The Time Taken to Understand (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Seven~ Mark

A/N This is it. I'm so excited to post this. I've been wanting to write this chapter for the past six years. I honestly can't wait

Alec was bouncing in the passenger seat of Adam's car, humming along to an upbeat song on the radio. It was a short drive, but Mark went around the block a couple of times before pulling into the parking of his and Adam's place. Even then, Alec pouted when Mark turned the car off and the music died away. He stayed in his seat, even as Mark got out of the car. Mark watched him through the windshield as he simply sat there, looking around like he was lost. Shaking his head, Mark rounded the car, opening the passenger side door and saying, "Come On baby," without thinking. He paused, his hand on Alec's arm, but he chose to put it behind him as the younger boy slid out of the car and looked up at him with a smile.

"What are we doing here?" Alec asked cheerfully, following Mark into the building and up the stairs. "Are we going to sleep here?"

"No," Mark said, simply, ignoring Alec's panting as they approached the landing to his floor. "I'm going to get drunk because you're starting to drive me insane, and then I'll walk you home".

"Why can't I just stay here," Alec said as Mark unlocked the door to the room. He felt Alec's hand on his upper arm as the door swung open. Mark went in first, followed by a giggling Alec who collapsed on the couch.

"Do you want to listen to Adam having sex all night?" Mark asked, and Alec looked at him, his wide eyes very curious.

"What?"

"Yeah. Me either". Mark looked at the ceiling, shaking his head. Ignoring Alec's continuous chatter, he went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. Adam had drank all of the beer yesterday, and Mark wasn't going to let that happen with the new twelve pack. Alec asked him what he was doing and Mark looked at him from over the island before taking a beer, his blue eyes still on the other boy.

Mark shot gunned it, tilting his head back. The liquid was cool going down his throat, but still foul tasting. When the can was empty he threw it on the counter. Alec watched him with curious eyes. "Can you teach me to do that?" Mark tried to look at him seriously, but he laughed, shaking his head.

"You're like a bunny," He said, quite stupidly. "Bunny's can't do this". Alec huffed as he dropped back against the couch. Mark watched his mouth as he talked to himself.

Mark took out another and did the same thing. A third. A forth. A fifth.

He stopped after the fifth because he really didn't feel like vomiting all over the place. He wouldn't get drunk off of five, but enough so that he would be able to deal with Alec.

Both of his hands were on the counter as he leaned over it, taking deep breaths, trying to keep the liquid down. When he looked up to see what Alec was doing, he discovered the boy was gone. The front door was still closed, and he would have heard it if it had opened, so Mark wasn't concerned that he had tried to run away.

There were only three other rooms in the apartment, which were Mark's room, Adam's room, and the bathroom.

Alec was in the bathroom rinsing his mouth with water. "Did you get sick?" Mark asked him, and Alec shook his head, spitting water into the sink.

"Can we go to my place now?" Alec asked, and Mark watched him run his tongue over his white teeth. "I want to brush my teeth". Even when he was drunk he was weird, Mark thought with a smile, but he didn't say it now, afraid the boy may take it as an insult, even though it wasn't.

"Sure," Mark said, feeling his head cloud as the five beers went to his head. "I need to just sit down".

"Are you okay?" For some reason, maybe it was because he rinsed his mouth, or walked on his own, but he seemed more sober. He followed Mark to the couch, placing a cold hand on his head. Alec's hands were always cold. "Let's hang out here a while longer, yeah?"