Sean tilted his head back with a chuckle, exposing his throat and Mark took advantage of it. Bring his lips to Sean's throat, Mark pressed his lip to Sean's damp skin. The water on his skin tasted so sweet that Mark parted his lips to suck the water drops off. Sean's arms wrapped around his shoulders tighter with a soft moan. Mark broke the suction to slide his lips up the vein of Sean's neck, his tongue dragging up his skin without ever passing his lips. Mark stopped to pant breathlessly under Sean's ear, before letting his tongue flick up the curve of his ear. Sean turned his head with a blush, shivering slightly in his arms, upon mumbling out. "Mark... Don't..." Mark pressed his lips against Sean's ear, whispering huskily into it in a deep purring voice. "Did that tickle?" Sean squirmed in his arms, hiding his face in the nape of Mark's neck to muffle out guiltily. "No... Put me down. Please?" Mark loosened his grip carefully, causing Sean's body to slide down his front. Sean was avoiding his eyes, his cheeks so red that the tips of his ears were turning a soft pink.

Mark didn't bother trying to hide his smug grin. Sean could try to hide and deny it all he wanted. Getting turned on from being tickled wasn't a turn off for him. He rather enjoyed teasing Sean. He couldn't explain it, but the more Sean shied away from him, the more he wanted him. Even if Sean couldn't see it, he could. Sean was a rare beauty inside and out. Sean let out a nervous giggle, backing away from him toward the door as he mumbled out to him. "Well... I'm glad you're feeling better... Now if you'll excuse me. I think I left the front door unlocked..." Mark smirked, removing the towel from around his waist as Sean turned his back on him. Lazily twisting it, he crept up enough to strike Sean across the ass with it. He barely put any effort into it, but the action surprised Sean clear out of his skin. Sean jumped, stumbling into the door as he yelped. Sean huddled against the door, rubbing his ass with a playful chuckle. Casually Mark flipped the towel over his shoulder, asking Sean smugly. "Where do you think you're going?"

Sean peeked over his bare shoulder and Mark forgot how to breathe. Those bright blue eyes stared back at him with a seductive gaze that paralyzed him to the spot. Sean raised a hand to run his fingers through his green bangs, showing off his lean bicep as he chuckled out shyly. "I told you... The front door could be unlocked. Mark... why are you looking at me like that?" Sean's eyes drifted down Mark's naked body, before he jerked his head back to face the door. Mark could see his cheeks burning as he put his forehead to the door to avoid looking again. Slowly Mark walked up behind him, his voice going uncontrollably deep as he asked him curiously. "Where did all that confidence of yours go? A few moments ago, you couldn't keep your hands off me." Sean bowed his head against the door, practically trying to hide his face behind his shoulders as he muttered out breathlessly. "You drain it from me... Why do you have to look at me like that?" Mark slid his hands over Sean's bare sides, whispering over his pale smooth back. "How do I look at you?"

Mark brushed his lips very lightly across Sean's shoulders, while his eyes watched the way Sean's fingers stroked the door. Goosebumps were appearing on Sean's arms. Sean turned his head very slightly to sneak a look at him as he answered in a breathless voice. "How do you always look so confident? I can barely keep from shaking around you... Did you learn that in some strip class?" Mark kissed Sean's shoulder with a hearty chuckle. Composing himself, he stepped up against him to answer over his shoulder. "I'm not... I have to touch you to keep myself from shaking. It's easy to be confident around strangers... but you're no stranger to me. I told you... You affect me like no one else." Sean turned around, whispering back stubbornly. "I don't believe you." Mark took a step back to give Sean more room to breathe, before answering coolly. "I don't know any way to prove it to you. I'm telling you the truth. My heart races just as much as yours. I'm just good at hiding it."

Sean reached out to put his hands on Mark's chest, his face looking a bit lost in thought. Mark brushed a stray hair from Sean's face, sweetly telling him. "What's on your mind?" Sean didn't seem to hear him, until he began to bounce and excitedly say. "OH! I got an idea! Stay here!" Sean dashed away from him to run out the door, leaving Mark to stare after him with a smirk. Pulling the towel off his shoulder, he dried himself off a bit more before sitting down on the bed corner. He could hear Sean banging drawers and rummaging through things in another room. What was he up to now? The guy had such a short attention span at the weirdest times. Scooting farther up onto the bed, he laid down before asking loud enough to reach Sean. "Sean?! You need help?" Sean didn't answer, but Mark heard him running back down the hall. Sean skidded to a halt in the room, tossing something onto the bed as he told him with a bright grin. "Put that on." Mark picked up the device, asking perplexed. "What is it?"

Sean closed the bedroom door, leaning back against it as he lightly panted out. "A heart rate monitor. I bought it thinking that I'd use it in a youtube video... but I'm curious." Mark raised an eyebrow but sat up to humor him. Taking the white pads, he attached them to his chest over his heart. Once it was on, he laid back down and began messing with the box to sync it. He had messed with a few of these when he was younger. His mother was a nurse and was always showing him things that she practiced with. Plus, the directions were pretty straightforward. The device started beeping in time with his steady heartbeat and he set the box down, telling him sweetly. "There. Hopefully, it's accurate." Sean cleared his throat to draw his attention, then raised his hands to stroke his fingers down his neck to his collarbone as he tilted his head back slowly. Mark tilted his own head slightly to watch Sean closely. Seeing the way Sean's fingers caressed his own skin slowed his heart rate. Sean bit his lip hard, shuffling his feet nervously like he was trying to decide what to do next.

Mark spread himself out on the bed to relax, telling Sean in a deep calming voice. "Jack... Don't think about it. Just do it. It's more powerful when you just have fun with it." Sean raised his hand to bite the tip of his thumb, his eyes scanning the floor in thought. Mark chuckled to himself lightly, patting the bed as he told him lovingly. "Come here, Jackaboy." Sean removed his thumb from his teeth, leaning over the bed to crawl up onto it. Mark's hand pet Sean's exposed arm, while his eyes watched his long legs climb up. Noticing how those pajama pants looked so baggy on his slender frame. Mark traced his knuckles down Sean's ribcage, following the beautiful curves of his body.

Sean stayed on all fours, leaning half over Mark's legs. Holding his breath, he felt how Mark's knuckles moved slowly down to his hip. There, Mark's fingers slipped beneath the elastic waistband to discover that he wasn't wearing underwear. Sean bit his lip again, hanging his head with embarrassment. He normally wore underwear, but he had been in a rush. Mark's fingers drifted under him to his thick pubic hair and the heart rate monitor began to beep faster. Sean chuckled in awkward embarrassment, but Mark's voice was still so calm and cool when he asked playfully. "No underwear? That's not like you, Sean... Are we... eager?" Sean cleared his throat, shifting back a little to keep Mark's fingers from drifting lower. He couldn't bare to look Mark in the eyes, when he mumbled out timidly. "Hey, I... I thought you'd lock me out of the room... So, I just grabbed pants..." Mark adjusted his hand to slide it over Sean's hip to squeeze his ass. Mark's heart rate monitor was climbing in pace and it was giving Sean goosebumps.

Mark hadn't been kidding. Crawling more comfortably over Mark, Sean told him breathlessly. "You're not going to have a heart attack on me, are you?" Mark smirked wickedly, shaking his head as he stared up into his eyes. Mark's hands rose to cup Sean's jaw, pulling him down into a tender kiss. As their lips touched, Mark's heart rate monitor slowed down drastically. Sean smiled into the kiss, growing playfully bold. Taking control of the kiss, Sean wedged himself between Mark's legs. Mark casually bent a leg up and out of Sean's way without a second thought. His mistake. Sean laid over him during the kiss and began grinding against him. Mark groaned longingly into the kiss, arching his back as his heart rate monitor spiked. Sean teasingly pried his lips away from Mark's, breathlessly whispering to him. "Should have kept that towel on." Mark settled down with a throaty chuckle, before telling him lovingly. "No. I like the idea of a thin piece of fabric trying to protect you from me." Sean rolled his eyes, stating smugly. "Why do you think that it's protecting me?"

Mark's knees rose to lock against Sean's sides, before telling him with a wicked smile. "Because you'd have taken them off already if they weren't." Sean swallowed guiltily, a blush warming his cheeks. He tried to back out between Mark's legs, only to be blocked by Mark's heels locking behind his thighs. Sean knew that if he really tried that he could get free... but his body didn't have the urge. Mark's hands grabbed his arms, pulling him back down over him. Sean licked his dry lips, mumbling over Mark's parted ones. "I can get away... If I wanted too..." Mark rolled Sean over onto his back, then answered over his trembling lips. "I know... and yet, you aren't resisting." Sean took a deep breath, replying with a small innocent smile. "Escaping doesn't give me what I want..." Mark kissed him passionately, his heart rate monitor beeping wildly in the silence between them. It only slowed back down when Mark broke the kiss to tell him coolly. "Bedside table. Open my bathroom bag. I should have a lube bottle and a condom."

Sean twisted to look for it, feeling Mark's lips kiss random spots down his chest and side. It was distracting to think that he wanted Mark to leave hickies along his body. Finding the grey bag, he unzipped it, pushing aside Mark's toothbrush and mouthwash. He found the condom, but in his search for the bottle of lube, his fingers hit a small paper bag. Curiously removing the white paper bag, he asked Mark. "What's this?" Mark lifted his head to look. Mark's body stiffened a bit, causing his heart rate monitor to spike as he mumbled out. "Oh... That's a..." Sean's fingers unfolded the paper to pull the object out carefully. It was a ring. Custom made. Sean sat up to get a better look at it and Mark sat back on his heels anxiously. Sean stared at the thick sleek steel ring in awe. The whole ring was done in shiny black steel except for a thin line that wrapped around the center in bright rainbow colors. Sean looked up at Mark, saying softly. "How long have you had this?"

Mark rubbed his arms, honestly uttering out. "Since before your accident... My plan was to propose to you after the Grand Prix. I know you and Stacy were engaged, but I thought maybe I should at least try to ask before it was too late. Just so that I'd know if you wanted to try and see if we'd work... But I heard you and Stacy planned to get married after the Prix... and it messed me up. I tried to give you the ring the night that we... but it didn't feel right. Then I just... fucked everything up." Sean stared at the ring, smirking to himself as he said. "You carry it around?" Mark took a deep breath, not looking at him as he said grimly. "Ya... It's... It's my burden. My punishment." Mark's heart rate beeped drastically slower. Sean shook his head sadly, telling Mark lovingly. "Oh, Mark... I'm sorry." Mark shrugged calmly, telling him coolly. "Don't apologize... Just put it back. I'll get you a different ring." Sean protectively wrapped his fingers around the ring, asking seriously. "What's wrong with this ring?"

Mark huffed sarcastically, looking him in the eyes as he stated out grimly. "It's cursed... I've been pouring hate and pain into that thing since your accident. The mere sight of it is agony... You don't want something like that." Sean looked down at the ring, telling Mark with a warm smile. "Maybe that is why I want it..." Mark's hand started to reach for it, but Sean clenched his fist around it. Taking Mark's hand with his free hand, he put Mark's palm to his cheek, telling him sweetly. "You wanted me to share my burdens, right? Well, that goes both ways. You've been carrying around this ring and letting it weigh you down... So, let me carry it for a while." Mark shook his head, but Sean just stubbornly shot back. "I'm not putting it back. So, you can either put it on me. Or I'll do it myself. But either way... I'm wearing it." Mark let out a heavy sigh, admitting to him in a defeated voice. "Alright. If it's what you want." Sean leaned in to kiss his lips briefly, purring out. "I want you. The ring doesn't matter to me. It's just a thing. A symbol. The important part is that I get to have YOU."

Mark took the ring from Sean, carefully slipping it over his ring finger. Seeing it on Sean's finger made his heart rate monitor beep quickly. He had waited so long to see it there. Now it finally was. The ring had always twisted his heart into knots at the sight of it. Now he couldn't look away from how it stood out against Sean's pale skin. For the first time since he had bought it, he actually saw the bright colors of the rainbow along the center band... and they had never looked brighter. To Be Continued...