Title: The Jealousy Factor

Pairing: Mark/Roger (Marker!)

Summary: When Mark gets chummy with a girl at Life Support during the holidays, Roger starts to get jealous. Who knows what he might do?

A/N: This one is for my lovely Olivia (ImDefyinGravity), who has been my Roger for going on five months now. I love you. :D Facebitch will never win no matter HOW many times it deletes our accounts! Anyways, she's pretty fucking amazing and I wish I didn't have to sneak around to talk to her. She be the Eli to my Harvey. (: You won't understand that unless you follow us on our roleplay page… Anyways. Merry Christmas! xD I love youuuuuu!

Green eyes narrowed, Roger fought off the low growl rising in his chest as he followed Mark's line of vision to the curly-haired girl sitting next to Paul at the other side of the circle of chairs. It was Christmas Eve, and he should probably try not to kill her. Holiday spirit, right? Life Support was supposed to be a place where everyone felt safe, but with his arm casually-but-not-really slung around the back of his roommate's chair and Mark's total preoccupation, Roger had never felt more threatened.

What was that girl's name again? He couldn't even remember. Probably something slutty, he thought sullenly. Slut. Goddamn it, he needed to get a hold of himself! This girl could hardly have been eighteen and she was almost as innocent-looking as Mark had been when he'd come here, all big blue doe eyes and wonder at everything as he stared up at the buildings, the flashing lights, the swarms of people. Shit. He had no right to label her, but here he was.

Roger didn't really want to admit that he had feelings for his roommate, but he knew they were there. Just because he didn't say it out loud didn't mean he didn't feel it. And try as he might, he couldn't seem to shake it off.

And then there was this girl, all shy and awkward and JUST like Mark. She was Paul's niece or something like that- Roger didn't remember, all he knew was that Mark had taken a liking to her and she had certainly taken a liking to Mark. And it made him nervous. Scowling, he tore his eyes from the girl and tried to pay attention to Paul's inspirational speech to them all.

Sadly, his eyes almost immediately magnetted to Mark instead. He swallowed down the surge of affection he felt just looking at the other man. Mark's skin was slightly flushed, pink from the cold outside, his camera in his lap as his thumbs stroked lovingly over the crank. Roger couldn't seem to tear his gaze away, feeling a smile force its way onto his face slowly, sneakily. God, Mark was just too cute…

Fuck! Alarmed by the path his thoughts were taking, Roger jerked away- the group went silent as he suddenly lurched out of his chair and, making some feeble muttered excuse, stalked towards the door. He pushed it out almost violently, spitting profanities under his breath, and stepped out into the freezing air of New York on Christmas Eve. The door swung shut behind him. He descended the few steps before turning into the alley between the rec center and the deli next door, leaning against the cool brick and, without really thinking, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket.

It doesn't matter if he's been trying to quit for a month. He'd been doing well, and Mark would be disappointed- but fuck that. He wanted a god damn smoke. He wanted Mark, too, but he couldn't let himself think that way so he had to allow himself at least one of the two… Sighing, he slipped a lighter out of his pocket into his hand and flicked it against the end of the stick between his fingers, watching it flare to life and taking a deep drag.

This really shouldn't bother him so much. He wasn't Mark's keeper. He wasn't his boyfriend- although the thought sent pleasant tingles down his spine… Fuck! Roger! Get it together! His scowl deepened as he exhaled smoke into the frosty air, staring moodily at the dingy brick buildings all around him and the icy brownish slush coating the ground that used to be snow.

He's not entirely sure how long he spends brooding outside of the recreation center before he hears the doors swing open and Mark's voice calling for him. Great. Internally groaning, he drops the cigarette and stomps it out with his boot, staring at the mouth of the alley waiting for the filmmaker to peek cautiously around the corner for him as he always did.

Sure enough, that blonde head popped up anxiously, pink lips parted to call for him again. Blue eyes lit up as they spotted him, and, still clutching his camera under one arm, Mark made a beeline towards him. "Roger? There you are… Hey, what's up?"

"It's nothing," Roger muttered, somewhat annoyed. He had to try hard not to stare adoringly at his roommate and the very thought that he actually had to try made him stiff, anxious.

Despite his less than cuddly disposition, Mark sidled up beside him, leaning against his shoulder. "You can tell me," he said, smiling lopsidedly and nuzzling into Roger's neck, nose cold but Roger couldn't bring himself to tell him to fuck off. "S'what I'm here for, you know."

Just then, as Roger's resolve was weakening, he heard that curly-haired girl's voice in the background yelling. "MARK! Where'd you go?"

"I'M FINE OLIVIA, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" he shouted, laughing. Her curly head peered around the corner to stick her tongue out at him before disappearing, and something in Roger snapped.

Before Mark could protest, he'd shoved his scrawny frame back into the freezing brick, the breath rushing out of him in a pained gasp, and then covered his pretty pink lips with his own rough, chapped ones. And then it was over. He hardly had time to savor the taste of Mark before he forced himself to back away, heart beating frantically, staring at his wide-eyed roommate for a moment longer before averting his eyes, ashamed and humiliated.

"I'm sorry-" he started, voice broken, but Mark was staring at him in a way that was unnerving and he stopped. "… What?"

"Can we do that again?" Mark stammered, breathless and even redder than before. Roger's brain shorted out for a moment, and he felt his mouth open to form words he hadn't given permission to leave his mouth.

"I- Yes," he managed, nodding vigorously, and he lunged back in to get a good grip on either side of Mark's face before mashing their lips together more passionately. He felt the filmmaker's hands creep up his back and into his hair, tugging lightly on the overgrown curls, and he smiled into his mouth.

"Merry Christmas," Mark murmured shyly as he pulled away the second time. His heart melted a little at the sight of those vibrant blue eyes staring up at him, arms wrapped around his neck, unwilling to let him pull away. The bitten lip did him in.

"Yeah. It is." And a wide grin spread over his face as he realized it was true.

His hand grabbed one of Mark's from around his neck and he tugged him towards the mouth of the alley, eliciting a surprised squeak from the other man as he all but dragged him down the icy pavement. If he had his way, he was going to make Mark's Christmas very merry.