Make a U-turn.

Fuck off.

Mark almost threw his phone out of the window as he moved into the far left lane to make a U-turn as the automated voice instructed him.

Dude, calm down. Youre yelling at a disembodied voice inside your phone.

Well if the stupid ass thing actually worked properly, and tracked my location, I wouldn't be yelling at it. Mark snapped, eyes still on the road.

We went through a dead zone or something, its not the end of the world. Felix picked the phone up. Were almost there anyways. Youre gonna make a right at Dublin, and itll be about four streets down on your right.

Says the guy who flipped off his bed the other night. Mark turned onto Dublin, and groaned, immediately hitting a red light. He really hated L.A. traffic.

Hey, it attacked me, I feel I was justified in my flipping of the bird.

Mark snorted at Felixs defense. Yea, whatever.

Felix stuck his tongue out at him, which Mark returned. Ready to get pins stuck in places pins shouldnt be stuck? Felix poked at Marks crotch, pulling back as Mark swatted at his hand.

Keep your hands to yourself.

Oh yea, right. You have mister Irish green bean for that now.

Do you want me to hit you? Because I will. Dont think I won't.

Oh relax. Im bugging you. Felix checked his phone before glancing at Mark. So were hanging out with Jack after the suit fitting?

Mhm, I told him we would text him when we are done and go grab him. Mark studied Felix as he stopped at another red light. What did you do?

What? What makes you think I did anything??

Cause you have this look on your face that usually spells trouble for me. The light turned green and Felix pointed to the parking lot a couple stores down from the tailor.

Im wounded Mark. When have I ever done anything of the sort?

Mark parked the car and looked blankly at Felix.

Im hurt. Truly, you have no faith in me.

They exited the car and walked up to the shop. As they got closer, Mark could see into the lobby through the large store front windows and he stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted familiar green hair.

Felix what the fuck.

Felix turned back, following Mark's gaze to Sean, who was sitting in the waiting room. Oh, I thought a second opinion on the suits would be helpful so I invited Jack to tag along before we all hung out. Felix flashed him a toothy grin. Come on, contrary to popular belief, being late is indeed, not fashionable. He spun around and strode into the store, with Mark glaring daggers into his back. He might actually hit him.

He took a deep breath and calmed his fraying nerves. He hadnt prepared himself for this. He had prepared himself to see Sean after the fitting, but not right now. He could feel the beginnings of anxiety - tingling in his cheeks, muscles tensing - but he couldnt deny the fluttering of joy bubbling up in his stomach. They were such contradictory feelings and they just proved to further ramp up his panic.

Get a hold of yourself Mark. He fortified himself as much as he could, taking slow, deep breaths before he walked into the store.

The lobby consisted of a front desk, a closet and shoe rack, and a few chairs lined by the wall with a gross amount of shrubbery scattered through the area. He nodded at the front desk attendant and walked over to Sean and Felix, who were in mid conversation.

You sure its cool if I sit in with you guys? Like, Im not gonna get kicked out am I?

Nah, youre good. Felix noticed Mark walking over to them. Mark here got us a private fitting, so we can have as many people present as we want. Felix clapped him on the back, smiling widely in the wake of Mark's still present scowl.

Hey! Thanks for inviting me. I would literally be sitting in my apartment doing nothing and listening to my neighbours fuck. Im happy to be out and about. Sean flashed him a smile, one corner of his lip tugged a little higher than the other, softening his face, and brightening his eyes. Mark slowly felt his nerves and anxieties start to melt away. He couldnt resist that face, that smile, so achingly familiar. He smiled softly at Sean.

Im glad you could come. Itll be nice to have a second opinion on the suits. He looked back to Felix. Did you check in?

Yea, theyre just finishing up with another client. Itll be a few minutes.

They sat and waited to be called in. Five minutes later, they're in the fitting room, Sean and Felix sitting in the viewing area with Mark in the adjacent room to change into his suit, as Felix insisted he go first. He felt a little uneasy, leaving the two of them alone. The rooms were surprisingly sound proofed, and he couldnt really make out their conversation. He could only imagine what the two of them could be discussing - most likely him. When the door was opened to hand him his suit, he caught a snippet of their conversation. He huffed a smile as he heard Felix enthusiastically talking about Marzia.

Her meeting she had this past Sunday morning, was actually a job interview with a fashion company here in L.A. She had been hired on the spot, and was in the process of applying for a work visa to stay in the U.S. longer. She had told Felix later that day, and hes been smiling about it since.

As Mark got his suit on, he started to see why Felix had brought Sean here. Looking at himself in the mirror, he had to admit. He looked good. The sleeves and pants were a little long, and it was a bit loose around his waist, but it fit his arms well, showing off his defined muscles, and it shaped his butt fairly nicely. He pulled the jacket tighter around his waist. The tailor would take it in, and it would show off his curves. Mark was begrudgingly thanking Felix now. A part of him couldnt wait for Sean to see him in the suit.

He stepped out into the viewing room and up onto the stands in front of three full length mirrors. The tailor wasnt in the room at the moment, so he turned to look at his audience of two.

So how do I look? He struck an exaggerated pose, one hand on his hip and the other behind his head.

Short.

Shut up. They have to take it in still. I bet yours will make you look short too.

Not as short as you.

He ignored Felix and turned to Sean for his reaction.

He wasnt disappointed.

Seans eyes were wide and hungrily roving over Mark's body, his jaw slack as his mouth hung open slightly. He seemed to be lost in his observation of Mark's body, so Mark cleared his throat to get his attention.

Seans mouth quickly snaps shut as he redirects his gaze to Mark's face, his own turning bright red at being caught. Uh, you look good, great. Its a really nice suit. Cant wait to see it when it fits you properly. Um. Sean coughed into his shoulder, did another quick once over with his eyes, then licked his lips.

Mark was glad the suit was still loose.

The tailor, a short, middle aged woman, entered the room and gestured for Mark to turn and face the mirrors. As she worked, he watched Sean through the mirror. He kept up conversation with Mark and Felix, but his eyes almost never left Mark. They made eye contact in the mirror once, holding each other's gaze as Felix continued on about the deteriorating integrity of the media. Mark was only able to keep the contact for so long before he had to break away at the intensity. He watched as Sean blinked, shaking his head before tuning back into Felixs rant. Mark felt a tremor run through his body. He wasnt sure what had just happened, but it felt powerful.

Bend over.

Huh?

The tailor looked at Mark impatiently. Bend over, I need to make sure that the pants wont rip.

Oh, okay. Sorry. He smiled sheepishly at the tailor before following her orders. As he bent down he immediately located Sean in the mirrors to watch for his reaction as he all but showed off his ass the man. Seans eyes locked onto Mark's butt, and he licked his lips again and Mark could hear his heart beating widely. Sean shifted around in his seat a bit before crossing his legs and placing his hands in his lap.

Oh. Well then.

The tailor ordered him back up, finished up her work before sending him back to remove his suit, instructing him to leave it in the change room. When he came back out, Felix went in, the tailor right behind with his suit before leaving the room altogether once again. Mark took his seat beside Sean, who seemed to have calmed himself down.

They sat in silence for a moment before Sean spoke up.

You looked really damn good in that tux Mark.

Mark wasn't expecting the outright compliment, and he flushed a bit at it. Oh, thank you. I appreciate it. I think itll look nice once its tailored properly.

Oh yea, for sure. Youll have to show me when its done. With how it looked on you before any alterations, He whistled low and long as a conclusion to his comment, and Mark was wondering what the hell happened while he was changing for Sean to go from a flustered mess that he was currently making Mark, to the confidence he was exhibiting now.

Probably Felix.

I dont think they will be ready until just before the wedding, but Ill see what I can do.

You better. Dont tease me like that Markell.

Mark froze, his smile slipping from his face. What did you just call me?

Felix strolled out of the changing room as Mark spoke, loudly announcing his presence and capturing Seans attention, missing his question.

Markell. Markell. Sean just called him Markell. What? That didnt make sense. Sean didnt know his full name. There was no way for him to. The only people still alive that did, hell the only people ever, he could count on his hands, and Felix himself hadnt even used that name in decades. There was no way for Sean to know that name.

And yet

Mark watched, vision fuzzy, as Felix paraded around in his suit, trading jabs he couldnt hear with Sean. He couldnt breathe. He tried to take a deep breath but all he managed was a short, almost inaudible gasp. He tried again to no avail. He was acutely aware of his own heart, beating loudly in his ears. He flinched violently when he felt a touch on his shoulder, his face snapping over to meet wide and concerned blue eyes.

Jack was crouched in front of him, hands now both up in defense, like Mark was a wild animal. Jack. Jack? How was Jack here? He couldnt be here. He was dead. He was dead because of Mark. Because Mark got him killed. Mark got him killed. He focused back onto Jack and jumped. Jacks shirt was ripped and soaked in blood, his face draining of colour as he called out to him, to Mark, his name on his lips. No, no no no. Jack, he had to save Jack.

Mark stood abruptly, eyes moving frantically around the room. He saw Friedrich standing in the room with him. What was he doing here, with Jack and him? Mark's breathing was coming in fast bursts, and he was beginning to hyperventilate. He caught movement in his peripheral and he swung back around coming face to face with Jack. His eyes locked onto his, green strands of hair hanging in front.

Green? Green. When did Jack get green hair? His hair was brown. Seans was green. Sean, green hair. Sean. Sean.

Hey, Mark. Its okay, youre okay. Its just me and Felix in here. Mark took in his surroundings again, Felix a few feet away, worry on his face. He was in a suit. Suit fitting, Saturday, May 6th, 2017. He looked back at Sean, who still had his hands up near Mark, but not touching him. His shirt unstained and intact. Los Angeles, California, USA. Mortification had started to work its way over Mark, his face and neck heating up rapidly as he still tried to get his breathing under control as he re orientated himself in the present. He felt the back of his eyes start to burn,

Sean, sorry. It was breathless, the words barely formed.

Its okay, I didnt mean to spook you. Do you wanna sit back down? Or leave? Go get some air? Sean spoke in hushed tones, still keeping his distance which Mark was thankful for. He didn't think he could handle any stimulation from his touch at the moment.

Ill... I think. Yea, air. Air sounds good. Ill go head back to the car, you two come out when youre done? He aimed the question at both of them, looking over to Felix who was still tense with concern for Mark. Sean, Felix, L.A., May 6th, 2017. He kept repeating the mantra in his head.

Sure, it shouldnt be too much longer. I told the tailor Id go get them when we were ready again. Ill walk out to the lobby with you. Felix walked down to Mark, hand up, silently asking for permission to settle on Mark's shoulder.

Mark nodded slowly, letting Felix gently place his hand. He took comfort in the familiar touch. Felix had held him through many attacks and fits over the years, and it did wonders to help him relax, though it didnt do much to help with his urge to cry. Mark couldnt bring himself to look at Sean as they made their way out of the room. He heard Felix tell Sean hed be right back before closing the door behind them.

As soon as they were in the hall that lead back to the lobby, Mark let his tears fall. He wiped at his eyes, trying to be discreet, but it was no use. Felix knew him too well. He spread his arms, offering Mark a hug. Normally, Mark would be more than happy to let Felix comfort him like this, but he was still reeling from the feeling of Seans touch, and he knew that confining physical contact might make it more difficult for him to recover. He gave a quick shake of his head, to which Felix nodded and replaced his hand on his shoulder. He stood with Mark while he cried, patiently waiting until he was ready. After a couple minutes Mark wiped his face, took a deep breath, and the two headed to the lobby. Before Mark left the shop Felix pulled him back.

Do you want to take Sean home? I dont think he would question anything too much. We can just go back to the apartment and relax.

Mark was already shaking his head before Felix finished. No, its fine. Im already mostly calmed down. Just give me a few minutes and Ill be good. Im not ruining the day anymore than I have. Just, tell Sean that if he wants to go home well take him, otherwise, nothing's changed.

Alright. Well talk about this later though. Felix paused. Its been a long time since youve had one of those. He hesitated for a moment. You kept saying Jack.

Mark didnt remember speaking, but he hadnt exactly been in control. Do you mind checking in with Sean? Make sure he doesnt think Im crazy? Felix nodded, heading back to the fitting room. Mark turned, nodding at the receptionist before walking outside. He was bombarded with the sound of L.A. traffic and life and he bristled at the overstimulation on his senses. He made a beeline for his car, crawling inside and effectively shutting himself off from the rest of the world. Inside the car he could take in his surroundings in peace, to further root himself back in the present and stave off the last of his panic.

Mark leaned back in his seat, staring at the roof of his car. He had the urge to cry again, but he pressed his palms against his eyes, trying to hold it back. The mounting embarrassment he felt was suffocating. How could he even look Sean in the eyes after that? He probably thought Mark was crazy, or unstable. Not that hed be that far off.

It had been a long time since something like that had happened. The last time had been when one of Seans iterations had been killed in a similar fashion to Jack, and he lost himself in his memories. They were rare occurrences. Sean calling him by his birth name, his full birth name Jack was the only one out of all of them that he had ever told his real name too. That coupled with the identical appearance, Mark wasn't surprised that he had lost his grip on reality.

He brought his hands down, letting them rest in his lap. How did Sean know his name though? There was no way Felix would have told Sean his real name, and the only other people who knew were Esma and Brian; neither of which Sean would have met. Had he misheard him?

Mark closed his eyes. No, he was sure of what he heard. He wouldnt have lost it like that otherwise. So how then? The amount of unexplainable things happening around Sean were piling up, and he doubted any of them could be put down to coincidences. He thought back to Felixs words, about this cycle ending once he accepted Sean. What if this really was the world giving him back Jack, in the form of Sean? He didnt want to let himself believe it, to have hope. Hope was dangerous. Hope got you killed. But once it burrowed its way in, it was impossible to destroy.

Lost in thought, he jumped when the car door opened, Sean getting into the passenger seat and closing the door.

Hey, Felix is just getting changed before he pays and schedules the next appointment. I figured Id come out and check on ya. So, He leaned on the console between them, looking unfazed from the events that had occurred. Checkin in?

Mark thought hed feel embarrassment in Seans presence, but all he felt was a sense of peace with him being near, just the two of them their own little bubble, cut off from the world around them. Im good. Calmed down. He huffed. Sean Mark stared at the dash in front of Sean, not able to make eye contact. Im sorry you had to see that. Id totally understand if you wanted us to take you home.

Whoa, hold up. First, you don't have nothing to apologize for Mark. Sean turned in the seat, facing Mark fully, expression stern. We all have shit going on, and whatever happened back there, whatever triggered you or something, we dealt with it and its all good. In the past. Second, I have no desire to go anywhere other than back to your place to hang out and have a good night. Nothing's been changed. Nothing's been ruined. Sean paused, his expression one of contemplation, before reaching across and taking Mark's hand. He moved slowly, giving Mark ample time to pull away if he wanted to. He watched as Sean first brushed his fingers over the back of Marks hand, before he slid it beneath to press their palms together and interlocking their fingers.

Mark looked back up at Sean, who seemed very unsure about the move, before squeezing at his hand, a small smile twitching onto his face. Thank you, Sean.

Sean shivered slightly, before smiling back at Mark and leaning back against the seat. Youre most welcome, Mark.