CHAPTER 48 | Thankful

I don't think there's a more wonderful feeling in this world than waking up next to the person that you have liked and dreamed about for so long. The instant I opened my eyes after the happiest night of my life, the beautiful face of my sleeping God was right in front of me. His eyes closed as he slept peacefully, and his mouth slightly parted as he snored quietly. The white sheets were the only things covering our naked bodies and our fingers were still laced together, although less tightly than yesterday, but still together.

Since the moment I woke up, everything I did was to stare longingly into his sleeping face as I drew circles with my thumb over his hand. With my free hand, I caressed the small beard on his cheek, feeling how his quiet and warm breathing hit my wrist, and looking at the way his broad chest rose and fell quietly with every breath. I'll never get over how beautiful he is.

Seeing him there filled me with an immeasurable happiness and joy that I had never felt before. He was like the source of my contentment and my reason to keep existing in this world. It had even been better than that time with Wyatt. And yet it still felt so unbelievable. I mean, the simple fact of him having an interest in me, being able to kiss him, having him here with me after a passionate night... I considered it all as something impossible, only a fantasy of my mind. I can't believe that that fantasy and those endless dreams that I had of him had finally come true, even though we had to go through a lot of hard times. What mattered was that we had each other now.

As much as I'd love to stay here at his side and take in his stunning beauty, I knew that he would have to leave by the time he woke up. But I wasn't going to let him go without at least having something in his stomach, and after we could spend a bit more time together. So, very carefully, I had to unlace our fingers and sit up on the bed, being careful not to wake him up. I removed the sheets from my legs and stood up from the bed, pain shooting at my lower back as I did so. I winced a bit, rubbing a hand over the spot, but then I smiled at knowing that this pain had been because of the man that was long asleep on my bed.

I went to pick up my boxers and put them on. Then I picked up my shirt and put it on too. After that, I glanced at the sleeping beauty on my bed and walked over to him, bending down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. And like that, I turned around and walked out of my room, leaving the door just ajar. I walked down the stairs in only my boxers and my shirt, then I headed towards the kitchen to cook Mark's favorite breakfast: pancakes with blueberries and orange jam. Yeah, I still haven't forgotten it since Wyatt told me about it.

Fortunately I already had the blueberries, but since previous days I had to ask my aunt to buy the orange jam. She asked me that why I wanted orange jam, and I told her to don't ask and just buy it. She didn't argue and bought it the next day. Now that I finally had all the ingredients, and most importantly, that my Marky was here to eat them, I got myself to work and cook the pancakes like my aunt had taught me.

Every day my aunt continued giving me cooking lessons. She taught me to cook different meals and now I was able to prepare almost everything like she does. At least I'm not afraid anymore of the stove, or the sharp knives. I turned on the stove and walked over to the cupboards to take out the flour, the sugar, the milk and other necessary ingredients. I grabbed a bowl and mixed the ingredients. When the batter was ready, I proceeded to pour it onto the frying pan.

Soon the sweet smell of pancakes filled the air, making my stomach growl. By the time the pancakes were brown from both sides, I grabbed them with the spatula and piled them up onto a plate, looking so spongy and round. I managed to make nine of them, an uneven number. Hmm... Mark looks like he can devour a lot of food with that giant and delicious body of him, so maybe he will have to eat five and I will eat four.

When everything was ready, I threw the dirty utensils into the sink and ran out of the kitchen, then up my stairs to my room. Opening the door and stepping in, I found Mark still sleeping like a baby. I walked over to the bed and lied down on my side so I was facing him. It looks like he's a heavy sleeper. I looked at the way the fingers of his hand twitched slightly, while he occasionally let out low hums from his mouth. My mind went back to that time I saw him sleeping at chemistry class in school, and his fingers were twitching just like they were doing now, which was a clear sign that something was going on in his head at this moment. I could only smile at his cute actions. He will have to tell me what he was dreaming about later.

But for now I had to wake him up from his dream. So I placed a hand on his broad shoulder and squeezed it a bit, getting closer to his face so I could feel his warm breath on my own and I whispered in a soft voice. "Mark, Marky... Wake up, baby." Which obviously he didn't hear, he just let out another hum and continued snoring.

I thought of a sweeter way to wake him up other than just calling his name or shaking him repeatedly. My eyes landed on those big, slightly parted lips of his. My heart quickened in pace a bit as I placed my hand on the back of his head, and I licked my own lips before very slowly, I brought our faces close together until I was brushing my lips with his, and finally joining them in a plain kiss.

I heard a low moan escaping from someone, and it wasn't me. Opening my eyes, I pulled apart from the kiss to see Mark starting to open his eyes while moving on the bed slowly. He shifted on the bed so now he was facing the ceiling, unwrapping his arms from the sheets and rising them high in the air, letting me hear his bones crack as he stretched them. He let out a loud yawn before he dropped his arms back on the bed and rubbed his sleepy eyes with his fists like a little baby. It was like something taken from a fairytale, where a kiss from the prince makes the princess wake up from her sleep. Only that this time it was a prince kissing another prince.

As soon as Mark's eyes were fully open, something unexpected happened. His eyes looked around the room frantically, turning his head around his surroundings in a hurry. He even sat up on the bed, until his eyes landed on mine and he went still. He stared at me and I stared back at him. Again, he looked dumbfounded like that day at the alley, like he couldn't believe that he had waken up with me. I started to worry a bit. What if he forgot what happened between us yesterday?

I placed a hand on his bare chest. His heart was racing, but his look seemed to soften a bit after I did that. "Calm down, Mark... It's me." I told him softly.

He sighed of relief, dropping back down on the bed to face me. His eyes still looked deep into mine with a ton of emotions running through them. A moment later, he brought his hand to place it on my cheek and he caressed it, as if it was the first time that he had touched me.

"Mark?"

"It wasn't a dream..." He whispered, his hand now rubbing up and down my arm. "Everything that happened... Was real."

This time I was the one who sighed of relief at knowing that he did remember what happened yesterday. I placed a hand on his back and rubbed it comfortingly, drawing him closer to me. "Yes, Mark. It was."

His look changed into a big grin and he pulled me into a tight hug, nuzzling his face on my neck. I smiled, hugging him back, enjoying the feeling of his big arms squeezing me onto his bare chest.

We stayed like that for a little while, until the smell of pancakes had now reached my room and I'm sure that Mark caught the smell too, because not long after that, I heard his stomach rumble and I felt the vibration of it on my own, making me giggle.

"Are you hungry?" I asked him, moving my head from his shoulder so I was looking at him directly in his eyes.

He chuckled, smiling sheepishly as he continued to rub his hand over my arm. "A bit."

"Something smells good, right?"

"Yeah." Mark said, sniffing the air. "What did you make?"

"Go down and find out." I said, breaking our embrace as I stood up from the bed. "Come on, let's get you dressed."

I grabbed the sheets that were covering his body and pulled them off of him, revealing that naked, sexy, delectable and God-like body to my eyes. Mark realized he was completely naked before me as he looked down at his flaccid manhood; and his cheeks, neck and ears turned a deep shade of red at that. Aw.

I knew that if I stayed staring for long, I might get a boner, and I would make Mark uncomfortable, so I had to pry my eyes off him and went to pick up all of his clothes from the floor. I handed him his white boxers, and placed his pants, shirt and jacket next to him. Mark mumbled a thanks before he grabbed his boxers and tried to put them on as quickly as possible. I see he's still a bit shy about showing his naked body to me. Hell, yesterday I sucked his dick and he didn't look embarrassed at all, but I guess that was because he was horny. But I'm sure that he won't give a damn soon.

I helped him to get dressed up, only a little. I picked up his black socks from the floor and sat at the edge of the bed. I grabbed his ankles and put the socks on both of his big feet. Once they were on, I placed a small kiss on top of each one. Mark smiled at me after he finished putting his shirt on and then proceeded to put on his jeans.

He slid off the bed, putting on his boots and letting his jacket off, so he only wore his shirt and I could see both of his muscled arms. I put on the rest of my clothes too, and once we were both dressed, I led Mark out of my room and down the stairs to the dining room, hand in hand.

The smell of pancakes grew stronger as I led Mark to the table. I pulled out a chair and told him to sit. He sat down on the chair and looked up at me curiously as I gave him a small smile and turned towards the kitchen. I grabbed two plates and piled five pancakes on one of them, which were still hot, and I placed the four remaining ones on the other. I grabbed two forks and placed one in each plate, before taking both plates and carried them to the dining room.

Mark looked at me as I carried the plates to him, and his mouth was slightly agape when he saw the spongy pancakes on each of the plates. I placed one on the table in front of him, and then placed the other in front of the chair opposite him.

"Wow. Than-"

"Wait!" I said, swatting his hand away from the fork before he could pick it up. "There's still the secret ingredient missing."

Mark raised his brow at me as I walked back to the kitchen, then coming out carrying the blueberries and the orange jam on my hands. Mark's eyes widened more and looked at me questioningly.

"How... How did you know that I liked them with that?" He asked, seemingly surprised.

"Well, let's say that someone close to you told me." I answered, placing the both things on the table while opening the jar of jam.

Mark put on an adorable confused face before realization hit it and he rolled his eyes, but he was smiling a little. "That Wyatt told you everything about me, didn't he?"

"Only a few things." I said, smiling innocently, then shoving a spoon into the jam and taking out a good portion of it.

I started spreading the jam over his pancakes with the spoon, taking a look at Mark's face as I did so. His mouth was watering and I could see it from the way he licked his lips hungrily. I also heard how his stomach rumbled again and I knew that I couldn't keep his poor belly to wait anymore. After I placed the jam, I added a fistful of blueberries, scattering them on top of his pancakes and putting some on the plate.

Mark gave me a thankful smile before he grabbed the fork and looked ready to eat them. "Thank y-"

"Wait!" I told him again, making him drop his fork as I turned to walk towards the kitchen again. I heard Mark chuckling and grunting in annoyance at the same time.

I walked out of the kitchen with two glasses of warm milk and placed one next to his plate, and the other one next to mine. I took my seat opposite him as I quickly added the toppings to my own pancakes. Mark waited patiently for me until I finished and grabbed my fork.

"Can I start eating now?" He asked me.

"Yes, you can." I told him, smiling.

He chuckled and finally stabbed his fork on his pancakes, cutting a big slice of them. "Let's see how well you can cook." He said, before he opened his mouth and stuffed the pieces of pancake into his mouth. As soon as they entered his mouth, he moaned in satisfaction as he chewed on them.

I took a taste of them too, cutting a slice and putting it in my mouth. And Mark wasn't acting when he moaned as soon as they met his taste buds. They were incredibly delicious! So spongy, warm and soft, mixed with the sugary flavor of the orange jam and the blueberries. Sure, I had eaten pancakes before, but this combination gave them a more delicious taste.

"Mhmm!" Mark hummed after he swallowed, looking at me with a smile as he went to cut another piece. "How did you learn to cook so good?"

"Heh, well I have to thank my aunt for teaching me some cooking lessons. I learned to make lots of other meals thanks to her, including these pancakes." I explained.

"Oh, I see." He said while chewing on a small piece of pancakes, before he swallowed and spoke again. "I remember when my mom used to make these pancakes to me and Wyatt every weekend when we were kids, with the jam and the berries. It was our all time favorite breakfast. But one day she stopped making them, so... I really missed having a taste of them."

"Oh." I nodded in understanding. "So, did I manage to bring you back to your childhood?"

"Yes, you did." He said with a smile, as he took another bite of his food with a berry. "They taste really good."

"I'm glad you like them."

After that, we both continued eating our food in a comfortable silence, as I constantly looked at the way Mark ate his own. There was nothing cuter than seeing him digging happily into his breakfast. He cut a piece of his pancakes and stuffed it inside his mouth, staining the corner of his lips with a bit of orange jam. As he munched a few times on them, he downed them with a sip of his milk.

We stood up from the table after we finished eating. I grabbed our dirty dishes and took them to the kitchen to wash them later.

"Did you like them?" I asked him as I walked out from the kitchen.

Mark answered with a loud burp.

I chuckled, Mark rubbing his nape and clearing his throat. "Sorry."

"I guess that's a yes?" I asked him, walking over so I was standing in front of him.

"That's an absolutely." He said, giving me a smile, sheepishly reaching for my arm. "I can't wait to taste more of your delicious food."

I got closer to him, so he could wrap his arms around my waist and I rested my cheek just under his chin. "Then why don't you stay for longer so you can taste more?"

"As much as that idea sounds pleasing to me, I'm afraid I should be going now." He said sadly.

I pulled away from him, pouting. "Really?"

"Yeah." He replied with a sad smile. "My parents must be kind of worried for me now. I didn't know that I was going to spend... Well, the night with you." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But even so, I don't regret it."

"Me neither." I replied, never stopping smiling. "We should... Definitely try that again... Some other day." I said, shifting from foot to foot nervously and making me sound like some sort of hungry for sex slut.

I managed to make Mark blush a bit as he looked down at his shoes with a small smile. "Yeah, that would be... Nice."

I laughed a bit. "Okay then, I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

He looked at me for a moment. "Will you be back with everyone again?"

"Well, I'll still go to afternoon classes. But I was planning that when your classes ended, you could wait a bit for me at the back entrance and then we could hang out for a while before my classes start. What do you say?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." Then his face changed to one of nervousness as he started to play with his fingers. "By the way, about that, I wanted to tell you... Can we please keep this between us only? Sorry but I don't think I'm ready to come out to the school and-"

"Hey, don't worry." I interrupted him. "You don't have to do that. No one has to know about it if you don't want to, so of course that we can keep it between us as long as you want. BUT, you have to know that there's some people who know about it already, and those are my friends and my aunt."

"Oh..." He said, looking uncomfortable. "You told them about... What we..."

I shook my head. "No no, I didn't tell them about... What we did. Only the fact that, you know, that you're gay." I clarified. He nodded while he blushed a bit.

"Okay, but... Do you think they will talk about it with other people at school?" He asked, looking extremely terrified that his secret would come out to the school.

"Nah, they are not like that. You can trust them. Only that, if you happen to run into them tomorrow at school, they might want to ask you some questions privately."

"Like what?"

"Who knows." I shrugged. "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll do it fine, and after that, they will stop pretending that they hate you and will get along with you again."

He nodded. "Well, that's fine. I guess."

"Yeah. By the way, Mark, I also wanted to ask you something." I said, now me being the one who started to play with my fingers from the nervousness.

"Yes?"

"Are you... Still dating Scarlet?" I asked, risking a glance up at his face, expecting him to be nervous and lie at me or something.

But he didn't do any of that as he quickly shook his head. "No. No, we are not a thing anymore. You have no idea of how many times I tried to break up with her, but she would still be clinging to my side, telling me not to leave her. After some months she started to leave me alone, but not exactly giving up on me. She's like in a hunt to see what other girl I'm currently dating so she can rip her head off. She's gonna have a very hard time doing that, though. But if your question is that if I'm still interested in her or any other girl, my answer is no. From now on I will only have eyes for you." He explained, shooting me a smile.

I felt more relieved at hearing that. "Alright... I have eyes for you too." I said, smiling back at him.

So that bitch Scarlet hasn't given up on him yet. The obsessive slut. Mark is right, she's going to have a hard time trying to find the girl who he's currently dating, because he's now dating a boy... Well, not yet, but soon.

After a while, we walked over to my door. Before Mark opened it, he turned to look at me, holding his jacket on his right arm. "Zack... Thanks for everything. For the breakfast, for last night... I really liked it all. A lot. You don't know how happy it makes me to know that you're alive. I'm still going to repair everything bad that I did to you."

"It's okay, Mark. You don't have to repair anything anymore. Only by hearing that you are sorry and that you regret your mistakes, is more than enough for me."

"I'm still going to do it. I'm looking forward to do anything that it takes in order to make you happy, so we can leave