Thank you to Fazzle, MarsMonstar, Kufuffelupagus, ADashOfInsanity, Nayunari 'Ayu' Tsuki, XxCapturetheLightxX and AlteaAuroraRia for reviewing! Things get even more tense with Roy...

The remainder of the week passed in a similar fashion. Each day Roy would do something toughing or romantic and Marth would be tickled with joy, but each day ended with Roy reinforcing how much he wanted a physical side to their relationship, sometimes just with hints, other times more forcefully. Marth, his ideas of a long term romance like in stories and films still firmly in his head, always pushed him back. Though it was nice to know someone found him attractive, Marth wanted to be loved rather than lusted over.

At length Monday came round again, and Roy proposed another trip to the cinema. The film he wanted to see had only just come out the previous day – an action movie jam packed with fighting and suspense. It wasn't Marth's first choice but he agreed, looking forward to spending more time with Roy.

They filed into the cinema late, silently peering through the dark to locate their seats. Marth, who would hardly see over the huge tub of popcorn he'd been given to hold, whispered, "Where are we sitting?"

"I can't tell!" Roy hissed. "It's too dark. Just budge into that row there."

Marth walked into the end of the row twice before finally finding his way in, stumbling a little with the popcorn and sitting down awkwardly on the second seat in. Less than a second after having sat down he realised his mistake, and leapt up, his squeal muffled by the hand of the person whose lap he had sat on.

"Sshhh, please. I can't stand it when people scream."

He hadn't just sat on any stranger either.

"Sorry." The man removed his hand. Did Ike realise who had just sat on him? Oh help, this really wasn't the ideal start to the movie.

"Hang on, is that Marth?"

Marth turned crimson, and was grateful that no one could see, though if he'd been able to see in the first place it wouldn't have happened.

"Never mind. Just sit down." Ike shifted over a seat and Marth sat down.

Luckily he had only the adverts and trailers to wallow in the shame of his error, for as the film began Roy started to whisper to him, suddenly eager to share everything he knew about the plot summary, actors' histories, and other acclaimed films by the same director. His enthusiasm surprised Marth considerably but as the film began to wear in he wondered if Roy had somehow seen the film before. It was fighting right from the start, and involved two spies, the hero and heroine, trying to save the world from the wrong side of the law. But Marth, of course, was distracted. Why couldn't he bump into Ike normally? He'd bumped into him when Ike had saved him from 'drowning', and now by sitting on his lap accidentally. What was wrong with a supermarket meeting, the sort of 'oh, hi' type meeting that happened normally? It didn't help that things with Ike were unresolved since… the day Elisse had given birth, and every time he'd bumped into Ike since he'd been with Roy.

He attempted to forget about it all and enjoy the film, which wouldn't have been hard, given that it was a fast action-packed film – wouldn't have been hard, that is, if Roy hadn't decided to put a hand on Marth's thigh. Marth attempted to push it off gently, but Roy refused to move his hand, and embarrassed, Marth decided to put up with it. And he would have put up with it – would have put up with it, that is, if Roy hadn't decided to slide his hand slowly upwards, no doubt without the intention of reaching his crotch before the film ended and the lights went up. Marth, acutely uncomfortable, attempted to lift Roy's hand off, but Roy was far stronger and kept it there. Did he realise how unwilling Marth was to make a fuss – was he taking advantage of him?

"Roy, stop it," he whispered. Roy remained silent, and his hand didn't move. Marth tried again to pull himself free, with no success. He knew that if he tried any harder he would probably draw attention to himself, but it seemed the only way he was going to get away from Roy was to move. And what if he did move and Roy followed him? As the pressure of the situation mounted Marth decided to struggle one last time.

"Stop it," he hissed, jerking away from Roy as he attempted to pull his hand off. The tub of popcorn fell noisily to the floor. Then there was a sudden beam of torchlight from Ike's direction, briefly highlighting the struggle between them. Roy snatched his hand away and the torchlight went out, and silence resumed again. But things were not as they were before. From where Marth sat he could sense the tension in Roy and was tense himself, knowing what Ike had seen. The rest of the film slowly passed away in this fashion, minute by painful minute.

The credits finally rolled after what felt like hours, and the lights came back on. Roy and Ike stood up immediately. Roy turned to leave, but not before he saw Ike. The two of them stared at each other. Ike's eyes were dark with fury, pinning Roy where he stood. Even though Ike wasn't looking at him Marth squirmed in his seat, as if the shame encompassed him also. Roy was the first to speak.

"You owe me £1050."

"I could sue you for assault for ten times that."

Roy had no answer to that. Ike walked past him, only looking away at the last moment. He didn't look at Marth at all.

As soon as Marth had left the cinema screen he scanned around for Ike and having seen him ran up to him, breathless.

"Ike."

Ike turned around slowly.

"Please don't sue him."

Ike looked over Marth's head for a moment, and spotting Roy approaching from some distance behind, stepped around Marth so that his back was facing Roy. He lowered his voice.

"I won't. I can't. He assaulted you, not me, and it was so brief we would be the only witnesses. It would be our word against his – a pointless lawsuit. Marth, I was just saying it to make a point. Roy knows that."

Marth looked into his eyes, so gentle with concern and yet angry at the same time, and was momentarily consumed by the desire to burst into tears. He took a second to compose himself, and then replied weakly,

"It wasn't what it looked like."

Ike looked back at him silently. They both knew, no matter how out of context, what Ike had seen had been exactly what it had looked like. But all Ike said was,

"I hope not." Then with one last glance back at Roy, Ike turned and left. Marth noticed as he walked away he was carrying a clear plastic bag of painting materials. Ike had been painting in the cinema. The sudden urge to laugh bubbled up with the hopeless want to cry, and once Roy reached him one look threw him into total confusion and he burst into tears. Roy hugged him close and stroked his hair.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise you objected so much…" he murmured. Marth sobbed pathetically into his shoulder, too shaken up to move. Eventually Roy let him go and he wiped his eyes.

"Shall we go get a coffee or something?" Roy suggested. Marth shook his head.

"I think I'll just go home now."

"Come on – one coffee?"

Marth shook his head and Roy seemed to deflate, as if accepting that damage had been done and it wasn't just going to be fixed because he willed it.

Marth sat at home alone, miserable. Why had Roy had to go and spoil it like that? They got on so well otherwise… Was it Marth's fault? Should he let Roy do what he wanted? Was Marth being the freak by holding back when any normal person would have returned Roy's affections by now? Had he been fooled by films and books that in dreamy relationships the kiss always comes at the end?

The questions circulated in his head as he curled up on the sofa, the radio playing softly in the background. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life like this, alone at home listening to the radio after work. There were a million other ways he could spend the time of course, hobbies he could take up, places he could go. But when that was over at the end of the day he would still have to come back to an empty house. He sighed and headed to his room.