Mark's Daily Frustrations

About ten minutes later, Mark finally emerged from the restroom, having dried his pants. 

"All done," he muttered, still sulking.

Alex, who had been waiting patiently outside, greeted him with a broad smile. But as soon as Mark saw Alex, his irritation flared up again. He delivered a sharp kick to Alex's shin and then stormed off in a huff.

"Wait for me, darling," Alex called out, still grinning as he followed behind. Mark huffed and quickened his pace, but when he reached the office area, he hesitated. The employees were all sneaking glances at him, their curiosity barely concealed.

Feeling exposed, Mark quickly darted back behind Alex, grabbing onto his shirt and keeping his head down.

Alex noticed the employees' furtive stares and immediately scolded them, "What are you all looking at? Want an early vacation?" His voice was cold and threatening, and the employees quickly averted their eyes, pretending to be engrossed in their work.

Satisfied that he had put an end to the gawking, Alex turned to scoop Mark up in his arms again, carrying him back to the office. Mark, too embarrassed to resist this time, buried his face in Alex's chest, hoping to hide his shame.

Ugh, I want to die right now, Mark thought, mortified by everything that had just happened.

Once they were back in the office, Alex gently set Mark down on the sofa and kissed his forehead. "Don't worry about them. They won't spread rumors," he reassured.

"Can you really guarantee that?" Mark snapped, kicking Alex's leg.

Alex couldn't make any such promises, knowing full well that the incident had likely already become the talk of the office. Not that he minded—if it were up to him, he'd announce to the whole world that Mark was his spouse. This was just one more step in that direction.

*Knock, knock, knock...*

Someone rapped on the office door.

"Come in," Alex called.

Howard entered, his expression as impassive as ever, and without so much as a glance at Mark and Alex on the sofa, he went straight to the desk and deposited a thick stack of files.

"Do whatever you want in your own time," Howard said curtly as he adjusted his glasses and headed for the door. "But please consider the setting. Don't disrupt the office."

And with that, he left, shutting the door behind him before Alex could respond.

Alex frowned, clearly displeased by Howard's admonishment. It seemed Rick's absence had emboldened Howard, and Alex wasn't one to let such things slide. He immediately pulled out his phone and sent Rick a message: *Come to my office when you have time.*

At his grandmother's house, Rick read the message with a hint of curiosity, though he didn't question it further. After pocketing his phone, he glanced at the closed door of his grandmother's room, his expression turning cold.

A doctor emerged from the room and informed Rick, "The old lady was just startled, nothing serious. She's resting now."

"Good," Rick replied with a nod. Then, turning to the housekeeper, he instructed, "Take good care of Grandma. I have to step out for a bit."

"Of course, sir. Take care," she responded with a bow as Rick departed.

Back at the office, Alex's smile faded as he read Rick's reply, which mentioned that his grandmother had nearly been in a car accident and had been badly shaken. The situation was clearly more serious than it seemed, and Alex's expression grew somber. It seemed his brothers were making moves, and he needed to stay vigilant.

"What are you daydreaming about? I'm talking to you!" Mark kicked Alex's shin, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up, concern in his eyes.

"It's nothing," Alex said, forcing a smile.

Liar, Mark thought, noticing the shift in Alex's demeanor but deciding not to press the issue.

"Hey, what are you—!" Mark began, startled as Alex suddenly leaned in close with a mischievous grin.

"Just checking if your pants are dry," Alex teased.

"You're such a pervert!" Mark yelled, his face flushing as he pushed Alex away.

"How is that perverted? I'm just concerned about my wife, which is perfectly legitimate," Alex said, still smiling.

"Legitimate, my foot! Get away from me!" Mark retorted, shoving Alex with all his strength.

But Alex didn't budge, and instead, he leaned in to steal a quick kiss from Mark.

Mark's anger flared, and he began to lash out in earnest. "Alex, you bastard! Get off me!"

"Don't be mad. It'll give you wrinkles," Alex joked, his voice light.

Mark was incensed. "You think this is the time for jokes? Get lost!" he shouted, pounding on Alex's chest.

Alex's tone turned soft, almost pleading. "Do you really hate me that much?"

"Hate you, my foot! This isn't about that!" Mark yelled back, his frustration reaching a boiling point.

Alex fell silent, his gaze fixed on Mark with a resigned look.

"Move," Mark ordered, kicking Alex in the stomach.

Damn this bastard, Mark thought, seething with anger. 

Though Mark didn't voice his internal monologue, the intensity of his feelings was evident. It was a good thing he hadn't said those things out loud—he knew they would only make matters worse.

"Move it!" Mark demanded again, his tone fierce.

Despite the pain from the kick, Alex wasn't angry. He simply watched Mark with an unreadable expression.

Mark, however, retreated to the corner of the sofa, eyeing Alex warily as if expecting another advance. Seeing Mark's defensive posture, Alex couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "Alright, alright. I won't do anything. No need to be scared," he said, standing up and moving to sit on the coffee table opposite Mark.

Mark glanced away, hugging his knees to his chest.

Wait, why am I the one avoiding eye contact? It's not like I did anything wrong, Mark thought, trying to muster up some courage. But even though he knew he hadn't done anything wrong, facing Alex directly still felt unbearably embarrassing.

Mark, you idiot. If you keep acting like this, he's going to walk all over you, Mark chastised himself, smacking his forehead.

Determined, he whipped his head around to glare at Alex. This is all that bastard's fault! He's always touching me, making me feel all weird and uncomfortable, he fumed internally.

Unable to contain his frustration, Mark grabbed a cushion and hurled it at Alex's face, seething with anger.

Alex caught the cushion with ease, crossing his long legs elegantly as he rested the cushion on his lap. His eyes were fixed on Mark, a playful smile tugging at his lips.

"Why are you staring at me? What, you think I'm scared of you or something?" Mark shouted, flipping Alex the bird.

But Alex's smile only deepened as he continued to watch Mark intently.

Why is he staring at me like that? Mark's heart began to race uncontrollably, and he swallowed nervously.

Propping his elbow on the cushion, Alex rested his chin on his hand and asked with a grin, "How does it feel?"

"What do you mean, how does it feel?" Mark shot back, frowning in confusion.

Alex didn't explain. He just kept smiling and asked, "Do you hate it?"

Only then did Mark realize what Alex was referring to—their current dynamic. His face turned crimson once more.

"Of course I do!" Mark stammered, though his voice lacked its usual confidence.

"I see..." Alex mused, his tone laced with amusement as he continued to gaze at Mark with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Mark's nervousness only grew under Alex's unwavering gaze, and he found himself instinctively gripping the hem of his shirt, his face flushing an even deeper shade of red.