Talking It Over
[Takes place directly after this, co-written by the muns]
"He really does love you, doesn't he?"
"He says he does," Jake says, smiling and flushing a little at the thought. "Never known him to lie."
"Neither have I," Mark replies as they make their way along the crowded sidewalk. "He only teases people like that when he truly cares about them."
"That's good to know. I think Kitten's the same way." Jake looks around, arm brushing Mark's as they walk. "They looked happy, didn't they?"
"Blissfully. That's not...that doesn't bother you, does it?"
"No," Jake says, a little surprised to find that he means it. "I'm happy for them, you know? Glad they've found each other."
"Good." Mark has no doubts that Jake will continue to love Orlando until the day he dies, but at least he's not letting it in the way of his own happiness. "Where are we headed, anyway?"
"I...uh...wow," Jake says, ducking his head and giving Mark a sheepish grin. "Hadn't really thought about it. My place work for you?"
"Well, since I know Maggie's got her hands full with her new fella, that'd be nice. Private."
"Very private," Jake murmurs, his steps just a little faster as he thinks about getting Mark alone for the night.
"I like the sound of that." Mark snags Jake's hand, fingers laced together. "Got greedy when I had you all to myself."
"I don't mind." Squeezing Mark's fingers, Jake gives him a sweet smile. "Like the idea of you being greedy over me." He pauses then, thinking about what he needs to say to Mark. "Orlando wants to see the house. So we're having a late dinner tomorrow night and, um, I think I'll be out all night."
"Alright." Jake seems almost...nervous. Mark wonders why. "You know you don't need to explain yourself to me, right? I don't own you. I know what you and Orlando mean to each other."
"No, I know." Taking a deep breath, Jake glances over at Mark. "I just...wanted you to know. He...I think tomorrow night will be the last time..."
"Why? Did he say something?" Not that it's any of his business, of course, but Jake doesn't look...happy...with the possibility.
"No. I...you saw them tonight," Jake says quietly. "I won't cause any tension between them, and you know it'll happen eventually." Then he smiles. "Besides, I deserve someone just for me, right?"
"Well, you've already got that," Mark smiles, and squeezes Jake's hand. "You know you don't have to give him up for me. I'd never ask."
"I know." And that fact alone is enough to make Jake want to do it. "And I know that Kitten would never ask him to give me up. It's just...they deserve a fair chance to make this work out after everything they've been through."
"Guess so. That what you wanted to talk to Orlando about?"
Jake nods. "Figure I owe it to him to talk face to face about it, you know? Be easier to just let it slip away, but..." He shrugs, knowing Mark will understand.
"Yeah. Well, as long as you both agreed..."
"He, ah, he doesn't know," Jake says in a small voice, "yet."
Mark stops in front of Jake's building and turns, looking at Jake in silent question.
"I was going to tell him tonight." Jake hunches his shoulders and scuffs one foot against the sidewalk. "It was...bad timing, y'know? Tomorrow night will be better. Just me and him, so we can talk about it."
"So, fuck him to butter him up, then tell him it's over?"
"What?" Jake looks horrified. "No! I'm not planning on fucking him. We're going to dinner and he wants to see the house."
"You really expect me to believe that you're going to be spending the night with Orlando and there won't be sex?" Mark laughs, and takes out his pack of cigarettes, shaking one out. "Tell me another one."
Jake sighs. "I don't know if I'm going to be spending the night with him. It's possible, sure," he says, quietly. Then he looks at Mark. "You don't think I'm that callous, do you?"
"Of course not." Mark wraps an arm around Jake's shoulders and steers him towards the front door to the building. "I still don't see why this is even an issue. You still enjoy being around him, he still enjoys being around you, me and 'Quin certainly don't have a problem with it at all. No reason for you to end what no one wants you to end unless it's something you really do want."
"I just don't want to become an issue in their relationship," Jake murmurs. He fumbles his key out of his pocket and pulls the front door open for Mark. "You know, you and Kitten could have dinner as well. Friends, right?"
"We are." Smoke curls as Mark takes a drag, then stops Jake at the base of the stairs. "You truly, honestly think that you'd be an issue or that you would interfere with them? After how you've seen how they are around each other?"
"I think it's possible, yeah," Jake admits. He shrugs, then meets Mark's gaze. "Once Kitten goes back to New York...that's gonna be hard enough on them."
"I know. And Orlando will need you." Mark steps in close, lips softly meeting for a kiss. "I'm not going anywhere, Jake, I promise you. No matter what."
"Good." Jake's embarrassed to see his hands tremble as they slide up Mark's arms. "Last thing I want to do is mess us up over this."
"Not gonna happen," Mark promises, and smiles. "I knew how you felt about Orlando getting into this, and it hasn't changed my mind about wanting to be with you a single bit."
Jake tugs Mark up the stairs, stopping every few steps for a light kiss. "Good, because I haven't changed my mind about wanting to be with you."
***
"He really does love you, doesn't he?"
"He says he does," Jake says, smiling and flushing a little at the thought. "Never known him to lie."
"Neither have I," Mark replies as they make their way along the crowded sidewalk. "He only teases people like that when he truly cares about them."
"That's good to know. I think Kitten's the same way." Jake looks around, arm brushing Mark's as they walk. "They looked happy, didn't they?"
"Blissfully. That's not...that doesn't bother you, does it?"
"No," Jake says, a little surprised to find that he means it. "I'm happy for them, you know? Glad they've found each other."
"Good." Mark has no doubts that Jake will continue to love Orlando until the day he dies, but at least he's not letting it in the way of his own happiness. "Where are we headed, anyway?"
"I...uh...wow," Jake says, ducking his head and giving Mark a sheepish grin. "Hadn't really thought about it. My place work for you?"
"Well, since I know Maggie's got her hands full with her new fella, that'd be nice. Private."
"Very private," Jake murmurs, his steps just a little faster as he thinks about getting Mark alone for the night.
"I like the sound of that." Mark snags Jake's hand, fingers laced together. "Got greedy when I had you all to myself."
"I don't mind." Squeezing Mark's fingers, Jake gives him a sweet smile. "Like the idea of you being greedy over me." He pauses then, thinking about what he needs to say to Mark. "Orlando wants to see the house. So we're having a late dinner tomorrow night and, um, I think I'll be out all night."
"Alright." Jake seems almost...nervous. Mark wonders why. "You know you don't need to explain yourself to me, right? I don't own you. I know what you and Orlando mean to each other."
"No, I know." Taking a deep breath, Jake glances over at Mark. "I just...wanted you to know. He...I think tomorrow night will be the last time..."
"Why? Did he say something?" Not that it's any of his business, of course, but Jake doesn't look...happy...with the possibility.
"No. I...you saw them tonight," Jake says quietly. "I won't cause any tension between them, and you know it'll happen eventually." Then he smiles. "Besides, I deserve someone just for me, right?"
"Well, you've already got that," Mark smiles, and squeezes Jake's hand. "You know you don't have to give him up for me. I'd never ask."
"I know." And that fact alone is enough to make Jake want to do it. "And I know that Kitten would never ask him to give me up. It's just...they deserve a fair chance to make this work out after everything they've been through."
"Guess so. That what you wanted to talk to Orlando about?"
Jake nods. "Figure I owe it to him to talk face to face about it, you know? Be easier to just let it slip away, but..." He shrugs, knowing Mark will understand.
"Yeah. Well, as long as you both agreed..."
"He, ah, he doesn't know," Jake says in a small voice, "yet."
Mark stops in front of Jake's building and turns, looking at Jake in silent question.
"I was going to tell him tonight." Jake hunches his shoulders and scuffs one foot against the sidewalk. "It was...bad timing, y'know? Tomorrow night will be better. Just me and him, so we can talk about it."
"So, fuck him to butter him up, then tell him it's over?"
"What?" Jake looks horrified. "No! I'm not planning on fucking him. We're going to dinner and he wants to see the house."
"You really expect me to believe that you're going to be spending the night with Orlando and there won't be sex?" Mark laughs, and takes out his pack of cigarettes, shaking one out. "Tell me another one."
Jake sighs. "I don't know if I'm going to be spending the night with him. It's possible, sure," he says, quietly. Then he looks at Mark. "You don't think I'm that callous, do you?"
"Of course not." Mark wraps an arm around Jake's shoulders and steers him towards the front door to the building. "I still don't see why this is even an issue. You still enjoy being around him, he still enjoys being around you, me and 'Quin certainly don't have a problem with it at all. No reason for you to end what no one wants you to end unless it's something you really do want."
"I just don't want to become an issue in their relationship," Jake murmurs. He fumbles his key out of his pocket and pulls the front door open for Mark. "You know, you and Kitten could have dinner as well. Friends, right?"
"We are." Smoke curls as Mark takes a drag, then stops Jake at the base of the stairs. "You truly, honestly think that you'd be an issue or that you would interfere with them? After how you've seen how they are around each other?"
"I think it's possible, yeah," Jake admits. He shrugs, then meets Mark's gaze. "Once Kitten goes back to New York...that's gonna be hard enough on them."
"I know. And Orlando will need you." Mark steps in close, lips softly meeting for a kiss. "I'm not going anywhere, Jake, I promise you. No matter what."
"Good." Jake's embarrassed to see his hands tremble as they slide up Mark's arms. "Last thing I want to do is mess us up over this."
"Not gonna happen," Mark promises, and smiles. "I knew how you felt about Orlando getting into this, and it hasn't changed my mind about wanting to be with you a single bit."
Jake tugs Mark up the stairs, stopping every few steps for a light kiss. "Good, because I haven't changed my mind about wanting to be with you."
***