Prompt Post 3
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He can still picture Marcus sitting in a similar desk chair, checking his phone. Esca can see his silhouette standing in the door of the bathroom, and he can imagine the feel of Marcus in the bed next to him - laughing and smiling and talking quietly, then falling asleep first. He remembers massaging Marcus's leg on the second night, and then fitting in perfectly against Marcus's back, wrapping an arm around him and falling asleep. In the morning Marcus made coffee in the complimentary coffee maker, and it tasted like shit but Esca refused to say it first, pretending to drink it happily until Marcus took a taste and immediately ran to spit it out. The garbage bin is even in the same corner, and Esca can picture Marcus standing next to it, wiping his mouth and laughing. He'd taken the mug from Esca, not wanting him to drink anymore, and then they'd gone out for breakfast. Marcus paid, as if he owed Esca something for the awful coffee.
Esca flicks off the light, tired of remembering.
In the morning he'll see Marcus for the last time and they'll say their goodbyes. Then he'll go on with his life.
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I am both looking forward to and dreading (but in a good way!) their coffee date in the morning.
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I like how Cottia seems to think he's going to be able to do this. *crosses fingers*
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-author anon
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He's not prepared for the ache he feels when Marcus walks through the door. His Marcus, towering over everyone, searching for Esca's face in the crowd. Esca takes a deep breath, trying to hold onto his anger as Marcus catches sight of him and makes his way over.
“Hey,” Marcus says, and Esca can tell he's nervous. He's smiling but he's fidgeting, rubbing a palm against his thigh as he asks Esca if he's ordered anything yet.
“Thought I'd wait for you.” Esca moves to stand but Marcus stops him.
“Stay here, I'll get it.”
“Marcus, it's fine.”
“No, let me, please.”
Marcus leaves quickly, cutting through the crowd, and he returns with Esca's usual - a large coffee with three sugars, and an oatmeal cookie.
“Still remember that then,” Esca says.
“Yeah,” Marcus smiles, sitting down with his own coffee.
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“So you wanted to talk.”
“Sorry, yeah,” Marcus nods, breaking his focus on Esca. “I'm just really glad to see you.”
Esca takes a sip of his coffee. “What did you want to talk about?”
“I don't know,” Marcus replies, “I just wanted to talk.”
“Marcus,” Esca sighs.
“Where are you staying?” Marcus asks quickly, as if he's grasping for anything to keep Esca there.
“That hotel by the highway.”
“The one that we -”
“Yes.”
Marcus nods and Esca can see him remembering, smiling wistfully to himself. “That was fun.”
“It was, yeah.”
Marcus glances down at his coffee mug. “Remember I made coffee?”
“I do.”
“And it was awful.”
“It was.”
Marcus looks up at him, and if he's frustrated by the simple answers he doesn't show it. “So how are you?”
“Fine,” Esca says. “Same old, same old.”
“Are you at the same apartment?”
“Yep, same old leaky faucets, and the front step's still broken. I've been bugging the landlords, but they haven't done a thing yet.”
Marcus smiles. “I miss that place.”
Esca ignores the comment. “You managed to find a good job up here?”
“It's good enough. Not exactly where I want to be yet, but it'll do.”
“I run into Lutorius occasionally.
“Oh yeah? How's he doing?”
“He seems good. He always asks how you are.”
“What do you tell him?”
“I usually just make something up. You moved away, and you're happy. I assume that's close enough to the truth anyway.”
“Esca.” Marcus shifts in his chair. The movement is subtle, unnoticeable to most people, but Esca knows he's stretching his leg.
Esca nods towards Marcus's left knee. “How's your leg?”
“Still bad.” Marcus rubs down his thigh.
“Do you have a new doctor here?”
Marcus nods. “Stephanos, a friend of my uncle's. I think he's retiring soon, though, so I'll have to start searching again.”
“I'm sure your uncle has connections. He always seemed to know everyone.”
“He does, for sure.”
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Esca knows Marcus - knows that look of sadness in his eye, the breath before he says something he's been holding back.
“I miss you.”
“Marcus, don't.” Esca sighs in frustration. It wasn't supposed to go here, it was supposed to just be coffee.
“It's true. Esca, I miss you.”
“And you think I don't miss you?” Esca hisses. “I miss you every single fucking day.”
Marcus frowns. “I was worried that you hated me.”
“Why would I hate you?”
“Because of everything,” Marcus still can't meet his eye. “Then I wrote to you and you never responded.”
“You sent me a postcard,” Esca replies, trying to keep his voice quiet. “I mean, a postcard, Marcus? A fucking postcard?”
“I know, it was stupid, but I wanted you to know where I was.”
“So I could do what? Drive down here and beg you to change your mind?”
“No,” Marcus says emphatically. “I don't know. Maybe.”
“I begged you not to leave and you left anyway. That's not me, Marcus, I don't beg. But I did for you.”
“Esca - ”
“I won't do it again.”
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“Of course -!” Esca shouts before stopping himself. A few of the other patrons look their way, and Esca lets out a sigh as he presses his fingers to his forehead in frustration. “Of course I still love you,” he whispers. “I wouldn't be here if I didn't.”
“Can we go somewhere else to talk? Outside? Anywhere.”
“I don't that's a good idea.”
“Please, Esca.”
“Marcus, you're engaged to someone else. I doubt she'd like her fiance sneaking off to chat with his ex.”
“It's not -” Marcus stammers, “I don't care. She'd understand.”
“She'd understand?”
“She knows I miss you.”
“She may, but she doesn't know the full story. You made sure of that.”
“Esca -”
“You never told anyone, Marcus. And I never understood it. I figured you must've been ashamed of us.”
“Esca, I wasn't,” Marcus says, his eyes pleading with Esca's across the table. “I was never ashamed. Can we please go somewhere else?”
“I'll go outside, but that's it.”
Marcus stands quickly, waiting for Esca to stand before he heads for the door. In his haste, Marcus leaves his coffee behind.
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I had a lump in my throat just reading this and empathising with them both. They're obviously still totally in love with each other - the fact that their life circumstances hasn't changed it after all this time shows how strong and deep it must be. I hurt for them both.
Thanks for the update. ♥
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Oh god this is so painful; I am really interested to hear Marcus' side of the story: The ball is entirely in his court and has been for a while now.
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