The Angel And The Youtuber

18

Mark was in his bedroom, packing bags for him and Jack. He heard the bedroom door open as he zipped up the bags, and turned to see Felix close the door behind him. He looked up at Mark. "We haven't really gotten a chance to talk since we met. Just the two of us, I mean."

Mark nodded. "I know. Jack always spoke highly of you. I've wanted to really talk to you and get to know you for a while."

Felix nodded. "Same here." He sat down on the edge of the bed. "But right now, I'm not here to get to know you. There's more pressing matters at hand, and something more important that I need to talk to you about."

Mark nodded. "Okay, what's up?"

Felix paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "You know by now that Jack's been at the lab since he was born. Being there for that long means that he's met a lot of people who have come and gone. A couple months before Marzia and I arrived, there was a newcomer to the lab. His name was Cry. He and Jack hit it off right away- they were best friends, and almost inseparable. I found them talking and laughing with each other every chance they got, whenever they were together."

"What happened to him?" Mark asked. "Jack hasn't said anything about him yet to me."

"That part's a little more... complicated. I knew something was up a year after I got there. Jack was being weird. He wouldn't sleep, wouldn't eat. One day, he asked me the weirdest question. He asked me, 'what's it like to be in love'. I told him all of the signs, and he listened carefully to each one. I didn't really know why he was asking, until that night. When  we were all eating dinner together, at our table that we all sat at, he told Cry that he loved him."

Mark stared. "I'm not sure I like where this is going..."

Felix ignored his statement. "Cry said nothing. He got up and left the table. Jack was really upset about it. He spilled everything to me- how he was bi, and how he liked Cry since he got there. I already knew that Cry was bi, as well, and I kind of expected him to have the same feelings. I told Jack that everything was okay, and Cry probably left to go collect his thoughts. The next day, the scientists found Cry dead in his room from suicide."

"Oh my God, no..." Mark muttered. "Why? Why did he do that?"

"No one knows. There was nothing left behind to tell us. Jack took it to heart and closed himself off. He changed dramatically, and never let someone new into his life. He promised me that he would never open his heart again to fall in love with someone else because he truly believed it would end in the same way. Mark, that was five years ago. He's gone five years without meeting someone new and opening himself up again." Felix stared at Mark, who held his breath. "Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you? Do you know how special that makes you? You're the first person that Jack has ever really opened up to in five years. And he allowed himself to fall in love with you. Don't ever take that for granted."

"I won't." Mark almost whispered. "I swear it."

"Also. Jack said his wings weren't strong enough to carry him, and that's why he fell into your pool when he escaped. I'm here to tell you that he was lying."

"What? But why-"

"Because I know what it feels like to find the one." Felix and Mark both turned to the bedroom door, finding it open with Jack standing in the doorway, looking at the carpet. "it only takes one look, and you know that you've found someone special." Jack looked up, catching Mark's eye. "I could've flown all the way across the country. I flew over your backyard, just as you were coming outside with Chica. I saw you, and I was entranced. I was in love again, without even knowing your name or what your voice sounded like. I waited until Matt and Ryan left before flying straight into the pool because I knew I just had to meet you, even if things would end badly because of it."

Mark's throat closed up. "Jack..."

Jack stepped toward him, cupping his face in his hands. "Mark. Please don't be another Cry. I won't be able to live with myself if it happened again. Please don't leave me."

Mark pulled Jack close, resting his chin on Jack's shoulder. "Jesus, Jack. Never. I can't do that, even if I wanted to."

Jack let go of a quiet sob. "I love you, Mark."

"I love you, too, Jack."

Felix watched as the two men embraced, smiling to himself. He looked into the hallway, watching as Marzia walked over, curious. She caught Felix's eye and smiled, blowing him a kiss. He smiled back, standing from the bed and walking over to her, taking her hand.

"What did you do?" She asked him quietly.

"What I had to." He kissed her cheek. "I had to make sure he knew."