[for Mark - backdated]

[toshiko_san]

Her conversation with Maureen had bothered her more than Tosh liked to admit. The other woman seemed jealous, and rather proprietary over Mark, and Tosh wasn't sure she could blame her. They had been together for quite some time, only it seemed to Tosh that she only remembered how much she did care about Mark when someone else was involved

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[make_creation]

Mark had been biding his time with his nose buried in a book. He looked up and had to push his glasses up his nose. With a small smile and a tight nod he said, "No problem. I was just reading." He marked his page and laid it aside so he could devote all his attention to Tosh.

"Are you okay?"

[toshiko_san]

"Not really," she admitted after a moment, leaning against her own door as she pushed it to behind her. "I thought I might be if I let it sit, but..."

But she wasn't. It only took two steps to cross to the bed, setting herself gingerly on the edge, "I ran into Maureen today. While I was doing laundry."

[make_creation]

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, his eyebrows creeping higher til they nearly kissed his hair. "What, um, what did she have to say?"

Please, God, he prayed, don't let her say Maureen told her what a fucking weak guy he was...

[toshiko_san]

"Nothing much, just-" It was what she hinted at that was worse, and tosh hated herself for doubting him. "She had your underwear, and the way she made it sound, it was like the two of you, still..."

She couldn't actually finish, looking down at her hands. "It's silly. Never mind."

[make_creation]

"Wait, no, not nevermind," he said, sitting up straighter. "She said...I'm gonna kill her. She's got a lot of nerve...how could she...she's the one who always cheated on me," he stammered. It took a second before he reached out to touch her arm.

"I haven't, you know."

[toshiko_san]

"I know," and she did know that, truthfully. She disliked that she ever doubted him at all, and Maureen for putting that doubt into her head. Turning at his touch, Tosh pulled a leg onto the bed and gave him a wan sort of smile. "Only, it's her, and it's me, and if she wanted you back Mark- I don't know that I stand much of a chance."

Saying one's fears was an awful thing, and her heart felt as if it were in her throat.

[make_creation]

Mark sighed softly as he trailed his fingers down to catch her hand. "Tosh...it's not even an option now. Months ago, sure. Maybe. But she's the one who can't settle down. Not me. I'm not...she's not...things are different now."

[toshiko_san]

A simple touch, but a welcome one, her fingers curling into his in response. "It seems so mad to have even said it now. I'm sorry. I didn't want to doubt you, and I shouldn't, I only-" She paused, "it's hard. Sometimes."

[make_creation]

"Yeah, I get that," he nodded. He scooted closer so he could wrap his other arm around her. Maureen could be so obscene sometimes, he had no doubt that she could make one pair of underwear sound sordid.

"Look...I've known her for a long time, and yeah...I love her. But not like that. Not anymore. I love you, Tosh. I want to be with you. I don't care what she says or how she acts, it doesn't change the fact that she dumped me a long time ago and it's over. Long over."

[toshiko_san]

It was something they'd danced around, and hearing him say it, with her head moving to his shoulder, she had to smile. "Move in." The words escaped, before she could stop them. "You stay here most nights already. You should. If you wanted..."

Now that she said it, she found herself unsure, tilting her head to look nervously up at him, "I'd like it if you did."

[make_creation]

Mark blinked rapidly, not sure how they had moved from Maureen to the strange ease of those three little words to...

"Move in?" he asked, dropping his chin and turning his head to catch a familiar look in her eyes. Mark tried to smile, nervous as could be, trying to think of all the reasons he couldn't. Shouldn't. Reasons it would be wrong or uncomfortable. Reasons it was a step they weren't ready for.

Reasons that either refused to manifest or were shot down by all the reasons he could and should.

"Yeah? I mean, yeah. I...yeah. I'd like that," he agreed. "I can. I will."

[toshiko_san]

Her breath whooshed out, not realising until then that she had been holding it as she looked up to him in relief. "Good. I mean-" there were going to be complications, she knew that. With Jackson, especially, but she found at that moment she didn't care. "I love you, too."

[make_creation]

Mark smiled before he kissed her lightly where his lips could reach, then he reached for her chin to direct her into position so he could kiss her properly.

"Good," he repeated. "I think that moving in is a good idea. Since I'm here. And, you know, not going anyplace."

[toshiko_san]

"I like the sound of that," she leaned into him, her fingers curling as they glanced over his cheek. "I like having you here."

[make_creation]

"I like being here," he replied, taking a breath that seemed better than any he'd taken before. The very scent of her filled his nose and the air that pushed his chest out felt cooler and cleaner than ever. He kept waiting for that familiar fear, the eerie dread, the sinking hesitation to creep in and make the part of himself that he so carefully guarded shrink away and kick hope to the curb. It didn't come. No excuses, even if there was a jittery anticipation of what was to come.

"Are you sure you want all my crap here? I mean, the film stuff, you know...I can keep it with the radio stuff..."

[toshiko_san]

"I've an extra room, Mark, it would be good to have it used." They'd had it built that way, Owen's room, her own and Mimi's as well as the central one that joined them all. Planning, like this, somehow felt right. "If you didn't mind. It was Owen's room, before. But it could be yours, a study of sorts."