Crude Letters

Marcus and Reis loved each other for years now, and this is their story.

“A… Ara… bian? Arabian? Is that right?” The item in question slammed down on the counter with a slight force, the bag crumbling under the large hand. “Oh, I give! Marcus, Are you even listening? Help me learn to read, because if my memory is correct, you were the one who wanted me t-”

“Calm yourself. The word is Arabica. It’s a coffee tree. And how are you gonna learn if I keep helping you, Reis?” Marcus interrupted the peeved man, a few bills being handed from his wallet to the barista across the counter. The barista already took their orders: a simple tea, and a complex frozen concoction that, if called a coffee, would stretch the definition of the word by a longshot.

After taking their drinks to their seats, the air quickly filled with idle conversation, a laugh or a small sip of their beverages often interrupting the flow. Exchanges like this were common between them. Even though they hadn’t moved in together yet, they always made time for each other in their busy lives. Daily, they talked, went out or spent the night at the other’s houses, and repeated the cycle the next day. Marcus always laughed at it. Even though he had never talked to many people, he paid his monthly phone bill just so his inbox could get bombarded by his clingy partner. That is, when he wasn’t with the man. The majority of their conversations consisted of mundane topics and cringe-worthy jokes, but, if they ran out of topics, their line would consist of nothing but soft breathing, or random uses of  “I love you” offered, only to remind the other they were still there.

Soft tapping on the table brought Marcus out of his thoughts, curious eyes staring into his own. Reis’s tea was refilled by the passing barista, the steam hitting the larger’s lips relentlessly. “You okay? You blanked out there for a second.” His hand reached across the table, lacing with the other soft, idle one.  

A soft smile grazed Marcus’s lips. “Yeah. Just thinking.’ A soft pink hue coated his cheeks. “Do you remember the first day we met? It seems as if it was just yesterday I bought you a novel at that bookstore we bumped into each other at, and you told me you never learned to read or write.” This caused an embarrassed laugh to erupt from Reis.  

“Yeah, how could I forget? Wasn’t the store called ‘Paperback’? It was right across the street from the giant park we played at every weekend. In fact,” he looked down and placed his fingers on his chin in thought, “that park is only a few blocks away! It’s only 2:30, and the weather is beautiful. You wanna go?” The taller man rose from his seat, reaching a confident hand down to the smaller who didn’t hesitate in grasping it.

“Let's go! I can’t wait to see if that field we used to lay in is still there.” They waved at the baristas, keys found, leaving to the car.

On the way, hand in hand over the center console, they playfully serenaded each other to the romantic music on the radio. Fits of laughter came with every exaggerated movement, the song ending as the car came to a stop. Reis pulled the parking brake and turned towards Marcus, staring into his eyes appreciatively. “You know, sometimes I  wonder what I did to deserve you. You know I love you, right?” This caused Marcus to raise an eyebrow in question.

“Duh, or else you wouldn’t still be here. Why?” Marcus unbuckled his seat belt, fixed his wrinkled shirt, and opened his door. “He knows this. What’s he up to?” Marcus’s mind swam laps trying to pinpoint an answer.

“Oh, no reason. I wanted to let you know.” That big, doofus smile that Marcus was vulnerable to made its way onto Reis’s lips, the man’s cheeks gaining a baby pink tint. God, Marcus hated when Reis did that, but every time it always made him blush.

The larger man’s phone began to ring, so Marcus scoped out the area in search of the old field. Pushing a few bushes to the side and moving a couple branches revealed the empty pasture; the nearby water added a heavy salt scent to the viscous air. It brought back memories, both his and Reis’s body prints still imprinted into the dirt, the area remembering their outlines without flaw. Barely anything had changed, only the grass was taller, and the area looked unkempt.

“I remember this place like it was yesterday. Playing tag, having cheesy picnics, even staying out past curfew just to talk.” Reis snaked his arm around Marcus’s waist, pulling him closer and looking out to the waves. “I wouldn’t have changed a thing. But, I have one little thing to do…” Marcus squealed as a large finger laid a light poke on his side, a smirk clear on the larger’s lips. “Tag, you’re it!” And he was off, no specific direction or destination in mind.

“Oh, you little b*****d.” Was the only thing said in return, his legs darting towards the larger, gleeful laughter overtaking his throat.

It seemed like they played for hours, laying down in the grassless indentions they made in the dirt years ago. Their breathing was the only thing heard for a while, the tattered clouds like a movie they couldn’t pull their eyes from. But when Reis got up, gesturing Marcus to follow, the smaller’s suspicion raised even higher. “Reis, what’s going on with you? You’ve been talking strange all day, and now you’re being extra lovey dovey? I know something’s up!” Marcus circled the bigger man’s body, looking to create a hypothesis.

“You’re right, Marcus. Something is up. I’ve had something on my mind for the longest time, and now would be as good as any to tell you about it.” A long sigh left the husky man, causing Marcus’s own breath to halt in its tracks. “We’ve known each other for a while now. You are a huge pain in my butt, and sometimes I want nothing more than to strangle you. Some things you do are strange, and I may never in my entire existence understand them,” He reached into his coat pocket, a small, black box coming into sight, which excited a gasp from the other. “but I wouldn’t change them for the world. I won’t lie and say  I love everything about you, because I don’t. Sometimes, you really piss me off, but that’s what makes you… You. And I love you. Marcus,” He kneeled down on one knee, opened the black box, and revealed a small silver ring. “will you be mine for the rest of our existence?” Of course Marcus accepted.

Marcus wouldn’t stop staring at the thin band that embraced his finger. Only when Reis lifted their conjoined hands to his face, laying a light kiss on the smaller, more delicate one without taking his eyes off the road did the other man dare. “Hey Marcus, what did that sign say back there?’ The larger asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, which quickly got dismissed.

“It was probably just a speed limit sign. It was too dark to see, but just forget about it. The only thing that matters is us.” After a quick kiss, Reis’s head turned back to the barely lit road. His eyes widened as he looked down to his speedometer, then back at the road quickly.

“Marcus. I love you. I love you so much.” Those were the last words spoken before the car swerved, slamming into the many trees that appeared in a flash in front of the car.

The sign had warned, “Dead end.”

They were both transferred to a local hospital. Being that Reis’s injuries were much more critical, he was in the ICU while the smaller was waiting in the waiting room, already treated for minor scrapes and bruises. The silver band that embraced Marcus’s finger prevented the last sliver of hope from dying. He had no clue what happened. One minute, he was sitting with his love in the car, then the next minute he was here in the hospital, hearing no word of the other’s status. The entire situation frightened Marcus to no end, but he couldn’t cry, not when the other needed him most.

The doctor’s soft voice broke Marcus out of a light slumber, a clipboard held in her hands. “You are… Marcus, was it?” This received a nod from the smaller, his head jumping up quickly at the words. “Can you follow me? This is… not so good.” The gentle doctor offered the man a hand, Marcus shrugging it off respectfully.

“Is he okay? You can tell me anything you need to, just tell me if he’s okay first.” Marcus grabbed the doctor’s shoulders, looking desperately into her eyes for any indication that Reis was okay, but found none.

“You must see this. It’s hard to explain.”

Marcus looked down at the broken shell of a man before him. Never in his dreams had he ever thought he would say, “I’m so sorry, Reis… I should’ve been paying attention to the road…” The doctor informed Marcus of the incident in the hallway, leading up to the final confession that caused the dam of his eyes to break once more, the soft wailing being heard by the man in the critical care room. Reis would not make it.

Unknowing of Reis’s predicament, the doctor provided the man with a pen and pad of paper to communicate, his vocal cords unusable, damaged far beyond even temporary repair. His right hand held the thin writing utensil, whereas his left held the hand of the man standing above his bed, his hair being stroked softly by the man. “It’s okay, Reis. It’s all going to be okay. Just breathe.’ A fake smile plastered on the lips of the circumstantially taller man, at once responding when Reis moved his lips, trying to speak.

“Mar...Cus…” He, with much difficulty, lifted the paper and pen to his lap so Marcus could see. “Look at t-this…” The hand wrapped around his own tightened slightly. He jaggedly moved the pen on the paper, crude letters being formed by the ink in barely recognizable shapes. The heart rate monitor to the right of Reis’s bed slowed down, the stinging beeps drove the emotional nail farther and farther into Marcus’s frail mind. After a minute of writing attempts, Reis handed Marcus the piece of crumpled paper. “N-never.. Forget…” The bigger man’s eyes slowly began to close, a lifetime of love, compassion, and care coming to a close as the beeping slowed and then faded. Marcus looked away and sighed, giving Reis’s hand one final kiss, then laying it gently on the sheet.  

Marcus didn’t make another sound until he walked into the door of his single bedroom apartment. As soon as the door shut, a sob came out of the man, but he tried desperately to hold it in. It’s what he would’ve wanted. His coat landed on his couch messily, tears and blood stained into the material from the crash. As soon as it landed on the furniture, the small sliver of paper fell out and onto the floor, catching Marcus’s attention. “It’s probably nothing. He never learned how to write correctly.” He picked  it up, opening it slowly, looking at the sloppy words on the paper, gasping at the realization.

Marcus, in his tattered suit, look down from the podium at the small group of people in front of him. The sign on the wall, “Welcome to the Lakeside Intervention Group,” It made Marcus numb. To think he neglected himself to where he was barely recognizable. Marcus wondered what Reis would think about him now.

“He died to protect me. If he hadn’t acted, we both would have died. Even though I exasperated him sometimes,” Marcus raised his hand, the silver ring that embraced his bony finger shining in the light. “he still didn’t think twice.” He walked off the stage, reaching into his suit jacket pocket. “When we met, he couldn’t read or write, but from that moment on, he vowed he would learn. Even though he couldn’t write an essay or read a novel,” He opened the note, showing the audience the thousand times read paper, the dried tears having left distressed spots. “He kept his promise.“

The note said “See? I learned for you. I love you, forever and always.” And Marcus never forgot.

Author's Note

I reuploaded this story because I noticed a few errors. After a little revising and editing, I am very proud of this story. Thank you guys! (The names Reis and Marcus were inspired by Rukis's webcomic,Cruelty and the sequel, Unconditional. Go check it out! The characters are mine, but the names I loved, so I used.)