front of her and took hold of her shoulders. "You are not an idiot. He is. He's a selfish, obnoxious, pig-headed, arrogant, lowlife bastard son of a bitch. You deserve so much more than that."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you love me?" she asked quietly, tears spilled over her cheeks.

Mark gave a small smile. "Because I do. You're smart and you're beautiful and sweet. And you're funny and outgoing and fiery and spirited."

Maureen leaned up on tiptoe and kissed him softly. Mark pulled away, shaking his head.

"What? I thought that's what you wanted?"

"Maureen, I don't love you because I think it'll get me in your pants. And I don't want you to kiss me just because you're upset."

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, don't be," he said, brushing away her tears. "I just don't want you to do anything you end up regretting. And I don't want to be some rebound guy."

Maureen nodded. "I just…I thought he really loved me…I…I…"

Mark put his arms around her and hugged her tightly to him. She fell against his chest, shaking slightly with her tears. Mark stroked her hair, trying to whisper every reassurance he could think of.

--line break--line break--

Mark watched Joanne and Maureen talking in the corner. He wanted to hate Joanne. Wanted to hate her as much as he'd hated Darren. But Joanne wasn't Darren. Joanne would never be Darren. And not just because she was a woman. She loved Maureen, really and truly. She loved Maureen and Maureen loved her. Mark watched them and wished, for one selfish moment, that they'd never met.

I wish you'd look at me that way
Your beautiful eyes looking deep into mine
Telling me more than any words could say
But you don't even know I'm alive
Baby, to you all I am is the invisible man