fluffy - axel x mark

52- your personal nathan

"He used to go to Royal, didn't he?"

"That's despicable!"

"Traitor."

The whole team threw insults at Bobby, and they meant them too.

"Calm down! You've been playing on a team with him for weeks, and now you want to tear him down! How can you just condemn him like that?!"Mark yelled.

Axel's eyes widened. Mark was so heroic. For someone who 'betrayed' him.

"I still believe in you,"he said.

"No. I deserve this. Mr Wintersea was telling the truth,"Bobby said quietly. "I'm sorry!"

He ran away into the distance.

"This is his letter of confession,"Nelly handed it to Mark and Sylvia.

"I have to talk to him!"Sylvia yelled as she too, ran off into the distance.

"I'm sorry Mark,"said Axel. "Nelly showed me the letter earlier."

"I'm not mad at him,"said Mark.

"Huh? Why?"

"He's just a victim,"said Mark. "It's not really his fault."

"That's so heroic of you to think that."

Mark laughed. "Look at you, putting me on a pedestal. I thought we agreed to stop doing that."

Axel put his arm around Mark. "Ok fine. You don't usually catch me acting like this."

"I know. You were such a dick when we first met."

"Hey!"

Mark smiled at him. "I think I'm going to go after Bobby and talk to him."

"I think that's a good idea,"Axel let go of him.

Mark ran off into the distance too.

"You can't convince me there isn't nothing going on between you two,"Celia said.

"I'm straight,"Axel said, but nobody had ever believed a single statement less in their entire lives.

************

Axel and Nelly decided to go down and check on Mark, Sylvia and Bobby about 20 minutes later.

"I think you noticed the whole time that he was suspicious,"Nelly said.

"Yeah, I kinda did. But I didn't want to say anything. Mark likes him so much, you know?"

"You care a lot about Mark,"Nelly said.

"Not this again,"Axel groaned. "I swear everyone thinks-"

"Why do you care about what everyone thinks?"Nelly asked. "Everyone at this school thinks I'm a raging bitch. Do I look like I care?"

"No, not really."

"You clearly thought I was a raging bitch too,"said Nelly. "But did I care?"

"No. You tried to blatantly come on to me, if I remember correctly."

Nelly laughed awkwardly. "Man, I'm sorry I did that. You were so obviously gay."

Axel sighed. "Not this again."

"I know you're not ready to see it, but whatever homophobic shit that you've heard in the past, you're not gonna hear from me,"she said.

Axel sighed. "I'm not gay."

"I saw you making out with Mark,"she said quietly.

Axel's eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of his sockets. "What? When?"

"At a training facility one evening. It was a few weeks ago I think,"she said. "I didn't say anything, because I thought it would make you uncomfortable."

Axel rolled his eyes. "I swear the whole team saw us that day."

"Wait. Other people did? You aren't flat out denying it?"

"No. Jack did too. And he told Sylvia. And Nathan. But Mark already told Nathan. It's complicated,"Axel confessed. "Shit, I shouldn't have said anything."

"I thought Nathan and Sylvia were acting weird around you guys. Something about an anime they watch together,"Nelly said.

Axel laughed. "It's so stupid, isn't it?"

"What? I think it's cute. Do whatever you want,"said Nelly.

Axel just smiled at her.

"What? Please don't tell me you're secretly straight and want to try it on with me?"Nelly said jokingly.

Axel laughed again.

"Nah, I just wanted to say it was relieving to be able to talk about this shit with somebody. I kind of understand why Mark had to tell Nathan straight away now."

"I'm happy to be your Nathan, Axel."