Array
(
[text] =>

(A/N: I am not a doctor, a nurse, a medical student, or even a medical enthusiast due to watching Grey's Anatomy. The medical information mentioned will probably be widely inaccurate. Refer to a professional for medical advice, not an author on Wattpad. Thank you :). Also, this is closer to 4000 words. Get ready for some reading~ )

Chapter 19: The Proposal (Starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds)

One, two, three, four. One two three four. The dull thuds of Mason's shoes hitting concrete were the only thing filing up his brain. He had learned in the past several days that anything else would just cause annoyance.

Another stalemate had been induced, this one far worse than the last. Unlike last time when Mason didn't know if Mark liked him or not, now Mason had to sit on the fact that Mark was at least attracted to him, but didn't want to do anything about it. Which was arguably worse.

Jasmine had been laughing softly at a small joke Daniel had made but turned back when she saw that Mason was starting to trail behind them. Mason was one of the liveliest in their friend group. He loved to make jokes, tease others, and just be involved in whatever was going on. Suddenly he was hanging back and keeping his distance. It didn't make a lick of sense.

"Hey, Mason!" Jasmine called out, pulling Mason from his dark funk. "Why don't you join us?"

Mason's gaze shot up and a soft blush filled his cheeks. He hadn't realized he had slowed down so much. Mark, Jasmine, Daniel, Clark, and Santiago all stood staring back at an embarrassed Mason.

"Uh, yeah, sorry." He laughed awkwardly, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I got a little dazed for a second."

Mason jogged to catch up to the group, briefly catching Mark's eyes. Mark had seemed a bit guilty but Mason swiftly ignored him. If Mark didn't want to give him a clear answer, Mason didn't want to speak to him unless forced. Yes, he could be a petty bitch.

Jasmine made a small face at Mason's answer. Mason already knew that she was about to tease him.

"Dazed?" She asked rhetorically, chuckling softly. "What had you dazed? Were you thinking about that cute guy from your nursing class?"

Clark's eyes flashed in recognition and he grinned evilly.

"Oh, I remember that guy. Gabe, was it?" He said, smiling at Mason. "I also remember that he was super into you. Is it mutual?"

"Oh shut up." Mason complained, giving Clark a small shove in the shoulder. Clark decided to be extra dramatic and promptly fell right into Santiago's arms. They all laughed at how unnecessary it was and continued on.

They were heading to a restaurant downtown that they heard sold everything 5 dollars or less. Jasmine, who was completely satisfied with a fifty dollar salad, was the first to ask if the food was legit. But Daniel, the guy who suggested this restaurant in the first place, insisted that eating their food would be all the proof she needed.

The food was fantastic. Mason joked that it was like a buffet at the end because everyone was so excited to try the food that they ended up just sharing all of their plates. During all of the talking and laughter, an annoying thought kept making its way into Mason's mind.

Mark.

Specifically how he wanted to talk about Mark. If this was a situation with any other person, Mason would feel perfectly entitled to gossip with his friends and ask for advice. He wanted to get their feedback and know if it was just him who found the entire thing frustrating as hell. But he couldn't. Mason knew the value of being able to out yourself. Even though it would be to some of their closest friends, Mason would not be the guy that forcibly outed someone else. He couldn't.

But it was maddening.

Mason hesitantly looked across the table to Mark. At first glance, Mark seemed completely unaffected. At the moment, he was taking in a mouthful of pasta and nearly spat it out at a dumb joke Daniel made. But his eyes were a bit distant. Mason tried to take comfort in the idea that he wasn't the only one bothered by this situation. He tried to lay their issues to rest and enjoy a fun afternoon with his friends.

But, Jasmine—who was the most attuned to both of them—noticed that something was off. Mason was arguably her closest friend and Mark was her literal twin. She could see some undeniable tension in the air between them. Mason could be read like an open book and was obviously troubled by a secret. Mark was outwardly involved, but actually pensive about a difficult issue. Jasmine would bet her left boob that it had something to do with Mark.

However, Jasmine had to play this well. If she came on too hard, either one or both of them would fall back to protect this secret. She had to slowly ease them up to get to the bottom of this. For now, she would play ignorant and just enjoy the show.

—————

Mason silently cursed. His right hand, which had been scribbling along his paper, had pressed down too hard and pushed through the sheet. Now there was a small but unsightly hole in the middle of his sentence. He had been trying to take notes on the lecture that Ms. Lorraine was giving them, but his anger was starting to get the best of him. At this point, over a week has passed and Mark still hasn't given him a straight-up answer.

Because they were, unfortunately, still partners, they spoke about assignments and communicated enough to get things done. But Mark wouldn't even get close to the subject of relationships or kissing or sex, and Mason was getting tired. Tired of waiting for the thick-headed Tyler to pick up on what he was silently trying to portray.

For years Mason has been struggling to keep his feelings at bay while secretly praying that Mark would somehow notice his yearning anyway. Mason was through with praying for Mark to get the message.

This energy simmered within Mason until it rose to a piping hot boil. It was hard for Mason to grasp the importance of analyzing the skin in order to diagnose a patient when he just wanted to see Mark's skin grow pink after he smacked the shit out of him. And this anger was not kept a secret.

During the past three classes, Mark constantly glanced over at his partner, concerned for his safety next to the blazing ball of anger that was Mason. Mark was afraid because Mason made it incredibly clear exactly who his anger was pointed towards.

Ms. Lorraine finished with her PowerPoint and let them break out with their partners. One person would read off a scenario and their partner would use their notes and an extra chart to try to guess what their condition was out of the three options.

"Alright." Mark said after a few moments of silence, clearing his throat. "I guess I'll go first."

Mason watched, silently stewing as Mark started to read off the first scenario.

"Okay. Um, a 32-year-old man reports pink cracked rashes on his forearms." Mark started, reading off the words plainly. "Could the condition be A) Ascaris Infection, B) Jaundice, or C) Phthiriasis?"

Before Mason even opened his notebook he nibbled his bottom lip, an answer wanting to slip past his lips.

"Well, it can't be jaundice because that causes a yellow hue to the skin. It is also more common among older patients and this guy is what, 32?" Mason's eyes went a bit wide after he spoke. He realized he had just rambled off for no reason. He blushed before ducking his face behind his book. "Nevermind. Ignore that."

Mark was sending Mason a warm, teasing smile and Mason got annoyed again.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked heatedly, his eyes practically begging for a fight. Mark seemed surprised to have been called out and his smile dropped as he shook his head.

"No reason-"

"Don't tell me you find this funny." Mason told him warningly, his eyes narrowed. "Toying with someone and playing them for a fool isn't funny. Evading them while ignoring your own promise is not funny."

Mark sat up in his chair, trying to get himself out of the hole he had unknowingly dug.

"I didn't mean it like that, Mason."

Mason looked up at Mark again. Those large warm brown eyes of his were cold as ice when he set them on Mark. The coldness of them nearly froze Mark in place. Mason, seeing this reaction, gave Mark a condescending smile.

"No, of course, you 'didn't mean it.'" Mason said softly, his smile never reaching his eyes. "That kind of stuff just happens when you never think about anybody but yourself."

Mason knew that his words weren't entirely true. He had vivid memories about how selfless Mark could be with his family and friends. This was the guy that had abandoned several years of birthday parties to donate money to those less blessed in the world. But, Mark had no concern for Mason's feelings. In that moment, Mason couldn't remember all of that. In that moment, Mark seemed like the most selfish person Mason had ever known.

Mark stared down at his lap silently. He had nothing to say. Mason sighed.

"The answer's A) Ascaris Infection."

And that was how Mason communicated his anger. His new determination to handle things himself was manifested through his passive-aggressive comments. He never quite spoke about the issue but his feelings on it were glaringly clear.

Less than half an hour later, that day's lesson was coming to a close. As he'd been doing for the past several weeks, Mason rushed through putting his things away, stuffing things into his bag with a passion that was entirely unnecessary. But it was always satisfying to see how tense Mark got as Mason violently threw things into his bag while he not so silently muttered Mark's name. It might have been a cruel thing to do but Mason enjoyed it.

Mason threw his bag over his shoulder and prepared to bolt when he felt someone's hand drop on his shoulder. Mason turned around, ready to kindly tell Gabe to back off, but was upset to see that it was actually Mark.

"Wait, before you say anything," Mark rushed out, speaking before Mason could make him lose his nerve. "Can we please head outside to talk?"

Mason stared deeply into Mark's eyes for a second and was surprised at what he saw. For the first time in several weeks, he thought that Mark was being completely honest. In his eyes alone, Mason could see desperation there. He was being open about the fact that he wanted to get some time alone with Mason. So, Mason agreed.

Mason had to wait another minute for Mark to finish packing up before they began to leave the building. They were nearly at the door when Mason heard Gabe calling out his name. Mark must have been on an honest streak because Mason could clearly see the annoyance that flashed across his face. Mason sighed and placed a hand on Mark's arm.

"Can you wait outside? I'll only be a moment." Mason tried to keep his face pleasant, knowing that Mark would not want to see the same anger Mason had worn the past hour.

Mason got a bit warm at the feeling of Mark's bicep flexing under his touch, so he quickly dropped his hand. Mark looked into Mason's eyes, clenching his teeth with a reluctant look on his face. He did not want to leave Mason alone with the tall oaf, but he kept it to himself and simply nodded. Gabe got to Mason as Mark left the building.

"Hey, babe." Gabe grinned widely, pulling Mason into his chest. Mason chuckled into his gray t-shirt despite wishing he was buried in another person's chest at the moment. "You were going to leave without saying goodbye?"

With some resistance on Gabe's part, Mason pulled out of his arms and plastered on his best flirty smile.

"Sorry, I just have somewhere to be after." Mason told him kindly, lying through his pearly whites. "Don't want to be late."

The only place Mason had to be was his bed at home. Other than that, he could have stayed in the building for as long as he liked. But he needed to speak to Mark and that was not going to happen if the tall man was hanging off of his neck. Mason gave Gabe two good pats on the arm before stepping back and breaking all physical contact. Gabe noticed this and threw that same arm around Mason's shoulder.

"No problem, babe. You better message me tonight so I know you're alright, though."

Mason laughed lightly as he stepped out from Gabe's hold.

"Will do, babe." He smiled, one hand on the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye-" Mason closed the door before Gabe could finish whatever he had to say. Mason let out a relieved sigh. Gabe was a great guy, super fun to talk to. But, he was not the person you wanted to run into when you wanted to meet up with your long time crush ASAP. Gabe liked to take up as much of Mason's time as he could and, at the moment, Mason didn't have a lot of time to spare.

When Mason got outside he looked around, waiting to see Mark. After looking for about thirty seconds, he realized that the taller boy was nowhere to be seen. Mason's fist clenched at his sides, his frustration quickly mounting. Mason was this close to exploding when his phone began to ring.

"Hello?" He said politely. His voice was as fake as a cheese slice because he was currently planning out a very detailed and elaborate murder.

"Hey, Mason."

Mason gasped at the familiar voice.

"Mark? Where are you? Why are you calling me instead of being here?" Mason blurted out, rushing through his questions. Mark let out a soft chuckle, the sound far too quiet for Mason's liking. Mark was clearly nervous.

"I was going to talk to you about this in person." Mark begins, the slight whooshing of the wind in the background. "I really was. Then, you were inside and I kept thinking that it would be so much easier to say all this if I didn't have to see your face."

"So you left." Mason said, finishing Mark's words for him. Mason stared up at the gray sky, a humourless chuckle slipping past his lips. He was so incredulous, he couldn't believe it. "Really Mark?"

From the other side of the phone, Mason heard Mark release a shaky breath. Mason's left hand squeezed shut at his side. He was so upset. He wanted to have this conversation in person, to hear Mark's voice as he stared into his eyes. He wanted the confession or the rejection to happen in person. He needed to see that Mark was telling the truth, no matter what was said.

Mark eyed the other people walking on the street around him. They each hurried along, eager to get to their destinations, whether it was work, school, or to a random shop. None of them knew how strong the storm that raged inside of Mark was. He almost wanted to speak louder, allowing everyone to hear what he was about to say. Instead, he curled in on himself, clutching his phone close to his mouth so he could whisper.

"Mason, I'm really attracted to you." Mark admitted softly. His voice was so low, so quiet, that Mason wondered if he heard him correctly. "And, I can't seem to get your image out of my head."

"Mark . . . " Mason had no idea what to say. His face burned, pushing the blood to his cheeks and creating the deepest blush he'd ever experienced. The smile that suddenly appeared on his face stretched so wide, he feared he wouldn't be able to get his face to go back.

"I don't know why, Mason." Mark continued on, his fears finally being heard. "I don't know when I started seeing you like this. I never noticed guys before. I barely noticed girls even and suddenly I'm looking at you like-"

Mason held his breath.

"Like what?"

Mark realized that as much as he was embracing honesty, he didn't want to share that particular detail to Mason just yet. That would have to be one secret that stayed with him. Mark grazed over the question, moving on to his next point.

"I want to figure out what's going on with me." Mark said, biting on his bottom lip as a thought came to mind. "But first, I need to ask you a question."

Mason stood up straight, his hands fixing his shirt despite the fact that Mark couldn't see him.

"Ask away."

Mason could have come with 1001 things Mark should have said instead. What did you have for lunch? Have you seen Game of Thrones? What's your favourite colour (so what he already knew the answer?) But the last thing Mason expected to hear is what Mark said next.

"Are you attracted to me?"

Mason dropped his forehead into his hand. A literal face-palm. After all of this, Mark still had to ask. Mason was sure that he wasn't nearly as good of an actor as he convinced himself to be. He honestly believed that on some level, Mark knew that Mason had some feelings for him. Yet here they were. Mark had just admitted that he thought Mason was hot yet still felt the need to ask if Mason thought the same about him. Mason almost laughed.

"Of course, Mark." Mason told him, smiling to himself. "Who wouldn't be?"

Mark rubbed a hand against the back of his neck, surprised to find that sentence embarrassed him a little. Mark has been an avid flirter for several years. Some of the things that he has bluntly said or have been said to him were R-rated at best.

Yet, here he was, embarrassed because Mason Moore thought he was attractive. I must be losing my touch. Mark thought with a worried frown. Mark decided not to dwell on that any longer. If his plan worked, he could get right back into the dating scene without thoughts of Mason holding him back.

"Well, I have an idea." Mark said boldly, his voice now at full volume. "I think there might be something, uh, pent-up between us. I think that the best way to deal with it would be to let our bodies have release."

Mason's brows were furrowed deep. He was utterly confused.

"'Have release?' What are you talking about?" He asked. Mason had no clue as to what Mark was trying to get at. Mark let out a frustrated huff.

"I was trying to say it nicely." Mark explained, following his words with a groan. "I don't think that you talk about these kinds of things very often."

"What kinds of things? Mark, just tell me." Mason didn't appreciate what seemed like babying on Mark's part. He was just as old, actually slightly older, than Mark Tyler. He could handle whatever Mark had to say.

"Fine. I want us to sleep together." Mark blurted out, gaining several judgemental looks from others on the street. "Or at least do other stuff until the desire has kind of, um, calmed down."

Mark waited for several seconds, but Mason didn't say anything in response. Quickly, Mark decided to add on another thing.

"You have complete rights to ignore my suggestion, this phone call, and act like this never happened. We can go back to being friends and never deal with this attraction again."

Mason sighed loudly, the first sound he'd made since Mark told him his plan.

"Mark, I don't think that we can go back to normal after this."

Mark's expression went dark, the truth of that statement suddenly dawning on him. Even if he and Mason didn't start doing this, they would always know that they saw each other as a bit more than friends. They could never fully go back to how they were before.

"We could try."

Mason smiled at Mark's hopeful thoughts. We could try, he said. Mason shook his head and decided to ignore that proposal. After this, things just wouldn't be the same. Mason would have to just roll with what came next.

"So, we'd be like fuck-buddies?"

Mark laughed abruptly, shocked to hear the boorish term coming from Mason.

"I prefer the term friends with benefits but, yeah. Fuck-buddies."

Mason wasn't laughing along with Mark. Mason was thinking about the past. His mind breezed through all the years that he's known, Mark. All that time, Mason hoped that one day, Mark would pull him aside and confess his undying love, even more than the feelings Mason has always had for him.

This confession was nothing like what he'd imagined.

They were speaking on the phone, Mason only had Mark's voice to grasp onto since he couldn't see his face. And, Mark was not confessing love. He was asking for sex. Cold meaningless sex that would probably be just as good, if not better, with a sex doll instead of Mason. Mark's attraction for Mason was likely just a hotter version of what he thought about every other person he's ever slept with. Mark didn't have feelings for Mason and Mason finally got confirmation of that.

Still, would Mason say no? Someone that was smart, one who could defend their self-worth with a butter knife and still win, would say that Mason should say no. They would demand that Mason demand only love and respect from those that he cared about. But Mason wasn't that person. He was an eighteen-year-old guy who just wanted to be near his crush. How could you get any closer than sex?

"I'll do it." Mason told him, his happy smile having left his face long ago. Mark held his chest, a wave of relief hitting him. He'd been worried that Mason would say no. He had no idea how he would deal with his attraction otherwise.

"Okay, great. Thank you. I was honestly worried there for a second-"

"When do you want to meet up?"

Mark was a bit taken aback by Mason's suddenly cold attitude. Mason had been so warm and bubbly on the phone earlier. Now, Mason could have been speaking about filing his taxes, not about sleeping with Mark. Mark zoned back into the conversation and immediately gave Mason his answer.

"Later today if that's alright with you?"

If Mark's hunch was correct, he would be able to get over his sudden attraction as soon he got used to Mason's body. Mark found his feelings to be incredibly uncomfortable, though, so he wanted to fix them as soon as possible.

Mason sucked in a sharp breath, barely keeping it from being an entire gasp. He thought that he would have had a couple of days, preferably a week, to prepare himself before he had sex with Mark Tyler for the first time. But this would be happening tonight. They would be having sex tonight! Mason schooled his features and tried to steady his breath.

"That's fine, I'll call you later."

Mark smiled at that, excited for what that evening would bring.

"Ok, bye-"

Mason hung up.

As Mason pulled the objectively small device from his face, he couldn't help but stare at the screen. One single thought continued to replay over and over in his mind.

What had he just agreed to?

———————————————

Oooooo!

Here we go!!!!

I am so flipping excited and also a bit tired. I spent over an hour just writing what happened after Mason went outside. 

You should feel blessed the semester is coming to a close for me. Now I have a lot more time, which makes it easier to write for hours on end.

Anywho,

Vote, Comment, Share, Follow, anything else you can do with this book and I will see you next Chapter. Bye!!!👋🏾👋🏾👋🏾

[text_hash] => 2f24094c
)