Jason and You Makes Two

A/N: Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this chappy. Jason returns for a bit. *grins* From some of the reviews I got last time, I'm beginning to think you guys are reading my mind! lol That, or I'm being predictable. That's cool, though.

Big shout-out to everyone who reviewed last time. I really appreciate. Huggins go to: Kat, Myranda Lynn, Mai, Khayman, Nekoii Desu, Nodoz, Cherry Coquette, Lisa, and Aduial. Thanks guys!! *passes out Hershey Kisses*

Oh! And extra huggins to Lisa for her help on this one. As always, it was much appreciated!

*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 16

Simon pulled up in front of Jason’s townhouse apartment and put his truck in park before turning it off and taking in the area. It was a good neighborhood, and the place Mark had lived before he’d moved in with Chandra seemed liked it was pretty nice. Lord knows Simon had spent enough time living in a place very much like this one before he’d gotten his house finished a couple of years ago. With a sigh, he turned off the ignition and looked over at door 1045 with dread. What he was about to do would either make him or break him as far as Mark was concerned, but Simon really didn’t feel like he had a choice.

When Mark had woken up earlier in the day, he’d had a nasty hangover and had immediately started trying to draw away from Simon again. Simon wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or the nausea at work, but he had a feeling it was the first. After a token attempt at drawing the man into a conversation, Simon had given Mark the room he seemed to need at first, fixing him a nice drink to settle his stomach and plying him with aspirin as soon as Mark had emerged from the shower. Although Mark had claimed that he didn’t regret their night together, every time Simon tried to touch him, his body language said something completely different.

It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch but Simon understood to a point. Simon also suspected that Mark was starting to feel guilty about what they’d done. As soon as he had Mark fed and comfortably settled on the couch with the remote, Simon gave his friend the alone time to think that he seemed to need while he took care of some things outside. When he came back in, hot and sweaty and covered in grass clippings, Mark’s cock immediately perked up despite his mood. Simon markedly ignored it before quickly escaping to the shower before Mark noticed that he was having the same problem.

After Simon got himself back under control and was clean, he went back down to check on the redhead and found that he’d managed to stifle his own erection as well. Neither mentioned their earlier encounter and, when Mark patted the couch beside him in an invitation for Simon to sit beside him, Simon took him up on his offer without hesitation. Soon, they were curled up against one another while Simon played distractedly with Mark’s soft hair. The two lounged around for the rest of the afternoon; neither acting on the sexual tension floating between them as they wallowed in their new closeness. They talked for a few hours about what had been bothering Mark in the past few weeks and about how he felt about what had happened between them.

Surprisingly, Mark didn’t deny anything that he’d said the night before. Apparently his love for Simon wasn’t some alcohol induced illusion. If anything, he claimed to feel closer to Simon now, but said that he was confused and needed more time. After that, they talked about Mark’s plans when he and Jason spoke again. Despite Mark’s earlier claims, he was still planning to keep his promise to Jason by giving him another chance. It was a big disappointment for Simon to hear that, like someone closing the door on his dreams. It just didn’t make sense after the shit that Jason had put Mark through before.

After all, a leopard couldn’t change his spots. Even Jason’s mother had told Mark that Jason’s shrink felt like it was too soon for Jason to try to enter into a relationship again, especially with Mark since the two had already developed a bad pattern in the past. Simon agreed wholeheartedly but, as usual, wasn’t able to argue with Mark while the gorgeous man was sitting there with tears in his eyes, wringing his hands anxiously. Before he left, Mark again changed his stance and asked for more time to think, like he was considering a relationship with Simon. He even went so far as to list reasons to do exactly that before drifting off again and stressing over Jason.

It quickly became apparent to Simon that Mark was being torn apart. As soon as his new lover had left to go home, Simon had called the cell number Chandra had given him on the sly one night at McDoogle’s and asked her for Mark’s old address. She’d been a bit hesitant to give it to him, but had finally caved under Simon’s gentle coaxing when Simon promised not to start trouble with Jason. Now, Simon was standing outside of Jason’s home, waiting impatiently for the guy to answer after three knocks on the man’s door.

Shifting impatiently, Simon took a deep breath and held up his hand to knock again just as the door was swung open. When he looked up to meet a pair of hazel eyes, Simon’s heart sank in his chest. The man was breathtaking with his intense, multicolored eyes and his wavy, sable hair; perhaps as breathtaking as Mark was in his own way. He was also quite a bit taller than Simon, although not nearly as muscular. What it came down to, in Simon’s mind at least, was that he didn’t have a chance against Jason in the looks department. Not that Mark was the type to get hung up on that.

The man studied Simon for a second like he was trying to decide if they knew one another before giving him a confused smile. “Can I help you?” he asked. Simon’s mind immediately went into overdrive, trying to reconcile the attractive and friendly man in front of him with the monster he’d conjured up in his mind while talking to Mark over the past few months.

It didn’t help that Jason’s deep, smooth voice sent a wave of something close to desire racing through Simon’s body. If he weren’t in love with Mark, Simon could’ve easily seen himself asking the guy out if they’d met in a bar. Simon mentally kicked himself for getting distracted as he straightened his shoulders.

“My name’s Simon. I’m a friend of Mark’s,” Simon said bluntly. He wasn’t interested in playing nice. Regardless of the unexpected attraction he felt towards the man, he was here on a mission. “I think we need to have a chat.”

The warmth and openness on Jason’s gorgeous face was quickly replaced by a worried frown and a somewhat wary look as he stepped back to allow Simon inside. “Please come in, Simon. Do I know you from somewhere? That name seems familiar.”

“We’ve never met before,” Simon replied simply. Still unable to reconcile this man with the one he’d been expecting, Simon followed Jason into the living room and took a seat on the couch when Jason motioned for him to sit down.

The second Simon’s ass hit the micro suede cushion, Jason sat down in the chair caddy cornered to him and asked, “How do you know Mark?” For an instant, Simon saw a spark of the jealously he’d expected from Jason flash in his hazel eyes, but it was quickly buried under another warm smile.

‘This man is smooth,’ was the thought that immediately jumped into Simon’s mind. “He owed me money for a doctor’s bill. That’s probably where you’ve heard my name because, from what Mark’s told me, you found my number and address in his possession and jumped to conclusions.”

Jason eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as his hands clenched into fists. “You son of a…” Out of nowhere, Jason snapped his mouth shut and switched gears as he let out a deep breath and forced his clenched hands to relax on the chair arms. Simon half-wondered if the guy was going to lose it and just attack without warning. After taking a few seconds to collect himself, Jason met Simon’s wary gaze and asked, “And the two of you? Are you…?” Again his words trailed off, like he was afraid to ask.

“Together?” Simon supplied as he raised an eyebrow at the venom that had slipped into Jason’s smooth voice. “No, we’re not,” Simon admitted with a glare at his competition. “I came to see you because I’m worried about Mark.”

“Is something wrong with him?” Jason gushed, his anger instantly melting under his concern as he jumped up from his seat like he was about to take off looking for the redhead that very second.

Simon held up his hands in a placating gesture. He was beginning to think that Mark’s ex wasn’t all there upstairs. He didn’t seem very stable. All the more reason he needed to do what he came to do. That thought in mind, Simon got straight to the point. “Nothing’s wrong in the traditional sense. He’s torn right now and it’s killing him. You’re not going to like this, but Mark and I are in love with each other, but he refuses to give us a chance because of some warped sense of…Responsibility? Dedication? Loyalty? Guilt? I’m not sure what’s holding him back, but I honestly think he’d be happier if he were able to move forward, to try something new.”

Immediately, Jason’s hands fisted at his sides again as his entire body tensed. The fire in his eyes was only matched by the flush of anger spreading across his strong cheeks. Simon’s body tensed reflexively, as he prepared for the hit he was sure was coming, but it never did. Instead, Jason took another deep breath and growled, “You ever stop to think that it might be his love for ME that’s holding him back? You say that he’s in love with you? I don’t believe that. Mark would never let himself fall for someone else that way. Next you’ll be trying to tell me that you’re fucking him too.”

It would’ve been so easy to tell the truth and rub it in Jason’s face, the territorial bastard. But Simon just couldn’t bring himself to deal such a painful blow to a man who was already clearly missing a few screws. “For a guy who accused Mark of cheating for the past five years, you seem to be awfully sure of yourself right now,” Simon pointed out with a disgusted snort.

“I’ve been working on that,” Jason shot back almost desperately. If Simon didn’t know how Jason had treated Mark, the pain in the man’s eyes might have been enough to convince Simon to let it all drop and walk away. “I’ve finally realized that I was wrong. Not that it’s any of your business, but I can see now that Mark isn’t like my ex. He’s always loved me in a way that that other bastard never could.”

“He loves us both,” Simon pointed out as gently as possible. What Jason had said bordered on selfish. It was like all the man could think about was Mark in terms of how it affected him personally, and not in terms of what Mark needed to be happy. Still, the pain and regret on Jason’s face melted away Simon’s irritation like the sun melts the snow.

“He can’t love us both. Mark is mine,” Jason whispered brokenly, like he was trying to convince himself of that fact. He kept studying Simon’s face for something. What, Simon had no clue. Whatever Jason did find there brought tears to the man’s eyes as he murmured, “He can’t be…Mark’s always been the one for me.”

“Stop talking about him like he’s a piece of property,” Simon growled, his back straightening defensively, despite the lost expression on Jason’s face. “He doesn’t belong to you. He’s a human being with his own needs and free will.”

Jason rolled his damp eyes and threw up his hands. “You think I don’t know that?” he demanded, his confidence seeming to resurface as his back straightened and he met Simon’s gaze head-on. “It just came out wrong and you know it. If you ask me, no matter what I say, you’d twist it. You’ve already admitted you want him for yourself.” When Simon refused to take the bait, Jason sighed. “Look, I screwed up. I know that, and I’ve been busting my ass to fix my problems so that Mark and I can work things out. He promised he’d wait for me, so I know he’d never let himself fall for someone else.”

“And why wouldn’t he fall in love with me?” Simon asked, a little annoyed at the way Jason had so easily delegated him to the part of a generic ‘someone else’. He was a person, damnit, with feelings and needs and dreams, just like Jason. What the fuck made Jason think that his own needs were so much more important? Did what Mark and Simon need even count in the man’s egocentric little world? Did he even realize that Simon had been left to pick up the pieces of Mark that Jason had left behind?

As if to add insult to injury, Jason gave a smug snort as he replied, “You just don’t seem like his type.” Then he shrugged dismissively as he ran his gorgeous eyes over Simon’s body. Without a doubt, Simon saw a glimmer of attraction in their colorful depths, despite Jason’s tone and words, but that just seemed to piss Simon off even more.

“Why is that?” Simon demanded as he stood and started pacing the room. “Because I’m not you? Well, I have news for you, buddy. I may not look like a model, but I’ve given him everything that you couldn’t while you were together.” A pause and the jab of his finger in Jason’s direction helped to drive his point home. “Unlike you, my love doesn’t come with conditions or heavy-handed demands. I don’t verbally abuse him to keep him in line or expect him to hide away when I’m not there to keep an eye on him.”

Jason visibly flinched at Simon’s words, but Simon ignored it and pushed forward. “If anything, Mark’s grown from that mentally abused guy I met all those months ago into a confident and openly caring person. He’s finally started gathering people around him who care about him, instead of hiding out in your apartment on the off chance that you get insecure and yell at him for needing a life outside of you.” Simon could see Jason’s body tensing with anger a little more with every word that passed his lips, but he was too pissed to care.

“You act like I’m some kind of monster!” Jason shouted back as he gritted his teeth in frustration. “Sure, I was a little overbearing at times, but there were lots of good things too, Goddammit!”

Within seconds, Simon swooped in and got in Jason’s handsome face, grasping an arm of the chair Jason was sitting in with each hand, as he leaned in nose to nose with Mark’s ex and growled, “Then why was he so fucking strung out the first time I dropped by to see him at work that he kept looking over his shoulder like he was waiting for you to swoop in and punish him?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jason shot back with a confused expression as he leaned away from Simon’s accusing glare as much as their position would allow. He seemed earnest, but Simon was too far gone to care.

“It was because you. He was so afraid to talk to another guy that he felt like he had to watch over his shoulder constantly or risk pissing you off! While we’re on the subject, why’d you cause him to lose his promotion when you knew how important that was to him?”

This time guilt scrunched up Jason’s face as he looked away. “I apologized for that. I never meant for that to happen, I just wanted to talk to him, convince him to come home. That was the only way to get him to listen to me.”

“Bullshit!” Simon bit out with a snarl of disgust. “You were just being selfish, like you always are where Mark’s concerned. Mark deserves better. He deserves your trust and respect. Hell, for that matter, why didn’t you believe him that morning when he told you that he and I were just friends? That’s all we were at the time, but you wouldn’t buy that would you? No, instead you acted like a spoiled brat and threw a tantrum. Then you hit Mark and scared him so bad that he ran. He still feels guilty over that and blames himself, but I think we both know whose fault it was!”

After glaring at Simon for several seconds, Jason turned a deep shade of red and teared up again, before dropping his face into his hands and propping his elbows on his knees. Immediately, Simon felt guilty and backed away. It was like Jason had said. He’d been working on this crap and even Mark had sworn that there were more good times than bad in their relationship. Simon hadn’t come here to beat the guy down into nothing. He’d come to talk some sense into the man and to hopefully convince Jason to let Mark go.

“Look,” Jason murmured in a shaky voice, “I love him, okay? No matter what happened in the past, that’s one fact that will never change. I just want what’s best for him. That’s why I’ve been working so hard to change myself.” When the man looked up, Simon wasn’t the least surprised to see two wet trails running down his lean cheeks. It was almost enough to break his heart. Almost.

“If you love him and want what’s best for him, then you should walk away and let him move on,” Simon explained gently as he dropped to one knee in front of Jason, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Fuck you!” Jason snarled as he jerked away before shoving Simon back on his ass on the floor. “Why? So you can swoop in and save him? You conceited motherfucker!” When Jason realized that he’d lost it again, he quickly jumped up from his seat to move away from Simon. It took every ounce of Simon’s control not to go after the bastard and drive his fist through the guy’s perfectly sloped nose.

They glared at each other from opposite sides of the room for several moments before Simon slowly rose from the floor and straightened to his full height. He knew he was posing like a rooster showing off his feathers, but he didn’t give a damn. He had Jason beat in the body department, hands down, and if the man wanted a real fight then Simon was more than prepared to whip the guy’s sexy ass.

The face-off continued in uncomfortable silence, both men tensed like they were waiting for the other to attack. Then Jason’s shoulders slumped and every ounce of fight seemed to drain from his body.

“I know you’re right,” the beaten man finally admitted with a sigh, “but I just can’t do it. I can’t let him go. What would I do without him? I’ve been so miserable these past few months. The only thing that’s helped me through it was knowing that Mark still loved me, that we’d…”

“This isn’t about you,” Simon hissed as he closed the distance between them again and stared up into Jason’s eyes in angry disbelief. “This was never about you. All I want is for Mark to be happy. If I thought that I could accomplish that by walking away, then don’t think for one damn second that I wouldn’t do it. But what would that accomplish? You were the one who tore him down and made him a shell of who he was meant to be. You were the one who made him feel like he wasn’t good enough. It was you, and now you’re whining about how you’re going to go on?”

“I need him!” Jason fired back with a huff of exasperation. “He needs me, too. We take care of each other. I was the one who helped him get through the loss of his parents, not you. I was the one who stood beside him when he was forced to quit school. Hell, I even offered to send him several times, but he was always too damn hung up on making his own way to take my help.”

That Mark had turned down Jason’s help didn’t surprise Simon in the least. That Jason had even offered, however, caught him completely off guard. It still changed very little in his mind. Jason was still a selfish prick and he needed to let Mark go. “He’s done nothing but struggle to survive since he left you,” Simon replied, hoping to cut Jason to the core and force him to fully understand what he’d done to the man he claimed to love. “Where were you then? Where were you when he nearly lost his job over you? When they cut his hours until he was struggling to pay his car insurance and was forced to take a second job? Fuck me you say? Well, I say fuck you! You need to grow up. Come back in about ten years when you’re out of kindergarten. Maybe then you’ll have a clue about how to treat the person you love!”

A broken groan was Jason’s response as he shook his head no and sank back against the wall behind him. He slid down to the floor and covered his face with his hands as his shoulders shook and his breath came in short gasps. “I just can’t,” he sobbed. “Maybe that makes me selfish, but I can’t.”

Simon barely held back a curse of disbelief as he stared down at the broken, wretched man curled up at his feet. Jason’s actions spoke volumes for the depth of his feelings for Mark, but that didn’t change the fact that Jason would only hurt Mark again later on. The poor guy was obviously unstable and Simon almost feared for the man’s sanity in that moment. He reached down, trying once again to offer the guy some type of comfort as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Again Jason shrugged it off.

“Get out,” the pitiful man growled before wiping roughly at his cheeks and glaring up at Simon with something close to hate in his eyes. “Just get the fuck out and don’t come back.”

Not sure what else he could do or say to change Jason’s mind, Simon gave in after a few seconds and nodded his head before walking over to the door that led to the entrance. Then he paused and turned back to Jason. “Just think about what I said,” he murmured in parting. “The only thing that’s important here is what’s best for Mark, not you or me. You nearly destroyed him once. Are you willing to take that chance again?”

Jason dropped his head again and refused to meet Simon’s gaze. Finally Simon gave up and left the apartment altogether. He’d clearly failed in convincing Jason to step out of Mark’s life. Coming here had been a calculated risk. There was no doubt in his mind that if Jason mentioned their encounter to Mark, the redhead would be furious. There was no way around it now, but Simon would just have to live with the fallout. After all, this had never been about what was best for him or Jason. Mark was better off without Jason, even if that meant that Simon was left out in the cold as well.

*~*~*~*

If you'd like to me added to the update list, just let me know at jlori10@yahoo.com

*~*~*~*

Thanks for reading and please don't forget to review! Look forward to hearing from you guys! *hugs* Later Taters.

P.S. To all the Flamers and AC people out there. Don't worry, I'll get back to working on those very soon. Right now, dealing w/ a few other things. (Life is fun!) Can't wait until school starts back!! bwahahahahahahahahahhaaaaa!