chapter 49

Mark's POV

"A week in Ibiza? Wow... lucky you..." Forcing out a smile, I place a mug onto the table in front of the blonde male.
"Yeah...it was sort of a last minute thing, you know?" Tensing instantly, he avoids eye contact with me as I sit opposite him at the kitchen table.
Lightly nodding my head, gently I drum my fingers against the handle of my mug. "Kinda gathered that one..." Softly I release a laugh.
After a few seconds of silence, Gary finally connects his eyes with mine again. "I didn't do it to upset you, Mark...I just..." Skimming his fingers across his forehead, he tries to find the right words. "...After our conversation...finally speaking to someone about how I felt and what I went through...It just brought it all back...I had to get away..."
"Its ok...I understand..."
"You do?" He asks, puzzled over my reply.
"Yeah...I shouldn't of pushed it out of you. It didn't upset me...that much..."
Sipping his tea, he mumbles against the warm liquid hitting his lips. "Your email suggested otherwise."
Like a knife through the heart, the sadness on Gary's face sends a shiver down my spine. He read it. He actually received the email. It must of broke his heart, the final part, I broke it with my cruel words. "G...Ga..Gary I-"
Lifting his hand, he stops my excuse and begs for forgiveness. "Its fine, Mark. Its understandable...I've been a selfish jerk...and I didn't stop and think about you...everything which you went through and then I go leaving you in the dark...it wasn't fair...it still isn't."
"We're both to blame, Gaz. Me mainly...of course... how are feeling now you're home? Well...back in the UK..."

Glossing his lips with his tongue, faintly he smiles. "Can't beat home...can you? I guess Ibiza isn't all what it makes out to be..."
"Oh yeah, can't beat our wet summers. Ibiza must of been torture." Winking at him, quietly I smirk at my sarcasm.
"No...seriously...Its the last time I'm going there..."
Rising an eyebrow over Gary's serious tone, I shuffle my chair forwards as close as I can get to the table. "Gaz...what happened in Ibiza...?"
Tensing by my question, the worry builds in his face. "I...I...Well..." Clearing his throat, he fingers run through his hair. "T...The thing is-" Gary's confession is soon brought to an end, as the sound of soft cries interrupt him. "Oh...er..."
"No...carry on...he will be ok for a couple of seconds..." Reassuring him, gently I place my hand on top of his.
"I...I...no...I'll go...I'll check him." Pushing back his chair, within a blink of an eye, he's standing above me, heading back to the leaving room.
"Oh...ok...thanks..."
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"Are you sure you want to be traipsing around a park? Are you not jet lagged?"
"Honest, Mark. Stop fussing." Gary looks up at me whilst resting on his knees, placing a shoe onto each one of the little boy's feet. "...Good to have the practise...isn't it?" Standing back to his feet, there's a small gap in between our bodies. For a second or two we just stand facing one another, gazing into each others eyes. Gary's eyes study my lips which are tightly pressed together.
"Y...Yeah...It is..." I croak.
"Mmuuhhh..." Callum murmurs.
With our lips just inches away, the sound of the distressed groans coming from the small figure below us, prevents them from touching. "...Looks like someone hasn't got the patience." Gary laughs. "...Just like his father..."
"Oi!" Tapping his shoulder, quickly I sling my coat onto my back, before grabbing hold of the over stuffed baby bag. "It must of rubbed off on me..."
"Its good to see you still have the same cheek you had before I left." He winks, whilst pushing the pushchair out of the front door.
"Some things will never change, Gary..." Happily I sigh, whilst locking the front door behind the two of us.
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Sitting on a bench, the pair of sip our coffees whilst we watch over a close eye on the little boy who plays on the grass with his toy blocks, along side two other children who are slightly older than him. "Nice place is this, lad." Gary sits back against the bench into a more comfortable position.
"Yeah...its lovely. I spent many mornings down here after the sleepless nights I had within the months. Its nice and peaceful, especially on the frosty mornings."
"I can imagine... a shame not every parent enjoys time out with their little ones... oh and the deliveries have arrived at ou-...  mine... the neighbour held onto them whilst I was away."
Feeling a crack form on my heart by Gary's word change, lightly I nod with a now tight throat. "That's good... you will have to let me know when you want to start decorating. Yasmin hasn't got long left now."
"She's really got a bump hasn't she?" He chuckles. "Bet Rob's really going through it, poor sod. Any sign of them getting back together?"
"They're getting along...so that's a start." Crossing my leg over the other, I rest my coffee beside me on the bench. "...I guess you can't ignore something like a relationship which you once had with that person... the memories you shared and the love you gave...it will never leave..."
Listening carefully, the smile disappears from his face once again. "Of course..." Firmly resting his back against the wood, his arms rise above his head. "Ahhh..."
"Tough flight?"
"Hmm... could say that. A bloody guy almost ended up sitting on my lap! Those seats are getting smaller...I tell ya."
Suppressing a giggle by his comment, playfully I jab a finger against his stomach. "...Sure its not any other reason...?"

"Cheeky git!" Grabbing hold of my hands in a fist, his fingers on his free hand dig frantically at my ribs.
"Gaz! Stop! Stop, that tickles!" Trying to worm my hands from within his, our laughs soon die down, as we gain eye contact. My hands remain inside Gary's warm palms whilst I pant for my breath back.
"Your hands are freezing..."
"...Lost me gloves..." Glancing down just briefly, I notice his thumb gliding across each one of my knuckles. "...Missed me then...?"
Warmly Gary smiles, releasing my hands to replace them by an arm which coils around my back. "I always miss you...I never stopped thinking about you since I left..." Lowering his tone, shyly he confesses.
"You're always in my thoughts, Gaz." Brushing my fingertip against the light stubble on his cheek, he releases a silent sigh of happiness. "...So...what exactly happened in Ibiza? You never got to that part." Snuggling up to the older man for warmth, but mainly for comfort, I blink my eyelashes up at him. Again, he tenses by the question.
"Nothing really..." He replies after a few minutes of thinking, possibly trying to avoid the question once again. "...Just that the people over there aren't as pleasant as the brochure makes out to be..."
"What's that suppose to-" Sharp cries interrupt our quiet moment together. Immediately our heads shoot into the direction of the cries and my heart skips multiple beats. Knocking my coffee to the floor as I sprint over just a couple of inches away, I kneel beside Callum. "Cal? Oh baby." Cuddling him into my arms, Gary is already on his knees beside in a flash.
"He's fallen off the ball, Mark." Gary points out at the ball which is rolling out of sight down the bank. Callum's going through one of those phases where he sees something in sight he has to sit on it and this time its resulted in a grazed knee from the pavement. Scattering kisses along the small child's forehead, I wrap his leg in my over sized scarf just for now, until we get home and get it properly seen to.

Gary's POV

After another hour in Mark's company I finally calmed him down enough to make him realise that children go through all these bumps and bangs as part of growing up. Once I explained to him for the fifteen time that it was only a slight graze to the knee and not an amputation, it was time for me to leave. I didn't want to leave, of course I didn't, but I need to be home to unpack. Tomorrow we've arranged again to meet, but sadly without Callum this time, as Laura will be back to pick him up. That means we can spend the day working on the nursery in preparation for when Hannah is born.

Walking into the empty house, once the front door is locked, carelessly I throw the keys into the small dish in the hallway. Hanging up my coat and scarf, for a split second I just stand still glancing around the place. I do miss Mark, I miss him more than its physically possible to miss someone. I just miss what we use to be, I miss coming home after a stressful day and just cuddling on the sofa watching some lame movie he's stuck on in attempt to cheer me up. Releasing a deep sigh, I turn on the kitchen light, before filling up the kettle and turning it on. Me and Mark aren't a couple just yet, before I left to go to Ibiza, we decided to make a go of things again and before I left tonight we agreed to continue where we left off. I really hope we can get back to what we use to be, I miss the laughs, the love and most of all Mark. Smiling to myself with my arms folded across my chest, suddenly I'm stopped in my actions. Turning my head to the direction of the dark hallway, I quiver a brow at the dark figure standing on the other side of the door. "Mark...?" Softly I mutter under my breath. The fist knocks against the glass again, striding down the hallway, my hand instantly grabs hold of the keys, shoving them into the lock within a blink of an eye. "I knew you couldn't stay away from me for too long, Mr Owen." Laughing to myself, the key clicks and very slowly I open the door. "I've just boiled the kettle, I'm sure you're gagging for-" That's when my sentence is cut off. Words fail to leave my lips due to the shock. Staring at the figure who stands on my doorstep, a shiver runs down my spin just by the look of them. "...W...What...What are you doing here...?" Swallowing hard, I begin to stutter.
"Coffee? Sounds good to me." Rubbing his hands together in attempt to warm them up, he brushes past me before I even get chance to believe my eyes. Spinning around on my heels, I look at the tall, dark man in pure horror.
"H...H...How did... did you find me, Greg...?" Speaking just those simple words causes a wicked smile to spread across his face. What have I let myself in for?