Disclaimer: None of it is mine. I wish. –adds RENT ownership to Hannukkah list-
A/N: Here you go. Her decision.
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Decision
Maureen was already gone when the two men woke up the next morning. Each had a letter sitting on their stomachs. They both say up and looked at the envelopes, confused. "Uh…should we read them?" Mark asked, picking up his glasses and putting them on. "I guess…" Roger said, tearing his open. "Whatever they say, no hard feelings, right?"
Mark nodded slowly. "No hard feelings" he repeated, opening his envelope carefully. Both of them scanned the letters silently. After a few moments, Mark looked up at Roger. "Congrats" he said in a choked voice, trying to not break down in front of him. "Mark…" Roger said softly. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? You're sorry? Hah! That's funny Roger. You always get the girl you want. No need to feel sorry for me." He spat, blinking back the tears that had formed in his eyes.
Roger sighed, running her hand through his hair. "Mark, I didn't want it to be like this…" he muttered, looking at him. "I know that it's hard…" He sighed, trying to figure out what to say to him.
"Shut up, okay? Just shut up. Nothing you say is going to make me feel any better." Mark snapped, glaring at Roger. "You don't know what it's like, loving someone for so long and not being able to have them…and then maybe…just maybe you'd have a change again…and then it gets taken away from you. It kills you inside." Mark's voice cracked as he got off of the bed, running out of the room into his, slamming the door behind him.
Roger watched him leave and got up, going to his room to change. Maureen was asleep on his bed. He ignored her and grabbed some clothes, changing quickly. He sighed, looking back at her. He walked over his bed, touching her shoulder. "Wake up…" he murmured, shaking her slightly. She mumbled something and swatted his hand away. "Wake up" he said firmly, shaking her again.
She opened her eyes sleepily. "Oh. Hey Roger." she said as she sat up. He looked at her, shaking his head. "Why?" he asked quietly. "Why did you do this? You're killing Mark." She sighed, not looking at him. "I can't be with Mark…" she murmured. "Why Maureen? Why?" he asked, sitting on the edge of his bed. "It's sort of a long story…" she mumbled, slowly looking up at him slowly.
"I have time." He said, resting his hand on her knee. She nodded. "Okay. Mark…well… he has a really bad temper, right?" Roger shrugged. "I guess." He said carefully, not really sure where she was going.
"And when we were dating…he would get mad. A lot. And he would yell and it was scary and I don't want him to lose control and hit me like Joanne did." She said quickly, stumbling over her words. "He was so paranoid about where I was and who I was with and it drove me crazy and I can't do that again."
Roger sighed in response. "I never noticed…" he said softly, squeezing her knee, trying to calm her down. "But he does love you and he would never hurt you…ever." She shook her head sadly. "I don't want to get hurt again…please understand Roger…please."
"I do understand…" he murmured, reaching over and taking her hand, pulling her closer to him. "I do understand." She sighed, leaning her head against his chest. "Thank you…" she murmured, closing her eyes. "Thank you for everything."
He nodded slowly, rubbing her arm gently. "Don't worry about it." He said softly, kissing the top of her head.
"Hey Roger?" she asked, opening her eyes and turning to look at him.
"Yeah Maureen?" he asked, twirling a piece of her hair around his finger.
"I love you…"
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A/N: Mmaky. Don't hate me for the choice I made for Maureen. You all voted and this is what I got.