The Time Taken to Understand (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Four ~ Mark

Mark couldn't help but smile as Alec immediately began to adjust the driver's seat the second he sat in it. Alec was 5'9, which wasn't a bad height, but Mark was 6'2, so some things were different for them. For example, Alec's feet could barely reach the gas pedal when he sat in a car that Mark he recently driven. It was funny to Mark, so he would constantly be adjusting the seat so the boy had to do it again.

When his seat was adjusted, Alec turned to look in the back, grimacing. "Maybe we should drop this stuff off first". Since they had yet to go to Alec's apartment, all of the boxes he had brought, which weren't many, but still enough to take up space, were still in the trunk of Mark's car. Mark nodded in agreement. 

"Do you know where you live?" Mark asked, and Alec looked momentarily amused. He laughed sweetly and Mark swallowed, thinking that his laugh was too pure and genuine to be head as little at it was. He stared at the boy with wonder. 

"I have no idea," he said, though his laugh was relaxed. "I don't know where I live". Mark smiled. Alec's laughs had died down, but he continued to chuckle as he pulled out of the parking lot, smiling to himself.

"What are we going to do with you?" Mark asked, shaking his head. 

The situation became a lot less funny when it occurred to Alec that he had no place to live, and no way to find out. "The address was saved in my phone," he had said, confident, as if that would help, but when Mark asked him where his phone was he became very quiet. 

"Oh, no no no," Mark said, and Alec pulled over to the side of the road. "Don't tell me that you lost your phone". Alec grimaced.

"Okay, I won't tell you then". Mark groaned. 

"Alec, you have a problem". Alec rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I know. Pointing out doesn't make it go away though. Let's check in the back". It wasn't there. Of course it wasn't. Mark simply put his head in his hands, wondering what to do with his best friend. They were standing outside of Mark's car, looking into the trunk. Alec slowly shut it and turned to Mark. "I'm sorry". 

Mark lifted his head and looked at Alec. "This is why no one wants you to live alone," he claimed, and Alec sighed, looking into the car. His face changed suddenly. "What?" Alec bit his lip. "Alec, I swear to god you better tell me or I'm leaving you here".

"Your keys are still in the car". Mark peered through the back window and sure enough, he could still see them, hanging from the ignition. "And we are outside of the car... which means...."

Mark walked around the car and tried to open the door. It was locked. He simply looked at Alec for a moment and shook his head, a small smile coming to his face. "I should be so mad at you right now". Alec nodded in agreement. "I should kill you right here on the side of the street". Alec looked like he agreed less with this than he had with the other statement. "But I'm not going to".

"You're not," Alec agreed. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Mark shook his head in disbelief. 

"Do you remember how to get back to Adam's apartment?" Mark asked, and Alec seemed to be thinking for a long moment.

"It's your apartment too," Alec pointed out, and Mark stood, looking down at him. Without another word, he stepped around Alec and started down the sidewalk, his hands tucked into the pockets of his dark jeans as he walked. "I forgot the keys in the car. Of course I don't," Alec said simply. Mark heard Alec the other to walk behind him, but he seemed to be purposely trying not to fall in pace with him. Mark stopped, waiting for him to catch up.

Alec's habit of losing everything was frustrating, sure, but there was really nothing to be done about it. It was why Alec didn't cook, because after Mark and Adam would have their plates full of food, he'd always suddenly remember that he had forgotten the most important ingredient and then decided that none of them could eat it. Alec said he would be going to bed, and then come out of his room fifty times throughout the night because he had forgotten his phone charger or to brush his teeth or his pants. Mark had just learned to laugh along.