Sean cringed at Mark's touch, pushing his arm off his waist. He didn't want to be touched. Pulling from Mark, he huddled into the corner of the elevator, mumbling out over his shoulder. "There is no way to fix this... Everyone saw it. I... Fuck..." Sean leaned into the wall, sliding down to the floor as he covered his face and broke down into tears. He couldn't keep them to himself. Mark stayed in the center of elevator, telling him in a cool voice. "No one is going to judge you over what happened." Sean dropped his hand, yelling as his anger began to boil between his tears. "BULLSHITE! They already judge me! Now... all they'll see is that scared man who let them..." Sean drifted off to cry. The elevator dinged and opened to the garage, but Sean didn't have the heart to move. He just wanted to vanish in the corner. Mark moved to take his arm, helping him up with a strong arm. Sean staggered to his feet, before yanking his arm from him. Stumbling out of the elevator and away from Mark, Sean snapped back bitterly. "Don't touch me! This is all your fault!"

Sean staggered to his knees in the garage, crying out in a broken voice. "I can't... I should have..." Sean laid across the hard floor, crying into his arm and secretly hoping someone would run him over. He heard soft footsteps, before Mark told him in a deep loving voice. "Sean... I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. There is nothing I can do that will make you feel better... But this wasn't your fault. What happened to you wasn't your fault. Things happen that we can't control. Whatever they say... Whatever happens... I am on your side. I will not take this laying down. I'm going to fix this." Sean lifted his head, glaring at Mark as he snapped back. "It's easy for you to say! All of Valhalla didn't just see you get raped on live TV! I've never been so ashamed... All I had was my reputation and they all saw me... weak. They're gonna say I deserved it! That I probably asked for it! Why not, right? I'm gutter trash!" Sean laid his head back down on his arm, crying as he whimpered out. "Maybe I did... Parts of me enjoyed it... Maybe I belong there..."

Mark's hand touch his neck, causing Sean to flinch and cringe away from his touch. Mark put his hand on him though, petting him comfortingly as he told him in firm commanding voice. "Sean. This wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do." Sean jerked up, yelling out through tears. "Is it?! I should have fought harder! I should have chosen death!" Sean bowed his head, crying as he inhaled a shaky breath and added softly. "I can feel the filth beneath my skin... I didn't want it and at the same time... I can't... I couldn't..." Sean covered his face, crying harder as the shame burned over his skin like acid. Mark grabbed his shoulders, pulling him up against his chest. Hugging him to his chest, Mark whispered to him in a warm voice. "Sean... There was nothing more you could have done. I've never seen anyone fight as hard as you. You're the strongest and bravest person that I know." Sean shook in Mark's arms, lowering his hands from his face to mumble out against his chest. "You don't know many people... it doesn't count."

Mark brushed his lips over his temple lovingly, purring out in a deep warm buttery voice. "That's because they aren't like you." Mark kissed his temple so tenderly that Sean's body relaxed a little from the comfort. Mark's lips drifted down to his ear to whisper just for him to hear. "Sean, let me shelter you from them. You have nothing to be ashamed of... and I'm going to make sure the world knows it." Sean shook his head, saying in a wispy voice. "You don't understand... I'm branded for life. These names may fade... but you can't change how I feel beneath my own skin. You can choose to ignore what I am... but they'll never see me as anything but the fowl thing that crawled out of the Slums to dirty their golden streets..." Mark stood up, pulling him up carefully. Walking him over to a motorcycle, Mark told him seriously. "I want to show you something." Mark swung onto the bike, patting the seat in front of him. Sean inched closer, mumbling out weakly. "Where is your car?" Mark gave him a small smile, telling him sweetly. "This got me to you faster."

Sean weakly slid over the seat in front of Mark, barely bracing his feet where Mark told him too. Mark grabbed the handlebars and Sean laid down over the cold wide tank. Mark's bike felt so different from his own, but he didn't have the heart to enjoy it. He was feeling numb. Mark revved the bike, pulling out of the garage. Mark sped past the reporters that demanded info on the incident, taking him out onto the main road. Sean buried his face in his crossed arms over the tank, trying to enjoy how the wind rustled his hair. He'd always gone for a ride when he was upset and despite everything... He loved how the purr of the engine comforted him. He expected Mark to take him home, but when he peeked up from his arms... they were going in a new direction. Sean sat up a little, asking him curiously. "Mark? Where are we going?" Mark kissed the back of his shoulder briefly, telling him casually. "You'll see." Sean glanced over his shoulder with fragile eyes, looking at Mark's comforting features.

Mark leaned the bike into a turn to get off the main road, glancing behind him to see the Valkyries that were following him. Mark locked his jaw, revving the engine as he picked up his speed and started whizzing between narrow ally streets and through street tunnels. Sean took in the scenery as Mark whizzed by it. Passing towers of homes like Mark's apartment building with thousands of bright lights that lit up the buildings and roads. The most interesting thing was that there was a massive cement wall beyond the group of buildings they were driving through. Sean inhaled deeply, realizing it was a much nicer wall than the one surrounding the Slums. The inhale made Sean freeze as a strange scent filled his nose. Mark cut into a tunnel, revving his bike so hard that it reared to slam into a small gate meant for people and not vehicles. Mark's bike made it through easily though. Sean grabbed the handlebars, sitting back against Mark's chest as the bike rushed down some stone steps to a stone landing. Pedestrians yelped and dashed aside as Mark navigated safely along the long strip of shops that lined the outside of the wall.

Sean leaned away as his eyes looked out at the endless ocean under an orange and blue sky. Mark drove closer to the edge of the balcony wall, showing off the white sandy shore. Sean had only heard stories about the ocean. He'd never seen it... and it was breathtaking. It seemed to go on forever. Mark slowed the bike as they traveled along the wall, leaving the shops and people behind. Not a soul was on the beach or found farther along the wall. Mark slowed the bike to a stop when they were alone, asking him curiously. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Sean nodded, forcing himself to look at Mark when he asked in a meek voice. "Mark...? Why did you bring me here?" Mark turned his face into the gentle sea breeze, inhaling deeply. Exhaling loudly, Mark stared out at the ocean as he told him coolly. "It's easy to drown in the city. Drown in a sea of voices and expectations. Out here... It's just us. No one to impress. No one to judge you." Sean shrugged; unsure what Mark was getting at.

Mark brushed Sean's bangs out of his eyes, telling him warmly. "There is a whole world out there. We are just a small piece of it. Take it from me. You'll spend your life trying to be anything and everything others will want you to be... Let them say what they want. Look at the horizon and tell me how much the world cares about their petty judgments. Look at that horizon and tell me you don't feel free and beautiful being exactly who you are. Scars and all." Sean drifted his eyes to the horizon to look a bit reluctantly. Leaning close to his ear, Mark purred into his ear lovingly. "The only filth under your skin is the poison their twisted words leave behind. Everything in nature crawled through the dirt and grime to be something beautiful. Every plant, and creature of all sizes and forces of creation." Mark's fingers turned Sean's jaw to look at him. A tear fell down Sean's cheek, when Mark looked him in the eyes and told him gently. "I don't care what they'll say. Their words mean nothing to me. All I care about is you. You are whoever you choose to be."

Sean shook his head. It couldn't be that easy. Mark brought his lips to Sean's, whispering to him in a passionate voice. "Sean... I should have gotten to you faster. I'll carry that with me forever. I made a choice and it was the wrong one. You didn't have a choice. What you felt with them. It wasn't for them. It wasn't passion... It was your body's defense to give them what they wanted so that they'd leave you alone." More tears spilled down Sean's cheeks as he whimpered out. "Then why do I still crave it? I crave it like a drug, Mark..." Mark kept his lips at a distance, his thumbs brushing away his tears as he told him lovingly. "It's not the sex. It's the passion your craving." Sean closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss him. He wanted to prove Mark wrong, but from the moment their lips touched... Sean's heart leapt into Mark's chest. Turning around to face Mark without breaking the kiss, Sean scooted up against him. He needed to feel his arms around him. To feel wanted and safe.

Mark's strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling Sean so close that Sean had to drape his legs over Mark's thighs. Sean ran his fingers through Mark's hair, tilting his head back to deepen their kiss. He was hungry for his affection. Craving his desire for him. Mark made him feel strong and beautiful. Mark's hands slid up Sean's back to hold the backs of his shoulders, his fingers clawing gently at Sean's bare skin. When Sean broke the kiss to breathe, Mark looked directly into his eyes and said in a breathless but sincere voice. "Sean... I love you." Sean pulled away a bit, uttering out just as breathlessly with wide eyes. "What...?" Mark moved his hands to cup Sean's face, swallowing before admitting openly in a hopeful voice. "I love you." The second the words left his mouth; a high-pitched scream broke out across Valhalla as the power surged, causing lights to burst and send the city into a blackout! Mark flinched, grabbing his ears as he saw and heard glass break from the lights along the wall surrounding Valhalla. Sean put his hands on Mark's chest, asking suddenly terrified. "Mark? What's happening? What do you hear?"

Mark lowered his hands slowly and looked up to see a strange new security camera nicely hidden in the crack of the wall. Apparently, she had learned that he had been sneaking outside the city for a while because that camera had never been there before. She was covering up her blind spots around the city. Leaving him to believe that either Mother had overheard him... or something else had hurt her. Sean's grip tightened on his shoulders as he asked nervously. "Are we under attack? Why did the lights blow out like that?" Mark tore his eyes away from the camera to look Sean in the eyes. Cupping his face, he pulled Sean into a slow loving kiss. After the kiss, Mark pulled his lips away to say softly. "Mother is upset. I can feel it." Sean glanced at the wall, saying uneasily. "Don't you have to go back? If something is wrong with her...?" Mark looked deep into his eyes, replying as casually as he could. "Normally, I would... but I have a strong feeling that she's upset with me." Mark's earpiece began to ring in his pocket, causing Mark to roll his eyes.

Sean looked down at his pocket, asking a bit strained. "Mark... Why would she be mad?" Mark pressed his forehead to his, admitting reluctantly. "Because I've fallen for you... and not her." Sean leaned back more with a worried look. Mark licked his dry lips, before leaning into his neck to discreetly whisper. "Mother's been lying to me. There's too much to explain... but you need to stop talking to Amy." Sean blushed a little, mumbling out. "I don't know what you mean..." Mark lifted his head a little, replying seriously. "I've been blind for so long... Mother doesn't care about Valhalla. She stopped caring a long time ago. She only cares about me. And my growing feelings for you have put you in danger. I don't know what she's got planned with Matthias... but I know she believes that if she can't keep me close, she's going to tighten the collar around your neck." Sean's put his hand on his own chest to rub his collarbone as he discreetly asked. "Can't you do something about her?"

Mark leaned back, giving him a shrug as his only response. For a minute they sat listening to the earpiece ring and ring, before Mark told him gently. "Right now. Just be strong for me. No matter what they say. Or what they show you. Let me do my job. Mother has detached herself from the people... but this is what I was raised for." Sean wrapped his arms around Mark's neck, whispering into his ear. "I trust you." Mark glanced back at the camera, then told Sean with a warm smile. "Oh... and congratulations on your race. You certainly know how to get the peoples attention." Sean blushed, rubbing the names on his arms as he uttered out. "Ya... but because of everything I did... It won't mean anything..." Mark thought a minute, then said very softly with a growing smirk. "You're right..." Sean blinked, asking uneasily. "What's with the look?" Mark climbed off his bike, extending a hand to him as he told him with an almost evil grin. "They have been cashing in on the fact that I never show you off. The people only see you getting punished... And when you race."

Sean adjusted on the bike, refusing to accept Mark's hand as he pleaded with him. "Mark, no. I... Not after the day I've had..." Mark took his arm, coaxing him off the bike as he excitedly told him. "You won a race and beat Al. That's what we're celebrating. Anyone asks about the news... you leave that to me. Matthias thinks he can turn the press on both of you... Well, I've got news for him. I run this town and everything in it. And I think it's time that I start pulling rank again." To Be Continued...