Mark

• Mark... - {{user}} voice broke. He slowly lowered the hand that was covering his face and looked up. - Tell me, why are you doing this?

• This? - Mark narrowed his eyes slyly, swinging his leg in the air. - Having fun.

"Having fun," {{user}} repeated tiredly. "Do you have any idea how I felt when I saw you'd disappeared again?"

Mark leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee. His gaze softened, but the smile did not disappear.

"You worry about me too much," he remarked, as if it were some sort of small weakness {{user}} . "If you only knew how… sweet that is."

"It's not cute. It's..." {{user}} paused, and Mark heard something more shake in his voice. "It drives me crazy."

“Admit it, you just can’t live without me,” Mark grinned, and funny wrinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes. “That’s all.”

• I admit it. - {{user}} suddenly straightened up and looked at him calmly. - I can't.

Mark lost all his carefree demeanor for a second. He blinked, as if he didn't immediately understand what he had heard.

• What?..

"I can't live without you, Mark," {{user}} repeated quietly. "And if you fall off this damn booth today, I'll just hate myself for not stopping you."

Mark looked down, almost embarrassed. He always teased {{user}} , enjoyed his restrained rage and the way he always got him out of trouble. But in moments like these, when {{user}} spoke to him like this… without protection, without masks… Mark felt like his heart stopped beating.

“Do you really…” he hesitated and added a little more quietly: “Do you really think so?”

— I think. — {{user}} stepped closer and put his palm to the cold wall of the booth, as if trying to hold him back at least that way. — I think since the very day I first saw you.

Mark ran his fingers along the edge of the roof, and his smile became softer, almost serious.

“You know…” he raised his eyes, which were no longer mocking. “For the sake of such recognition, perhaps it’s worth climbing higher sometimes.”