Mark instinctively ran to his safe haven, the top of the hill, near the Inazuma Tower. Weirdly enough, Nathan was there too, sitting on the bench, fidgeting with his hair, staring out into the distance.
When he heard footsteps running up the hill, he was shocked to see Mark, blotchy faced, running as fast as he'd ever seen him, up the hill.
"Whatever was in the mailbox wasn't good then?"Nathan said before Mark smashed into him. Mark wrapped his arms around him and started to cry again.
Nathan instinctively stroked Mark's hair. It was softer than it looked. Mark looked like somebody who would use 16 in 1 shampoo, but his hair felt otherwise. Still, Nathan felt it was an inappropriate moment to ask about Mark's hair care routine.
"He left me,"Mark sobbed.
"What do you mean, he left? He broke up with you?"
"No, he flat out left! Like he's gone! Away from here!"
Nathan raised his eyebrows. "Wow. What was in the mailbox?"
"A letter. Basically saying that he couldn't take that he had dragged me into his drama with the Kirkwood boys, whatever that means! Also that he's not good enough for me and that I should find somebody else?!"
Nathan's eyes were practically marbles. "Uh, will you find somebody else?"
Mark pulled away and glared at Nathan, though it was hard to take him seriously as there were tears pouring out of his eyes.
"What the fuck, Nathan?! Obviously not! I love him!"
"You love him?"Nathan said in disbelief.
"Yes I fucking love him! And I told him! And he told me to stop contacting him!"
Mark collapsed into sobs again, and Nathan instinctively pulled him into his arms again, and Mark didn't stop him, despite the fact that he was yelling at him seconds earlier.
"When did you tell him that?"Nathan said softly.
"So my parents caught me crying over his letter. Then I had to tell them I had a boyfriend, and they told me not to worry about STDs!"
"You slept with him?!"
"No!"Mark said exasperatedly. "Why does everyone think that? Anyways, then I jumped out the window-"
"Are you feeling alright, Mark?"
"Stop asking stupid questions, Nathan,"wailed Mark.
Nathan stayed silent after that.
"Then I ran to Axel's house, asked his dad could I call Axel off his phone instead, called Axel, told him to come back and that I loved him, and all he said was to stop contacting him and then he hung up!"
Nathan could feel Mark shaking in his arms, and all he did was alternate between rubbing his head and back.
"I'm so sorry,"was all Nathan could mutter. He had absolutely no clue how to comfort his friend.
They sat there together for a while, until Nathan eventually said,"I think we should get you home. You need sleep."
Mark instinctively got up, until Nathan laughed. "I don't trust you to go alone. I'll go with you."
Mark just nodded and sniffed and put his arm around Nathan. Nathan's breath hitched but he tried not to react. Mark loved somebody else. He was clearly very upset. This didn't mean anything. He was a naturally affectionate person anyways.
Nathan still had butterflies in his stomach the whole walk, despite how terrible he felt about it. His friend was clearly upset, and only had eyes for Axel.
When he dropped Mark home, and made sure that he was safely inside his house, Nathan turned away and began walking. But not to his own house. To Nelly's.