fluffy - axel x mark

60 - the problem with nathan

A few weeks after the match, Axel decided to treat Mark to a date. At nowhere other than the ramen restaurant, of course.

Mr Hillman was there, of course, and he congratulated them yet again on their victory.

"You two work very well together,"he said.

Mark and Axel both grinned at each other. The sexual tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and they couldn't resist it after long, so they ended up not even finishing their ramen.

Instead, they went behind the restaurant and started making out.

"Remember our first kiss was here,"Axel said.

Mark gasped. "You remembered?"

"How could I forget?"

Axel was sweaty, and Mark felt like he was practically melting too. Why did Axel keep getting better looking?

They gazed at each other for a few seconds before Axel whispered in Mark's ear.

"Shut up and kiss me."

*********

Nathan felt like a stalker, but he didn't care. He watch Axel and Mark laugh over their noodles. Then he watched them go behind the restaurant, looking flushed.

He couldn't follow them any further, so he went to an ice cream shop across the road to drown his sorrows in ice cream. Unfortunately for him, Miles was there.

"Hey, Nathan!"she beamed.

He nodded at her to acknowledge her existence, and she sat across from him.

"How's the soccer life been treating you?"

Nathan grunted.

"Are you sure you don't want to come back to track?"

Nathan was silent, but he considered it. Would it really be so bad to quit soccer? Sure, he wouldn't see Mark as often, but he also wouldn't see Mark and Axel together so often.

"I don't know, Miles. I do miss track, I guess. But Raimon are in the tournament now. I can hardly abandon them, you know?"

Miles started talking about something or other, while Nathan unattractively stuffed his face with ice-cream.

"Come with me to track practice!"Miles eventually said.

Nathan laughed. "I'll spew my guts out!"

"Not to take part!"she giggled. "Just to watch. For today anyways."

Nathan could see the look in her eyes, and felt terrible. So he found himself agreeing.

He hated himself for not liking Miles back. He longed to be happy having Miles as his girlfriend, but he just didn't like her like that.

He followed her to the track, and soon enough, he found himself running along with the rest of the team, even though he said he wasn't going to. Miles had a way with words, she always had.

Nathan loved the feeling of the wind through his hair, and the freeness he felt when he was running. He thought about how much easier it was to be on the track team. No weird plots from other teams, no plans for world domination, no unrequited love..... On his end at least.

It was strange how much Nathan was suddenly considering leaving the soccer team.

*******

Later that day, when Nathan didn't show up to practice, Mark was worried. Where was he? What was taking him so long?

Nathan eventually turned up late, and during practice, he kept missing shots. Mark was extremely worried about him.

"What's going on with you?"Mark asked. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah!"he said, but he wasn't convincing anybody, including himself.

********

Later that night, Mark and Axel had snuck to the clubhouse for some alone time.

Axel was sitting on a beanbag, and Mark was sitting on his lap. Axel was absentmindedly running his hands through Mark's hair. They were sleepy, but they couldn't be happier.

Except for one little worry.

"I'm worried about him, Axel,"Mark whispered.

"I know."

"What do you thinks up with him?"

"I saw him talking to that track girl that's in love with him. Do you maybe think she has something to do with it?"

"Now that you say it, it is strange that he's talking to her,"Mark said. "Usually he goes out of his way to avoid her."

"Hmm,"Axel sighed. "Let's not worry about it tonight."

Mark felt guilty about how easy it was to stop worrying about his friend when he was in Axel's arms.