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Mark subtly tries to shrug off Johnny’s hand from his waist. They’re at the club, surrounded by tons of other people who Mark doesn’t know but that doesn't change the feeling he gets with public displays of affection. It doesn’t let him soak up the affections of his partner, no matter how bad he craves them. He sometimes feels his skin crawling, like people are staring and judging, he can’t help it.
His action doesn’t go unnoticed by Johnny who quirks a brow before he knocks his drink back and retreats. Johnny disappears from Marks sight without so much as a goodbye.
It isn’t until later, when Johnny finally returns from wherever he disappeared to and Mark is almost sure that Johnny is absolutely smashed.
“Where’d you go?” Mark questions, leaning in enough for Johnny to hear but not enough for them to seem to be doing anything inappropriate.
“Was off with someone who didn’t shrug off my advances.” Johnny shrugs, his words are slurred but Mark hears his loud and clear. Even with the loud music knocking around in his head. “You-wait-what? What does that mean?” Johnny snorts in disbelief. Mark finds it annoying, what he is implying. And it doesn’t sit well with him, but he doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions.
“What do you think I mean, Mark? I was dancing with some cute guy who let me touch him, it was nice, not to be dismissed. Only wish it was my boyfriend and not some rando but oh well, one can only wish right?” Mark can hear his heart breaking in his chest, but he tries not to freak out. Maybe he’s not hearing things right.
“That’s good, Johnny, I’m glad you got to dance tonight!” He offers a smile, a smile that falls off his face when Johnny scoffs and begins moving away from him.
“Where-Johnny, where are you going?” Mark grabs onto his forearm, trying to keep up with him.
They make it to the line for the restroom, where Johnny shakes him off in order to lean onto the wall. He’s running his fingers through his hair and he no longer looks as intoxicated. Aggravated? Yes, but absolutely intoxicated? Not anymore. “Fuck, Mark, are you serious? Do you even want to be in this relationship or are you doing this because you feel sorry for me?” Mark gapes at the question.
“Of course-Johnny of course I want to be with you!” He steps forward, ready to wrap his arms around Johnny when someone bumps into him and he remembers where they're at.
“It doesn’t seem like it, Mark. You shrug off any affection I try to give you, you wont let me kiss you in public, you move away from me like you don’t want anyone to know you’re in a relationship. So, I think until you decide on what you want, its best if we go our separate ways.” Mark flinches as if he’s been struck, he squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head.
He shakes his head and murmurs a quiet ‘no’, one too low for anyone but himself to hear and then he’s grabbing Johnny’s hand. “If you want to break up with me, you can, tomorrow when you’re sober and not drunk off your ass in the middle of a club, until then, we’re going home.”
“No, I’m not going anywhere, especially not with you.” It hurts, Mark thinks but if Johnny’s rejecting him feels like this, with good reason. What must Johnny feel with Mark’s constant rejection? He doesn’t want to explain himself here, in the club, where everyone can see him but if he has, then he will.
“I don’t want to talk about this here,” Mark pleads one final time. Johnny remains unmoving.
Mark sighs. He steps up, hesitantly his hands come up to hold onto Johnny’s waist. Taking a deep breath, he says. “I’m not hiding you away from anyone or anything like that, I just, I’m worried about what people will think.” He rests his head on Johnny’s chest and shudders. “I don’t want the world to see my affection to you, I want that to be something for only you to see. I don’t like to feel exposed and when we kiss, I feel exposed, its only comfortable when I feel like I'm exposed to you.” Johnny’s hands come up to caress Marks face, and hes looking at Mark so tenderly, Mark can feel himself begin to shy away.
“I understand your thought process, but I don’t mean that I want to grope you anytime we’re out in public, just that I’d like to hold your hand, or wrap you up in my arms.”
“I’m sorry if I made it seem like I don’t want to be in this relationship with you, I promise I do, I really like you. I’m just not completely comfortable with pda.” Mark apologizes, he’s so wrapped up and lost in Johnny that he’s forgotten they're in a public setting, that people are watching this exchange.
“I just want you to know, I don’t care what anyone says, Mark. Can I give you a kiss?” Mark fumbles over himself, unsure, but then he nods, it won't kill him. “Everyone is drunk, no one will remember and even if they do, its not like we know them personally.” Mark concludes. He reaches up, fist clenching around the collar of Johnny’s shirt. Then he’s yanking Johnny down to lay one on him.
“Did you really touch up on some cute guy?” Mark questions, voice shaking as they pull apart. His lips are slick with saliva and he's blinking repeatedly, eyes a little unfocused.
“Of course not. I was just hurt by the events that led up to this and wanted to hurt you the same way, I only have eyes for you. My lips long for you and you alone.” Mark smiles, biting his lip he nods. “Okay Casanova, I get it.” Johnny giggles and Marks heart swells with affection. He may not be too keen on public displays of affection but looking at Johnny with his vibrant smile, Mark thinks maybe, just maybe, he could sneak in some sort of affections for the elder.
And yeah, Johnny is still going to want to be public with his affections, and Mark is going to shy away. But they’ll work on it. Because they’re worth it. And well, if Mark yanks Johnny into the stalls to show him just how much he likes/loves/ him then it isn’t anyone else’s business. And sure, Mark is definitely going to come out of the restroom a little dazed and out of breath but Johnny’s going to shine and Mark cant find a flaw in that.
Mark thinks that's gotta, at the very least, be character development.