The Last Colony

Part 9

Mark handed the bottle back to Sean, leaning off the bed to snatch a bag of chips that Sean had scavenged. Sean accepted the bottle from him, staring at it with a sudden worried look as he asked him cautiously. "Should you be drinking this with me? With your condition?" Mark popped open the chip bag, laying back lazily on his side. Setting the bag between them, he told Sean with a smile. "I can drink alcohol... just not a lot of it." Sean set the bottle between his legs, before telling him seriously. "Still... I don't want you drinking it." Mark propped his head up with a hand. He was going to argue about it being the end of the world... but Sean's look stopped him. Sean wasn't looking at him, but at the bottle with a sudden haunted look. Mark looked between Sean and the bottle, before asking him softly. "Are you going to be ok?" Sean tilted his head back against the wall, openly admitting. "I don't know. I feel like I'm walking a tightrope... Somedays I see a net below. Somedays I don't."

Mark pushed the chips closer to Sean to coax him into eating, when he replied lightly. "Don't look down. Looking down will only tempt you into walking off the rope. Just keep your eyes ahead. We'll get through this. You'll see." Sean lifted the bottle like that was his answer, causing Mark to reach for it. Sean moved the bottle away, leaning closer to him as he told him in a fragile voice. "I wasn't referring to the bottle. I was pointing at you. You're the only one that keeps me from looking down. You remind me what it was like to laugh and have fun." Mark stared into Sean's watery eyes, while his hand trailed down Sean's arm to the bottle. Taking the bottle from him, he told him sadly. "I haven't made you very happy lately though..." Sean lowered his eyes to the mattress, whispering to him lovingly. "Well, the world has gone to hell. I don't expect love to be anything less than painful as well...but... I love you too much to leave you on your own. I'd like to believe that you need me in some small way."

Mark reached up to touch Sean's cheek, telling him sweetly. "I do need you. I'd be lost without you. So... I wanna do something for us. Something fun." Sean looked up from the mattress to raise an eyebrow. Mark chuckled, ruffling his hair as he sat up. Climbing off the bed, Mark set the bottle on the mini fridge, telling him seriously. "I don't know about you... but I think it's time we both remember how to live a little." Sean started munching on some chips, giving him a shrug as he grumbled out uncertainly. "How? I found a set of playing cards in here... Other than that. There is nothing we can do." Mark bent forward to rest his hands on the bed, telling him with a bright grin. "It's going to rain again. I've seen the clouds rolling in. So, let's... Let's use that advantage to have some fun. Just for tonight." Sean shook his head grimly, muttering out numbly. "What can we do that won't attract a hoard?" Mark raised a finger to his lips, letting him listen to the patter of rain against the windshield for a few seconds.

Afterward, he lowered his hand to tell him confidently. "They don't like the rain or the thunderstorms. We're practically in the middle of a desert. Why waste this chance? There's an old player in the station..." Sean blinked blankly, then told Mark with panic in his voice. "Mark? Have you lost your mind? NO!" Mark pushed off the bed, racing for the door. Sean scrambled off the bed, yelling after him. "Mark! Don't!" Mark hopped down from the truck into the rain, dashing into the gas station. Sean was right on his heels. Mark rolled over the counter, pressing the cassette tape into the mounted boom box. Sean skidded to a halt in front of the counter, pleading with Mark desperately. "Mark, don't! Please!" Mark took a deep breath, retorting in a bold voice. "Trust me. We both need this. We can't be afraid forever." Sean slammed his hands on the table to hop over the counter, but Mark flicked the switch to turn on the boom box. The battery in the boom box was still good and began playing the tape over the speakers mounted around the gas station.

Sean landed in front of Mark and froze like a statue at the noise. Mark placed his hands on Sean's shoulders, guiding him backward away from the counter. Sean grabbed Mark's shirt, looking completely terrified. Mark countered his growing anger by kissing him passionately. The brief kiss had worked. Sean's anger had vanished into confusion. Mark booped his nose playfully, then took his hands in his own. Pulling Sean up against him, he whispered into his ear. "I need you to smile for me. Don't be scared." Sean was lost in a mix of emotions. However, Mark saw a spark light up in his eyes as he began dancing with him through the aisles. Sean's cheeks burned a bright pink as he tried to walk away, but Mark would pull him back into his arms. Swaying with him, until a reluctant smile spread over Sean's face. Seeing Sean smile like that was like looking at pure starlight. He let Sean go, casually stalking him across the store. At first, Sean was only focused on trying to run out the front door... but when Mark playfully put his hand on the glass door to close it without any real effort, something in Sean changed.