Philophobia

The Morning

Updates are slow, I know, schools coming to an end so I'm getting a bunch of work for end of year tests and stuff.

Until I can get the next chapter out, I decided to write this excerpt to tide you over. It isn't very good, be warned.

Here you go ;)

P.S: Nothing quite like when you try to write fluff and it turns into angst, am I right?

- Lyn

Jacks POV:

Somewhere in the distance I could hear the faint sounds of a bustling city as I snuggled in closer to the warmth of the bed. The soft sheets sat gently on my shoulders, and I felt as though I could have frozen time to stay in this moment forever. I hadn't heard my alarm, so that meant I'd woken up early, which gave me more time to sleep before I had to wake up Mark.

Remembering last night, I thought about how crazy it had been because a certain dude hadn't taken his pills, but I guess it was alright because he had done it so he wasn't drugged while spending time with me. He was always trying to make me happy, always doing what I wanted while not considering the consequences. He constantly was throwing compliments at me that seemed to border on flirting, which made me blush really awfully. He was so giving, so kind, that I honestly didn't understand why I seemed to be his only friend. In the back of my mind I had been considering the idea that there was a deeper, more ingrained reason as to why he was so alone, but I ignored it. It didn't make any sense.

The thought still did make me wonder though.

Opening my eyes to the dimly lit room, I let my eyes adjust to the darkness. Scanning my surroundings, I noticed that I wasn't in my own room. To tired to care, I assumed I had just fallen asleep in the wrong room because of how spacious Mark's apartment was. Just as I was about to turn over though, I noticed something was holding me down. Glancing over to my side, my heart just about stopped as I saw an arm wrapped around me. I knew exactly whose it was too.

As I finally began to wake up, I realized that I was sleeping in Mark's room right next to him, and that he was spooning me, being that I was pressed right up against him. How we had gotten into this position was a mystery, especially since Mark was injured, but nonetheless I was here and freaking out. Not wanting to move in fear I might wake him, or even worse hurt him, I sat still, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly Mark groaned in a low voice and pulled me closer to him, adjusting so that he was basically enveloping me. For a short guy he was incredibly muscular, and made up for his height in broadness.

A light blush was forming on my cheeks, and I felt a rush go through my body that pooled in my stomach. I was hyper aware of every part of Mark, his arms, stomach, face, and especially his dick, which was quite easy to notice under his thin boxers. I swallowed hard as I noticed Mark move a little, and I realized he was beginning to wake up.

"Mark?" I asked quietly, being careful not to accidentally wake him if he wasn't already.

"Ya?" I heard him reply.

Knowing he was awake made me freak out, and I wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. It was so embarrassing being this close to him, and yet there was a part of me that didn't want to leave.

"Did I wake you?" I asked.

"No, I've been up."

"What?! F-for how long?"

"Oh about twenty minutes."

"Why didn't you say anything? I didn't move because I was afraid I might hurt you."

"Sure that's the reason you didn't leave Jack," Mark mumbled, and I breathed in sharply as he shifted his body so that his head was in line with my neck, "Sure it was." He finished, letting out a sigh. A shiver went down my spine, and Mark seemed to notice because I could almost feel him smirking.

"Uh, Mark, maybe we should ge-" I started.

I froze in the middle of my sentence as Mark's lips brushed the back of my neck, and heat flooded my body, causing me to let out an involuntarily gasp. I should have told him to stop, this wasn't right, we weren't soulmates, but I stayed silent as Mark moved closer once more.

Suddenly Mark's alarm went off and I prepared to get up to stop it, but Mark rolled over and hit it, letting out a sound of pain.

"Why'd you do that," I scolded him, trapped once again under his arm, "That was your injured arm!"

Mark paused for a moment, then snuggled up close to me while relaxing his body. After a moment of anticipation filled quiet, he spoke again.

"What can I say, if you had gotten up you would have left, isn't that right?" He questioned, not expecting an answer because he knew it was true.

"We can't do this Mark, we aren't-" I said, getting cut off by Mark squeezing me tight.

"No," He said, "No. I know this isn't right, I know this is scaring you, but please. Its been a very long time since I've cared about someone as much as I've come to care about you, and I don't think I can stand to watch someone I care about get taken away by their soulmate again."

As he spoke the mood in the room shifted from playful to serious, and I barely moved as I pondered his words. People tended to confess things when they were tired, this I knew, but hearing Mark finally letting his feelings out a little was heart wrenching nonetheless.

"Mark, you're only eighteen," I said, trying to understand him, "You have your whole life ahead of you to find your soulmate."

Finally rolling around to face him, my embarrassment shoved to the back of my mind, I gasped when I saw there were slight tears streaming down his face.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

Mark didn't say anything and just pulled me to his chest so that I could feel his heart beat.

"Please." He said, no louder than a whisper.

"Just let me have something, let me have you for once, and no one else." Mark finished.

I tried to find the words to say, a phrase to comfort him or otherwise, but I came up empty. I felt even more confused about who Mark was than I had, and had gained more questions than answers. All I knew was that he seemed to be someone stuck where they weren't supposed to be, and I wasn't sure why I believed that. Either way, I closed my eyes and let myself relax on Mark, comforting him best I could. He needed someone right now, no restrictions or rules attached, and I would give him that. We wouldn't be friends or lovers for the moment, just together, nothing expected and everything desired.

"I can do that." I finally replied, and I felt Mark smile slightly, his tears coming to a stop.

After a few minutes of comforting silence, we both fell back asleep, so comforted by the presence of the other it was hard to stay awake.

In time, we would wake up, and go back to how things were. For now, we would pretend the world wasn't there, and hold onto the feeling of being in the others arms.