Now See Here! (m/m)

In the Public Eye

A/N: Helooo! It's Saturday again and I can now announce that this story WILL be 10 chapters long, so we're coming up towards the end here… an extra HUGE thank you to my beta TheCookieMonster this time, because we have both been working our asses off to get everything done before she ABANDONES me and goes on vacation with her family… pft… that's loyalty for you… ;) So here you go, people, chapter 8…

Now See Here!

Chapter 8: In the Public Eye

"Jake?" Mark took a step back from sheer surprise and the man took that as an invitation to enter.

"I'm sorry for just stopping by, but I still don't have your number… and we really need to talk."

"This isn't a good time-" Mark began.

"It will only take a few minutes." Jake was using his there's-no-use-arguing business voice and Mark closed the door again, sighing.

"Fine. A few minutes," he said and gestured for the man to move further into the apartment so they wouldn't have to stand in the small hallway. They entered the open plan kitchen/living room area and there the blond stopped. "Yes?" he asked. He wouldn't start talking, he wanted to see if the man came clean first.

"About what happened on Monday; I'm very sorry if I offended you, I know you're not a child… but with everything that happened… I got scared. I don't do scared very well."

"Yes, but-"

The man put his hands on Mark's shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I'm not quite done yet. I shouldn't have left without talking to you. I tried to get a hold of you, even Lance, but I was offered a really cheap last minute plane ticket, so… and I hoped that you needed time to think as well."

"You took a plane to go see that guy?!" Mark exclaimed.

"What?"

"I overheard you talking to him by the elevator! That it was over and you love him and couldn't wait to take him out and-"

"That was my ma."

"What?"

"I was talking to my mother back in Chicago!" Jake claimed.

"But… oh… but you said you were free!"

"Yes, I had just finished a big report I've been working on for weeks, so I could finally take a few days to go see her. I would have waited until this weekend, but… she has a few anxiety problems and she sounded like she really needed to see me."

"I… I…" Mark didn't know what to say. He was stumped. If Jake hadn't been cheating… well, now it felt like it was all Mark's fault, dammit! "I'm… I'm sorry… I…"

"It's okay, you just misunderstood. I understand what it must have sounded like."

"Yes, but… in the theatre… I… I was scared too! I was so scared! And then I got angry! And I'm an idiot!"

"Pft, that makes two of us," Jake chuckled. "But do you think two idiots can try again?" he added in a soft voice, one of his hands now playing with the hair on the back of Mark's head.

"Yes… yes I think they could…" Mark smiled. The man's hand moved to cup his cheek, tilting it up very slightly and Mark closed his eyes. When the lips touched his, it felt so right, so perfect, so-

"Hi sweetie, we're he-oh."

"Mom!" Mark hadn't had anything so close to a heart attack in his life. Even his knees gave out so Jake had to grab him to keep him from falling flat on his ass.