AN: This chapter is dedicated, as most of the future chapters will be, to StormyNightengale. Yaoiboy, this is also slightly dedicated to you but the next chapter will be more for you. StormyNightengale, this is pretty much all yours. I hope you enjoy.
Mark hummed to himself as he moved around the kitchen. He and Kitchie had retreated to Kitchie's room after the party when Quinn had come to tell Kitchie that Caim wouldn't be coming back upstairs. She mentioned a lady named Ms. Dugan and Kitchie got all excited to hear that she was at the mansion. Then again, Kitchie got excited when he heard that anyone was around. Mark had yet to find a person that Kitchie didn't like.
So after she had left, he and Kitchie decided to hang out. Kitchie told him that Caim wouldn't mind if he borrowed his bed so Mark could sleep in Kitchie's. Mark started to protest, saying that he could just hang out before heading back to his own room with Piotr, but Kitchie insisted so much that he couldn't say no. He didn't really want to say no in the first place but it had been the right way to answer.
At the moment Mark was in the kitchen getting the two of them snack; nothing fancy, just some cheese and crackers.
As he moved around the kitchen he started to hear voices coming from the living room, but didn't think much of them. He thought that they might have been an echo from upstairs or the ringing of music still in his ears from earlier, but when he went to put the rest of the cheese back in the fridge he distinctly heard a conversation coming from another room.
"I just don't know what to do with him anymore Hank," a lady sighed. "Usually our problem is that the students are getting into too many fights. With him it's like we have to make sure he fights so that he doesn't blow up."
"You're doing the best you can and that's all you can do. Maybe if you give him a little bit of space-" a man replied.
"He's really going to set the Professor's office on fire."
"He wouldn't do that, and you know it."
The lady sighed at the man's statement and there was silence for a moment before she spoke again. "Maybe the Professor would let him go off for a little while, a week or two. He has money. Maybe if he could just get out for a while on his own he'd have some time to relax. He feels pressured here, he's told me."
Mark stepped over to the island where his plate sat. He didn't know who the pair was talking about but it seemed somewhat serious and he didn't want to intrude.
"He's told me that he'll try to open up to Kitchie a bit more, and Quinn as well. He also mentioned a new boy named Mark that he says he could talk to. I think that him having more friends will help to get him out of his shell, at least I hope so..."
Hearing his name Mark looked over at the door that connected the kitchen to the living room. He frowned, trying to figure out who they were talking about. It sounded like they were talking about Caim, but he wasn't sure. He couldn't be unless he asked, and he didn't want to interrupt them. With a small sigh and a slight shrug, dismissing the conversation, he picked up the plate and started to head out of the kitchen.
"Oh, hey Mark, I was just coming down to see if you wanted any help." Kitchie appeared in the doorway with his trademark smile. Mark laughed quietly and shook his head. "I'm fine but thanks."
"Kitchie?"
They both turned to the doorway to the living room, where Kitchie's name had come from. Mark looked back at his friend whose smile grew as he bounded out to the living room. As Mark set the plate down and followed him he wondered how Kitchie could manage such precise control over his long limbs.
When he stepped into the living room he was met with two new people, a man and a woman that had seemingly just broken apart on the couch as the woman got up to return Kitchie's hug. The woman was pretty, with shining blue eyes and the man was large and blue. Kind of like a fuzzier and larger Kurt.
The man was the first to spot Mark and he smiled as he rose from the couch. "Hello there," he said, walking over and extending his hand. "Hank McCoy," he introduced.
"Mark Rivers," Mark replied, shaking the blue man's hand.
"This is Ms. Dugan," Kitchie told Mark, gesturing to the lady. She laughed quietly and shook Mark's hand. "Natasha Dugan," she told him.
"Mark Rivers," Mark replied.
"It's nice to meet you. I've heard nice things about you," she said. Mark nodded and smiled, a blush flushing his cheeks. "Thanks," he replied.
"Mark's really great," Kitchie explained. "He's really caring and really nice. He likes to take care of people. Did you know that he traveled for a month across the country to come here?"
Ms. Dugan looked back at Mark. "Well I know that now. That's pretty impressive," he told him.
Mark felt himself blush again and he stuck his hands into the pockets of his pajamas bottoms. "Not really. Quinn traveled with me and she was on the streets for a little over a year. What I did wasn't that impressive."
"Yes it was," Kitchie rebutted. "And as you and Quinn told us, she wouldn't be here if you hadn't gotten her out of that tree. You're too modest Mark." He smiled and gently punched Mark's shoulder. "You really are a great guy." Mark just gave a weak laugh in response and felt his blush continue to burn his cheeks.
Suddenly Mr. McCoy coughed and he glanced at Ms. Dugan, who raised an eyebrow. "Since the boys are here," Mr. McCoy started. "I think that maybe it would be nice to have witnesses to what I'm about to say, so you don't think this is just a mind trick." Ms. Dugan frowned slightly. "What do you mean Hank?"
Mr. McCoy glanced at Kitchie, whose smile grew, if that was even possible. Mark wasn't sure what was going on, but it seemed like Kitchie had a slight idea because he started to bounce up and down on the balls of his feet. "Really?" he asked. "On New Year's? That's so romantic!" He quickly covered his mouth with his hands and looked over at Ms. Dugan, who still seemed as lost as Mark. Mr. McCoy laughed quietly and nodded. "Thank you Kitchie, I thought so as well."
"What are you talking about?" Ms. Dugan asked, crossing her arms. "Hank, what's going on?"
"Well…" He cast a knowing smile at Kitchie, who covered his mouth with his hands. Mr. McCoy turned back to Ms. Dugan and took a breath. "Natasha Dugan," he said simple, a smile as evident in his words as it was on his face. "I have known you for five wonderful years, and have had the delight of going out with you for the past three. You are a wonderful and amazing person and I love your passion and your fire." He paused and Ms. Dugan swallowed. "Hank…" she said quietly.
He smiled as he played with a loose strand of her brown hair and Mark glanced at Kitchie, who seemed to almost have tears in his eyes. Mark stepped up next to him and took his hand, squeezing it. He wasn't fully sure why, but something in his brain told him that Kitchie needed it.
And it seemed so, because Kitchie squeezed back.
Mr. McCoy ran a hand down Ms. Dugan's shoulder and she gave him a kind if slightly unsteady smile. "I love the way you take care of everyone, and the way you see the best in everyone. You believe in everyone as much, if more so, than you believe in yourself. I know that you're still trying to figure out your life and how everything works, and I want to know-" He got down on one knee and Ms. Dugan gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. Mark felt happy tears well in his eyes and Kitchie squeezed his hand tighter. "-will you let me be there with you while you do so?" He removed a ring box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a beautiful single diamond ring. "Natasha Dugan," he clarified. "will you marry me?"
Tears sprung to Ms. Dugan's eyes and she couldn't speak. Mr. McCoy stood up, still gently smiling, as she nodded. "Y-Yes," she stammered. "Oh my god Hank… Yes. Of course." He slid the ring onto her finger and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly, before breaking away and kissing him.
At that point Mark and Kitchie smiled and met each other's gaze. A silent message passed between them, saying that they should leave the newlyweds to each other. Nodding slightly in agreement they left the happy couple.