hello all, Kris here.
I'm starting to get swept up into a writing streak again, so more fics to come. For all my Legend Of Korra fan readers, Im gonna probably launch a chapter fic centering around Bolin soon :)
enjoy the fluff of this chapter!
The next morning, he awoke to Emmett poking him gently.
"H-hey, Rog? I don't mean to bother you, but… last night… you said you were from the east village… I got you directions back to your apartment… but it's quite a walk… you should start early…"
Roger groaned, stretching.
"Thanks…" he rubbed his eyes. He soon got dressed, taking the map Emmett had made him.
He left after taking a shower, and being fed breakfast. Emmett had thanked him up and down for saving him from Isaac's wrath.
When he was walking alone again, his mind kept flashing back to the things Isaac had threatened. It was all talk….
Wasnt it?
Even if he was brought back to earth once, he doubted he would get another chance… and after that, Mark would be Isaac's latest target.
Anything could happen, and Isaac certainly wasn't one to be merciful.
He kept on walking, following the map closely. After what seemed like forever, his surroundings began to become familiar, and he didn't even need the paper. He tucked it into his jacket, and walked through the streets. Times square loomed in the distance. It was already evening. Emmett wasn't kidding about the long walk. Just then, he finally felt his legs starting to cramp.
By the time he had reached the apartment building, it was night. He pulled out his key, opening the door, and stepping inside. He was about to start climbing the stairs when a flier caught his eye.
It was pinned to the bulletin board of their building, and it was a picture of him. MISSING had been printed in big letters at the top. It displayed that he had been gone for nearly three days.
He must have been worse with time than he thought.
He quickly jogged up the stairs, and slid his key into the door. He turned the knob, and walked inside.
Joanne and Maureen were in the kitchen, making dinner. Mark was curled up on the couch, looking tired and miserable. The minute he saw Roger, however, he shot up like he was yanked by Angel's ghost, and lit up with relief, and happiness. Tears filled his eyes.
Then, he was running across the room. Roger wheezed as he was nearly tackled with a bone crushing embrace. Mark's face was then buried in his neck, and the smaller man's sobs were muffled as water from his eyes soaked Roger's t-shirt.
Roger returned the hold, stroking his back to try and calm him down.
"Wh-where have you been? I was… I thought…. Roger…" Mark gasped, continuing to hold tight. Roger looked up, seeing Maureen and Joanne, who looked worried.
Mark soon pulled away, looking up at him, and sniffling. Roger gazed down at him. He suddenly leaned in, kissing Roger's cheek, then his temple, before tugging him in for a rough kiss on his lips.
Maureen gasped audibly, to which Joanne did the same.
Roger froze, tensing, before slowly melting into it, and kissing Mark back. His hand reached up to cup the side of the filmmaker's face.
A few seconds later, they broke apart. Roger had on a dopey smile. It soon disappeared with a yelp as Mark whacked him upside the head.
"That's for driving me up the walls! no note, Rog!? We thought something horrible happened! we made fliers for you, asshole!" Roger looked down.
"I just needed some time to clear my head…" Mark's hand was then removing the bandage from his cheek.
"What happened to your face?"
Roger said nothing. Mark tipped his chin up.
"Roger, look at me."
Roger met his eyes.
"It was Isaac… I wandered far into a bad part of a town, and they were after this guy… Emmett… for fighting off Isaac in self defense… but then… I stepped in to help… All of a sudden Isaac came… he knows I'm alive again… and he's dead set on ending that… and you… He hasn't changed since school, Mark… he's a nutcase… and he won't stop until someone is hurt…"
Mark took this information in, looking terrified.
"Roger, I swear to god… the things you get into-"
"I'm sorry…" Rog whispered, cutting him off. "I'm really sorry… and I didnt mean for it to happen… I never wanted to put you in danger…"
Mark shook his head a little, offering a tired smile.
"We'll figure something out… we always do… I'm just glad youre safe… and home… where you belong..." he reached down, grabbing Roger's hand. "C'mon. Dinner is cooking, and you look cold."
Roger didn't protest. He let Mark tug him to the couch. He lay down, and smiled a little as Mark crawled on top of him, cuddling up to his chest, and grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, as if to keep him there.
"You do realize I'm never letting you out of my sight again, right?" Mark murmured, half teasing, half serious.
Roger smirked. "Yeah, yeah…" he leaned in, kissing Mark's cheek gently, which caused the smaller man to blush a bright crimson. Mark's eyes fell closed as he listened to Roger's rhythmic heartbeat. Roger snaked a warm arm around his best friend's waist, his own eyes starting to close. He could finally relax.
Maureen watched this scene with slightly narrowed eyes. Her fiance spoke up.
"He drives Mark crazy sometimes…. but there's nobody i'd rather have looking out for him…"
The diva said nothing, simply pecking Joanne's cheek, and walking towards the door.
"Finish dinner, sweetie… I'm gonna go take down that flier…"
The next morning, Roger was snoring like a buzz saw, still exhausted from the recent events he had been through. Mark had risen early, and was still curled up on top of him, stroking his hair gently, and gazing down at his stubbly face with admiration.
Maureen emerged from her and Joanne's bedroom, stretching and yawning, her long brown hair pulled into a messy bun, and her wrinkled tank top riding up her slim torso. She looked at Mark sadly, sighing to herself before moving to put on some coffee.
"Hey, baby… how did you sleep?" she asked with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Mark's eyes snapped up from Roger's sleepy form as he took her appearance in.
"Hey, Maureen… I slept well, thanks…" he paused, turning his gaze back to the musician. "I feel better, too… I'm not sick to my stomach anymore… not since he came home…"
Maureen sat back, biting her tongue. She resisted the urge to attack Rog for making him feel sick in the first place.
"I'm glad to hear it…."
Mark continued to pet Roger's head when a groan from the taller man made Maureen focus back on the coffee.
"Mmm… Mark?"
Mark smiled.
"Hey, Roggy… how'd you sleep?"
Roger yawned, and stretched.
"Well, thank you…"
Joanne emerged from the bedroom, looking as sleepy as Maureen had.
"Mark, I'm gonna need your help downtown today… Maureen's protest is in two days and the sound equipment isn't working again…."
Mark nodded, sitting up a bit.
"Sure thing… I'll go get dressed…"
However, he soon paused, and looked down at Rog.
"Behave…"
Roger smirked a bit.
"No promises…"
Mark gave him a mischievous smile before ruffling his hair, and walking to his room. Roger got up, and started making coffee.
A little while later, Joanne and Mark were ready to go. The lawyer kissed her lover, promising to be back soon. Mark was at Roger's side, nagging as usual.
"We shouldn't be gone long… do you need anything?"
"Nope."
"I was gonna film tonight… will you come with me?"
"Sure thing…"
Roger paused as he felt Mark's arm on his shoulder. He turned to the smaller man, and the two gazed at each other for a bit before Mark had to stretch up on his toes, and kiss Roger's forehead. Roger blushed, and turned back to his coffee as Mark and Joanne were off.
Maureen had watched this whole exchange.
The minute they were alone, she took the silence in, gazing at the taller man. He didn't notice she was staring.
After what seemed like years, she spoke up.
"We need to talk." her voice was stern.
Roger looked over, quirking a brow.
"Uh… okay…. about what exactly?"
Maureen sighed, crossing her arms.
"I don't like this game you're playing with Mark. What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Roger seemed confused.
"What? what game? what are you talking about?"
"Oh, don't play dumb, Roger! what's been going on with you two lately?"
Roger took a sip of his coffee.
"Nothing."
"Bullshit."
"What do you want from me, Maureen?"
"Answers…. Mark is my best friend… you can't imagine the agony he went through after you died, and a few days ago, he came to me crying because apparently, you can't return his feelings, but here you are, cuddling him, leading him on…. you're hurting him even further, y'know that!? youre dangling it right in front of his face!"
Roger turned towards her.
"Stop it. Okay? Just stop. I did see the agony he went through, because when I was caught up in whatever pre-heaven, pre-hell world I was in after I died, I had to watch everything through some kind of window… I saw him… every minute he cried… every minute he begged for me to come back… every minute he came to my grave…" he snorted. "You're one to talk about hurting him…"
Maureen glared at him.
"This isn't about me… this is about the fact that it's not right to play with him… like how you acted when you came home the other night…"
"HE KISSED ME" Roger shouted, causing Maureen to jump, and become even more enraged.
"You kissed him back!"
"Oh, for fuck sake! Don't act like you wouldn't scratch my eyes out if I shoved him away, or yelled at him for it! you'd be pissed, and you know it!"
"The point of this whole thing is to tell you to stop stirring unrequited feelings!"
"WHO SAYS THEY'RE UNREQUITED!?" Roger spat suddenly without thinking. Maureen froze. His face burned, and he looked down.
"You… you do have feelings for him, then?"
Roger sighed.
"Of course I do…" his voice got lower. "I love him… more than i've ever loved anyone before… if I could, i'd spend forever with him…" he met her gaze. "But I can't… I can't make promises that I have no control to keep… I don't know what's gonna happen to me anymore… if I impress this guy, and he takes me to heaven, i'm gone… if I piss him off, and he drags me to hell, I'm gone too…" he ran a hand through his hair. "I can't do that to him, Maureen… I can't make him happy, and then take it away… I'm here for one reason… to fix my mistakes… and that's it… but it's hard to push him away… i've missed him so much…"
He tensed as Maureen's arms suddenly slid around him, and held him tight.
"I'm sorry…."
He looked down sadly.
"I don't wanna make anyone angry… this is all just… so confusing…"
Maureen gazed up at him.
"We're here for you, Roger… whatever you need."
He smiled a warm smile.
"Thanks…"
He returned her hold, his face in her shoulder.