Drabble: Reunion - Part 1
So here Julio is, down on one knee, the ring he chose clutched so tightly in his hand that he doesn’t know how he’ll manage to let it go. Everything Ric wants. Everything he has ever dreamed of. Everything that he’ll ever need is right here. Right here. Stood before him with those bright green eyes and a slowly growing smile that could break your heart.
Gods he hopes that he isn’t about to have his heart broken. If Mark turns him down he doesn't know what he'll do. Could he laugh it off as a joke? Hope that they can come back from that? But they've said that they love each other so many times now. He means it.
Every. Single. Time.
But right now he doesn’t know how to say that; can’t seem to find the right words.
“...marry me?”
So he hopes, Lord he prays, that these two words will be enough.
--
“No.”
That speech he had planned about proclaiming his undying love for Mark
Yeah. Totally forgotten it already.
He swallowed, and boy did it hurt like hell, that lump wedged tightly in his throat. “What do you mean no?”
“Just no Julio. Get up off of the floor now, your Mama is watching from the kitchen window.” Mark hissed out his answer, staring down at Ric who had yet to move. It was moments like this, as Ric righted himself, that he wished he was taller than Mark and could do the whole looming over him routine but instead he had to look up at his... his... at Mark... and wonder where the hell they went from here.
“Tell me you are joking please.”
“I’m not.” The words are whispered.
“¿Qué es, qué pasa? Qué ocurre?”
“No puedo Julio.”
“¿Por qué? Es secreto? Una visión?”
“Si... una visión?.”
“What do I have to do to convince you? I’ll do anything, Mark. Anything you ask me to. Just don’t... just don’t say no.”
Mark’s forced smile dropped and he looked down at the ring held tightly in Ric’s hands. “There’s nothing you can say or do.”
“But I don’t fucking understand!” It was then that Ric lost it, the anger in his voice starting to seep in. “I thought that this is what you would want! What we both wanted!? What is it that you saw Mark!? Don’t I have a right to know?”
Mark doesn’t answer though; he’s stepping back and putting space between them, somehow artfully managing to avoid tripping over the lounger and the beers in the process. Ric glances towards the house but his Mama is no longer peering through the kitchen window at them.
“I can’t tell you Julio! Why the fuck do you think I’m saying no? You think that I want this? You think I want to turn you down!? You just don’t have a clue do you!”
“NO I DON’T! NOT IF YOU WON’T TELL ME!” Ric roared in anger, kicking at the nearest bottle of beer and sending it clattering across the patio, spilling its contents everywhere.
“STOP IT JULIO!”
“Then talk to me! TELL ME THE TRUTH!”
“You know it doesn’t work like that Ric! I can’t!”
“So what?! You’re just going to leave me? What the fuck now!?” Ric drops to sit down on the lounger; he doesn’t have a clue what to say because he’d never planned for Mark to say no.
“I think I should go. Maybe go stay in the apartment in LA till things have calmed down a little.” It was the place they’d bought together but Ric had allowed Mark to choose and make his own. They hardly ever used the apartment really so most of the time it was leased out to tenants. A way that Mark could make his own money and not feel like he was always relying on Ric; despite the residence having been bought by Ric in the first place.
“Really?! Do you think?” Ric is wondering if maybe he should put some space between them, let things cool down before they have this argument. But that would be far too logical. Ric watches as Mark starts to head indoors and he just can’t help himself. He follows throwing the ring at Mark’s back and watching with a small glimmer of satisfaction as it bounces off of his tanned, smooth shoulders and lands in the pool with a delicate splash. “Yeah! Alright then how about you just fucking leave and don’t EVER come back.”
“Shut up JULIO! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!”
“I swear Mark if you walk out that door don’t you ever come back! Esta claro?”
Mark stills, not turning to look at Ric but his shoulders slump, a clear sign of defeat and resignation. “Is that what you want?”
No. Not at all. No way.
“Yes.” Quiet. Final.
Is this really the end?
Mark left quietly, totally unlike his usual self; packing his things up into his suitcases and not once speeding up time. Ric stays outside and refuses to come indoors but he can hear Mark talking to Mama, promising to come and see Lucia at some point. The shadow he casts over Ric, who is sat on the patio near the doorway staring out across the ocean, is cold. The Mexican doesn’t look up, refusing to meet Mark’s jade green eyes and it’s only when he hears the soft click of the front door closing that he finally gets up.
Stumbling over to the edge of the pool Ric drops to his knees with a bone jarring thud. Peering over the edge he stares down through the clear water where, laying at the bottom is the engagement ring.
He falls into the water head first, silently wishing he wouldn’t surface.
Part Two
Gods he hopes that he isn’t about to have his heart broken. If Mark turns him down he doesn't know what he'll do. Could he laugh it off as a joke? Hope that they can come back from that? But they've said that they love each other so many times now. He means it.
Every. Single. Time.
But right now he doesn’t know how to say that; can’t seem to find the right words.
“...marry me?”
So he hopes, Lord he prays, that these two words will be enough.
--
“No.”
That speech he had planned about proclaiming his undying love for Mark
Yeah. Totally forgotten it already.
He swallowed, and boy did it hurt like hell, that lump wedged tightly in his throat. “What do you mean no?”
“Just no Julio. Get up off of the floor now, your Mama is watching from the kitchen window.” Mark hissed out his answer, staring down at Ric who had yet to move. It was moments like this, as Ric righted himself, that he wished he was taller than Mark and could do the whole looming over him routine but instead he had to look up at his... his... at Mark... and wonder where the hell they went from here.
“Tell me you are joking please.”
“I’m not.” The words are whispered.
“¿Qué es, qué pasa? Qué ocurre?”
“No puedo Julio.”
“¿Por qué? Es secreto? Una visión?”
“Si... una visión?.”
“What do I have to do to convince you? I’ll do anything, Mark. Anything you ask me to. Just don’t... just don’t say no.”
Mark’s forced smile dropped and he looked down at the ring held tightly in Ric’s hands. “There’s nothing you can say or do.”
“But I don’t fucking understand!” It was then that Ric lost it, the anger in his voice starting to seep in. “I thought that this is what you would want! What we both wanted!? What is it that you saw Mark!? Don’t I have a right to know?”
Mark doesn’t answer though; he’s stepping back and putting space between them, somehow artfully managing to avoid tripping over the lounger and the beers in the process. Ric glances towards the house but his Mama is no longer peering through the kitchen window at them.
“I can’t tell you Julio! Why the fuck do you think I’m saying no? You think that I want this? You think I want to turn you down!? You just don’t have a clue do you!”
“NO I DON’T! NOT IF YOU WON’T TELL ME!” Ric roared in anger, kicking at the nearest bottle of beer and sending it clattering across the patio, spilling its contents everywhere.
“STOP IT JULIO!”
“Then talk to me! TELL ME THE TRUTH!”
“You know it doesn’t work like that Ric! I can’t!”
“So what?! You’re just going to leave me? What the fuck now!?” Ric drops to sit down on the lounger; he doesn’t have a clue what to say because he’d never planned for Mark to say no.
“I think I should go. Maybe go stay in the apartment in LA till things have calmed down a little.” It was the place they’d bought together but Ric had allowed Mark to choose and make his own. They hardly ever used the apartment really so most of the time it was leased out to tenants. A way that Mark could make his own money and not feel like he was always relying on Ric; despite the residence having been bought by Ric in the first place.
“Really?! Do you think?” Ric is wondering if maybe he should put some space between them, let things cool down before they have this argument. But that would be far too logical. Ric watches as Mark starts to head indoors and he just can’t help himself. He follows throwing the ring at Mark’s back and watching with a small glimmer of satisfaction as it bounces off of his tanned, smooth shoulders and lands in the pool with a delicate splash. “Yeah! Alright then how about you just fucking leave and don’t EVER come back.”
“Shut up JULIO! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!”
“I swear Mark if you walk out that door don’t you ever come back! Esta claro?”
Mark stills, not turning to look at Ric but his shoulders slump, a clear sign of defeat and resignation. “Is that what you want?”
No. Not at all. No way.
“Yes.” Quiet. Final.
Is this really the end?
Mark left quietly, totally unlike his usual self; packing his things up into his suitcases and not once speeding up time. Ric stays outside and refuses to come indoors but he can hear Mark talking to Mama, promising to come and see Lucia at some point. The shadow he casts over Ric, who is sat on the patio near the doorway staring out across the ocean, is cold. The Mexican doesn’t look up, refusing to meet Mark’s jade green eyes and it’s only when he hears the soft click of the front door closing that he finally gets up.
Stumbling over to the edge of the pool Ric drops to his knees with a bone jarring thud. Peering over the edge he stares down through the clear water where, laying at the bottom is the engagement ring.
He falls into the water head first, silently wishing he wouldn’t surface.
Part Two