Chapter 12

  Jack drums his fingers on his knee in tune with the song on the radio, seeming content with the mysterious adventure Mark had set them up for. Mark glanced continuously at the man in his passenger seat, watching him nod and drum along effortlessly beside him, an odd saticfactory smile on his lips the whole while. Traffic was thankfully rather nonexistant, and Mark had plent of time to fantasize about the rest of the day. He had seen an ad for the local carnival on the way to the coffee shop and figured itd be something Jack would like, and frankly he's having way too much fun creating a hallmark style montage in his head.

  Pulling into the parking lot, Jack's dancing in the passenger seat is interrupted as he stares out the windsheild, his eyes glimmering in the wonderland of lights before him. Mark's heart melts and boils uncontrollably as the dumbstruck wonder plasters itself across Jack's expression. The sound of joyous screaming and smells of sickeningly sweet food floating through the air, playing beautifully into the fantasy Mark created a moment before. The awestruck looks now lands on Mark, as Jack's grin tattoos itself on his cheeks.

"Told you you'd like it." Mark states matter of factly, squeezing Jack's hand in his own after feeling it snake its way into his grip a moment ago.

"What're we waiting for? Lets go!" Jack bounces eagerly in his seat, giving Mark's hand an excited sqeeze before turning to exit the vehicle, but pausing briefly to spin back to Mark, kissing his cheek quickly and gently.

"Thank you!" He says all too sweetly as Mark's cheeks heat where his soft lips had met his skin.

  Jack practically dances to the ticket booth, slapping the money onto the counter with a joyous grin. After recieving their bracelets, they make their way through the gate, captivated by the world built around them. The two wander around, playing the carnival games and laughing over anything that catches their attention, the previous tenseness seems to fade behind the fun.

  Jack plays ring toss, trying to hoop the necks of skinny bottles, and wins a couple more tickets to play more games. Mark plays a game of darts, and pops a few balloons with Jack cheering him on in the background. The two watch a small boy play the strength game, not getting a very high score, and walking away without the prize he wanted, looking rather heart broken. Jack steps up next, exchanging some of his tickets to play. Mark watches as he easily beats the game and recieves the prize item, before running to catch up to the forlorn boy, offering it to him with a wide a smile.

  The boy beams upward at him, immediately recognizing Jack's face, eagerly bouncing up and down, beginning to ramble about how big of a fan he is. Mark watches a few feet back, his heart melting as Jack stoops down to hug the kid, before spinning back to point out Mark, and once again the boy glows with an explosive happiness. Jack motions Mark over and the boy stammers in happy disbelief, and the two happily chat with the boy until a woman approaches them, cautiously tugging the child to her side as she apologises for his excitement.

  The boy begins begging his mother to let him take a selfie with his heros, and the woman agrees, snapping some pictures of the three of them. The child hugs both of them tightly before they go on their way, and Mark and Jack share a warm look.

  They ride all the rides available, and even hold hands for the sake of clichè while riding the ferris wheel. Jack's favorite part however, is when they ride the octopus looking ride, that dips them low to the ground while spinning both the seats and the arms in circles. Mark clings to Jack's sides in his fit of giggling and dizziness and it makes his heart swell, feeling Mark's fingers tighten on the front of his shirt while his face lights with easy laughter by his shoulder.  Mark loves the joyous noises that fall out of Jack while riding the small rollercoaster that's set up around the whole carnival. Jack's hand clasps onto his and lifts them both into the air with a holler as it quickly dives toward the ground. His voice fading and breaking from joyous hollers as they step off, spinning to face Mark with a huge grin, turning Mark into liquid inside and out.

"That was so fun!"

  After completeing every ride available, the two make their rounds amid the carnival, examining a few more arcade style games and shops along the ourskirts of the main commotion, and it wasnt long before they stumble across a large machine with flashing lights that catches their eye. Mark steps up to it curiously, reading the scrawled cursive letters at the top.

"'Love Detective'," He reads aloud curiously, his eyes landing on the brightly lit screen, fluttering with hearts. "'Are they the one for you?'" He reads from the screen now as he turns back to Jack with a raised eyebrow. Jack rolls his eyes.

"Like a machine could tell ya that." He half chuckles cynically as he steps beside Mark to examine it himself. Mark flicks his raised eyebrow with a shrug.

"Lets find out, then." He notes, placing a couple quarters in the slot, causing Jack to groan.

"No, Mark-" He whines, trying to bat Mark's hand away from the machine, his eyes scanning the world around them for prying eyes.

"What?" Mark questions, gripping the right most handle as instructed by the screen. "Afraid of what a machine has to say?" He teases, guesturing at the untouched left most handle.

   Jack sighs, switching hands for his cotton candy to grip his handle, his cheeks a shade of pink as his eyes fight to look at the screen instead of searching the world around them for judgement. A cartoony heart throbs on the screen for a breif moment, seeming to register the nonsensical information before a piece of paper prints out before the two, and the machine makes a happy dinging sound to signal its completion. Jack releases the handle and steps away from the machine without taking the paper, seeming to leave it to Mark.

  Mark reaches out and claims the paper, drawing it to his face curiously. Jack watches as Mark silently reads what the paper has to say, seeming to take forever, but his expression remains blank, unreadable, causing a ball of anxiety to jump into his throat."What does it say?" Jack questions aloud, stepping curiously behind Mark to read the paper over his shoulder, but before he can read anything Mark reaches behind him to take hold of Jack's jaw and press his lips against Jack's heated cheek.

"It says results unclear, and we didnt do it right." Mark says with a wide grin as he passes the note to Jack, whose eyes scan the short printed message:

"Inconclusive: actions unregistered, please try again." Jack scoffs balling up the paper before giving Mark a soft shove.

"Told you it wouldnt work!" Jack teases, tossing the paper and his cotton candy cone into a bin nearby.

"It would have worked if we actually read the directions." Mark says, pointing to the screen as cute bouncey letters scroll across it. Jack squints as the letters roll by.

"Grip the handle, then as the heart throbs, kiss your lover to find out if you are the hottest match, or the coldest catch!" Jack mumbles the instructions to himself, the words causing a hitch in his breath.

"What would that change?" Jack questions shakily as he steps away from the machine again as if he's guilty by association. Mark shrugs again as he fishes in his pockets once more, pulling out some more change.

"Only one way to find out!" Mark says, shuffling through the change in his palm.

  Jack's cheeks burn red now as he once again glances around, nerves tap dancing in his torso, causing his heart to tremble and his undigested sugar fluff to roll. Theres a carny working a stand across the way and a couple taking mindless selfies in the grass, but neither seem too interested in the antics of the two as they stand before the machine. Jack swallows, glancing back at Mark, plucking out the correct amount of change before looking up, and sending an innocent smile at Jack."What do you say?" Mark asks sweetly, throwing a lazy guesture at the machine behind him. Hes completely unphased by the PDA about to occur and once again, Jack isnt sure how to deal. How should he react? Jack closes his eyes, stiffening himself slightly. No, no no he refuses to overthink this. He does that too often. Hes tired of it. Jack steels his nerves and steps beside Mark, nodding firmly.

"Lets do it."

  Mark grins, placing the quarters in the machine, and gripping the handle once more, watching Jack do the same, his eyes focused on the screen. Jack swallows, watching the machine process the change before displaying the same cutesy characters as before, then a bubble lettered message.

'Ready?'

'Lets go!'

  The throbbing heart reappears on the screen. Jack glances over at Mark who smiles shyly before stepping closer to Jack. Jack takes a deep breath, evening himself before leaning in and pressing his lips against Mark's, all too aware of the slight tremble in his own, and the slight smile in Mark's.

  He initially intended to pull away right away, but Mark reaches out with his free hand, placing it gently but firmly against Jack's cheek, seeming to solidify Jack in place, and suddenly Jack no longer wants to pull away. It feels as though Mark had pumped bravery into him with the simple touch, and now he doesnt care who sees.

  The machine dings, breaking the moment apart, and causing Jack to pull away with a start as if the two had been caught, and shame once again briefly passes him by. The bravery Mark gave him didnt seem to last, and its frustrating. He wants nothing more than to be brave like Mark, or at least be able to act like it. But when it counts, he flinches, jumps, or hesitates. He blinks back the frustration he feels, choosing to reach out and take the hand that had given him bravery a moment ago.

  Mark smirks, taking the hand with a welcome squeeze, before turning back to the machine. The two glance down, noting the paper already printed in the center of the screen. Mark's smirk twitches at rhe corners, licking his lips as he reaches out and takes it.

"Moment of truth." He says aloud holding it before his face. Jack snatches the paper away suddenly, surprising even himself. 

"No."

   Mark gives him a confused but amused look, thinking Jack to be teasing him, before noticing an all too serious look on Jack's face as he sidles closer, placing the paper in Mark's back pocket before his hands glide to Mark's hips ignoring a secondary ding from the machine.

"I already know the answer." Jack whispers between the two, his eyes gliding across Mark's expression. Mark swallows now, but doesnt break Jack's gaze.

  That certainty. That honest, real, concrete... certainty. A wide smile slaps itself across Mark's face, leaning forward to place his forehead against Jack's, his hands finding their familiar place cupping each side of Jack's face.  Its hard to describe, his heart pounding in such a happy way that he'd never experienced before, but it feels familiar in a way, like he's known it all along, but finally gets to feel it for himself.

  Jack has a brave smile on his face, his hands sliding up Mark's sides and arms, up to his wrists by Jack's jaw, holding them contently. That smile on Mark's face is enough to rob him of breath, even with the gleamy blur from tears in his eyes. He isnt sure why the tears even formed, perhaps its the nerves building in his center from his attempt at courage. Or maybe, he's relieved to finally touch Mark without the initial urge to shove him away.

The machine dings once more, this time gaining their attention.

"Save the moment?" The screen asks, displaying a series of pictures of the previous moment, them standing at the machine with their hands gripping the handles, Mark's shy smile, then two of them, now standing closer together their eyes closed, kissing.

  It looks so normal. It needs no second thought or glance. They look just like any other couple at this fair, any other couple who used this machine. Like any couple in love.

  Jack smiles widely, pressing the print picture button that had been previously gone unnoticed until that moment. The two stand by as black and white copies of the momement print from the machine, and Jack snatches them gleefully.

"Yoink" He giggles, striding away from the machine, knowing Mark will soon be on his heels.

"Im getting a copy of that!" Mark calls after him, rushing to fall into step with Jack.