Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

William started working at Burger Mart in the summer before his senior year of high school. His dad said he needed a job over the break to make some cash and prepare for the “real world”. And even though his mom would miss having him cook dinner every night, she had agreed. So, naturally, he called his only friend, the one with a job to hook him up. It wasn’t too difficult for Mark to get his grumpy manager, Cheryl, to agree. They always needed some extra hands in the store. Turns out there is a high turnover rate for working minimum wage jobs in the fast food industry. How shocking.

As horrible as the job was, though, William and Mark made it exciting. Their many years of friendship and days worth of sitting around with nothing to do had taught them how to entertain each other no matter the circumstance. They competed to see who could sell the most milkshakes with the shitty strawberry flavoring, who could avoid washing the bathroom for the longest, and of course, who could get employee of the month and the free burger that came with it. Much to William’s chagrin, Mark had managed to keep his 5-month streak when the announcement came at the end of June.

“I think I have July in the bag if I do so say myself,” William called out to Mark. William was lazily mopping the floor with his headphones in, and Mark was scrambling to cash out the register and close the store for the night. Each boy was eager to escape the harsh fluorescent lighting of Burger Mart and return to the Grayson household.

“I wouldn’t be too sure yet,” Mark called back, smiling, “I’m pretty Cheryl has a kinda of crush on me.” William laughed at that and spun the mop to point it at Mark accusingly.

“No fair, Grayson. You can’t use your devilish looks to charm our manager into giving you a free burger! I’ve been mopping hard for that.”

Mark only chuckled and turned to hide his flushing face from his friend. He didn’t know why, but lately that had been happening more and more around William. All this time spent together over the summer had brought them closer than ever, and Mark didn’t know how to feel about it. Of course, he was grateful to spend time with his best friend, but they had been close before William started working shifts with him. Now they spent so much time together, even his parents were starting to wonder if they were just friends, despite Mark having confessed to his mother that he was too scared to ask out this red-headed girl in their grade. It didn’t help that sometimes, after they both did the night shift, like tonight, William would sleep over at Mark’s out of convenience. It just made sense, since William drove them both, and Mark’s house was closer. William already had an established drawer in Mark’s dresser, and it’s not like his parents were unfamiliar with him in the house. Maybe their boundaries were simply disappearing after so much time together. Codependency, is that what they call it?

“Hurry up back there!” William shouted, breaking Mark from his frozen position by the cash register. He started counting the bills again. “I wanna be back at your house before eleven so we can try and watch some of that show I’ve been telling you about. I heard it gets really good-”

Mark smiled as William began to ramble about the latest bout of trashy reality TV he was obsessed with, and let himself relax at the thought of being curled up in bed, letting his brain shut off with William and the TV in the background. Mark used that thought as motivation to cash out his drawer.

“Alright, alright! I’m all done over here. How’s the mopping coming?” Mark moved from behind the counter to grab his and William’s stuff from the lockers. Cheryl said they didn’t have room for them to get their own, so they’d shared the only locker available to them. A tiny metal box whose lock didn't work, and barely fit each of their bags. When he came back, he saw William standing quietly, admiring his shiny floors and bobbing his head to some music. When Mark strained to hear what songs he was listening to, he thought he heard Gaga or Beyoncé. It was usually one of those two. Mark always let William on AUX when they drove together, so he had become used to hearing William’s favorite songs. Some had even found their way into Mark’s own playlists.

Walking up behind him, he clapped Will on the shoulder and handed him his car keys. “Let’s get out of here.” William smiled at him and hurriedly wheeled the mop cart into the back closet and tossed his apron into some corner before sprinting out of the store.

“To freedom!” he shouted at the sky, punching his fist in the air while Mark could only shake his head in amusement and lock the store doors behind them.

“We survived another day,” he sighed as he moved to sit in the passenger’s seat. William had already started the car and connected his phone to the speaker, blasting some pop song from the eighties as he drove them back home. Mark always admired how, even if William was out of key, he kept singing. It made it easier for Mark not to feel so embarrassed when he quietly sang along.

When they pulled into the parking lot, Mark got out of the car and opened William’s door, who was busy taking his key out of the ignition and unplugging his phone. “Why, thank you, kind sir,” William said, bowing his head mockingly. Mark only rolled his eyes and went to open the front door.

“Hi! Welcome home, boys!” Debbie’s welcome rang out to them from the kitchen. Mark had texted her on the drive home that William would be spending the night again, much to her delight. “I knew you were gonna be home late, so I reheated some pasta for you two.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Most teenagers would find having such a doting mother embarrassing, but Mark was grateful for her constant attention. Lately, his dad seemed more distant, and Mark had been chalking it up to a growing frustration about Mark’s powers not emerging. His mom hadn’t said anything to Mark yet, but he guessed she sensed it too, and had been doing her best to show her son how much she loved him. And William and her were far too close for Mark to be worried about any sort of judgment.

Right on cue, William walked through the door behind Mark, pushing past him into the kitchen, “Hello, Mrs. Grayson! Thanks for letting me stay over again. You know this place has really become my second home.”

Mrs. Grayson laughed and brushed off the dirty blonde’s show of gratitude, “Oh, there’s no need to thank me, William. You’ve been Mark’s best friend for years, I’m just glad you two still like spending so much time together. I can’t even stand being around Nolan this much.” The two laughed at that, but Mark couldn’t help but blush a little a the comment. He didn’t know if he was comfortable with the comparison his mother seemed to be making, and he rubbed the nape of his neck as he walked into the kitchen and sat down at the counter to begin eating.

William had already started and managed to spit out some form of praise between his ravenous bites. Mark quickly forgot his earlier embarrassment at the sight of his friend stuffing his face and trying to breathe between bites without food falling. He managed to give some advice between his own laughter and eating, “Slow down, Will, you could choke.”

It was William’s turn to roll his eyes, and he only kept chowing on his meal, waving off Mark’s concern. To be fair, the food was delicious, and Mark couldn’t help but join in William’s groans of pleasure as the hot food made its way down their throats. Burger Mart had nothing on Debbie Grayson.

“All right, boys, you have fun. And don’t go to bed too late! Goodnight!” Mark’s mom made her way up the stairs from the kitchen as William and Mark both waved and wished her goodnight. As soon as they heard her door close upstairs, William turned towards Mark, “So, how late do you think we can stay up? You know, we don’t have work tomorrow. Also, do you think your mom would notice if we finished the bottle of wine she left down here?” He gestured with his head to the almost full bottle of red wine Mrs. Grayson must’ve taken out for her dinner earlier. It had become a sort of secret tradition with the two of them that when they had the opportunity to, they would drink together. It’s not like they got invited to a lot of parties, and neither of them wanted to be inexperienced before college.

It took Mark a second to catch up to all his friend said, “Dude, you just heard my mom. If we stay up again, we have to be quiet this time, okay! No yelling at whatever TV show you’re gonna make me watch.”

“Okay, two things. First of all, I’m glad you’ve already accepted your fate about what we’re watching tonight. Second, you were yelling too! And first, if I remember correctly. Markus Grayson, as much as you try and pretend to hate my shows, you know you love them.”

Mark groaned, “Ugh, fine. But seriously, we have to keep it down. I don’t need any more lectures or glares from my Dad. And if we do drink, can we keep it to a minimum?”

At the mention of his Dad, William put down his fork to rub Mark’s shoulder comfortingly. He didn’t say anything, but he knew how much pressure Mark put on himself to try and make his father proud. If he had to keep his big mouth shut for one night so Mark could be a little more at ease, he would do it. Mark appreciated the gesture, even though he knew William didn't understand the extent of the strain surrounding him and Mr. Grayson.

“You got it. No noise and no sloppiness.” William paused, before smirking, “But do recall, I’m not the one who peed himself last time.” His voice raised teasingly at the end, and Mark face-palmed at the memory of the last time they’d managed to get in his parents' liquor cabinet. “Dude, you promised not to bring that up again!” William laughed as Mark only hid his shame by filling his mouth with another bite.

It had been a late night at Mark’s house the week after the fourth, when his parents were out of town, and William had left Mark alone to call his mom and make sure she knew he was alive. While he had been gone, Mark lost count of how much he drank and had ended up barely able to walk. Even to the bathroom. William had returned to find a misty-eyed Mark in a puddle of his own pee outside the bathroom door. Mark hadn’t forgotten the sobering feeling of humiliation, but William had been nothing but kind. No sass and no snide comments. He only helped Mark change out of his stained clothes and hop into the shower. By the time Mark had felt steady and clean enough to come out, William had already cleaned everything up and started a load of laundry.

“Yeah, I know, but I’m just making sure you know that you’re the one who’s going to be watched carefully tonight.” William went back to eating his food, but for the second time that night, Mark couldn’t help but feel a tug in his stomach at the way William phrased his words toward Mark. How would he be watching Mark? What did carefully mean? The thought of William focusing his attention on Mark made Mark squeamish in a way he wasn’t used to. He didn’t like how out of touch he felt with his own emotions. Everything was usually so easy with William.

“Whatever,” Mark scoffed, brushing off his queasiness and putting down his food. “I’m gonna go shower.” William simply nodded and whipped out his phone to scroll as Mark went to wash off the day’s worth of grime that had built up on him at work.

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Mark stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and ready to rest. His hair was still damp, and his grey NASA t-shirt clung to the moisture on his skin as he shuffled down the hall to his bedroom. William had opted to use the shower downstairs in the meantime, so Mark swung himself onto his bed and opened his computer to find William’s show. The bed creaked beneath his weight, and Mark scooted over to the far side of the bed to give William his preferred spot.

Though there was a TV downstairs, Mark was always careful not to try and wake his parents with the excessive volume. Surround sound speakers were no joke. Besides, it was easier to fall asleep watching the shows when they were in bed instead of on the couch. Mark didn’t see the point in them falling asleep anywhere besides his childhood bed, since he and William had both admitted to sleeping better on 2the bed than off it. It felt more natural anyway, because they’d been doing it since they were kids, and he slept on Will’s bed when he stayed the night there.

He spent a few minutes scrolling through rows of Netflix shows until he landed on the one he recognized. A low-budget, high-entertainment reality competition show where contestants competed to find love, voted each other off, and tried to earn fifty thousand dollars doing it. Mark wasn’t too big of a fan, though he did indulge for William’s sake; he preferred superhero and sci-fi shows like Seancé Dog, though he couldn’t say that out loud to anyone except William. And William always shot him down when he suggested it. Unless Mark was sick.

Just as Mark was about to consider pleading with William to let them watch it, he walked into the room, and Mark lost his train of thought. He was wearing a thin white shirt, Mark could see his chest through, and plaid pajama pants that hung low on his slim waist. Mark knew William only had the shirt on because he insisted. He was fine with William being gay and all, but Mark, for the sake of himself and his parents, insisted they keep their shirts on while sleeping in the same bed, even if they’d both rather sleep shirtless, especially during the summer.

Before Mark could collect himself, William’s sharp voice cut through the thickening silence, “So are we watching this thing or what?” Mark swallowed hard as William leapt onto the bed and scooted closer to Mark, settling his right leg against Mark’s left. This is how they’d always done it, so Mark didn’t know why his eyes lingered on their bordering legs or why his skin tingled. “Yeah, yeah,” he managed to sputter out, “What episode were we on again?”

William had given him a sideways glance for the brief pause, but rolled at the question. “Jeez, man, it hasn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since we last watched this. Episode nine, season three.” Will reached over into Mark’s lap and scooped the computer so it sat on each of their legs, and quickly clicked until he found his episode and pressed play. Mark was grateful that William was focused on the show and not his face. His face and neck felt all warm again, and Mark internally sighed at how many times this had been happening to him lately.

“Oh shit,” William interrupted, “I forgot to grab the wine from downstairs, I’ll be right back.” He paused the show and hopped off the bed before Mark could say anything. He felt the ridiculous urge to call William back in, but he knew how stupid that sounded, and that Will would be back soon enough. So he just sat in silence, missing the warmth of his friend who had just been sitting next to him.

__

William hadn’t forgotten the wine on purpose, but he was grateful for the excuse to leave that room. Mark had been acting a bit strange lately, and being pressed up so close against him hadn’t helped William’s confusion surrounding his best friend.

Of course, throughout late middle and early high school, he’d developed a crush on Mark. It was only natural. He was smart, caring, handsome, and he and William had been getting along great for years. The only issue, of course, was Mark’s sexuality, and William thought he had been able to let go of it late in their freshman year after Mark tripped and spilled his lunch all over himself in front of a girl he was walking to talk to. William smiled as he remembered the look on the girl's face and the way he’d comforted Mark in the bathroom stalls so he didn’t cry in class.

But it was harder to let go of his affection for Mark than he initially thought. He simply couldn’t not feel something for the boy who’d hugged him when he’d been in tears coming out to him, or the boy who ran over with ice cream to William’s house after his Dad announced he was divorcing his mom. The boy who used to tie William’s shoe laces for him before they walked to the bus until he’d learned how, and the same boy who stood up to the bullies who liked to shove William on the playground. It was utterly impossible for William not to care for Mark in a deeper way, even though he knew he shouldn’t, and he knew there was no chance.

Pushing off the last step of the staircase, he walked into the kitchen, hoping this wine would drown out some of the heat that had been pooling in his stomach after sitting next to Mark in his gym shorts and that too-small NASA shirt that let William get a glance of Mark’s chest. He knew Mark had been going to the gym over the past year because of some comment his father had made about Mark “not fulfilling his potential,” whatever that meant, and though William was upset Mark had been shamed into doing it, he couldn’t help but appreciate the results. The way his shoulders had broadened, the way his arms had thickened, the way his legs looked- William stopped and shook his head before heading back upstairs. Thinking about all the minuscule details he had come to appreciate about Mark’s body was not going to help him get through another night of sleeping in the same bed as Mark Grayson.

No matter how guilty William felt about having some ulterior motives with growing closer to Mark over the past few months, he still wouldn’t risk jeopardizing their friendship over some wet dream fantasy. Steeling himself for the sake of everyone involved, he headed back up the stairs with a grip on the bottle and the hope that the wine would let him fall asleep without his thoughts lingering on Mark too long. Mornings had become a dangerous time for both of them in recent years during sleepovers, and though they’d both acknowledged and set boundaries for a potentially awkward hormone-induced scenario, William had no interest in explaining any morning mishap to Mark tomorrow.

He opened the door to Mark’s bedroom with newfound determination to be happy as only the best friend, and Mark’s welcoming smile gave him the reassurance he needed to believe he could do that. “Welcome back,” Mark joked, gesturing for William to give him the bottle as he settled back into his spot. William smiled at Mark’s teasing tone, “I come bearing gifts,” William responded, mockingly handing Mark the bottle and pressing play on the episode.

__

It wasn’t too long before each of them began to feel the effects of the alcohol kick in. Both boys felt that sweet warmth spread through their bodies after each sip, and even though it wasn’t a lot, they were both inexperienced enough at drinking that William only saw blurred figures on the computer screen by the time they’d finished the bottle and the episode. He’d barely managed to keep track of the episode with the way his resolve had crumbled with each pass of the bottle between him. Feeling Mark’s soft fingers brush his as they pushed the bottle into his palm, or his thighs shift against William’s when he turned to him to watch his reaction. Or god, when William could feel Mark’s breath against his neck when he laughed at something one of the contestants said- okay, he needed to stop seriously. William shook his head again to stop his train of thought, rubbing his temples as he attempted to quell the rising tide of arousal he felt at his and Mark’s proximity.

“What’s wrong, Will?” Mark asked, bringing a hand to his shoulder comfortingly. His soft voice did nothing to make William’s life any easier, but Mark couldn’t help but feel a rush of concern at watching his friend’s face scrunch up in frustration. William was usually so chipper after an episode.

William shook his head again, “Nothing… it’s nothing. Just a wine headache.” Mark nodded, but William’s hesitant response did nothing to stop his own confusion from bubbling up. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was exhaustion, or maybe it was Mark’s childish need to do anything he could to comfort his closest friend, but he half-hugged, half-collapsed on William, embracing the smaller man with his two arms and letting his head fall limp on his chest.
“Dude, get off me!’ William groaned, attempting to lightly shove the heavy mass of heat that had fallen on him.

“‘M tired, Will,” Mark mumbled against his chest, ignoring Will’s protests and hoping his puppy dog display of affection would cheer his friend up. Mark had known for years that Will was a sucker whenever Mark made his voice softer or used physical touch to get what he wanted. He rarely pulled out his secret weapons, saving them for special occasions like having William drive him to the mall or buy him a comic book, but tonight he felt like the best thing he could convince Will to do was let them be close. Mark felt like his friend deserved to be comforted more often, especially considering how hard he had it at home and school.

Seeing as how there was no getting the other man off him, William grumbled some sort of assent and closed the forgotten computer before leaning back against the heap of pillows on the bed. There was no other light in the room, since Mark had turned off his lamp halfway through the episode, and William was grateful the night kept his blush hidden from the boy who had his face buried in the crook of his neck right now. So Mark wouldn’t let them take their shirts off at night because it was “too gay,” but this was fine? William silently scoffed. Even though he knew almost everything about Mark, he could still confound William on occasion.

“What’s wrong?” Mark asked again gently, lifting his head up from where it was settled to stare at William. Mark's breath caught at the way the moonlight streamed across William’s face, and the way his pale blue eyes shone silver in the midnight glow. The angle, combined with the lighting, stirred something in Mark. William looked… pretty? Mark was the one shaking his head now, and William mistook it was a sign of annoyance.

“It’s fine, Mark. Really. I’m just tired.” Will smiled to try and sell his lie to Mark, but he sensed his friend knew there was something else bothering him. If only he knew, William thought. Mark only hummed again, dipping his head back down and squeezing William in reassurance. They’d cuddled before, on occasion, in lonely hours when they’d both succumb to the insecurities of adolescence, but it had been a long time since Mark had shown this much physical affection toward William, and a small part of William lightened at the clear attempt his friend was making to cheer him up.

The thought helped William relax a little, and he closed his eyes to lean back against the pillows. He brought his hands up to envelop Mark and absent-mindedly traced circles on his friend's back. When William felt his fingers graze a sliver of Mark’s skin, exposed from his shirt riding up, he paused, and a bolt of panic shot through him as he opened his eyes. He suddenly feared Mark ending the encounter out of revulsion for what had become a rather intimate moment. But his paranoia was soothed when Mark only shifted his weight, snuggling closer to William and letting out a soft sigh of contentment.

His friend seemed to be falling asleep, and William was touched at the sight of his friend's face, undisurbed except by the small uptilt at the corner of his lips, and his body sprawled out over his own. How many times had he wished for a moment like this? Under different circumstances, yes, but the small, secret part of William that couldn’t let go of his crush for Mark was satiated by the display. William simply melted further into the pillow, bringing his other hand up to Mark’s head to gently comb his fingers through his hair, the way he used to when they were kids, and Mark would still let him play with his hair. Breathing in the scent of Mark’s ocean-spray shampoo William remembered how Mark had told him that he liked the feeling because it’s what his mom would do to comfort him when cried, and though he would not admit to liking having his head scratched anymore, William still felt like he could silently return a gesture of comfort to his friend.

They sat like that for a while, their breaths synchronizing and slowing, as each boy basked in the embrace of the other. Though William thought Mark was asleep, he was very much awake. Jolted by the feeling of Will’s delicate fingers tracing patterns on his back, and then again by the shiver that ran down his spine when Will started running his hands through his hair, it was all Mark could do to keep his body still, and hope that William couldn’t see the goosebumps that had appeared all along his body. Only Mark didn’t want to ruin this rare moment of pure quiet and comfort between them. Age had made them too few and far between, and Mark wanted to enjoy the way only William could make him feel so at ease nowadays. He’d been so stressed about schoolwork, his job, getting his powers, and trying to make his parents proud that William had at times been the only thing grounding him. He wasn’t ready to let go of that right now.

William knew he couldn’t let the moment last too long, though. For the sake of his own sanity, the blood that was slowly pumping to the wrong parts of his body, and for the fact that while he could control it now, if they fell asleep like this, he would definitely not be able to control what Mark would feel pressed against his thighs in the morning.

He slowly removed his hands from where they had been caressing Mark, and moved them to his hips to try and carefully move Mark off and to the other side of the bed. Much to William’s surprise, Mark let out a whine of protest and sat up on one of his arms, halting William’s progress. “Why’d you stop?” Mark asked dejectedly, but William could offer no response. Mark’s body now caged his own, with both arms planted on either side of his chest. Mark’s face had come closer to his own when he had sat up, and now their breaths mingled in the silence after Mark’s question. “I just wanted to go to bed…” William answered meekly, avoiding eye contact with Mark. Mark seemed to sense Will’s discomfort as he inched closer to scrutinize William’s face more closely, though the haze of nighttime and drunkenness.

Mark’s brown irises met William’s blue ones through the dark, and each boy hoped the other couldn’t hear their heart pounding. Mark hadn’t meant to get so close to William’s face in his effort to discern why his best friend was being so dodgy, but now that he was here, he couldn’t help but stare. At the way William’s golden hair curled near the ends, the way he had a small collection of barely-noticeable freckles across his cheeks and nose, and the way his lips were currently parted in surprise, reddened and glistening from the wine he had sipped earlier. The urge to taste that shade of red washed over him, and Mark heard William’s gasp of surprise as Mark leaned forward and brushed his lips against William’s.

Mark had never kissed anyone before, but he couldn’t think about that, or the fact that his first kiss was his best friend. William’s soft lips and the quiet sound of pleasure he made when Mark closed his mouth around William’s completely were all that captured Mark's attention. Slowly, other sensations started to creep into Mark’s mind too. Like William’s fingers running through his hair again, the wet smacking sound that had started at William’s lips moving in tandem with his own, and the sweet flavor of the red wine still on William’s tongue, which was now pushing against Mark’s lips and into his own mouth. Mark became driven by a sort of hunger he didn’t know he’d possessed, hungrily pushing his mouth to Will’s. The way William smelled, the way he felt, and god, the way he tasted quickly overwhelmed Mark’s mind entirely.

William had lost all sense of control the second Mark’s mouth had met his own. All at once, years of repressed fantasies and late nights full of pleasure and guilt, thinking about this moment came flooding into him. His body became hot all over, his groin aching against Mark’s own member. They were both wearing thin layers, so he could feel Mark growing hard against him, and their tongues continued to slide against one another. William had kissed a couple of boys before, but he could tell that he was Mark’s first kiss. He kept accidentally bumping his nose into William’s, but his lack of experience only turned William on more. His thoughts raced a mile a minute as he groaned into the kiss, thinking about how it was Mark who had initiated all of this. Mark continued sinking into him, only pausing to gasp for breath before diving back into William’s mouth. He was becoming more fervent, ravenously kissing William before William changed the pace by moving down to suck on Mark’s neck. If it were Mark’s first time, he might as well flaunt some of his experience.

He was rewarded with Mark moaning by his ear and his soft hands grabbing William’s shoulders, as William sucked a sensisitve spot behind his jawline and beneath his earlobe. William started kissing along Mark’s jaw until he found his friend's quivering lips again, crashing them together to resume their make-out session.
The physical sensations clouded each of their minds, robbing them of the ability to think clearly. One of them should have brought up the fact that they had been strictly platonic friends for years. And that this could jeopardize that. But neither did. This moment was better, more important. William only continued to trail kisses along Mark’s neck while Mark desperately began grinding his hips into William’s erection, letting the friction tease both of them. “Mark...” William whispered, his voice carrying a warning that this little escapade might end soon. Mark was too busy chasing his own high, though, erratically humping against William now, his breath htiching and then releasing in desperate whines that ensured William would never see Mark the same after this. It was too late for second-guessing, though, so William reached down to grip both of them through the fabric of the clothes neither had bothered to remove and began stroking them in rhythm with Mark’s movements. Mark gasped as the sensation, his mouth agape at the warmth and pressure enveloping his member, and the sweet friction he felt rubbing him. It didn’t take long for both of them to finish, their ragged breaths filling the silence as each boy groaned as they came, William feeling the hot liquid seep through his and Mark’s shorts onto his hand.

Mark rolled over, exhausted and taking his weight off William, before brazenly removing his shirt and shorts, and handing the shirt to William. “Here,” he said, some awkwardness creeping into his voice as clarity began to hit him. He wrapped his shirt around William’s hand to clean up the slight mess that had accumulated there and then tossed the item into his laundry bin in the corner of the room, along with his shorts. He smiled sheepishly at William when they missed and landed just in front of the black plastic bin, but William was staring past him distantly with a look of shock on his face.

Dread coiled in Mark’s stomach at the stunned look that had crept onto Will’s face, where only moments ago heat had bloomed. He quietly watched William remove his own pajama pants and shirt and successfully toss them into the laundry bin before settling onto his side of the bed. “Goodnight, Mark,” he said quietly, almost shyly rolling over and turning away from Mark. Mark didn’t understand what was happening anymore, but he did know a splitting headache had begun to hit him, likely due to exhaustion and dehydration. He was too tired and disoriented to try and converse with William right now, especially when he wasn’t in the mood, so he rolled over to his side, facing the wall instead of William. “G’night,” Mark mumbled into the darkness, letting some of his bitterness creep into his words.

William felt bad immediately after hearing the hurt in Mark’s voice, but he did not feel half as bad as he did when he thought again about what he and Mark had just done. What he did to Mark. He failed to keep his emotions in check, and even though Mark had started it, he should’ve known better. He and Mark could never be in a relationship- it was too risky given their friendship and college looming in under a year, and so many other things. How would they fulfill their lifelong dream of being college roommates if they couldn’t manage to sleep in the same room without William giving his friend a handjob.

Dozens of what-ifs and questions surrounding the man sleeping next to him haunted William as exhaustion and that damned wine finally caught up to him. Needless to say, his wish to avoid an awkward morning encounter would not be fulfilled.

Chapter Text

Fragmented sunlight peeking through thin grey curtains stirred William from his sleep. He tried swallowing, but his throat was so dry it burned, and his eyes immediately shut when he opened them. His head still throbbed lightly, and it took him several seconds to realize that he was sleeping with no clothes on. In Mark’s house. Panic shot through him before he remembered what happened last night. Then the panic shot through him all over again. He tentatively glanced over at his best friend, who was still sleeping, facing away from him.

William could see his face from his heightened vantage point, and Mark looked peaceful. His skin glowed beneath the morning light, and since William had pulled the blanket off, he could see navy sheets pooling around Mark’s waist. Their thinness, combined with the bright sunlight, let William see the outline of Mark’s legs and ass, and if he peeked over, he imagined he would the outline of what he had stroked to completion last night. Though in the moment William had been maddened by arousal, thinking about last night now sent so many other emotions through him.

Disgust, dread, regret, guilt, and almost a sense of grief. Like he knew last night had taken something from his and Mark’s relationship that would never be returned. He tried not to overthink it too much, though. Tried not to think about the look of ecstasy on Mark’s face afterward, about the way his lips had felt, and god, about the noises they’d both made… No, no worrying about it, and revisiting it before he got the chance to talk it through with Mark wouldn’t do any good. But that didn’t do much to quell the anxiety in William that rose with every moment.

He silently slid off the bed, careful not to disturb Mark from his much-needed rest, and tiptoed over to the bag he’d packed for last night. He fished around in his backpack to find the rumpled clothes he brought to wear today, but right before he reached for the doorknob to head to the shower, he remembered that Mr. or Mrs. Grayson might see him naked. Though he and Mark had seen each other naked plenty of times getting dressed for gym or whatnot over the years, last night made the thought of any more of the Grayson household seeing him naked even more uncomfortable than it usually would.

He was desperately searching for something to cover himself when he heard Mark grumble and roll over on the bed. His chest faced William now, and his hands fell limply by the imprint William’s shape had made into the bed. William froze, waiting to see if Mark would awaken or if he was still sleeping. When Mark didn’t move any further, and William heard his familiar steady breathing pattern resume uninterrupted, he moved quietly towards Mark's closet and grabbed the nearest object he could wrap around his nether regions- Mark’s Upstate University hoodie. Tying the hoodie around his waist and reassuring himself that this was better than wearing cum stained clothing in front of Mark’s parents, he slipped out the door and sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that he did not have to explain what he was doing or wearing to Nolan Grayson. William alleviated his guilt about defiling one of Mark’s favorite hoodies by promising himself he would wash and return the hoodie to Mark before he even noticed it was gone.

When he stopped into the hall, he was relieved to hear Mr. and Mrs. Grayson chatting quietly downstairs, and smelled the Colombian coffee Mrs. Grayson always brewed on weekends. He padded as sneakily as he could down the hall and into the bathroom, setting down his hygiene bag and slipping out of the oversized hoodie before setting his clothes aside and stepping into the shower. William whipped his head back around as he felt the hot water run down his back and face-palmed. Why didn’t he just wear his own clothes down the hall?

__

When Mark woke up, he could hear a chorus of blue birds chirping outside and could even faintly make out the sound of his mother laughing downstairs with his dad. Wait, when did Dad get home? He opened his eyes, blinking away the grogginess and fighting through whatever was left of his headache from last night. He sat up before wondering where William had gone. William usually woke up first between the two of them, but William also usually woke Mark up with soft whispers and gentle nudges. Mark far preferred it to his alarm. He’d probably just gone to the shower, if the fact that Mark could still faintly smell him was any indication.

Before Mark’s feet touched the ground, several things occurred to him. The first was the absence of clothes on his body, and the immediate fear that William had seen him naked. The second negated that first fear entirely because he remembered why he was naked and probably why William had left the room without waking him up like normal. Then he began remembering the details of last night. The way William’s hand felt around him, the way his hair had parted and fell into light curls that framed his face, and the way his lips felt, making their way up his neck. God.

Mark rubbed his face in his hands, angry and disgusted with himself. Why had he done that? He wasn’t into guys. Or at least he never had been. He didn’t think he was now. He was just horny and mad that for a third year and summer of high school he had no girls to hang out with. Shame ran through him as he recalled how much he had enjoyed the feeling of William holding him and how quickly they had both finished. He didn’t even get off that fast alone.

And then he thought of William. Why had William done that? Why didn’t he stop Mark? More anger and suspicion began to pool in Mark’s chest as he remembered the way William had taken control of the situation. The way he’d petted Mark before letting himself become Mark’s first kiss and giving him him a handjob. Mark clenched his fists as he pulled at his hair, frustrated and confused about what had just happened with his friend. He felt embarrassed, filthy, and sad all at once. And the worst part was that he would have to talk about it with William. And this time, William couldn’t offer him any sage wisdom. They were both implicated.

Mark moved to put on some clothes when, while putting on a clean pair of sweatpants, William walked back. Mark quickly finished pulling his pants up and whirled to face the man in the doorway. William’s hair was still wet, the usual gilded hue faded into a soft brown, and a flush from hot water lingered on his cheeks. Mark froze, and some of the anger that had been swelling in him dissipated. He could never really stay that mad at William.

For what it was worth, William also seemed caught off guard at seeing Mark. His posture and the pained look on his face signaled that Mark wasn’t the only one with morning-after regrets. Great, Mark thought, at least they both wanted to move past it.

“Hi,” William offered tepidly, giving a slight smile and wave to try and lighten the mood.

“Hi,” Mark said, full of more bitterness than he had intended to let leak into his greeting. More anger flooded out of Mark’s system when he saw William visibly flinch at his tone. “Sorry, sorry,” he added quickly, rubbing the back of his nape. He didn’t want to fight with Will right now, and he hoped they could smooth over whatever had happened between them sooner rather than later.

“Listen, about last night-” Mark tried to start, but William put his hand up and cut him off.

“Mark, I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what I was thinking, maybe it was the wine-”

It was Mark’s turn to cut him off. “Will, it’s fine, okay,” he softened his voice in an attempt to comfort his friend. William rarely stumbled over his words or let himself get so flustered speaking, and Mark hated seeing it happen because of him. “We both made mistakes. I shouldn’t have kissed you. I don’t know what happened… I guess I just wanted to see how it was… kissing someone.” He forced a chuckle then, trying to smooth over his own words when he saw hurt and confusion still plain on his friend's face. “Safe to say, it’s not for me. Not that you were a bad kisser,” Mark frantically tried to recover, “I mean obviously I enjoyed it, but I don’t think I’m into guys so-”

William opened his mouth and put out his hand again, ignoring the stab of hurt that he’d felt upon hearing Mark recall their encounter, and Mark instantly shut up, grateful not to have to talk. “That’s fine, Mark. Listen, we don’t have to make a big deal out of it. I don’t want to kiss you again, and you don’t want to kiss me again. It’s settled. We can just go back to the way things were.”

Mark nodded his head at that, not as thrilled as he thought he would be upon hearing William say those words. But he didn’t have time to second-guess himself with William standing right there, so he just nodded his head again, “Yeah, yeah for sure.” He was rubbing his nape instinctively now, trying to find some way to navigate both the chasm of awkwardness that seemed to separate him from William now, and his own mix of emotions that spawned following their brief conversation.

It was clear neither of them really believed things would just snap back into place, but neither was willing to continue existing outside of where their relationship had been before last night. So they sat staring at each other in silence for a few more moments before Mark let out another awkward laugh. “Well, I’m gonna go shower, so you can wait or head downstairs. I think my mom is going to make pancakes again.” William only nodded again, recalling how delicious Mrs. Grayson’s blueberry pancakes were before turning his head from Mark and walking over to his bag so he could begin silently packing his things. He did not imagine he would be spending his day here.

Mark began making his way towards the door, frustrated that his friend was the one giving him the cold shoulder right now. He paused with one foot outside the door, turning his head to stare at the back of William’s frame. He wished there was something he could say to make everything less weird and ensure Will wasn’t mad at him, but he couldn’t make himself talk about the situation anymore. The more he thought about what he’d done with William, the more disgusted he felt. They would just need some time, Mark reassured himself, heading to the shower. Then they would be back to normal.

__

Well, that hadn’t been as bad as it could’ve been, William thought to himself, grateful Mark didn’t accuse him of exploiting their friendship or harboring a crush that he’d used last night to fulfill. He’d heard Mark pause in the doorway and worried he might decide William deserved more blame for what had happened. He didn’t know what he’d do with himself if his closest friend thought of him as some predatory freak who’d never had a genuine friendship with Mark. Tears began streaming down William’s face, faster than he could stop them, as he thought about his life without Mark Grayson in it.

His best friend, the person who was supposed to be the best man at his wedding, might never want to speak to him again, all because he couldn’t kill that stupid, childish crush. He’d seen the look on Mark’s face when he walked into the room. He’d been angry. And even though he hadn’t said anything blaming William, he made it clear that it was a one-time thing. That he hadn’t felt anything for William. That admission had hurt almost as much as realizing how upset his friend was. He quickly finished packing, zipping up his bag, and wiping his face before heading downstairs. Good food and avoiding more one-on-ones with Mark would do him some good. At least for a while.

When Mark came downstairs, William was already on his second plate of pancakes. He was making small talk with Mrs. Grayson, and Mr. Grayson had left upstairs hurriedly to change for a “work emergency”. William must’ve missed the chance to say goodbye to him, because he never came back downstairs. Mark took his seat next to William on the counter, muttering a soft “Good Morning” to his mother before reaching for the plate of pancakes already prepared for him. They’d had silent mornings before, but this one was different. The silence was more charged. Tense. And neither seemed willing to breach it.

Mrs. Grayson seemed to sense it, though, sneaking a glance between the two of them to try and see what was going on. “So did you two have fun last night?” she tried breaking the ice with a question. Mark almost choked on his food at the implication his mother’s question unknowingly had. William answered for them before he could cough his food back up, “Oh yeah! We're almost finished with Season 3 of that show I’ve been telling you about. Major drama is about to go down in the finale-” William and Mrs. Grayson continued chatting, and Mark almost smiled at how easy his friend could make engaging conversation. He was stopped by the knowledge that this chipper attitude was probably all a front by William. Knowing someone for years means knowing when they don’t want to look at you or talk to you. And with William’s body tilted slightly from him, and his eyes shooting to anywhere in the room but him, Mark knew things had not gone back to the way they were supposed to. Like they’d agreed.

His mom occasionally tried to rope Mark into their conversation with no success. Mark wasn’t interested in talking with William when the other boy clearly wasn’t going to make an effort. Mark thought he had every right to be confused and uncomfortable right now. But he didn’t understand what he’d done to William to earn this. Okay, maybe he came off a little aggressive in their conversation, but obviously, William had wanted last night to happen. Whatever that meant. Mark kept trying not to linger on that idea too much. It begged too many questions Mark didn’t want to answer.

Apparently, William wasn’t even going to be sticking around for them to have another conversation. He pushed his chair back from the counter and began rinsing his plate in the sink before dropping it in the dishwasher. “Well, thank you so much, Mrs. Grayson! This has been a pleasure, as always. I have to get home, though, before my mom starts missing me too much! See ya!” And just like that, he was gone, headed out the door before his mom could properly send him off. He hadn’t said a word to Mark, hardly looked at him, and now Mark could see his car pulling out of their driveway. Mark didn’t even remember seeing William bring his backpack down here. Not to mention his excuse was total bullshit. William’s mom probably wasn’t even up this early, and if she was, it’s not like her or William would care enough to want the other home. Mark’s internal questioning was replaced by a flash of hurt, but before he could begin to process it, his mom came up behind him, placing her hand gently between his shoulder blades. “Is everything alright with you two?”

Mark paused before deciding that if he even tried to explain things to his mom, it would lead to more discussions he didn’t want to have. He didn’t even know what they would entail, really. “Yeah, we’re fine. He’s gotta go work on some school paper thing. They want to have a giant issue out at the start of the year, so he’s been working on it over the summer.” His explanation didn’t even make sense, since William had worked on schoolwork plenty of times in Mark’s room, and it didn’t align with William’s own story, but luckily, his mom didn’t press him.

“Alright, honey. I have to get ready to meet a client soon. Make sure you clean your dishes.” Mark absently nodded his head, still staring at the driveway and wondering what he would do for the rest of the day without William there.

__

William’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his left pointer finger occasionally twitching. It’d only been about ten minutes since he’d pulled out of the Grayson’s driveway and he was still mad at Mark for returning the silent treatment, still mad that last night had happened at all, and still mad that now he would have to spend the night at home and write for the medical section of the school newspaper. His section wasn’t too fancy, focused more on how to identify illnesses, home remedies, and tips for staying healthy, but William still dreaded writing it. Oh well. He needed to strengthen his college application in any way he could. Anything to get admitted into Upstate as a pre-med.

Speaking of the newspaper, he needed to meet up with his editor and probably his only other friend besides Mark, Amber. They’d become friends over the course of the last year after William had joined the school paper and discovered Amber Bennett, who was the editor-in-chief and also wrote for the fine arts section. She was down-to-earth, kind, and surprisingly hilarious. A breath of fresh air and perfect counterbalance to Mark’s naiveté, stubbornness, and dorky personality. As William began texting her to ask to meet up at their favorite coffee shop, he thought maybe he should tell her about what had happened… William knew she would give great advice. But no. He shook his head, dismissing that idea. Even if she had made a few comments over the past year, hinting that she suspected William’s infatuation with Mark, it would be a violation of Mark’s trust to tell anyone about what happened between them. Mark wasn’t out to anyone, and William didn’t even know if that was something he wanted. It certainly didn’t seem like something he’d wanted to admit or talk about based on their talk this morning.

Thinking about it just made William frustrated and mortified all over again. He knew he’d have to see Mark again at work on Monday at the latest, and with the way things felt between them right now, he had no intention of seeing him for the rest of the weekend. For god’s sake, the most they’d ever gone without talking or texting since the third grade was a few days. Maybe. But this felt different then their previous fights. This wasn’t about weekend plans, or William teasing Mark too much, or Mark being a horrible communicator. It was something different. They hadn’t even fought really. They’d both just lied to each other about how they felt, and they both knew it. But the alternative meant telling some version of the truth, and William really didn’t think their friendship would survive that. He consoled himself by saying he’d figure out something to tell Mark by Monday. Some half-truth, half-lie where they could both get away with what they’d done and still be friends. William would justify it because it was better to have a strained relationship with Mark than none at all.

His phone buzzed, snapping him out of another stress-induced spiral, and when he reached to grab it, he saw the screen light up with Amber’s reply. Sounds great! Meet you there in 15 :). She really was an angel, William thought as he liked the message and turned his head back to the road so he could turn left and start heading towards the coffee shop. It would be a relief to talk to someone else and get his head off this whole Mark thing by working on his column. Maybe he would write about the dangers of underage drinking. He had definitely been missing a reminder.

Still brainstorming about what he actually wanted to write about, he pulled into the parking lot of his and Amber’s hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, run by a sweet old Turkish woman, and killed his engine. It’d been about ten or so minutes since Amber’s text, and he didn’t see her car yet, so he went to scroll on his phone, when he opened his messages. Instinctively, he went to Mark’s contact, preparing to text him about how bad city traffic was and ask for help on what to write about when his thumb paused above the keyboard. Right. He couldn’t do that. He wasn’t going to talk to Mark before Monday, and if he was, he at least wasn’t going to be the one to initiate it.

He closed his phone in defeat, not interested in doing anything else, when the screen suddenly lit up. It was a message from Mark. William felt a mix of emotions opening it. Relief, joy, suspense. He couldn’t help but grin at his phone when he finally read the message: did u make it home okay? William could imagine Mark sitting on his phone, trying to find the right thing to say to mend the awkwardness and coming up with this. William quickly typed out a response, unable to punish Mark any further, if he had at all: didn’t go home. meeting up with Amber to work on that school paper column i was telling you about. William sent the message before adding: what are u up to today? Mark immediately began replying, the three bubbles popping up on William’s screen before his second message had even been sent: okay have fun! remember not to order the mocha latte this time! William only had to wait to more seconds before receiving an answer to his question: nothing. might hit the gym and try to level up on clash today. idk. William hearted both messages before closing his phone and hopping out of the car. He saw Amber’s car pulling in, and he was in no mood to receive any sort of ribbing for being distracted because he was texting Mark.

He waved at Amber, who called out a greeting, and as he walked to meet her at the entrance, he couldn’t help but smile again. Mark had texted him despite everything, and if he followed his usual pattern, he would likely be sending a picture of himself at the gym later today, so he could have William track his gains and “hold him accountable”. Whatever that meant, William was happy he and his best friend were texting like normal again. At least for the time being.

__

Mark frowned a little at his phone after seeing that William hearting his messages would be the only response he would be getting right now. Usually, he was much more encouraging about Mark going to the gym, but he guessed they both had an excuse for being a little more reserved today. Perhaps it was because Mark was too bored with only himself in the house, but he had felt a wave of anxiety build in him when his phone remained blank after William left. It’s not like he expected a bunch of contact from William, especially with the way he ran off, but typically, he got a text confirming that William had gotten home safe. The lack of confirmation after another few minutes only heightened his paranoia, and he had been irked all over again that his dad had made them stop sharing locations with one another because “you never know who else could be tracking you.” He knew what his dad did was dangerous, but in the moment, it felt like making sure his best friend was alive was a little more important, especially considering he wasn’t and probably never would be in immediate danger. His dad was the most powerful man on earth. Who could hurt him?

Mark had been staring at his messages with William for about another five minutes when he saw the three little dots quickly pop up, then disappear. It had been so fast he thought he’d imagined it for a second, but instead he took it as a sign that he did need to text, and make sure William was alive. He would never forgive himself if William were out in a ditch somewhere, and Mark couldn’t help him because he was being too stubborn. Plus, he wanted not only to make sure William was actually okay, but to make sure they were okay. At least on a surface level. And it seemed to have worked. William had responded pretty rapidly, and now Mark could go about his day, proud that he had unknowingly predicted William’s plans for the day and with at least a little less tension about what had happened.

In the meantime, though, he needed something to do. He figured he might as well go to the gym now. By the time he got back, hopefully his mom would be home and he could bother her for a bit and then play video games. If Will was done writing by then, he could probably even convince him to join. Pleased with himself for coming up with an alternative to doing nothing the entire day, Mark went upstairs to change and pack for the gym.

The walk to the gym went by slower than normal, and when he rounded the final block, he instantly noticed how crowded it was. His dad had offered to pay for his gym membership when Mark had shared his desire to start working out, so Mark had chosen one of the cheaper options he could find near their house. It was close to his high school, so he usually saw familiar faces, and if the number of cars in the parking lot outside was any indication, he would definitely be seeing some today. His suspicions were confirmed nearly an hour later when he was halfway done with a set of his leg presses, and he saw Eve Wilkins and Rex Sloane walk in. Eve had been somewhat, okay a a huge, hallway crush for Mark since freshman year. He’d even joined the school’s science fair board, despite his own shortcomings in science-related classes, in an attempt to spend more time with her, but he never seemed to be able to strike up a conversation.

They’d only had class together once in sophomore year, but Mark still remembered how kind and intelligent she was. She always raised her hand, she always helped other students, and Mark got caught staring at her many times. At her glossy hair, her shiny lips, her emerald eyes… yeah, he was staring again. Too bad she still had that boyfriend, Rex. Rex didn’t go to their school, but Mark had seen plenty of him over the years by Eve’s side. He managed to snap his head back at the last second when he saw Eve turning in his direction from where she had been talking with Rex. To his surprise, he heard her call his name in her chipper voice only a few moments later, and he turned his head toward where the pair now walked toward him.

“Hey Mark! Good to see you! How’s your summer been?” Mark swallowed hard before managing to respond. Rex only shook his head and walked away from Eve towards the pull-up bar. He was wearing a bright yellow tank top and had his red hair tied up in a small ponytail in the back, and Mark wondered for the millionth time how someone so stupid-looking could be dating someone like Eve.

“Oh, H-Hi Eve! Umm, yeah, summer’s been great!” He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head and looking down. Every time they made eye contact, he felt penetrated by her stare, and he didn’t want to risk blushing in front of her right now over a simple conversation. Then he remembered he should probably ask her something back before she walked away. How embarrassing would it be if he had to tell his mom that he’d finally had a conversation with Eve, only for him to blow it.

“How’s your summer been so far?” He looked back up to find that her eyes had never left him, and a smile had bloomed across her face.

“It’s been good. Feels like I’ve been super busy. I mean, I’ve only been working as a tutor for the science department to make some extra cash, but gosh, some people are slow.” They both laughed at that, and Mark ducked his head down again, thinking about his struggles in said science department and how far Eve must be ahead of him.

“Yeah, tell me about it. I’m gonna have to take Mrs. Jacob’s physics class next year, and I’m not looking forward to it. I barely passed Mr. Stein’s last year.” Eve’s face seemed to change then, processing how her last comment must’ve landed with Mark.

“Oh gosh, totally. I remember her class. It was the worst. But I could totally tutor you if you wanted. I mean, I always need more people to hit my time quota, so you’d totally be doing me a favor. You wouldn’t even have to pay!” Her tone was apologetic but eager, tinged with something hopeful, like she actually wanted Mark to accept her offer. Mark couldn’t think about it, though, because he could not believe what he was hearing.

“Really?! You’d do that? I mean, yeah, I totally need the help. William’s been helping me for years in biology and chemistry, but he never took physics. Just name a time and place, and I’ll be there!” Eve’s smile had gotten wider now, and she held out her phone to Mark.

“Don’t worry about it, truly. The school pays me anyway, and besides. I mean, I’d feel bad if I were charging a fellow Science Fair Board member. Here, put your number in my phone so I can text you about when our sessions should start.”

Mark was grinning like an idiot, and it took him almost a whole minute ot type his phone number because his hands kept shaking. When he finally managed to type it all in, he created contact for himself and handed the pink phone back to Eve. She smiled at him again, and before he could say anything else, she waved and started walking over to where Rex was still doing pull-ups.

“Alright, Mark, I’ll text you the details. Gotta get back to leg day. Good luck with your workout!” And just like that, she was gone. Back to her boyfriend, and with Mark doing his best not to stare at the legs she had mentioned working out. But none of those things really mattered to Mark. Not right now. The girl he’d been crushing on for years had just made him put his number in his phone, and he was now going to receive free private tutoring with her for the next year. He could not wait to tell William. All he had to do was finish up his last few reps, and then he could send his update to Will and get his thoughts. Man, things had really turned around since this morning.

__

William was on his way home from a great meeting with Amber when he finally got Mark’s gym updates. It’d been a few hours since Mark had actually gone, so William had figured he’d forgotten. He and Amber had been so caught up in brainstorming and coming up with rough drafts that he hadn’t thought much of it, but it was weird for Mark to be this late.

All good things come to those who wait, though. Saturdays were also leg day for Mark, so William got to see Mark trying to flex his thighs in the locker room mirror with his face scrunched up in a mixture of effort and self-consciousness. William always felt a stab of protectiveness over his friend when he saw that look because he knew exactly who was responsible for putting it there. So, even though William appreciated Mark’s updates in more ways than one, his prevailing emotion was always pride. He was proud of Mark for taking himself seriously, and he was even more proud of his friend for not letting expectations change him completely. He sent a thumbs-up and a "keep up the good work” message when he got another text from Mark.

Before he opened it, he pulled into his driveway, sad that his car jamming session was over, and unlocked his phone. Apparently, Mark had seen and actually spoken to Eve Wilkins at the gym today. Shocking as that was, William was even more shocked to read that his friend had managed to get his long-time crush’s phone number. Eve wanted to tutor him in physics or something for the upcoming school year.

Part of William knew he should be excited for Mark. It was clear Mark was happy. But William wasn’t. At all. He immediately felt something hateful curl in his stomach at the thought of Eve flipping her red hair and batting her eyelashes at Mark so she could add another student to her tutoring list and get a pay raise from the school. William knew how the tutoring program worked; hell, he was a part of it. And he had never once, despite the many homework assignments he walked Mark through, added Mark to his list of mentees.

His feelings were not solely caused by thinking Mark was being used. No, William also didn't trust Eve. If the interaction were even half as flirtatious as Mark was trying to make it seem, which, to be honest, it probably wasn’t, William had half a mind to show up to these sessions and remind Eve about her boyfriend of four years. She had no business entertaining the puppy dog love Mark seemed to harbor in his heart for her, and William knew Eve wasn’t so stupid she couldn’t at least sense it. Raindrops had begun to patter against his windshield as he stared at his front door in idle contemplation.

Deep down, William knew the root cause of his irritation. He suspected and feared that if Mark began to receive some attention from Eve, Mark might not be interested in pursuing any sort of attention from William. Any curiosity about kissing his only friend would disappear, just like that. All it would take is a super-hot redhead tutoring Mark for William’s dreams to get unwittingly crushed. For him to go back to being only a friend. Because even though they’d both said that’s what would happen anyway last night, there was a large part of William that hadn’t believed or accepted that. That still wouldn’t. It was Mark who had kissed him. He was only willing to give Mark space to process whatever discoveries he was making about himself. He didn’t think that discovery would be the confidence to pull Eve Wilkings. Jesus. William pinched his eyebrows, rubbing small circles down the bridge of his nose while he tried to think of something rational to text Mark.

The message ended up being something between “Wow! No way that happened!” and “Congrats! I can’t believe she pitied you enough to come talk to you!”. It was snarky enough to sound like his usual self, but encouraging enough so he didn’t sound resentful. The last thing his tentative relationship status with Mark needed was Mark thinking he was jealous of his crush. William had embarrassed himself enough over the past few days. The rain really began picking up now, and William groaned as he grabbed his bag and ducked under the porch roof, trying not to let the cold water soak through his clothes. The world just wouldn’t let him contemplate in peace today.

Aged wood groaned beneath his feet as he walked up the steps and fished the key from under the welcome mat. When he opened the door, the lack of noise and lights told him his mom was probably passed out somewhere upstairs. Whenever she wasn’t working overnight shifts as a nurse, she ended up drinking to help herself go to bed to bed and forget that she would be going to bed alone. It’d been almost eight years, but William still heard her cry sometimes at night after they’d watch a rom-com together. He resented his dad for leaving her, more than he did for leaving him.

He made his way to his room, tossing his backpack down and collapsing on his bed. A nap sounded perfect right about now. Late afternoon on a rainy after getting some work done? William’s eyelids were already heavy when his head hit the pillow, until the familiar sound of Mark’s ringtone cut through the sound of rain. William’s eyes snapped open, and he snatched the phone from where he had dropped it on his bed.

“Mark, what are you doing calling me at 5 o’clock in the afternoon? I was about to take a nap.”

“Oh.. uh sorry,” William could practically see Mark’s sheepish grin and his other hand rubbing his neck, “I was calling to see if you wanted to hop on Clash Crash for a little bit?”

William groaned, rolling off the bed and walking downstairs to turn on his gaming system. Mark must’ve heard him moving, “Is that a yes?” His excitement only made Williams’s journey down the stairs he had just finished climbing up slightly easier. “Yes,” he mumbled into his phone, turning the corner off the end of the stairwell and into his living room.

“Thanks, man. I need to blow off some steam after the gym. Seriously, I’ve already texted Eve twice,” his lighthearted laugh at hearing himself talk about double texting his crush made William start searching through his drawers more aggressively for his controller. It had to be in here somewhere. “She said we can start tutoring before school starts. I mean, can you believe that? I know I’m bad at physics, but it’s so nice of her to give up her summer vacation-” William decided he’d had enough of hearing about Eve’s charity for the day.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s great, man, I’m happy for you. Seriously. But I think I left my controller at your house. It’s not here.” William heard Mark mutter a curse before hearing him shuffle from where he must’ve been sitting on his couch to go look through his own drawers. Mark knew it was his own fault William only had one, since the last time he was at William’s house, he’d broken the device in a bout of rage. He’d offered to pay for another, but William told him the look on Mark’s face when he’d realized what he’d done was payment enough. Some memories were priceless to William.

“Aha! I found it. Can’t believe you forgot it here, dude.” William rolled his eyes. He really shouldn’t have picked up the phone.

“Well, no one’s perfect. Sorry, dude, but looks like that’s a no-can-do for playing right now.” He was about to hang up until he heard Mark protest.

“What?! Come on, man. Just come pick it up. We need to get back to the grind! We’re only level sixty-seven, and we’re halfway through the season. Mark's whining would’ve been more effective if William’s body hadn’t already rushed his bloodstream with melatonin, and the rain didn’t make people, including William, drive like lunatics.

“No way, man. I’m not driving fifteen minutes to your house in the rain for a controller just to drive back. That’s half an hour alone! I could power nap in that time. Plus, I need energy tonight since I’m gonna end up cooking dinner again.” Mark sighed on the other end of the phone, and after a few beats of silence, William thought he had given up. What he didn’t know was that Mark was even more determined to make William come over now, knowing his best friend might be spending the night cooped up alone in his house. And if there’s one thing William should’ve known about Mark, it was that he was relentless and stubborn when he wanted something.

“C’mon, please? What if you stayed here? We could play split screen for a while, you stay for dinner, and then you go home? That way, you don’t have to cook, we can still play, you get your controller back, and the best part? You get to see me!” Mark’s voice held a gloating edge, like he knew he’d won their argument already.

It was William’s turn to sigh, and he ran his hand through his hair as he mapped out what executing this plan of Mark’s would actually look like.

“Fine-” Mark made a noise of excitement at hearing his friend’s resignation, “But. Are you sure your parents are okay with me coming over for dinner?”

Mark was beaming as he went back to sitting on his couch, “Do you even have to ask? You know they are. See you in fifteen! Drive safe!”

Mark knew to hang up the phone before William could try and find more flaws to pick at. Or before they both remembered, it would be awkward seeing and speaking to one another in person. William stared at the blank screen, shaking his head at letting his friend convince him to leave the house. He begrudgingly marched back upstairs to grab his car keys and wallet before heading out the door to his car. The rain felt cool on his skin as he opened the car door, and he stood there for a moment, letting it wake him up. It would be like any other afternoon spent at Mark’s house if William could play along. William kept telling himself in the car that things would go back to normal if he only pretended long enough.

__

William held his breath as he waited for Mark to come to the door. It’d taken him several moments before he summoned the courage to knock, and he thanked everything out there that he was not humiliated by having Mrs. Grayson or Mark notice him before he did so. He heard shuffling on the other side of the door and was greeted seconds later by a smiling Mark. His demeanor held no air of awkwardness, as far as William could sense, and William almost had whiplash from how different this encounter felt from when he had seen Mark just this morning.

He was smiling, talking about how he’d tried beating the next level on his own but was too distracted by checking to see if Eve had texted him again and waiting for William. William could only stand and listen silently, trying to gather his wits and maintain the same regular composure his friend seemed to have found.

“Anyway, here’s your controller. You better not let me down.” When William, still having not said a word outside of a greeting to his friend, took the controller from Mark, his fingers briefly grazed Mark’s hand, and William couldn’t snatch the controller away fast enough. When he looked back at Mark to see if the moment had registered, Mark was already staring back at him. Great. So, the jig was already up. Feeling the need to fill the silence, William cleared his throat and tried to divert attention back to the other game at hand.

“So, you ready to play or what? You still haven’t beaten my high score from last season like you promised.” His weak attempt at trash talk seemed to snap Mark out of his daze, his competitive nature rising to the surface like William had hoped.

“Not a fair comparison. You know this season is harder. Plus, you only got that high because you were using my weapons loadout! You would’ve been toast on the second wave if you hadn't been a thief!” His comment earned a real laugh from William, and as they moved to sit next to each other on the faded grey couch, William felt some of his own internal tension release. Being with Mark made all of his problems feel easier. Even when they were Mark-related.

Soon enough, they fell back into their all too familiar rhythm of passing hours playing video games together. There was still a noticeable space between them, and William refrained from jokingly hitting Mark whenever he would do better, as he normally would. But Mrs. Grayson came and went with her usual kind greetings and reminder of dinner, and Mark and William managed to successfully complete several missions and level up twice before they were summoned to the dining room.

William and Mark were still strategizing about how to best beat the next level when they strolled in. Mrs. Grayson had prepared a tuna casserole and an assortment of pickled vegetables, a combination that garnered a shared glance between the two. The table was already set, which William thanked her for, and he took his place beside Mark.

“Nolan sends his apologies for not being able to make it, William, but you know how it is with him. There’s always some disaster that needs saving at work.”
William smiled placatingly and tried to ease the nervousness Debbie appeared to carry in her shoulders, “No worries, Mrs. Grayon. You know, before I met him, I never knew the children’s publishing industry could be so grueling.”

Both Graysons laughed at that, sharing a look between them that William couldn’t decipher. The rest of the dinner passed with Mark talking to his mom about Eve-gate and William talking to his mom about how she managed ot get the vegetables so delicious. William had been forced to know how to cook in his household, and no small part of his success at feeding himself over the last several years had been because of Mark’s mom helping him learn the basics. Any chance he could get to mooch off her recipes, he would take.

When they were done, both boys helped clean the dishes and wished Mrs. Grayson goodnight as she headed upstairs, and they headed back to the living room. William made to leave, shutting off his controller and moving toward the door when Mark questioned him from his place on the couch.

“Where are you going, Will?” He was asking a question, but in typical fashion, his tone was combative, like he knew William’s answer but wasn't going to accept it.

“Mark,” he started, determined to escape to his bed, “I’ve been here almost three hours. I gotta go home and rest. Tomorrow’s the last day I can sleep in until next week.”

Mark must’ve sensed William’s determination because he started making his pouting face.

“Please! Come on, Will. We almost made it past this level. Just a few more rounds and you can stay over aga-” he let himself trail off as he realized he was about to extend an invite for William to spend the night again. William smiled softly when he noticed the conflicted look on Mark’s face.

“No, Mark. I can’t. It’s okay,” William managed to say the words calmly, his face betraying no hint of the regret and hurt that was building behind William’s eyes. The thick fog of emotions that had clouded their friendship this morning had suddenly returned in full force as both of them faced what changes their friendship could face in the wake of yesterday. Pretending like this didn’t bother him was going to be painful. Too painful. William turned around again when Mark said nothing, reaching for the door handle, when Mark shook his head.

“No, Will, it’s fine. Really. I can sleep on the couch or something.” Mark’s words felt strained. He was desperately trying to find a solution to their dilemma that didn’t involve sacrificing a part of the routine they’d built together over the years, but it was clear he was not a quick thinker. William turned around again to find Mark still staring at him with his pouting face, and couldn’t help but smile, despite what he felt. Mark’s lips were pursed, his lower lip pushed out, and his brows furrowed in his best effort to appear pleading. His ensemble was ruined by the telltale sign of his nervousness, his hand rubbing circles on the back of his neck as he awaited William’s response.

Damn he was really convincing when he wanted to be. Though William wouldn’t attribute that to Mark being very eloquent. He let out a long exhale, walking slowly back towards the couch, forcing himself not to grin when Mark smiled and clapped. “Mark, I’m not spending the night. And not because of any of… that,” he couldn’t meet Mark’s eyes when he said that, opting to just wave his hand around in the air instead of explicitly addressing the elephant in the room, “I mean this is your own house so if anyone’s sleeping on the couch it’s me. Also, I didn’t bring any clothes, and I need to do laundry anyway. But I will, as your best friend, stay until we beat this level. You can thank me now.” He took a breath, impressed that he managed to shut down the possibility of Mark offering him his clothing, which he knew would happen.

“Thanks, man.” Mark’s voice was softer now as he abandoned his childish attitude for a more genuine one when thanking William. The sincerity in his voice painted William’s voice a light shade of pink that William worked quickly to hide. He sat down right next to Mark, kicking his foot and pointing towards the screen. “Yeah, yeah, Grayson. Get to work. I’m not sacrificing my beauty sleep for nothing.” Thankfully, Mark turned his eyes from where they had been focusing on William, back toward the screen.

The two started playing again, nudging each other and laughing louder than they had been before dinner. It felt so natural, William felt like he was having an out-of-body experience getting to live another regular Saturday night with his best friend, something he thought he’d given up forever by giving in to his impulses last night.

In that moment, William realized something that should’ve scared him, but really only made him feel warm inside. He could do this. For Mark, he could pretend. He could lie to Mark, himself, and anyone else about how he felt if he could have these moments. He would make himself swallow the desire he felt for them to be something more. These little moments with him, elbowing each other while playing clash crash, and sitting close enough to each other on Mark’s couch that William could smell his aloe scented soap, would be enough. He could sustain himself by hearing Mark’s laugh, or seeing his texts talking about how hard the latest round of homework assignments were, or opening dopey selfies of Mark throughout the day when he got home. He wasn’t strong enough to bury his desire now, but he could starve it. Slowly. Feed that part of him just enough not to break his heart, but never enough to grow into something actionable. If he kept himself in check, he could keep his best friend without poisoning the memories they had or the future they planned to make. William just needed to be strong, and Mark. Well, all Mark needed to be for William was himself.

Chapter Text

“And the employee of the month for July goes to… William! Congratulations. You can make yourself a burger on the house before you clock out.” Cheryl promptly turned around after her announcement, heading into her office and leaving Mark, William, and their coworker Regina standing in the kitchen. The store was empty, and it was August 1st, so Cheryl had taken it upon herself to announce who had won employee of the month in July. She’d seemed less than enthusiastic to be giving the award to William, but no one could deny his efficiency when closing and opening. So here they were.

His biggest competitor, Mark, was also his biggest supporter. While Regina walked away, Mark came up behind William from where he was admiring his plaque on the wall outside Regina’s office door, and clapped him on the shoulder. “Congrats, man. I mean, seriously, just your second month on the job and you’ve already broken my six-month streak. That’s impressive.”

William smirked, eyeing Mark out of the corner of his eye, and shrugged off his hand. “I don’t need your congratulations. I have a plaque and a burger, now.” Mark laughed at that, and they both headed back to the front of the store where they could remain out of eyesight and earshot of Cheryl and Regina. Cheryl never cared too much to acknowledge them, but Regina lacked a solid grasp of personal space. That, coupled with her criminal record, did not set Mark or William at ease around her.

“Just don't forget me when you’re famous, okay? I’d hate to get dusted by my best friend because he found fame and fortune from the job I practically gave him.”

“No fair, Mark! The application process was gruelling.” William’s voice dripped with sarcasm, and both boys continued laughing as a group of customers walked in and began placing their orders. William idly watched Mark take their orders, always in awe of how nice he was to them. He maintained eye contact, used a cheery voice, and asked them how their day was. And it’s not like he was getting tipped. That’s just who he was.

“Oh, Will, can you grab their drinks. I’m gonna go tell Regina their orders. I don’t think the ticketing machine is working.” William was snapped from his reverie by Mark’s request, and he quickly moved from where he had been staring at the back of Mark’s head. He chided himself for getting so caught up in something so meaningless, as he scooped ice into the soda cups. It’d been almost two weeks since William and Mark’s encounter, and though they had largely managed to fulfill their promise to return to normal, William still had trouble pretending.

Whenever Mark got too close or insisted too much on William sleeping over, though they now had a pillow wall erected between them when that happened, William struggled to control himself. There’d been a moment only this past weekend when Mark had leaned in to whisper something about Eve he didn’t want his mom hearing, and William merely would’ve had to turn his head to brush his lips to Mark. And he’d be lying if he said he almost hadn’t. But so far, so good. It helped when he could get some alone time to himself at night to alleviate some of his pent-up tension from being around Mark so much. Limiting moments like getting caught staring at Mark at work would help maintain his cover, but Mark didn’t seem to notice.

In fact, since that first day after their only intimate encounter, Mark had become seemingly oblivious to any awkwardness or stiffness that William thought would come to characterize their friendship. Instead, he appeared hyper-focused on Eve and ignored every attempt on William’s part to try and readdress what had happened. Not that William was too eager himself for that discussion, but last week, when he’d tried making a joke about never drinking wine again, Mark had just stared at him blankly for a couple seconds before turning his head away and failing to try and hide the blush that had crept up on his face.

None of it made any sense to William. But he wouldn’t let it bother him if it wasn’t bothering Mark. He handed four icy Diet Cokes to the family that had been waiting for him and was about to go back to his favorite spot to lean against the counter when Mark came back from the kitchen.

“Regina was not a happy camper. I had to convince her not to walk out in protest, and even then, I still don’t think she’ll be giving that family the type of cheese they wanted.” Mark shook his head in mock sadness, and William instantly felt himself forgetting whatever issues he had been thinking of.

“Well, we can only hope that means they’ll leave early. The sooner we get to clock out, the better.” Both of them worked identical schedules, and both of them got off work at four today. They had plans to go to the mall after their shift ended so William could begin his afterschool shopping and Mark could act like he was interested in buying new clothes, and then end up purchasing the same khaki pants, navy sweater, and yellow-collared shirt he’d been wearing for the last three years. William might’ve protested the outfit repeating if Mark didn’t look so good in it. Something about the colors complementing his skin tone and the preppy nature of the ensemble making him appear-

“Oh, I meant to ask you, are we still on for the beach next weekend? I know Lake Michigan, the weekend before school starts, is like our annual tradition at this point, but I wanted to make sure your Mom would be fine with us having the car for that long.” Mark’s question went unanswered for a few moments as Wiliam tried to gather his thoughts to form a coherent response. Something about the summer heat and being on a lunch shift with Mark was really not helping William concentrate.

“Oh yeah, we should be good. I’ll ask her again tonight after I drop you off.”

“Drop me off? Tonight?”

“Uh yeah, dude. We’re going to the mall after work, remember? I need to start shopping for school, and you need to support whatever fashion decisions I may come to regret.” William expected a quip back from his friend, but when he turned to face where Mark was standing behind the register, he saw Mark already rubbing the back of his head and an apologetic look painting his features.

“Shit. I’m so sorry, man. I totally forgot we planned this. Listen, I scheduled my first tutoring session with Eve for today, since she can start adding more students to her schedule. I can text her if you want-

“It’s fine, Mark. Don’t worry about it,” William’s tone was clipped, and his words were short. Suddenly, he wasn’t in the mood to shop or finish sweeping or drive Mark home or wherever he might be tutoring with Eve. Sounded like a job for a much more patient person- Debbie Grayson. He turned away from Mark, walking to put his broom away and clock out early, because lord knows Cheryl did not get paid enough to care, when he heard Mark starting to move toward him. He stopped and put his hand, letting his exasperation be replaced with a mix of disappointment and exhaustion. “Really, Mark. Go study physics with Eve. You’ve waited three years for this, I’m sure I can wait another day to shop.”

It felt so stupid being so upset about something so meaningless, but William could barely keep any of his emotions in check these days. He couldn’t be held responsible for how he responded in the moment. He was hanging up his apron as Regina left to deliver the food when he heard the kitchen door open again. William thought it might’ve been Regina coming back, but then he heard Mark's quiet voice, “Thanks, Will. And I really am sorry. If I can have us finish early, we can still try to go to the mall today. I know that the store you like closes at six, so I’ll be on my best behavior so we can make it.” William didn't respond to that, continuing to mope for maximum dramatic effect, but as he punched his numbers into the time machine at the back of the store, he looked back at the door to see if Mark was still waiting for a response.

Loyal to a fault, there he was, perched in the doorway and staring at William with a mix of guilt and hope as he awaited his judgment. William let one half of his mouth curl into a smile and waved. “Bye, Mark! Don’t forget to do my chores for me. Thanks!” He turned without waiting for what was sure to be loud protests from, but as he walked to his car in the parking lot, he could hear the smile in Mark’s voice when he groaned.

The drive home was more pleasant for the friendly note he’d managed to leave work on, but he was still agitated. He felt a pressure in his chest that made him want to turn around and yell at Mark, but what exactly would he say? How dare he put his crush of three years and a scheduled event over a meaningless hangout with someone he sees every day? It even sounded stupid and unreasonable to William, so he knew how crazy the thought must’ve actually been. Whatever. He’d calm himself down by doing another one of his yoga routines. Another glorious thing that Amber Bennett had introduced into his life besides being a respite from Mark.

Maybe he should call Amber. She might want to go to the mall with him, and William knew she was probably available. Though she did rigorous volunteering work at various shelters, it wasn’t technically a job, and Amber hadn’t been hesitant to share that she managed such a hefty schedule by leaving to go home whenever she felt too overwhelmed. She might even appreciate William giving her an excuse to escape the heat and smell of abandoned animals to go shopping.

Before he managed to send her text, Mark’s words flashed in his head. He said he was going to try and finish early so they could still go later in the afternoon. It’s not like William had any plans, and if they could still make it to his favorite spots, then it would still be worth the trip. His thumb hesitated over the blue arrow when the light in front of him turned green, forcing him to temporarily abandon his plan to text her. William told himself that perhaps that light turning had been cosmic timing. Like the universe wanted him to wait up for Mark. Such a small thing, especially considering that though Mark tried his best, he rarely showed up on time, but William made his decision. No texting, Amber. But if Mark failed to come through on his effort to leave Eve early, then William would leave him to go with Amber next time. Yeah, that sounded like a reasonable compromise to William’s ego. He couldn’t let himself behave too desperately. Hopefully, Mark just followed through, so William didn’t have to find the will to skimp on plans with him.

__

Mark thanked his mom before getting out of the car, grabbing his backpack, and walking towards the library’s entrance. She smiled at him before pulling out of the parking lot, but it didn’t fully reach her eyes. Mark knew she was still mad at him for botching his plans with William and losing his ride in the process. Man, he needed to get his license.

He couldn’t think about that for long, though. His mind was too preoccupied with the girl he was about to see inside the town’s library. The last message she sent had been friendly, but more formal than the way they’d spoken to each other at the gym. Mark wondered if Reginald High School made its tutors submit their communications to HR. That would really dampen the atmosphere for any flirting.

When the glass doors slid open for him, he walked past the children’s section to the area where desks were sprawled out over a carpet designed to look like an empty crossword puzzle. Mark remembered coming here as a kid, running around playing dinosaurs with William until they’d get shushed by the librarian. Mark looked for that familiar crinkling face, but he didn’t spot her. She must’ve retired. He kept walking through the sea of mostly empty wooden desks, absentmindedly searching for Eve while thinking about all the afternoons his mom had dropped him and William off here after elementary school got out so she could get some alone time in the quiet floors upstairs and William and Mark could play somewhere besides the Graysons’s backyard.

Shit. He felt guilty all over again when he remembered the way William’s face had fallen when he admitted he didn’t remember their plans. In his defense, Mark having anything to do besides hang out with William now that they worked together was something completely new and unaccounted for in his planning. He’d have to get used to it if he planned on spending more time with Eve.

“Mark! Over here!” Mark whipped his head around towards Eve’s sparkling voice, and he spotted her sitting in the farthest corner of the area, by a desk that was practically nestled between two bookshelves.

He walked over, unable to stop himself from staring and stumbling on his walk over as a result. “Oh, h-hey Eve! I didn’t see you over here.”

She laughed lightly at his bashful greeting. “No problem. That’s kinda why I chose this spot. It tends to be a little quieter and less people walk past. Makes it easy to concentrate.”

Mark couldn’t really find something to say, so he settled for, “Cool.” Eve made a slight face, and Mark felt his face getting red as he tried ot come up with something. “Uh, do you come here a lot?” Eve smiled at his attempt to continue their chat and reached into her pink backpack to grab a folder and a stack of papers, which Mark assumed were worksheets.

“Yeah, I do most of my tutoring sessions here. Discovered it was a nice spot after realizing the school made us pay to stay on campus after hours, and they have free printing here. Which,” she gestured to the pile of papers she had spread out across the desk. “I have put to good use.”

Mark sat down as she began to explain what concepts they’d start with covering. Since she’d taken the class last year, she knew what order the units were taught in, so first up was “Three-dimensional kinematics!” Eve seemed excited to discuss the topic, so Mark smiled as he took the seat across from her, but her words became increasingly confusing. He felt too embarrassed to ask questions and didn’t want to interrupt Eve to have to tell her to slow down.

He just nodded his head and tried to think of how William would explain it. He went much slower and made lots of comparisons to their video games and whatever comic series they were reading at the time. Mark remembered learning how viruses work because William compared it to the issue of the Seancé Dog, where Dr. Mittensdoom hijacked the minds of Seancé Dog’s friends to increase her own power and break the spirit of the hero. William hated Seancé Dog, but his teaching had paid off since Mark aced that test.

“Mark? Did you get that? If an object is at the peak of its arc, then its upward acceleration and velocity are zero. But that doesn’t necessarily mean its total acceleration and velocity are zero-” Mark’s eyes were on Eve’s face, but behind them his mind was doing its best to try and make sure he did not look like a complete idiot. He kept nodding his head until he suddenly interrupted Eve to make an almost forgotten request,

“Oh. Hey, “Eve’s eyes had shot up from the small whiteboard she had been drawing on to Mark’s face, scrambling his train of thought for a solid second, “I know we’re set to finish at six today, but is there any chance we could try and finish by five thirty? I was supposed to go to the mall with William today, but I totally forgot, and his favorite store is only open until six, so-”

Eve’s soft laugh cut Mark off. “Yes, we can finish early, Mark. As long as you fill out that we did the whole hour and a half on the form.” She pointed her finger at him jokingly to emphasize her point, and Mark finally let out a real laugh. “Will do. And thanks.” He released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and Eve just waved him off. “No worries. Wouldn’t dream of keeping you from shopping. Besides, I don’t think you were understanding much anyway.”

Her tone was kidding, and the sly smile that played on her lips kept Mark from blushing too much at being called out, but he could only sputter out a protest. Eve laughed again, and the rest of their session passed in a far less stressful manner for Mark. Eve was moving slower, they had actually made each other laugh, and he’d managed to secure a date with William at the mall like he’d promised. Wait. Not a date. It was just a hangout.

Mark lost all the focus he had managed to put towards Eve’s worksheets as he caught his mental slip. He’d used the word date to describe their hangouts many times, not thinking anything more of it, but he didn’t think he could stomach it after what they’d done. He wasn’t mad at William anymore, but he didn’t want to test the waters of their relationship anymore. He loved hanging out with William, and that was that. He wasn’t going to give that or his best friend up. Ever. But he also wanted to keep the lines as unblurred as possible. If he didn’t know where they were, then William definitely wouldn’t. And where could that possibly go?

Nowhere. That’s where. Mark shook his head, dispelling whatever train of thought he’d just gotten lost on, and tried focusing on the physics problem right in front of him. Any frustration he felt about his confusion surrounding William paled in comparison to the frustration he felt at his inability to complete a single problem without Eve’s help. Guess he really needed the tutoring after all. Mark left the library far more excited to leave than he would’ve initially guessed. He could not wait to get to the mall.

__

William spotted Mark waiting for him by the corner outside the local library. He was chatting casually with Eve, who had her hair down and was wearing a loose tank top and jeans. Great. So William’s competition could pull off making casual cute. Wait. Eve was not his competition. They weren’t competing for anything. Clearly, William’s yoga routine hadn't worked.

Any tranquility he might’ve found to quell his anger at Mark had been lost and replaced with excitement as soon as Mark had texted him at five, confirming he would be finished early and asking to be picked up at the town library. William had only sent a thumbs-up as a reply, but the nonchalance was a facade. Mark had actually asked his crush if he could leave their private study session early, so he could go to the mall with his gay best friend. Hard to say if William was successfully starving his desire for Mark by letting himself be happy over these tiny wins or if he was only adding fuel to the fire.

William honked his horn to get Mark’s attention as he rolled up to where the two were standing, rolling down the passenger window and unlocking the door before waving to the pair. “Hi Eve!” He made his voice sound pleasant and congenial. He had met Eve before, when they did labs together in chemistry class last year, and while they were friendly, they weren’t exactly friends. They followed each other on social media, which Mark had made a big fuss about since William posted “embarrassing” photos of them, but outside of occasionally liking each other’s posts, they never talked or hung out outside of class. William hoped to keep it that way.

“Thanks for helping out my idiot friend here, but I need his brain to come help me pick out jeans now.”

Mark shot him a look that he guessed was supposed to convey anger, but he couldn’t tell if it was anger or embarrassment, making Mark red. Eve laughed, of course, waving to William as Mark opened the car door to take his place in the passenger seat and continued glowering. William began laughing with Eve, and Mark’s little stunt fell apart as he started to laugh at himself, too.

“Well, have fun, you two. I’ve gotta catch a movie with Rex. See you next time, Mark! And we totally need to catch up before the school year starts, William!” William told her they would, and both boys waved to her as she turned and walked to the back of the library. William hadn’t seen her car up front, so he figured she might’ve parked back there until he remembered there wasn’t a parking lot behind the library.

“Did you really have to say that?” Mark’s voice called him from his thoughts, and his eyes left where they had still been staring at Eve’s retreating figure.

“Yes. Yes, I did.” Mark groaned and shook his head, leaning back into the worn leather seats and gazing out the windshield as William began to drive. William sped up once he left the parking lot, pressing down on the gas to try and give them as much time as possible in his store with the twenty-five minutes they had left until it closed.

“Buckle up, princess. The speed limit is going to be taken as a light suggestion right now.” Mark blushed a little at the nickname but buckled his seatbelt. William never reminded him to do it unless he knew he was going to speed, so Mark took it seriously.

“Sorry, we don’t have more time,” he grumbled, sensing some lingering frustration beneath William’s words.

“Don’t worry about it. I mean, I’m happy we’re going at all. I thought I might’ve decided not to make plans with Amber for nothing.” Mark was a little surprised his friend was being so forgiving, but he was even more surprised William had considered going to the mall with anyone but him.

“You were going to go with her?!” His voice was incredulous. “A guy’s late to one hangout, and you’re already working to replace me!”

“Aww, don’t be mad, Mark. We’re both making new friends. And you know I could never replace you.” William bit his tongue after talking, focusing on the road instead of the silence that had fallen after he’d let a little too much sincerity bleed into his last sentence. He failed to notice that Mark had been staring out the window since, trying to hide the flush that had crept up his neck while listening to William talk.

By the time they arrived at the mall, the store was closing, and William tried pleading with the woman locking the doors to let him look for just five minutes.

“I’m sorry, sir. We will be open at seven tomorrow morning.” She walked away, ignoring William’s sad eyes, and Mark went up to his friend to pat his back.

“We’ll come back, Will. I promise.”

“Whatever. This is all your fault.” Mark smiled, hearing the lack of real bite behind William’s words. William was walking back to the car already, giving up on the trip entirely, when Mark jogged to catch up with him.

“Wanna go for ice cream instead?” William perked up at that, a grin cracking on his face to match Mark’s own. The two ended their night together by testing which of them could eat the ice cream the fastest without getting a brain freeze. When William dropped Mark off at home, he was still clutching his head and trying to press his tongue to the roof of his mouth. William thought he would think of that face whenever he had ice cream from now on.

__

Freshly cut fruit? Check. Towels? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Water? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Volleyball? Perfect. He had everything he needed. William was packing his car for Lake Michigan when he got a call from Mark. It was still pretty early in the morning, the sky still swimming in shades of pink and orange, so when he picked up the phone, he was expecting to hear that Mark needed some more time. Instead, he heard a quiet shuffling noise that he guessed was Mark fidgeting with his hair.

“Mark?”

“Oh. Yeah. Hi, Will.”

“What did you do?”

Mark chuckled on the other side of the phone, and William shut his trunk and made his way to the driver's seat, his eyes narrowing in suspicion at Mark's strange behavior.

“Nothing! Nothing. But remember how I had another tutoring session with Eve on Thursday?” William rolled his eyes. How could he forget? William would have to find something to do besides bother Mark and procrastinate whatever he had to do every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from now on.

“Yeah, Mark. I remember. You’ve talked about it every day and are counting since the day you scheduled it. Which was the day after your first session, by the way.”

“Okay, okay. I get it. But anyway, I mentioned to Eve how I was excited for this weekend because of our annual Lake Michigan trip, and she thought it was super cool. So obviously, I told her to let us know if she wanted to come or if she was in the area. I mean, I didn’t think she’d actually want to come-”

“Let me stop you right there.” William felt his blood begin to boil in a way that only Mark’s stupidity could do. Of course, Eve wanted to come! Who the hell wouldn’t want to see Mark tanning at the beach? “So you invited a classmate of ours, who tutors you and barely knows me, to our weekend plans. Did you think about how she would get there? Did you think about where she would stay? What is she staying in the motel with us? Am I supposed to offer my car up to her?”

Mark tried interjecting, only to flinch as William raised his voice to ensure he wasn’t interrupted.

“Listen, Mark,” William inhaled deeply, trying to find some previously undiscovered source of patience and understanding for his friend. “I understand that you like her. I understand that you will sometimes forget our plans and make it up to me later as a result. But I do not understand why someone neither of us actually knows currently believes she will be joining this very private, exclusive journey on our last summer weekend of high school.” He let himself exhale then, deciding that he should probably let Mark speak.

“Will, I’m sorry. I thought I was just being courteous. And I don’t like her. She’s just really pretty. And nice. And- well, look, it doesn’t matter. She texted me and said she has her own ride and she’s going with Rex anyway because their anniversary is coming up. So they’ll probably be staying together, and we don’t even have to see them that much. They’ll probably be off doing their own thing. I promise.”

William knew there was no point in arguing. It’s not like he could prevent Eve from showing up, and if she already planned on coming, there was no point in telling Mark how much he resented that idea. “I’ll be at your house in five minutes.” He hung up the phone and drove in silence. He was not in the mood for the beach playlist he’d delicately curated during his shift on Friday. All the effort he put into this trip felt stupid now. The pineapple he’d cut up because he knew it was Mark’s favorite fruit. The black and blue striped bathing suit he’d bought specifically for this trip, because Mark had told him it looked nice when they ended up going to the mall on Wednesday. William even dug around in his linen closet to find the ratty Seancé Dog towel he knew he just so Mark could fold it up and use it as a headrest. All of that for every ounce of his attention to land on his physics tutor, who had a boyfriend.

Needless to say, William was definitely feeling the effects of having his desire unwillingly curbed. Maybe it was a good thing. William definitely needed something to snap out of whatever orbit he’d fallen into surrounding Mark. Ever since that fateful night a few weeks ago, it’d become harder for William to deny himself indulging in fantasizing about Mark. Because he’d gotten a glimpse into that world. Moments like this would help remind him that that’s what it would remain. A glimpse.

Mark was already waiting for him in his driveway, decked out in a grey tank top that left little to the imagination and red swimming trunks. He had sunglasses on the top of his head and was carrying an adorable floral print beach bag that William knew immediately had been lent to him by Mrs. Grayson. He tried not to let his irritation show too much, since they had a long car ride ahead of them, but after Mark put his stuff in the trunk and climbed in the passenger's seat, he immediately leaned over to hug William around the shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Will.” William could hear the grin forming in Mark’s words, his breath tickling William’s ear, “But think of it this way. At least we can say we’ve made plans with other people now.” Despite William’s best effort, Mark’s apology hug and joke were enough to make a smile tug at the corners of William’s lips.

“Okay, alright!” He let himself laugh, playfully shoving Mark off of him and starting the car. “I’ll talk to Eve, but I make no promises to be civil to the Rex kid. God knows what’s gonna come out of his mouth.” Mark smiled, kicking his feet up on the dashboard and shooting another smile toward his friend.

“Fair enough.”

The drive felt quicker than the three or so hours it actually was, and that was in no small part aided by the fact that William and Mark had been entertained by singing along to songs in a duet playlist Mark had picked out last night. Right after they had finished “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and began singing Beauty and a Beat, Mark, being Justin Bieber, and William, being Nicki Minaj, William spotted the beach.

“'Cause all I need-”

William smacked Mark’s shoulder to pull his attention away from the song, “Mark, look! We made it!”

The pair began making whooping noises, celebrating their arrival and the chance to stretch their legs. They’d left only a few hours after the sun had risen, so they’d made it before noon and beaten most of the crowd. William also hoped that meant they got a few hours without Eve with them, too.

After several minutes of searching, they finally found a parking spot and began unloading the truck.
“Wow, you came prepared.” Mark looked at the stash of food, clothes, and towels William had brought and felt grateful that his friend always made sure to pack for both of them.

“I always do.”After they paid for parking, which Mark insisted on covering, they made their way down the wooden boardwalk, stepping onto the white sand and staring out onto the crystal blue waters of Lake Michigan. William beamed at the sight, happy to finally be here with Mark after looking forward to it for so long.

“How about over there?” Mark points to an empty patch of sand not too far from the water’s edge, and in between a pair of sand dunes. William nods his head in agreement, and they start heading over there. It would be quieter over here, away from the main section of the beach, and shielded from more people lounging by them since the dunes made their sliver of sand essentially the only occupiable space nearby. It was perfect.

“Nice catch,” William said, congratulating Mark on his call out, as they laid out their towels next to each other. Now that their setup had been completed, William moved to set out the fruit, volleyball, and sunscreen, and Mark went to take off his tank top. William felt his hands freeze on the container of pineapple slices as he watched Mark’s tank top slide off him to reveal his toned chest. Mark bent down to put his shirt in his bag, and William averted his eyes back to the pineapple at hand before he got caught staring at Mark’s abs. Since when did he get six of them?

“Don’t mind if I do,” Mark leaned over William’s shoulder to grab a slice of pineapple from the container William was still holding, and William did everything in his power not to stare at the bicep that crossed his line of vision. Before the pineapple could cause any more issues, he silently set the container closer to Mark’s towel and moved to get the sunscreen.

William realized it was his turn to take off the t-shirt he had worn as a cover-up. He tried to do it quickly to disguise his self-consciousness at the newfound meaning of being half-naked with Mark, but he felt Mark’s eyes lingering on his back as he removed it. When he turned around to grab a bottle of sunscreen, Mark turned suddenly to face the ocean, and William followed his stare to the waves gently lapping against the shore. There was nothing else there.

As he started applying the sunscreen to himself, Mark picked up on the hint and grabbed the other bottle William had brought and started lathering himself with it. William spent about an extra minute rubbing lotion into his right arm because he couldn’t make himself look away when Mark was spreading the white liquid across his chest. It made his collarbone and pecs glisten under the sun, and William remembered feeling his face pushed against them, as Mark was pressed into him, moaning into his hair-

“Will? Mind getting my back?” Mark was holding the sunscreen bottle out to William with his right hand and gesturing to his back with the other. William swallowed hard and prayed that it had looked like he was staring out at the water and not his best friend rubbing sunscreen into his bare chest.
“Uh, yeah. Sure. Of course.” Mark’s eyebrow arched slightly at William’s response, but he said nothing as William squeezed some sunscreen out from the bottle, forgetting about the other half of his body he’d missed while applying it to himself. William gently started massaging the sunscreen into Mark’s shoulders, making his way to the top of Mark’s spine before continuing to rub circles down and out from the spine, before heading back in. Mark’s skin was smooth and warm, and he had to close his eyes for a second to gather himself. Feeling the taut muscle beneath the soft skin of his shirtless best friend would be a welcome sensation any other time, but right now, he felt his swim shorts getting tighter, and they were not baggy enough to hide anything.

William thought he could feel Mark holding his breath and kept applying the sunscreen before trying to break the tension. “You know, I know we always burn anyway, but I really hope we catch at least some color this weekend. Fake tanner is expensive, and I don’t think Cheryl pays us enough for me to afford it.” Mark exhaled through a laugh, and William felt his shoulders roll as he chuckled. “We can hope, Will. But I can’t say I think this year will be any different.” William sighed in mock exasperation, grateful to have escaped the spell he was briefly under as he finished kneading the last of the sunscreen on his hands into his friend's lower back. Mark subconsciously arched his back upon feeling pressure in his lower back, and William quickly turned his eyes to the sky and removed his hands from his friend. He rapidly turned around, facing away from Mark, and shoved the bottle of sunscreen toward Mark before saying in a voice that sounded high-pitched ot his own ears, “My turn.”

Nobody, especially Mark, needed to see the tiny tent he had pitched, and he needed time before he was in the clear. Not that feeling his friend's firm but delicate hands begin to spread sunscreen across his back was any help. Mark was spreading the lotion so gently that William wondered if he was holding back for fear of hurting his frailer friend. “Uh, Mark. You actually have to rub it in. I really don’t want to look like a lobster the first day of school.” Mark made a strangled noise before he began coughing, and William turned his head back around to check on his friend.

“You okay?” Mark waved him off, face red and eyes brimmed with tears, and William felt a wave of sympathy at the sight of his friend in a coughing fit. “Are you sure you don't need water or something? I packed some.” Mark continued waving him off, facing back to William before mumbling, “Sorry.” William reached his hand around his back to pat Mark’s arm, and Mark’s hands stopped before continuing to apply the sunscreen, this time with more force.

By the time they had finished applying sunscreen to each other, and William had completed applying it to the other half of his body, to Mark’s confusion, the sun was nearly overhead, and the pair nestled onto their towels, sharing the Seancé Dog blanket as a pillow since Mark realized William hand’t packed anything for himself.

The beach was starting to fill up, and William began pointing out some of the characters he saw. They stayed like that, heads laid next to each other, and laughter mixing in the air as they watched a kids splash in the water and seagulls try stealing food from unsuspecting visitors. The sun moved directly overhead as they basked in the heat, and let the background noises fill their comfortable silence. William had his sunglasses on now, and he was grateful for the cover they provided to his eyes. He could watch Mark from his periphery without fear of being caught, and his body thrummed with pleasure as he felt the warmth on his skin and the light reflected off his friend’s face.

Mark had his eyes closed and his hands folded neatly on his chest. William could feel his shoulder pressed against his own and breathed in Mark, as he traced the outline of Mark’s features with his eyes. His long lashes, the slight part in his otherwise carefully attended to hair, the tilt of his nose, and sharp line of his jaw, and the way his lower lip seemed to stick out slightly, like he was always ready to pout.

Mark nudged him with his shoulder, eyes still closed and a ghost of a smile playing at his lips. “Wanna get in the water? I’m starting to sweat.” A sheen of sweat had begun to coat them both, and William agreed, Mark helping him up from where he sat, muscles aching from disuse.

“It’s not even noon, and I’m already tired.” They had reached the shoreline, and William let out a groan of pleasure as the cool water rolled over his feet. Mark laughed at his reaction and leaned down to splash some of the water up at Willism, who flinched and stumbled back, making Mark laugh harder. “Maybe the water will help wake you up,” he managed to say between laughs.

“Oh, it’s so on, Grayson.” William tried lunging for Mark, attempting to shove him further in the water, but Mark, upon hearing William use his last name, anticipated the attack and sidestepped William, using the moment to push William back into the waves. Just as he thought he had defeated William, though, William’s hands reached up at the last second to pull Mark down with him, and they both collapsed into the water, splashing each other and laughing as the water refreshed them.

“Mark!” Both of the boys turned their heads toward the sound of Mark’s name, and William spotted Eve first, her red hair shining under the summer sun as she headed toward them, waving, and Rex’s tan figure trailing not far behind.

“Great,” he muttered, letting himself sink back into the waves as Mark stood up from the water, waving and shouting toward Eve. He was moving back toward the shore when he must’ve noticed William wasn’t following him because he turned around to ding William’s head, peeking out from beneath the water. He trudged back into the water before grabbing his friend’s arm and hauling him up.

“You promised to be nice to Eve. Behave.” William leaned his head back and loosed a groan before sighing. “Fine.”

“Hi, Mark! William!” Eve was closer to them now, and William could make out her athletic frame sporting a pink bikini top and jean shorts. He waved politely and smiled before Mark started talking.
“Hey Eve! When did you guys get here?” Rex had come up behind Eve, placing an arm around her waist and silently evaluating Mark and William. He was wearing radiators that rested on top of his head and ridiculous-looking yellow shorts lined with red and orange. William thought he looked like a model for Hot Wheels.

“We’ve been here for almost an hour. I thought I texted you, but maybe there’s no service out here. I saw you guys in the water and thought I’d come over to invite you to come grab lunch with us,” she gestured between herself and Rex, who still hadn’t done so much as wave. “If you were interested.”

Mark nodded his head immediately, “Yeah! Of course. Sorry, I didn’t see your text. I haven’t been checking my phone. We’d love to.” He looked to William for approval. Eve and Rex turned to him then, and he smiled awkwardly before grabbing his stomach. “Sorry, no can do! I’ve been feeling a little sick all day, so I think I’ll just stick to my pineapple and watermelon. Enjoy though!” He did not want to see Mark interacting with Eve in person, and if that weren’t embarrassing enough, Rex’s stand-offish attitude would kill any chance for a conversation that didn’t involve Eve or Mark.

Mark frowned a little at hearing his excuse and looked like he was about to say something before Rex scoffed, turning everyone’s attention to him. “Yeah, I don’t think I’m too hungry either anymore, babe. Grab me a smoothie if you find a place that has them.” Rex started walking away, but not before looking Mark up and down and shaking his head. Eve’s stare followed him for a little bit before she returned to them.

“Sorry about him. He’s a little grouchy after our ride here. We had a stressful morning.” William suddenly remembered a headline from that morning about an attack outside Chicago.

“Oh yeah, are you guys okay? I think there was an attack near one of the cities on the way here.”

Eve laughed nervously then, confusing William as she ran a hand through her hair, combing it back before answering, “Oh yeah, we were fine. Nothing we couldn’t handle. Anyway, Mark, I saw a ton of food trucks a bit over when we were coming in, so we can see what they have there.” Eve’s answer didn’t make a lot of sense to William, but before his concern and curiosity could win out, Mark responded. “Perfect. I just need to go grab my wallet, and then I can meet you by where you guys are at.”

Eve smiled and pointed distantly to a man who resembled Rex sitting under an umbrella. ‘We’re right over there. I’ll be waiting!” She started walking away, and the two took it as their cue to return to their setup. Nothing had been disturbed, and as William laid back down on the towel, Mark fished his wallet out from where it had been stuffed in his bag. “I promise I won’t be too long. Text me if you need anything!” He started walking away, his flip flops smacking against his heels, and William called out, “Have fun! Make good choices!” His voice sounded more cheery than he actually was. The day had been going well right up until that moment. William only wished that Mark stuck to his word, and they wouldn’t be hanging out with Eve for too long.

He tried letting himself relax, putting his hands behind his head and staring out onto the sparkling blue waves and sandy white beach. The beautiful scenery and throngs of people, combined with the calls of seagulls, did put his mind at ease, and it didn’t feel like very long at all until he saw Mark walking back alone with food in his hands.

“Hey. Sorry if we took a while. There were lines, and then I almost dropped the food in the sand…” He saw William staring at him blankly, completely unmoved from before he had walked up. “Anyway, here’s a burrito. I remember your order from that Mexican palace near my house, and they had something similar. You need to eat.”

William perked up at the mention of food, like Mark knew he would, and gingerly took the tinfoil-wrapped burrito from where Mark held it out to him. “Thanks,” he said, patting the space on Mark’s towel next to him and sitting up so they could eat together.”

“Maybe you won’t be so-” William’s side eye made Mark pause to choose his words carefully, “on edge after you eat.” William took a bite of his burrito, which did in fact have everything he ordered on it at Lola’s Cantina, and sighed after he swallowed.

“Sorry if I was rude. I just didn’t think I’d be great company at the food trucks. Especially when I thought Rex would be coming.” HE shuddered at that thought, and Mark let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, he shot me some dirty glares when I dropped Eve off at their umbrella. But don’t worry about it. You’re still having fun, right?” William had managed to down a few more bites while Mark had been talking, and the feeling of good food and genuine care from his best friend washed away the last of the petty feelings he had been holding on to for Eve being invited.

“Yeah, Mark. I am.” They ate in silence for a few more moments, trading bites of each other’s food. Mark was finishing up the pulled pork sandwich he had scavenged from a barbecue food truck when William grabbed the volleyball that had been sitting at the corner of his towel.

“How does a couple of rounds of volleyball with our favorite couple sound?” Mark grinned and nodded, flashing William with the sight of meat strands and sauce between his teeth, and William laughed at the sight of his best friend before helping him to his feet so they could walk over where Rex and Eve were situated.

Though Rex was practically forced by Eve to play with them, William could honestly say he enjoyed the rounds they played. Eve was actually a sweet and interesting person when she wasn’t the sole object of Mark’s attention. The games themselves weren’t serious at all, with no net or court, but they drew boundaries and passed the ball between each other until someone dropped it. Mark and William were a team, of course, and William was grateful for the few years of volleyball he had played in middle school, because everyone else there was seriously more athletic than him. Rex may have acted like an oaf, but his bulky physique and agility made it easy for William to understand why Eve was with him. He also worked pretty well with her, though sometimes when he should’ve passed the ball, he tried to power it past Mark or William with no success.

The sun dried them all off, and William could feel himself becoming more comfortable around Eve over the few hours they played, and as Rex and Mark became increasingly competitive, William and Eve traded jokes and whispers about the latest drama in their high school. When Eve mentioned something under her breath about them being late today, partly because Rex had held them up talking to some Kate from another school, William had been annoyed on her behalf, but unsurprised. It also reminded him to ask, “Speaking of delays, were you guys okay this morning? Seriously, you mentioned something about the attack earlier, and I saw a look pass over your face. Everything good?”

Eve laughed nervously again but waved off his concern, “Oh yeah. Of course. Nothing to worry about, truly. We were just nervous, and there was traffic and all.” William nodded his head like he understood, but he could not imagine the traffic going out of the city during a major attack, and even if Eve and Rex had left before him and Mark, which they clearly didn’t, they had made it here in record time. She must have a flying car or something.

Mark had just won a rally against Mark, fist bumping William and letting out a whoop of celebration, when Rex grumbled. “We should probably head out, babe. It’s getting late, and you know we have to be home in time for those dinner reservations.” William hadn’t noticed, but the shadows beneath them had begun to stretch, and the beach was slowly starting to empty as the sky showed the first signs of turning orange.

Eve shot Rex a look that William gathered to mean she did not think it was so late they had to leave, but William thought about how ridiculous that was. It must’ve been around five already, and it was a three-hour drive home minimum. He bit his tongue, and so did Eve apparently. Instead of saying anything, she simply shook her head in disappointment and shooed him back towards their umbrella.

“Sorry to be a bummer,” she said, facing the two remaining boys when Rex had walked out of earshot. “He’s been in a bad mood all day. Doesn’t like the beach. Or anniversaries. Anyway, thanks for playing with us. It was nice to catch up with you two before school. See you soon!” She waved and walked away, Mark and William giving her farewells before turning to each other.

“I can’t believe I was just reminded about school starting in less than forty-eight hours.” William was experiencing whiplash from Eve’s comment because now the beach he was standing on seemed less like a vacation and more like a last hurrah.

“Ugh, I know.” Mark made a disgusted face, sticking out his tongue, and William let out a belly laugh, hunching over in the sand. Exhaustion had clearly gotten to him. Mark smiled, walking over and hooking an arm around William’s shoulder before guiding them back to where their stuff was. “Come on, Will. Let’s get out of here and check in before the motels are filled up for the night. Then we can grab dinner and find a movie to watch.” William composed himself, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye, and nodding along with Mark’s plan. He leaned into his best friend’s embrace as they walked in sync. William started laughing again, and when Mark looked at him, concerned, William shook his head. “You looked so fucking ridiculous when you made that face. I wish Eve could’ve seen it.”

Mark’s smile vanished from his face and morphed into a pout, and William kept laughing even as Mark dropped his arm and began to pack up their stuff. William joined him in the effort eventually, but he had been laughing for so long that even Mark’s pout had changed back into a slight smile as he could only shake his head in disbelief that William found such a stupid face so funny.

Once they had packed up and William had finally stopped laughing at Mark, they made their way to the parking lot, changing back into their shirts and rinsing the sand they had accumulated on their bodies, off. After kicking Mark's feet out from the hose to wash off, William deemed them ready to enter his car, and when they were inside, Mark gave directions to William to the nearest motel.

They weren’t eighteen, and they didn’t really look it, but absolutely no one cared in the surrounding beach town, and despite the initial protests of both of their parents, they had been allowed to book and stay in one last year. Of course, as insurance for the first time, Mark’s mom had been in the room two doors down to make sure they were okay, but this year she stayed at home. He knew William’s parents didn’t care either way, but Mark suspected his mom had relaxed this year because he’d gotten his dad to promise that he would fly out at the first sign of danger to Mark or William. If Omni-Man was on call for their protection, what did his mom have to worry about?

William pulled into the mostly empty parking lot, hauling out the duffle bag he’d packed and letting Mark grab the rest of the bags he’d packed for the beach. There was no sense in leaving anything valuable in his car in a motel parking lot. They checked in with no problems at all, booking a two-bedroom for one night. The attendant had barely looked up from the book she was reading when signing William in and charging him, let alone notice that she was dealing with two teenage boys on their final vacation of the summer.

When they finally made it to the room, Mark lumbering behind William while trying to haul all their luggage, William got about exactly what he expected for eighty-seven dollars a night. Two twin-size beds not even two feet apart, covered in thin sheets, a single armchair on the far side of the room, a tiny box TV placed on a desk in front of the beds, and a dingy bathroom to the left of the entrance walkway. The bathroom didn’t look so dirty that William would refuse using it, like he had thought about doing last year, but the toilet, shower, and sink were so cramped together that he wondered how he was going to do a single thing at any one utility. Oh well.

He set his duffel bag down at the foot of the bed, flopping down onto the mattress and letting himself sink into the surprisingly soft sheets. Mark walked in behind him, unceremoniously dropping the rest of the bags near the entrance by the door, before staggering over to the other bed and falling face first into the bedding. Both boys stayed like that for a while, sprawled out on top of their mattresses, feeling the weight of the day settle on them heavier than they’d expected.

William managed to move his mouth, realizing they might starve if they didn’t take action soon. “Wanna order a pizza instead?”

Mark said something in response, but it was too muffled for William to understand. Not that he didn’t know Mark’s answer. He reached for his phone in his pocket and began dialing the number of one of the nearby pizza joints. Yes, he had looked beforehand, yes, he knew the number. At all points, William thought it was necessary for him to know where and how to access the nearest fast food to him.

“Hello. We’d like to order two medium pepperoni pizzas, please,” Mark grumbled when he heard that, like William knew he would, because he preferred either no toppings at all or Hawaiian. Upon hearing a low voice ask for a name, card number, and address, William told him they would pay in cash and were staying at the Starry Night Motel. The sigh on the other end of the phone before telling him it would be about fifteen to twenty minutes made William think the man must’ve assumed unsavory things about what two teenagers were doing at a motel, but what could he do to remedy that?

Slumping back down onto the bed, he looked over at Mark, whose breaths had become heavier and whose black hair had fanned out across the sheets. William stared at him for a while like that, letting his eyelids droop when he remembered they had food coming. He checked his phone to discover it’d only been ten minutes, and he sighed.

Mark appeared to truly be asleep now, and William thought it was best to let him stay like that, even if he wanted to chat to pass the time. So William sat up, curling his legs into himself as he leaned against the headboard, and continued to watch Mark’s soundless form. His face was still buried in the sheets, but it was tilted enough toward William that William could confirm his eyes were closed. Upon further inspection, William also noticed that he looked, even if marginally, slightly tanner than this morning. His legs had caught a tint of bronze, and even though that meant Mark had probably gotten burned somewhere, at least he’d caught some sun.

On the other hand, when inspecting himself, William noticed nothing but a few pink spots on his thigh and felt a small burn on his lower back. Guess Mark’s hands didn’t want to linger too long down there. That thought distracted William for a bit, and he imagined the feeling of Mark’s firm palms pressing down on his back, gripping his waist, or- Mark stirred in his sleep, shifting slightly before settling back to his initial position, and William used the moment to gather himself and check his phone.

Sure enough, he fantasized and stared long enough for the pizza to arrive, and he made his way to the door and down the hall toward the lobby. When he walked in, the same unbothered employee manning the front desk, he saw a bored-looking teenage boy waiting outside and holding two pizza boxes. William made his way toward him, fishing the cash he’d brought in his backpack out of his pocket, and handed some of it to him. “You can keep the change. Thanks,” The scraggly-looking adolescent only grunted in appreciation, sizing up William before turning around and getting back in the car.

William made his way back to the room, doing his best to balance the pizza on one hand and open the door as quietly as possible. Mark was still sleeping as he placed the pizza on the nightstand between their two beds and leaned down towards Mark's sleeping frame. He put one hand on Mark’s shoulder and shook him gently, using the other hand to pat the back of his head. Mark was really like a giant golden retriever when he thought about it. Mark groaned awake a few moments later, “Will…is the food here?” He lifted his head up, and William let his hand return to his side as he watched Mark reorient himself with his surroundings. Mark’s voice had been husky when he’d said William’s name, and now William’s throat was dry and scratchy when he squeaked out, “Yes.” Mark yawned and sat up, stretching his arms and reaching over to pat Will on the back. “Thanks. Let’s eat.”

And so they did. They both were too tired to talk much, letting the warm food and smell of hot cheese and pizza do the talking. The silence felt nice. Comfortable, even. And William felt a newfound gratitude for moments like these when not ot long ago he’d thought he’d never have this with Mark again. After they finished eating, they found that their television barely worked, let alone having access to Netflix. They did find, however, a channel that had Golden Girl reruns and decided that was sufficient. William used to watch the show with his grandma growing up, and Mark found he had a surprising soft spot for it after he’d visited William and his grandmother. William liked to think of himself as Dorothy and Mark as Rose, and Mark had no problem with it. After a few episodes, they even started talking in character and arguing like the two women on the show did.

They passed a couple more hours like that, the sun and their pizzas long gone and the darkness settling into their room, staved off only by the glow of the TV. William managed to summon the strength to get off his bed to shower and brush his teeth, also managing to convince Mark he needed to clean himself.

“Dude. You’ve been in the sun, salt water, and sand all day, and now you smell like pizza in a motel. It’s nasty and wrong, and I will not let you rest until you apply soap and water to your body!”

Mark relented eventually, whining all the way into the shower. William could hear the water rushing through the paper-thin walls and congratulated himself on a job well done. He climbed back into his bed, donning a clean set of pajama pants, and collapsed against the pillows. It didn’t take him long to fall into that half-awake state, eyes nearly closed and grounded in reality only by the sound of Mark brushing his teeth and coming out of the shower. A towel was wrapped around his waist, and William blushed and turned over to give him privacy to change. The part of him still not yet quenched wanted him to turn around and watch Mark, but he stayed put. When he heard Mark settle into bed and turn off the TV, he relaxed and rolled back over again and faced Mark. He preferred sleeping on his left side.

“Night, Will,” he heard Mark mumble, who also slept on his left side, “Love ya.” William’s eyes shot open at hearing that, but he quickly shut them again and regained his composure out of fear that Mark might turn over and see his face. They’d said I love you a thousand times to each other. It never meant anything to either of them besides the fact that they shared a lot of platonic love for one another. Mark had never cared about saying it before or after William came out, and William never cared about letting Mark know how much he thought of him.

But they hadn’t said it to each other since before that night, and William had been too scared to say it to Mark. Now, though, it would be weird if he didn't say it back, so he tried to sound as natural and sleepy as he could when he grumbled, “Love ya too, buddy.” Extra emphasis on the friend aspect. He did not need to fan the flames of potential allegations about his relationship with Mark.

While all this dilemma was occurring within William, Mark seemed completely unbothered. He hadn’t moved an inch from where he was rolled over, and as far as William could tell, his breathing was slowing again. So he shut his eyes and let the exhaustion he had previously fought off overtake. Across the room, Mark stared at shadows on the wall, vitalized by the shock that had run through him when he had let those familiar words slide off his tongue again. He really hoped William didn’t think he meant anything else by that. It made his stomach flip and his heart flutter, but he tried remaining calm by reminding himself that William had responded normally. They were still just best friends who loved each other. Those thoughts didn’t help Mark, though, and he rolled around for a while before finally settling into a fitful sleep.

__

When he woke up, it was well past early morning, and William checked the alarm clock on the nightstand to see that it read ten forty-five. Well. With the drive back home, that really only left them time to get ready, get breakfast, and go to the beach for about an hour or so. William thought he would have to wake Mark up to tell him this, but as if in sync, Mark stretched awake at that exact moment, leaving William in disbelief.

Apparently, neither of them had worn shirts last night, Mark’s rule forgotten since they were in separate beds, and William made sure he wasn’t caught staring this time as he moved his eyes to Mark’s.

“Morning, sleepy head.” Mark tsked, and rolled out of bed, grabbing his clothes and moving toward the bathroom.

“Dude. You have so not been up that much longer than me; otherwise, you would’ve been dressed already.”

William couldn’t really argue with that, since he was still rubbing his eyes, and he simply joined Mark by the sink, brushing his teeth. The bathroom was far too small to accommodate both their figures, but neither of them cared, and so they stood shoulder to shoulder, trying to get out of the room as fast as possible so they could maximize their final hours on the beach. William’s pleasant humming stopped when he remembered this was their last day of summer, and after they both spat out their toothpaste and rinsed, Mark shot him a look.

“Uh, you good, man?”

William nodded and walked out of the bathroom to grab new clothes from his duffel bag. “Yeah. Just thought about school again.” He heard Mark groan from the bathroom as he changed into a pair of gym shorts and a shirt and finished packing up his things. “Don’t remind me!” He heard Mark finish putting on his clothes, so they both packed up their things and went to William’s car.

Luckily, nothing had been damaged or stolen, and they started heading back toward the beach before stopping at a quiet diner to grab some breakfast. They split a plate of pancakes and bacon, and William let Mark choose blueberries as their add-in instead of chocolate. He’d gotten his way with the pizza toppings last night, so it was only fair. They were cramped into a small booth, and their forks clashed many times when William would try to steal a bit of Mark’s food because it looked better, and Mark would let him.

Once they’d finished eating, having passed the meal by discussing what they had to pack and lay out tonight before school started, they headed to William’s car and arrived at the beach. It was just past noon, and they laid out their stuff in the same spot as yesterday, not bothering to change into bathing suits. Realistically, they could only be here for an hour and a half, and there was no point in getting wet. Since they kept their shirts on this time, there was no need for sunscreen assistance, and they both sat quietly, sunbathing.

There wasn’t anything much to talk about, but William felt himself start to get swept away with nostalgia for this moment. Here he was, with his best friend, relaxing on the beach like they always did. Before their last year of high school together. Of course, they’d have next summer, and of course, they planned on going to college together. Hell, even if they didn’t, William would make sure he saw Mark when they were both home. But none of that would be this again. No college, no girlfriends or boyfriends, and no real responsibilities yet. Just two kids waiting out the last hours of summer under a blue sky.

Mark must’ve heard William sniffling because he sat up to look at his friend, face full of concern. “What's wrong, Will? Do you need to talk?” William rarely cried in front of him, so Mark knew whatever it was, he needed to try and comfort his friend.

‘William dabbed his eyes fingers, reaching underneath his sunglasses, as he swallowed. “No, but it’s just that… It’s never going to be like this again. After this year, everything will become more complicated, and we won’t get to have moments like this anymore.” His voice was wobbly, but he managed to finish without sounding like more of a wimp than he already was. “It’s sad, Mark.” He looked at Mark for the first time since he had started becoming emotional, and Mark gave him a soft smile.

“I know, Will.” And he did. He felt exactly what William had described; he just couldn’t put it into words the way William had. “But think about it. We may not have this exactly anymore, but we’ll have loads of new memories. We’ll make new traditions at college, we’ll find more friends to celebrate with us, and we’ll still be doing it all together.”

“Promise?”

“I promise, Will.”

William felt better after hearing Mark, but part of him couldn’t believe that all of it would work out that easily, especially given what had happened recently. He couldn’t dwell on it, though, because Mark leaned over and hugged him, rubbing his back soothingly before pulling back and smiling.

“Now quit spoiling our last day of freedom. We need something to do.” William was still reeling from the feeling of Mark’s arms wrapped around him as Mark thought about what they could do.

“Oh, I know! Let’s collect shells, and then we can save them and, like, make jewelry or something out of them. Maybe we could get my mom to scrapbook them!”

William finally let himself smile at hearing his friend ramble, and they left their stuff to walk along the shore, picking out shells they thought we worth keeping. Mark always showed his to William for approval before deciding to keep them, since he didn’t trust his own taste that much. After a while, they gathered up their shells and stored them carefully between William’s folded-up Seancé Dog towel so they didn’t get crushed on the car ride home. Once that was done, they packed up the rest of their things and began the journey home.

The car ride was much the same as the one there, without much talking, but lots of singing along to whatever William wanted to listen to and watching the scenery blur by through open windows. Mark was happy to be along for the ride and silently congratulated himself for being able to cheer William up a bit, even if he still seemed more pensive than usual.

By the time William pulled into Mark’s driveway, he was nearly recovered, back to smiling and laughing at Mark’s singing like usual. The sun was about to set, and a golden hue bathed the street in a dreamy glow. When Mark got out to get his stuff from the trunk, though, he couldn’t stop himself from opening his door and getting out to hug Mark. It was stupid because he would see him bright and early when he drove him to school tomorrow, but that was tomorrow. He needed Mark right now. Mark gladly hugged him back, squeezing William tightly, and almost lifting him up before relaxing his hold and slinging his bag over his shoulder with one arm. They finally pulled apart as Mark shut the trunk and turned toward William, who hadn’t moved from his spot.

“Thanks for the great weekend, Will.” They stared at each other for a few more moments before William nodded, “Of course.”

“I'll see you tomorrow, Will! Drive safe!” Mark was almost at the door when William decided to get over his fear and called out to Mark. “See ya soon! Love you! Tell your mom I said hi!” He added the last part so the last thing he said to Mark wasn’t “I love you,” but Mark’s pause before opening the door told him that was what he’d picked up on. William had rapidly gotten back in the front seat, windows still down, when he heard Mark’s voice after what felt like an eternity. “Will do! Love you too!” And with that, he disappeared inside the front door, and William exhaled, feeling another piece of their old friendship slide back into place, even if it was fragile. Maybe they wouldn’t stay the same over the years, but they might be able to stay together.

William drove home with that thought comforting him, watching the familiar scenes of Mark’s neighborhood go by him with a new perspective. When he got home, the golden hue still lingered, and he heard his mom inside and smelled something he thought could be pasta. Huh, he thought to himself, turns out she did remember he had school tomorrow. He looked out at his front yard one last time before stepping inside, saying hi to his mother and goodbye to summer.

Chapter Text

The bell rang, through the classroom, cutting off Mrs. Williams and prompting her students to start packing up. William and Mark had already packed everything they brought to class, since Mrs. Williams had a habit of running over her allotted time, and they reached down in sync ot grab their bags and head to the door.

“And remember, students, you’ll have your first test this Friday! It’ll cover everything we’ve learned over the past couple of weeks. And come turn in your permission slips for the senior trip. I can’t accept late entries, and tomorrow is the deadline. Don’t forget you and your roommate both need to agree that you’re staying together!” Mark sighed when he heard Mrs. William’s reminder of their assessment, walking to the front of the room to slap down his and William’s signed permissions slips before walking out of the classroom with his friend.

“Why do we have a test already? It hasn’t even been three weeks! And the day before my birthday, too.” Mark stared at the floor as he and William kept walking through the halls, heading towards the cafeteria. He had to keep his expression straight so Mark didn't become suspicious of anything. At least, not at this point in the week. Mark had a special knack for getting information out of William, so he thought it’d be best to let Mark not suspect anything for the moment.

“Mark, three weeks is probably more time than we’re ever gonna get in college between a test. And seriously, it shouldn’t be that hard. Relax.’

Mark only sighed again, grumbling, “Easy for you to say, Will. You’re just good at everything.” William smiled at that, and they walked through the set of double doors into the cafeteria, discussing their upcoming senior class trip to New York. The cafeteria space was huge, dotted with picnic tables and round tables over a white linoleum floor, and lit by a wall of windows on the far side that overlooked the park next to the school.

It was the seniors' assigned lunch period now, right at noon. It meant they got all the hot food and clean seats since none of the other students had come in it. “Man, I’m still not used to seeing this place not trashed.” Mark surveyed the wide array before leading William and him to the far end of the cafeteria, to their usual picnic table.

“Yeah, this table’s not so bad when it doesn’t have mysterious chunks on it,” William padded the grey plastic top lovingly before walking over to get in line. Lunch looked like it was pizza, corn, and something that resembled a salad. “But you forgot the best part of being first in here, Mark.” Mark’s eyes followed William’s finger to where he had pointed. “We get to have the desserts now.” Mark grinned as he saw the plate of chocolate cookies that one of the lunch ladies was carrying, and the two boys high-fived as they approached the end of the line to wait.

While they were waiting, William noticed Mark had fallen quieter. Not just with his lack of commentary, which was usually abundant after a history class, but physically. He wasn’t talking animatedly in William’s ear or crowding protectively over his shoulder like he usually did when Todd might be around. God, William hated that kid. He hadn’t seen him around, though, so maybe he finally got expelled.

Turns out, it wasn’t Todd who was putting Mark on edge, though. William noticed that a few of the boys Mark played on the soccer team with during the winter season had come to wait in line behind them. In the past, William had barely registered these people, but he had been forced to notice their presence this year.

Every time them, or someone Mark saw at the gym, or even a random dude William only recognized as someone Mark had in a class without him, Mark became quieter. More distant. Like he wasn't trying to draw attention to himself or William. If it weren’t an entirely new phenomenon, William wouldn’t really care about Mark trying to act chill around them. He understood what being seen chatting with the gay kid about comic books or reality television all day, every day could do to someone’s reputation. But Mark had never seemed to care about that stuff. Not when Todd harassed them in the halls, or when William came to his soccer games with posters and cardboard cutouts of his head, or on the rare occasion he joined Mark at the gym.

William suspected he might know the reason for Mark trying to performatively appear more heternormative now, but it still irritated William. And it’s not like he even looked that separated from William, seeing as they were still standing next to each other, and all Mark could do was try and keep his mouth shut and remain the maximum two-foot distance possible from William.

“Something wrong, Mark?” William let his voice carry the sarcastic question, loud enough for the people around them to hear, but not necessarily draw attention. He decided he deserved to see Mark squirm if he was going to act so stupid. There was nothing macho about him.

As if to prove William’s point, Mark nervously looked around them before turning back to William, shaking his head instead of responding. William cocked his eyebrow, not letting it go so easily. “Really, you seem nervous?” To emphasize that he knew why and was not afraid to embarrass Mark if he was going to act embarrassed by William, William made a pointed gesture of looking over Mark’s shoulder to where the three boys were in conversation with one another, completely unaware of what was happening in front of them. Typical.

William didn’t doubt Mark had probably endured some teasing from the soccer team, especially after they’d made regional finals, and William couldn’t help but make a ridiculous sign with Mark’s number, but Mark had never said anything. It was stupid to punish him now, and it was only made dumber by the fact that the boys were clearly oblivious to his everyday interactions with Mark.

He saw Mark swallow hard in the corner of his vision as he continued to stare at the boys, before deciding to say something. “Oh, hey! It’s Ryan, right? From the soccer team?” It took a second for the teenager to register that William was talking to him, but he put together who he was when he saw William standing next to him and gesturing to Mark, as if to demonstrate how William would know him.

“U-uh yeah. William, right?” Ryan looked confused, and William could see the other two boys snickering behind him. “Yeah. Just wanted to say I can’t wait to watch you and Mark out there on the field again this winter. Maybe you’ll make it to regionals again.” William shook Mark by the shoulders and shot Ryan a toothy smile while Mark buried his face in his hands. Ryan didn't notice that and actually appeared to appreciate William’s comment. He smiled back and said, “Thanks” before turning back to his friends, who were still chuckling.

Mark still hadn’t said anything, but William could see that his face was tomato red, and his neck was flushed. William didn’t relent, though. He wanted Mark to acknowledge him. “Why didn’t you say hi to your other friends, Mark?”

Mark uncovered his face then, staring up at William with an anger in his eyes that startled William. “Dude,” Mark hissed between his clenched teeth, “You know why.” The line had moved forward, and their conversation had to pause as they collected their trays of food, freshly decorated with warm cookies, and headed back to their table. Once they’d set down their trays, though, William continued his questioning. “No, dude, I don’t. Explain it to me. Like I’m dumb. Because clearly you think I am.”

An exasperated sound escaped Mark, and he ran his hands through his hair as he shook his head. “Whatever, Will. I don’t want to talk to you about this. You already had your fun back there by embarrassing me. Let’s just eat.” William wanted to keep pressing him, but the exhaustion in Mark’s voice made him choose to let it rest. For now.

Meanwhile, Mark was trying not to let his frustration be taken out on William. Nothing too significant had happened in the first few weeks of school, but after his night with William last month, the comments he got in the locker when he was changing or the looks he got from his teammates when he walked by in the halls felt different. Mark felt their sting more because now, he was actually the dirty thing they accused him of being. It added salt to a wound he hadn't known was festering. Not that his trying to navigate it by shutting William out publicly was fair. But what William just did to him wasn’t fair either. He felt that surge of confusion and anger bubbling up, the one he thought he’d managed to bury last month. He wished Will would just back off and give him some space.

The rest of their meal passed in silence, with Mark flinching whenever he heard William stab at his salad. When the bell rang to signal the end of their meal, neither of them said anything, and they walked silently to their separate classes. Great, now William was mad at him over nothing. As he headed to physics, he was reminded that he had tutoring again today after school. At least he had that to look forward to.

On the opposite end of the hall, William watched Mark’s figure recede into a classroom, and he bit the inside of his mouth. He knew he had nothing nice to say right now, but it still felt wrong leaving a conversation on that note with Mark. Oh well. He opened the door to his biology class and took his seat. They’d talk it out after school. William had to drive him to tutoring anyway, on his way to meet up with Amber and the rest of the newspaper team. The thought of getting to speak with Amber comforted him. She’d been helping him plan his little surprise the past weekend, and William had vaguely begun to open up about his and Mark’s friendship. Maybe he could find some way to tell her what was going on without revealing too much. He passed the rest of class by playing that conversation out in his mind, doing his best in every scenario to make sure Amber didn’t suspect any other underlying cause for the change in their dynamic. It wasn’t as easy as William hoped it would be, but by the end of class, he had a story prepared in case Amber got snoopy about why else Mark would be acting strange.

__

Eve’s driving me to tutoring, so don’t wait up for me in the parking lot. William read the text like a gut punch, and felt a whole lot of ugly words come to mind when he read it again. He typed several messages but never sent any of them. It didn’t matter. If Mark didn’t want to see him today, then he wouldn’t. In fact, William kicked a rock in front of him as he made his way through the school’s parking lot, he should ask Eve to drive him to school. Every morning. For the rest of the year. See how that works out.

Slamming the car door open and shut, William shoved the key in the ignition and sped out of the parking lot, cutting off at least two other students who were trying to reverse out. That boy really knew how to piss him off. It didn’t take him long to make it to the café the team had chosen as their meeting spot, since he didn’t have to drop off Mark, and he could speed in peace without Mark complaining. Mark, Mark, Mark. God is that all he could think about these days? William felt his anger begin to crack and spill over into areas that lay well beyond its source.

Why the hell was this car’s AC barely functioning? It was still summer. Why didn’t he know how to fix it? Because his shithead dad never bothered to teach him any of the stuff other dads did. Mark probably knew how to fix it. Fuck. Mark, again. William shook his head and was about ready to call Amber and tell her something had come up when he saw her pull up next to him at the light before the café. He tried to pretend not to notice her, but she honked and rolled her window down. She was smiling and waving, and the small part of William not drowning in the flood of anger that felt like it had been waiting to erupt for far longer than today, liked that. He liked having a friend whom he wasn’t attracted to, trying to get his attention and talk to him.

So he rolled down his window and waved back.

“You good, man?” Amber’s voice carried over the hum of engines, and her face was tight with concern as she waited for William’s answer. Before he could give it, though, cars started honking, and they both realized the light had turned green. William decided he couldn’t bail now, so he turned into the parking lot, Amber right behind him, and they parked next to each other. They were both early by about ten minutes, and without hesitating, Amber stepped out of her car and knocked on the passenger window of William’s beat-up blue car. She was worried for her friend. He’d looked on the verge of tears when she pulled up next to him.

He only looked at her through the window and unlocked the door, and Amber slid into the seat.
“Hey, William. Everything good? You seemed pretty upset back there.” Her voice was calm and gentle, like she was trying to soothe an angry animal. Which, to be fair, she was. William’s breath was shaky as he inhaled before responding. He hadn’t realized how emotional he’d gotten, letting himself get so angry. The drive hadn’t even been that long. “Yeah.. I don’t know. Me and Mark are kinda fighting, and I’ve just been stressed, you know, with the start of school and all.” Amber nodded, her brown eyes watching him full of sympathy and affection. Her arm reached out to rub his shoulder, and William smiled at her.

“I’m sorry you two are fighting. I know how close you are.” She removed her hand, letting it settle on top of his for a moment before it returned to her lap. “Want to talk about it?” William let the question sit for a moment, taking the time to decide whether or not he should tell Amber anything or not. What the hell, he’d practiced for this moment exactly.

“It’s just… sometimes I think Mark is embarrassed to be friends with me. He wasn’t always, I don’t think, but lately, he tries to ignore me whenever other guys come around us at school. It’s so stupid.” William felt his voice start to wobble again, and blinked back some tears while Amber continued looking at him, her face free of judgment. “And it sucks. It sucks to know that someone who’s been by your side since you learned how to read suddenly thinks you aren’t worthy of being seen with. That I’m some sort of burden or secret he has to avoid because I bring him down. I know I’m the gay kid. I know that. But so he does! He was the first person I came out to.” Amber’s eyes widened in surprise a bit at that, but she let him continue, “I mean, for fuck sakes we’re even rooming together on this New York trip! I don’t understand what I did wrong. I don’t get it. Why is he starting to avoid me?” William sounded dramatic to his own ears, but it was how he felt. He and Mark had still seen each other over the past two weekends, but only at work. Since school had started and their shifts got moved to the weekend, he claimed he was too tired to do anything afterwards.

Amber’s voice helped relax him from whatever edge he seemed to be teetering off of, “William, you did nothing wrong. You’re hilarious, smart, and a really good friend. I mean, you’ve even pre-planned a surprise birthday party for him this weekend. You’re nothing ot be ashamed of.” William sniffled at smiled at Amber again, “Then why is he being so distant?” Amber let herself smile slightly at the melodramatic question but patted William’s hand comfortingly.

“Whatever Mark is going through in regards to caring about what people think of him has nothing to do with you, I promise. It’s something every teenager goes through eventually. I promise Mark will come to his senses soon. How could he not? But seriously, William, remember to breathe. It’s barely been two weeks. Honestly, it sounds like you two could just use some new friends.” William let out a dry laugh at that, letting Amber’s words and wisdom sink in. Mark had made a promise to him, but it had only been two weeks. Things would be better soon. Hopefully.

“Thanks, Amber. Really. Sorry if I’ve been a little much. But you should know that comes with the territory of being my friend.” William dotted his eye to dry any remaining moisture, and Amber laughed and hugged him from across the car, leaning back before asking, “Have you thought about talking to Mark about how you feel? It couldn’t hurt.”

William’s face soured before he shook his head, “I tried earlier today, but he said he didn’t want to fight about it. Then I got a text from him saying he was getting a ride to tutoring from Eve. Whatever.” The bitterness in William’s voice told Amber that it was a sore spot. “Well, I’m sure it wasn’t done maliciously. I know for a fact Eve is the kind of girl to offer a ride to anyone who needs it, and Mark doesn’t seem like the petty type.” William had forgotten that Amber had met Mark. They were in the same psychology class this year and had been paired up at the start of the year for a presentation. From what Mark had told William, they got along great. He thought Amber was really cool. It was actually what had inspired William to plan the surprise party with her, since it wouldn’t be weird for her to show up. “Wait, how do you know Eve? I thought I was going to have to introduce you guys before the party.”

Amber smiled at the mention of her friend, “Oh, we volunteer together at the homeless shelter sometimes. Can’t say we’re that close, but she did offer me a ride when my mom was late picking me up one night. She’s very sweet.” William seemed satisfied by her answer and checked the clock in his car and groaned. “Great. Now we have to go to this stupid meeting.” They both laughed as they got out of the car, grabbing their stuff and walking toward the entrance. Everyone else was already inside. “Don’t worry. We’re not actually working this time. Our club sponsor, Mrs. Cleary, gave me money to buy us all coffee and bagels to celebrate the pressing of our first issue this year. Should be fun!” William cheered at the news, walking in and greeting his fellow newspaper writers.

William gradually relaxed over the course of the next two hours, filling himself with iced lattes and toasted chocolate chip bagels with cream cheese. By the time he finished catching up on what everyone had done over summer, what they wanted to see on their New York trip over Labor Day weekend, and hearing the latest gossip from Lindsay, a cheerleader who wrote for the sports section, William felt the best he had all day. Maybe the whole school year. See, he congratulated himself, I can think about something other than Mark. Still, when he got home, the lingering anger had begun returning. Mark hadn’t sent him any follow-up texts or calls. Radio silence. Not even after William rushed out of his house did he get the silent treatment. William rolled his eyes. Well, if Mark didn't want a ride to school tomorrow, he was entitled to be an idiot.

William fell into a restless sleep, staring at his phone screen, waiting for a text, with piles of homework left incomplete on his desk.

__

He woke up to his mom banging on his door. “Honey! Are you in there? You need to go! It’s almost eight already!”

William’s eyes flashed open, and he rushed off his bed to change. Usually, he showered in the mornings, and yes, at night as well, but today he would have to make an exception. He peeled his clothes off and tried his best to toss them into the laundry hamper he kept stuffed in the corner of his room. He moved to shove the papers he left out on his desk into his backpack and snatched his phone from where it was still lying on the bed before bolting downstairs. Grabbing his toothbrush from the downstairs bathroom, he made himself a to-go bowl of oatmeal while brushing his teeth and checking his texts. Mark still hadn’t texted him, which either meant he really did get that ride from Eve, asked his mom, or took the bus.

William felt a pang of guilt for a second before spitting out the toothpaste in the kitchen sink and grabbing the bowl. He left his toothbrush on the kitchen counter, knowing his mom had already left for work while he hustled around the house. William was a notorious speeder, and his reputation was only strengthened as he sped across the residential areas, beelining for the school. He didn’t even think about grabbing a coffee before school or even connecting to his AUX.

By the time he got to the school parking lot, there were hardly any spots left, so he parked in the first one he found and sprinted out of his car. He heard the bell ring three times as he moved through the halls, signaling five minutes had passed since the start of class, and anyone who walked in now would be marked tardy. He turned the corner to head into his English class when he slammed into a firm figure standing by the lockers outside the classroom, knocking their phone out of their hand.

“Shit. Sorry,” He was rubbing his head and already moving past the person when he saw their sleeve, “Mark?”

“William!” They both said each other’s names at the same time and just looked at each other a few moments before Mark spoke again. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting out here for you, man. I got so worried I…” William followed to where his eyes had tracked his phone on the ground. William could see the uncracked screen open on their messages, with a message he couldn’t make out being typed.

“I’m fine, I just woke up late,” William said coldly. He wasn’t in the mood to forgive Mark, especially since he’d fallen asleep so late because he’d been waiting for that text.

“Oh” was all Mark had to say as he leaned down to pick up his phone. William scoffed, turning around to open the door before Mark’s voice made him pause, “Wait. I- Why didn’t you respond to my text? I didn’t know if you’d gotten it, so I had Eve drive past where you usually park to make sure you weren’t waiting-”

“Mark, I didn’t respond because I thought it was rude of you to just text me you’d found another ride. Gee, I’m sorry I wasn’t so over the moon that my best friend was just waiting for the chance to find another ride. But clearly you managed perfectly fine. I mean, you found your where here this morning without needing me at all. Didn’t bother to text or call to see if I was okay this morning, hmm?”

Mark started sputtering, his hands moving around uselessly as he tried to weather his best friend’s outburst. “I’m sorry, Will, but I thought it made sense I- I mean, we’d just gotten in a little fight, and I know you had that thing with Amber after school, and I took the bus this morning because I thought you were still mad, so I- “

“So you thought you were doing me a favor? Yeah, right. I’m happy you got to drive around in Eve’s car past all the guys in the parking lot for a change. I know how humiliating it is for you to be driven around by me all the time.” William’s face had gone all red like it did when he spoke too fast and too emotionally, and he could feel a pressure building behind his eyes that would either turn into a really bad headache or a really embarrassing moment in the hallway. Before he let himself cry in front of Mark again or even let Mark respond, he turned and opened the door to Mr. Johnson’s American Literature class, slamming the door with finality.

“Late,” remarked Mr. Johnson’s monotone voice, as William found an empty seat in the corner. There wasn’t another one by him, so he wouldn’t have to sit next to Mark. Taking out his notebook and pen, William started scribbling the notes Mr. Johnson had written about The Great Gatsby, and remained silent for the rest of the morning.

__

William hadn’t spoken to or even looked at Mark after their talk in the hall this morning. He was still mad. Too mad for something that didn’t even matter. The thing about tightening your control over one emotion is that your grip on all the others loosens, and William’s was loosening to the point of instability. It was exhausting to care so much more for someone than they did for you.

William found a quiet place at the end of the lunch line, his backpack still attached since he hadn’t wanted to put it down at his and Mark’s spot. He would find somewhere else to eat.

“Hey there, friend.” William turned around to find Amber waving at him, cutting past a few angry faces to join him in line.

“Oh hey, Amber.” Amber’s brows pinched with concern at the tone of William’s voice, and William felt bad that he couldn’t even pretend to hide his disappointment that it wasn’t Mark coming to speak to him.

“Are you feeling better today?” Amber’s voice had quieted, and William appreciated her effort to maintain a level of privacy, even if no one around them would care.

“Yeah, but we’re still fighting,” he didn’t need to say who “we” was, “And I think I’m gonna go have lunch in my car, honestly. I might call my mom and ask her to let me come home.” He was only partially kidding. The truth was that if he felt like it, and he kind of did, he could call his mom at work and have her send an email to the school’s office. He’d comforted her plenty of times over the years and picked her up from more places than he cared to remember. She would happily pay that forward to her son for a day off from school. She only woke him up this morning because she knew he actually enjoyed school most of the time.

“Oh, William, don’t be silly. You can sit with me. Lindsay’s usually at the table too.” Amber’s offer was sweet, and if her voice didn’t sound so genuine, William wouldn’t have thought about accepting for fear it was made out of pity. He looked over to his and Mark’s table, which was still empty, before thinking. “Yeah, sure. Thanks.” Amber smiled at him, and they continued waiting in line before grabbing their food, talking about the latest biology lab they had due, and whether or not the football team would win their first game next week.

William spent the rest of lunch trying to look interested in Amber and her friend’s conversation, cracking the occasional joke, and forcing himself to smile and eat. It convinced Amber and everyone else since no one paid that much attention to him. The only sign Amber wasn’t completely fooled was the occasional pat she gave William when she caught him searching the cafeteria. For Mark. William spent the entirety of his lunch waiting for Mark to walk in. If he did, he wouldn’t know what he’d do, but he knew he wanted to at least see Mark again before the end of the day. Their schedules shifted slightly every day, so they didn’t have history or art class together today. The ringing of the bell signaled the end of William’s hopes for a glimpse of Mark, and he went to the rest of his afternoon classes unable to focus.

He wasn’t able to concentrate on anything besides checking his phone and staring out into the hallway, hoping to spot at least one look at his friend. He’d been mean to Mark this morning, yelling at him in the hallway where he’d been waiting for him before the clock had even struck nine. Fine, he had deserved it, but William’s mini-meltdown felt like a less-than-appropriate response to Mark’s attempts to talk. When the last class had finally ended, William decided his lesson from yesterday was that he should swallow his pride and text Mark. It was silly to think it’d be embarrassing, since he knew they would both feel better after they talked.

William: do u still need a ride home? i can wait in the parking lot, and we could grab coffee if u want

William stared at his screen for a few moments, feeling a burning mix of shame and then anger as he waited for a response. Thankfully, Mark didn’t wait too long before texting back: sorry i’m hitting the gym with ryan and a few of the other soccer guys right now. our last class today was study hall, so we left early. Getting a response at all was a win. Right? William tried to console himself because the alternative was getting upset at not having sole possession over his friend. Again.

He calmly got in the car and turned on the engine before driving home. He didn’t let himself speed, practicing exercising as much restraint as possible as he thought of a message. Mark could wait to hear from him for a little bit, especially since he had waited up until this point to receive a message.

When William had parked and unpacked his bag, sitting on his bed and checked off all the homework assignments he had completed, he decided he’d finally earned the right to send a text to Mark. He opened his phone and started typing: okay. hope it was fun. don’t push yourself to hard!! William stared at his words before sending them, trying to decide if the last part was too much before sending it anyway. He’d already done too much this morning so who cared if he was using all that flair for a better purpose? He set down his phone, getting up to make himself dinner, when his phone buzzed.

He rushed back to grab it embarrassingly fast, saved only by the fact that it was in fact Mark responding. He opened the message and smiled: gym was fun. i added the progress pics to the shared album. ryan insisted on being in some of them. :( anyway sorry we couldn’t do anything tn. i started feeling sick today at lunch and i don’t think going to gym helped. William was going to like the message and reply before Mark sent another text: i’ll lyk if i’m coming to school tomorrow. i’ll always need u to drive me around :) love you, man.

Well, William’s day just got a whole lot better. He replied instantly, saying he would wake up early to check on Mark and wished he would feel better. He added another message at the end, separate from the rest: love u 2 dummy. It felt like a weight had been lifted from William’s shoulders all over again, and even though they hadn’t really talked about the fight, William knew it could wait to be in person, now. They were both feeling level-headed now, and William was grateful he’d put his pride to the side. It would always be worth it, for Mark.

He ate his dinner in peace, enjoying the warm tomato soup and grilled cheese he made himself, watching a rerun of Glee in the background. His homework was done, he was back on speaking terms with Mark, and he was eating a good meal. Life was going a lot better than it had been a few hours ago. And it would only get better later in the week.

Which reminded William, he needed to confirm Mark could make it to his house and sleepover on Friday. That’s the date he’d sent to Amber and Eve when he planned this surprise. Texting Eve had been awkward, since he’d only gotten her number after Mark’s phone died in tutoring and he texted William for a ride, but she had been more than willing to help set up a surprise party for Mark. William thought she was too willing initially, but after she’d asked if Rex could come, he felt more secure. Not that Rex would be friends with the three other people there, but if he wanted to police his girlfriend, who was he to intervene? Plus, Rex could bring the champagne William had been scavenging for, courtesy of Eve’s influence.

William messaged Mark again, happy to have their casual rapport re-established: just remember to study for that test on friday! if u feel up to it we can celebrate at my house afterward?

Mark took a moment before replying: fuck. i forgot about that test. thanks for remembering. yea hang out sounds good. u sure u good with ur house?

William appreciated that even when he was offering, Mark was mindful of how William felt, inviting people into his house. It felt so… empty. More of a shrine to a previous family than an occupied space. But William would make it work since he couldn’t exactly surprise Mark at his own house. Not that Mrs. Grayson wouldn't help, but he wanted it to be special, with drinks, like a real party. William assured Mark his house was perfect, and it was time for a change of scenery anyway.

He went to bed proud of what today had brought. It may be full of emotional highs and lows, but strangely, the more he fought with Mark and the more they bounced back, the more secure he felt in their relationship. The more they went through together, the stronger their bond would become. Something William could keep relying on. He went to bed early that night, setting his alarm too early to make sure he had time to shower and get himself and Mark coffee in the morning.
__

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

His alarm clock woke William from his dreaming, and he groaned into his pillow before rolling over and smacking the snooze button on his phone. He’d been dreaming about being on the beach with Mark again, except this time no one else had been there, and they were running for some reason. It reminded him a lot of summer, and he was sad to leave the warmth the dream and sleep had offered.

He spent a good amount of time forcing himself awake in the shower, scrubbing his skin harshly and rinsing his hair before deciding he was ready. As he was brushing his teeth, he heard his phone start buzzing again, and thought it was his alarm before he grabbed the phone and saw it was Mark calling him. What was he calling him for?

“Mark? What’s up? Are you okay?” William’s voice carried a sense of urgency. He really wanted today to go well after yesterday.

“Good morning to you, too, Will. Um… listen. Remember how I said I didn’t feel well yesterday, so I skipped lunch?” William nodded his head like Mark could see him, but Mark continued anyway, without waiting for verbal confirmation. “Well, right after we texted, I threw up a whole bunch, and I didn’t sleep really well. I didn’t tell you cause I thought I would rally, but…” His voice was full of guilt, and William swallowed the disappointment crawling up his throat, prioritizing the need to comfort his friend.

“Mark, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry you feel sick. Let me know if I need to bring you anything. I can take notes for you in history and English, and I’ll work with Amber to collect whatever else you missed. You just need to focus on getting better.”

“Thanks, man. I’m fine right now, really, but I still feel a little nauseous. God, I hope it’s not the flu. I knew I should not have shared a water bottle with Luke. Anyway, at least I’ll have time to study for our test tomorrow.” They both laughed at that, and the call ended with William making Mark promise to call him if he needed anything and Mark apologizing for not being able to make it to school again.

The rest of the day passed without grabbing much of William’s attention. He was distracted all day thinking about whether Mark was getting better and if he wasn’t, what he was going to do about it. It sounded like he just had a stomach bug, but if his suspicions that Luke or whoever’s water bottle had gotten him sick, then it was more likely the flu. Classes passed in a blur, William only remembering to take notes in history and English. English was another lesson about The Great Gatsby, and in history, they learned about how the English parliament’s powers had changed over time in comparison to the United States Congress. Not very gripping stuff if William were honest, but at least lunch with Amber and her friends was nice.

Once the final bell had rung, William was aching to leave school. He decided he was going to skip his Red Cross Club meeting, since he was the secretary and friends with the guy who took attendance. He wanted to see Mark in person to assess the situation and its severity. He’d been texting Mark throughout the day, checking in and sending brief updates about what he’d miss, only to receive sparse replies. Mark had been napping most of the day in hopes his headache and queasiness would go away. William had sent another text before leaving to head to his house, but became nervous that Mark might be asleep again when he received no reply.

__

Today had sucked. Even more so than last night. Mark had been feeling lightheaded and feverish ever since yesterday morning, and after he’d gotten home from the gym and eaten dinner, he’d only had the energy to stay up and text William before vomiting all over his bathroom. Night hadn't proved much help as his stomach continued to cramp, and he kept waking up with the chills. He really didn’t want to cancel on Will, especially after their fight last night, but his body seemed to have other plans for him.

It was shaping up to be a really horrible birthday week. A fight with his best friend, no tutoring with Eve today, and nausea that still pestered him throughout the day. After his mom had managed to coax some toast into him this morning, his symptoms had started to ease, and he’d napped through most of his day, switching between his couch and bed whenever he came down to get some more food. On a diet of saltines and Gatorade, he subsisted, and it slowly seemed to work.

After about his third nap or so, Mark awoke to more texts from William, telling him that he hadn't missed any good food in the cafeteria today. Mark smiled, reading his messages. It was sweet that even though they were technically still fighting, since they hadn’t addressed it, William still sent him updates and checked in. The comfort of knowing William would be there for him even when he was mad at him… well, it made it feel better. As stupid as that was. He felt horrible for missing school again today. He really wanted to get the chance to try and talk to Will.

He didn’t know how he’d explain his behaviour. It’s not that William was embarrassing. He wasn’t. But when Mark felt the looks from other guys or heard them whispering in the lunch line, it was hard to keep laughing and chatting with William like everything was normal. It wasn’t. Those people didn’t even know what he’d done with Will, and if they did, what else would they say? What would his father think if he knew what Mark and William had been doing in his childhood bed? Mark shuddered at the thought, the weight of his turmoil sapping what little energy he had mustered up.

As bad as thinking about what other people thought, though, it was worse to hear that Will had noticed his change in behavior. Mark can admit he’d been acting dodgy at certain times, but watching William blink back tears because he believed Mark was ashamed of him sent waves of shame and guilt through Mark.

How could he let himself treat his best friend like that? William could be loud, and his flamboyant nature didn’t do him any favors in a public high school, but Mark at least owed it to him to try and not be so flaky. He’d been dealing with this for years. Nothing on the outside had changed… Mark groaned and flopped his head back down onto the pillows of his couch. He didn’t want to think about what had changed. Not again. If they could just keep things the way they are, then they could make it through the rest of senior year without any more fights. Mark decided the best way to cure his internal embarrassment surrounding William was to pretend nothing had happened. It’d be easier for everyone to move on. And they had done that so far. But if he was going to explain why he was acting the way he was to William, that would mean talking about it. Again. And that wasn't happening. They’d moved on.

Mark would only tell Will that he felt insecure all of a sudden because Eve or something… he didn’t know. As he tried thinking of an excuse that could get past his best friend, he thought he heard his phone vibrate, but his eyes were already drooping, and his body had sprawled out again across the couch, the soft cushions lulling him into another bout of sleep.

He woke up to the sound of rain pounding on his window, and his mom shaking his foot gently on the other end of the couch. “Mark, honey. I made you some dinner. I want to try and eat something before you go to bed for the night, okay?”

Mark groaned, stretching his limbs out and nodding his head to satisfy his mother. The truth was, Mark didn’t feel hungry anymore. But he didn’t feel sick anymore either. He still felt some leftover fatigue in his muscles and a lingering pain in his stomach, but it was nothing compared to how he’d felt a few hours ago. Turns out the naps were good for something after all. He followed his mom into the kitchen, letting the smells of her cooking waft into his nose. She’d made him a simple plate of buttered noodles and grilled asparagus. As he slowly forced the food into his mouth, testing the waters to see if he had really overcome whatever spell had befallen him, he chatted with his mom about her day.

She told him about the open houses she’d hosted and how she thought she was close to closing a deal on a new home. “That’s really cool, Mom. We’ll have to celebrate when you finally close it.” Debbie beamed as she turned around. Mark loved getting to see his mom be proud of her work. “Speaking of celebrations, Mark, we get to celebrate you this weekend! I know we always do a family dinner, but I was wondering if you had someplace specific in mind? You know your father can take us anywhere.”

Mark nodded along, chewing his food in silent contemplation, “Hmm… I don’t know. Surprise me? Last year was really fun. The bandejas and arepas were so good.”

His mom smiled and hummed at the memory of their family in Medellín last year, celebrating Mark’s seventeenth birthday. “Yeah, last year was great. Gonna be hard for us to top it. Are you sure you don’t want to invite someone this time? I know you and William have been hanging out a lot more recently. “ Mark’s face started to burn, and he felt a new type of uncomfortable sensation settle in his stomach. He didn’t want to think about the optics of having his eighteenth birthday with just William, and considering they hadn’t even discussed their fight, he didn’t know how he would even extend the invitation. His mom must’ve seen the conflicted look on his face because she spared him from a response, “Or not. It’s okay. Your father and I like having you all to ourselves sometimes. Oh, speaking of, William stopped by earlier this afternoon. I told him you were asleep, and he said not to wake you up.”

Mark straightened up in his seat at hearing that, swallowing his food quickly to ask his mother about the interaction. “Did he say anything else? What time did he come? Why didn’t you wake me up-” His mom laughed, halting his interrogation.

“Mark, it was nothing. He was just checking to make sure you were doing okay. The only reason he didn’t come in was because it was raining, and he said his mom would need him to drive her somewhere tonight. He said he’d text you or something.” Mark still looked at her with an intensity she couldn’t place, so she paused from where she had been washing dishes and turned around to face her son again. “Is everything alright?”

Her question broke Mark from the trance he had been in after hearing her talk, and he just nodded, “Yeah, it’s fine. I’ll text him soon. We just… need to talk in person, I guess.”

His mom raised an eyebrow at his tone, but Mark just shook his head and lowered his head back down to his food, signaling he didn’t want to talk about it. She took the hint and went back to washing the dishes, and Mark managed to finish the entire meal rather quickly, feeling himself grow stronger with every bite and eager to go check his phone upstairs.

Dropping the dishes into the sink and giving his mom a quick kiss on her cheek, he bolted up the stairs, fatigue and queasiness forgotten, and snatched his phone from its charging place on his nightstand. He opened his messages and saw several missed ones from his friend:

hey, just wanted to see if you needed anything. i was gonna swing by after school to check on you if that’s cool?

Mark? r u awake?

im gonna come just in case your dying or watching tv and forgot your phone.

okay i saw ur mom and we chatted. hope u feel better text me if u think you’ll need a ride tom

Mark smiled at the last two messages, thinking about his friend panicking over his lack of response and then casually chatting with his mom at their front door. William must’ve been able to see him from the door, based on the angel. God, hopefully he wasn’t drooling in his sleep again. One time in freshman year, he’d rolled over to Will’s side of the bed and rolled onto his head. He was still hearing about all these years later.

He typed out his response to Will, feeling even better than he had a few minutes ago, and hopped in the shower. Tomorrow would be great. He’d talk with Will in class, they’d do something after school, and bam! It’d be the weekend and his birthday. As he started massaging the shampoo into his hair, letting the hot water run off down his back, he froze. Shit. Mark groaned and slammed his head against the wall. He’d forgotten to study for that test.

__

William inhaled deeply before unlocking the car doors and waving to Mark.

“Morning, Will!” Mark’s voice was cheerful as he hopped into the passenger seat, and William began driving them to school.

“Why are you so chipper this morning?” William’s voice was deadpan, but it didn’t stop Mark from widening his smile.

“Well, I’m just really glad I get to see my best friend today. Now I know the last couple of days have been tough,” William shot him a look out of the sides of his eyes, forcing a nervous laugh out of Mark before he continued, “but I want to humbly request that I can sit next to you for today’s test.” William clicked his tongue and opened his mouth, knowing what his friend was about to ask, “Wait! Before you cut me off, Will, think about it. It’s almost my birthday, I was sick yesterday, and I think about it like this. How can I ever pretend to be embarrassed about you when I need you for everything? Isn’t this just further proof of that for you?” William clamped his mouth shut, narrowing his eyes at the road and thinking about whether or not it was worth it to try and stay mad at Mark. Mark sensed his hesitation and clamped his hands together in mock prayer, pursing his lips and turning his phone into a whine. “Come on, Will. Pleeeeease. You can even say I told you so.”

William scoffed, waiting a few more moments before choosing his words. “Fine. But for the record, this is not your birthday gift. I already got you one. This is me being a better friend than you deserve right now.” Mark tried not to frown too much at that, not wanting to upset his friend, so he nodded and turned his eyes back to the road.

“You’re right, you’re right. You are the best… now what’d you get me?” Mark had become all jittery again, staring at Will with his wide eyes, trying to coax an answer out of his friend. If William closed his eyes, he could practically picture folded ears and a wagging tail behind his best friend.

“Ugh, I knew I shouldn’t have told you. Don’t start with your whole begging schtick. You’ve already gotten away with too much sitting next to me for the test. If you push, I’m covering up my answers.”
Mark crossed his arms and made a little sound of protest, but mumbled something that sounded like he would stop. William felt a smile tug at his lips by the time they entered the parking lot, and the two boys got out of the car to head to history class, the tension from two days ago slipping away with every step they took.

__

The test had gone well enough. Up until the short answer section. Mark had managed to do some of them on his own, but William had been forced to whisper some of the answers to him under his breath so Mark would stop kicking him under the table. William got so scared that the teacher was going to catch them, he refused to give Mark the last two answers. All things considered, Mark should be able to scrape a solid B-plus, which he was more than happy with. He didn’t know what he wanted to study, but he did know he needed to not bomb his senior year if he wanted to get into Upstate with William.

The rest of their Friday consisted of nothing special, except William throwing chunks of the strange carrot paste they had been served at lunch into Mark’s hair, as payback for kicking him so hard. Their dynamic felt easier again, but for a moment in the hall, when they had walked by one of Ryan’s friend Luke in the halls and Mark had gone silent William thought about yelling at him again.

He resisted the urge, though and they got to the final bell in peace, walking back to William’s car while laughing about some girl who had tripped over a guy tying his shoe laces on the stairs, knocking another girl to the ground, only for both of them to yank the guy tying his shoes down the stairs with them. “I can’t believe he didn’t move after he saw them get up and look at him.” Mark was clutching his chest from laughing so hard, and William found it hard to try and resent Mark when his face was curved into such a perfect smile.

“So what’s the plan after school today? I know we don’t have work until Sunday, but I was thinking maybe we could grab shakes or something with our discount?” William shook his head as he opened the door and stepped into the driver’s seat, rejecting the idea and his internal notions that Mark was perfect in any aspect. Even if he was.

“Actually, I was thinking we could move our hangout past dinner time. If that’s okay?” William turned to Mark, rubbing his hands together nervously and trying to make his voice sound shy enough to be believable. Like, he didn’t plan this excuse out in advance. ‘I mean, I can drop you off at home and pick you up and stuff, and we can do whatever you want, but I promised my mom we’d start hanging out more last night because of college, and well… I guess she thought that meant today.” Mark had a suspicious look on his face. It didn’t really sound like William’s mom, and William rarely rescheduled their hangouts. Rain or shine, parental approval or no, he was always making time for Mark.

Mark’s face started to twist with something like worry, as he started to think their fight hadn’t been fully resolved when William cut in to reassure him. “Look, Mark, everything’s fine. I promise. I’ll just run a few errands and come and pick you up in a few hours. I pinky promise.” William extended his pinky finger toward Mark, and Mark hesitantly took it, knowing the gravity of such a promise. “Okay, yeah. That’s chill. I’ll just.. Wait at my house, I guess.”

“Sorry, man,” William started the car, pulling out as he put a hand on Mark’s shoulder, “I’ve moved on to bigger and better things.” They both laughed at the idea of shopping with William’s mom being something William considered an upgrade, and Mark let himself ignore the disappointment he felt at being bailed on by his friend. Even if they had rescheduled a few hours later, it was still Mark’s birthday weekend. Maybe William was planning a surprise? William was trying to keep a straight face while watching Mark try and puzzle out what was happening, since he knew his mom would actually be at work again until the wee hours of the morning.

Mark continued to mull over his suspicions as William dropped him off, sending him away far too cheerfully for an afternoon with his mom. Mark was definitely on to him. William ignored the probing looks Mark gave him as he pulled out of the Grayson driveway, whipping out his phone as soon as he was out of sight to text Eve and Amber. They were supposed to meet at Party City to pick up decorations, and then they would head to the supermarket for the cake. Rex would come over once they were all home with the champagne, and after they were finished setting up, William would go pick Mark up and bring him over. He’d already set aside a change of clothes for Mark when he stayed over, and picked out an outfit for himself. He wanted to make himself look good, and he thought it wasn’t unreasonable for a best friend to want to look nice for another best friend.

When he pulled into the parking lot, Eve and Amber were already inside, gathering pink balloons amongst various other sparkly decorations. William had vetoed the idea of any nerdy decorations on account of Mark being embarrassed in front of Eve. Amber was gathering sequined streamers, party hats, and confetti, shoving them into Eve’s arms, who stood there chuckling to herself.

“Well, hello to you two.” They both turned at the sound of William’s voice, and Eve smiled and tried waving with all the stuff in her hands, while Amber ran over to hug him.

“William! Hi. We started choosing some of the decorations, if you don’t mind. Eve chose pink for the balloons, and also, they were the cheapest, and I thought I’d go with silver for the decorations since it’s kinda disco, and also blue wasn’t available.” William sighed but congratulated her on a job well done. He’d told her blue was Mark’s favorite color, but if that wasn’t available, then anything would do. Silver wasn’t a bad idea either, since William was making them go as the sun and moon for Halloween this year, and if Mark wanted to be a convincing moon, he would have to learn to rock with silver.

“Good job, girls. Let’s get some more streamers and some candles, and then we can go get the cake.”

“Perfect. Rex texted me a few minutes ago saying he’s headed to that sketchy gas station to get the champagne you asked for. I told him you wouldn’t be paying me back since he owes for one of our fights.” William smiled upon hearing that, wishing he would be so lucky as ot have that kind of cash on demand.

“Well, thank you, Mrs. Wilkins. Mark sends thanks in advance and apologies that he couldn’t make it to tutoring yesterday. He was a little under the weather.”

“Oh, no worries. He texted me, and I’m sure I’ll get the chance to catch up with him tonight.”

“Yeah, speaking of, William, are you two doing better now?” Amber’s question made Eve shoot a questioning glance his way, and he grimaced. He did not want to talk about this in front of her.

“Oh, yeah. We’re fine. I just finished dropping him off at home. He thinks I’m running errands with Mom.” Amber smiled, nodding her head, and the three of them continued picking their way through the party city aisles, determined to do as much as they could with what little they had for the giant dork they all had a soft spot for.

When they walked through William’s front door, carrying boxes of cheap party decorations and an OREO ice cream cake, which William knew was Mark’s favorite, they started setting up. William had to swallow the unease of so many people being in his house at once, but he got over it once they began decorating. Streamers hung from the stairs, windows, and doorways, and William even got on a stool to line them from cabinet to cabinet in his kitchen. After that, they delicately sprinkled the silver confetti in random areas, Rex joining them halfway through, grumbling about the drive and carrying all the alcohol in his car. He’d delivered, though, and he slammed a cooler with three cheap Prosecco bottles on William’s kitchen counter before popping one open and drinking.

“If I bought them, I can drink them whenever I want.” Eve bit her tongue to avoid fighting with him, and the rest of them decided that they should lay out the confetti in a path to the kitchen, where they would all be waiting to surprise him. Rex rolled his eyes at the idea, gesturing to the now silver-covered house, “This is all so much. I mean, I’ve never had a friend throw me a party like this.” Amber jumped to defend William faster than even he could think of a response, shutting down anything Rex might’ve been trying to start, “Well, maybe that’s because you don’t have very many friends, Rex.” Eve laughed, high-fiving Amber before going to calm Rex down.

As he and Amber started blowing up the balloons, he remembered to call and order some pizza for everyone, in case they hadn’t eaten dinner. It would not be a good idea to get everyone here drinking on an empty stomach.

“Oh, I just remembered. Does everyone have a ride home tonight?”

Eve smiled, raising her arm, as she returned into the kitchen from where she had been talking in the living room with Rex, his arms now around her waist and his smiling face buried in her hair. Eve had worked her magic quickly. “I’m not drinking tonight, so I’m driving the two of us.” She smiled back up at Rex, who continued nuzzling her hair, and William had to choke back his disgust. Rex was just so… vulgar. Amber walked up behind him, tying the end of one of the pink balloons before smacking it in the air toward Eve, “My cousin is coming to get me. I’m sleeping over at her house.” William nodded, glad he could host underage events guilt-free.

Mark had texted him, but he hadn’t responded yet. He would have to wait until he got picked up. William double-checked that Amber knew the pizza order was coming and knew where William had put the cash for it, and made sure Eve and Rex knew the upstairs was off limits before going to his car. He did not want his bedroom christened by Rex Sloane of all people. It was almost seven when they’d finally finished setting out snacks and making the final touches on the decorations.

“Okay, and remember, when he walks into the kitchen, hit the lights, light the candles, and start singing.” Rex rolled his eyes, but the two girls gave him thumbs-up as he rushed out the door. He really didn’t like the thought of keeping Mark waiting.

“Bye guys! I’ll be back soon. Don’t do anything dumb!”

And with that, he was off to pick up Mark. He chose to ignore Mark’s previous texts asking if he was still coming and when, sending an ominous text that he was on his way and would be there soon. The car drive over was full of anticipation, with William opting to sit in silence. He hoped he wasn’t suspicious, but he figured his best friend had already put some of the pieces together. William’s ironed t-shirt and cute jeans would not help him blend in either. He never wore anything besides a rumpled t-shirt and baggy pants, and if he did, it was because he was forced to. He texted Mark again when he arrived, nervously glancing at the front door, and then his back at his screen to see if his friend would see his car or his text first. The sun was setting, and the deep purples and pinks in the sky left a molten hue of light outlining Mark’s house, shadows etched deep around the edges.

At last, Mark came out of the door, wearing a tight-fitting black shirt that made William’s breath catch in his throat, and white yoga pants. To anyone else, he might’ve looked attractive, if not plain, but the warm light he was swathed in and his radiant smile made William’s heart start to beat out of his chest. William figured he must’ve done an at-home workout while waiting for William to ease his anxiety about waiting.

William finally managed to wave back, rolling down the window and calling out, “Get in, loser! We’re going shopping!” Mark laughed at the reference, opening the passenger’s door and sliding into the seat.

“Well, don’t you look dashing, Mr. Clockwell.” Mark’s voice was teasing, mocking his dressier-than-usual outfit. William decided to go along for the bit, desperate to keep Mark in a good mood until they arrived. “Why, thank you, Mr. Grayson. I wish I could say you look dashing, but…” Mark laughed again, playfully punching William’s arm and leaning back into his seat as William started to drive.

“Oh, come on, I don’t look that bad.” There was a self-conscious edge to Mark’s tone that William instantly picked up, and the pang he felt in his heart on hearing it made him correct the course of their conversation. “No, Mark. You don’t. You look good.” The two were silent for a while after that, Mark sticking his head out of the window to cool his burning face off in the chill of the night air, and William, oblivious, turned up the radio. Walking on a Dream was playing, and both boys immediately started tapping their hands and nodding along, filling the silence with hums and bits of remembered lyrics. They passed a few more songs like that, and when William made the final turn onto his street, happy to see that his house appeared empty on the outside, Mark finally spoke.

“So, do you wanna tell me what you’ve got planned. I told my mom that you were going shopping with your mom, and she said she was pretty sure she saw your mom this morning, complaining about another twenty-four-hour shift.” William turned to face Mark, whose face held no accusation, only an excited curiosity, and grinned. “Huh. So that’s where she’s been.”

Mark shook his head and faced forward as they pulled into William’s driveway. “I guess I’ll find out soon enough.”

“Yes. You will.” William shot Mark a playful smile and led him to the front door, opening it gently as Mark continued to survey the entire house and seemingly the entire neighborhood for clues. William was glad Rex and Amber had remembered to park by the neighbors’ house, and Mark was none the wiser to the presence of other people as they walked to the front door, the fading light obscuring any giveaways. As they walked through William’s living room and were about to head into the kitchen, Mark paused, forcing William to turn around and wonder if he’d figured it out.

“Will…” Mark started, and William stared at him in disbelief for a minute because Mark looked so vulnerable. He was twitching his hands together nervously, staring at the floor, and William failed to stop him before he continued, “About what you said. I mean, how I’ve been acting. I don’t want to keep fighting with you and-” Mark was cut off by William waving his hands in panic. They did not need to talk about this in front of everyone. In fact, WIllaim swore he heard Amber cough to try and signal to him, that everyone could indeed hear them. “Let’s just go into the kitchen first.” Mark seemed confused for a second before he saw the panicked look on William’s face and the blacked-out kitchen lights. It finally clicked for him. “Oh. Right. Yeah, sure.”

They both awkwardly shuffled into the kitchen, where Amber, Rex, and Eve jumped out from behind the counter, flicked on the lights, and shouted, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!” Mark instantly smiled, the seriousness on his face from the moment before forgotten as he saw his friends, and Rex surprised him. “Aww, thanks, guys.” Everyone, except Rex, came around to hug him, and afterward, as the other three shuffled away to grab the cake and a cooler of champagne, and William made to join them. Before he could even make it a few steps, Mark grabbed William and pulled him into a crushing hug, squeezing so hard William was almost lifted off the ground.

“Uhh, buddy…” William hugged Mark back out of instinct, but the pressure was too much. He tried tapping Mark’s back to signal this, but his friend just bruised his face in William’s shoulder, before lightening his grip and leaning in to whisper in William’s ear, “Thank you.” William rubbed his friend on the back before stepping away, not wanting this moment to be seen before the others noticed they hadn’t joined them at the kitchen table. As they walked to join them, Will thought he could see tears in Mark’s eyes, but the emotion was gone as soon as he tried to focus on it.

“WE have cookie cake!” Amber called cheerfully, offering them both a cheap plastic flute filled with champagne. Mark took the glass from Amber, looking around the room in awe. A seemingly endless number of pink balloons pressed against the ceiling, and the entire kitchen was tied and dressed in silver streamers. The floor was covered in sparkly confetti, and there was a banner hanging over the kitchen window that read “Happy 18th Birthday Mark”. Mark knew this had ot have been done in the last few hours, and gratitude swelled in his chest when he thought about his friends rushing around to set this up.

William noted the look of emotion creep back onto Mark’s face because he turned toward the group. “Let’s eat! Did the pizza guy ever arrive?” Mark seemed refocused after he heard the words pizza and eat, but Amber shook her head solemnly.

“The dude cancelled. I can’t believe it! They said we get a free coupon, but I don’t know that I can ever eat at that place again without being mad.” Eve’s indignance was mirrored in her cross posture, her chin jutted upwards, and her arms crossed. Rex laughed at her, sipping from his glass and slinging an arm around her shoulder that she ignored.

William and Mark both gave each other a look upon seeing the interaction between the couple, and William hoped his eyes could communicate that Rex was only there so they had something to drink. And drink they did. William felt a silence between him and Mark even as everyone else began talking. Amber dived into the story about how they hadn’t heard anything, then called, only to find out there had been a robbery by someone made of fire at the bank next door. William and Mark started sipping, cutting themselves slices of the cookie cake. William skipped the singing part because he knew how much Mark hated it, and he also knew how uncomfortable it would be to get this specific group of people to sing Happy Birthday to Mark.

They passed some time like that, chatting about the attacks in the city, the Guardians of the Globe, and what went on at school. The New York trip was a popular topic once again, and Eve had a good laugh at Rex’s frustration that he wouldn’t be there. While everyone talked, Mark and William kept stealing looks at each other, Mark trying to nudge his head to indicate they should go talk somewhere, and William pretending not to see it, only to fold and look at Mark to make sure he was okay.

Rex kept bringing up the Teen Team and how great he thought they were, only for Eve to keep telling him to shut up. It got to the point where Amber, Mark, and William started discussing how they’d managed to set this all up, in an effort to give the couple some privacy. William still felt like Mark was trying to get him alone, but he didn’t want that conversation. Before Amber could leave them alone together to try and mediate between Eve and Rex, William remembered he had a speaker upstairs. The journey upwards took longer than expected, his two and a half drinks catching him as he began feeling lighter as he made his way toward his room.

The cake was gone, and his toes were tingling by the time he made it back down. He set the speaker down to start playing music, and eliminate any possibility for a quiet or personal talk with Mark. He couldn’t handle that right now, in front of everyone, and luckily, the alcohol was starting to make everyone more amiable than usual. Normally, everyone would be resistant to dancing in a stranger’s kitchen, but with two bottles of champagne almost gone between the four people drinking, everyone, even Eve, was feeling up to it.

William let an algorithm choose the songs, selecting a random playlist of pop hits, and the group of teenagers laughed at each other as they hit balloons at one another across the kitchen and danced around. William and Mark kept glancing at one another, but now they were shooting smiles at each other. William guessed Mark had finally accepted that their conversation would just have to wait. Words could go unspoken for a few more hours.

At one point, when Eve hit the ball too hard into Rex’s face, Rex started yelling at her and left. William didn’t notice, though, because he had the music blasting louder now and the room was starting to tilt. Not spin exactly, but the edges of his vision weren’t in focus, and when he could focus them, his eyes were busy smacking balloons out of his face and staring at Mark’s dancing figure. He looked ridiculous trying to cha cha slide with confetti in his hair, but then they all looked a little stupid.

Everyone’s mood only improved after Rex laughed, casual conversation and partner dancing becoming mixed in with their impromptu games. William danced with all three of the remaining people and forced Mark to lift him up and spin him like they did in Dirty Dancing. Mark almost dropped him, and everyone was in hysterics, but Mark caught him bridal style before William smacked against the floor. “Don’t look so scared, Will. I’ve got you.” Mark’s voice was slurred, but William didn’t care, and they kept dancing.

It was almost midnight when everyone started to crash and sober up, since they had nothing left to drink, because Rex had taken the remaining champagne. Eve was starting to realize she was in a fight with her boyfriend because William watched her eyes snap open as she recalled him being picked up by some girl named Kate, and she walked out to William’s front porch to call him. Mark followed her before anyone else could get up from where they had all slumped on the couch, and William watched in silence as Mark came up behind Eve and put a hand on her back.

He kept watching as Eve put down her phone and hugged Mark, both of them standing there like that for a while, their lips moving, and Mark rubbing up and down Eve’s back. William noted absently that she must be crying, but it was Amber who caught his attention.

“William. Are you okay?” William shifted his head to stare at Amber, who seemed to be sobering up faster than him. Her eyes were sharp as she studied him and then looked to the two figures standing on the porch, visible through the living room windows.

“I’m doing great, Amber. Why wouldn’t I be?” His voice sounded bitter to his own ears, but he didn’t care too much at the moment. He could blame it all on being inebriated. Amber just patted his leg in silence, passing him a glass of water she must’ve scavenged from the kitchen.

“Listen, I want you to finish this glass and then go eat something. My cousin called and she said she has to pick me up soon, so she isn’t out past her curfew. Thanks for the fun night, William. Really.” William stood up, still watching Eve and Mark in deep conversation outside, and hugged Amber. “Bye, Amber.”

“Take care of yourself, William.” And with that, she left, headed towards the front door where Mark and Eve chatted just beyond. William didn’t want to be roped into that interaction, so he took the moment of solitude inside to listen to Amber’s advice and head to the kitchen. He chugged his glass of water as fast as he could, and refilled it, grabbing a pack of carrots and pickles from the fridge, and a bag of chips from his pantry. He started mixing and matching, mindlessly filling his stomach while he wondered what Mark and Eve could possibly be talking about.

Had Eve broken up with Rex? Was Mark trying to be the shoulder to cry on, or was Eve looking for a rebound? It didn’t matter in the end. Those two felt inevitable in a way that made William’s heart constrict. He was still wallowing, eating a random assortment of food, when he heard some shuffling and saw Mark walk back into the kitchen.

They stared at each other until Mark finally took one of his hands out of his pockets and rubbed the back of his head. “Eve took Rex’s car to go home. She said to say thanks to you and that she’s really sorry that happened.”

William kept chewing his food, dropping his stare, and going back to arranging his chips in pickle and carrot sandwiches. “I don’t even know what happened. She has nothing to apologize for.” Mark made a noise between a scoff and a laugh, walking over behind William and grabbing the bag of chips to start eating. “Her and Rex got in a big fight. Apparently, he’s hanging out with some girl he knows from work right now.” William let out a humorless laugh, putting his carrots and pickles back in the fridge before heading back to the couch. He couldn’t make it up the stairs right now.

“Huh. Guess I missed the fight. But hey, it’s your perfect moment. Rex is off with some dude, and here you are, ready to comfort her, looking like that.” William shook his head at the irony that must be somewhere in this situation, and Mark picked up the bag of chips before following him to the couch and sitting next to him, sighing.

“Don’t do that, Will.”

“Do what?” William’s voice was still wry, mad at something Mark didn’t understand.

“Be like this. We’ve had a really fun night. Why are you mad?”

William refused to turn and look back at Mark, whose stare he could feel burning into the side of his head. “No reason. You just always seem eager to be there for other people.”

“What’s that mean? Isn’t that a good thing?” William rolled his eyes, feeling his irritation from early in the week start to rise.

“Yeah. For Eve it is.”

“Oh, come on, Will. I’m there for you.”

“Whatever, Mark. Last I checked, you stop talking to me every time one of your gym bros or soccer teammates comes within a yard of us. Some ‘being there’ that is, huh?” William still refused to look at Mark, and Mark was becoming visibly frustrated, groaning and putting his head in his hands before facing William again.

“That’s not fair, Will. You yourself said you know what kind of comments I get. I’ve dealt with them for years, and I’ve never complained. You are my friend. You know that. They know that. Cut me some slack.”

“So what changed?”

“Huh?” Mark turned to stare at him again, eyebrows arched in confusion. Neither of their words was slurred now, the conversation sobering them up faster than any food or water could.

“You said you’ve never had a problem with it before. So what changed this year? Did I miss the uptick in homophobia? Have you not been congratulated enough for being a decent human being?”

Mark sighed in frustration, throwing his arms up in the air before leaning back against the couch and letting them fall. William thought he wasn't going to respond until he heard him whisper.

“You know what’s changed, Will.” Will turned to face him now, leaning forward and twisting his back to stare at his friend’s face. His eyes were closed, and his face was twisted like he was in pain.

“Is that it?” Mark’s eyes opened upon hearing the incredulity and rising volume in William’s voice, “Some stupid kiss. One stupid night and all of a sudden I’m… what? Embarrassing? Shameful?” William’s voice caught on the last word, and he started crying, days' worth of tears streaming down his face, hot and furious. Mark was quick to wrap his arms around William and bring his friend’s head to his chest in comfort, but William kept talking. “This is so stupid, Mark. I know we already agreed on it, but please. Please let us go back to being normal. I don’t want it us to be different.” William started sobbing harder, his body shaking in Mark’s arms as Mark whispered comfort and soft sounds into William’s hair and rubbing circles into his friend’s back. Man, he was on emotional cleanup duty tonight.

“It’s okay, William. Okay. We’re okay. I promise.”

William’s crying started to clear, and he sniffled, looking up at Mark. “But you already promised.”
Mark's tears of his own threatened to spill out of his eyes when he saw the heartbroken look on his best friend's face.

“Will…” his voice was barely a whisper, but his voice still cracked. “I promise you’re not embarrassing. If anything, I’m the one embarrassing you,” they both laughed a little at that before Mark continued. “You do my homework. You let me cheat off you. You come to my games, you track my gym progress, you drive me to school. We do everything together, and you’re the one doing the heavy lifting.” Mark’s voice was becoming more animated now, as he thought about all the things he and his best friend shared. “I don’t know where I’d be without you, Will.” He laughed again before continuing, “I mean, we fought for one day, and I got so sick I missed school for the first time in five years. I thought my whole week would suck until today. Until this.”

William tightened his grip around Mark upon gearing that, and Mark returned the gesture by squeezing his friend again, their arms locked around each other’s shoulders as they leaned against the couch.

“You really mean that?” William’s question was timid, and Mark laughed at how vulnerable his usually confident and sarcastic best friend was being.

‘Yeah, man. Really. I’d be lost without you.” Mark looked down at his best friend and found those piercing blue eyes staring at him. Their faces were only inches from each other, and their breath mingled in the moonlit living room. The air felt thick all of a sudden, and Mark felt a tingling heat when William shifted to be more level with Mark, their arms brushing each other. Mark unconsciously moved his hands down to William’s waist, enjoying the feeling of his friend's weight against him.

Mark didn’t have time to react because as soon as he dared to move his eyes to stare at William’s puffy and parted lips, William closed the distance between them, softly pressing his lips to Mark's. Mark moaned into the kiss, the fluttering in his stomach spreading out over his body, and William moved his hands from Mark’s shoulders to cup his face. They shifted against one another, William sliding his tongue into Mark’s mouth when he moaned.

Mark was too flustered to think of anything besides how good of a kisser his friend was. As good as he remembered. A brief pang of anger twisted in his stomach when he thought of the other guys William must’ve learned this from, but it was forgotten when William started sucking at his upper lip, palming him softly through his thin cotton pants. William continued gently playing with Mark over the fabric of his sweatpants, kissing him until they were both out of breath.

Mark whimpered, chasing William’s lips as William finally pulled his head away. His hand continued stroking Mark, and Mark moaned, letting his black hair fan out across the couch cushions as he leaned back. “Mmm, not letting you cum in your pants this time, birthday boy.” Mark couldn't do anything but moan again at the teasing tone in William’s voice, and William crouched down in front of Mark, using a hand to softly part his legs. Mark whined and lifted his hips eagerly to assist William in pulling his pants off. Mark was too turned on to think logically, and William was spurred on by what champagne was left in his system.
William giggled softly, interrupting Mark from his bliss as he looked down. “What is it?” Mark’s voice was whiny, and his pupils were blown wide as he saw William pointing at his sizeable erection, restricted in his boxer-briefs.

“Jurrasic park underwear? Seriously, Mark?”

Mark groaned, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the couch again. “Will,” he breathed out, whining in his hopes that his best friend would satisfy him, “Please.” William smiled before lifting Mark up to tug his underwear down, mouth watering at his prize. Mark was the biggest William had seen in real life, probably seven inches. He was already leaking precum, and William admired the pink tip and pale shaft that revealed many veins.

Mark felt himself flush as he watched his friend stare, but he couldn’t think about the potential embarrassment of being laid bare in front of his friend because the feeling of William’s hot breath against his dick immediately erased any other thought from his mind. “Fu-uucghk.” Mark’s moans grew louder, and his breath caught as William began licking his friend’s member, trailing soft kisses up and down the shaft, kissing the tip before he licked the entire length.

Mark’s hands quickly found William’s hair, gripping it gently as William began mouthing his dick, bobbing up and down gently at first, before he started swirling his tongue. “Will, that feels so good- aahh fuck.” William had started sucking now, hollowing his cheeks and using his right hand to start playing with Mark’s balls. He cupped them, rolling them between his fingers before gently squeezing them. He heard Mark whimper when he did that, and he smiled while continuing to suck his best friend off. He remembered that his summer fling of last year, Rick, always loved it when he played with his balls. It drove him crazy, and it seemed to have the same effect on Mark, whose grip tightened in Will’s hair, as he arched his hips into William’s mouth, choking him.

“Fuck, Will, where’d you learn to do this?” William said nothing, letting Mark guide his head up and down his dick, breathing through his nose. Will had tears in his eyes, and he was struggling to inhale, but he’d come this far. He started focusing on Mark’s balls again, rolling them between his fingers, and using his other hand to stroke what he couldn’t fit into his mouth. Mark was panting now, his face red and his eyes closed again. He was sitting straight up, both hands tangled in Will’s hair as he looked up to the ceiling, cussing and moaning.

“Holy shit, Will, I think I’m about to cu-” He couldn’t finish his sentence, because Will chose that moment to pull back just enough to flick his tongue across the underside of Mark’s tip, finishing by circling his slit, and tightening his grip on Mark’s balls.

Mark couldn’t control himself anymore, and his hands gripped William’s hair firmly, holding him in place, as he moaned loudly, shooting his load all over Will’s face. William did what he could to get most of it in his mouth, the dirtiest parts of him relishing in the salty taste of his best friend on his tongue. Mark took several seconds to empty out, his hands falling limply at his sides when he was done, collapsing back against the couch.” William wiped the remaining cum off his voice, licking his hands clean before crouching back up and crawling into Mark’s lap. Mark’s hand lazily found their way to William’s waist, pulling him closer so William was now lying curled against Mark’s chest, his face nestled in Mark’s neck. Mark stared at his best friend, picturing how hot he’d looked a few moments ago, with his cum splattered all over his face. Mark knew no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn’t be able to get that image out of his head for years. If he thought their last night together had haunted his late-night “relaxing” sessions, then tonight would be a haunting to end all hauntings. He lifted one of his from where they were softly suqeezing William’s flesh, and placed it under William’s chin, lifting his face up so he could kiss him.

It was slower, and gentler, and Mark let himself relax into it, pecking William over and over before tilting his face to the side so he could kiss up and down William’s jaw. He tasted a bit of himself leftover on William’s lips, but it didn’t stop him from deepening their kiss when he’d traced his way all the way back to those cupid’s arrow-shaped cushions. Mark started growing hard again and shifted William so he wouldn’t feel it.

William only grumbled, pushing himself back against Mark, and wiggling to try and find a comfortable spot, unknowingly teasing Mark with the feeling of his ass.

“Okay, buddy,” Mark said, patting William on the back, “I think it’s time for us to go to bed. I need to text my mom that I’m sleeping over.” William laughed again as they stood up, and he saw Mark’s semi poking out. Before Mark could protest, William wrapped a hand around it, using his grip to pull Mark into a kiss. “You go do that,” he said breathless, pumping Mark slowly, “I’ll be waiting for you upstairs.” Mark could only nod, staring at William as he felt his face flushing again and his knees going weak at the feeling of William’s soft hands curled around his dick.

Mark managed to pull away from their next kiss, not bothering to put his clothes back on, and taking off his shirt as he walked to Will’s kitchen. He heard William pad upstairs as he texted his mom goodnight and that he’d been spending the night at William’s but would be home early tomorrow. He’d gotten permission in advance, since he suspected Will had something planned, and his mom had no qualms. Even though they rarely sleep over at William’s house, his mom trusted the Clockwells.

Mark hastily typed out his message and hit send, scooping up his clothes from the ground before sprinting upstairs. His orgasm and the alcohol might have left him a little drowsy, but he was sure as hell not going to leave William high and dry, especially when his body was telling him he could go one more round. He paused on the last step, hoping he didn’t have to do anything with his mouth. That seemed too… gay, for him. Hand stuff was fine, he told himself.

He made sure he didn’t stumble over himself and found his way to William’s room, smacking against the door frame as he turned into the room. William was already sprawled out under the covers, and Mark felt his heart quicken when he saw his friend’s bare collarbone. The flash of pale skin promised more, and Mark hurriedly joined his friend, lifting the covers up and grabbing William by the waist to pull him against his chest. “Someone’s eager…” They both laughed, their buzz returned in full effect without an emotional conversation to focus on. Mark started kissing William again, and Will had to press his hand against Mark’s chest to slow him down. “Let me,” William whispered, his voice husky, and took the lead he did. They passed another hour so like this, wrapped up in each other and William leading Mark with his experience, stroking Mark before letting Mark stroke him, and each of them trailing kisses down the other’s body in an attempt to tease. Mark came twice before William came once, and by the time William had cleaned up, Mark was almost passed out, snoring softly as soon as William climbed back into bed and snuggled his back against Mark’s chest.

__

Surprisingly, Mark woke up first the feeling of soft hair and a warm body pressed against him. He’d never woken up like this before, and before he could even open his eyes, his arms instinctively pulled what he knew was his friend’s sleeping form closer to him, breathing in the lavender scent of his shampoo, and letting his hands travel, featherlight, across William’s body. William squirmed a little in his sleep, making Mark’s breath hitch as he felt his friend’s ass ride up against his groin, and Mark began recalling their activities from the previous night as his blood started flowing vigorously. This time his recollection brought no regret flooding in, but he started freezing up when he thought about the possibility of one of their friends having seen them through William’s window downstairs, or his mom checking in on them this morning. What would they think if they saw Mark like this? What would Eve think? Would Mrs.Clockwell tell his mom? Picturing the looks on their faces made a familiar feeling of disgust roll through his body, and Mark forced his hands to return to his side.

Mark slowly started untangling himself from Will, his willpower waning when he heard Will whimper in his sleep at the loss of Mark’s warmth. So Mark let himself stay wrapped up in William for a few more minutes, controlling his breaths so he didn’t wake his friend up with his hard-on. Eventually, Mark rolled over again, grabbing his phone and deciding he wanted to shower and put on some clothes before seeing William again. He wasn’t sure he could stop Will if he initiated another round. Even if he wasn’t sober, the sensations he’d felt with William last night were still ingrained in his brain this morning, and his cock throbbed when he remembered how many times he’d let himself spill all over Will. On his thighs, his face, his hands… Shower. It was time for Mark to take a cold shower. He grabbed some of Will’s clothes and made his way to the shower down the hall, covering his private bits with a rolled-up t-shirt in case Mrs. Clockwell was up. Mark let clarity find him as the cold droplets running down his back eventually cooled his blood after he spent the first five minutes of his shower debating whether or not it was disrespectful to jerk off in William’s shower. He scrubbed his body clean from the smell of sweat and sex that had built up on him, allowing himself to use William’s shampoo before stepping out to dry off.

When Marked stepped back into the room, William was yawning and stretching himself awake, the blankets dropping off his chest and forcing Mark to stare at the slim but firm chest. Mark remembered how his nipples felt when Mark ran his tongue over them, and how

“Happy Birthday, Mark.” William had noticed him standing in the door, and Mark laughed before heading over to sit on the corner of the bed.

“Thanks, man.” William stared at Mark, who in turn, was staring at the floor, his eyes focused on nothing in particular.

“You okay?” William asked, reaching out a hand to rub his friend’s shoulder, but Mark pulled back slightly, turning away before William could reach him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think you’re mom’s downstairs. I texted my mom she should come pick me up. I kinda figured you wouldn’t be up for a drive this morning.” Mark met William’s stare now, and William couldn’t help but wonder why his friend sounded so far away. He tried to ease whatever had his friend so pensive. “Well, I guess you’re right. That’s not exactly the kind of ride I was hoping to give you this morning, birthday boy.” It was the wrong thing to say, but William didn't know it right away. He started crawling toward Mark, hoping his teasing would help his friend relax. Mark saw him approaching and stood up, giving the joke a hollow chuckle in response.

“Not right now, Will. My mom will be here soon.” He paused a second before talking again, not thinking about his words as Will sat up on the bed watching him. “You should get dressed. You already got what you wanted.”

William thought he heard something like exasperation in Mark’s voice, and he felt an anger he thought he’d let go of last night resurface immediately. “What the hell is that supposed to mean, Mark?”

“Nothing, it’s just… look, we had fun last night. We don’t need to keep going.” Mark’s voice held a hint of his own frustration, at his own discomfort at their new dynamic and his friend’s constant nitpicking.

“Fun? Mark, you ejaculated on my face before I let you hump on my thighs and jerked you off. There was no ‘need’ in any of that. You chose to participate.” William couldn’t help his reaction; he thought this was so absurd. “Need I remind you, Mark, you were the one who kissed me the first time. I’m not some desperate friend hanging around just so I can get you off.” William’s voice held an edge of a hysteria he’d become all too familiar with in the past few weeks, and Mark felt his patience thinning.

“Will what? What are you even saying? Yeah, I kissed you, but I was so drunk I probably couldn’t have made it to the bathroom, and last night, in case you forgot, was definitely led by you. This doesn’t need to be a thing.” William shook his head, disbelief consuming him again at witnessing Mark’s denial and his heart aching at hearing Mark’s rejection of their escapades.

“That’s irrelevant. I don’t see why you’re acting like I’m the only one who wanted that to happen. You even admitted you enjoyed it! But whatever. If this is how you’re going to act, then I agree, there’s no need for any more ‘fun’.”

“Will, stop acting so childish. We both agreed to go back to normal last night, and then you kissed me. And blew me! It felt good, sure, but how did you think to do that after we just agreed to return to normal?! That’s not normal!” Mark was almost yelling now, and William kept shaking his head, folding his legs into his chest, as if to shield himself.

“No, Mark. It is normal. You may not think that, but-”

“That’s not what I meant, Will. I meant that you’re the one who seems so desperate to be friends with me, but then go and do stuff like that. I’m not gonna fuck you and I don’t want to date you, okay!” Mark was actually yelling now, and fury burned through him. He wanted his words to crush whatever was happening between him and his friend, and he thought William hearing them might get him to stay in line, since Mark couldn’t. God, Mark scolded himself, why was he being so weak? Why couldn’t he control these… urges, these impulses?

William was crying again, but his voice was loud and firm, and Mark closed his eyes so he didn’t have to see his best friend’s face when he started yelling, “Mark, you’re so full of shit! You meant exactly what you said when you said that’s not normal. You can sit there and pretend all you want, but I promise you wanted that as much as me, and I deserve a better friend than someone who can’t even pretend for one day he doesn’t find me repulsing and lies to my face. As if I would even date someone like you!”

Mark opened his eyes at that, hurt flashing in them before he turned away from William’s tear-stricken face. “Will, I’m not fighting you or your insecurities anymore! I didn’t lie to you. I just.. I just can’t let this,” he gestured between them, “keep happening.” His voice was getting quieter now, and William decided to let him finish. “I don’t know who it is, but it’s obviously not a good idea for either of us to let this happen. It’s too complicated.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” William whispered, but Mark didn’t look back, so he couldn’t tell if his words landed or not. Mark’s phone buzzed, cutting into the tense silence. “My mom’s here. I’m gonna go.” Mark’s voice had a cold, stubborn edge to it that reminded William of how Mark's dad spoke. Mark reached back to the bed, grabbing his soiled clothes and heading to the door before finally turning back to give his friend a final look. “Thanks for the party, Will.” The comment sounded surprisingly genuine, and his brown eyes held no more anger, but William couldn’t find any words, only able to hold back his sobs as he heard his friend pad down the stairs and out the front door. He had a gift he’d wanted to give Mark this morning, the newest Seancé Dog issue, and a new Clash game he’d saved up so they could both play.

William sat curled up in his bed for a while, unable to get up and shower, but unable to move from his position. He replayed Mark’s words over and over, thinking about how they’d gone from making out in his bed to fighting so fast. Maybe he did hope too much for something to happen between him and Mark. Maybe he was desperate. He had dressed nicely, and he’d even shaved his entire body in preparation for the night. He hadn’t admitted to himself why at the time, but clearly Mark was noticing. He failed once again to hold this stupid infatuation in check, and he would keep paying for it. Over and over. Until there was nothing left of his friendship with Mark. William just watched the sunlight filter into his room, lighting up all the dust particles swirling around his bed. He didn’t know how much time passed before he finally got up to wash the rest of Mark off himself.

__

William hadn’t left his room since he showered. His mom had gone back to work at some point, not bothering to comment on the mess he’d made downstairs. He would clean it up later. He sat on his bed, chewing on his lip, while trying to decide whether to call Mark or not. The feeling of hurt and shame he’d felt after their argument had only gotten worse this morning, and he imagined it was the same for Mark. This didn’t feel like an argument that would settle with time and space. It felt like a wound that would fester and become infected if they didn’t attend to it. And William didn’t know if it was worth attending to right now. If Mark wanted him to do that.

He stared as his mom for a few more seconds before deciding to pick up the phone, pressing the call button on Mark’s contact, smiling slightly at the photo he’d saved of Mark wearing glasses for his contact picture. William’s room was dark now, the sun having set, however long ago. Only a lingering glow of twilight kept night from obscuring his entire room, and the light from his phone burned into his eyes as he watched the screen.

The phone rang out into the silence, jolting William every time it started over. William’s hopes that they were going to talk it out sank with every unanswered buzz. He knew Mark must be seeing, but his mind kept coming up with excuses. Finally, the phone stopped ringing, and twelve-year-old Mark’s voice rang out, apologizing for being unable to answer and politely requesting a voicemail. William sighed, finger hovering over the End Call button before he decided to leave a voice message. Mark should at least of the option of hearing what he had to say.

“Hey Mark. You don’t have to call me back. If you don’t want. I just wanted to say happy birthday again, and that I have your gift whenever you want it. I can drop it off at your house or at school. Umm,” He drew out the word, unsure of how to continue. Saying what he really felt might prove too much for Mark, but at least a little truth had to help, “I’ve been thinking about what you said. And yeah, I don’t think we can keep doing… whatever we’ve been doing. But I don’t think that means what we did was bad. I only think it means that we can’t have the friendship we have and that. And whatever that is, I know it’s not worth ruining what we have.” He felt himself getting choked up and forced himself to take a few breaths before he continued. “Uh, yeah, so I’m sorry you’re mad, and I’m sorry I yelled at you. I was hurt. And confused, I guess. I understand if you don’t want to talk. Soooo yeah. That’s it. Bye, Mark.” He almost said “I love you” at the end, but the thought of Mark hearing that and thinking ‘desperate’ again stopped him.

He might be willing to do whatever it took to keep Mark in his life, to any extent possible, but he could have some dignity while doing it. Hopefully. He hung up the phone and cried softly into his pillow, trying to make a list of reasons why his friend didn’t pick up that didn’t involve him not wanting to speak to William.

__

Meanwhile, at the Grayson household, Mark sat back on his bed, with one hand behind his head and one lying on his chest. He’d spent the day with his parents, his Dad opting to bring him eighteen different dishes of food from all across the world. Curry from India, sushi from Japan, pasta from Italy, duck from France. It was a lot. He’d eaten most of it with his mom, and they chatted softly about what he could now that he was eighteen. Now that he was an adult.

The conversation didn’t feel real to Mark, especially since he felt so childish. He didn’t feel like an adult at all, and the entire day he felt his parents try to show enthusiasm to cheer him up from the rut he was clearly in. Mark let out a huff of air, blowing his hair back, and hitting play on William’s voicemail again. Will had called him when he’d been opening gifts, and his mom gave him a look when he chose not to answer. William’s voice filled the quiet that had occupied Mark’s room since he’d come upstairs, and he caught all the details in the words.

The pauses, the places where his friend’s voice hitched. Will had apologized and agreed with Mark that they had to stop. But the absence of an explanation on how to do that left them where they started after that night in the summer. Mark knew he should be happy that his friend sounded serious about letting some space grow between them, but he just felt empty. Drained.

A faint hum of anger at this resolution between them was the only emotion he could really identify, and he didn’t know what to do with that. He didn’t know how to tell William that the solution he’d proposed wasn't actually what he wanted. What did he want?

Mark hit play on the message again, and again and again, the twilight fading into the background as darkness fell over his room. His eyes were heavy and his limbs were stiff as he reached over to hit play on the message again. He didn’t know what else he could learn from it, but it’d become a comfortable white noise to play as he thought about how to navigate this situation with his only friend. He couldn’t understand how he let himself blow up so easily at him. And he didn’t know why William’s call made him feel so many things. Guilt, anger, regret, shame, fear that anyone else might hear it. He was so angry at himself for being paralyzed like this. If he tried saying anything, he’d only make it worse. He finally decided to delete the message, plugging his phone into a charger and changing into pajamas before lifting his sheets over himself.

Mark went to sleep tossing and turning, unable to keep himself from waking and staring at the window and then at his phone. When he checked the alarm clock, it read 12:01 AM. Well, it was official. That was officially the worst birthday he’d ever had.

Chapter Text

Mark sat on the couch with his mom, his attention absorbed by watching the TV as he waited for the bus. He hadn’t had William drive him to school all week for the entire week, and he’d been riding with Eve to tutoring. She’d called him yesterday to see if he had mistakenly taken one of her pencils. His leg kept bouncing nervously, and his hands rubbed together as he watched the Guardians of the Globe and his Dad stop some new villain league from ransacking and destroying the Tower of London. His dad rarely got called in to deal with the smaller stuff, so Mark felt a seed of anxiety root in his chest as he saw his dad fly around, dodging the lasers and lightning the attackers somehow conjured. War Woman and Immortal were still standing, but Red Rush and Green Ghost were busy helping Darkwing and Aquarus retreat. He knew his Dad could handle it, but everything in him wanted ot be able to go help him. To defend those screaming people on the TV from whatever monsters were trying to kill them.

His powers should’ve come in by now. His Dad hadn’t even waited a whole day until after his birthday passed to remind him how he would get his powers “any day now”. Mark only became more frustrated when he heard his parents start fighting after he left the room because his mom was angry he’d mentioned that on Viltrum, it was extremely rare for kids not to get their powers before their eighteenth birthday. Mark had tried jumping, punching, and sprinting up and down his street, but nothing seemed to work. His mind was too unfocused, and even though he’d been working out, his body didn’t seem to want to have super strength. He was destined to be a regular, boring hero.

How disappointed would his young self be, dressed up in rolls of duct tape that William had helped him apply before his dad came home, if he could see that Mark was still amounting to nothing? Mark picked his backpack up from where it lay on the ground, heading to the door as he saw the time on the clock, and his father rounding up the last of the villains. As he walked out the door, he noticed himself checking his phone. Right. Usually, he received a morning call from William before he was picked up, confirming he was awake. He’d probably tell Mark if he’d seen the attack this morning and mention how hot he thought Omni-Man was. Mark shuddered when he thought about the implications of that. Guess William had a thing for Grayson men.

The yellow bus honked down the street, signaling it was about to leave, and Mark started sprinting toward it, desperate not to have his mom drop him off at high school again. “Shit,” he muttered, beginning to wave his hands as he got closer to the bus, hoping the grumpy old driver would see him and spare him by waiting until he got to the door. He barely made it, and he spent the fourth morning in a row cramped next to a sweaty freshman near the front of the bus, hugging his backpack to his chest and missing William’s morning recaps.

__

When William started sitting with Amber at lunch that week, she didn’t ask any questions, happily integrating him into her conversations with Lindsay, Marcee, and Matthew. They were all nice, and William was close enough to them now for him to have a conversation without feeling awkward. Marcee liked to talk too much, but Lindsay balanced her out with what William liked to call “tasteful gossip,” and Matthew was the most silent of the group, only bothering to chime in when Amber said something. Amber acted oblivious, but William could tell she picked up on the other boy’s slight crush. It would be kind of adorable if it didn’t make William think about whether this was how he looked talking to Mark. Like someone who wasn’t aware the other person wasn’t interested, and couldn’t get lost. Well, Matthew wasn’t all that bad anyway. Today they were discussing the New York trip again, which loomed only a day away, and William remained silent. He didn’t want to have to think about being forced to spend the weekend in a room with Mark in another state. It was supposed to be a fun trip.

A group of boys walked past their table at that moment. William paused from where he had been about to bite into his chicken sandwich when he noticed it was the soccer team. Mark had taken up sitting with them during whatever little cold war they had going on, and William resented it all the more because one guy on the team, Jayce, used to throw stuff at him in the locker room until Mark had told him to stop and gotten kicked in the shins as a result. He had no problem with them being on a team together because, well, what was Mark going to do about it, but sitting with him? Laughing with him? It was salt in the wound. And try as he might, William couldn’t help but continue stealing glances at their table, watching Mark’s feeble attempts to fit in with the group.

From what William observed, it wasn’t working. Mark watched with what appeared to be apprehension, nervous of saying the wrong thing or probably speaking at all, seeing as he had almost nothing in common with any of them. William rolled his eyes, watching his friend, or whatever they were now, trying to perform for the team. How he leaned back in his chair before readjusting to sit upright like Debbie had taught him, because the relaxed pose wasn’t all that natural to him, or how he would be fixing his hair in his phone camera, only to freeze and stop because one of the other boys was making fun of it for him. Pfft. If that’s who he wanted to surround himself, let him, William thought. He would realize eventually that, romantic interest or not, William had always been a better friend.

The lunch bell rang, and William grabbed his food, purposefully walking past Mark’s table and laughing a little too loudly at a joke Marcee had made about the London attacks this morning before adding, “Oh yeah, and don’t get me started on Omni-man. I mean that mustache.” Amber rolled her eyes at William’s joke, a smile creeping on her lips, and Lindsay and Marcee just laughed louder. Perfect. Let Mark know how much easier of a time he was having making new friends. The group parted as they left the cafeteria, waving bye to each other before heading to their separate classes. See. It was easy. Day by day, he could live without Mark.

William walked through the busy halls, dodging sluggish bodies and slipping into his history class. He and Mark still sat next to each other, neither one wanting to move on account of appearing to care, but they didn’t talk, and they didn’t arrive together. The weird he’d feeling he’d been getting, not having his best friend by his side at all times, started creeping up on him, but he pushed it down. No sense in trying to do more than he already had. If Mark didn’t want to call, text, or even respond to a voicemail, they had no business acting cordial. Uploading gym progress pics to their shared album, which William had been checking, didn’t count. He deserved better.

Of course, it was hard to keep ignoring him when Mark walked into class, gingerly taking the seat next to William and shooting him a small smile and wave before turning to face the front of the class. He’d been doing that in their English too, whenever he or William sat down, and it was starting to annoy William. So he couldn’t speak or text or do anything, but he would acknowledge William for the briefest of moments at the start of class before ignoring him for the rest of it.

As William continued trying to take notes and watch his best friend out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Marked looked more sullen today than usual. His mood had been down all week, and William had attributed it to their fight, but today was different. His mouth was downturned in a permafrown, his hair was a little more unkempt like he’d been running his hands through it too much, and his shoulders were slumped inward. Like they always did when Mark was feeling insecure about something. Usually, his dad.

William got the urge to comfort Mark in that moment. Reach out and pat his shoulder, or tell him that he wasn’t a disappointment to his dad. That he was enough just being Mark Grayson. But now didn’t feel like the time. The sad glint in his friend's eyes brought him the closest he’d been this week to breaking his resolve, but he held fast. He’d indulged too much as of late.

Turns out, both of them would be forced to acknowledge the other sooner than they thought. The bell rang, and Mark hung back to let William get to the door first, but before either of them could make it out of their seats, Mrs. William’s sharp voice cut through the classroom, “Alright, kids! This is the last class I have with you before our trip this weekend, and I wanted to set some ground rules.” Both boys sat back down in their seats as the woman at the front of the classroom droned on about boundaries with your roommate, rules when the class was together, and how they weren’t to sneak off or go anywhere without a chaperone, for liability reasons. “Alright, that’s about it, I think. Now remember to meet at the airport, Terminal B, Southwest Airlines, at exactly 6:45 am. I’ll have your tickets printed out and hand them out as we head through security. You’ll be sitting next to or by your roommates. And no checked bags!”

With that, she dismissed them, but both boys sat frozen in their seats, mutually deciding to drop their act to look at one another briefly before turning away. Great. So now not only would they be in a hotel room together because they had signed the permission slips when they’d been on speaking terms, but now they would get to share the three-hour flight there too.

William was the first to break out of his nerve-induced trance, grabbing his back and heading to the door. Mark could only sit, slumping back in his chair and watching his friend’s form disappear into the throng of students in the hall. He wanted to talk to William. About the trip. About his dad. About his powers. He’d considered telling William who his dad was many times, especially when they geeked out together over the Guardians, but he’d always decided against it. It wasn’t his secret to tell. Maybe if he got his own powers. If he ever gets them or if they were even speaking. That realization made Mark’s frustration bubble up all over again, and he smacked his forehead before finally picking his stuff up and leaving the classroom. Enough time had passed. It’d been a whole week. They needed to talk, at least about how they wanted to handle the trip. They’d planned on doing a bunch of stuff in advance, like trying new restaurants or coffee spots, or playing hide and seek in the hotel since they couldn’t leave, and Mark had been looking forward to it.

Mark made his way through the crowd, looking for the tousle of dark blonde hair he’d stood over plenty of times, bobbing and weaving through the crowds of students trying to make their way to buses or the parking lot so they could leave school. Mark had been so lost in his own thoughts that he’d forgotten it was the last class. And to take notes. Again. Another reason to repair whatever he knew he’d damaged with William.

Making his way out of the front double doors and down the steps, Mark started picking up his pace, almost to jog, to try and get to where he knew William always parked before he got there. It was always better to have important discussions in person. At least, that’s what his mom told him. He saw the back of William’s blue Toyota, sticking out in what was assuredly another bad parking job, but he didn’t see William. He almost ran up to the car, desperate to get there before William pulled out, but when he arrived at the driver’s window, ready to knock, William was nowhere to be found. Did he have a club today? A meeting? No, Mark couldn’t remember William having any commitments on Friday before picking up the occasional shift. He reserved them for game nights with Mark.

A flash of doubt ran through Mark, wondering if William had already found something else to do to fill his Fridays. His doubts dispersed, though, when he heard William say bye to someone on the other side of the car next to his, and heard his shoes crunching the decayed asphalt beneath them. He turned around from where he had been staring dejectedly into William’s car, and rubbed the back of his neck when he saw the stunned look on his friend’s face.

“Uhh, hey Will! I thought we should talk.” William arched an eyebrow at him, shifting his posture so his arms were crossed and one of his hips jutted out.

“About what, Mark?

“Well… uh, you know the trip. And us sitting next to each other and rooming. And the plans and-”

“So that’s it? I’m your itinerary for New York. You have nothing else to say?” William’s tone barely concealed the anger that had been building up in him all week, and Mark flinched a little at his friend’s rebuttal.

“No, that’s not it,” Mark pinched his eyebrows, trying not to damage his relationship with William anymore. “I’m sorry, okay. I shouldn’t have yelled at you, but we do need to talk about the trip, alright. That feels like the priority!” Mark threw open his arms to try and emphasize his point, not wanting to have the other part of this discussion in the school parking lot, as other students weaved in between the surrounding cars, chatting with friends and driving home. There were too many people who could overhear.

William only shook his head at Mark, both saddening and frustrating him. “Yeah, I guess that would be the priority to you, Mark. Talk to me when you’re ready to be an adult about what happened. Bye.” With that, William walked up to his car door, ignoring Mark’s sputtering, and staring at Mark to get out of the way, slipping into his seat when he did. Mark continued talking, his voice penetrating the glass so William could hear some of his words, asking William to “please stay and talk,” but he only reversed out, careful not to hit Mark, and drove home.

If Mark wanted to talk, he had William’s phone number. In the meantime, he needed to pack for a three-day trip to New York City. William let his anxiety fade away as he blasted Empire State of Mind and thought about how, in less than a day, he would be standing in the Big Apple. Even if he couldn’t enjoy it with Mark, he wouldn’t let himself not have fun. He may be going to his little coffee shops alone, but it may be that that was what he needed anyway. Ignoring the feeling of disappointment about why Mark had approached him, he let his foot press down on the gas, proud of himself for dusting Mark and looking forward to spending a weekend exploring the greatest city on earth.

__

Mark walked home from the bus stop, staring at the ground and thinking about what he could say to William. He thought about what he’d said, and what he’d thought about saying all week, and then what he’d chosen to say a few minutes ago. None of it was good enough. He knew that. He’d freaked out again, and now there was an even steeper hill to climb. Any real conversation between them would inevitably lead to Mark either having to accept he couldn’t keep being friends with William or admitting things he wasn’t ready to about himself. About his situation. Whatever that was. Keeping everything bottled in wasn’t working, but if he lingered too long on the way he felt about William and what that meant, it opened up a whole closet of skeletons Mark didn’t want to address. Couldn’t right now.

When he walked through the front door, his mom greeted him warmly, asking about his school day. She’d been extra careful with Mark this week, sensing his mood but chalking it up to his dad’s comments earlier on. “School was good, Mom. I have to go pack for the school trip.”

Mrs. Grayson paused from where she had been preparing dinner in the kitchen, wondering if she should ask about William. When she’d wondered about Mark taking the bus or asking her for a ride earlier in the week, he’d told her she had to stop being so nosy. “Alright, honey. I’ll make sure you’re up in the morning.” She tried not to press him, but she was getting worried. He needed his friends right now, especially with Nolan getting more agitated at the absence of Mark’s powers manifesting every day.

Mark opened his door and started carelessly stuffing clothes into a small suitcase he’d borrowed from his mom. All he knew about the trip was that they were going to a Broadway show, some museums, and a bunch of other tourist spots. Not like he needed to look put together, especially without William here to help him pick out clothes or appreciate how they looked on him. He finished out by grabbing a handful of socks and underwear each, smashing the suitcase lid on top of the pile, and pushing down. There. It was done. He sat in silence for a moment before walking over to his bed and sitting on it. He hadn’t texted Cheryl for a shift tonight since he had to be up early tomorrow, but without William, he didn’t really have any Friday plans. He played Clash Crash on his phone until dinnertime, waiting for William’s gamer icon to pop up in the corner and tell him his friend was as bored as he was, but it never did.

By the time his mom called him down to dinner, he didn’t even have the energy to hold a conversation with his parents. They were talking about his Dad’s fight in London this morning, and he tried to tune out the details of his father saving the day. He could only make a face and a disgusted sound when they were too lovey-dovey, rubbing noses and playing footsy under the table. Most times, he could stomach having parents like that, particularly because he knew what William’s parents were like when they were together, but tonight it bothered him. He stood up, picking up his plate and dropping it in the sink before heading upstairs. He dutifully thanked his mother for dinner, since he didn’t want his Dad to come up and bother him about it later, but he didn’t wait around to hear his parents ask what was wrong. He went to sleep, dreading the early flight and who would be sitting next to him. Well, at least it would be a chance to talk with Will. Even if he wouldn’t really speak to Mark, getting to see his side-eyes or pointed gestures at overhearing their classmates talk would make the cramped flight worth it. Mark went to bed early, ripping off his shirt and crawling under the covers, after spending only an hour more on Clash Crash before giving up any hope William would get on.

__

William threw a final pair of jeans into his suitcase, taking a step back to admire his work. He would look cute in New York, if nothing else. The only issue now would be closing the suitcase. This might be the moment where he regretted not having Mark around to do it for him, but he’d been avoiding thoughts of his best friend all afternoon. He needed to stay focused on the positive. It was what had helped him build the resolve to not cave in and talk to Mark in the parking lot.

Usually, all it took was Mark being apologetic for one conversation for William to forgive him, but this time, he didn’t know what would suffice. Maybe some honesty. Since William’s little game of pretend wasn’t very convincing. He opened his phone, giving up on trying to shut the overstuffed suitcase right now, and began scrolling. He didn’t want to open Clash Crash in fear of Mark being online, so that really didn’t leave him much to do. As he swiped, he saw one of Rick’s story posts at the top of his screen. William didn't know what came over, but he clicked on the icon and watched a video of Rick and what he assumed were his college friends, playing frisbee outside. It looked like a peaceful, sunny day, and William suddenly missed Rick.

They hadn’t dated officially last summer, since Rick was graduating, but they’d been close. Rick had been William’s first everything. Besides kissing. They’d gone on dates, he met Rick’s parents, and then bam. One day, near the end of summer, Rick said he didn’t want to do long distance, and William… couldn’t find it in himself to care at the time. Deep down, he’d realized the things he’d liked most about Rick… his more reserved nature, his secret nerd aspect, his light voice, and the heternormative appearance were all things that reminded him of Mark. William remembered sitting in silence in his car after they cut things off and he’d had that revelation. Look where it got him. So, out of spite for Mark, or reminiscing about easier days with Rick, he liked the story. An obviously thirsty move, but hey. Best way to get over someone was to get under someone else, right?

He clicked out of the app and put his phone down, scared to see if Rick would end up messaging him like he always used to before sitting on his suitcase. Damn it, he really needed a stronger man than himself right now. After an hour or so of pressing and sitting, and with the help of his mother when she returned from work, he managed to close the suitcase and climb into bed. It was a little early, but he had a long weekend ahead, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to go to sleep so soon. The apprehension of sharing a room with Mark, the excitement about seeing the city, and replaying what Mark had tried to say in the parking lot all haunted his last waking hours. His heart clenched when he thought about shutting his best friend out, but it clenched more when he thought about last Saturday and what his supposed “best friend” had said to him. When he finally drifted to sleep, it seemed his subconscious would be the greatest threat to his resolve. He dreamed of running around NYC with Mark, wearing stupid tourist shirts and laughing at the superhero impersonators in Times Square.

__

Mark’s drive to the airport was full of warnings and reminders from Debbie. No acting up, no breaking rules, and no doing anything he wouldn’t do here in his hometown or with his mother watching. It was sweet and embarrassing, and on any other day, Mark would’ve been blushing with embarrassment listening to his mom ramble about making good decisions and being safe, whatever that meant, if he wasn’t so nervous. He’d had time to think about what William would act like on the trip.

He would either snap and yell at Mark because of prolonged exposure to him, which didn’t seem likely given their last interaction, or he would completely ignore Mark. And that meant this whole trip would be a bust for Mark, and if for no other reason than being able to enjoy NYC with William, he would try and find the words to placate his friend.

When he got out of the car, giving his Mom a big hug, and taking his suitcase from the trunk, he saw a large swarm of students already gathered underneath the Southwest terminal. There were too many seniors for him to pick anyone out, but as he was walking over, he heard a voice shout his name a familiar face emerged, “Mark! There you are. Here I got your ticket from Mrs. Williams. My chaperone is technically Mr. Thompson, but I babysat for her once, so…”

Mark smiled at Eve, taking the ticket from her, and checking his seat number. 35F. Okay. So he was in a window seat. That was something. “Wow. Thanks, Eve.” He cringed a little at his own response. They were friends now. Good friends, after their conversation at William’s surprise party. He shouldn’t be acting so flustered at a friendly gesture.

“Don’t worry about it. I have nothing to do anyway since Amber isn’t here yet and I couldn’t find anyone else…” They both began looking for other people at the same time, eyes scanning the sea of people, scouting for their other friends.

“Oh,” Eve pointed to a mass of dark curls accompanied by a set of camo pants and a jacket, ‘I think I see Amber.” They both started walking to Amber, but as they approached, Mark saw a familiar set of blue eyes and wavy golden hair, and he slowed. Eve looked back at him, shooting him a questioning glance, and Mark decided it was better to seem unfazed by approaching William than to get caught trying to avoid him like a child. Like William would expect him to act.

Mark tried to resume a normal posture, casually strolling up to Amber and greeting her, pausing when they finished to watch Eve and William finish greeting each other. The group was silent for a moment, but Amber didn’t miss a beat, grabbing Eve’s arm and starting to talk excitedly about the selection of Broadway shows they would get to choose from, and which exhibits in the Met she wanted to visit. Eve began sharing her own excitement about visiting MoMa, and soon the girls were lost in a frenzy of chatter about the trip that neither boy could keep up with. Of course, Mark realized, if they could speak to one another, they would have just as many, if not more, points of interest to discuss, but when he glanced over to William, he was staring down at his nails, pretending nothing was wrong.

Mark didn’t know what to do, so instead of saying anything, he just reached down and wheeled William’s suitcase over to him. Will usually made him carry all the heavy stuff anyway when they traveled together, so he thought the instinctive gesture might come across as friendly, and a way to tell Will he cared without trying to fumble over his words. Will still had his backpack, of course, and Mark looked a little ridiculous carrying a giant duffel bag on his back, a gym bag strapped across one arm, and now a suitcase on the other, but if it got the conversation started…

Instead of any positive recognition, though, all he got from William was a brief narrowing of the eyes and a faint blowing of raspberries before resuming his previous position. Mark sighed, looking around for something else to break the ice between them when Amber did it for him, “Well, what are you two planning on doing? I know William was telling me that you guys had a lot of plans,” William shot her a look full of betrayal, and Amber only widened her friendly smile in return.

Mark took the brief interrution as his moment to talk to Will, albeit inadvertently, “Well, I know there’s this really cool omics store a few blocks from Times Square. When we had shopping time, we were gonna try and sneak there for a little…” In the middle of his sentence, he saw Will roll his eyes, and he could practically read the thoughts hidden behind the icy irises. Of course, he’s talking about an activity planned just for him. Mark scrambled to remember something William had planned exclusively for himself, “Oh, and we also wanted to try this really cool coffee and records shop. It has a bunch of old Broadway vinyls, and does like specialty lattes or something… I’m not sure where it is, though.” Mark scratched the back of his head, hoping his effort was enough, and though Eve and Amber shot him big smiles, William’s face only softened a little.

“Yeah, I was thinking about trying to go there,” William’s voice still held an undertone of anger as he looked at Mark, but he continued, “It’s a little of Park Avenue. If you guys want to join us.” William looked away from Mark to the two girls, but Mark kept staring at Will, silently celebrating. So he must still be planning on attending the shop with Mark if he was inviting the other two to come with them. That counted for something.

The girls continued their discussion as the class was herded through the airport, taking twenty minutes to arrive at TSA, before painstakingly going through security. Mark almost considered handing William his bag back when he started getting complaints from the people behind him about taking too long, but decided it was worth it when he saw William breeze through security, dropping his bag down and walking through the metal detector without missing a beat. See, he could be a good friend when he wanted to.

By the time the entire class had managed to get through security, they were separated into their different chaperone groups and cajoled to skip the various shops and restaurants in the terminal to arrive at their gate. Amber and Eve were both with Mr. Thompson, and he and William were both with Mrs. Williams. Everyone was patiently waiting for their flight, the students buzzing with anticipation as they found seats. Mark watched William choose a seat in the far corner of the area Mrs. Williams' group chose and tried to move toward him, before being interrupted by a deep voice,

“Yo, Mark! Pretty boy! Over here!” Mark turned his head toward the sound of the person calling him, and his eyes landed on Harrison, a kid on the soccer team he’d become unwillingly acquainted with over the past few days after William had cut off their lunchtime together. “Oh, hi Harrison. I’m gonna be over there if” he was pointing toward where William was positioned, obliviously scrolling on his phone with headphones in, but Mark was cut off- “Come on, man. You need to spend time with the team outside of lunch.” Harrison scoffed before looking over to where Mark had been holding out his hand, “Besides, you’ll get to sit next to your precious little fairy during the flight. You’re already rooming with him, right?” Harrison’s eyes were turned back on Mark, but Mark couldn’t find any words between the mix of anger, shame, and confusion.

Anger at the disrespect toward William, but shame at the conclusions he reached when he asked himself how Harrison knew they were rooming together. He’d either been told by someone, which sparked a wave of paranoia in Mark, or he assumed, which made Mark feel scrutinized. Like he was being watched and judged by an anonymous panel of random people in his school.

“Oh, come on, man. I was joking. Lighten up.” Mark only nodded his head, figuring that since the seat next to William was already filled and Harrison wouldn’t take no, there was no point in not sitting with him. He didn’t know where Ryan and the others were, but surely Harrison would report back to them if he didn’t come. As he sat back, listening to Harrison talk about some girl he wanted to hook up with on the trip, and watching William fidget in his sit, he felt that same feeling of claustrophobia creep up on him. Like it did when he thought about what he did with William. What would happen if anyone knew. If his Dad knew. The greatest superhero on Earth, the legacy of Viltrum, didn’t raise a “fairy”. And he needed grandchildren.

Suddenly, there wasn’t enough space between him and Harrison, or him and Ryan, and too much space between him and William, and his shirt felt too hot. Mark felt his heart rate start to increase as he blankly watched Harrison talk and looked at William, positioned behind where he faced Harrison. Mark stood up abruptly, headed to the bathroom, and stayed in there until he heard the call for boarding. He tried splashing cold water on his face, but that only delayed the feeling of nausea in Mark. He felt like he could throw up at any moment, and as he hauled his three suitcases, which he assured Mrs. Williams were not all his, through the rows of crowded seats, he found aisle 35. It was near the back of the plane, which was still mainly empty, and William was already sat in the middle seat. Mark tried catching his eye several times as he lifted the bags into the overhead compartment, but with no luck. Only when he made to walk over William did his friend finally sigh and exit the aisle to let Mark in.

An idea popped into Mark’s head then, one he hoped might get at least a tiny reaction out of William. William was still pretending not to notice Mark when he tapped his shoulder.

“You can have it.” Mark pointed to the window seat. He knew William loved to fly, and he knew his favorite part was watching the ground below them disappear. He’d seen it plenty of times with his Dad, so it didn’t mean much to give his friend this gift. One he’d hoped Will would appreciate. His gesture seemed to have the intended effect, snapping William’s face out of its mask of apathy and earning a small appreciative smile from his friend. All Will said was “Thanks,” but his voice wasn’t irritated or mad. It was genuine. And that was enough to make sitting in the middle seat for three hours worth it. Will didn’t take up too much space anyway since he leaned toward the window, so when Mark sat down next to him, he didn’t feel so cramped anymore. Not when their elbows brushed or their legs bumped.

Mark thought the contact with Will actually helped ground him from whatever episode he’d been having. Maybe because it was familiar, or maybe because Mark’s body needed to feel physical reassurance from its oldest companion. But slowly Mark’s breath started to settle, and only when he closed his eyes to release, did he open them to find William studying him. Like he sensed something had been wrong. Will’s mouth looked like it was starting to move, but before he could say anything, his eyes flicked up from where they had been analyzing Mark’s face to something behind him. Then they flicked back to Mark, accusingly. Mark tuned to see the figure and understand that William must’ve thought he planned their seat swap not out of kindness, but for his own sake.

Who else, but Harrison? Mark could barely contain his groan of frustration when he saw Harrison’s smug figure standing there, smiling down at the two.

“Well, well, look who it is. This should be even better than sitting with Carson.” Mark pinched his brows and quickly fished through his duffel bag stuffed under the seat to whip out his earbuds. He wasn’t going to listen to Harrison any longer. Before assuming a straight-facing position that would spare him any comments or conversation with Harrison, Mark looked toward William. He hoped his friend saw the earbuds and the worried look on Mark’s face. That his expression would convey how much Mark did NOT plan for this to happen. Fortunately, William had seemed to notice. He looked discerningly at Mark’s shocked expression and headphones, then back to Harrison, who was already chatting with someone else in another aisle.

That look was all Mark had to confirm he was still making progress toward getting William to talk to him before their flight took off, and Mark closed his eyes, letting himself inhale his surroundings, and lean as much as possible into the feelings of William’s arm pressed against his. He felt himself falling asleep in no time, passing the flight dreamlessly, and only waking up when William wordlessly shook him awake with his hands wrapped around Mark’s forearm.

Mark grumbled, eyes lingering on Will for a moment before he noticed everyone else standing up and getting their carry-on baggage. He wordlessly thanked Will with a nod and moved to fill the space Harrison had left empty when he’d stoop up to access the overhead. Soon, Mark was once again carrying three bags, trekking down the aisle, feeling better physically and mentally than he had after waking up the first time today. William followed Mark out of the plane silently, but Mark hoped that he wasn’t the only that felt like it wasn’t so tense between them. At least William was acknowledging him again, even if they weren’t speaking.

Since no one had any checked baggage, it didn’t take too long for the students to make their way to the buses that were waiting for them. Considering the fact that they had to take attendance and check in with their chaperones about five different times, stop to make sure they had everything they brought with them, and receive another debriefing on the rules and expectations for the trip, the fact that they made it to their hotels in under two hours was a miracle. William sat next to Mark on their bus, the two-seaters leaving him with little other choice, but Mark still counted it as a win. He tried pointing out the different attractions in the city ot him as they passed, but William just looked annoyed that Mark was putting his finger in his space. Mark had given him the window seat again, so William seemed more uncomfortable than anything with Mark leaning over and trying to look out.

When they arrived at their hotel, some bougie looking four star spot near the heart of the city, all of the students quieted, soaking in the sounds and sights from the city. Taxis honked, pedestrians in questionable outfits strutted by, and everywhere they turned, buildings reached to the sky. For most of them, Mark guessed, it was their first time seeing anything like it. Mark smiled at the fascination in everyone, even William’s eyes, and silently thanked whoever’s parents anonymously donated the money for this trip. Who knew Reginal VelJohnson High School could pull this out?

“Students!” Mrs. William’s voice called their attention from the city streets, and she stood in front of a semicircle of other teachers. Mark recognized several of them, and he doubted any would be too happy to see him again. Except maybe Mrs. Valdez, his Spanish teacher this year. She liked to give him candy, and he paid attention in her class because she reminded him of his mom, kind of. She also let him watch a dubbed version of Seancé Dog for homework, so they had a good thing going.

“We need to get you checked into the rooms before we head to our first activity, so everyone, line up in alphabetical order in your groups! Your chaperones will get all of your room keys, distribute them, and lead you to your floor. You’ll be expected to unpack and be in the lobby in thirty minutes. We’ll have lunch ready to be distributed, and then we’ll be walking to the museum!”

Mark followed William to get in line, waving to Eve when she passed him and trying not to let himself stare at her as she disappeared into her group. He stared off into the distance for a while, sorting through how it was possible he thought both Eve and William were some of the hottest people he’d ever seen when William kicked his shoe. “Let’s go.” He only shoved what must’ve been Mark’s room key at him and pointed to the elevators, marching toward them in a rush to beat the other students who were already beginning to crowd by them.

Mark looked down at the key in his hand and realized they were in 419. That meant they were on the highest level of student floors, and had to wait for the elevator to empty at every floor beneath them, before they could finally get off. Mark checked his phone to see how much time they’d lost and realized it’d already been ten minutes. Shit. This was the first time he could speak to William one-on-one in private since last weekend, and now he would only have another ten minutes or so to try and figure out what to say. His planning was supposed to have been finalized on the plan, but Harrison didn’t really help.

Mark began fidgeting nervously as they walked down the hall, hyper aware of the way William’s frustration still manifested in his tense shoulders and scrunched-up face. He was still lugging their three bags when Will opened the door and walked in smoothly, forcing Mark to jam his foot in the door to try and prop it open.

The casualness with which it was done hurt Mark more than he cared to admit, and he snapped, “Really, Will? I’ve been nice to you the whole day, I’m even carrying your bag, and you can’t hold the door open for me for two seconds?”

Will seemed taken aback by his outburst, like he wasn’t expecting Mark to lose patience with his antics. The look disappeared faster than it appeared, though, replaced with one of annoyance, “Oh gee. Thanks sooo much for carrying my bag. Even though I didn’t ask. Sorry, I didn’t realize you were so desperate to be nice to me today. I’ll be sure to hold the door next time.” His voice was thick with sarcasm and anger, and the emphasis he placed on the word desperate clued Mark into exactly what his friend was still angry about.

“Oh come on, Will. That’s not fair. I said something stupid and I’m sorry! How long are you gonna punish me for it? I can’t take it back, and I regret that, but you won’t be able to take back treating me like a dick on our senior trip! Is this really how you wanna spend our weekend? Fighting?”

William’s anger vanished for a moment, his expression one of doubt and weariness as he let Mark’s words sink in. The thing is, William didn’t want to let himself ruin the weekend with Mark. Especially since Mark was acting on his best behavior. But he also didn’t want to let himself act the fool anymore.

“Mark, your apology is appreciated, truly, but it doesn’t mean anything. I have no idea how you actually feel about what’s been going on between us because you don’t talk to me about it, and when you do, you say that I’m the one initiating things and that I’m desperate for your attention. Well, guess what, Mark, I’m not. I have other friends, and even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t let myself be around someone who’s so insecure they project onto me and treat me like I’m the charity case. Get a grip.”

William watched his words, which had been carefully practiced in the shower, impact Mark. His friends' faces crumpled, and his shoulders slumped as if he physically felt the weight of their truth. His mouth hung open and his eyes were downturned, unable to keep looking William in the eye.

“Will, please…” Mark’s voice was heavy, thick with emotion, “I’m sorry. I don’t know how else to tell you, I didn’t mean any of it. I was scared, and I didn’t know what was happening, and I took it out on you, okay?’ He was looking up at William again, who was still watching him with a guarded expression. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again.

William’s guard seemed to finally be cracking, his eyes softening and his mouth about to open when Mrs. Williams knocked on their door, “Hey, Room 419! Just checking in. Remember to be down in the lobby in five minutes.” Mark had turned to the door, anxious he would hear Harrison or one of the other boys, but as soon as Mrs. William’s heavy footsteps faded, he turned back around to William. The other boy had moved completely to the other side of the room, on the far side of the far bed by the window.

He was already watching Mark silently. Mark waited for a response, determined to hear him speak before allowing himself to leave the room. Finally, William sighed, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair like he always did when Mark got him to agree to something he knew he shouldn’t. Mark took it as a good sign. “Mark, buddy, I forgive you. I do. But I seriously need time to try and process whatever it is you're going through. Cause it’s not fair that I have to sit here and listen to you promise to be a good friend, go out there and get shit on by you and your friends, or whoever those weird guys you hang out with are, and then have to forgive when you realize how shitty that is. Sorry, not sorry.”

Mark blinked back whatever tears had begun blurring his vision and nodded. “Okay. I get it.”
William looked over to Mark’s dejected frame, and another wave of sympathy threatened to reode his resolve. It was so hard not to forgive that idiotic boy.

“Let’s just unpack right now. Okay?” Mark seemed to perk up a little at the conversation, and when he handed William his suitcase, their fingers brushed. William felt Mark stare up at him, but he forced himself to pretend he hadn't noticed anything and began quietly unpacking on his bed. It wouldn’t really help his position if Mark knew he could rattle William so easily with his touch. He’d probably just block the door and force William to hug until he forgave him. Which would suck, cause William knew that would definitely work.

Luckily, Mark seemed to be taking William’s call for space between them seriously, or at least he was too proud and dignified to resort to forcefully hugging his friend, and they finished unpacking in peace before heading down to the lobby. William thought the silence between them was easier to maintain now. The ball was in his court. Mark had said enough for the moment, and William needed to be alone to think. And what better place than an art museum to contemplate love and loss by himself?

__

William strode through the galleries near the back of the tour group, opting ot let himself take in all the art on his own time. The tour guide was some college art student who seemed pretentious and insecure all at once, so William decided it’d be better to tune him out. No use in listening to someone trying to explain the importance of The Starry Night.

Mark seemed to be paying close attention to the guide’s lectures, though, and that interested William. Usually, Mark didn’t have much taste for art, or anything else, but he looked enthralled staring at the different pictures of bicycle wheels or abstract sculptures. It was easy for him to lose sight of Mark, though, the open space, and bright lights washing everyone out, and the small doorways forcing their group to frequently split into two smaller ones. The post-lunch crowd also made it hard to navigate, but maybe it was for the best. They were all told that if they got lost, they could wait in the lobby, and William knew how to find his way.

He slowed down even further, letting his steps come to a halt before deciding to turn and go back to look at Monet’s Water Lilies. On his way back to the display, he passed another one of the school groups and had to duck through a side door to avoid being spotted by Mrs. Davis.

The room he’d turned into was even more crowded, and as he shoved his way through to see what painting or sculpture was drawing so much attention, he saw it. The Persistence of Memory by Dalí. He remembered learning about it with Mark in a Spanish class, and how Hispanic art was influenced and influenced movements like surrealism. He’d never paid much attention to it, but seeing it in person triggered something. A feeling. Nostalgia? It was hard to describe.

He knew all it was was melting clocks and fading images on a beach to represent how fleeting time was, but William stopped and thought. About his beach weekend with Mark. About his senior year coming to an end and how many “clocks” in his life would fade into sand dunes and turn into foam on the sea. Would Mark still be in his life a year from now? Would he care? William, ironically, lost track of time sitting there and staring. The haunting image of an empty beach raised so many questions for him. How many nights had he spent with Mark that he couldn't even remember anymore? How many more did they have? And was it worth the ache in William’s chest whenever he looked at Mark, so not their memories drift away.

Maybe it was too serious to be thinking about it on this level, but the way William’s mom had turned out always made him extra cautious when he fantasized about being in a relationship. He couldn’t, wouldn’t let himself end up with someone who would abandon him. And all Mark had done was leave whenever they got closer. And getting closer isn’t even something Mark had admitted to wanting. William felt his chest squeeze again, and this time he let himself feel the pain. After all, it’s not like lingering on Mark was detracting from his experience. Yeah, he thought, reminiscing on my wilting relationship with my childhood best friend, is enhancing my experience at the art museum. It was a rare exception to the rules.

The crowd waxed and waned in the room, but William stood staring, transfixed on the shape of the clocks and how they seemed to wobble and shake. How the light seemed so eerie yet calm. He figured he had plenty of time to kill since the class was told the tours would last until four thirty, and then they could shop in the store until five, when they would head to dinner. What felt like minutes to William, apparently, was not in fact minutes but the sum total of his time at MoMa.

Altered to this fact only by the sight of three Reginal High tour groups walking past him at once, did he finally pick up on the fact that he needed to leave. He reached to grab his phone from his pocket and nearly dropped it when he saw the time. As he started running toward the lobby, praying Mrs. Williams hadn’t noticed his absence, he unknowingly ran past their group.

Mark watched William shove through the crowd toward the lobby with a curious expression, glancing back at what his friend had been fixated on before turning back to where the blonde boy had disappeared. He’d notice him sneak off almost immediately and used the bathroom as an excuse to search around the museum to check on him. As captivating as all the paintings had been to Mark, he spent most of the tour and a while afterward thinking about what about a few clocks on a beach could’ve captured William’s attention for so long.

__

Dinner was chaotic to say the least. There were very few places that could seat, let alone serve, a class of nearly a hundred and fifty at dinner rush and fit into a public high school’s budget. That left the group of chaperones herding the students into what was deemed a safe space in Central Park, to distribute deli sandwiches and a handful of chips to each student that they crossed. When Mark had asked about water, Mr. Thompson had pointed to a water fountain near a bench where a homeless man was sleeping. Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue, but this one was wearing very few clothes and had a lot of body hair.

If the ten-minute walk had tested Mark’s patience, finding a quiet place to sit and eat definitely was. He’d thought about sitting with William, but decided against it, only to realize that decision cost him the chance to sit with Eve. Without his top two choices, it was really only a matter of time before he ended up resigning himself to sitting in a circle with the other seniors on the soccer team, who’d gathered in a circle by the base of a tree not too far from the one William was sitting at.

Mark chose to sit facing toward William, hoping to catch his eye and try to silently ask if it was okay to join him, but Ryan had already started chatting with him, forcing him to turn his head and give his attention to the team captain, “Hmm, what was that?” Ryan laughed at Mark’s distracted state and repeated his question. “I said, what’d you think of the museum? It was a dud, right? I can’t believe those sculptures are worth like millions. Shits ridiculous.”

Mark only forced himself to chuckle, turning immediately back to William and letting Harrison take the reins of whining about how wretched modern art is. William also appeared to be in a conversation, and Mark tried to read his lips, only to be dragged away from his task again.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Luke’s question was clipped, like he was annoyed at Mark for not being more invested in the team's riveting conversation, and he followed Mark’s eyes to where William was sitting and talking with Amber and Eve.

“Ohhh, gotcha man. Eve’s a cutie. Total bummer she’s still fucking that Rex dude huh? You could try Amber, though. Todd told me she’s pretty tough, but hey… whatever floats your boat.” Luke kept leering at where Eve was sitting, and Mark tried to form an appropriate response through his disbelief and outrage. Ryan beat him to it, though, “Geez, Luke, chill with that. Nobody’s cracking anybody on this trip. Not with the boys and girls and separate floors and the halls being policed. Mark was prolly just looking at his other friends. Right, Mark?”

Mark looked at Ryan appreciatively, sensing that the two shared a common disdain for Luke and his casual disrespect, nodding to answer his question, “Yeah, no, I was uh… trying to see if I could talk to Eve. About our uh.. Tutoring. I don’t know if we’ll still meet twice with a shortened week.”

“Pfft, that’s a dumb question. We’re not missing Tuesday or Thursday. You’ll get your time with her, Grayson, trust me.” Mark’s eyebrow twitched at hearing Harrison call him by his last name, but Ryan intervened to tell him that the tutoring center did, in fact, reschedule themselves on shortened walks. The conversation between the boys started drifting again, and Mark was finally left alone to watch his friends sit and talk.

Part of him still wanted to leave and join them, but it became even more obvious that it wasn’t the right choice when he saw one of the cheerleaders, a girl who he knew was Marcee, and another guy sitting by the trio. The guy concerned Mark, since he didn’t really know him. Matt? Matthew? He couldn’t remember, but he also didn’t remember ever seeing him with Amber’s group until recently. Did William know him?

The sun was starting to set, and as the students started finishing their food and walking around, Mark found himself in a game of frisbee with the soccer team and some of the football players. It was a little intimidating to someone who played one sport and spent most of their free time with one gay kid, but Mark did his best to fit into the group. He even impressed one of the running backs with his toss, earning an “Atta boy” that reminded him of what his dad would say when he used to get a hit in little league.

He tried to keep tabs on William while they played, but his heart sank when he found his friend must’ve gone with another crowd of students toward the zoo. The zoo was something on their itinerary, and Mark felt stupid that he hadn't remembered and offered to walk with William. He made an excuse to himself and was about to start jogging to where he knew the zoo was when everyone was called back to their chaperones. Damn it. Mark almost stomped his foot in frustration, annoyed that he’d given William so much space. They were supposed to see the penguins! The first day was gone, and he had nothing to show for it besides a tote bag from an art museum and a few new names to remember.

All because his best friend wanted space from him. He plopped himself in the corner of the bus as soon as the doors opened, muttering “here” to Mrs. Williams before she even saw him and stared out the window. The seat next to him was left empty, and Mark let himself feel stupid for thinking William would sit in it. Dumb, dumb, dumb. That’s what this trip was, and that’s what he was.

Will was right. If he couldn’t even remember to take his head out of his ass to stop trying to look cool to the football team, he would’ve seen his favorite animals with Will. Mark even made a note in his phone to point out how cool the color patterning on their feathers was to him, but it was useless now. Mark groaned, sinking further into his chair and determined to make sure he didn’t let this trip go to waste. He still had tonight, and another day and a half to make sure he left this city with new memories and an old best friend. The only thought that cheered him up was the fact that William had to share a space with him.

Mark might not run his mouth like he normally did, but only five feet of separation might make William’s skin crawl enough that he wanted to talk. And Mark was willing to wait for that. At least for a few hours.

__

William was texting Amber on the bus ride back to the hotel about some dive bar she’d mentioned sneaking out to. A secret rebel that one was, who knew? The only issue it seemed was that he couldn’t go back to the room. The plan was for everyone to check in for attendance in the lobby and then leave afterward, hoping the teachers either assumed they were asleep in their rooms or didn’t check up on them at all afterward. Which was unlikely, but hey, they were seniors in New York. Sneaking out was like the whole point.

Mark was another issue. He was sulking again near the back of the bus, and William mulled over whether or not to invite him. It seemed mean to leave him out, but what would he do there anyway? He wouldn’t know anyone besides William and Amber, and William wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to him, and Amber had decided to pass the trip by flirting with Matthew. She needed a break.

He hadn't made up his mind by the time the students were walking off the bus, stopping to check in with their chaperones, and then going to wait in the hotel lobby. William started feeling a bit of nerves, wondering if and how he could pull this off, when Amber pulled him aside.

“William. Slight change of plans. Apparently, Lindsay overheard one of the teachers talking about how they have to stay in the lobby for like thirty minutes to make sure no one leaves, so we’re going to use the stairs when the elevator’s full and walk to the tenth floor, where the lounge is, and wait there until the coast is clear. Got it?”

William could only smile nod, thinking of a million things wrong with that plan, but unable to voice his concerns as Mrs. Williams walked toward where he and the other students in his group were standing. She started taking attendance again, and William passed the time by looking around to find Mark. He was standing near the back of their group, staring at nothing. He had a strange expression on his face, but William had to give up trying to figure out what it was to give Mrs. Williams an affirmative when his name was called.

The attendance check passed all too quickly, and soon William was heading towards the stairs with a random assortment of other students. Mark lost somewhere amidst the elevator crowd. One of the chemistry teachers, Mr. Carter, ended up joining the students going up the stairs. William made a face at Amber when the older man began walking alongside all the students. This exact situation was one of the million issues he spotted with Amber’s plan, but it was too late. Guess the teachers really weren't going to leave any of them alone.

As their group passed each floor they were supposed to get off on, and Mr. Carter stayed with them, William felt a thrill at watching Amber trying to come up with a solution. Technically, they hadn’t done anything wrong yet, so there were no stakes involved in watching and trying to scramble for a solution. Amber found one, or at least tried one when they had reached the last student floor and Mr. Carter had turned at them expectantly, waiting for them to walk in, “Oh, shoot. Sorry, Mr. Carter. I didn’t realize we were here already. I’ve been totally zoning out. Umm, is there any way I could take the elevator back down to my floor? Sorry, my knees are just aching.” Mr. Carter made a face and then gestured for the whole group to start moving through the door to the elevator, when William just turned around to make it seem like he was headed to his own floor.

“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe I walked right past the floor. Bye, Mr. Carter. Thanks for walking us!” A surprised sound was caught in Mr. Carter’s throat because before he could speak, Amber walked through the door, and then Marcee joined in the fun, “Oh my goodness! Right. I totally left my purse in the lobby. Be right back!”

William heard Marcee start bounding down the stairs above him, giggling while Matthew insisted he needed to use the bathroom on the fifth floor. There were too many people going to many different places at once, and William smiled when he heard Marcee join him on his walk down, laughing as they thought of Mr.Carter’s face. The two had no idea how Matthew, Amber, and Lindsay were joining them, but they only sat on the stairs a few stories down for five minutes before walking up to the tenth floor. Mr. Carter had opted to accompany the fifth-floor departees, and that left them all alone.

As it turned out, Lindsay had actually taken the elevator all the way back down to ask the lobby about “accommodations” and discovered the teachers would be staying in the lobby well past ten pm, and after that, student key cards were deactivated so they couldn’t leave. When everyone else had eventually arrived in the lounge, they discovered this information that Mr. Carter had “randomly” shared with Lindsay when she was on her fifth question about alternative toiletries.

“Lindsay. Oh my god. You totally gave us away!” Marcee seemed outraged at their foiled plan, but Amber and William were already in stitches. It was never really going to work, but it had been worth it to try.

“Oh, give it up, Marcee,” Lindsay shouted, leaning forward from the leather chair she was sitting on. “He was gonna figure it out anyway. Name the last time Amber forgot anything, let alone her floor number. We were busted no matter what!”

The group ended up staying in the lounge, stealing themselves bags of the flavorless chips offered, laughing at Mr. Carter’s look of befuddlement, and chatting about their favorite parts of the Central Park Zoo. William regretted Mark hadn’t been there to show him the penguins, but they were cute anyway. By the time left to go back to their rooms, Marcee still mad they hadn’t made it to the dive bar, and Amber still laughing about how long Matthew had stayed hidden in the bathroom, William was left feeling like the first day was a success.

The consuming feeling of nostalgia for things that hadn’t happened was long gone, and William returned to thinking that melting clocks weren’t that meaningful anyway. He thought Mark would be asleep, but when he opened the door, he saw Mark’s gentle face watching the doorway, like he’d been waiting for William to return. “Oh, hey, Mark.” William’s voice held an edge of surprise, like he hadn’t expected Mark to wait for him.

“Where were you?” Mark responded immediately, slightly angry he’d had to wait longer than he’d expected to get the chance to talk to his friend. He wished he’d gotten at least a text so he wouldn’t have had to lie to Mrs. Williams about where he was on the spot.

“Oh, I was just in the lounge with Amber and them. We were gonna sneak out but… that didn’t really work.” Mark stared at William in disbelief, his friend walking past his bed toward his own, confused by Mark’s response. “What?”

“Well, were you gonna invite me?”

“Uhh, not really. I mean, you don’t know any of those people, and I didn’t really want to be the only one talking to you.” Mark made a face, his eyes unable to disguise the hurt he felt.

“Mark, don’t make that face right now,” William sighed, his voice laced with an exhaustion he hadn't felt two minutes ago but had been building all week. “I’ve already told you we’re in a weird place.”

“I know. I know. And it’s my fault, I just-” he stopped talking, watching William take his shirt off to start changing. William ignored the sound of Mark’s rapid breathing,

“Listen, Mark, it’s late. Why don’t we just go to bed and hang out more tomorrow, okay? I think we’re doing the Statue of Liberty and then a Broadway show. Should be fun.” Mark nodded, letting himself fall back on his pillows before turning back over to Will, “What painting were you staring at at the museum? I know you snuck off, but I didn’t think I saw you wonder around from that room you were in at the end. What was it?”

William rolled over in his sheets now, facing Mark. “It was the Persistence of Memory. Remember? It was that one painting from Spanish class. Anyway, I don’t know. It had me thinking about the passage of time and all… that stuff.” William seemed embarrassed to share how melodramatic he’d been, and Mark laughed knowingly.

“Man, that’s some serious stuff.” William scoffed and rolled back over.

‘Shut up, Grayson. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good night.” Mark turned to stare at his friend’s back, waiting for William to say something in return, but he never did, his breath becoming heavier and rhythmic. Eventually, his own breathing began to slow, and Mark drifted into sleep.
__

Mark woke up after William, the shower going in the background, as he rolled over to see the ruffled sheets of the other bed. The window curtain had been shut last night, and slivers of light now peeked through the linen. Mark could hear the city was awake already, cars honking and another thrum of background noise he couldn’t identify. Like the thrum of engines, talking, walking, and a thousand other things, a thousand other people were doing blended into a white noise. Mark thought he kind of liked it.

He got out of bed to make his way to the sink, the sound of William humming in the shower getting louder as he began brushing his teeth. Before he could even finish, the sound of Mrs. William’s voice broke through their morning serenity.

The shrill cry of the older woman confirmed that the two were awake and reminded them to be downstairs in five minutes, leaving the two scrambling to get dressed. William ran into Mark, the towel wrapped around his waist making their near fall to the ground all the more uncomfortable. They only said good morning to one another as they were changing, faced away from one another, and rushed out to the door to the elevator. The ride down was easier, since they were accompanied by a medley of other students who’d clearly just woken up. And far too soon, before Mark could muster up the courage to try and spark up a conversation with William, breakfast had passed, and they were on the buses. It was an eerie feeling, the silence being natural between them. Not having William’s voice fill his mornings, especially when he was right next to him, was jarring.

Mark picked his nails and chewed his lip the whole bus ride downtown, nervous that he’d been too pushy last night. Maybe forcing William to speak with him was a bad idea. The bus parked abruptly, cutting off his stress-induced musings, and all the students were forced off the buses and onto a tour boat. William had mentioned the Statue of Liberty earlier, and now everyone seemed aware of what lay ahead as they pushed in from all sides to get on the boat first. Moths to a flame is what these children were. There were so many cameras clicking and photos taken that Mark became dizzy looking for William and finding the world fragmented through the different lenses.

“Mark!” Mark turned his head over to the prow of the ship, where he saw William waving him over. “We need to get a picture for your mom!” Mark smiled at his friend over the sea of heads and began shoving his way through so he could pose next to William. Amber was the one taking pictures, and even though William didn’t say anything to him as they stood there, hugging each other from the side and smiling as wide as they could for the camera, Mark felt the fog of stress and doubt he’d been stumbling in lift. When their pictures were done being taken and Amber was satisfied with her own work, they shuffled off to the side, watching William’s other friends take pictures together. Mark absently wondered where Eve had gone. The statue loomed closer and closer, the green titaness casting a shadow over the boat. If Mark listened, he was sure he would hear a monotone voice lecturing the students on the boat about Ellis Island’s history, but he didn’t really care. He was just watching William stare up at the iconic landmark. Well, now was as good as ever to try and start some casual conversation.

“Thought I wasn’t going to be able to find you on this thing,” Mark gestured to the crowd around them,

William kept staring up as he shouted his answer, trying to be heard over the excited chatter and booming foghorns from other passing ships, “I didn’t know you were looking until I saw you. He paused for a moment, turning away from the statue and facing Mark. “Sorry, I didn’t text you last night. It just didn’t feel like… you’d want to come. I don’t know. It sounds stupid now.”

Mark smiled and shook his head, “No, no. I get it. You needed space or whatever.” Mark became increasingly flustered trying to get through his one sentence, and William sensed his nerves.

“Mark, I promise I’m not trying to be avoidant. I just need time to think. This week has been weird. For both of us, I think.”

“Grayson!” Mark snapped his head around to the man shouting at him. “Oh my god. There’s no way this is happening.” Mark groaned looking over to where Harrison and Ryan were waving over at him, “We need a team picture, Grayson!”

William laughed behind Mark, playfully shoving him toward the other boys.

“Go be a team player, Grayson,” Mark turned back to William with a pout, ready to protest cutting their first conversation in days, when William patted him on the shoulder, “I’ll talk to you later. Promise.” Mark nodded, reluctantly letting himself walk toward his teammates.

“See you later, Will.”

He ended up getting stuck with his teammates for the remainder of the boat tour, but he caught William looking at him a few times, staring back, and waving each time. It felt like one of the stupid things they would’ve done as kids, playing hide and go seek tag on the playground, but with eyes.

The boat docked, but not before a thin sheet of rain began dousing the students in cold water. While everyone tried to bundle up to avoid the drizzle and line up for the cold lunch being passed out, Mark found his way over to where Will was huddled in line, ignoring the small cries of protest he heard at his cutting the line. When he walked right up behind Will, he heard his friend inhale in surprise before smiling up at him.

“Feeling wet yet?”

“Yeah, but we’re about ot be better off than most other people.” Will looked at him in confusion, wondering what Mark had planned when he saw his friend shug off the windbreaker he’d been wearing and hold it over both of their heads. The rain broke off and rained down the water-resistant material, creating a dry space of about three feet where two huddled. It wasn’t much, and the slight breeze ensured their pants and some of their arms got chilled, but it was better than nothing, and now their hair would stay dry.

Mark turned his head toward William, the two scooching up the line with their bodies hunched and pressed together. William was watching him with a strange expression, his face paler in the overcast and water running down from his forehead to his upper lip.

“Thanks,” he finally spoke, so quiet that Mark almost wondered if he’d really said it. So he only smiled, nodding his head and turning back toward the front of the line. By the time they got their sandwiches, the buses had already arrived, and the rain had begun picking up, the drops coming faster and heavier. The two wasted no time scarfing their lunch down in mere seconds before sprinting to the buse ot beat the lines that would definitely form. They got partially soaked waiting for Mrs. Williams to waddle through the puddles, but thankfully, she made it before the water seeped through any of their clothes. At least majorly.

When the two took their seats, they exhaled for the first time since hearing the soft sound of rain on concrete explode into a pounding. “Thank god we made it to the front of the line. Look,” William pointed out the window, and Mark leaned over his friend's shoulder to look out. Sure enough, there were long lines of students desperately trying to shove their way into the buses, but being forced to give their names to their chaperones holding sopping wet clipboards. The rain was even heavier now, the downpour so thick that William gave up trying to look for Amber and Eve. He hadn’t seen Eve since late last night, but maybe she’d been busy. William knew she had friends on the volleyball team. She’d mentioned something about some family she knew from the D.C. area coming to visit her while she was up here, which hadn’t made a lot of sense at the time, but maybe she was with them.

Mark watched William watch the rain, and the two sat quietly and gratefully in their dry corner of the bus. Mark silently his jacket, letting the water fall off of it, and spread it out over the two of them. William looked down but said nothing, only leaning back against his chair and closing his eyes. The drive toward Broadway in the middle of the day, raining, with city traffic would take hours, and Mark smiled at his friend’s attempts to catch up on sleep. Though they hadn’t done anything, he shared the sense of exhaustion. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, hoping they could both pass this miserable bus ride with companionable sleep. That thought made him smile. See. If he were persistent enough, he and Will would go back to normal. Sleeping and eating together like nothing else mattered to them but the looming decision between seeing a show about witches or founding fathers.

Mark didn’t remember falling asleep, but there he was, again, William gently nudging his arm to wake him up. The bus was alive with the sound of excited chatter, and Mark tried looking for the source of entertainment. They’d arrived at their destination, he could see, the neon lights and bright show signs on the building indicating that they were in fact on Broadway.

“Mark,” William whispered, nudging his arm again to get his attention, “We’re about to vote on which musical to see. You better vote for Wicked.” Mark only nodded, still slightly disoriented until he heard Mrs. Williams call for a vote, “Okay, students! We are the final bus to vote. Mrs. Sharon’s group will vote first, and then mine. So far, Hamilton is leading by seven votes.” William groaned, and the two sat in anticipation as teachers called their students.

“Dude, I don’t even know musicals like that. How the hell am I supposed to vote?” Mark turned his head over to where he heard two boys chatting and realized it was Harrion and Luke. Apparently, they and Ryan were all on the bus. Which meant that Mark could scrape up at least three more votes for Wicked. If William’s frustrated noises every time someone voted for Hamilton were any indication, it was best to get him to the theater.

“Psst,” Mark leaned over to where the two other boys were seated, tapping Luke on the shoulder, “Vote for Wicked. Apparently, it’s really good.” Harrison and Luke both shot him a strange glare as they processed his words.

“Yeah, and who said that? I kinda like American history.” Harrison phrased his question as a challenge, and Mark sighed, “Dude, William is like obsessed with it, okay? Just trust me.” The two boys looked like they wanted to say something, but were held back by the knowledge that William himself was silently watching the interaction unfold.

“Okay, so we have to vote Wicked now, guys. Gay people know everything there is to know about musicals. It’s like a fact.” Ryan’s voice drew the attention of all four of the boys, his head popping up a few seats ahead. Mark could only shake his head, glad he had some support. “Uhh,” he looked down to make sure William wasn’t too offended before responding. When he saw the smirk on his friend’s face, he continued his campaign, “Right. Also, it’s about two hot witches. That’ll be like way more entertaining.” The last objectifying comment finally seemed to seal Luke and Ryan on the idea, and though Mark felt guilty sitting back down, William patted his shoulder.

“Thanks, pal.” Mark tried to fight his embarrassment, scratching the back of his head and turning away to watch Ryan, Luke then Harrison all cast their votes for Wicked, earning a few surprised gasps.

“Well, that’s what friends are for, right. I mean, you’re always telling me I’m like the Alphabet to you’re Glind right?”

‘Elphaba. But yeah.” William smiled at the fact that Mark had actually managed to remember something about his favorite musical. William kept smiling at Mark when he cast his vote, a deep gratitude rolling over him when it was revealed that Wicked had won by three votes. There were cheers and groans, but William only laughed and hugged Mark, humming For Good under his breath as the two shuffled into the dark theater.

__

“That was awesome! Who knew all that was going on while Dorothy was on the yellow brick road?” Mark walked out of the theater gushing about the musical. He’d heard great things, sure, but William wasn’t exactly an objective critic. William laughed.

“Yeah, it was nice to see it on the stage again. Play’s so good I forgot that we had popcorn and hot dogs for dinner.” Mark stuck out his tongue in remembrance of the crappy food that’d been shoved into their hands at intermission, and they continued walking back to the hotel. The buses were long gone since the walk was only a few blocks. William continued watching Mark with a smile on his face, soaking in all the animated expressions his friend made as he recalled the musical numbers and plot twists. It was nice to see Mark happy and chatting with him again.

The city was still moving as if nothing had changed, the rain forgotten, and the warm colors of twilight reflecting off the windows of skyscrapers. Cars honked, and students chatted excitedly over the hum of noise, pleased with the musical choice. Even the teachers appeared more chipper, Mr. Carter and Mrs. Williams laughing together about something they couldn’t share with the students. Everything felt nice. Like a memory in the making.

Mark was still talking about how cool Defying Gravity was, apologizing for making William skip the song all these years. William knew he would like the song, and Elphaba, too, since she was practically a superhero. She could fly, stood up for what she believed in, and fought for those less powerful than her. All things Mark loved in his superheroes.

“Don’t worry about, man. I know my taste is elite. It just takes a while for people to appreciate it.”

“Well, I’ll definitely have to take your word about the next musical. Maybe I can get my Dad to take me and Mom to one. She seems like she would like them.” William felt his smile get bigger,

“I don’t know if the shows back home really live up to what we just saw, but hey, I’m glad you're passionate about musical theater now.” Mark made a strange face, like he was realizing he couldn’t just appear back on Broadway.

“Yeah. Right. No more Broadway for us.” William brushed past Mark’s slip-up, guiding them to the elevator.

“Man, I know we already took a nap today, but I’m beat. There’s only so much chatter I can hear from my classmates past normal school hours. I mean, seriously, who cares about Michael and Tiffany hooking up?”

Mark chuckled at his friend's wry comment, gesturing for him to be quiet and trying not to laugh too hard, since there were other people in the elevator with them, some of them friends of Michael. William got the hint, smirking and putting his hand over Mark’s mouth so he didn’t burst into laughter.

The two stumbled out of the elevator and made their way to the room, ignorant of the strange looks they received and the huff of air Mrs. Williams let out as she checked them off her list. William swiped his room key and opened the door, finally taking his hand off Mark’s mouth and letting his friend fall to the ground laughing.

“Dude. It was not that funny. Get up.” William tried to be sensible, but he felt his own amusement brewing at the sight of his friend in hysterics.

“No, Will, come on. You should’ve seen Lauren’s face when she heard that. I think everyone but her knew about that.” William made a face of fake surprise, before rolling his eyes and walking over ot his bed. That only seemed to make Mark laugh harder. “She definitely had a crush on him. Too bad your gossiping had to ruin it.”

Mark’s comment was lighthearted, but the topic of unrequited love immediately wiped the smile off of William’s face, and a wave of sympathy washed over him, thinking about what his careless comment could’ve done to that poor girl.

“Yeah. That is too bad, actually.” William turned away from Mark, sitting on his bed and kicking off his shoes. Mark sensed his change in attitude and walked over to sit next to him, desperate to keep their spirits high. He’d been doing so well the last few hours. He didn’t want some dumb conversation about Michael and Tiffany to get in the way.

“Hey,” Mark nudged him playfully, carefully watching his friend’s somber expression, ‘I’m sure you didn’t actually ruin anything. She was going to find out eventually. Plus, who knows if she even had a crush on him?” William just hummed, moving away to sit against his pillows, leaving Mark at the foot of the bed.

Mark watched his friend for a moment, appreciating how truly radiant he looked in the setting sun of the city. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not right to play with people’s emotions when it comes to that stuff.” William refused to look at Mark while he said it, hoping the double meaning wasn’t missed. Mark sighed, leaning back to sprawl out across the bed, “I know. But it’s not like you actually did anything.”

They sat in silence for a moment, and William debated whether he should use this moment, their final night in New York, to say something. It felt as if they didn’t get it out now; his resentment would never fade completely. Mark beat him to the punch, “I’m glad we talked today. You know, like normal,” he paused, and William wondered if he was finished before continuing, “I miss having lunch with you.”

William continued watching his friend, who was staring at the ceiling with an unreadable expression. Like he wanted to say more, but couldn’t find the words. “I know, Mark. But I can’t… I can’t be around you when you say things like that to me. I mean, fuck it. You’re right.” He inhaled, closing his eyes when he felt Mark’s turn toward him, “I mean, yeah. Maybe I do like you as more than friends. And I lied about that, and that was shitty because it confused everything.” He took another breath, opening his eyes and watching Mark’s face. The only emotion he could read was surprised, but he expected that, so he kept going, “But I don’t think I’m the only one that’s confused. I’m sorry I let my feelings complicate our relationship, but Mark, seriously, it could not have happened by itself. And that’s not me putting anything on you or blaming it, just is what it is. And I don’t think you’re ready for that complication because you clearly care what other people think. And that’s fine and that’s normal and I’m trying not to blame you for it, but I don’t want to be around someone who takes it out on me.” He steadied his voice, finally meeting Mark’s stare head-on, “I can handle being friends with you if we’re just friends. I’ll be normal, I won’t kiss you or whatever. But I’m not gonna be friends with someone who treats me like shit and uses me to explore. That’s not fair.” Mark’s face was still surprised, but William thought he could see something like a blush on his cheeks. The pink light shining into their room wasn’t helping him gauge Mark’s reaction.

“You’re right. It’s not fair.” Mark swallowed, sitting up so he could be level with his friend. “William… I-I, Will, I did want it. Okay. It’s not you. I just- it only feels good. I’m not into other guys, I swear. It’s just you, and I don’t know what that means or how to tell people or if I want to tell anyone if we aren’t even talking because I want us to stay friends and-” William’s heart felt fixed and broken at hearing his friend's confession. He was being honest about it, being honest that he liked William. It was all he’d been waiting to hear. But hearing Mark’s voice tighten, talking about how confusing it was… it was too much for William not to show sympathy. He’d been in that position alone a few years ago, and it was Mark’s reassurance that had helped him then.

“Mark, you don’t have to explain it to me. Just don’t take it out on me. Okay? I’m not here to fight you about what you like. But I am here if you ever want to talk about it. As your friend.”

“Yeah. Thanks. I .. I don’t really get it.” Mark’s voice was quiet now, his shoulders slumped in defeat, and his neck hung in shame, “I don’t want to tell anyone. I can’t, right now. I don’t even know what there is to say, to be honest. To you or my Mom, or my Dad. Especially him. All I know is I definitely don’t want to spend my senior year without you. And I’m sorry you’re the one paying for it. But-”

William placed his hand on top of Mark’s own, looking him in the eyes. “Mark. There’s no deadline or expectation for things like this.” Mark exhaled, letting his eyes gaze up at William, “Trust me, I know. As long as you actually talk to me, then we have nothing to worry about.”

Mark smiled and let himself hug William back when his friend reached over and wrapped his thin arms around him. He inhaled, telling himself that this was fine. No one could see them, and if they did, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. No deadline. No expectations. Well, if Will felt that way, then maybe he didn’t have to try and rush to define anything. Not until he felt ready.

“Thanks, man.” William broke off their hug, leaning back on his pillows and patting the space next to him. Mark obligingly crawled over, nestling himself into William’s chest as his friend looped an arm around him.

“Don’t mention it. But you are going to have to start sitting with me and Amber at lunch. I can get them to come to our table, but I’d feel bad ditching them.”

“Yeah, of course.” Mark sat up now, energy restored in his voice at the mention of William planning their meals again.

“Now. I think they had Seancé Dog reruns on the kids channel here somewhere…” William looked smug with his subtle dig at the show, but Mark leaned back, elbowing him in the ribs.

“Quiet you.” William reached over Mark to grab the remote and flip through the channels, never moving his arm off his friend's side. Mark eased into the touch as they sat in the fading afterglow of the sunset, gradually becoming comfortable with the idea of William touching him like this. With the idea of liking it.

The two passed the rest of their free time like that, only moving from their position to grab water bottles and get ready for bed. When Mark had changed into his plaid pants again, William sat up watching him

“Uh… Can I…” William watched his friend stand there like an idiot, shirtless and blushing as he tried to ask a simple question, “Can we sleep in the same bed?” William smiled now, patting the space next to him and turning off the lamp as Mark walked over and shut the curtains. Mark settled into the sheets, and William set his alarm clock before letting his head fall onto the pillow. His eyes were closed, and he thought Mark was asleep, when he felt his friend’s hair nuzzle his neck, and felt Mark’s frame press up against him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Mark pretending to be asleep, his arms wrapped around William’s waist, and his face bruised into William’s soft chest. William sighed dramatically before resigning himself to having to sleep with what was essentially a weighted blanket hanging on his side.

He brought his hands up around Mark, one lightly tracing circles on his back and the other softly scratching the crown of his friend’s head. They were sensitive spots William had come to learn Mark liked over the course of two special nights, and he felt his friend shudder underneath him and smiled. If he squinted, he was pretty sure he could see Mark blushing.

William turned his neck down, lightly kissing Mark’s forehead and whispering, “Goodnight, buddy.”

“G’night,” Mark mumbled into his chest, and William continued petting Mark like that until he felt his friend completely relax into him, asleep. William didn’t take long to pass out after that, happy that for once, they might not wake up regretting what they were doing.

The two spent their last night in New York tangled in one another. It was the perfect ending to a decent trip, all things considered, since when they woke up, Mrs. Williams knocked on their door to inform them they had to leave early since a major supervillain team was trying to hold the city hostage and the Teen Team was coming. No Empire State Building then.

Mark and William rushed around their room to pack up, double-checking everything before running down to the lobby and grabbing the last seat on the bus. Mark could only cheer William up by promising they would return to the Empire State Building later in life, and the two fell asleep next to each other again on the plane. This time, Mark let himself lean against William, their arms touching on the armrest, and their heads resting against one another. Harrison was nowhere in sight, and they were near the back of the plane, sitting next to some girl in Mark’s art class. Nobody here cared, so why should he? For the second time in a row, Mark woke up to the feeling of William’s hand playing in his hair, and he thought, despite the early ending, the hotel beds and shitty plane ride, it was some of the best sleep he’d ever had.

Chapter Text

“Mark!’ William called out to his best friend, staring down at the trash in disgust. They’d both had to take extra shifts at BurgerMart this week to make up for the weekend off they took in New York, and William was seriously regretting it. Knowing he had to go home and complete hours of assignments and write more college essays after this horrendous closing shift… it was brutal.

Mark, of course, didn’t have that much homework, especially since Eve did most of his math and physics homework for him at tutoring, so he was more stress-free. And he knew every penny earned here would be going toward buying the summer Seancé Dog comic specials. His good mood made the shift more enjoyable, at least. In fact, ever since they’d come back from New York, which, granted, hadn’t even been a whole week, Mark was acting more chipper than usual. He cracked more jokes at the lunch table with Amber, he was texting William more during the day, and he’d even been the one to suggest they hang out this weekend.

“What is it, Will? I'm kinda busy back here, you know, actually cleaning.” William rolled his eyes, impatient to leave but not wanting to take out the trash bags. One was from the bathroom and one was from the only trash they let customers use… and well, both were nasty.

“Yeah, that’s great, buddy, but I need you to come to take out the trash. It’s gross.” He heard Mark groan from the back and figured it was better to sweet-talk his friend than try and be more stubborn. “Pretty, please!” He heard Mark sigh and clapped in delight, walking back over to the register and continuing to count down the bills. He felt bad for Mark, especially today after he’d gotten his ass beat by Todd when he stood up for Amber, but it was a kill or be killed kinda world when it came to fast food garbage.

His friend padded out from the door, making a pointed glare at William as he grabbed the bags and headed outside. “You know, for someone who keeps insisting I’m not Omni-Man, you sure seem to think I can save you from every task in the store.” Mark’s tone felt bitter, but William let it slide, thanking his friend and cringing when he saw the bruise on his friend’s face from Todd’s punch again.

It’d been a regular morning, with William recapping the Mauler Twins' attack at the White House when they’d heard Amber shouting at Todd to leave her alone. Apparently, their loud-mouthed “friend” Marcee had told him Amber secretly liked him, which was a total lie. It was major drama. Mark tried to play hero, like he always did, and got his ass beat swiftly. Which William knew would happen. William remembered trying to stop him by reminding him he was not, in fact, a superhero, but Mark didn’t listen. Flash forward five minutes, and Mark had his arm around William’s shoulder, limping to the nurse’s office. At least they’d missed their last few classes. William happily used nursing Mark in the office as an excuse to skip class, and the actual nurse hadn’t cared, simply handing the ice pack to William.

Now William wondered if there was more going on with Mark, since he still seemed sore about the not a superhero comment. William closed the drawer and started hanging his apron up when he heard his friend yell outside. He dropped his apron immediately and ran out the back door, worried his friend would be getting jumped or kidnapped. BurgerMart parking lots were not the safest places to be after dark. Instead, he saw his friend standing in front of the dumpster, jumping up and down, cheering.

“Finally! It’s about time.” The expression of wonder and excitement on Mark’s face made William smile as he approached. He looked like a kid on Christmas.

“What the hell are you so happy about?” William asked, stopping by his friend's side. Mark immediately froze, the previous expression wiped off his face, and an air of nervousness replaced it. “What? What’s wrong? Did the trash like fly into the dumpster or something? What are you celebrating?”

Mark didn’t respond, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the ground, nervously biting his lip. “I uh- I…” It was clear he was holding something back, and after recent developments, William was not going to let it go.

“Mark, spit it out. Don’t be stupid. I didn’t come out here to listen to you stutter. I thought you were getting kidnapped or something.”

“No, no. I’m fine. Great, actually. I just got something I’ve been expecting, that’s all. No big deal. Come on, we need to go back inside to lock up the store.” Mark tried to sell his little act by walking away, pretending that William wouldn't notice the way his voice had gotten high-pitched, like it did when he lied, and that he hadn’t actually given a real answer.

“Markus Sebastian Grayson, we are not leaving this dumpster area until you tell me exactly what it is you were hooting and hollering for. What have you been expecting?” Mark stopped dead in his tracks when William used his full name. It had the same effect on him as when his mother used it because the people closest to him knew to save it for serious moments. Mark turned around, blushing nervously,

“Will, come on. It was nothing. Please, can I have this one secret? I’ll tell you eventually, I promise.” He tried clasping his hands together to emphasize how desperate he was, which usually worked with William, but his friend’s face remained determined.

“Nope. You already know that secrets don’t work between us. Fess up. Now. Or I’m not gifting you that chest on Clash Crash.” Mark made a little noise at his threat, and William only turned his head in defiance. He was not giving up. Mark sat there, tapping his foot as he thought about how he should say it. He might as well tell Will now, since he did plan on sharing it eventually.

“Well. Okay. I was expecting… my powers.” Mark nearly whispered the last half of the sentence, and William checked to make sure he heard right.

“Powers?”

“Yeah. Powers.”

“Mark, what the hell does that mean?” William frowned, looking back at his friend, before pinching his brows, “Don’t waste my time.” He started walking back toward the store, mad that his friend was being an idiot, before he felt Mark grab his shoulder.

“No, I’m not kidding, Will. Look.” Mark walked over to the dumpster and grabbed the trash bag closest to the top, hauling it out with ease. Damn, William thought, the gym has really paid off. Those bags were heavy. Then he watched in disbelief as Mark shot him a final look before grabbing the bag by the tied knot and launching it into the sky. He felt his mouth drop open and his eyes bulge as he watched what had been a plastic bag full of fries, grease, and napkins shrink into a dot flying through the night sky, and then disappear from his vision completely.

“Wha- I- huh?” William was dumbfounded, and Mark had the audacity to laugh at his friend’s reaction before smiling sheepishly.

“Yeah, see? Powers.” William’s thoughts raced through his mind, a thousand different questions popping up.

“Like super strength? Can you fly? How did you know you were getting them? Mark, how long have you known this?”

Mark’s shy smugness at seeing his best friend’s reaction to his stunt dissipated quickly, and he struggled to keep up with the questions. Will seemed reasonably frantic.

“Will, calm down. I promise I didn’t keep it from you because I didn’t trust you. But I knew I was supposed to have powers because my Dad’s Omni-Man.” Mark watched his friend’s face turn beet red, recalling all the times he called Mark’s dad hot, “So… yeah. I have super strength, I guess. And I should be able to fly. I don’t know yet.”

“So you mean to tell me I told Omni-Man’s kid he wasn’t Omni-Man just this morning?” William was hiding his face in his hands out of shame, and Mark laughed.

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it. Remember, I got my ass beat, too. We both looked stupid.” William groaned before regaining his composure.

“So you just found out? By tossing trash bags into the sky?” His usual sarcasm was back, and one eyebrow was arched in suspicion. He was going to try and uncover as much as possible about Mark’s powers before he let himself geek out.

“Yeah, pretty much. I mean, my Dad told me I should’ve gotten them before my birthday, but… I guess I was stressed? I don’t know.” William was starting to understand a lot more about the dynamic between Mark and his father upon hearing this news, and silently took it in for a moment before running up to Mark and pulling him into a hug.

“Dude. This. Is. So. COOL! My best friend is a superhero!” William pulled back, grabbing onto Mark’s shoulders and jumping up and down in excitement. Mark laughed and joined him, and the two spun around for a moment before William got serious again.

“Mark. Buddy. Listen to me.” Mark nodded his head, “I need you to take me flying as soon as possible.” Mark’s responding face palm made William grin again, and they started walking back to the store, William begging with each step that his friend would let him fly.

“Please, please, please. It will be fun. We can go back to the Empire State Building. Or to the city. We can go anywhere!” William’s common sense and rationality were really starting ot be undermined by the reality that his best friend was a superhero. Not only a great guy with powers, but the son of the most powerful superhero on the planet. No wonder he was such an Omni-maniac.

“Ugh, fine. I promise I’ll take you flying. But you can’t tell anyone about this, okay? Seriously. My mom’s safety could be jeopardized.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’d never put your mom in danger. Besides, who would I tell? You're my best friend.” Mark smiled at hearing that, grabbing his stuff from the locker, and following William out the front entrance to his car. Will stayed behind to lock the door before unlocking the car. “But, I feel like I earn flying privileges at least once a month. You know, for the emotional labor of being your friend and keeping your secret and all.” Mark groaned again, already questioning what went through his mind when he decided to tell William anything.

“Ughh, fine. But once a month. That’s it. I’m not a free ride.” William scoffed as the two buckled their seatbelts.

“The fact that you can’t see the irony in saying that from the passenger’s seat of my car…” The two laughed at that, and William turned the radio up, singing at the top of his lungs to celebrate the start of his friend’s new journey. When he dropped Mark off at his house, he rolled down the window before Mark walked in. “Good luck telling your parents. And goodnight, my sweet superhero! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

He saw Mark roll his eyes before waving back, “Night, dude. Love you!” William rolled up the window and waved back, pulling out of the driveway. Ever since he’d confessed to Mark in New York that he did like him as more than a friend, he hadn’t let himself say it back. It meant more to him, and that was fine. All Mark had said during their airing out was that he’d wanted William physically, but didn’t know what else he wanted. And William had accepted that. It didn’t hurt as much knowing that he wasn’t crazy and delusional, but the pang of not being truly wanted was a sore spot.

Still, the past few days had felt the most “back to normal” they’d been since early in the summer, even if they hadn’t revisited their conversation on Mark’s feelings. Mark had been as honey as he could with William, and what more could William ask? They’d had a few moments, and that was fine, but pushing for more would only hurt himself, since Mark wasn’t ready for anything else. So he could either stick around and hope Mark figured it out or move on. Whichever comes first, William thought to himself, pulling into the driveway.

Thinking too much about how far he’d come only to end up in nearly the same position was a little exhausting, but he never worried about it. Being friends with Mark was worth that, and he’d always known that. Plus, with him being a superhero now, there’d actually be perks of keeping him around. William dreamt of falling through the sky, only to catch himself at the last minute, soaring overhead the city.

Bzz. Bzz. Bzz.

William groaned awake, rolling himself over to smack his phone and shut off his alarm. Except nothing happened. And that wasn’t his alarm. Rubbing his eyes open and sitting up, he realized it was still nighttime, and the sound his phone was making was Mark calling him. What on earth did he want at one forty-five in the morning?

“Mark? What are you doing up right now? Everything good?” William couldn't hide the concern in his words, even with the thickness of sleep in his voice aiding his efforts.

“Uhh, nothing. Sorry. I shouldn’t have called. See you in the morning-”

“Mark. Don’t piss me off. I’m already up. What’s going on?” William was becoming more alert with every passing second, a mix of curiosity and concern fueling his interrogation efforts.

“Uh, nothing. Kinda. I mean, I told my parents about powers, and that went fine. My Dad acted a little weird, though. Like he wasn’t as excited as I thought he would be.” William rubbed his forehead, trying to think of a response that was courteous of Mark’s feelings but also conveyed that perhaps this actually could’ve waited.

“Okay, that sucks. Not feeling supported and all. I get it. But why are you still up? Did it bother you that much?”

“No, no. I just… well, he said we could start training tomorrow.” William could practically hear Mark’s smile through the phone, “I couldn’t go to sleep, I guess. So I tried getting a head start.”

William’s small grin up to this point of Mark’s retelling disappeared, “And how exactly did you try doing that?” He could feel Mark cringe on the other side of the phone,

“Well… I went flying. I thought I’d need all the practice I could get, especially since I’ll be giving you monthly flights now,” William heard Mark scoff at their deal, and his grin reappeared. “ It wasn’t too bad at first. I mean, it was awesome. I was still in pajamas, so it was so cold and all, but wow. Wait ‘til you see the view.” Mark sounded awestruck, and William pictured him flying shritless over the city, staring down with wide eyes. It made him smile wider, knowing he’d get to see that view with him soon.

“That’s so cool, dude. See. I knew I was getting my money’s worth with these monthly flights. Keep up the good work!” Mark let out a small laugh on the other side of the phone before continuing,

“Yeah… about that. I kinda passed out in the air because I went too high up, almost hit a plane, and then crashed.”

“WHAT?!? Are you okay? Should I call the ambulance? Mark, you could’ve died. Are you sure you don’t have a concussion?” He heard Mark laugh off his concern, which only infuriated him more. Why was he friends with an idiot whose first instinct was to call him instead of a hospital after crashing into the earth?

“Will, I’m fine. I promise. Viltrumite healing and all.”

“Viltru-what?”

“Oh, right. I didn’t tell you. Viltrumite. It’s the alien species my Dad is a part of. They're like super-powered saviors of the universe, I guess. They have super-healing. And I’m half Viltrumite. So I’m all good.” It was way too early for William to process new information about Mark, flying, and this supposed saviour species.

“Whatever. Listen, dude. I’m glad you’re okay, but please don’t make a habit out of crashing into the earth. I really don’t want to die riding you.” Before William could correct his wording, he heard Mark let out a loud HA.

“Gaaaayyyy. That was so gay, William. Even for you.” Mark kept laughing, and William decided he needed to go back to bed.

“Don’t make me say anything mean, Markus. You woke me up way too early for this.”

“Fine, fine. But c’mon, it was too easy.” The line went silent for a moment, and each boy listened to the other breathing.

“Sorry for waking you up, Will.” Mark’s voice sounded more vulnerable now, and William made himself listen, even if exhaustion was starting to pull his focus, “I kinda just wanted to share my near-death experience and the fact that I went flying. It felt really cool. Like it couldn’t wait.”

“Please, do not kid me about you dying right now. But, yeah. It couldn’t wait. That’s dope. I’m glad you called, seriously.” He waited a few beats before adding, “And I’m proud of you, Grayson. It’s no small thing to teach yourself how to fly.”

“Well, it didn’t exactly pan out the way I wanted, but I’ll keep trying. I can't let you fall out of the sky now, can I?” They both laughed at the ridiculousness of that statement. It still felt like a dream to Will that his best friend had superpowers. It was way too good to be true.

“No, you can’t. If you ever drop me, I’m gonna kick your Viltrumite ass.” Mark laughed on the other side of the phone, and William closed his eyes, wondering if he could fall asleep to that sound before their call ended.

“Well, thanks, Will. For picking up. I guess I’ll let you know how training goes tomorrow.”

“Please do. I’m eager to hear more about you making an idiot of yourself flying.”

“Ha ha, Will. Love ya, goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Mark.”

__

“Jeez, man, you still sore from training?” Mark had been sulking silently the entire morning, refusing to talk about how training had gone with his Dad that morning. William was concerned, seeing Mark so solemn. He knew how much getting his powers meant to Mark, and what his friend thought that meant for his relationship with his Dad. If day one hadn’t gone well, he needed to be there.

“Huh?” Mark looked up at William from his daze, “No. I’m fine.”

“Okay, man. You sure look fine,” William tried using sarcasm to coax an answer out of Mark, but nothing was working. He just went back to walking silently, staring at the ground.

They were walking in the halls, about to stop at their lockers to grab something, when William heard Todd’s impish voice call out from behind them.

“Hey. Mark Grayson.” Mark groaned and turned around, and William noticed his fists clenched at his side. Was his superpowered best friend about to beat this kid up? “And I don’t see Amber anywhere nearby to protect your sorry ass.” William started slowly, inching around Todd, scooching up against the lockers, preparing to kick Todd in the back of the legs and tell Mark to run.

“Todd. Please just don’t-” Mark’s peacemaking attempt was cut short when Todd grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the lockers, inches away from where William had chosen to hide. William felt anger run through him when he heard Todd laugh.

“Don’t? Don’t what? Kick your ass again? Or what? Are you threatening me?” William was focused on Mark’s face. Where fear should’ve been, there was a scurched-up look of anger and determination. Less superhero-y than William was comfortable with. Todd didn’t seem to catch it, though, continuing his taunting. “Or do you need a replay of what happened last time, ass?”

William watched as Mark's eyes narrowed in concentration, “Hit me.” Well, William wasn’t expecting that. For a split second, Todd looked just as confused as he felt, but William put together what was happening before Todd could. “Go on. Hit me as hard as you can.”

Todd wasted no time fulfilling Mark’s request, launching a fist into Mark’s stomach before William could move. He heard other students gasp and felt his own jaw drop as Mark hunched over, his face flickering with shock, but it seemed more out of surprise than pain. Like his body was accommodating the fist rather than being bent by it. Mark looked up at Todd, his mouth pressed into a hard line.

“Again.” Mark’s words carried no sound of pain or hesitation, and William stood frozen in disbelief as he watched Todd throw another punch at Mark, aiming for his face this time. Mark reacted even less this time, though his voice carried some inexplicable emotion. Like he was trying to prove something by getting his ass beat. “Again. Harder.”

William felt a crowd of students gather around, with one of them filming the fight, but he could only watch in sadness as his friend took another punch straight to the chest and didn’t move an inch. Todd actually cradled his fist after the impact. This had nothing to do with Todd, William realized. Mark was letting himself get hit to feel strong. Because someone had made him feel weak. Again.

Todd’s brain finally seemed to be catching up to the fact that he was not going to injure Mark, and he frantically looked around the crowd that had gathered, embarrassed and defeated. Mark looked at him with cold eyes, his back straight and his head tilted down at Todd. “Freak!” Todd ran off, and just like that, it was over. Students kept walking, but Mark kept staring at Todd running down the hall, his face twisted with rage.

“Dude, what is up with you?” William wanted to get answers from Mark before a student who didn't deserve it got on his nerves, but Mark didn’t even spare him a glance.

“I need something to punch.” Mark sounded as angry as he looked, and his curt responses weren’t making William feel any more secure about their situation.

“He just walked away, Mark, you missed your chance.” Mark didn't need to punch anything besides Todd, right now, William thought. Maybe not even Todd. But he didn’t get the chance to tell Mark what he thought. His friend just stormed off when the bell rang, leaving him stranded in the halls and lost amid a million thoughts and concerns, and a bunch of students gossiping about the latest fight.

William didn’t see Mark for the rest of the day, and he kept checking his phone to see if Mark had responded to any of his texts or calls. Nothing. It became impossible to concentrate in any of his classes, his brain to wrapped up in what was going on with Mark. He was clearly having some kind of emotional outburst, which, granted, was nothing new, but with superpowers, it did make it more dangerous. Not that he believed Mark would ever hurt anyone. The kid was so gentle, he’d cried after stepping on a butterfly one time in the sixth grade. But the thought of Mark off somewhere alone, punching something because his Dad made him feel shitty, did not reassure William. He drove home distractedly, unable to get through a single sheet of homework, because he was so worried about Mark, even forgetting not to stop at Mark’s house on the way back.

__

The afternoon was going much better for Mark than this morning had. He’d managed to subdue his first villain, reconcile with his Dad on a rooftop, though he had sounded childish to his own ears, and now here he was, about to get his first real superhero costume. His Dad stood right next to him, carefully evaluating the red and orange suit he was trying on.

Mark didn’t exactly trust his Dad’s sense of style, but he was the one who brought him here, after all. It’d been nice to hug his Dad. To hear him try to make up for hitting him so hard this morning. It’d bother Mark more than he knew until Todd had come along.

“What do ya think?” Arts voice pulled Mark out of his thoughts as he continued moving around in the suit, trying to get a feel for the tight-fitting material. He’d have to get used to that. And the goggles. His little pajama outfit might’ve been more comfortable, but he’d caused one too many rips and broken his goggles. It was lucky this nifty old man, his Dad, was friends with seemed to be a professional at this.

“Uh, I don't know about the orange and yellow. It seems pretty loud. Dad?”

His Dad moved one hand to stroke his chin, shooting a look to Art, “Not your best work, Art.”

The old man only chuckled, the sound filling the room, and Mark felt himself smile at the contagious energy, “Heh. Can’t blame a guy for trying to sell unsold merchandise.” Mark felt the need to say something positive,

“Well, I like the goggles. They keep the wind out of my eyes when I fly.” He watched Art’s eyes, leering at him like they were trying to undress and then redress him. He felt like Art was coming up with something, so he tried to keep talking about what he wanted, nervously scratching the back of his head as he searched for his words, “But I was really, like, hoping for something more, uh, I don’t know…” He thought about what William would want the costume to look like. Mark usually defaulted to his fashion taste, and though he wasn’t as big a superhero nerd as Mark, if William found it fashionable, so would everyone else. What’s the word he would use? “Iconic?”

“Of course you were. That’s what everyone wants. Iconic. A symbol. Something kids draw in the margins of their notebook paper while they daydream about being as cool as you.” Mark felt his smile grow bigger, hearing Art describe the idea. It was everything Mark would want it to be. It was everything his Dad’s costume had been to him. “It’s also tough as hell to pull off. But listen. Your dad being who he is, I’m willing to put a lot of elbow grease into this one. But I’m gonna need a little help from you. Have you decided on a name yet?”

Mark heard his voice crack from excitement when he responded, “I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Well, you know, having a name helps. Darkwing has dark wings, Red Rush is a red rush when he runs by you. Get it? Give me something to go on, I’ll strive for iconic. Think about it and get back to me.

Mark chucked and smiled again. It all felt surreal. All he had to do was pick out a superhero name, and he would be in business.

__

William had finally managed to get through a few assignments and was ready for bed when he heard his phone buzz in the corner. He thought it might be his mom, telling him she was running late, but he saw Mark’s name and immediately answered the call.

“Mark? Are you okay? Where have you been?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry. I guess I’ve just been worried about being a superhero and all that. I left to go fight crime. You’ll be happy to know your best friend officially prevented a bank robbery.”

“What?!? That’s so cool, dude. Did they have guns? Did you fight them? Were you alone?” William’s concern had been momentarily overtaken by excitement at the reality his best friend was living. Mark laughed in appreciation of his friend's enthusiasm, “Yeah, it was kinda awesome. I was alone for the whole thing, and some dude was made of rock. Then my Dad showed up at the end and took me to get a new suit. I totally ruined a pair of sweats and goggles flying through cement.”

“Wait, Mark, you’re getting an official suit? You have to show me. I can’t let you fly around in spandex looking stupid.” He heard Mark laugh on the other side of the phone, and his bed creak as he assumed Mark lay down on it.

“Well, not yet. I have to come up with a name. Then I get an ‘iconic’ costume, supposedly. Thanks, by the way, for introducing that word into my vocabulary.”

“No problem. It’s what gay friends are for.” The line went silent for a second, and then Mark spoke again,

“Sorry for being cagey this morning. I didn’t mean to get into that fight with Dad, but you were right. Training did go badly.”

“Mark, it’s fine. As long as you're okay and Todd leaves us alone, it was really a net positive. But what happened in training? You seemed really bothered.” Mark scoffed,

“Well, the good news is I learned to land. Kind of. Still working on it, but I should be able to take you flying soon enough.” Mark chuckled softly, but William stayed silent, determined to give his friend the space to talk about whatever it was that had been bothering him. “Bad news is my Dad kind of punched me in the chest really hard out of nowhere, and I curled up on the ground like a pussy.” William inhaled sharply but kept listening to Mark, “It was so embarrassing, Will. I mean, I almost cried. And the way he looked down on me like… like he was disappointed. I don’t know. I needed to prove I was strong enough. That I have what it takes to be like him.”

“Mark, I’m sorry you got hit, but that’s dumb, okay? You don’t need to put yourself in danger to prove you’re worthy. The world will be lucky to have you as a hero, and they’d be lucky to have someone even half as caring and strong as you. If your Dad doesn’t see that, then it’s his loss, but I promise you that you are enough. As Mark. As whatever stupid superhero name you’re gonna pick out. Not as your Dad and not as Omni Man.”

“Thanks, man. My mom kinda just gave me the same pep talk outside as I was practicing landing, but seriously. It feels good hearing it from someone who always has something to complain about.” Mark’s voice had gone from genuine to teasing over the course of his response, and William felt the tension in his friend lift, even miles away.

“Hey! No fair. I was being nice to you, and now you’re being sassy again. Behave, Markus, or next time, Todd won’t be the biggest bully you face in Reginald High!” They were both laughing lightly now, and William wished he could always be the first person Mark called to recap his superhero adventures to. It felt like a special privilege.

“Alright, alright. You’re a great friend. There. I said it. Also, are we still on for tomorrow? I can technically fly to your house, but I don’t want to leave a dent in your yard.”

“Yeah, don’t do that, please. But yes, I, your amazing friend, will deign to hang out with you this weekend. I can also get you the notes for today, since you left to go play hero. Literally.”

“Haha. Thanks, man. See you tomorrow then. I’ll text you when I’m ready. I think my Dad wants to do so more training, and I need to fly around some more after a costume appointment.”

“God, you’re so lame. ‘Costume appointment’. Yuck. Can’t believe I’m friends with such a dork.”

“You know you love me, Will. I’m a superhero now, baby.” William paused for a second, feeling his cheeks flush at Mark’s offhanded comment. He tried laughing it off, “Yeah, yeah. Go to sleep, you big dummy. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.”

He heard Mark yawn on the other side of the phone, “Goodnight, Will. See you tomorrow. Love you, man.” Before William could even think about responding, Mark hung up the phone, and William was left in silence. Was it weird that he’d stopped saying it back? Had Mark noticed? Did it matter?

Will tried to convince himself it didn’t, letting his soft mattress lure him into sleep with the promise of seeing Mark leading him soundlessly into the morning.

__

William was running errands to fill the time between when he woke up and when he would see Mark, when he at last heard his phone vibrate in his pocket.

“Will!” Mark sounded excited on the other side of the phone, so William was immediately suspicious.

“What?”

“I came up with a name for myself this morning! I got the idea when I was playing catch with my Dad in the sky. We were throwing baseballs across the world. You know, just something casual.” Mark said it in a nonchalant way, so William knew he wanted attention for it.

“Whoa. How can you be sure you didn’t kill anybody with that? But what’s your new name anyway?”

“Okay, first of all, the ball would’ve been thrown way off course if it had hit someone. And there would be blood. I think. And second, drum roll please.” William just sighed instead of indulging Mark’s little games, frustrated that it was already well past lunchtime and they hadn’t even started their hangout. “Or not. That’s fine. It’s… Invincible! Cause I’m like invicinible now.”

“Yeah, right, Mark. Don’t get too cocky when you start patrolling the city or whatever it is heroes do, and don’t be throwing things at god knows what speeds across the earth! You need to be careful.”

“Yeah, yeah. With Great power comes great responsibility. I get it. But listen, we can hang out whenever you want now, cause I already dropped off the new name to the costume guy. He said he could have something by the end of next week, so you’ll get to see me on your news any day now.”

“Great. Just what my life needs. More Mark Grayson.” Mark laughed on the other side of the phone, unaware of how much William actually meant that statement. This damn boy took up too much mental space.

“Well, you’re about to get some more tonight. What time are you coming over? Also, are you staying the night? I think my mom’s cooking pad thai, and my Dad went out on a patrol.”

“Oh, well, I’m gonna finish grabbing some ingredients for my mom, and then I’ll head over. Should be about thirty minutes. I’ll let her know I’m having Pad Thai for dinner tonight.”

“Yes,” Mark cheered through the phone, grateful he convinced his friend to stay the night. They were so grinding this new season of Clash Crash. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Kaykay. Talk to you later. Bye.”

William rushed out of the grocery store, using the express self-checkout lane to hasten his process. AS he was stuffing the thin plastic bags full of the various fruits and vegetables, his mom had a flavor for, he saw a newspaper stand sitting to his left. On the corner of one of the pages, sat a blurry photo with the caption “New Hero?” The figure wore cracked goggles, a familiar set of blue sweatpants, and sported a familiar head of slicked-back black hair. William laughed dryly to himself before picking up a copy and dropping it in with his other things. He couldn’t wait to show Mark how ridiculous he looked. He’d better hope his new consumer really was “iconic” or William would never let him live it down.

__

The sun was well past its peak by the time William was pulling into the Graysons’ driveway. His mother had given him a sad smile when he’d told her he was staying the night at Mark’s, so he’d cooked with her for a little, turning on Desperate Housewives in the background so they could make fun of the characters together. It was something they used to do when William couldn’t get his mom to leave the couch after the divorce, and though they barely watched it anymore, it was still nice to see fictional mothers struggle more than she was.

He hadn’t even sent the text to Mark to let him know he’d arrived when his friend came leaping out of the doorway, running to the car door to envelop William in a bear hug the second he'd stepped outside the car door.

“Uh, he buddy,” William said nervously, patting his friend’s back before returning the hug.

“Sorry,” was all Mark replied, pulling back from the hug, and turning away to lead William into the house. William didn’t bother to question Mark’s clinginess. He’d been acting like that ever since they’d touched down back home from New York, and William wasn’t complaining.

He didn’t think they were gonna do anything again any time soon, especially since it seemed they’d both agreed a tentative ‘friends’ was where they were at. At least, until Mark felt clearer on his sexuality. William still didn’t know exactly what that meant, but he didn’t want to push Mark, and they were doing well again. Going to and from school, closing BurgerMart together, hanging out, and texting. It was great, really, and William knew he should feel grateful. But it was moments like that, when Mark was pressed against him and his face was in his neck, that William couldn’t help but recall what they had done. And wonder when it would happen again.

“Hello, Mrs. Grayson! Thanks for having me for dinner. Again.” Mrs. Grayson let out a quiet chuckle from her corner by the stove, waving to William.

“Anytime, William. It’s been a while since we’ve had you over, so I’m glad to see your smiling face has returned. I was worried there for a minute. You two couldn’t go three days without spending hours on that couch over summer.”

“Mom, stop it!” Mark groaned as he walked into the kitchen, taking up the dirty dishes that had already accumulated and beginning to rinse them. William took his cue, giggling at Mark’s embarrassment, and headed over to his side at the sink to wash the plates Mark dropped and place them in the drying rack.

“Well, you know, I needed some space from this dummy right here,” William emphasized his bunch line by bumping his hips into Mark, only to be splashed with soapy water in his face.

“Oh, believe me,” Debbie laughed, watching the two boys play fight, “I get it. Sometimes we all need some time alone.” William hummed in appreciation, but neither boy was paying too close attention, more focused on hitting the person standing next to them with water.

Debbie rolled her eyes and continued stirring the noodles. As she was deciding to dump them out, she heard the familiar boom and rush of air that accompanied Nolan’s return. He came through the back door, wearing nothing but his usual collared shirt and khaki pants, but the look on his face when he spotted William told Debbie he’d thought changing had been unnecessary.

“Oh, hello there, William. Good to see you.” Both boys turned their heads from where they had been playing at the sink, and Debbie watched her son’s body stiffen at the sound of his Dad’s voice. She shook her head, wondering if her son would ever escape his shadow.

“Hi, Mr. Grayson! Sorry for intruding. Thanks for having me over! And welcome back from uh…” William’s sentence dropped off suddenly, and Mark gave his friend a look, leaving Nolan to fill in the blanks.

“Yes, I’m uh, coming back in from a meeting. Went in through the gate to make sure the squirrels weren’t back at the garden.” Nolan’s lie was smooth, and William nodded his head, but Debbie still watched Mark’s face watching William as she poured the noodles into a bowl. His expression appeared scolding, his eyes narrowed and brown pinched, but Debbie couldn’t guess why. Was he mad that William had spoken to his Dad? No, that was stupid. Even for her son. Debbie tried figuring it out, but she couldn’t come up with anything.

Dinner passed with polite conversation, with William inevitably having to answer versions of questions about college he’d already answered over the summer, but he pretended to be enthusiastic. It made Debbie’s heart warm to know that when Mark went off to college, he’d have such a thoughtful friend looking out for him. As Debbie began asking Nolan about his day, reading between the lines since they had company, Mark and William began chatting quietly on the other side of the table.

“So, what do you want after we play Crash?” Mark asked, slurping down the mouthful of noodles he’d grabbed with his chopsticks.

“Dude, slow down. It’s not running from you.” Will could only watch as his best friend smiled in reply, mouth full of noodles and all, before swallowing it and making an “ahh” sound.

“Ew. Stop. But I was thinking I might cash in on that first monthly payment you promised me. Remember?” William spoke in vague terms so Mark’s parents wouldn’t know he knew about their family’s secret yet, but he watched Mark’s face as he processed the coded request.

“Really? Tonight? I mean, yeah, but we’ll have to be careful.”

“Careful about what?” The stern voice of Nolan Grayson cut in, him and Debbie done with their conversation.

“Uh, nothing, Dad. We’re just gonna have to unlock a certain level tonight, but if we’re not careful about the final boss, we could lose all our progress. And there’s like a monthly reward thing if we get it so…”

Nolan only nodded, satisfied with his answer, before turning to talk with Debbie again. William heard Mark sigh in relief next to him, and they finished their meal and time downstairs with no further discussion of William’s aspirations of flying. It was all William could think about anymore, though, especially when they sat on the couch playing Clash Crash and he could see the clouds through the window.

The sun was beginning its descent, and the sky was that impossible shade of orange. William died several times on one level because he was staring out, picturing himself suspended in the air, swimming through the clouds with Mark’s arms wrapped around him. Yeah, he was so going to make Mark take him flying tonight.

“Dude, come on. You gotta focus. We need to get past this level if we wanna get the power up for next time.” Mark’s incessant whining about how badly William was playing finally brought William’s attention back to the game in front of him. He started playing seriously again, thumbs dancing across the controller in inconceivable patterns, and Mark finally stopped nagging him. But he hadn’t seen the way Mark noticed his gazing out the window, and how he’d tried speedrunning the level so they could go flying even sooner, before the sun disappeared on the horizon.

Mark waited until they’d finished the level and he heard both his parents' footsteps upstairs before tapping William’s foot with his own.

“Dude. What? We just finished the level, give me a break.” Normally, his friend’s annoyance might bother him, but Mark kept tapping his foot on the boy sitting next to him, grinning ear to ear.

“Hey, Will”

“What? What now?”

“Wanna go on our ‘walk’?” He used air quotes on the word walk to really sell his point, and William finally got the hint.

“Ohhhh. Really. Now?”

“Yeah. Now. C’mon.” Mark turned off the TV and stood up, offering a hand to William as the other boy stood up and followed him out the front door.

“Be back soon, Mom. Going for a walk and maybe some ice cream.” His call into the house went unanswered, and Mark took it as a sign that the coast was clear. He braced himself on the front steps, where only a few days ago he’d been caught jumping into the air with his fist out by the mailman. Oh, how fast things change.

“Okay, I appreciate the enthusiasm, Mark, but how are you sure you’re ready? I mean, last night you were leaving creators in your own yard, and now you want to land with me? I’m repcious cargo dude.”

“I know you are. That’s why I’m sure I’ll get it right this time. Now, come on. I made a clean landing earlier at Art’s and on the way back. I’ve got this.” Mark turned to see William biting his lip, caught between a survival instinct and fulfilling a childhood dream. Finally, his friend’s more optimistic side won out, and he walked toward Mark with open arms.

“Alright. So how’s this gonna work? Are you holding me under the arms, am I on your back? What’s the deal?”

Mark laughed at his friend’s ridiculous scarecrow pose. “No, dude. If I pick you up under the arms, you’re gonna be sore and complain, and if I put you on my back, you might fall. We’re not apes. I’m carrying you the classy way. Bridal style.”

Mark watched William flush at his comment, and he could already sense his friend’s resistance bubbling to a head. So before Will could say anything, Mark just winked and scooped his friend up under the legs, using his other hand to support his back before taking off.

“Oh my god, Mark! Slow down!” Mark felt a sense of pride when he felt William’s arms instantly wrap around his neck, gripping his collar tightly. William’s eyes were full of fear, and his voice was shaky as he stared down at the precious ground he’d been standing on, his car getting smaller and smaller. Mark just laughed, staring down at Will, slowing his speed slightly so his friend could sit up and enjoy the view.

Mark kept gliding higher, and William went silent as he took in the sight. He could see the city from here, and the shining lights and expansive skyline left him speechless. They sat there for a while like that, Mark hardly flying at all, appreciating that his friend was finally the one without some clever comeback. After all these years, he’d actually managed to leave William breathless, the wonder of the scene washing away any unease William had felt at the start of the flight.

After a minute or so, Mark began slowly flying, letting his friend unwrap his hands and hold them out in the air, catching the wind and pretending like he was Rose in Titanic.

“This is so awesome! I don’t know how you haven’t already started flying everywhere. Beats driving by a long shot.” Mark was still watching his friend take in the views with wide eyes, only closing them to feel the breeze on his face.

“Well, that’s easy. Cause then I wouldn’t be driving with you.”

“Oh, shut up.” The faint pink on both their faces matched the rosy shades of the sky, and after circling the neighborhood for a bit, Mark decided it was time to get back. He didn't want to risk his Dad leaving for another patrol and seeing them, or his mom getting suspicious about where they went. As they approached the ground, he felt William’s arms tighten around his neck, in fear of the speed they were coming down at, so Mark closed his eyes and let himself let go. Like his Dad had told him to.

To just ‘unclench’ that knot in his stomach, he felt when he took off and was in the air. Sure enough, this time he landed perfectly, with no skidding or bumping, and he heard William breathe a sigh of relief.

“Nice landing. But we’re in your backyard now, by the way.” Mark opened his eyes and realized he had, in fact, guided them to his backyard. He must’ve done it intuitively after watching his dad do it for so many years. He shrugged.

“Who cares? I don’t think anyone’s downstairs anyway.”

The two made their way to Mark’s room, William tittering with energy from all the excitement of the flight. It’d only been two days, but Mark felt like the wonder of flight was already starting to wear off, and it was nice to see it reflected back at him from his friend. When Mark shut the door, William finally managed to eek out, “That. Was. So. Cool. Ohmygodohmygod Mark, you have to take me again. I can't wait another month. That was awesome. And next time we have to go to the city.”

Mark watched in silence for a few moments as William paced around his room, buzzing with his newfound source of entertainment, from in front of the desk, to the window, and back to the other side of the bed.

“Slow down there, buddy. Our deal was once a month, and you got scared when I accelerated even a little bit. We’re gonna take it slowly.” William groaned, pausing his pacing to dramatically fall back onto the bed. Mark moved to join him, climbing on top of the sheets.

“Fine. We can work up to it. I guess. But you are so not getting away with the once-a-month thing. I’ve been driving you to school almost every day for two years!”

Mark chuckled, resigning himself to becoming William’s personal Uber flight until the wow factor wore off. But he didn’t really mind. It was nice having something to give his friend. As the two got ready for bed, Mark didn’t bother to erect the pillow divider or take his shirt off, and neither did William. They didn’t want to anymore. Mark worried for a minute about his Dad walking in to say goodnight and seeing them, but he made himself relax. It didn’t matter. They were just friends sleeping over. Like normal teenagers. And it was his mom who came to say goodnight anyway, and she didn’t blink twice when she waved and wished them goodnight.

They sat in bed for a while, William scrolling on his phone, and Mark reading the latest issue of Seancé Dog until William rolled over to reach past Mark and shut off the lamp.

“Goodnight, Mark. Thanks for the flight.”

“Anytime, Will. Goodnight.” Mark set down his issue of Seancé Dog, figuring he’d have to finish it the morning before, rolling over toward William and letting his arms splay out. He discovered William had also chosen to face sleeping Mark, and it made him smile. He watched his friend for a little while, listening to his deep breaths and watching his eyelids flutter ever once in a while. Neither of them had said anything, but this would be the first time they’d slept facing each other in who knows how many years. Since they were much tinier, Mark knew that.

He finally let himself close his eyes, content to let himself be comfortable with William. He’d never judged him before, and there was nothing he hadn’t seen, so what was this? Mark fell asleep to the gentle rhythm of his friend’s breathing and calming sight of William’s sleeping face.

__

When Mark woke up, William was gently tugging his foot at the end of the bed, already dressed and packed.

“Huh,” was all Mark managed to say before William smiled at him.

“I have to go, sleepy head. Me and my mom have a bunch of activities planned today. I felt bad ditching her on her day off yesterday, so we’re going to the movies and stuff. I’ll text you later.”

Mark nodded his head, understanding how rare it was for Mrs. Clockwell’s and William’s schedules to line up like this, so he groaned again and rolled out of bed, wrapping William in another hug before letting him leave.

William let himself enjoy the heat of Mark’s skin and the warmth of the embrace a little too long before pulling back.

“Alright, buddy. I’ll see you tomorrow for pick up. We can get coffee.” Mark yawned in response, earning a small smile from William before they waved bye to each other again. As William padded downstairs, Mark came to the head of the starcase, watching his friend greet his Mom good morning and head out the front door. When Debbie caught him staring out the window to where William’s car was pulling out, she called out, “Morning, honey! Sorry, William couldn’t stay longer. Did you want me to make you breakfast?”

“Yes, please. Thank you!” Mark walked back to his room to get changed, a little sad William didn’t stay as long as usual, but happy that today would give him another chance to patrol with his Dad. He was forbidden from going out on his own after all the damage he’d caused busting that rock dude, but it would be no time at all before he was out in the city, flying around. All he needed to do was wait for his new suit, and he’d hit the headlines. This time, in something William could see on the front page, and not laugh at. Hopefully.

__

The school week passed with more assignments, more quizzes, and more superhero stuff. Mark got into William’s car every morning, yawning and rubbing the bags under his eyes. He stayed out late with his Dad to patrol and train, and by the time he got back to sleep, he was too amped up to pass out. It was becoming an issue, especially for said assignments and quizzes.

Mark didn’t let himself get too stressed out, though. He had Will and Eve to help through the worst of it, and no matter how much he wished he’d studied more, he was never too disappointed with his grades. Besides, his spirits were bolstered by the imminent arrival of his new suit. He’d stopped by Art’s place the other night to see the prototype and sketches, and wow. He’d tried describing it to William only to find he didn’t have to vocabulary to dictate the exact genius of it. Oh well. It’d be better to show his friend in person, anyway.

He looked over to where his friend was sitting, diligently writing out notes from Mrs. William’s afternoon lecture on the Vietnam War. Mark had no idea how they’d progressed to this period in history already, but it didn’t matter. He watched William for a while, his lip pursed in concentration and his eyes darting across his page and then back to the chalkboard to make sure he got everything.

It was admirable, really, but Mark couldn’t bring himself to try and imitate it. He pacified his brain by watching Will and scribbling the parts of his suit design he could remember into the margins of his notebook. When the bell finally rang, Mark could not get out of school fast enough, leaving William practically sprinting to catch up with him before he reached the car.

“Whoa, slow down there. What are you in a rush for?” William couldn’t keep the tinge of annoyance he felt out of his question. His friend had been distracted all day, barely able to hold a conversation, and now the second he got the chance, he was sprinting off? It pushed all the wrong buttons for William.

“You know what, Will. I think I get my costume today. After I get home, I’m going with my Dad to pick it up. You should come over later to see it.”

William unlocked the car and shoved his stuff in the backseat before responding.

“Maybe. I need to work on some of my essays. You know how it’s been. This whole week felt like a trial run for finals season. I mean, seriously, what other chemistry teacher is giving their students two quizzes and a terminology check in one week? “

William looked over at his friend, hoping to be reassured, but Mark was already staring out the window, fantasizing about running around the city in spandex, saving people again. He’d been so occupied with this new part of his life that William had started to worry that this was what it would always be like from now on. With his old life and his old friends fading into the background as he became something new. Someone new. Invincible. No more ‘normal’ for Mark.

“Huh? Sorry, I didn’t hear you.” Mark’s question snapped William out of his momentary lapse.

“Oh, nothing. I was only complaining about school. Again. You know me.” He gave a weak laugh to try and hide the growing worry Mark’s behaviour was sparking in him, but he buried it. He couldn’t keep letting his sensitivity strain their relationship. Mark wouldn’t stick around if he thought everything he did was being observed under a microscope.

“Yeah, I do,” Mark laughed lightly, patting his friend on the shoulder as they turned off the intersection, “So you’re good to come over tonight? I think my mom’s ordering pizza for us, and we were gonna watch a rom-com or something.”

“Yeah, I can come over later.” William’s response was automatic, forcing him to rethink what Mark had just told him when he’d finally realized what he’d been told, “Wait, a rom-com? Seriously?”

Mark laughed again, this time, an easy sound that filled the car, “Yeah, I know. Not my choice. But my mom is worried with me becoming a superhero and all that I need is a reminder of all the cheesy, goofy stuff that normal kids do. She doesn’t want me to forget my ‘boring’ ‘normal’ roots, I guess.”

William felt his grip tighten on the steering wheel, but he forced another chuckle out of himself. “Well, that’s good. I guess nobody could forget how human they are, watching the latest shit Hallmark comes out with. Only we could come up with something that awful.” Mark started belly laughing when he heard the vitriol contained in William’s remark, misplacing it as a unique hatred for Hallmark, and the two started joking about the latest trashy movie they’d been forced to watch.

The conversation reminded William that his friend was still here, normal as he’d always been. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that he and Debbie shared the same concerns, and it was only a matter of time before Mark shed the skin of his old life to wear the skin-tight suit of his new superhero one.

__

“Well, whatdaya think? Too tight? Too colorful? Not enough?” Art’s questions went unanswered as Mark continued staring at himself in the mirror, flexing and unflexing his different muscle groups as he watched himself float in the new costume.

“It’s… It’s perfect,” Mark breathed out, before turning around to shake the man’s hand. “Thank you.” Art laughed and clapped him on the shoulder before excusing himself to leave and continue his other projects. “Take your time breaking it in, kid. The first one’s free, but after that. Well… just ask your Dad how expensive repairs or replacements can be.” Mark wordlessly nodded, excitedly turning back to the mirror to continue checking himself out.

The suit was perfect. No exaggeration needed on Mark’s part. It was a sleek black that clung to his skin, edged by blue shoulder pads and boots. What really made it pop, though, what made Mark think it would be iconic, was the yellow I that ran down his chest, and was topped off at his neck. Guess the name really did help with the inspiration, Makr thought. It matched his fingerless yellow gloves and complemented the light shade of blue flawlessly.

The costume wasn’t too much, but it was definitely eye-catching, and with the yellow mask that only covered the top half of his face and goggles to go with it, he wouldn’t have to feel worried about being caught in the paper anytime soon.

Mark turned to his dad, who was watching him float around and pose, silently staring at Mark in an impossible-to-read manner. “What do you think, Dad?” His Dad probably heard the hesitation in his voice, because he forced a smile to his face.

“You look good, kid. Like the face of a new age for this world. In fact, I think you’re ready for your first solo patrol.”

Mark felt his mouth hang open, “Really?! Today?!” He felt himself float higher in the air, unable to control his elation. He’d dreamed of being a hero for so long, and getting to do it on his own for the first time, on his own in a real costume… it was the perfect ending to what had been a shitty school week full of work and anticipation.

“I mean it. I have some important business to take care of this afternoon, and I probably won’t be back until late. I’ll be out of the city, so I need someone to take care of it while I’m gone. Think you’re up for the job?” His Dad’s voice held an edge of something serious, but Mark didn’t catch it between the quick shake and flying over to hug his Dad.

“Yes. I’m ready. I promise. When you get back, the whole city will be on its best behaviour.” He felt his Dad’s arm wrap around him, and his chest heave as he laughed at Mark’s naiveté.

“Make sure you're safe, son. When I come back, nothing will be the same.” Omni-Man’s words might’ve been ominous to anyone else, but Mark only flew in a loop through the air, excited that he and his Dad’s worlds were changing. Being heroes together would bring them closer than ever.

“I’ll make you proud, Dad. I swear.”

“Atta boy.” Omni-Man clapped Mark on the shoulder before flying out of the dimly lit basement, leaving Mark to admire himself in the mirror a few moments longer. He didn’t take his time, though, too eager to go on his first patrol. As he flew out of Art’s warehouse, shooting the old man one last thank you, he couldn’t contain his gleeful hooting, launching and flipping himself as he barreled through cloud after cloud toward downtown.

__

William was sitting with Amber in a booth in the corner of their favorite coffee spot, sipping his drink and listening to Amber talk about her meeting with the principal.

“So, yeah. I guess Todd’s not getting suspended, since he’s Mrs. Williams’s kid, but he did have to meet with me one-on-one and hand me an apology letter. It was really funny.”

“Wait, you’re telling me Todd Williams had to give you a handwritten apology letter for harassing you? Are we in the fifth grade? That’s bullshit.” Amber waved off his outrage, sipping her black coffee before setting the mug back down.

“I know, I know. But who cares, really? I mean, Mark’s the one who should be outraged. He got his ass kicked.” William winced, remembering the sound of Todd’s fist connecting with Mark’s face and having to help his friend to the nurse’s office.

“Yeah, but he’s fine. Plus, he got to embarrass Todd later on, so it’s all the same.” Amber sighed, staring down at the smoke curling out of her cup before looking back up to William.

“I suppose. Hey. You know, I thought about making Todd give Mark an apology letter, too, since he hurt him. I was gonna threaten to kick him in the balls again if he didn’t.” She paused so they could both laugh at the memory of Todd’s face and the noises he’d made before running away, but William sensed Amber was hesitating to say something. He sipped his own coffee patiently, waiting for his friend to talk. She was never the avoidant type.

“Yeah, it was gonna be this whole thing. I also was, uh, gonna make him give Mark my phone number. You know, so I could thank him for standing up for me and all.” Amber was looking at William nervously, like she expected some kind of reaction. William forced himself to continue sipping his macchiato, unable to meet Amber’s eyes until he’d sipped for the maximum amount of time that could be considered appropriate.

“Oh, uh. That’s nice. I’m sure Mark would appreciate it, Amber. He always talks about how cool you seem in psychology.” Amber giggled at that, and William watched her carefully, unable to identify the pit he felt growing in his stomach. Was she blushing? And why wouldn’t Amber just wait to tell Mark she was grateful at lunch or in their shared class?

“He’s too sweet. But, um, anyway. I decided against making Todd do it because, ya know, he’d already been humiliated.” William nodded, giving her the reassurance to continue that she seemed to keep looking to him for. “And also, because I figured I could get Mark’s number from you. I mean, you two are best friends, so obviously, I assumed you have it.” William felt himself swallow, his hands frozen on his cup as he could only watch Amber stare at him.

“Uh, you totally don’t have to give it to me if you don’t want to. I get it, some people are picky about who they have texting them. Don’t worry about it.” Amber’s nervous rambling and fidgeting with her hair told William he very much needed to worry about it, but a small part of him told him to take the easy way out and let the excuse she provided cover up for his strange behavior. But, no, it didn't make any sense. Mark didn’t care who texted him, and he certainly wouldn’t care if Amber texted him. Hell, William was shocked she didn’t have his number already. They had a class together, they’d gone to school together for years, and only a few weeks ago, Amber was at Mark’s birthday party. William couldn’t think of a single reason, besides his own unfounded protectiveness of Mark, that he wouldn’t give Mark’s number to the beautiful girl sitting across from him.

“Pfft, don’t be ridiculous, Amber. Of course, you can have it. He’ll be excited to hear from you. It’ll make him more included in whatever little group we’ve had going on.” He felt sick making himself say those words, but Amber’s bright smile made the pill easier to swallow.
“Okay, thank you. I was nervous he’d told you he secretly hated me or something. The look on your face when I asked- whoo!” William let out a small chuckle at that, turning to stare at the window next to their table so his face didn’t give him away again.

“No, gosh no. He would never say that.” He turned back to Amber, who was still smiling, clearly buzzing with excitement. Why couldn’t Matthew be better at seducing her, William grumbled, sticking out his hand, “I can put his number in for you, if you give me your phone.” Amber looked down at his outstretched hand for a moment before eagerly shoving her phone into his palm,

“Thank you! William, you’re the best. I’ve felt guilty all week, not getting the chance to talk to him personally about how much it meant to me.” Amber huffed in her excitement, already opening her phone to make a contact for Mark. “You know, the world needs more people like Mark, defending people even if they know they’re gonna get pummeled. He’s such a good guy.” William steeled his face, trying to keep his expression neutral on the topic of how great a person he thought his best friend was.

“You have no idea.”

__

Mark still had a shit eating grin plastered on his face while he flew home. Fighting his first real villain on his first patrol? It was unbelievable. But seeing that laser beam shoot through the building while he’d been flying by the bridge was divine timing. It had to be a sign.

Sure, throwing Kill Canon through a few buildings and tossing him around the city blocks was a little much, but who could blame him for being a little amped up? The fight hadn’t lasted very long, and though Mark still yearned for his first real challenge, he was grateful the C-lister hadn’t been somebody who pressed him. Without his Dad around, he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he were outmatched. He wasn’t a part of a team or anything yet.

He touched down smoothly into the back yard of his home, walking up the back steps and smirking when he remembered how he’d delivered a one-liner with his new superhero name. Hopefully, someone heard it, so the news could start giving him proper credit. “Invincible,” he muttered to himself, turning over the name in his mind with new scrutiny, as he pictured hearing it on the breaking news segment of tonight’s news. Well, that’s if he and William weren’t watching a movie already.

Shit. William. Mark whipped out his phone from where Art had sneakily included two padded pockets on his upper leg, swiping up on the screen to his messages. Surprisingly, he had one from an unnamed number, but he scrolled past it to William’s four unread messages:

hey btw i gave Amber ur number after school- she wanted to text you about Todd or something

so be prepared for that.
Oh, so that’s who the unnamed number was. Mark wondered what Amber would have to say. Whenever they spoke, she was always thoughtful and kind. Mark kind of admired her in a way. Plus, she was really pretty, Her hair, and those eyes… Mark felt his face heating up thinking about having to come up with an adequate response to whatever she said. Mark continued reading the messages:

also r we still hanging out tonight? no rush i know ur getting ur costume today but lmk

also also if we r what time should i come over? my mom wanted me to make dinner for her

Mark immediately began typing out a response, apologizing for taking so long. He felt guilty he’d forgotten about his other plans in the midst of his new superhero duties, but it wasn’t too late. His Dad had left in a hurry at Art’s, and it hadn’t been much of a fight against Kill Canon. He’d killed most of the last few hours flying around, testing his speed. He started typing out his response, hoping William wasn’t waiting up for him.

yes, we are still hanging out. you can’t get rid of me that easily.

i need to show you my new costume, if you haven’t seen it in the news already ;)

also u can come over whenever, my mom is cooking dinner right now if the smells coming from the kitchen are any indication, but please feel free to cook for your mom and eat with her :)

Mark waited a few moments to see if William would respond, but when his phone remained blank, he pushed the door open, calling out to his Mom,

“I’m home! Mom, guess what?” His mom turned to smile at him from where she was managing a saucepan on the stove, dressed in her usual green button-up and jeans, and a white apron.

“Welcome home, honey. Oh, I love your new suit. It’s very you. Now, what happened?”

“I fought my first supervillain! Well, technically second, but this is my first real one as Invincible!”

“Invincible? Seriously, that’s your name?” His mom laughed lightly at him until she saw the pointed glare Mark was giving her. “Fine, fine. I guess it has a nice sort of idealism about it. It’s cute, actually.” Mark let out a little hum of approval upon hearing his mother’s praise before walking over to the counter and sitting at one of the high tops.

“Is it okay if William comes over tonight? Please? Dad told me he had a mission or something to do tonight and probably wouldn’t be home until late, so it’ll be the same number of people in the house.” Mark made his voice pleading, knowing how his Mom hated last-minute plans and carefully planned her meal portions.

“Oh, of course he can, Mark. I’ve started making extra food over the last few months anyway. Just in case.”

“Thanks.”

“Anytime. That boy is practically family,” Mark felt a little weird hearing his Mom say that, watching her dip her finger in the pan of red sauce before trying it. “Hmm, too garlicky. Did your Dad tell you anything else about this mission? Usually, he tells me before he goes off for a while. That’s weird.” Mark shook his head no, and his mom sat and stirred for a while, occasionally adding a splash of milk into the pan and humming.

The absence of Nolan didn’t really bother Debbie, and he’d gone on plenty of escapades with no warning, but telling Mark and not her? Well, it probably wasn’t serious anyway. Maybe he needed some space with Mark going on his first patrol and all. Debbie knew how worried she was, with her son out there fighting crime, but she also knew how much Nolan had been affected by Mark getting his powers. She’d never seen him so worked up, and even though he hadn’t talked to her about it yet, she imagined he needed some time to process everything.

When the sauce finally tasted sweet enough for Debbie to feel comfortable pouring it over the roast she’d prepared, Mark had already started setting the table. The head of the table was left empty since Nolan wouldn’t be there, and Mark had set himself and William up next to each other on the right-hand side, like always. Debbie smiled, watching her son meticulously adjust the silverware, determined to get it right. She walked by him, setting down the plate of meat and returning to the kitchen when she saw a familiar-looking blue car pull into their driveway.

“Mark, honey, I think William’s here. You'd better hurry up and change. His car just pulled into the driveway.” She didn’t hear a reply, only the sound of silverware clattering as they dropped to the floor and the rushed steps of her son coming into the kitchen.

“Umm, Mom?” Debbie turned to her son, alarmed by the amount of nerves she heard in his voice. “Promise not to be mad? And also to wait to tell Dad until I get the chance to talk to him?” Debbie already felt herself sighing, knowing what Mark was about to say. So she nodded her head, waving for him to continue, “I kinda already told William I’m Invincible.” She did sigh then, disappointed, but not entirely surprised at her son’s amateur move.

“It’s not my fault, Mom, I swear! I told you I got my powers at work, I… just didn’t tell you he also happened to see that occur. He won’t tell anyone, I swear!” Debbie shook her head for a moment, steeling herself not to let something so small upset her. Of course, Mark would tell the people close to him about this.

“Does he know about your Dad, too?” She watched Mark’s face go blank and give a small nod. She laughed at the ridiculous expression, hoping she could ease some of her son’s obvious nerves, “Well, he might not like it at first, but I’m sure he’ll understand. Now go get William, Mark. It’s rude to keep people waiting.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied quickly, scurrying out through the front door to retrieve his friend.

Debbie could only continue shaking her head, laughing to herself at how stupid Mark was sometimes. She supposed it was kinda cute that he still had that kind of friendship in his life. Every superhero needed someone they could come home and be normal with. Or maybe in Mark’s comeback to school and be normal with. Whatever worked for her son.

“Good evening, Mrs. Grayson! Thanks for having me over again.” William’s familiar greeting drew her from where she’d been stacking vegetables onto a plate. The similar tension in his voice to Mark’s a moment ago told her he’d been briefed on her finding out about his recent discovery.

“Enough with that. You’ve been here enough times that I practically plan for it. Come to the dining room, we’re almost finished setting up.” Mark, who had been standing silently behind William, took the lead now, directing them to the table. As if William needed any guidance to find his way around the Grayson household.

“Well, thanks. I’ just glad I didn’t hold you guys up. I had to cook some pasta and chicken for my mom when she gets home. I left it labelled in the fridge, so maybe she’ll find it beneath the piles of leftovers.” Debbie laughed at the teenager's joke, not letting the pang of sadness she felt thinking of their family take her from the moment.

“Well, you're never an imposition to us, William. And you know,” she kicked Mark under the table as they all sat down, trying to get his attention for her next few words, “your mother is always invited here as well. I don't get to see her very often anymore, but we’d love to have her.” The sharp stare Mark had been shooting her after kicking him disappeared, replaced with something like shame. He’d never thought to extend the invite to Mrs. Clockwell, since William didn’t like opening up about his family too much. That sentiment only became more apparent as William rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

“Oh, that’s sweet. You don’t have to do that. Besides, she’s always busy with work anyway. When she gets home, all she wants to do is eat and sleep.” He tried laughing it off again, but Debbie remained firm in her offer, “Well, please, let her know she’s always welcome. We’d love to treat her to a nice dinner.” William offered a weak nod and smile, so she let the topic drop, letting Mark recount his run-in with Kill Canon.

“Ohh, so that’s why you’re still wearing the suit. I was wondering why you greeted me in spandex.”

Debbie thought she saw Mark blush, shaking his head at William’s comment, “What? Dude! Come on. You said you liked it when I showed you outside.”

“I mean, I do. Don’t get me wrong. It’s just not very casual wear. Also, are you sure you should be wearing that so nonchalantly outside? If you’re gonna end up in the news for this Kill Canon person, people are gonna start to recognize you, ya know. Gotta stay vigilant.”

Mark grumbled, clearly unhappy with the lackluster response he’d been getting to his official debut as Invincible. “Fine. I guess you’re right.”

“Oh, cheer up, sweetie. You look great. And we’ll have plenty more headlines about you to celebrate in the future. So let’s eat!” William cheered at that, and Mark let out a timid smile, grateful to be surrounded by people who supported him.

Their dinner passed with comfortable chatter about what William had been up to in school, and how the two were managing their senior schedules with all the college applications they had to do on top of it.

“Well, it’s only gonna get worse for poor Mark over here once the soccer season starts.” Mark groaned, cupping his head between his arms.

“There’s no way I’m doing that this season. Between my job, applications, and being Invicible, I won’t make a single practice. Ryan’s gonna be pissed.” William snickered at Mark trying to casually use his new superhero title, but Debbie chastised Mark before he could respond, “Watch your language at the table, please. Invincible.” Debbie couldn’t hold in her laughter then as William started laughing too, and Mark could only feel his face heat as he ate his food. So much for support.

When they had all finished eating, Debbie offered to pack up some leftovers for William to take home, and he reluctantly accepted the offer. His mom would appreciate it, though he probably wouldn’t tell her where it came from. After Debbie had carefully packaged and wrapped a plate of the meat and vegetables, she left her son and his friend to do the dishes, using the remote sitting on the coffee table to begin browsing for their movie.

“Which rom-com were you guys thinking?” She waited for an answer and thought she could hear William chuckling again in the kitchen before she heard a tentative response from Mark, “Um, we were thinking about,” he paused like he had to remember, “Mamma Mia?” The way he phrased it was more like a question, and gave away who the true impetus behind the question was.

“Sounds good to me. I haven’t seen a Meryl Streep film in a while.”

“Neither have I!” William called back from the kitchen, and she laughed, sitting herself on the armchair next to the couch, to give the two boys some space. They talked in the room, and everyone bundled themselves in blankets, staving off the chill creeping in from the cool air outside. Debbie knew, after many years of living up north, that the more frigid nights were the first rumblings of Autumn’s incoming march. She looked forward to their first snow day.
Surprisingly, Mark was silent throughout most of the movie, apparently engrossed in each moment and ABBA ballad that played out, and Debbie noticed William watching her son with an equal amount of fascination. Behold the power of Meryl Streep, she thought humoursly to herself, bewithching even the most powerful superheroes on the planet. A cold feeling in her stomach settled when she realized she’d referred to Mark as one of the most powerful people on the planet, and suddenly the musical Greek dramedy playing out on her TV wasn’t very entertaining anymore.

“Well, I hope you two boys will excuse me, but this old woman needs some sleep. I had a long day at the office, and as great a film this may be, I think sleep is what I need to be focused on.”

Mark, still clad in his suit, stood up from where he’d melted into the couch to hug her, and William smiled and waved her goodnight from the couch as she retreated to her bedroom upstairs.

The two left continued to finish the movie in silence; Mark only made soft sounds of wonder whenever someone hit a high note. When the final note had been sung, the two were left in a state of stunned silence. Well, mostly Mark. William had seen the movie plenty of times and thought it was fantastic; his exhaustion had begun to win out over his interest about halfway through. He’d only stayed downstairs when Debbie announced her departure because he knew Mark was enamored. For some reason, seeing the simple child-like passion Mark had for a good movie wasn’t something he was willing to take away. And it was better than being forced to watch another shitty superhero movie.

And before he could stop himself from saying it, he felt the words pour out of him when Mark turned to him with wide eyes that asked what could possibly follow that, “You know there’s a second one.”

“Really?! We have to watch it. That was so good!” Mark was leaning forward toward him, already willing to do whatever it took to secure his bag, and William felt himself smiling, despite the exhaustion.

“Yeah, okay, fine. But get off,” He shoved Mark off from where he had been climbing over William’s stretched out legs, back to his corner of the couch.

“Fine, fine. But if the movie gets emotional, don’t come crawling over here for emotional support.” Mark kicked his feet back up on the coffee table and grabbed the remote, feverishly pressing down on the small buttons to search for the sequel. Once he found it, he was of a one-track mind, staring at the screen like nothing else mattered.

For William, though, much like the first movie, he’d already seen this one, and the repetition made his mind numb. He felt his weariness creeping in, and before he knew it, what had started as long blinks and occasional yawns led to him passing out. Mark didn’t notice until nearly the end, when he turned toward his friend after laughing at one of the jokes, only to find William curled up in sleep. A part of him felt bad he’d kept his friend, but watching his face, lit only by the glare of the TV and silver streaks of moon coming in, was worth it. He’d been stressed out all week, with his labs and quizzes, so seeing him so at ease made Mark’s heart warm. Life could feel calmer for both of them, it seemed, when they were together.

He turned the TV off, movie forgotten, and gently slid William’s blanket off of him before cradling his friend under his legs and his neck, flying them upstairs into his room. Once he landed at the head of the bed, he lay William down as softly as he could, stopping only to tuck his friend in and close the curtains. William was soundless throughout, inhaling quietly as he lay motionless on the mattress. Mark found his own sleepiness creeping up, a heavy sluggishness overtaking his limbs. It’d been a day full of schoolwork, fighting crime, and watching movies, and the late hour was catching up with him.

The clock on his nightstand read that it was almost thirty minutes past midnight, and Mark groaned as he flopped on the bed, mindful not to disturb William. He might’ve hoped to muster the strength to change or shower, but the comfort of the mattress and warmth his suit provided proved more tempting. Letting himself relax completely into his pillow, he felt himself close his eyes, briefly wondering where his Dad could still be at this hour and what he should respond to Amber’s message with before drifting off to sleep.

Neither of them knew that across the country, a man named Cecil Steadman was just receiving news that the Guardians of the Globe were dead.

Chapter Text

Debbie woke up in her bed to find the other side empty. Still, she’d waited up for Nolan as long as she could, but sleep must’ve overtaken her at some point. She rubbed the grogginess from her eyes, rolling over to slip on her robe and slide into her slippers before heading downstairs. She heard some noise coming from Mark’s room, but didn’t say anything, opting to give the boys some privacy. Only when she made it downstairs and was staring off into space, sipping her coffee, waiting for her toast, did she notice William’s car was no longer in their driveway. Damn, they got up early, Debbie thought. It was barely past eight thirty am, and for two teenage boys on a weekend, that was impressive. Mark was never an early bird, so that definitely had to be William’s influence.

She tried to let her increasing worry about Nolan ease with her shower, but the hot water and thick steam only made her feel worse. Like everything was pressing in. She felt deep down that she knew something was wrong, but she’d had the feeling before and been wrong. It could mean nothing. She was looking for her keys in her purse after donning her trenchcoat, ready to run some errands, when Mark finally padded downstairs, dressed in a fresh pair of khakis and a t-shirt.

“Hey, Mom,” Mark turned off the stairs and walked up to her, his face falling as he saw the expression on her face, ‘What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just missing your Dad. He didn’t come home last night.”

“Mom. Stop worrying. He probably just got buried under a mountain again or something.” Debbie tried to let the truth of the words sink in, to no avail.

“Hm. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time.” Mark had started walking towards the kitchen, and Debbie headed to the door, her mind still distracted. It was so unlike Nolan to not tell her about a mission and then be gone for so long. And what could keep him away if he’d anticipated it? She was so distracted that when she didn’t see William’s car parked in their driveway waiting for Mark, she worried the other boy had already left for school, forgetting the previous night.

“Don’t be late for school,” she called out absentmindedly, barely noticing the confused look plastered on Mark’s face before she opened the door to find two men in black suits standing in her doorway. She couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her, and immediately heard Mark start walking over. She was more scared than she’d liked to admit in that moment. It wasn't the men. No, she’d seen them before. It was where they came from. The GDA. And if the GDA was sending agents to her home at this hour, with Nolan gone for so long, it could only mean her worst fears had been realized.

__

Mark didn’t know how he felt. For some reason, the most immediate thought on his mind was that he wished he’d packed more appropriately. When his mom told him to change into something he could wear on a plane, he’d picked out his usual school clothes, too worried about what was going on to think much. Now that he was here, a few hours in a jet later, at the Pentagon, he felt underdressed. William would’ve known what to pack. Too bad he left this morning for one of the tutoring sessions he had to run. Where did that boy find the time?

Mark felt surprised, too. Yeah, he definitely felt a little shocked. Besides the fact that his Dad had never mentioned the GDA at all to him, despite it clearly being a major force in the superhero world, took him off guard. Didn’t he trust Mark enough to tell him this stuff? Clearly, the GDA knew about Mark since Donald had mentioned something about working with Invincible one day. But that initial, surface-level shock seemed plain compared to how he felt when he laid eyes on his Dad’s mangled form. Bruised, beaten, and battered, unlike anything Mark had ever seen. To see his hero, his father, so helpless and vulnerable… it made Mark feel uncertain in a way he never had.

Then there was Cecil. The stern, balding old man who claimed to be the head of whatever secret agency the GDA was. He was the one who broke the news about the Guardian's murder to Mark, and Mark hadn't really processed that yet. The image of his Dad still occupied his mind, searing itself into his memories. The world’s greatest heroes, all felled in a single night. Who could’ve done it, he kept asking himself. A mix of fear and morbid curiosity kept the question floating on the outskirts of his mind as he listened to the beeping hospital machines.

He was still staring at his mom, who was demanding to be brought an assortment of things to take care of Nolan, when Donald, the stout man who appeared to be Cecil’s assistant, started talking about a developing situation in a nearby city. The mention of casualties and the escalating violence struck him as he looked down at his Dad’s unmoving figure, and he knew what he had to do. He knew what his Dad would want him to do. His legs began moving to follow Cecil out of the room, ready to offer his help before he knew what he was doing. Cecil, apparently, already had duplicates of his costume standing by. Of course, they knew about Art.

Part of him felt guilty for leaving his mother alone so soon after she’d discovered his Dad in the hospital, but this was his life now. His duty. He needed to protect Earth. So he did. The fight had been brutal, but thankfully, the Tenn Team had shown up. Atom Eve seemed kind, at least, and she’d managed to keep him alive. Barely. And Robot had outsmarted whatever the hell those bug creatures had been. Maybe he’d look back one day and realize how cool it was to team up with the likes of Dupli-Kate and Rex Sploade for the first time.

But now, the mutilated body of the old woman he hadn’t been able to save floated in his mind, flashing with the gory image of his Dad’s own disfigured body. Just last night, he’d been laughing and watching musicals with his best friend, and now… this morning alone, he’d seen more violence and pain with his own eyes than he’d seen his entire life. It left him drained and empty, and when that nothingness faded, he felt tears come back to his eyes. Deep down, he’d always subconsciously known he’d never be able to save everyone, but experiencing his own powerlessness in the face of such threats horrified him. It was crushing to know that for all his strength, for all his Dad’s strength, they were not truly invincible. No one was.

He continued staring off into silence, listening to the whirring of machines and the sounds of his Mom gently applying cold towels to his Dad. He let her work in silence, watching as he held his mask in his hands and felt the blood dry on his suit and face. For some reason, he didn’t have the strength to make himself change. It’d been hours.

Mark lost track of time in the hospital, finally changing clothes at his Mom’s insistence, and spending the night with his Mom in the room. He didn’t like the crowded feeling in the small hospital room, so he took Donald’s offer to sleep in another waiting room. The new linen clothes and shower had done much to cleanse his body, but Mark swore he could still smell the blood on him. Feel the hot, sticky liquid running down him. He stared at the ceiling, trying to understand how so much had gone wrong so quickly, until his eyes grew heavy and he woke up under fluorescent lights. He only returned home a day later only so he could attend school at his mother’s wishes. Mark never thought he could hate flying, but the flight he took back to school was miserable. It didn’t help that he kept getting lost.

__

To say William was worried was an understatement. He’d spent his Saturday morning tutoring a freshman whose name he couldn’t remember and the rest of his day carefully meal planning for the week, gratefully accounting for the leftovers Mrs. Grayson had given him. His mom had finally started being scheduled for more normal hours, and William wanted to make sure that when she came home, she’d have something to eat. He bought the ingredients to make lasagna, chicken kebabs, and stir fry. That was all peaceful and relaxing.

What was not relaxing was waking up to unanswered texts from Mark and then seeing him on the morning news, fighting some alien invasion. William had been worried sick watching the footage of Mark fly around and get shot at with lasers, thankful the headline had spoiled the ending by telling him there were no hero casualties- only civilian ones. William remembered feeling relieved after the coverage continued to show an absence of significant damage, but that too faded. With each passing hour, and each call and text gone unanswered by Mark, asking where he was and if he was okay, William grew more paranoid. What if his friend had been kidnapped? Killed? Possessed? Had the aliens come back? Sure, the attack was on the East Coast, but how had William not seen the story before? He vowed never to go to bed before ten pm again. He was only seventeen, damn it, he could stay up to make sure Mark was alive.

His stress reached its zenith only on Monday morning, when there was still no word from Mark. He’d waited outside the Graysons’ house for as long as he could without risking being late, but his fears grew worse when he saw that the Graysons’ car was still in the driveway. What had happened? Sure enough, the object of his worries appeared before him, and William spotted Mark trudging through the halls in his usual get-up, walking toward him, with no backpack and staring at the floor sullenly, like someone had died. Well, for Mark, some people actually had died, William realized. His friend was now officially on the front lines for Earth’s defense.

“Hey, Mark!” He called out, but his friend’s head didn’t even twitch. He was too lost in his own thoughts to be aware of what was going on. As he watched Mark draw near, he saw his usually polite and courteous friend unintentionally bump into several people, earning him a barrage of snide comments and looks.

“Mark!” He called again, hoping the closer distance would make his efforts more fruitful. It did not. “Maark!” He called a final time, drawing out the vowel with a note of impatience to distinguish his cry from the sea of other voices in the hallway Mark must’ve been drowning out. His friend finally seemed to hear him, slowing down and stopping in front of William, but refusing to look up. Now that William could get a good look at his face, the frustration and anxiety that had bubbled over the last few days disappeared. There were bags under his friend's eyes, and his face looked sunken in, like he hadn’t been sleeping. His clothes were rumpled, and perhaps the most alarming clue was that his precious hair was a little disheveled.

“Whoa,” William let out, “Are you okay?” The instinct to comfort Mark overwhelmed every other feeling and question he had been mulling over, and that instinct only flared when Mark looked up and he saw his friend’s hollow gaze.

“My Dad, uh,” Mark looked away, struggling for his words, “He got attacked.” Mark didn’t elaborate, and the monotone delivery left William scrambling to try and understand what his friend was going through.

“What?! You’re kidding?” William knew he wasn’t, but the shock of the reveal, of Omni-Man being attacked, had William buffering. When Mark just remained silent, he tried coming up with more words. What on earth could attack Omni-Man and leave his son so shell-shocked?

“Oh god, you’re not kidding. I-Is he okay? What happened?” William tried to make his voice even, figuring that piling his own hysteria on top of Mark’s would do nothing to aid his friend.

“He’s in the hospital. They’re uh, they’re doing their best but i-it’s messed up, buddy. He’s really hurt.” William heard a sadness in Mark’s voice he never had before, even when his grandma had died, and when he stared into those brown irises, they swam with emotion. Oh god, William thought, Mark never cried. Not really. Definitely not at school. He was usually the crybaby of the two. He wanted to reach out and hug his friend, but something about Mark’s defensive posture told him that wouldn’t be a good idea. He’d probably had enough negative physical contact in the last few days to quench any thirst for that.

“Jesus, Mark, I’m so sorry. D-did they catch who did it?” William realized they had to speak in a sort of code, and his mind burned with questions about who could’ve taken down Omni-Man. And for Mark to see his father, whom he idolized, beaten so badly…

“No, not yet.”

“Well, speaking as someone who’s been attacked in this stupid city, I’m here for you.” William didn’t like talking about that time he’d been jumped, but anything he could say to make Mark feel less alone, he’d say, “Whatever you need. You wanna talk, I’ll listen. You and Debbie need a lasagna? I make a good one. Actually, I make a great one.” William knew he was rambling, but he thought the small smile he’d brought to Mark’s face during his speech was a good sign until Mark suddenly snapped his head away.

William turned to follow his stare, and his eyes landed on where Eve was standing, surrounded by her friends. The non-loser ones. Great.

“Eve Wilkins…” Mark murmured quietly, like he was having a realization he needed to keep to himself.

“What? Um, yeah. That’s her.” William wanted to roll his eyes at the interruption, but if Eve, his tutor, was what made Mark feel better right now, then that was something William could tolerate.

“I need to talk to her.” The urgency in Mark’s voice bothered William for some reason, and he tried making a jab out of it, “Ha. You and all the other straight boys in a ten-mile radius. Good luck with that.” William knew Eve tutored Mark, but as far as he was aware, they didn’t really talk outside of that space unless they saw each other at events. It was odd that Mark wanted to walk up to her in the halls. And his lack of reaction to William's labelling straight also irked him. Mark started walking toward Eve, ignoring him, so William threw in one final remark before admitting defeat. School ended in an hour or so anyway. “And didn’t you just get your ass kicked last week for Amber Bennett?” William wanted to add something about Mark needing to text her back, since Amber had told him Mark hadn’t, but he didn’t want to air Amber out like that. And also, maybe a response from Mark should wait. At least until he was in a better place.

He stood back and stared as his friend approached the redhead, reading their lips as best he could. They waved and said hello and talked for a few seconds before Eve made a surprised face, and they whispered something to each other. Mark looked as nervous as he always did, trying to make conversation with her, with one hand on the back of his neck and the other in his pocket. What a dork, William thought scornfully, watching as Eve led him down the hall and outside.

Just as he was about to turn and walk to his next class, he bumped into Amber.

“Oh, William. Hi, there. I was meaning to ask you about something.”

“Hey, Amber. What’s up? If it’s about Mark, he just left with Eve to talk about something.”

“That’s fine, actually. I think I’ll want to talk to him later. Anyway, I overheard these two girls talking about how Mark took a bunch of punches or something again from Todd for a second time. Is that true?” William wondered why she was so interested in Mark getting his ass beat, but he didn’t linger on it,

“Uh, yeah. It is. Todd punched him and kind of failed at it. So he left.” When he looked at Amber’s face, she had a faraway look and a faint smile, like she was picturing Mark getting hurt in her defense again. William didn’t really find it all that entertaining, and he needed to get to his final class.

“Huh. Well, I’ll have to ask him about it next time I see him. See ya!” Amber waved and started walking again, leaving William a little confounded at their interaction. He knew Mark was cute, obviously, but where did Amber’s sudden interest come from? If only Mark didn’t feel the need to play hero all the time… Well, at least he didn’t have to worry about having to watch Amber try and talk with Mark at lunch. Ever since Marcee told Tood about Amber, the group didn’t really sit together, and Mark and William had gone back to sitting at their own table. Maybe Amber would realize Matthew was still following her around like a puppy.

__

Mark was feeling better. The talk with Eve and his mom helped. Being a hero was new, but he wasn’t alone. The Teen Team had all been in his shoes, and Eve had confessed that she still got nervous before fighting. He knew he couldn’t save everyone. He just had to come to terms with that. It also helped that his Dad was getting better. At least, that’s what the doctors thought. He was probably going to be okay, they told them, it was just a matter of when.

Meeting the Teen Team officially had also been cool. Who knew their headquarters was on the bridge? Seeing Rex and Eve kiss was not Mark’s favorite part of the tour, but playing ping pong with Dupli-Kate and getting asked to assist them by Robot was nice. And it gave him a new excuse to text Eve. Lots of girls in his phone lately, he thought, smiling to himself, as he flew back home from the GDA hospital. After bumping into Amber at the lockers before school ended, he’d finally texted her back, letting her know he'd take a punch for her anytime, and that Todd was a douchebag. She’d texted him something else, but he’d waited to respond so he didn’t seem too eager, and his mind was also more occupied by the fact that Eve had finally followed him back on Instagram. She’d joked earlier that she couldn’t follow her tutorees back and Rex would get mad, but Mark was secretly proud that his superhero reveal had earned him some points with her.

As he touched back down in his background, using the key hidden beneath the rug to unlock the door, he whipped out his phone and opened the fridge. He’d eaten the leftovers his mom had prepared earlier, but something about all the flying around with Eve earlier and the back and forth between home and the hospital made him hungry. Maybe he needed to follow up with Will about that lasagna offer. He slammed the fridge door shut and walked upstairs, opting to try to sleep off his hunger. He could get something in the morning with Will when he picked him up. Shit, he scolded himself, he needed to text him and make sure Will was still good to pick him up. After running off with Eve in the hallway, he’d realized he hadn't talked to William in a few days. He needed to catch up with him, especially after seeing how supportive he’d been today. William wasn’t sincere very often, but when he was, it was touching.
Opening his messages, he saw William had texted him about Amber wanting to talk to him, and wishing him luck saving the world. Mark smiled as he began typing, ignoring the part about Amber:

Hey man, sorry I’ve been busy. Can you still drive me to school tomorrow? No worries, if not, I can fly now :)

He only had to wait a few moments before the three dots appeared, and he began peeling off his clothes as he set the phone down, ready to get the smell of the hospital off of him and into bed.

okay fly then. better yet fly me!

jking but yea i can still pick u up tmrw. sorry ur life sucks right now, happy to be of service

im here for u man <3

Mark’s smile widened as he pulled up his pajama pants, and he grabbed the phone from where it was resting on his bed, hearting the messages, getting ready to type out what he’d seen today. He didn’t know if it was his place to reveal what he now knew to be Eve and Rex’s secret identities, but he knew he wanted to tell someone about his first superhero team-up. It was a lot to text anyway, so Mark just ended up calling William, and William, despite having already turned his lights off, stayed up to listen to his best friend nerd out about the world’s fourth-favorite super hero team, and flying around with Atom Eve. He listened to him talk about visiting his Dad in the hospital, and eventually Mark confessed that all the Guardians had been killed in a brutal attack. William had to hide his shock and fear, doing his best to gently reassure Mark that everything was okay and he was doing great as a rookie.

The call, at least, made Mark feel better, and he went to bed easier than he had in a couple of nights. William went to bed anxious for the new life his friend had been dropped into, and dreading whatever was out there that put Omni-Man in a coma and slaughtered the Guardians. Well, at least Mark was talking to them. And they’d have lots to discuss on their morning recap.

__

“Ugh, we’re just friends!” Mark was fed up with William’s teasing about sneaking off with Eve. It’d been going on all this morning and two days before that, and William knew it bothered Mark even more than it normally would because he actually had a thing for Eve. At least that’s what he was trying to scope out. Exposure therapy, or something like that. If he acted like Mark, blushing at even the mention of Eve’s name bothered him, then eventually it wouldn’t.

“Will you stop saying that?! It’s like you're trying to jinx any chance you have of dating Eve.” Hopefully, he was, Will thought.

“A day ago, you said I had no chance!” Came Mark’s frustrated reply, as he pointed an accusing finger at Will. They’d already talked this topic to death, and Mark was bothered by William’s insistence on his crush with Eve, even if it was very much real. Mark wished William would let them talk about something else, but the blonde hadn’t finished beating this particular horse, yet it seemed. Their conversation was happening over the world’s most mediocre spaghetti and meatballs, and William couldn’t find it within himself to eat it all. The topic of conversation and lack of heat in the food really killed his appetite.

“That was before everyone saw you leave school with her the other day.” William watched Mark’s sheepish reaction, looking around before leaning forward,

“Everyone saw that?” Mark sounded worried, which William took as a cue to nod his head in confirmation. The truth was, the only person he knew who actually saw it was Amber, and he only knew that because he watched Amber watch Mark disappear with Eve. So two people counted as everyone. “It doesn’t matter,” Mark continued, sounding defensive, “She already has a boyfriend.” The dejected look on Mark’s face made William aggravated in ways he didn’t want to unpack,

“So? You can be more awesome than him and take his place. That’s how dating works. Why are you so intimidated by her? I mean, yeah, she’s amazing and you’re you, but come on. ” William wanted to dig into what specifically Mark found attractive about Eve, curious for more than reason about his friend’s infatuation, but before he could get an answer, Mark’s phone buzzed and he abruptly stood up. “Thanks for that, William.” Mark rolled his eyes before grabbing his stuff. “I gotta go.” William shot him a look, and Mark pointed to the door and mouthed ‘Teen Team,’ so William just shook his head in understanding before frowning down at his friend’s abandoned plate.

Being friends with him was easy, but being good friends with Mark was hard. He sounded bitter and detached every time they talked about Mark’s prospects, but it would be weird if they never talked about them at all. Well, Mark never seemed interested in talking about Rick, so maybe it wasn't that weird, but William was supposed to give Mark good advice when it came to women.

But it wasn’t like William had ever forgotten about what they’d done, but clearly Mark didn’t have that many issues moving on. Maybe he really had just been testing the waters. William didn’t like thinking about that possibility, so he just stabbed his fork at one of Mark’s uneaten meatballs, chewing the food in both his hands before forcing himself to swallow. His lunch alone was only interrupted by the introduction of Amber to the table. She sat down quickly and had a fierce look about her that made William sit up straight.

“Is Mark dating Eve Wilkins?” She asked, her eyes staring straight at William.

“He wishes,” William grumbled, only to notice the look on Amber’s face. “I mean no. He’s not. She’s got a boyfriend or something, and he’s single at the moment.” Amber seemed pleased to have the confirmation, but William didn’t want to let her leave without asking some of his own questions.

“Why the sudden interest? I mean, I know he took a few hits for you, but did that seriously do it for you?” Amber laughed slightly at the tone in his question, looking around and leaning in before answering, like it was some secret,

“I mean kinda. He was always cute, but after seeing him more in our classes together and out of school… I don’t know. He’s kinda adorable.” William knew exactly what she meant, but he nodded his head slowly so it was more encouraging than agreeing, “ I guess I just kinda like the idea that someone cares about me enough to fight for me. Even if they don’t know me that well.” Amber’s voice was genuine and full of emotion before she perked up, “Besides, homecoming is coming up, and I don’t want to go alone in my senior year. And clearly, Mark is into girls, so that makes me available. Thanks, Will. See you at the meeting today!” Amber took off before he could say anything else, and he sat mulling over her words for the rest of lunch.

Homecoming was approaching, and Will hadn’t even thought about it. Last year, and every year in high school, he and Mark had gone as friends, Mark jokingly lamenting every time that he’d have a girl to take next year. But he never did. In fact, William had ended cswerving the efforts of Rick last fall in an effort not to ditch Mark. Not that his friend would make that effort this year, if Amber or Eve asked him out. Pfft, William laughed bitterly to himself. Mark would leap at the chance to finally take a girl out. There would be no hesitation, no questions asked, and no accusations of plotting. Nope. It would be simple and easy, and William would have to watch as Mark, clearly interested in women, danced and took photos with someone who wasn’t him. And who could blame Amber? Whenever she’d probed him about something else going on between him and Mark, he’d always denied, claiming Mark was straight and they were just friends. Guess that was true, in a way. William grabbed his stuff and left the cafeteria, dumping both trays out and heading to class. He ignored the text from Mark talking about an alien invasion and messaged Amber that he couldn’t make their club meeting. He didn’t really want to talk to her about what he’d be writing for their next issue. His mind was too clouded to brainstorm.

__

Mark was sitting in his bed, silently staring at the ceiling. He was thinking about the aliens again, and how close he’d come to letting Eve die today. Seeing that mask on her, leaving her so helpless, and that alien pointing a gun at her… it chilled Mark so much he almost froze. Until hot fury poured through and he’d been able to break free. And after Robot had managed to figure out how their wristbands work, it’d been an easy finish. Hopefully, they wouldn’t be back this time.

But if they were, his Dad would be there. Knowing that he was awake and that everything was fine with him… it felt good. The deep sense of safety and security Mark always felt, knowing his Dad was around, was finally restored. It’d been missing the last week or so, and Mark hadn’t realized how much it’d disturbed him until he’d gotten to hug his Dad again.

An ache still lingered, though. Knowing Mya, the old woman, had truly died, it was upsetting. He knew it was dumb, but Mark felt personally responsible in some way. He’d been the one to not take her off the battlefield in time and then bring her to the hospital. And no one had seen it except Eve, if she even remembered. He didn’t think he wanted to talk to her anymore about how unprepared he felt for this new life. Otherwise, she might start to think he wasn’t cut out for it. But Mark just needed time, he told himself. It was part of the job, like his Dad told him.

Maybe he could go talk to William. He’d probably be up, since it was a Thursday night, and apparently, to him, that meant it was already Friday. Will probably wouldn’t understand, but he’d at least try and sympathize. And Mark thought, oddly enough, it would be nice to talk to someone so removed from the superhero life. He didn’t want to hear that it was ‘just part of the job’ or ‘been there done that’. Sure, that had its own merit, but Mark still felt like a kid. It wasn’t just a job to him; it was his life’s dream, and every time he went out there, it felt like more and more of a nightmare.

Rising from his bed, he went over to his window, lifting it with ease before flying out. He figured sending a text would be useless, since he could be there faster than Will would respond. Lately, he’d been taking a lot longer to respond. Probably just the early action college application deadlines coming up. Mark tried not to think about it.

He spotted William’s house far out; the familiar two-story grey building came closer as he followed past the front and toward the back, where he knew William’s bedroom window would be.

As he floated outside the window pane, he watched his friend curled up in bed, hastily typing away on his keyboard, eyes trained on the screen emitting blue light. Will was wearing those ridiculous blue light glasses he’d bought a few weeks back, and Mark watched for a few moments as his hair tumbled over the frames when he leaned over to grab his water bottle on the nightstand. The anxious look on his friend’s face made Mark smile slightly, and he started gently knocking on the window. At least he wasn’t suffering alone.

Mark smiled even more when he saw his friend nearly leap from the covers, knocking his water bottle over and rushing to grab it before it hit the floor. William placed the bottle back on his nightstand, walking over to the door and pushing his decorative glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Mark stared at his friend as he struggled to slide the window up. He was wearing nothing but an oversized Upstate sweatshirt that Mark was pretty sure was his at some point, and a pair of boxer shorts. Mark chose to stay hanging in the cool night air for a few more seconds before finally accepting William’s hand and ducking under the windowsill.

“So,” William turned to him as Mark gently slid the window back into place, “Are you gonna tell me why you’re here? Are you okay? Should I prepare to be a therapist, or a friend, or a chef, or…” Mark turned and looked at his friend, scratching the back of his neck and shooting the shorter boy a grin.

“Uh, I don’t really know. All of the above?”

William sighed but pulled Mark’s sleeve, leading him to the edge of the bed and gesturing for him to sit. “Wait here. I have some of those chips you like.” William walked downstairs, leaving Mark to watch his retreating figure. About five minutes passed until William came back, and Mark spent the time staring around William’s room, trying to remember the last time they’d slept over here. It’d been a while.

“Looks cleaner than I remember it,” Mark commented as William sat on the opposite side of the bed, handing Mark a half-eaten bag of his favorite potato chips. “Thanks.”

William only nodded before fully facing Mark, crossing his legs and bracing his hands on his thighs. Mark’s eyes stayed on William’s hands for a beat until his friend cleared his throat. “So what’s going on, buddy? Hero stuff? I saw the attack on the news. Left you a text.”

Mark chuckled weakly, looking around the room to avoid staring at the place where the too-big sweatshirt hung off William’s shoulder. Weeks had passed with no incident, and they’d both agreed on just friends at the moment. Until Mark figured… whatever was going on out.

“Oh, yeah. I saw that. Thanks. And sorry I didn’t text before coming,” Mark turned toward William fully now, kicking off his shoes, and pulling his legs to his chest as he fully sat on the bed, bag of chips forgotten. William remained silent, waiting for him to continue. “I guess I just, ugh, I don’t know. It’s so hard, Will.” Mark had his face in his hands now, and he felt his throat tightening, the images of all those limp bodies piled on the street flashing through his mind. He felt William’s hand on his forearm and exhaled, letting the memory pass through him. He’d saved people, too.

“I can’t stop thinking about all the dead people, Will. All the ones I couldn’t save. And I know I saved people, too. I know that. But there was this one woman I-” Mark felt his voice break, and for the first time since finding out about the news, he let himself cry for Mya. “Her name was Mya, and she got really hurt and I-I brought her to the hospital, but she didn’t make it.” Mark managed to spit out his words before a stronger wave of emotion wrecked his bodyand he felt William’s arm wrap around him. “She died today, Will,” he sniffled out tears and snot running down his face, “I don’t even know if her family got to see her before.”

William didn’t say anything except continue to rub a circle on Mark’s back, squeezing him tightly and letting Mark soil his own borrowed sweatshirt. Mark relaxed a little after a few minutes, wrapping his arms around William and pressing his face into his friend's chest.

“I’m so sorry, Mark. I know it’s supposed to be your job or whatever, but I’m sorry you have to see that. And I’m sorry that woman died.” William patted Mark’s back again before pulling back to stare his friend in the eye. “But think about it, okay. You did all you could do. For all those people. There’s no would’ve, could’ve, should’ve because you’re the one actually out there on the frontlines. You are a hero, Mark. And you’re more than super because you actually care. I know it hurts, but it’s a good thing to care about these people. That’s what makes what you do meaningful anyway, right?”

“Yeah, it is,” Mark grumbled, wiping the snot from his nose, before staring at William again. “Sorry for ruining my sweatshirt there.” William smiled, and Mark felt himself cheering up again,

“Pfft. Like you even noticed it was gone. I’ve had this thing for months. You can have it back now, though, if you want.” Mark laughed, shaking his head. Seeing William practically draped in his clothes amused him more than it should, and the thought of William carrying a part of him around when he wasn’t there was comforting. Like knowing the sun would always rise, Will would be thinking of him.

“No, you can keep it. I’ve got plenty more that my Mom’s given me over the years. She hasn’t really been subtle about wanting me to go to college, even if my powers developed.” William smiled lightly, and Mark remembered he had more he wanted to talk about, “Oh, I almost forgot. My Dad is out of the hospital! He’s a little sore, but he’s finally back at the house.”

“Mark!” William slapped his arm playfully, “How could you forget? Why didn’t you lead with that? That’s amazing news!” Mark smiled again, the sting of his previous woes disappearing with every passing moment he spent with William.

“I know, I know. I’m still a little worried, though. They haven’t found out who did it, and he’s not back to full strength yet.”

“Well, I’m sure he will be soon enough. He was in a coma only a few days ago, and now he’s up and walking!”

“And talking,” Mark added.

“And talking! See, soon enough, he’ll be able to tell everyone what he remembers.”

“If he remembers anything. He hasn't said a word about it, yet.” Mark knew it was stupid to expect such a thing from his Dad, but part of him thought it was strange his Dad claimed not to remember anything. What could’ve happened?

“Yeah, well, cut him some slack. He might be a lot more experienced than you, but he just got his ass kicked. And probably watched his friends die. Might be the coma, but he could also be repressing a lot of stuff intentionally. He’s not invincible either, ya know?” Mark chuckled, scratching the back of his head again before flopping onto William’s pillows.

“I guess you’re right. I hadn’t thought about that.”

“I know. I’m always right,” William plopped down next to him in the bed, flipping over and resting his head on one arm to peer down at Mark. “By the way, I think Amber wants to go to homecoming with you.”

“What?!” Mark sat straight up, a bewildered and confused expression plastered on his face. “Really? I mean, she has been texting me more. And she talked to me by the lockers the other day…” Mark stared off into space for a moment before William cut him off,

“Yup. And she also totally came to our lunch table after you left today to ask if you were dating Eve Wilkins. I told her no…” Mark groaned and grabbed a pillow from behind him, hitting William lightly across the face.

“And that would be the CORRECT answer, William.”

“Hey, hey, stop,” William giggled, slapping the pillow away, “ I was just insinuating. But whatd’ya think of Amber, huh? Pretty cool, if you ask me.”

Mark sighed, leaning back down against the bed frame and tilting his head up, “Yeah, she is. She’s really beautiful, too. And kind. And I-

“Yeah, okay, alright. I get the picture. No hetero talk, please.” William sighed, mirroring Mark, and leaning back against the bedframe, “Guess my homecoming date of three years is finally moving on. I might have to call up Rick or get stuck going with Lindsay.”

“Eugh,” Mark stuck out his tongue, “Not Rick again. You’re totally over him. And besides, we’re definitely still going to take photos. I’ll even do that stupid boutinierre thing you wanted to do last year so you don’t pout.”

“Fine, fine. But who will take me slow dancing?” William dramatically waved his hands in the air, closing his eyes and pretending to hold an imaginary dance partner around the waist.

“Ugh, dude, stop.” Mark picked up the pillow again and hit William, laughing lightly when his friend folded over, faking like he was hurt.

“Oh, how you wound me, Markus Grayson. But seriously,” he said, tone changing and sitting up, “I’ve been texting Rick again. He’s sweet! He even offered to give us an Upstate Tour!”

“No, no way. We can do the tour, I guess, but he is so not invited to my house for pictures.”

“Boo! I thought you liked him!” Mark turned to hide his face from Will, staring out the window before replying.

“He was fine, but just… no Rick. Listen, you’ve been bothering me about Amber and Eve all week, okay, so I get to have this. No Rick conversations.”

“Okay, fine, you win,” William slumped back down into his pillows, plugging his computer into its charger, “Forgive me for caring about your romantic life.” Mark felt himself freeze when he heard that, pausing his foot where he had been about to slide it back in his shoe. It looked like Will was getting ready for bed anyway.

“Don’t be mad, okay. But I don’t like being hounded about girls I’m not even sure about. I mean, yes, they’re hot, but-

“Dude!”

“Fine. Sorry! You get what I’m saying, though, right? We can talk about other things.”

“Sure. I get it. Other things,” William paused for a second, watching Mark slide into his shoes, “You can stay over if you want. I mean, I have spare clothes you’ve left here, plus I’m gonna be driving you in the morning anyway.” William felt the words spill off his tongue before he could weigh them in his mind. It was stupid, but he’d felt like he’d seen so little of Mark the last week, and getting to talk to him like this. Well, it was a lot. And William didn’t want it to end in a little flash.

Mark seemed frozen over his shoes again before he started sliding them off, “Okay. Yeah. It’s been a while.” They both chuckled as Mark kicked off his shoes and padded over to William’s closet, shuffling around before he stripped down his underwear and pulled on a baggy pair of sweatpants he’d left at William’s during the summer after coming over post-workout. William tried not to stare at Mark while he changed swiftly, ignoring the heat he felt in his chest when he saw his friend’s muscled back, flexing and stretching as he bent over to push his legs through the cotton. And god, when he bent down -

“Can I use your toothbrush? I’m kinda not in the mood for chips anymore.” William swallowed before he could respond, nodding and pointing to the door.

“Yeah, of course,” he managed to eek out before Mark left for the hallway. William took the time to place Mark’s shoe in the corner, plug his phone in, straighten the sheets, and remove the bag of chips to his desk. He’d have to clean up more later, but for now, this would do.

“I’m back,” Mark called, striding into the room before looking around. “Where’s my phone? I need to text my Mom. She’ll cover for me with my Dad. And also, I kinda realized I forgot my backpack. But it’s Friday anyway, and I leave most of my stuff in the locker, so I should be good, right?” William went down the mental checklist he had for Mark’s entire schedule before slowly nodding his head,

“Yeah, you should be fine. I’ll take notes for you in English.”

“Cool. Thanks, man. I really needed this tonight.” Mark set down his phone and walked to the other side of the bed, brushing past William as he walked toward his side of the bed from where he’d been standing by the desk.

“You know I’m always here if you need me, man. You’ve had a crazy week.” That earned another soft chuckle out of Mark, and when William finally leaned over Mark to turn his lamp off, the two stayed up a little longer after that, bodies curled toward one another as they traded jokes and news about the day. Mark told Will about how Rex had never gone to high school, and William told him about how Marcee and Todd were allegedly a thing now. Eventually, they began falling asleep, and as Mark watched William’s breath begin to even, he snuggled himself even closer to his friend’s slumbering form, soaking in the heat and the tingling feeling of William’s hand brushing against his under the sheets. When his sleep finally overtook him, it came easily, and Mark couldn’t help but relax at the thought that William always made it easy for him to rest.

Chapter Text

“His name was Allen?”

“Yeah. I couldn’t believe it. I fight an orange, telepathic, one-eyed alien who’s ‘evaluating’ planets, and his name is Allen. How is that possible?”

“I don’t know, man. I’m still kinda stuck on the fact that there’s some coalition of planets out there and we’re not a part of it. I mean, we’re definitely better than Urath or wherever the hell you said he was supposed to be at.” Mark chucked at William’s confidence in Earth’s supremacy, stuffing his books in his lockers before grabbing the folder he needed for physics. It had all of Eve’s notes and corrections from their last tutoring session. Though the truth was, they just talked about hero stuff most of the time now. Mark may have been tanking the fluids unit, but at least he was getting some training that wasn’t his Dad humiliating him.

“Definitely better than Urath,” Mark agreed, slamming the locker shut and falling in stride with William, “But hey, what are we doing this weekend. I know we get off at four on Saturday, so I was thinking we could watch the new Mystic Cat movie-” Mark paused on his suggestion when he caught William’s angry stare at him from the corner of his eye.

“What?” He asked cautiously, “Did I forget something again?”

“Yes!” William said, slapping his shoulder with the textbook he was holding. An upside of Mark being mostly invincible was that he could hit him even harder now with no consequence. “We’re supposed to go shopping for our homecoming rentals. We need to look good this year! You can’t trot out the same suit you wore last year. It doesn’t fit, and I know your Mom agrees, so don’t try arguing.” Mark felt his argument die on his tongue, resigning himself to try on uncomfortable clothes for a few hours with William after work. There were worse fates, though.

“Fine,” he grumbled, “But we are not matching! I don’t like purple, and I’m not wearing it.”

“But you look so good in it!” William protested, continuing their walk through the halls. Class was about to begin, and just before Mark could peel off to head toward the science wing of the school, William put his hand on his shoulder, fixing him to the spot.

“Hey, man, are you okay? Like for real?” Mark tried not to look at William, wanting to avoid the question, but the soft tone earned a reluctant look back. William must’ve noticed the tension in his shoulders and the light bruises peppering his skin. They always fade quickly, but he’d noticed William spot them when he got in the car this morning.

“I’m fine. You know, all things considered. I hardly get any sleep anymore, between tutoring, work, and patrols. I mean, seriously, I did not know so many super-powered villains who were insomniacs, who also happened to terrorize this region. Man,” He let himself sigh, a deep tired exhale, and William rubbed his shoulder in assurance.

“Listen. You need to take care of yourself, okay. I’m sure Eve would understand if you missed some of your sessions, and I can cover for a few of your shifts next week. Relax. You’ll have years to figure out how to balance this, but right now you need to make sure you don’t burn out.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Mark admitted, closing his eyes and trying not to let the feeling of failure creep in at the thought of having to take a day off. His Dad never took a day off unless he wanted to. He never needed it. “Wait,” Mark opened his eyes, turning to his friend, “You’d seriously take a closing shift for me?”

“Yeah, dude,” William grinned, and Mark already felt lighter at whatever joke he knew was coming, “I’m employee of the month two months running now. I can handle it. Besides, with the way you’re hair’s been looking, and those bags under your eyes, you seriously need the beauty sleep. It’s officially an emergency.”

“Hey!” Mark frowned, running his hand through his hair, “I’m gonna get it cut soon.” William shot him a cheeky look, waving as he took off down the hall toward his math class. Mark muttered under his breath, hands messing with his hair and trying to push it all back as he walked into physics. Only when he saw himself in the reflection of the window overlooking the park did he notice the bags William had been referring to. Maybe he did need to consider that offer for a day off.

__

Mark sifted through another rack of suit coats, fighting the boredom that was starting to creep through him as he failed to find anything that really caught his eye. Today hadn’t been the best day to shop, after all, since his mind was still fresh on the Flaxan invasion. He’d felt a real fear for his life for the first time when their king or whoever had started beating him into the ground. It might’ve been more disturbing, but watching his Dad show up and manhandle them with ease reassured Mark. That would be him in no time. Travelling through dimensions and portals and back in time for dinner, with hardly a scratch to show for it. The relief he’d felt seeing his Dad walk through the door with only a scruffy beard to denote he’d spent away had quelled any lingering anxieties.

Mark was still nursing his physical wounds, though the brown and yellow bruises spotting his face fastly fading, but still visible. William had been appalled when he’d pulled into the driveway this morning, and Mark still remembered the feeling of his slender fingers cupping his face, gently tilting and turning it until he was satisfied with his examination and certain Mark wasn’t in any great pain. He’d kept staring at the bruises, making Mark self-conscious to the point of touching them himself.

“Hey, what do you think of this one?” Mark turned from his hunting to William’s voice, where his friend held up a classic cut navy coat, paired with a white shirt. It was simple, yet stylish, and Mark already knew the color combination would suit his friend,

“Looks good, buddy. If you’re almost finished over there, how about you come help me out? I can’t seem to find anything.” William huffed, too familiar with the act of having to shop for two when he went out with Mark. Well, at least he had good guidance. Mark moved over when William approached, giving the blonde room to start rapidly flipping through the hangers before him, eyes darting between each shirt and jacket with alarming speed and precision. Mark knew it was a stereotype, so he never voiced it, but if his friend ended up hating the doctor thing, Mark would seriously recommend a career in fashion.

“It’s hard trying to imagine a color on you right now. Your face is all out of whack in my head because of those bruises.” William shot him a piercing gaze, his blue eyes pinned to the spot on Mark’s jaw where he knew the nastiest of his marks lingered. He felt himself lift a hand to cover the spot, smiling and trying to shake off the nervous feeling he got whenever William stared at him like that,

“So you’re saying you can’t conjure my face in your head on command?” Mark tried to deliver his joke slyly, but it came off more like a whiny question. He sounded a little too hopeful to pull off the smug demeanor he was going for.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, Grayson,” William said, leaning forward and moving Mark’s hand out of his face with his own, before tenderly pressing the bruise again. Mark felt himself still, holding his breath and trying not to lean into the warm touch. William wasn’t looking at him, though, which Mark was grateful for, since he was pretty sure another flush was creeping up his neck. Instead, his friend was quietly rubbing and staring at the marred skin, with a gaze full of fascination.

“I wonder how it heals so quickly,” he whispered, almost to himself, “It’s improved even from this morning. I should study it one day.” That’s when he looked to Mark, a playful gleam in his eye as he dropped his hand and resumed his search for Mark’s homecoming wear. Mark let himself breathe again before processing what his friend had just suggested.

“William, I’m not gonna let you cut me open and study me. That’s creepy. Plus, I value my body and stuff. No way.”

“Not even if I asked nicely?” William asked in a fake pout, leaning down to start searching through the shirts folded on the table next to the rack. Mark tried thinking of a response, but his brain was struggling to form a thought, so he just shook his head no, and watched his friend continue shuffling his way through their corner of the store. They’d gone into some men’s wear boutique in the mall, since William hated department stores, but so far their time had yielded few results.

“It would help if I had a little something to go off of, you know.” William’s complaint knocked Mark from his thoughts on the store,

“Like what? I don’t know what I want. Dark colors, maybe? Something eye-catching but not too flashy. I’m not sure, you’re the expert here.”

“Maybe,” William sighed, holding up a white shirt next to a black jacket before setting them down, muttering something about it being too basic. “Do you know who you’re going with yet? I could use the color palette for inspo if you guys are matching.”

Mark took a moment to respond, thinking William was talking about matching Mark with himself for a second before he caught on. “Oh, no, I don’t. Though, actually, I have some news…” Mark trailed off, and William stopped what he was doing, looking to Mark and cocking an eyebrow as he waited.

“I think, uh, Amber kinda asked me to the homecoming.”

“WHAT?!” William’s surprise rang loud throughout the store, drawing the pair a couple of angry looks.

“I know, I know. Todd came up to me the other day after class and sort of apologized to me for fighting me. It was weird. And then he gave me a little poster Amber made, asking me to hoco? He said he was doing it so Amber wouldn’t release some old ‘photos’ of him, whatever that means, and I was pretty sure it was a joke until I called her after the Flaxan invasion.”

William was still staring at Mark, completely silent and with something like a catatonic look on his face. Mark didn’t know how to take that, so he kept talking, a warm feeling spreading in his chest when he recalled his excitement at being asked out. By Amber, no less,

“Yeah, it was kinda weird, but cool in a way? She said she wanted to meet for coffee so we could actually chat and maybe study, so I think I’m gonna see her tomorrow.” William’s face was finally moving again, his brows furrowed and his eyes twitching slightly. Mark found the sight amusing, to be honest. He genuinely thought Amber might’ve told William about it, since the two were close and she’d been dropping other hints to him, but clearly not. He’d figured William would be in on the surprise for sure, especially considering their plans this weekend.

Finally, his friend broke his silence, “Well, when you see her, make sure you ask her what color her dress is. If you are going with her, I mean.” William faced away from him again, picking up new shirts and jackets as he made his way to a rack farther away from where Mark was standing.

“Uh, yeah, okay, I will. I mean, I do think I want to go with her. Seeing as how, you know, I’ve never gone with a date. It’ll be cool.” Mark didn’t know why he was trying to justify going with Amber when he and William had already discussed this, but William’s curt response and abrupt shift made Mark think he should air on the side of apologetic. A brief flash of annoyance flashed through when he wondered what exactly he had to be sorry for, since Will openly discussed wanting to go with someone else, too. It’s not like he was ditching William, and besides, he deserved to have a nice homecoming for his senior year with a cute girl. God knows he’d been waiting for a girlfriend long enough. Turns out all it took was one asking him out instead of him sitting around trying to build up the courage, only to decide against it.

“Yeah. It will be.” William’s cold tone caught Mark off guard, but before he could try to keep smoothing things over, clothes started flying at him, ‘Here, try these on. I think a black undershirt with a black jacket could work for you. The lapel and tie will have to be whatever color Amber’s dress is. I think she showed me a maroon one she really liked at a club meeting. Here,” Mark was still getting a handle on the two jackets and three shirts that had been thrown at him when a red tie and square cloth landed on top of his pile.

William watched his friend helplessly try to sort through the different items before finally taking mercy and snatching a few back into his own hands. The two had collected quite a few more items for Mark to try on in the dressing rooms, without a single word spoken until they reached the changing room curtain.

“Let me know how they feel. And don’t just say you like it, so we can leave. Be honest. I’ll text Amber about her dress while you change.” Mark sighed, deciding it would be best to let William tire himself out with whatever he was upset about.

“Alright,” he replied, stepping into the small dressing area and setting the clothes down. Well, it was a good sign he was texting Amber, Mark thought to himself, as he began throwing off his own shirt to begin the tedious process of buttoning up a new one. Turns out, William had expensive taste in shirts, and Mark silently prayed his mom would help him out with buying these new clothes. There was hope yet, since the Guardian's funeral was next week, and William didn’t seem very inclined to give Mark anything to try on but black clothes. Dressing Mark like homecoming would be like a funeral to him, too.

__

The funeral hadn’t been as bad as Mark thought it would be. The speech his Dad made about the new generation of heroes was nice, but even with that, the lowering of the caskets and Olga’s breakdown had been grim. Mark came away only with gratitude. That it wasn’t his Dad’s corpse getting lowered into the dirt, and that he’d been surrounded by his Mom and Dad watching it happen. Eve had been there too, which was always nice. They’d chatted as much as they could given the context of their meetup, but they’d been talking more in general now. Tutoring was something he’d started looking forward to again, even if he thought he didn’t need it for the new thermodynamics unit.

He wished he could call her now. His mom suggested calling William, but he didn’t want to keep dumping more stuff on him. He’d already broken down once in front of his friend, and twice in two weeks seemed unfair. Besides, he still seemed mad at him, and they hadn’t hung out since their mall outing. The most they would now do is hang out in his room or buy comic books, and none of that stuff would make Mark feel better right now. The deaths were less personal this time, for sure, but seeing his childhood heroes buried, and coming home to hearing his Dad joke about pizza, was jarring. He just needed to be alone, right now.

His mom suggested calling William, and he’d shrugged it off at first. He didn’t want to saddle his friend with more superhero stuff, with all he’d helped Mark with the last few weeks. Mark felt guilty that he hadn’t been as up to date on what was going on in his friend's life, but there wasn’t much time for him to feel normal between work, school, and being a hero. Maybe that was reason enough to call him. Hearing about whatever silly thing he’d been up to might make Mark feel better. He sat on the bed for a few more seconds before grabbing his phone, opening William’s contact, and letting the line ring for a few seconds. Why was his palm sweaty?

“Mark?”

“Oh, uh, hey Will. I was just calling to see what’s up. I feel like I haven’t seen you a lot this past week.” It was true. The last few days, Mark had been staying out so late on patrols, he’d been opting to fly to school to let himself sleep in, and even at school, he felt like a zombie. And from school, he’d been going either straight to work or on patrol or train, doing his homework whenever he caught a free moment. He remembered accidentally leaving his backpack on the top of some building that took him hours to find again while he’d been sitting and waiting for some crime to bust. William sighed on the other end of the phone, and Mark pictured him rolling over on his bed, away from his assignments and relaxing into the pillows.

“Yeah, you’ve been busy man. I think if you call out of work one more time, Cheryl might fire you. Dean, you know the grubby district manager? He was here last week, and she was giving him an earful about it.” Mark groaned, picturing his two bosses getting worked up about him missing work on Thursday.

“That’s not good. I mean, I’ll probably just end up quitting, but I’d rather not have ot deal with Dean or Cheryl yelling at me.” William laughed, and Mark smiled, standing up and walking over to the window to watch the rain trace patterns down his window.

“Well, it’ll be a really bad day for them the day you quit, because I will be following you right out the door.”

“What?! I thought you liked the extra money, and besides, I thought your parents made you get it.” Mark didn’t want to be the reason William left his job, but knowing William had only tolerated BurgerMart because of him was nice to know.

“Yeah, but it was only ever supposed to be a summer job, and school is busy. The early Upsate Deadline is coming up, and I’m sure if my Dad ever bothered to check in, he would be fine with me prioritizing.” Mark stayed silent for a moment, listening to William breathe as he processed his friend's words. He’s only ever seen William’s dad a few times, but based on what he’s heard, Mark thought dropping the guy from the sky a few times as a scare tactic wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Even if his Dad was callous, at least he was here.
“Well, I’ll give you a heads up if I ever quit.”

“Thanks, man.” The phone was quiet again, and Mark padded back to his bed, lying back, content to listen to his friend type away on his computer.

“Watcha typing?” he asked.

“The aforementioned application. They want me to talk about what sets me apart from other applicants.”

“Well, I think you’re one in a million,” Mark said playfully. He thought it was true, though. If there was anyone he knew who could get into Upstate, it would be William. William scoffed, and Mark frowned, “What? Don’t believe me?”

“No, I know I’m great. But I don’t know what to write about.” Mark could hear his friend’s frustration and sat up, racking his brain to help. It’s not like he could come up with much, given he hadn’t started his own essays. He really needed to get on that.

“Well, you could write about how you hate the sight of blood, but you wanna be a doctor anyway to help people. Or how you’ve already learned to meal-plan so you can feed yourself. Gives you a leg up on the other students. And what about all the clubs you’re a part of-”

“Mark, I appreciate it, but I’ll come up with something soon. Hopefully.” William sighed and kept typing, and Mark felt disappointed he couldn’t alleviate his friend's stress.

“Hey, what if we hang out after school on Wednesday? My Dad said I can have the day off from training, and I remember you said you’re Red Cross meeting about vaccines in Egypt got cancelled.” William let out a little noise, and Mark pictured him thinking with his tongue out, flipping through his schedule. William usually said yes to these things, so Mark didn’t know why he felt nervous about not getting to see him.

“Yeah, that should work. We need to study for Mrs. Williams' history test this week too, so that’ll be perfect.” Mark felt himself grin. He could already imagine the two of them sprawled out on his bed, doing their best to study, but getting sidetracked.

“Cool. I’ll see you then. I gotta get back to working, buddy. Text me about Monday.” Mark nodded his head like William could see before realizing he just looked like an idiot, and managed to blabber out something that sounded like yes before William hung up the phone. He laid down on his mattress and let himself sink into the covers. He still felt heavy, but knowing he had something to look forward to this week made his descent into sleep a little lighter.

__

Mark was waiting nervously by the stairs for the sight of William’s car pulling in, eager to tell him the news. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like it would be a weight off his shoulders. Their conversation hadn’t started well, but he and Amber ended on speaking terms at least, so there was that.

A blue car pulled into the driveway, and Mark started down the stairs, anxious to get this part over with. By the time he reached the door, William was already walking toward it, and when he flung it open, he found his friend giving him a curious once-over.

“Uh, what?” Mark glanced around nervously before wondering if he had something on his face.

“Nothing, but usually you wait until I at least get to the door to open it.” Mark rolled his eyes, embarrassed, but William chuckled at his own joke, following Mark inside and up the stairs.

“So what’s got you so pent up?” Mark turned at the entrance to his room, looking at William before turning back around and walking in.

“Well, I don’t think I’m going to homecoming with Amber…” Mark trailed off, facing William again to gauge his reaction. A surprised look crossed his face, with something else Mark couldn’t identify before his mouth opened,

“What?! Why?” Mark sighed and sat on the chair by his desk, his hands occupied by twirling a pencil through his fingers.

“I don’t know. After I blew her off for our hangout on Sunday, she found me at school on Tuesday, asking why I never answered her texts or followed up. I told her I’ve just been busy, but…kinda seemed like a doomed proposition from the start, I don’t know, am I an idiot?” William paused for a moment, thinking over his next words. Mark was looking at him with wide eyes, and he could tell his friend was feeling a little insecure about his decision. Though the more William thought about it, the more it made sense. With him being a secret superhero, Amber wouldn’t understand why he was so absent, and Mark had never seemed to be interested in her advances anyway, even if he blushed at all the attention.

“No, no,” William said, giving Mark some relief, “I think you were honest and that’s good. And if it’s not meant to be, then hey, at least you called it quits before getting involved. This way, no one’s hurt.” Mark’s shoulders dropped like something heavy was being lifted off of them, but his face was pointed at the ground, and he still seemed unsure.

“I don’t know. I feel bad that I ever accepted her homecoming offer. I didn’t want to strand her.” Mark sounded genuinely upset at the prospect of Amber being left alone, and it made William smile a bit. His friend was a good person, even if he was a little bit uninformed about Amber’s love life.

“I happen to know that there is another quite ravishing man waiting for Amber to be free for homecoming, actually. So rest easy.” Mark perked up at that, a suspicious gleam in his eyes.

“Really? Who?”

“Matthew! Duh. He’s been obsessed with her since like forever. All he ever did at lunch was stare at her.” William made a gagging noise, and Mark laughed a bit, glad to know he wasn’t a total douchebag.

William walked forward, ready to plop onto the bed, when he frowned and looked around the room. Mark noticed his scrunched-up face, pausing from his imagining of Matthew nervously approaching Amber to ask her out.

“What?”

“Dude, your room is disgusting.”

Mark sat up straight in his chair, his playful attitude gone, “What? No, it’s not.”

“Mark,” William began surveying the room, and Mark followed his eyes. Okay, so it may have been a little messier than normal. His life had been busy! “There are dirty clothes all over,”

To emphasize, he picked up a rumpled shirt on Mark's bed and tossed it toward the hamper in the corner of the room, before leaning down to pick up the pair of yellow underwear Mark had been wearing underneath his suit. “Really, man? Matching undies for your skintight suit?”

“Wh- Sto- Hey!” Mark stood ready to snatch his private clothing out of William’s hands before he tripped, stumbling over one of his collectibles. William sighed, dropping the underwear onto Mark’s face from where he stood above him, and picked up the toy his friend had just tripped over.

“And seriously? These things, besides being lame, are a hazard. Clearly.” Mark swiped the underwear off his face frantically, standing up as William moved over to the desk to set it down.

“Okay, Will, they are not lame! Being a geek is cool now, okay. Ya dick.” William quirked his eyebrow, unimpressed with his friend’s feeble defense of his room decorations.

“Speaking of dicks,” William continued, “We can’t even study at your desk because of these tissues. Seriously, man, you’re gonna go blind one day.” Mark sputtered as he felt his face heat up, William casually moving on from where he had been pointing to the bottle of lotion and box of tissues Mark kept religiously by his desk. He knocked them into the trash can by his desk as he walked by again, desperate to erase that knowledge from his friend's mind, following William to where he stood in the corner of the room now.

Before he could cut in, William spoke again, “And look at these dirty dishes. What would Debbie think?” Mark loosed a frustrated groan, grabbing the dishes and flashing downstairs in a burst of super speed to set them in the sink before coming back up. All before William had even taken a step.

“Okay, that’s enough dissecting my life, Will! I invited you over to study, not to criticize.” Mark’s words felt whiny to his own ears, but the sting of having his friend root through his very personal things and flippantly ridicule them made it hard not to sound childish. Will had never been so critical before. Or had he, and Mark just never cared? The question that really burned was when William had noticed and identified what the box of tissues on his desk was for. Was he that obvious?

“Fine. But I’m pretty sure I’m the one who suggested studying.” William finally dropped his analysis of Mark’s room and padded over to the bed, sitting down on the covers and spreading out on his stomach. Mark felt his eyes linger on the spot where his shirt rode up, revealing a sliver of his back, but he shook his head and sat down next to his friend, copying the pose so they both lay on their stomachs facing the opposite wall.

“Here,” William said, rifling through the backpack he’d dropped on the ground by the bed, “I picked up all the textbooks and notebooks we should need.” Mark moved over as his friend opened each one, identifying which chapters they had to go over and which topics were the most important. Right as William had finished handing over a stack of sheets for Mark to quiz him, Mark’s phone rang. William gave him an annoyed glance, and Mark hurriedly reached into his backpack to see ‘UNKNOWN CALLER’, and declined.

“Heh, sorry. Don’t know who that could be.” William didn’t say anything, but tapped the stack of paper with the end of his pencil, and Mark nodded.

“Right, first question. Who di-” Mark was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing again, and Mark huffed, turning his phone off to cut off the sound. It had been the no caller ID again, and Mark didn’t know what to make of that. William cleared his throat, and Mark tried again.

“Okay, right. Sorry. Who did President Ada-” The phone rang for a third time, and Mark let his head fall in defeat as William sat up and set his notes down.

“Listen. I’ll be in the bathroom. You should probably take that.” Mark groaned, the sound muffled by his blankets, and he waited until William closed the door to answer his phone. Before he could, though, a whirring sound filled the room and Mark was temporarily blinded by a flash of electric blue light. The room suddenly smelled like Ozone, and standing at the foot of Mark’s bed was Cecil Steadman.

“Christ almighty, I didn’t think he would ever leave.”

“Hey! Woa- What are you doin- How did you know Will- Are you spying on me?” A million questions raced through Mark’s head, but his outrage at Cecil’s interruption and his clear surveillance won out. The surprise that Mark felt at his initial entrance was fading quickly, replaced with anger and an underlying curiosity. He wanted today off, so why was Cecil here in his room?

“Well, you wanna be a superhero, right?” Cecil’s voice rose to match his own, “Fame, glory, get the pretty gal?” Cecil’s eyebrow quirked, and Mark felt himself shrinking under the icy glare of the world’s leading superhero expert.

“I mean, that’s sexist but… okay.” Mark conceded the point, eager to hear what the old man had to say.

“Well, then, the whole concept of personal privacy and me time, pfft, that’s out the window. When the world needs you, you answer your goddamn phone!” Cecil was pointing at Mark accusingly now, and Mark shrank back from the reprimand, a shadow of guilt creeping over him for something he didn’t even know he’d done. Mark broke from his staring contest to look at the door, wondering if William could hear any of this.

“Don’t worry, he hasn’t flushed yet,” Cecil said. Mark flicked his gaze back to Cecil’s and threw his hands up in the air out of frustration. Was there nothing in his life private?

“I don’t even work for you!” Mark spread his arms like he had to convince the man who’d teleported into his room why he should be allowed privacy.

“And you never will.” Cecil cut him off, sternly, “Not unless you show a little respect, and decide if you wanna be a superhero or not.”

“Right now?!” Mark couldn’t believe his timing. He’d finally managed to let himself take a day off from training, work, or patrolling to hang out with his best friend, only for the GDA director to teleport into his room and demand he go elsewhere.

“Yes, Mark. Right now.” The steel in Cecil’s voice made Mark relent again. If people needed help and Cecil was giving him a chance to move up in the superhero world, he would understand. At least, that’s what Mark was trying to convince himself.

“Okay, yes. I wanna help. What’s the problem?”

__

William sighed as he flipped another page of the textbook, his eyes scanning the page but absorbing none of the material. It’d been over an hour since Mark left, begging for forgiveness and telling him he had to go fight some rogue supervillain at Mount Rushmore with Eve.

He tried not to let the bitterness of the moment linger, but it was hard knowing he had more work of his own to do besides this, and he’d set aside time to hang out with Mark. Now he was off god knows where, fighting god knows what, with Eve. Perfect. Like they didn’t get enough scheduled time together every week. He rolled over, deciding he should leave before he worked himself up so much he yelled at Mark when he got back, right as Mark walked through the door, wearing his regular civilian clothes.

“I am SO sorry, Will.” To his credit, Mark sounded and appeared genuinely apologetic, but William was having none of it.

“I’ve been sitting here for an hour, Mark.” He crossed his arms to emphasize his agitation, and Mark flinched.

“I know,” Mark’s voice quivered, and he desperately looked for something to redirect William’s anger, “Oh, I see you finished all the review questions. Nice.”

“Yeah. Twice. Once for each of us. You’re welcome.” William stood up, tossing the stack of review questions toward Mark and leaning down to grab his backpack. Mark’s hands floundered trying to catch the papers, his eyes glued to William’s form, headed to the doorway.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Mark finally gathered the papers and stared at William, desperate to make his friend stand a little longer. He’d really wanted to have a normal afternoon studying, like they used to.

“Why even invite me over if you don’t want to spend time with me? I mean, I get it, dude, you’re a superhero now, but I’m also your friend, and you planned this. Not me.”

“I do want to spend time with you, Will. But you know I had to go with Cecil.” Mark walked over to him slowly, anxious not to let his friend walk out the door so soon. The sun hadn’t even set, and Mark had planned on William staying past dinner. He’d even cleaned the clothes in William’s drawer so he could sleep over if he wanted. William still had his hand frozen on the doorknob, staring at it like he was debating whether or not to walk out.

Mark gently slid his hand over Will’s, removing it from the door handle, and then grabbed the backpack off Will’s shoulder to set it down on the ground. William said nothing while this happened, and Mark felt his face start to flush under his friend’s angry stare. “Look, Will, okay. I’m sorry. Can we please just hang out? We don’t even have to study since you did it all.” Mark’s words came out frustrated, but his friend’s features finally softened, just a little, seeing Mark worked up about wanting to hang out.

“Well, I guess. I mean, I have other work to do, but since I had so much time by myself, I already worked through most of it.” William walked back to the bed, sitting down, and Mark huffed in relief.

“Wait until I tell you about this guy we fought, Will. He was some mad scientist with earthquake gloves.” William’s interest was piqued as soon as the mad scientist part was mentioned, and as Mark sat next to him, he listened dutifully to the tale about Doc Seismic and Mark’s horrible one-liners.

While he listened, William felt his lips curl slightly, watching his friend's animated hand gestures and how excitedly he talked about saving a family. And the way Mark leaned in whenever he talked about flying or fighting, so close that William could see the strands of raven hair the wind had blown out of the place, and feel his friend's short inhales, when he paused to catch his breath.

They were sitting so close together on the bed that their kneecaps touched, and whenever Mark shifted, their legs moved together, and soon William had to keep himself from looking down at Mark’s thigh pressed against his. One of the times, when he had just been trying to steal a glance down at their increasingly intertwined legs, he heard Mark stop talking and snapped his attention back to his friend.

Mark’s brown eyes were wide, and William felt himself swallow as he let himself stare into those beautiful irises. Mark inhaled like he was about to speak, but instead, the hand he was using to prop himself up snaked over to William’s hand, and before he could react, Mark leaned and pressed his mouth softly against William’s.

He closed his eyes immediately, letting the gentle sensation overtake him, losing himself in the fluttering feeling in his stomach. Mark had gotten better every time they’d kissed, and now they had a slow but steady rhythm, sliding their mouths against one another until Mark pushed further, cupping William’s face with his other hand. It wasn’t as hungry or desperate as before, and somehow that made it hotter.

William finally decided to become a more active participant, opening his mouth and using his free hand to run through Mark’s hair, smiling when Mark made a small noise in the back of his throat. William let himself enjoy it this time, more than all the others. The warm feeling of Mark’s hand on his face, the soft circling of his thumb over where their other hands were interlaced. He listened to the sound of Mark’s breathing when they broke apart, and inhaled deeply whenever he could, soaking in the smell of Mark’s cologne and the soap he always used. It was boyish and manly all at the same time, and with the silky feeling of Mark's hair in his hand, he found himself melting quickly under Mark’s influence, swinging one of his legs around so he was straddling Mark when they fell back onto the blanket. Mark’s hand broke from where it had been holding William’s hooking around William’s waist, and pushing up his shirt to rest on bare skin.

The feeling of Mark’s hands was so warm on his skin, he shuddered, and Mark gently held his face back to laugh. The deep noise only made William press further into Mark’s body, and Mark rubbed William’s back in appreciation, staring up at his friend.

“My parents are home,” he whispered, and William nodded, not breaking eye contact as he leaned back down and continued to slide his tongue on Mark’s mouth. It’d felt like so long since they’d done something like this, and even though they'd taken a brief break to get back on track, William felt how much his body had been aching for this. He’d almost forgotten how nice it was to be held in Mark’s hands, and now his grip was even stronger. Perks of hooking up with a Viltrumite.

Mark eventually flipped them over, after William teased him one too many times by slowly rocking his hips over Mark’s growing erection. It was nice to feel his friend had missed him as much as he had. And to think he was supposed to go to homecoming with Amber. William chuckled when he thought of that, and Mark looked down at him in earnest confusion, pausing from what he had been lifting of William’s leg to wrap it around his waist. The sight of his friend on top of him, gazing down with puppy eyes, was so cute. William leaned up and kissed Mark lightly, pausing on his way back down to whisper in his ear, “Get back to work.”

Mark didn’t need any encouragement, and soon it was Mark rolling his hips into William, and the two boys continued fitting into each other like puzzle pieces, stoking the heat between them but never letting it burn. There was no loud moaning or desperate chasing of friction. Only soft sounds of protest when the other paused too long, and a light sheen of sweat on both of them after nearly half an hour of grinding against one another. When Mark’s mom finally called them down to dinner, Mark had to pause from where he was paying special attention to the skin beneath William’s earlobe, and both of them stayed upstairs for another five minutes to hide any evidence of what they had been doing. William resigned to having his hair slightly mussed, and there was nothing he could do about his swollen lips, so he walked out the door in front of Mark, glancing behind his shoulder to his friend, who was still sitting on the bed, covering his crotch and blushing furiously.

“Come on, Mark,” William laughed as he headed to the stairs. “We gotta eat quick. The next few chapters are rock hard!” William kept laughing when he heard his friend’s flustered noises all the way from the room, making his way to the kitchen and helping Debbie set up until Mark finally came down a few minutes later, still sporting a faint blush from the stupid pun.

__

Mark stood nervously in front of the mirror, anxiously adjusting his tie and trying not to fidget too much in case his hair came out of place. William would be over in a few minutes, and Mark wondered if half the reason he was so nervous was because last time they’d been in his room together, Mark had kissed William, and they ended up making out for almost two hours. Wil had possessed the sense to cut their ‘study session’ short, citing a need to go home to his mother, and prevent the risk of the two of them doing anything more. They hadn’t really talked about it, but it seemed like kissing was all Mark was going to get away with unless he wanted to have another uncomfortable conversation with his Dad about William.

The memory of his Dad’s face when Mark told him William knew about him being Invicible sent shivers down Mark’s spine, and the stern lecture about responsibility and duty he’d gotten afterward, upon revealing William also knew his Dad’s identity, was still ringing in his mind. He knew they were supposed to be secret identities, but couldn’t your best friends know? Best not to try and tell his Dad he was making out with his childhood best friend when hearing about the greater duties he had to the Viltrum Empire and its legacy.

Mark’s hands paused again from where they were tightening the knot of his tie when he thought about him and William being friends. He was pretty sure they weren’t dating, but thinking about it made his palms sweaty. He finally let go of his tie and looked at himself in the mirror. The suit William had picked out for him was really nice, and even though the red tie wouldn’t matter anymore, since he wasn’t matching with Amber, it at least went well with his all black ensemble. Hopefully, he’d get the chance to see her tonight and apologize again via dance. It was corny, but William had supported the idea, and Mark wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings. Hopefully Matthew didn’t mind Amber dancing with him…

“Honey, William’s here!”

Mark gave himself a final look, deeming himself fit to go out before walking down the stairs excitedly. His mom had forced his Dad to pick up pizza from Naples place for dinner, and it was the perfect time for photos. The clouds were rose-gold and wreathed in a warm orange like some Renaissance painting, and Mark could already envision his friend making some comment about how perfect the lighting was.

His mom was already at the door, ushering in his friend when Mark made it down the stairs, “Well, don’t you just look dashing, William. Come in! I’m forcing you two to do photos outside, but I promise we can eat after…”

Mark let the words fade into the background as he watched William from the final foot of the stairs. His friend’s blonde hair fell in perfect waves that framed his face, and the navy grey suit he was wearing brought out his eyes perfectly. He wasn’t wearing a tie, opting to just unbutton the top of his light blue shirt, and Mark wished he had thought of something so fashionable but sensible. The tie around his neck felt tighter all of a sudden.

“Mark, come on!” His mom waved to him, and William’s eyes spotted him, “We need to get pictures while the sun is going down.”

“You’re mom’s right, Mark. It’s golden hour!” The comment finally jogged Mark’s body into action, and he followed the two into the backyard, standing next to William as his mom fetched her camera. It would’ve been embarrassing if it were anyone else, but William was already too familiar with his family.

“You look good,” Mark whispered to him while they waited, and William nudged him with his shoulder,

“So do you, Grayson.”

When his mom came back out with the camera, the two dutifully wrapped one arm around each other’s shoulder, smiled wide, standing there until Debbie was finally satisfied with all her pictures.

As they walked back in, Mark thought he heard his Mom sniffling, and when he looked over at her, she saw she was rummaging through a pile of other printed out photos. He glanced over at William to find the same curiosity on his friend’s face, and when they walked over, they saw his mom had printed out all the photos she had of them going to homecoming together over the years, and even the middle school dances they’d had.

The images of Mark and William standing together when they both still had braces were enough to get both of them laughing, but Debbie was too emotional seeing the years laid out in front of year. Where had they gone, and when had Mark grown up so much?

“You two have grown up so fast.” She said, dabbing her eye, before William and Mark enveloped her in a hug.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Grasyon,” William spoke, “You’ll get to add plenty of photos to your collection when we go to college.” That got a chortle out of Mrs. Grayson, and she shrugged the two boys off her to grab the pizza from where it had just landed with Omni-Man.

“You missed the pictures, Nolan!” She called, heading to meet him at the back door while Mark and William headed to the table. Mark was still smiling, thinking about getting to live with William for the next four years, when he sat and thought about all the photos they’d taken over the years.

“Man, four years and no dates for either one of us. Is that embarrassing?” Mark found he couldn’t stand to look at William while he waited for a response, but his head snapped toward Will when he felt his hand on his shoulder.

“Mark, there’s nothing embarrassing about showing up to these sweaty, cramped, too-expensive functions with no one but yourself. It’s high school. Besides,” he said, winking at Mark before turning to face Debbie, where she was walking into the dining room with Nolan, “this year’s definitely special.”

“What’s so special?” Nolan asked, dropping the pizza into the center of the table and sliding into his seat.

“Oh, nothing. Just our senior year, Mark’s got powers now, and Mark even got asked out to homecoming.” Mark went from trying to discern what William implied when he said this year was special compared to others to having to awkwardly try and explain the situation with Amber to his parents. He tried revealing as little as possible, but it didn’t help having William sit next to him, and nitpick his story and ask leading questions.

“Like a knife to the heart back there,” Mark told him later, as they sat in the car driving to their school. William was playing some quiet pop song, and Mark wanted the excuse to talk to him.

“Sorry, not sorry. Had to make sure your parents knew the whole story.”

“Right,” Mark joked, “Now they’re definitely gonna think I’m gay after turning down the only girl who’s ever asked me out.” Mark’s tone was lighthearted, but William’s face turned serious, and his reply was humorless,

“I wasn’t trying to do anything like that, okay. I just thought it was funny.”

“No, no,” Mark reassured, dropping his feet from the dashboard, “it was. I was just kidding. You know how many comments we’ve gotten going together every year.” Mark tried to poke fun at how many people had told them they thought they were dating, but William never seemed to find it funny, and Mark felt another surge of protectiveness wash over him when he thought about all the ugly names William had been called over the years, and wished he could do more than joke to make his friend feel better. Maybe now that he could take a punch…

William seemed to relax into his seat, and Mark relaxed too, “Yeah, well, maybe this year will finally be the year my faggot ass doesn’t get harassed waiting in line for the bathroom.” William’s attempt at a joke fell flat with Mark now, and he faced out the window before responding, “Well, this time you know I can fight them.”

William laughed at his zeal, but Mark’s face remained stony until Will placed a gentle hand over his, “It’s fine, Mark. Seriously. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”

They rode in silence for a while after that, Mark mulling over everything William had said, trying to quiet the anger he felt whenever he thought about people like Todd bullying Will.

“Hey, Will,” Mark said, the idea forming in his head as he spoke, “What if we skipped?”

William didn’t look to his friend, but his head tilted slightly, and his response revealed how ridiculous he thought the idea was, “Skipped? Mark, what are you talking about?”

“Well, what if we didn’t go?” Mark felt the pieces coming to him now, and with each thought, he felt it was a better and better idea. “We’ve gone every other year, and it’s never that fun. We’ll dance pressed into a bunch of other sweaty people, and it’s not like we get to talk to anyone since the music’s so loud.”

“True…”

“Plus,” Mark continued, emboldened by the lack of pushback from his friend, “I can fly us anywhere we wanna go tonight. We can have a few hours to ourselves and find something else to do.”

“Like what?”

“Uh…” Mark felt his momentum grind to a halt, and he racked his brain trying to think of alternatives. “Well, we could uh, try going downtown to the city. T-They have lots to do there.”

William only let out a hum in response, and Mark knew his friend was thinking it over in his mind, weighing the options of getting to miss out on the shitty dance and going flying while also having to come up with a plan that wouldn’t be a total dud. He didn’t want to waste what little time he got with Mark, especially since they hadn’t spent one-on-one time together outside of school-related activities since their make-out sessions. Things weren’t awkward or anything, and it definitely wasn’t as confusing as the last few times, but still…

“Sure. I’ll circle back so we can park outside my house and you won’t have to fly in front of half our school.” William peeked over at his friend to see him staring with his mouth in shock. Mark couldn’t really believe he’d actually convinced William to skip their senior homecoming to hang out with him.

“Y-Yeah. Okay, that’s great. We’re great. I should be able to get us into the city in like less than twenty minutes.” William let out a low whistle,

“Wow. Perks of private flying, I guess. I swear that drive would be like two hours, at least, tonight.” Mark let out a low laugh to match, facing down at his lap and staring at his friend with sideways eyes.

“Well, don’t you worry,” Mark elbowed him over the dashboard, quickly turning his friend when William caught his eyes, “You’ll have exclusive access to Invincible Air for the foreseeable future.”

William was making good on Mark’s promise within ten minutes, speeding the last half of their drive so he could get to his house sooner while the sun was still up. By the time Mark had them in the air, the last color was receding from the sky, but from so high up it looked just as beautiful to William.

Mark was holding him bridal style, and William tried not to let himself get too flustered by it, though it seemed Mark had done it on purpose. It was only awkward if he made it awkward. Leaning his head against where Mark’s chest met his shoulder, William pointed at the giant ball of silver lighting the sky. Where clouds had once been golden and glowing, they were all silver and steel, and William ran his hand through the cool mist of them when Mark took them through one.

“Look,” Mark lifted his head from where it had been focused on the faint outline of skyscrapers far off, to follow William’s finger, “It’s a full moon.” William didn’t believe in astrology, but surely it was a good omen. Not that he knew what a bad omen would look like.

“It’s beautiful,” Mark whispered, and William stared up at his friend’s face, watching him as they continued flying in comfortable silence. Mark realized the flight would take longer since he couldn't go as fast with William onboard, but the extra time didn’t seem to bother either of them. They still hadn’t come up with a plan, though William had suggested many options. Restaurants, movies, more flying. Nothing really seemed to match the bravado and pazzaz of a high school dance, so both of them were still brainstorming.

Mark suddenly veered down as they approached the city, and William gasped, tightening his grip around Mark’s neck and frowning when he heard him laugh. “Dude! What are you doing?!”

“Going for a swim!” Mark cried into his ear, leaning down, and angling the two toward the river that bled through the city. William felt a thrill of terror course through him as the shining black water came closer and closer, with Mark ignoring his protests.

Luckily, Mark flattened out their trajectory right before they hit the water, his breathy laugh tickling William’s ear as William curled up into his arm, shrinking himself to avoid any of the cold water splashing him.

“Go on!” Mark shouted over the wind, “Touch it!” William hesitated for a moment, but finally reached his hand down, gliding it along the surface of the water and letting out a shocked laugh when he felt the mist splash up at them, and his stomach dropped when Mark flipped them over and adjusted his grip so he was above William, holding him across by the stomach now.

William spread his arms like wings and dipped his arms into the water with abandon, doing his best to aim the splashes at Mark until his friend lowered him so close to the water that a loose strand of hair became soaked. William laughed, splashing the water again, drenching them both as he smacked their reflections in the water.

Mark sputtered, spitting the water out into William’s hair and shooting them up into the sky, zipping away from the water and leaving William no chance to account for the sudden acceleration as they headed towards the top of the highest building.

William hooted as they soared upward, a smile stretching across his face when he heard Mark’s chest rumble with laughter behind him. The night was cold, and the wind nipped at his skin through his suit, but the snug grip Mark had around him and the warmth emanating from his body ensured William never felt less than perfect.

When they touched down at the top of the building, Mark gently set William down on the concrete roof. William immediately missed his arms, wrapping himself in his own to try and fight off the wind. It was sharper and harsher all the way up here, and William wondered how he hadn’t noticed when Mark had been flying them. Too many distractions, he thought. Mark touched down next to William, gesturing to the bustling streets and city lights below them.

“Isn’t great?” Mark asked, hanging on the thin rail while he veered over the edge, “This is my favorite spot to come and people watch when I’m on patrol. We’re so high up no one can see us, but I can still see all the shops.” William listened to Mark go on about his favorite shops to watch, and how he figured out the fastest way to carry an ambulance or person to the hospital. His words had a childish edge to them, full of awe and wonder, like everything he was talking about was brand new. It was nice to see that the superhero life offered Mark more than endless tragedy and responsibility.

“It’s wonderful,” William agreed after Mark finished his rundown, teeth clattering as he wrapped his jacket tighter around himself. Mark looked over from his city-watching then, his eyes narrowed in concern as he took in the sight of his friend shivering.

“Here,” Mark walked over to him, tugging off his own jacket and wrapping it around William, “Take this.” William barked a laugh at how cliché this all was, and Mark looked at him in confusion as he stepped back.

“Thanks, man. How gentlemanly of you.”

“What’s so funny?” Mark sounded hurt, and William couldn’t help but feel a little indignation at how oblivious his friend acted all the time.

“Mark, you just wrapped your homecoming suit jacket around like some damsel in distress after taking me flying across the city, where I had my arms spread like we’re on the Titanic.” Mark kept giving him a blank stare, so William tried to expand, “It’s all… a little on the nose, don’t you think?”

“But you’ve had fun so far, right?” Mark still sounded confused, and William pinched his brow with one hand, carefully using the other to make sure the jacket didn’t fall from his shoulders.

“Yes, Mark, but that’s no-”

“So then why are you mad?” Mark’s voice held more weight now, and William knew his friend was growing frustrated by the way he stood.

“Mark, I’m not mad. Well, I am, but not at you. I mean, kinda I don’t know…” William huffed as he tried to find his words, and Mark stepped in closer, his posture loosening as he approached his friend,

“Will, what’s wrong?” He asked softly. “Everything’s been going well the last few days, I thought-”

“Mark, a few days ago, you were going to homecoming with a girl!” Mark flinched at the volume of William’s words but kept quiet, “The only reason you didn’t is because you’re too busy to commit to something right now, and don’t get me started on the massive crush you have on Eve-”

“Will.” Mark decided he should jump before his friend started rambling. “I didn’t go with Amber because I didn’t want to. Yeah, I’m busy, but obviously I still have the time,” He gestured between the two of them to emphasize his point, “I’d just rather spend it with you. Alone.” Mark forced himself not to stutter during the last part, but he couldn’t help his face burning as he spoke.

William’s eyes widened before his mouth clamped shut, and he stared at Mark for a few minutes. Mark tried not to shift too much under the scrutinizing gaze, but it was so hard to stand still with those blue orbs studying him like that. Finally, he spoke, freeing Mark from the agony of silence.

“You wanted to go with me?” William narrowed his eyes, and Mark knew he didn’t mean it like when they’d gone together the last three years.

“Uh, yeah, I-I do. Did. I mean,” Mark was rubbing the back of his head, glancing down at his shoes as he swallowed nervously. He wondered if William could hear his heartbeat pounding right now,

“Like as your date?” William asked, and Mark glanced back up to see his friend looking at him with something like hope, even though his voice was neutral.

“Well, sort of. I mean, we would know, I guess, but no one else.” Mark felt a pang in his chest when he saw his friend's face drop a little, but he pressed on, “I just think I need to wait until graduation, Will. That way, if anything happens, I’ll be out of the house anyway. I know my Mom would be fine with us being,” he motioned to the air between them, lost for words on how describe what they were, “but my Dad…” Mark stared at the floor again, unable to finish his thought and unable to look William in the eye. If he could be stronger somehow, then they wouldn’t have to do all this.

Mark didn’t hear William walk over until he saw his feet in front of him and raised his head to find his friend's arm wrapping around him. Mark stayed frozen for a few seconds before he let himself lean into the embrace, hugging William back.

“I’m sorry about you’re shitty Dad, Mark,” William murmured into his shoulder. Mark eased into the touch, but felt the need to defend his Dad. He wasn’t a bad guy or anything; he was just traditional. Mark didn’t know how he would respond to hearing that his only son wouldn’t produce offspring for the empire.

“He’s not shitty,” he heard himself say. He hated how whiny it sounded, but William only said “Okay,” rubbing his back, patting him when he stepped back. At least they were on the same page now.

“Are you sure you’re not cold?” Mark laughed at the sudden change in topic, spreading his arms out and floating a bit to catch the breeze.

“Not even a little. I think my alien DNA helps me control my temperature better or something.”

“Well, you’re lame-o human friend over here is freezing!” Mark peered down at his friend and smiled. The sight of Will enveloped in his suit was pleasing to him, even if he was shaking.

“Come on,” Mark said, ‘Let’s go home and we can watch a movie or something. I’m tired anyway.” It was true, too. Even though the sun hadn’t set more than an hour ago, and homecoming wouldn’t end for another hour, Mark felt weary. The tension that had been buzzing and alive between him and William the last few days had just snapped, and with it, Mark’s energy had faded. Not that it was bad. No, if anything, Mark felt more solid now. Like whatever they had going on between them wasn’t just words and moments but something to walk on.

Mark scooped William up with ease, shivering for the first time at their summit when William’s finger curled into the back of his hair. They took off, and even though Mark could hardly feel the weight of William, the flight home was still lighter.

Before he’d even managed to make it halfway back, Will had already convinced him to spend the night at his house, since he already had clothes there and it was a Saturday night.

“Come on, you can wake up early to go to training with your Dad! Set an alarm.”

“But you'll get mad at me if I wake you up,” Mark grumbled. His protests failed to win out, though, and within twenty minutes, he was sprawled across William’s couch. Part of him was excited to spend the night at William’s again, and another part of him was even more thrilled since he didn’t see Mrs. Clockwell’s car when they landed.

Mark watched William patiently flip through the channels, smiling when he heard him mutter about the lack of “quality trashy reality television” available nowadays. His arms rested behind his head, and his feet were propped up on the coffee table, so Mark let himself close his eyes, relaxing until he felt the weight of William sink into the couch next to him.

“So whatd’ya settle on?” Mark asked, opening his left eye to look at his friend.

William huffed and kicked his feet up next to Mark’s on the table, scooting closer until he was pressed into Mark’s side and his head was nestled in the crook of Mark’s arm. Mark hoped the faint light from the TV wouldn’t give away his blush, as he tried to match his friend’s boldness by hooking his arm around William’s shoulder. He seemed pleased by that.

“Ninety Day Fiancé.”

From the bitter and uninterested sound of William’s reply, Mark assumed he was free to continue trying to go to sleep, but as the show played in the background, William kept poking Mark on his leg or in his side to ask if he was awake. Even if William wasn’t keeping him awake so he didn’t have to suffer alone, Mark could hear William’s breath too close to his own, and was painfully aware of how warm William felt pressed against him, their legs and torsos aligned exactly. Mark may or may not have let his hand fall idly by William’s waist, but the other boy hadn’t said anything.

“Mark,” William poked him again, his whisper brushing Mark’s ear, “Are you still awake?”

“Impossible not to be,” Mark grumbled, using his arm to press William closer against him. “Go to sleep, Will.” Mark was so tired, from all the training, all the work, all the school, and all the tension, it felt like he could pass out on this couch for days if William let him. He might’ve cared to take a shower or brush his teeth under other circumstances, but his eyes were already closed, and he was so warm.

“But-”

“Shh…” Mark grinned, picturing the look of frustration he would see on his friend’s face if he opened his eyes right now. Instead, he just tightened his grip and held William closer until his friend’s protest quieted out and he heard the TV get shut off. His half-awake, half-alseep state left him aware only of a distant need for water and the feeling of William’s silky tickling his neck, but he couldn’t dream of a better way to spend his final homecoming.

When he felt William’s breath slow, it was like a switch flipped, and he fell asleep, truly, not worried about the possibility of Mrs. Clockwell coming home or having to go to school functions with anybody else but his friend.

Chapter Text

Homecoming was the most relaxed William had been in months. Falling asleep with Mark on the couch, waking up in his arms, and the easy goodbye after breakfast. They were… well, it was nice. Whatever you could call it. For once, after Mark left, it didn’t feel like William was waiting between calls or texts. It just felt normal. Or close rough. There was still a small tug at the back of William’s mind that told him they weren’t anything, but that was only a surface-level concern. Mark had all but flatly admitted he was only interested in William. And that was enough, for now.

Making his way over to the pot settled on the stove, William took his time stirring the pasta, adding pinches of salt and pepper when he felt fancy. Mark had texted that he wouldn’t be home until late because of training, so William had time to make himself dinner while he waited for their ‘hangout’. William chewed on the word as he began distilling the pasta, deciding that it was too casual for his liking. He’d have to correct that with Mark.

They were supposed to be going to this fair tonight, which Mark had heard about from Amber during the week in psychology. William wondered if he should speak to Amber about the situation. It wasn’t like William was explicitly involved, at least to her knowledge, but it felt like her would’ve-been relationship with Mark wedged itself into their relationship regardless. Deciding the pasta had sat for long enough, he lifted the pot from the sink, trying to imagine what he could even say to Amber if he did want to clear the air. What was he even allowed to say? Another thing to clear with Mark.

Good thing he was coming up with things to talk about. His mom had been busy lately, and with things weird between him and Amber, William had been abusing Mark as a source of conversation. Tonight, the only real updates he had were about his submitted Upstate Application, and some news he heard about Mrs. Williams curving their most recent test on account of terrible grades. Turns out they should’ve actually used their study time to review instead of locking lips. Oh well. Not like William could or would take it back.

The smoke from the strained pasta curled up from the sink, and William inhaled it deeply, fanning it into his face and smiling at the aroma. He really was a gay that could do it all. Grabbing the red sauce from where he’d laid it out on the counter, he gently poured it over the bowl he made for himself, absently staring out the window and wondering where Mark was out there. The pyramids? The Great Wall? He told William all about the places he’d flown over and through, and it made for a fun game to pass the time.

Once he had exacted his sauce-to-pasta ratio, William sat quietly at the table, scraping the bottom of his bowl when he finished. He hadn’t really planned on Mark taking this long, but what did it matter? The fair didn’t close until late in the night, and the weekend was starting soon. The metallic sound of silverware clinking against porcelain filled the empty kitchen as William patiently waited for a message from Mark, picturing his best friend flying halfway across the world in yellow spandex. The image brought a smile to his face.

__

Mark and William were walking through the fair, the fairy lights and neon signs above washing them in a sea of every color. The cool autumn air bit at their skin through the layers of clothes, and leaves flew up around their feet. Mark had just bought them some kind of dessert cup they could share, and William eyed it greedily as Mark continued to talk about his training.

Turns out he hadn’t been too far off when he’d pictured Mark in Egypt earlier, but hearing about Mark casually landing on Mount Everest had been a little shocking.

“So you just held a hand out to the guy?”

“Yeah, I mean, he was shocked at first, but he took it. I think he was kinda sad to see he’d worked so hard only to find we had flown to the stop for a pit stop, but…” William had shoved Mark when he’d said that, nearly making him drop their dessert. He needed to keep this young immortal humble. Now, Mark was talking about the speech his Dad had given him about being prepared to put duty above Earth. William was only half-listening as he tried to scoop some of the pudding from where Mark was holding it as they strolled.

“I don’t know, man,” Mark’s hand moved as he gestured up to the stars, “The universe is cool, and saving galaxies is great, but I don’t think I could leave Earth behind. Even if I did lose my family.” William looked up from the dessert cup to Mark, then, sensing the emotional weight his friend was carrying, only to find Mark already looking to him, shyly.

“Oh, uh,” William struggled to find his words, pinned between Mark’s eyes and being caught dazing during the conversation, “I don’t think I could leave either. There’s too much I’d miss. But I’m not an heir to some intergalactic empire.” William tried smiling at his friend, but Mark was looking down at the dessert cup, the somber expression lingering. Suddenly, the dessert cup didn’t seem all that interesting to William.

“Hey,” William said, placing an arm on his shoulder, “You don’t have to go anytime soon. Or maybe at all. I think your Dad might just be trying to connect with you more on a superhero level by sharing his responsibilities. All he really said was that you have to be prepared to sacrifice for the greater good, right?”

“Yeah,” Mark mumbled, picking at the top of the dessert, “I guess.” Mark sighed in the way he did when he was done talking about something, so William took the hint and used the opportunity to seize the moment.

“Watch it!” William slapped Mark’s spoon with his own, quickly pushing his spoon into the foamy surface to scoop himself another bite, “No hogging!” Mark cracked a smile when he saw his friend stuffing his face, laughing when the whipped cream fell slightly down his chin.

“Enjoying yourself there?” William nodded as he continued trying to swallow the bite he’d taken, and Mark kept laughing until his friend finally wiped the frosting from his mouth.

“It was delicious,” William replied, unashamedly licking the remaining flavoring off his hand. Mark only watched in silence, the glimpse of William’s tongue darting in and out of his mouth, lapping up the syrup, killing any snarky remark he had prepared.

“Uh, s-so, yeah. That was my, uh, training. What’s been going on with you?” Mark felt his face heat up while he spoke, his eyes glued to William's lips as he continued licking them, even when he felt William’s eyes watching him.

“Nothing much,” William replied, turning his head to survey the various carnival games and stands that surrounded them. He usually picked the bowling one, but he couldn’t find it in the maze of booths they’d started traversing. He’d need to find ones Mark could use his powers to win.

“I think our history test is getting curved, but mainly I turned in my Upstate application.”

“Really?!” William turned to see Mark’s arm reaching out to grab, pulling him into a hug. “That’s so good. I’m proud. But I thought you were stuck on that essay,” Mark pulled back to look down at William, “What changed?”

“Well,” William responded, playfully pushing himself from Mark’s arm and turning his head to hide the smile and blush overtaking his face, “I got a little inspiration.”

“From what?” Mark asked from behind, grabbing William’s arm and spinning him so they were facing each other again as they rounded another corner.

“From you.” Mark’s shit-eating grin told William he probably hadn’t succeeded in tonight’s goal of preserving Viltrumite humility. “Okay, okay, relax.”

“I haven’t even said anythin-”

“Whatever. But yeah, you inspired me kinda.” William turned his head away from Mark again as he continued talking. God forbid this boy discovers the power he felt like he held over William, “I just got to thinking about what made me want to be a doctor, or even go to college in general, and I thought about how you talk about being Invincible. If knowledge is power, and before you start, I know that’s corny,” William wagged his finger in Mark’s face, who he could still see was grinning from the corner of his eye, “But if it is, then I want the power to help people. In any way possible.” William paused, and Mark lifted a hand to his shoulder, squeezing gently in support.

“That’s really cool, Will.” Mark’s voice was soft and genuine, but when William finally turned ot look at him again, he was met with another cocky grin, “So if you get in, I get to say I’m responsible now, right?”

“Oh shut up!” William reached over to punch Mark in the shoulder, but his friend turned out of the way before the blow landed.

“Missed me!” Mark teased, dropping the forgotten dessert in a nearby trash can before dashing behind one of the vendor stalls, disappearing behind the hanging curtains. William darted forward to follow him, pushing the curtains aside and tracking his friend's retreating figure. William pushed forward again, ignoring the cries of whoever’s stall that was. Mark curled back through the concessions and through the swaths of festival goers, all the way back to the first few game stations they’d passed.

By the time he caught Mark, he was nearly out of breath and had lost the desire to punish his friend for his sass, too focused on the hat Mark had stopped for. He was standing expectantly in front of a stall chalked full of prizes, and when William finally saw what game it was, he knew he and Mark had the same idea.

While William admired all the stuffed animals hanging above them, from life-sized gorilla plushies to fluffy balls that seemed more toy than animal, Mark silently handed him one of the white rubber balls he must’ve already paid for and stepped back to throw.

“I really hope you’re not expecting me to throw this…” William looked down at the ball in his palm and shuddered to think of embarrassing himself by missing. Mark was a pretty good thrower since he’d played baseball as a kid, but the most William had ever done was track and tennis. And none of it had involved throwing.

“I don’t,” Mark laughed, winding back to throw the ball past the bored teenager running the stand, and into the metal cup. Normally, William knew, the cups wouldn’t all fall even if you hit them, since they were weighted differently. But he also knew Mark had super-strength now, and if the singed ball-shaped hole in the back of the tent proved anything, it was that rigged carnival games would not stand against the strength of Viltrum. “I expect you to hand me them. Makes you an active participant at least.”

William stuck his tongue but gratefully handed Mark the next ball, picking up the third and final one from the wooden counter. The girl manning the station hadn’t noticed, or at least hadn’t cared about the damage Mark had just inflicted on her workplace, but she restacked the shattered metal cups anyway, sighing when Mark did the same thing again, knocking them all over with one throw. Luckily, he reigned in his strength a little more this time, and no cups or tent flaps were broken. He repeated the action with the third ball, and before William could even protest, he bought two more rounds of balls, occupying William’s hands as he threw beam after beam into the poor metal cups, jacking up their score.

At one point, a small crowd had gathered to watch Mark nail the ninth straight ball into the heart of the faux pyramid, tumbling it in one effort. William scoffed in disbelief, high-fiving his friend, as Mark reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet again.

“What are you doing? Haven’t you proven you can win enough?” William didn’t understand why his friend would want to keep playing after this many rounds. Surely a game this beneath him would be boring after a while.

“If you knock the pyramid over fifteen times, you win one of the big prizes,” Mark pointed up at the wall full of giant animals William had first noticed. “And since tigers are your favorite animal…” Mark trailed off, and William followed his eyes until he spotted the large blue tiger in the corner of the stand, hidden behind a pack of gorillas and unicorns.

“Just take it. Please.” The sole employee manifested herself in front of them again with the prize, shoving it into Mark’s hands and gesturing for them to leave so she didn’t have to clean up twenty fallen cups again. William couldn’t think of anything to say when Mark handed the toy to him with a small smile on his face. With his arms wrapped around the plush blue fur of his favorite predator, he only continued staring at Mark, who was now nervously scratching the back of his head and looking at the ground with a faint pink dusting on his cheeks.

“I-I hope you don’t mind. I know you like your room in, uh, a particular way.”

William laughed, the sound making Mark flinch a little before smiling. “Don’t you worry, Grayson. I have the perfect little corner to shove this in.” William grinned as he squeezed his new pet, laughing when Mark crossed his arms in a pout.

“Hey! I paid almost twenty bucks for that thing.”

“And cheated to get it.” Mark relented, mumbling in a gruff voice about how no good deed goes unpunished.

The two continued walking around the affair after that, William forcing them to take it slow after their little burst of speed. They passed jack-o-lantern carving stands, a hay maze, a pumpkin patch, and candied apples, all of which interested either Mark or William. William had a sweet tooth, and Mark was determined to help his Mom win her annual pumpkin carving competition in her book club.

William watched, bemused, as Mark carefully inspected each pumpkin and sent pictures to his Mom. “We’ll have to come back if she wants one,” Mark declared, setting down the pumpkin he’d been holding and ignoring the angry looks of the patch owner. William only shook his head and continued eating his candy apple, pretending all the sugar he’d been eating tonight wouldn’t make his stomach hurt.

When the two of them had walked the whole thing two times over, and the stalls were slowly closing for the night, they decided to head home, Mark leading them from the open field into the shadows of the parking lot. William hadn’t felt like driving, and it was faster for them to fly anyway, so Mark had obliged, to William’s delight. Now he swooped William up in his arms again, carefully clutching him to his chest.
The combination of William’s hair whipping in the wind and the giant blue animal he was holding made it hard for Mark to see, but he didn’t mind. It meant he could go slower on their way back, and the view of the twinkling lights below them made the trip an easy one.

“Flying with you has really made me see how small the world is,” Mark looked down at William, who was staring down with wide eyes, full of the same childlike wonder he always had when they went flying. “Does that sound stupid? Sorry.” Mark had been basking in the warm feeling he had whenever William was genuine, and he frowned when his friend recovered his attitude by shaking his head.

“No, no. It wasn’t stupid. I’m glad me getting my powers hasn’t just made you feel like an underpaid therapist.” William huffed a laugh, shifting himself in Mark’s arm so he was looking up at the flying superhero.

“Mark, don’t be an idiot. I’ve always listened to your problems. Even before you were Invincible, but now,” William turned his head back down to the world passing by beneath them, “I think I wanna do something more. Like you do.” Mark smiled down at his friend, happy he’d inspired William at all. Most days, when he came home drenched in sweat and gore from the latest national threat, he didn’t feel like he was doing anything, but hearing the reminder of why he wanted to be a superhero at all from his friend’s mouth was special. Even if the supervillains never went away, there still needed to be someone people could look up to.

Mark leaned down to press his face into William’s hair, murmuring his thanks as he began their descent toward William’s house. When they landed, Mark walked him to the door and hugged William before he left, the tiger stuffed between them, and Mark promising they’d hang out again over the weekend. Right before Mark shot back into the sky, he heard William’s voice, “And Mark, we’re not ‘hanging out’ anymore. You’re paying for my shit now, so it’s a date!” Mark smirked before he took off, pumping his fist when he was high enough in the sky that he was sure William wouldn’t see or hear his celebrations.

__

Mark was still riding the high of his first date with William when he landed in his backyard. The kitchen lights were on, so he knew his parents were home, but it was hard to cool his excitement as he walked into the kitchen. He hadn’t really known he wanted anything more than friendship with William, but ever since they’d kissed over the summer, Mark felt like his friend had taken up more and more of his thoughts. He shuddered to think of the way he acted initially and after, but at least he was more in tune with himself now.

When he walked into the kitchen, ready to regale his Mom with the latest tidings of pumpkins and fair life, he froze. Cecil Steadman stood behind the kitchen island, beside his Dad and his mother.

“Hey,” Mark croaked out, hoping the imposing man didn’t hear how nervous he was, “What’s going on?”

“Mark,” his father’s words were steel, and Mark felt whatever high he’d been riding crash, “where have you been? We’ve been waiting here for hours-”

“I told you I was out with William at the fair, I-”

“Mark. We’ve talked about this. Your new responsibilities need to take priority over hanging out with your friends.” Nolan’s frustration was evident, and even though Mark guessed it had more to do with Cecil than William, he couldn’t help but feel the shame and embarrassment that crept up on him.

‘I-I’m sorry I lost track of tim-”

“Nolan.” Debbie cut off Mark, and Mark turned to see his mom pointing an accusing finger at his Dad. “Your son was hanging out with a friend, like he told us. Relax.” His Dad said nothing more, shooting his Mom a cold look before turning back to Cecil. The balding man cleared his throat before speaking.

“NASA’s about to launch the first manned mission to Mars.”

“Yeah, I saw that. It’s cool.” Mark still didn’t quite understand why Cecil was standing here, or why his Dad seemed so agitated.

“I need your father to shadow the mission, to make sure nothing goes wrong,” Cecil sounded bitter, and the two men turned towards each other with a scorn, Mark didn’t understand either. “Only he won’t do it.” Oh. Mark realized what was happening before his Dad cut in,

“I'm busy training my son, Cecil, and with the Guardians gone, I’m needed here on Earth. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to get rid of me.”

“It’s because of the Guardians massacre that I want you on this mission.” Mark watched the increasingly heated exchange play out, biting his tongue for a few more moments, “The world needs a win right now, and this is it.”

“You think people are gonna care about Mars if there’s an attack on Earth and I’m not here to save them?” Cecil’s frustration bubbled over, and Mark felt his brow rise at the sight of someone yelling at his Dad. People were usually too scared to raise their voice to Nolan Grayson, Mark included. Only his Mom had any success fighting with his Dad.

“I think they’re gonna care if the first four people to walk on another world end up dying there!”

“My priority is to my family and this planet. End of story.” Mark felt this was his moment to defuse the situation and offer Cecil exactly what he wanted.

“I guess this is the part where I volunteer,” he held his hand, feeling all three pairs of eyes in the room land on him. “I mean, that’s what happened last time you came here asking Dad to go to space.” Mark felt like his going was the obvious answer, but when his Dad scoffed, he felt another wave of bitterness roll through him.

“Yeah, that was the moon, Mark,” Nolan said it like it was nothing. Like Mark had done nothing significant, “That hardly counts as space.”

“You were just teaching me, I’ve got responsibilities,” Mark defended himself, “Isn’t this one of them?”

“Your responsibilities are bigger than four astronauts. And Cecil didn’t ask you to go, he asked me.” His Dad put his hands on the counter like his words were final, but Cecil seized his chance.

“If the kid wants to go, he’d be doing humanity a favor.” His Dad threw up his hands and turned to his Mom, who had been watching the whole scene passively.

“Debbi, help me out here.”

“I don’t like Mark missing school, but,” his Mom paused for a beat, and Mark felt hope flutter in his chest. He could bring back a piece of space to William if he went, never mind the sight of the city from above. “I can’t think of a better reason than keeping people safe.”

“How much school am I really gonna miss?” Mark tried selling his point, “I can zip up to Mars and be back by tomorrow!”

“The fact that you don’t know how far away Mars is is exactly why you shouldn’t be missing school.” His Dad’s response left Mark stumbling for a response again, but he couldn’t think of anything. How far away was Mars? Cecil answered for him in a quieter tone,

“It’s a two-week mission.”

“Two weeks?!” Mark felt the outrage build in him, and quickly he began second-guessing his choice, “Dad’s right. I’m not ready.” He couldn’t leave William behind, and school, and a second date with William…

“Sweetheart, lots of people are going to tell you how to use your powers, but it’s up to you to make these decisions.” Mark’s protests cooled when he heard his Mom’s calming advice, “You need to decide what kind of hero you want to be.” Mark felt the words land in his chest and remembered what William had told him about wanting to help because of him. He lowered his head while he thought and felt the three adults watching, each hoping for a different outcome.
When he lifted his eyes to meet his Dad’s gaze, he knew what his decision was. “I’ll do it.”

“Well, pack a lunch, kid,” Cecil said, a small smile on his face, “You leave tomorrow.”

__

William was sitting on his couch, idly flipping through his notebook while he listened to the news about the space shuttle launch in the background. His biology notes weren’t really captivating, but he had another test coming up, and not much else to do this weekend besides wonder what Mark could be planning for them, so this would have to do.

His feet were lying on the armchair, notebook forgotten in place of a phone, when he heard the doorbell ring. He let his phone fall to his side as he stood up, running through the list of what this could be. They never had packages delivered to the house, his mom was at work, and nobody ever really visited them. Their neighborhood was full of old, retired couples. It was part of the reason he’d clung to Mark so often as a kid, since there was no one else around him. Maybe it was his Dad…

He swung open the door to see Mark fidgeting a few steps from the door, his hands clasped behind his back, and a guilty look marking his features. He crossed his arms, expectantly waiting for his friend to speak. Mark wouldn’t have come here without texting unless it was something he knew would piss William off. Maybe he was here to explain whatever he’d been holding back at lunch today.

“Uh, um, hi. Again. Hello. I-I came here to apologize in advance.” Mark’s hands stayed clasped behind his back, so William shifted to try and see what he was holding, but Mark just mirrored his movement, blocking any snooping efforts.

“For what, Mark? Tell me you didn’t get caught using my homework answers and rat me out.”

“W-what?! No. Never I-”

“Okay, good. Mrs. Williams has had it out for you ever since the Todd thing, and she was shooting us suspicious looks today in class.”

“I think that’s because we were talking, but no. I came here to apologize because I have to cancel this weekend.” Mark stared at the ground while he waited for William’s response, like a dog begging to be let back inside after peeing on the rug.

“What? Why? Did something happen?” William felt a rush of concern and panic fight for his attention. On one hand, this seemed out of character given recent events, but William was still haunted by old words and last-minute regrets. If Mark had turned around and decided he wanted to stop hanging out, then that would be the last str-

“I’m going on a two-week mission to space. F-for the GDA. I have to make sure those astronauts going to Mars make it there safe and sound.” William felt himself release a tension he hadn’t felt build so rapidly, and he looked at Mark again. The boy, though taller, was looking at him again through his long eyelashes, with his head tilted down, which gave the illusion of Mark looking up at him. It at least made William feel a little more sympathetic than he normally would upon first hearing news like this.

“Are you sure you’re going to be able to survive that long in space? I mean, Mars is far away, Mark, like really far-” William’s concern was starting to bubble back up, as he pictured Mark, who couldn’t even navigate himself to the city from here without flying, out in the big black void of space, with nothing to guide him but a man-made hunk of metal.

“I’ll be fine, Will. My Dad says I don’t need to breathe in space to live, but I’ll have an air mask anyway. I wanted to tell you sooner, since I leave tonight, but uh, I didn’t know how to, exactly. Had to ask someone for advice.” He laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head, and William took the chance to spy on what he was holding. It appeared like a pair of tickets, but William didn’t get the chance to see what they said because as soon as Mark spotted him peeking, he snatched them back down behind his back.

“Hey! It’s supposed to be a surprise.” The whiny edge to Mark’s voice would’ve worked to satiate William any other time, but it was starting to sink in that he’d be alone for two weeks.

“Oh come on! I’m already gonna be waiting for you for two weeks, do I really have to wait for this surprise?” William’s tone must’ve sounded final enough for Mark to skip to the point, because he pulled out a pair of theater tickets that read ‘EPIC: The Musical’.

“I got us tickets to go see this show, I remember you talking about in English when we read the Odyssey. It’s supposed to be abou-

“I know what it’s about, Mark!” William kept rereading the small print on the tickets, grabbing Mark’s hand and pulling it to his face so he could read the fine print. The date was for October seventeenth, a little over two weeks from now, but the location… “Are we really-”

“Going to New York, again? Yeah.” Mark sounded like he was trying to be smug, but his grin was sheepish, and there was a slight blush on his face when William hugged, standing on his toes to throw all his weight into it.

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod we’re going back!” The two of them had talked about returning when they’d left, but William had never really thought about it again til now. Beautiful Mark could fly them there and back within the day, then what was the issue?

“Yeah,” Mark said, his mouth pushed against William’s shoulder as he returned the hug, “I figured we could spend our four-day weekend up there doing things that don’t require taking attendance every five steps.” William laughed, releasing Mark and slapping him on the shoulder. He’d completely forgotten about the four-day weekend they had in October, courtesy of some county holiday and school tradition.

“Ugh, Markus Grayson! I don’t know if I should kiss or kill you right now.” William pointed his finger out at Mark, who was still holding the tickets, and Mark grabbed his hand, pulling him closer and pressing the tickets into William’s palm.

“Well, I’m supposed to leave in a couple of hours, so…”

William did himself the courtesy of wrapping his arms around Mark’s neck, and lifting one foot up, pressing his mouth to Mark’s until they were out of breath and Mark said he had to go. After a few more of Mark’s pleas to be let free, William loosened the grip he had on his collar to keep him there and stole a final peck from his best friend before he flew off. When William walked back inside, he was already trying to remember the feeling of Mark’s arms wrapped gently around his waist.

__

The first few days passed like any other. It was easy to go about his day pretending Mark was sick, or that they just happened to miss each other in class and the halls, but it was harder after the initial take off. It was harder still when William would sit by his phone and look expectantly down whenever someone else texted him, and it wasn’t Mark. But that was all tolerable for the first few days.

Afterward, it became a task of strength to pretend like worry and anxiety weren’t pushing in from the corners of William’s mind. Of course, it had been easy to forgive and understand why Mark felt he had to complete the mission, so the anger had faded. But his anxious nature, especially surrounding Mark, had returned. Every time William would glance over his shoulder to look for Mark in English or history, his heart would drop, and he’d imagine Mark hurtling toward some red planet by himself, alone in the chasm of space with no one to help him. William knew that was irrational, but still. OMni-Man could help his son, but would he get there in time? What if Mark got lost? Ran out of oxygen?

Every hour proved a new torment as his mind came up with more and more scenarios for why Mark wouldn’t return. What had once been a fun pastime to go to sleep, staring out his window and picturing Mark soaring in the skies, now kept him restless. Was Mark out there and lonely, and scared? Was he hurt? Over and over, William repeated the words Mark had told him- all the mission truly was was Mark acting as a bodyguard for the space shuttle. He could breathe (or not, it wasn’t clear) in space. That he’d be back in two weeks, and then they’d go to New York to celebrate the weekend after.

But sitting in the expected silence was not a task William felt he could endure after a whole week had gone by. He’d done all his homework, studied twice for his tests, and turned in a few more applications; the motivation was all spurred on by the desire to bury his fears in work. But the work ran out. He couldn’t pick up another shift, he couldn’t make the club meetings drag on any longer, and there was only so much food he and his mother could eat, no matter how much he cooked. On the second day of the second week, his nails had been reduced to stubs, the insides of his cheeks were bitten and raw, and his hair came out in tufts whenever he ran his hand through it. No matter what he thought about his cortisol levels would not fall.

On the second-to-last day of waiting for Mark to return, William was sitting alone on a bench in the cafeteria, unable to stomach sitting at their usual spot, picking at his food. Only when his next bite of chicken was wet and salty did he realize he’d been crying, thinking about what was happening. He tried to chastise himself out of his emotional state. He knew Mark would be okay, so this foolishness had to end. He was in the middle of reprimanding himself, cruising under his breath when Amber walked by,

“William?” The boy looked up from his plate to find Amber standing over him with a smile on her face. She sat down next to him, the smile disappearing when she saw the tear stains on his cheek. “I was gonna ask what’s up but…”

William wiped his face quickly and cleared his throat, doing his best to make his voice not shake, “Oh, I’m fine, actually. Just been a long two weeks.” Amber paused for a moment, assessing him, and William sniffled as he wiped his nose, hoping that he caught whatever episode he was experiencing early enough that he didn’t look in disarray yet.

“Yeah, I get it. You know we haven’t really talked in a while, so I was thinking we could get coffee or something after school. If you can, obviously.” William paused, considering the offer for a moment before accepting. It was best that he not be alone right now.

“Perfect! I’ll meet you there.” As Amber got up, she looked as if she was about to walk away, only to turn back, “Wait. Where’s Mark? I haven’t seen him in psychology for a while, and you two are always together.” William must’ve made a face when she said that because she immediately followed up, “No, no, not like that, it’s just- Well, I thought you would know where he is.”

William tried to shake off the initial shock of what he thought Amber had been implying and provide her with the information she was clearly seeking, “Oh yeah, no, he’s fine. He’s just uh, going through something personal. He had to go out of town, but he’ll be back soon. I hope.”

“Oh, that makes sense. I was worried.” For the second time, Amber looked like she wanted to walk away before saying something else, “Anyway, we have a lot to catch up on. Remember all your jokes about Matthew?” William smiled, and Amber laughed, tapping his shoulder when she threw her head back. God, it felt good to laugh right now, William thought. “Well, I think we might be dating. Or something.”

William congratulated her with an enthusiasm he actually felt, reminding her he’d seen this coming for months. Amber finally departed, promising they’d chat more over coffee and thanking him for putting Matthew on her radar, since that’s why she’d even considered going to homecoming with him. Mark had left a sour taste in her mouth about guys expressing interest and then backing off… Well, it didn’t matter anymore. William left the cafeteria feeling better than he had in over a week, and looking forward to the end of the day for something other than a reason of getting closer to seeing Mark.

__

Space was horrifyingly empty. That was the first thing Mark noticed as he blasted himself past the atmosphere, trailing the spaceship as they exited Earth’s orbit. Of course, he’d been in space before, but he’d been fighting Allen and had been too focused on trying to hold his breath and ignoring the voice in his head to realize just how much empty space there really was. It was unnerving.

He thought of Earth to pass the time and steel himself. It helped to think of his mom and William waiting for him at home. They were probably nervously looking up into the sky, hoping Mark would make it home safe. Well, maybe less so his Mom, since she was so experienced at this because of his Dad, but William had seemed nervous. At least before they’d kissed. God, it had been a while, and Mark had forgotten how nice it felt to have his lips pressing into his. It was easy to feel butterflies around Will, and the more Mark chose to accept that, the easier it was for him to find bliss in those little moments. He found himself questioning what it meant for his attraction to other men and girls, less and less. When it came to William, all he really knew was that he liked the stuff they had done.

The ride to Mars was easy enough, and in what felt like no time at all, Mark was touching down on the massive red landscape. If he had to compare it to something, he would’ve compared it to a dessert, with strong cold winds blowing up clouds of dust that swirled across his vision. The desolate nature of the planet and the pervading silence in a place that looked like it could be teeming with life was as equally unnerving as space. At least up there, he’d been able to bounce around on the ships and take silly pictures for William. His new official Invincible Instagram account was slowly gaining more followers, and he meant to have William curate his new post when he was home. For professional reasons, of course.

When he glided over to the edge of a mountain, above where the ship had landed, an eerie feeling began to take hold of him. Something seemed off about this planet. The ship showed no sign of life, no lights or noises, but Mark waited for a few moments longer before dropping down, wanting to check for the astronauts. He tried using his phone as a momentary distraction, but remembered he was in space. There was no calling his Dad or Cecil for backup. Surely they were watching, but it was one thing for them to witness his doing it and another to have them here or in his ear, helping. Mark floated toward the shuttle, eagerly searching for any signs that the crew had made it, when he stumbled onto a path of footsteps. Something was definitely wrong with this place. Looking around one last time, he ensured the astronauts were missing before following the footsteps, hoping he could give Earth the win Cecil said it had needed.

__

William sat watching Mr. Johnson lecture Edgar Allen Poe with absent boredom, tapping his pencil against his notebook as he stared blankly at the balding middle-aged man in front of him. He couldn’t focus on the class, but he didn’t want to think about it being the day Mark was supposed to return home, so he stayed like this. In a sort of trance, caught between anxiety and apathy in a way his brain couldn’t process.

When the bell finally rang, he couldn’t wait to grab his stuff and head home. He’d driven in silence and came home to an empty house, refusing to open his phone and scroll or turn on the news. What had become an obsessive habit of constantly checking the headlines to see any updates about the astronauts had become destructive. He’d decided yesterday that he couldn’t keep living like that. Mark knew where to find him when he came back. Tonight, after he finished his homework, he planned on watching Legally Blonde. Something uplifting and low-stakes to keep his nerves from fraying too much.

His room had become more unorganized over the course of the week, and when he trudged through the piles of dirty clothes, he could see the bits of nail and hair that had fallen or been plucked from his body as a result of the stress. He wanted to clean it up, but he knew that in no time it would be replaced. It made more sense to let it build until the source of his stress was back home.

Homework passed in a similar vein to school, with William only able to go through the motions, vice actually engaging. Even his progress on college applications had started to slow, though he still managed to complete a few supplementals. It wasn’t much, but he was ahead anyway, so he could afford the break. Surprisingly, his Mom had cooked dinner for him before she left for work while he was at school, so he ate lukewarm chicken and broccoli while he stared out the window into the yard. He needed to avoid looking up, especially since daylight was fading, and the veil to night was being lifted. Seeing the stars would fill him with dread. At least I’ve adapted quickly, William thought, washing his dishes and keeping his head down. It’d only taken him two weeks to find his triggers and stifle them. The work he could do under immense pressure was impressive. He could give himself that credit.

Only when he trodded toward the couch, collapsing into the cushions, was his routine broken. A faint gust that sounded like wind whooshed outside, but he wasn’t drawn from his task until he heard a knock on the door. His neck snapped over, and his heart began to pound. Despite his best efforts, he still hoped it was who he thought it was. There really was only one person he could think of who could or would be coming to his house at this hour. He leapt from the couch in a manner that he would be embarrassed to admit, hurtling toward the door and sliding to a stop before flinging it open, putting himself face to face with Invincible.

He’d never seen Mark in person with his suit fully on, so it was jarring to see him not maskless. The goggles gave him bug eyes, and the form-fitting spandex on his face did little to hide his features to those who would know him. His hair was too recognizable, his lips too familiar, and his jaw line too distinct. It couldn’t have been anyone but Mark standing in front of him.

“I texted you bu-”

William threw his arms around Mark and pulled him close to his chest, squeezing like he meant to merge them into one. He would’ve if he could’ve. Being away from Mark that long with no way to know if he was alright or not was agony. Mark let himself be cut off, returning the embrace and lifting William a few inches off the ground as he did so, walking them inside and kicking the door shut behind them as he cradled William’s head, which was currently cradled in Mark’s neck.

It would be embarrassing to cry, but he didn’t know if he could face Mark right now without being overcome, so he let Mark gently whisper in his ear, telling him how much he’d missed William, and how he took pictures for him. Even though Mark was reassuring him, William could still hear an edge of exhaustion and something akin to fear in his voice. Mars mustn’t have gone too well, then. William would have to ask him about it later. They stayed like that for a few more moments, breathing each other with Mark letting William run his hands over his skin, pinching and poking as if to confirm he was really there.

“You.” Poke. “Are.” Pinch. “Never. Leaving. Me. For. That. long. Again.” William found a soft, squishy spot between Mark's ribs that did more to tickle him than hurt him, but Mark played along anyway.

“Ow, ow, ow. Okay!. Du- stop! Okay, man, alright!” William had cracked a small smile by the time Mark surrendered, and felt equal to the task of looking him in the eyes. He pulled his hands away from Marks, who had them protectively positioned around his chest, and brought them up to his mask, gently pulling it off as Mark watched silently, only shifting his head slightly to help William remove it. William could see Mark’s throat bob as he swallowed.

“H-hey.”

“Welcome home, idiot.” Mark laughed, and William kept watching his face, every detail so familiar but seemingly so foreign after their brief separation. He wanted to memorize every detail in case Mark had to leave again. A silence had fallen between them again, but this time it was charged, each boy watching the other as if to soak in every moment of their presence, waiting for someone to make the first move. William did.

“How was Mars?”

“Scary. We can talk about it later.”

“Wh-” William was the one cut off this time, his face cupped by Mark’s hands and pulled into a kiss, tender but desperate. Damn, he thought, his friend was really a horndog if he was going this hard after only two weeks. He was pretty sure he could feel Mark junior pressed against his leg right now, but who knew with how restrictive the spandex was.

William relaxed into the kiss, letting all the fears and nightmares he’d had over the last two weeks dissolve into Mark’s mouth. In the corners of his mind, he felt Mark’s arms find his waist, trailing up and down his torso as they continued to slide into one another. They let themselves enjoy the embrace for a few minutes until William pressed his hands softly against Mark’s chest, pushing him away.

“My mom comes home tonight,” he whispered in between his pants, “but it’s late.” Mark shook his head, and William could see his blush through the dim lighting of the kitchen. The moon shone brightly behind him, and the silver light made the string of saliva still clinging to his lips visible.

“I can’t stay anyway. I need to see my parents.” Mark looked to the door as if to leave, but he looked back to William when he laughed. “What?”

“Nothing. Go home. I’m sure your parents have missed you just as much as I have.” Mark smiled when he said that before grabbing his mask from it, which had been tossed aside on the kitchen counter, slipping it back on.

“Maybe. We’ll talk more at school about plans, okay?” Mark was already gliding toward the door, his muscles coiled in anticipation of taking off, when William remembered the tickets Mark had bought them.

“We better. See ya.” Mark waved, and William waved back, hearing his door shut and a boom shake the ground before Mark had vanished, leaving no trace of him ever returning. William walked upstairs in a dreamlike state, his movie forgotten and a new weight settling over him. Mark was okay, and he would pick him up from school tomorrow. He’d come back. William was in bed within minutes of Mark leaving, unable to resist the temptation of sleep now that he wouldn’t be haunted by nightmares or kept awake by constantly being on edge. The only thing missing in his bed that night was the boy flying home in the sky and their upcoming getaway. He knew it would be worth the wait.