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Jack was... Not sure what to do right now.
He stood back, worrying his lower lip and watching the others at work. He felt he should be doing something, but every time he tried to step into the room to help, Ninja Brian would give him one of his intimidating glares and Jack would be scurrying away, shuffling nervously.
"You're a goddamn idiot, man." Ryan said for the hundredth time, dabbing away at the male currently sprawled across the couch of the CP's hangout, throwing the now blood soaked cotton ball into the little metal trashcan with the rest of them.
The sprawled out male - shirtless and for once without his signature shades - grumbled something back, but Jack couldn't hear t from where he was. He was sure it was something sassy. The man had a tendency to be very sassy when pissed off or annoyed... Which was often, honestly, but that was besides the point.
"So what exactly happened again?" Danny asked, coming down the stairs with an slab of meat that he shoved onto Jack's eye and startling him. He'd forgotten the black eye he was sporting now.
Matt came following down, a towel and cleaning alcohol in his hand and skitting around Jack and Danny, coming to Ryan's side. The blonde motioned to Ninja Brian, who nodded and held down on the injured male's shoulder while Matt grabbed his legs and Ryan his arms.
"Guys, come here." Ryan ordered Danny and Jack "This shit is gonna hurt so you'll have to hold him."
Danny sighed and with three long strides, he held down the sprawled males arms, motioning to Jack to stand by him. Jack - meat still pressed to his eye - came over to Ninja Brian's side and tried not to flinch at the sight. The man's back looked painful... Those assholes had really thrown him hard down that incline...
"Mark..." Jack mumbled, lowering the meat and trying to look at the man's face.
Mark's face was bruised with a few cuts, his red and black hair a mess on his head and his eyes drooping but trying to look up and see him. Crouching, Jack sucked in a breath and fought back the urge to actually whimper as the older male broke into a tired smile, brown eyes lighting up.
"Hey." Mark croaked out, hissing as Ryan shifted Mark's side to adjust a new towel under him so blood wouldn't get on the couch. "I'm cool, Jack.. Don't look so sad."
Jack shook his head and sat the meat on the table, hands shaking as he reached up to cup the side of Mark's face carefully, brushing carefully over the bruise on his upper cheekbone. It was going to hurt for awhile. Those guys hadn't held back at all as they'd pumbled into them. Mark was pretty tough so he'd lasted against them a long time... God, Jack wished he'd been awake to try and help or get them away or-
"Arrgghhhhh!"
Mark's scream of pain snapped him to and he watched as the gang shoved Mark into the couch while Ryan poured the alcohol into the wounds, all yelling and talking at once to try and encourage Mark and calm him down. Jack's heart broke as he saw actual tears prickle at the man's eyes, feeling his own blue ones tear up as he cupped Mark's face as he thrashe din pain.
"Mark! Mark! You're doing great, buddy... You're doing great..." Jack said shakily, brushing Mark's face and whispering to him soothingly until the burn settled and Ryan was able to start wrapping the cuts up with Ninja Brian's help.
"Fuck me...." Mark moaned, leaning into Jack's touch with his head and panting. "Asshole, man... What the fuck, Ryan?"
"Don't start, dude. You're the one who didn't wanna go to the hospital." Ryan huffed, cutting some wrap with his teeth.
"His mother would have a heart attack, dude." Matt piped up, helping clean up the mess and get the bloody cotton ball waste basket out of the way.
"So? Should go to the police... They threw you down a rock quarry, dude... What were you all doing there, anyway?" Ryan asked, putting everything on the table and standing to wash his hands.
"I wanted to get more rocks for my project... I-I have a presentation on Monday... He didn't want me going alone..." Jack spoke up, sitting on his knees in front of Mark as the half-Korean popped his neck and winced as it made him move muscles that were still tender.
"Let me guess... You're still getting bullied at school and your asshole shadows came calling?" Danny asked, making Jack wince at the sudden drop in the man's tone.
Jack had been covering up his bullying to everyone... The last time they CP had helped... Hadn't helped. So he'd thought it best to just act like everything was getting better. He'd actually gotten really good at covering up bruises with his stage make-up he'd bought at the store. And patching up his own cuts or checking himself over had become a second nature back at home... He thought he'd been covering it well.
But then a week ago, Mark had been messing around with him at his locker and he'd gone to play punch him and he'd hit Jack right on a bruise he had covered on his arm and Jack had tried not to wince but it had hurt! And Mark had gone to apologize, but of course he'd smudged the make up with his fist because it was still drying...
Jack could still see the look Mark had given him as he'd pulled Jack into the men's room and had made sure no one was around before wiping at Jack's arm and then he'd angrly grabbed for a paper towel and wet it. Jack had tried to walk away, but then Mark was holding him in place and wiping at his arms and face and revealing every bruise and cut he'd tried to hide... He'd looked so angry.
Jack had tried to brush it off.
"It's not that big of a deal,Mark. I'm used to it by now."
"Not a big-- the Hell are yousaying?! They hurt you!" Mark snapped, brushing a hand overJack's face and the bruise on his face, pained expression mixing withhis obvious furry as Jack winced a little.
"Why didn't you say anything?Why--" Mark tried angrly, but Jack shook his head, glancing away asMark kept his hand on Jack's jawline.
"It wouldn't have helped... It'sfine, Mark. I'm okay... Like I said, I'm used to it." Jack sighed,licking his drying lip and careful to not mess with the small cut hewas still sporting then.
"No, Jack..." Mark heatedlywhispered, turning Jack's chin and making Jack look at him. "Manthis is... No! There is no reason you should ever be used to this...You're so much better than these chumps!"
Jack was sure his face had been redby this point as Mark leaned in closer and placed his forehead toJack's, meeting his stare head on with his intense chocolate brownorbs staring him down. Jack sucked in a breath and bit the inside ofhis cheek, eyes tearing up.
"We're gonna make sure this stops,alright?"
"We're gonna make sure this stops, alright?" Danny spoke up, knocking Jack out of his memory and noting that Danny and Ninja Brian were giving him intense looks, Ryan and Matt nodding behind the older men.
"No, you guys, come on... I don't want anyone else getting hurt." Jack tried to stand and go to them, but was stopped by a warm grip around his wrist.
He looked down and saw Mark had - with obvious difficulty - moved his arm to grab Jack, pushing up on his right elbow to get on his side and look at him. He was breathing heavily and he was pale from pain, but his gaze was intense and he was focused on Jack.
"Jack... No more." He said breathlessly, keeing eye contact with Jack.
Jack bit his lower lip - ignoring the cut on his lip - and looked from Mark to the rest of the CP crew, all looking so calm and serious as they nodded at Jack, Ninja Brian on his phone and sending a secret text to who knows and looking up to nod at Jack.
Jack took a deep breath and turned his hand over to gently take Mark's hand instead, running his free hand through his green and brown hair and sighing shakily.
"Okay... Okay."
(Cover Art and story inspired by shamefulbirb on Tumblr)
( http://shamefulbirb.tumblr.com/ )
