A/N- I've decided to be nice and update sooner because I'm so happy it's finally the weekend! Thanks for those of you who reviewed, keep it up!

7- Only Us, Only This

She woke up and didn't remember where she was. She opened her eyes slowly to meet Mark's sleeping face. He was laying on his back, his chest rising and falling with every breath he took, his mouth slightly open. She smiled. Poor thing, he looked completely exhausted. Her body was pressed against his side, her head on his shoulder, one arm draped over his stomach. She felt loved and warm and protected; she tried to remember when was the last time she felt that way. Most of the times, waking up next to the person she spent the night with made her regret the previous night altogether. Funny, it wasn't how she felt right now. She stayed still, closing her eyes again, letting the sound of his breath lull her back to sleep.

"Mark, do you still have my-" The doorknob turned, and the door opened. She instinctively sat up and pulled the covers around her just as Roger stepped in. Her sleepy gaze met his very awake one. They stared at one another. Another half a second passed before he realized what was going on. His eyes widened; his jaw nearly fell to the floor. "Oh shit! Sorry guys, I was never here." The door closed just as quickly, and the sound of his steps echoed as he hurried down the hall.

Shit. This was not how she planned to break this to everyone. It happened so fast, she wasn't sure what was it in Roger's eyes, under the complete astonishment that was obviously there. Was it repulsion, or confusion, or awe? Probably a combination of all the above. They were, after all, the most unlikely pair to get together, putting aside the fact that Roger could have seen it coming, sooner or later, in light of their conversation several days before. She just hoped he was reasonable enough to keep it for himself for a while. She wanted to talk to Collins alone. Maybe things would be less confusing after she would.

"Was that Roger?" asked a sleepy voice from behind her.

She turned, and couldn't help but smile. Mark was sitting against the bed-board, naked from his waist up, his hair more tousled than ever. She nodded. "Yep, that was Roger."

And then he seemed to realize what it meant, and his face turned pink. "Did he… see us like… this?"

"Yeah."

"Shit."

"I know. I'll go out and talk to him. I think we scared the hell out of him."

Mark laughed softly and touched her hand, a bit hesitantly. He looked as if he still couldn't believe it was happening. Well, she was actually starting to feel the same. But it didn't feel like they did a huge, terrible mistake, like she first feared might happen. No, actually, it felt quite right.

He seemed to misinterpret her silence though. "You don't… regret it, do you?" he asked, looking terrified at the thought that she might have.

She shook her head slowly, and moved closer to him. She let the covers drop as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. It caught him somewhat off-guard, but he soon caught up with her, his arms slowly embracing her waist. For a moment, she just lost herself in their kiss. She forgot all about having to go out there and give Roger an explanation, about her still sore ankle. Nothing else existed. Mark trailed one finger down her spine, making her shiver. She buried her head in his shoulder, doing her best not to make any sound, knowing Roger was someplace at the loft.

And then she remembered what she was supposed to do. Crap. She pulled away reluctantly and placed a small kiss on Mark's nose. "I'd better go and talk to Roger."

Mark nodded. His cheeks were flushed, his lips a bit swollen from their kisses. He looked so adorable. He put on his glasses and looked around the room for a moment, and then reached for a shirt at the foot of his bed. She raised her arms so he'd be able to pull it over her head. Once she had the shirt on, she went out of bed. "Maureen?" he said when her hand was on the doorknob. She turned, looking at him questionably. He smiled, his face slightly pink. "Last night was… I mean, I…"

She smiled. She knew exactly what he was trying to say. "I know. Me too."

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She found Roger in the kitchen, aimlessly pacing back and forth, making probably more noise than was really necessary. He raised his head from whatever the hell he was doing when she walked in. He stopped to watch her, as if to take in the way she looked wearing his best friend's T shirt.

She smiled sheepishly. It was kind of awkward. "Don't you knock?"

"Before getting into Mark's room? Never. It's not that I'm expecting to find a gorgeous, naked girl in his bed!" he hissed, looking over her shoulder as if to make sure Mark wouldn't hear it.

"Well… I think you'd better get used to it," she said slowly, carefully glancing at him.

He gaped at her. "Are you two…?"

"We had a long talk last night. Yeah, I think we'd give it a shot." He still didn't say anything. "I hope you're gonna be okay with it," she added, a bit hesitant. What if he wasn't?

A slow smile formed of his face. "Are you kidding? My best friend is finally getting some; you must be my new hero."

She laughed. Yeah. That was more like Roger. "Oh, and Roger. Don't say anything about it to anyone yet, okay? I kind of wanna tell Collins myself."

"Sure thing," said Roger, unusually serious. "I'm really happy for you, Momo. I think you deserve a guy like him. I sure hope he deserves you."

She smiled. "Thanks, Roggie."

Roger went slightly pale, a bit panicked even. "Oh no. No one's been calling me that since 4th grade. Don't bring it back now."

She looked at him strangely. "Sorry."

Mark walked in. He was wearing sweatpants and a white T shirt, and his hair looked a bit damp. He had that hesitant expression, as if he wasn't sure how much Roger knew at that point. "Morning," he murmured, going over to their coffee machine.

Roger smiled slyly. "Good morning. I'm hearing you had a good night, too."

Mark turned to shoot her a look. She was glaring at Roger. He shrugged. "Sorry, couldn't help it," he mumbled, not a trace of apology in his voice.

"Yeah, well, try," said Mark, but he obviously could care less about his friend's teasing. He looked as if he was expecting this. He handed her a cup of coffee with a small, almost unnoticeable smile.

Roger took a seat across from them. He observed them for a moment as the three of them drank their coffee, and then said, "Well, if it means you're gonna… do stuff… I'd like you to show some consideration for those who share a wall with you."

"Hmm. Funny, I don't remember you ever did," said Mark, a victorious grin curling on his lips.

Roger stared at Mark, pretending to be shocked. "He answers back! What did you do to him, Maureen?"

She smiled mysteriously and sipped her coffee, silent. Well, some things were better to be left unknown.

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Roger went out that evening again, but whether he went out with April or for another gig, she didn't know. He teased them all morning, so having him gone was a kind of relief. She was happy he was okay with it, though. She hated the thought of convincing him to accept them. She wondered how she was going to break this to Collins, and suspected he'd probably tease them just as Roger did, if not more so.

They were watching Breakfast at Tiffany's now, laying on the shabby couch in the living-room, sharing one blanket. Mark had one of his arms wrapped around her, and he commented on parts of the movie every now and again, whispering softly in her ear. She didn't pay much attention to the movie though. Her mind was completely elsewhere.

It felt so new, yet so comfortable at the same time. She wondered if it was because they came to know each other so well by now. That was probably it. They knew everything there was to know about each other. They didn't try to impress one another with things that weren't there. Mark would be good for her, she knew. He'd tame her, and she needed to be tamed, at least part of the time.

She sighed. She just hoped she'd be able to do that. She never was in a relationship. Not that she didn't want to. It's just that the guys she went out with so far started to bore her after a while. After a really short while, as a matter of fact. But Mark definitely wasn't one of those guys. He wasn't the type for a one-night stand, and this was not what she wanted at all. Not this time. She wanted to keep him, she really did… she just hoped she'd be able to. It suddenly dawned on her that just as she was his first, in a way, he was hers.

Mark nuzzled her neck, shaking her out of her reverie. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"Nothing, I was just… thinking."

"What were you thinking about?"

"About us, actually," she replied. She turned to face him, but the couch suddenly felt so narrow, that she was afraid she'd roll over and fall. So she shifted a bit, and laid on top of him. She thought it'd scare him, but he didn't look half scared. He just kept watching her with that silent question in his eyes, visible even in the dim light from the TV. "I don't regret last night, Mark. And I don't regret this. I just… I'm scared," she admitted. It wasn't like her, to make such confessions. But then again, it wasn't like her to be scared, too.

"Why?"

"Because now it feels right. But what if it won't, after a while? What if I'll bore you, or you'll bore me, and we'll end up killing each other?" He smiled, but didn't say anything, just gave her that look he always did when he gave her his full attention. "Mark, I wanna do this, I really do. But in all the times I've even considered a long-termed relationship… let's just say that if this one works, you'll be my first."

"Well, you're mine," he said quietly, taking her hand and lacing his fingers with hers. "That makes both of us beginners." She smiled. He was speaking out her own thoughts. "Look… we can't tell what's gonna happen. I mean, look at Collins." She knew he was still devastated about Collins' being HIV+. So was she. "If this will last a week or a month, I'll be fine with it, because at least we had that. Of course I'd want this to last longer, but who knows what's gonna happen. So don't think about what's gonna be in the future because you can't know. Right now, this is what you want?"

She looked at him honestly. "Right now… this is what I want."

"Then forget about all the rest."

"I'll try," she smiled, leaning down to kiss him. She felt him smile against her lips as his arms tightened around her, holding her close. She pulled away for a moment, stopping to take off his glasses. He followed her with his eyes as she did. Then when she leaned to kiss him again, it was more fervent. None of them seemed to want to stop; not even for air. Her both hands were under his shirt, ready to pull it off, when a familiar noise made them both raise their heads with a start.

"Shit, there's someone at the door," Mark breathed, struggling to sit up and find his glasses at the same time. The door opened just as he managed to snatch them from the table. Benny and Collins stepped in, in the middle of a conversation it seemed. They both stopped talking, though, when they noticed them on the couch.

"What's… going on here?" Collins asked slowly, moving his glance from her to Mark, and back to her again. He seemed to have figured it out.

Benny did, too, apparently, for he gave Mark an incredulous look. "You lucky son of a bitch."

Mark didn't reply, just smiled and clicked on the lamp at the side of the couch. Collins walked into the living-room and took a seat on the armchair facing them. They were sitting now, still against one another under the blanket. "So how long is this going on?" he asked, obviously very much amused.

She took Mark's arm and checked his watch. "A bit less than 24 hours."

"Seems like I got home just on time. Silly me, I thought I'd find you here injured and alone," he said, a bit too dramatically.

"Nah, the boys took a very good care of me."

"Oh, I can see that," Collins said slyly, raising his eyebrows.

"Shut up, Collins."

Benny joined them from the kitchen, with a bottle of beer in his hand. Ever the tactless, he sat on the other side of the couch, resting his legs against the coffee table. He still looked a bit shaken about what Collins and him had just walked in on. She wondered what he was doing there. They haven't seen much of him in a while.

"So, Benny, long time no see," said Mark, as if reading her thoughts. "What did we do to deserve your presence?"

"I just came to give you my share of the rent, and to have a quick shower. My boss invited me for dinner with his family." He sounded extremely proud of that.

"Been promoted?"

"Not yet, but pretty soon, I hope." He took another sip of his beer and got up, leaving the bottle on the table. "Well, I'm off. See you in a bit."

The three of them watched him as he disappeared down the hall. Then she looked at Collins, who was watching her and Mark. Their eyes met and he smiled at her. "How long you're gonna be here?" she asked.

"Just for a couple of days, I'm afraid. I wanted to come over sooner when Mark called to tell me you fell, but I was in the middle of things and they wouldn't let me leave." Then a slow smile formed on his lips. "You have no idea how adorable the two of you look."

Although his smile seemed honest, she couldn't decide whether he was serious or sarcastic. Either way, she could feel her cheeks turn red. She guessed that Mark wasn't far behind. She smiled to herself. Yeah, she'd definitely keep him. For as long as she'd be able to.

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Three months later, and things were pretty much the same. Against all her doubts and wildest expectations, she and Mark were still together. He moved into her room the week before, which earned them some more teasing from the rest of the boys, but she didn't care. She couldn't remember when she was as happy as during those months. They hardly ever separated, except for when she had to be at work. They were alone most of the time; Collins was away again, Benny was dividing his time between work and his boss' daughter, with whom he was dating for over a month now. Roger was hardly around as well. When he was, he acted kind of weird, spending a lot of time in his room, moody and quiet than usual. When she tried to ask him if something was wrong, he always found ways to avoid giving her any answers, never really looking at her when insisting everything was fine.

She frowned. Roger was obviously going through something, but she assumed that he would turn to Mark if he needed to talk about it. She'd talk to Mark about it, she decided when she unlocked the door and stepped into the loft. "Hey! I'm back!"

Mark was on the phone. He turned to look at her, looking somewhat distressed, and then brought his attention back to the call. "Yeah, I'm here. I don't know yet." She slipped out of her shoes and walked over to sit on his lap. Their eyes met and he smiled, but she could tell something was bothering him. "No, I just don't know… this Friday?" he asked hesitantly, giving her a dubious look. "Well, I think she'll have to work on Friday. No, mom, she can't just take a day off, it doesn't work that way." He paused, as if to listen, and then he sighed wearily. "Fine, I'll ask her. Cindy and Sophie are gonna be there? Okay, I'll give you a call tomorrow. I will. Bye." He hung up, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Your mom?" she asked, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck.

"My mom. She wants us to come over to dinner this Friday. As you heard, I'm trying to get us out of that, but she can be extremely persistent."

"Then why don't we go and get this over with?"

He looked at her as if she was crazy. "You wanna spend the weekend with my family at Scarsdale?"

"Well, we'll have to go sooner or later. You won't be able to hide me forever, you know," she said teasingly, poking his sides. Then she looked at him seriously. "Come on, Mark. It can't be that bad."

"Don't you have to work on Friday?" he asked, in that tone that implied that she already got him hooked.

"Actually, I don't. It was supposed to be a surprise." She smiled, slowly running her fingers through his hair. "What do you say, Pookie? You'll do this for me?"

He gave her a look. "Pookie?" he echoed, his eyebrow raised.

"You're kind of missing the point here, baby," she whispered, leaning forward, her lips grazing the skin of his neck.

He let out a frustrated sigh. "Ugh, fine. You win." She smiled. She always did. "We'll go. But whatever happens, remember it was you who wanted to go."

He sounded like such a little boy. It made her smile wider. "Fine."

Mark frowned. "Fine."

She laughed softly and planted a small kiss on his nose. "Fine."

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"Maureen! Are you gonna go out of there this century? We're gonna miss the train!"

She ignored the question, but there was unmistakable nervousness on Mark's voice that upset her. The poor thing was a wreck. She remembered one time in which he went over for a visit at Scarsdale, when she first came to live with them. It's been a while, and he obviously wasn't thrilled to go now. She sighed, looking hesitantly at her reflection in the mirror. Maybe she shouldn't have pressed him to go there. Maybe she shouldn't have tried to solve the problems of his family simply because she couldn't handle hers.

She also had her doubts. Would they like her even though she didn't share their beliefs? Would she like them? Did she look okay? She spent hours going over her clothes, trying to find something decent enough for a dinner with her boyfriend's parents, but nothing seemed to fit. It made her feel so frustrated. This was when she started having second thoughts. She knew they'd have to go there either way. If anything, she was the one insisting on it in the first place.

"Maureen!"

She took a deep breath, and slipped into her shoes. No time for second thoughts. They were running late. She sprayed some perfume into her cleavage and behind her ears and stuffed the bottle in her backpack. Then she walked out to the living-room, trying to regain a bit of self-confidence.

Two heads looked up at her as she walked in. Mark, who was pacing back and forth the living-room, stopped dead on his tracks. Benny just raised his head from his paperwork and slowly smiled.

"Do I look okay?" she asked hesitantly, looking down at her soft gray knee-length skirt and black collared shirt.

Mark walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful," he said quietly, as if to keep it away from Benny.

"Benny?" She wasn't sure why she needed his approval. Probably because he knew the Cohens, being Mark's roommate in college. If anyone knew if she was about to fit their standards, Benny was the guy.

"Well…" said Benny, slowly observing her. Then he looked up at her and smiled. "I didn't know you had a Jewish side in you, Johnson."

She shot him a nasty look. "Thanks for your help, Coffin." She turned to look at Mark, and her features softened. "Ready to go?"

He took the other backpack from the floor and threw it over one shoulder. Then he took her hand, ignoring Benny's looks. "Yeah. Let's go."