If that's what it takes

25

Derek woke on his stomach, his head hanging off the end of the bed. He looked straight down at the floor, not moving as he lay there, the blankets beneath him were not his own. He could feel the weight of something on his back, curled into the curve of his back with small wisps of blonde hair falling into his face, tickling his nose. He could feel the gentle tickle of a little girl's breath as it floated over his face and into his ear. Two hands were gripping his tshirt as he lay there still, feeling the light of the morning sun beating into the room like a pounding drum, causing small beads of perspiration to wet his skin. He was going to lift his head, when he heard the shuffle of feet in the doorway, but stopped himself.

There was the sound of light chuckling, and the identifiable feet of his friend. "What are you laughing at?" Derek asked as he looked up, shifting the tiny body atop him as he glared at Mark as he leaned against the doorway.

"It looks like you were trying to get away, and she leapt onto your back!" Mark whispered with a laugh, unable to resist the urge to tease his friend.

"She was having a bad dream..." Derek whispered. "She had a lot of bad dreams..."

"What do you expect?" Mark shook his head as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He watched the little girl sleep on his friend's back, her tiny lips smacking in her sleep as she snored lightly.

"And she snores!" Derek whispered loudly.

"Aw..." Mark chuckled. "It's a sweet sound..."

"It sounds like a chainsaw when it's in your ear..." Derek said as he watched Mark laugh. "You're so amused..."

"She's adorable..." Mark replied. "A little monkey on your back..."

"She is adorable..." Derek replied, trying not to move too much, though his neck was hurting from being in that strange position for so long. "Could you...?"

"Sure." Mark said as he leaned forward and lifted the tiny girl from his friend's back, watching Derek roll over, he placed the still sleeping child onto Derek's chest, watching as he gently rubbed her back as she smacked he lips and slowly opened her eyes. She then suddenly jumped back, her eyes flashing to Derek in shock for a moment as her brain slowly worked on the realization of where she was. She gave him a sleepy smile and lay her head back on his chest, her eyes finding their way to the other person in the room.

"Mister Mark..." She whispered as she turned her head to look at Derek. "Just Derek... Mister Mark is here..." She said sleepily as she wiggled her fingers in a slow wave to Mark.

"Yes... yes he is... Mister Mark, why are you here?" Derek said grumpily as he yawned a big yawn.

"I was in the neighborhood... I thought I'd check on you guys to see how you were before I went home to bed." He replied.

"Mark, you can walk to the hospital from your apartment... why would you take the forty five minute ferry ride to my house just to check on me?"

"To make sure that you get up in time for the social services people... and that you don't end up feeding your little guest here Muesli...ick... ick, ick, ick...The kid has been through enough... you should feed her real food."

"Muesli is healthy..."

"Muesli is like eating a box of stale cardboard..."

"I like it..."

"Do you eat the spoon when you're done?" He asked as Zoey rolled over onto the bed, sitting beside Derek.

Derek looked up at the clock and groaned. "The Social Services people are supposed to be here at ten... you had better be out of here by then... I don't want them thinking that we're a couple." Derek grumbled as Zoey crawled a little and stood up at Mark.

Mark lifted her into his arms and smiled, looking down at his friend. "Oh sweetheart... you worry too much..." He said in a flamboyant voice, pretending to flip his hair back he strutted out of the bedroom.

"I am serious, Mark!" Derek exclaimed as he groaned, crawling out of the bed, he followed after him.