Middle of the Week Motivation

In The Right Places

Jack laid in the grass next to Mark, his hand in boyfriend's as they stared up at the stars. Mark, who was greatly enjoying the night sky, was gently rubbed his thumb across Jack's knuckles. Usually Jack would be smiling, curled up right next to Mark as he listened to the surrounding nature or crickets and wind. He loved the nights when he and Mark would lay in their backyard and stare up at the sky, always within each other's arms. But tonight, Jack wasn't curled up with Mark in grass as the chill air nipped at their skin. Tonight he wasn't even smiling, which was strange for the green-haired Irishman. Mark noticed Jack's silence and rolled to his side, propping his head up with his arm. Jack turned his head to look at Mark, giving him a soft smile. "Do you wanna go back inside?" Mark asked.

Jack nodded, standing up with Mark and treading quietly across the grass as he moved towards the back door. Mark frowned as Jack immediately walked into their bedroom, flopping onto the bed.

"Hey Muffin," Mark asked as he sat next to Jack, "are you okay?"

Jack nodded, looking up at the plain ceiling. "Yeah," he sighed.

Mark scowled and sat up, moving Jack's hand, which originally rested on his stomach, into his own, giving it a small squeeze. "Babe, what's wrong? Please tell me."

Closing his eyes, Jack let out another sigh, knowing full-well that Mark wasn't going to get off his case until he fessed up his thoughts. "I'm just thinking."

Mark raised an eyebrow, half-expecting the short answer he just received. "You know that's my job right?" he half joked.

Jack chuckled, a small smile playing at his lips. They sat in silence for a bit longer until Mark asked, "What're you thinking about?"

"Humankind," Jack answered.

Mark huffed, slightly annoyed with his short answers. "What specifically?"

Jack laid in silence, gently freeing his hand from Mark's grasp and placing the back of it over his eyes. "Jack," Mark gently prodded, trying to get some answers out of his scarily quiet boyfriend.

"Why are people so... horrible to everyone... to everything? They just, take what they want no matter who gets hurt, and they're so rude to people. And they don't care. They just carry on with life, despite the fact that they've hurt people."

This was a question Mark had asked himself the same thing several times, and he never seemed to find an answer. But now that Jack was asking, he needed to say something, and fast.

"Why do people love each other, Jack?"

"It's human nature. It's what we do when we like someone and want to be with them."

"Exactly."

Jack's face remained expressionless as he pondered the thought. "What?"

"It's human nature. People kiss when they're in love. Yell when they're mad. Cry when they're sad. People will be hateful towards each other just because they can be, but that doesn't mean everyone is. Some people are kind, and loving, and generous, and they would do anything just to help the people they love. Not everyone is horrible, Jack, you just need to look in the right places."

Jack removed his hand from his face and finally opened his eyes. "Like you?"

Mark narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What?"

Jack smiled and sat up, then leaning forward and softly kissing Mark. "You're kind." Jack moved so he was sitting in Mark's lap. "You're loving." He then snaked his arms up Mark's shirt, gently rubbing his back. "You're generous." Carefully, he pulled Mark's shirt off and tossed it to the side. "And you would do anything just to help the people you love."

Jack placed his hands on Mark's chest, pushing him down onto the mattress. Mark smiled, pulling Jack down for a kiss. After they pulled apart, Jack laid down on top of Mark, drawing shapes on his bare chest. Mark smiled, grabbing the bottom of Jack's shirt and pulling in off. "What do you think about humankind now?"

Jack chuckled, the sound almost a hum. "There are some amazing people in the world. I just need to look in the right places."

Mark wrapped his arms around Jack, nuzzling his face into the Irishman's green hair. "I love you, Jack."

Jack smiled, feeling himself become drowsy. "I love you too Mark."