fluffy - axel x mark

39- whenever you're ready

Mark was glad to find the changing room was empty, apart from Axel Blaze, sitting against the wall and tapping his foot anxiously.

"I hope you weren't here long,"Mark said.

"Cut to the chase. What do you want to talk about?"Axel said angrily.

"Jack was the one who was there yesterday,"said Mark.

Axel swallowed. "Oh."

"And Sylvia also knows."

"Did you tell her?"Axel asked angrily.

"No. You didn't let me tell the full story. If you just let me expl-"

Axel let out a loud groan. "For fuck sake, Evans!"

"What? It's not like it's my fault!"said Mark.

"I know it isn't!"

"Why are you angry at me then!"

"I'm not angry at you. I'm angry. In general. And i'm tired as fuck because I didn't sleep last night!"Axel yelled.

"That's on you,"Mark said.

"I noticed you didn't sleep either,"said Axel.

"I didn't,"Mark sighed. "Can you just stop shouting at me so I can tell you what's happened? So many conversations happened between everyone and I don't want you to be out of the loop."

"Ok,"Axel said. "Just sit beside me then."

Mark narrowed his eyes. "You are so difficult to read."

"I need you to be close with me so you can whisper. We don't want the whole world to hear!"Axel exclaimed.

But that was a lie. Obviously.

Mark didn't entirely believe the excuse, but he went to sit beside Axel anyway.

"So you know when Jack, Sylvia and Nathan went to the bathroom?"Mark asked.

Axel slipped his arm around Marks waist. "Yeah?"

Mark tried not to react to his touch. Even though he was mad at Axel about a minute ago, he couldn't stay mad. Not when they were so close.

"Nathan told me everything they said. Jack told both him and Sylvia about seeing us,"said Mark.

Axel looked down. "Oh."

"You know the way me and Nathan are friends? And the way he already knows?"

"Yeah. You have to talk about how amazing I am to someone,"Axel joked, but there was no tone to his voice.

"You're exhausted!"Mark pulled him in for a hug.

"No I just can't be bothered to pretend you're funny,"he murmured.

They stayed like that for a while, and Mark kept telling Axel the story.

"He told both of them to not tell anyone, and that Jack should've just talked to me directly. Then Jack went back to the bus, and Nathan filled Sylvia in on everything he already knows,"said Mark.

"Maybe it wasn't such a terrible thing you told him. Imagine if he hadn't known. What if the whole bus knew?"Mark could feel Axel's hands shaking.

Mark wanted to ask Axel everything. Why he cared so much about what other people thought? Was he bullied before? Was his family extremely conservative and homophobic? Had he come out before and it went wrong?

Mark had to choose his next words very carefully.

"They won't know,"said Mark. "Not until you're ready."

Axel didn't say anything. He just stayed like that for a while. Mark didn't want to move him. He just wanted to cuddle him just a little while longer. But he knew they had to get up and go to the game.