Chapter Text
Jack smiled as he closed out of the video chat. He’d leave for the airport tomorrow morning, and though he wasn’t looking forward to the long flight or the inevitable jetlag, he was excited to see his friends in real life again.
He spent the rest of the night packing, and when morning finally broke, he couldn’t help but feel the excitement bubbling in his chest. Several cups of coffee, and a taxi ride later, he arrived at the airport. The flight was long, as expected, but it gave him a chance to finish editing the stockpile of videos he had saved up for the week.
The older lady next to him kept giving him weird looks as worked, his face always freezing at the worst times on screen. Normally it would have bothered him, he thought, but he was in too good a mood to care. If anything, he tried to land more on silly faces to get a reaction out of her.
By the time he arrived in LA, it was morning again. The airport coffee was terrible, but at least it had that sweet, sweet caffeine. Mark wouldn’t arrive for another half hour yet, as Wade and Bob’s plane still had yet to land, so Jack settled down in a corner with his bags and watched the latest Game Grumps videos.
He finished his video, and was scrolling through the recommended tab when two familiar shapes caught his eye.
“Bob! Wade!” He called, waving them over.
It took them a while to find Mark, walking in circles in the giant airport before Bob finally spotted his bright red car outside. His poor little sedan could barely fit all their luggage, let alone three other grown men. It took a lot of reorganizing and some elbow grease, but they managed to cram most of the largest suitcases in the trunk at the very least.
LA traffic was hell, and Jack refused to look down as Mark took them across flying intersections and wove between cars on the freeway. He was glad when the ride was over and they finally pulled into Mark’s driveway. He had moved house since Jack was last over, and though he had caught glimpses of the interior in some of his videos, he wasn’t quite prepared for how big it would be.
“What are ya, fuckin compensating for something?” Jack teased as Mark led them all inside.
“Oh yeah, and I’m sure your house is sooo small!”
“Actually,” Bob piped up behind them “I think I have the smaller house out of the two of you. Does that mean what I think it means?”
“I don’t know Bob, I think Wade’s the only one that’s actually seen it. Why don’t you tell us how big it is Wade?”
“Oh, his…” Wade paused for a second “penis is sooo big WAIT SHIT HOUSE HOUSE HIS HOUSE”
They all dissolved into laughter, Wade protesting the whole time.
“Hey,” Mark added as soon as they had all calmed down a bit “at least it means you won’t be sharing rooms though.’
“Sure thing Mr. FiveOvens” Jack threw back, sending Bob into gales of laughter again
“You seriously have five ovens? What the hell do you do with them all?”
“Nothing, mostly.” Mark admitted. “They usually just collect dust”
Silence fell over the group as they stood there, looking at each other for a moment.
“Whelp,” Mark said loudly, gesturing grandly at the stairs “to your rooms I guess!”
They all trooped up the stairs after Mark, dragging their heavy suitcases behind them.
They spent most of the day out and about with Mark chauffeuring them around, and the sun was low in the sky by the time they made it back. Jack barely made it inside before crashing on the couch, despite the probably deadly amounts of caffeine in his blood. He was dimly aware of the guys next to him, laughing and playing video games late into the night. He wasn’t sure how long they had gone quiet before Mark shook him gently.
“Hey Jack. You should probably go to bed.”
A mumbled word was his only reply, and Jack shifted, throwing his arm over his face.
“I’m not going to carry you upstairs” Mark joked, tugging at his shirt. Jack didn’t respond.
“Ok… You leave me no choice…” Mark teased, sliding his arms under his sleeping friend.
Jack yelped as he was suddenly lifted in the air, Mark grunting under the weight of his friend.
“Geez,” He said with some strain “You’re heavier then I remember”
“Gee thanks” Jack responded dryly, wrapping his arms around Mark’s shoulders “Now will you please put me down?!”
“I don’t know, are you going to go sleep in your bed like a normal person?”
“What are you, my mom?”
Mark grinned, “Now Jackie-boy, time to go to bed!” His voice was piercing, and Jack grimaced.
“God, your accent is fucking terrible!”
Mark laughed, setting Jack on the floor.
“You have three seconds!” He continued in his high pitched voice “One,” He crouched down as if he was about to chase after Jack “Two,”
“Jesus fuck!” Jack took off running up the stairs, and with a bellowing
“THREE” Mark was after him.
Mark tackled Jack onto his bed upstairs, landing directly on him.
“Get off me ya doof!” Jack shoved Mark to the side, and they lay there for a few moments, trying to regain their breath.
“Well, you certainly got me to bed.” Jack said sarcastically after a while, “Now what are you gonna do?”
“I don’t know, what do adults normally do when they’re in bed together?” Mark rolled over again, kneeling over Jack.
“They fucking sleep, usually.”
“Ah hah! They sleep together!”
“Mark noo”
Mark laughed, then dipped his voice down low,
“Why, are you scared of what might… happen?”
If Jack had any less self control, he would have frozen like a deer in headlights. Mark’s voice always caught him off guard, and the fact that he was currently on his hands and knees over him, cheeks flushed with exertion honestly didn’t help things.
Jack grinned, pitching his voice down lower to match Mark’s.
“Maybe it’s you who should be scared.”
Mark had only a moment to look confused before Jack jabbed his fingers into his sides, causing him to yelp and jump back in pain.
“Not fair!” He complained, laughing.
“Teach you to fuckin seduce me again” Jack grumbled, throwing his arm over his face again.
Mark just laughed, and Jack couldn’t help but join in.
~~~~~
That night, Jack had the strangest dream. He was visiting Mark’s house, though he wasn’t quite sure which one he was in. It didn’t matter, it was Mark’s house anyway. The world kept swirling around him, and the tell tale taste of whiskey sat heavy on his tongue. He had to find something, he knew that, but as hard as he pushed, he couldn’t find it. The world became more and more erratic, spinning faster and faster around him. He had to find it, but he couldn’t. He- He couldn’t find- Where was it?!
He woke up in a cold sweat. The world was as solid as ever, his blankets kicked to the end of the bed. He didn’t even want to glance at the time as he pulled them back up over his head and tried to fall asleep again.
He woke to the sun peeking through the window. It shouldn't have surprised him, as jetlagged as he was, but it was still rare for him to be up this early in the morning. His head was still foggy, and after attempting, and failing, to operate Mark’s coffee machine, he decided he’d just go for a walk and wait for the other guys to wake up.
The morning air was crisp, the last remnants of fog burning away in the sunlight. He walked around the block once, then twice, before heading back inside. The house was bustling with noise when he returned, the smell of pancakes and sausage filling the house.
“I thought you were still asleep upstairs” Bob commented, mildly surprised at Jack’s sudden appearance at the front door.
“I actually woke up really early.” Jack admitted, struggling to pull off his shoes in the entryway.
“Despite you and Mark kicking up a ruckus last night” Wade grumbled into his coffee
“Yeah, what was all that?”
Jack grinned, straightening up “Mark fucking tried to carry me to bed is what happened”
“Oh, is that what you’ve been calling it these days?”
“Oh, shut up you two. Where is Mark anyway?”
“I think he’s still asleep, maybe you should go check in on him. The eggs are almost done anyway.”
Jack grumbled as he walked out of the kitchen
“Ok, but there better be coffee for me when I get back”
~~~~~
The breakfast was delicious, despite Mark looking like he had been hit by a freight train for the first ten minutes or so before he actually started waking up. Jack thought it was kind of cute, actually. Until he drank the rest of the coffee and Jack had to go back to fiddling with whatever high tech contraption passed for a coffee maker in this house. He was half ready to steal Mark’s car and drive to the store for a functional machine when a voice behind him interrupted his thoughts.
“You have to hit ‘Brew’ on the touch screen for it to brew” Mark said in an amused tone
Jack glanced behind him to see him leaning casually against the door frame, a stupid grin on his face.
“How was I supposed to know it was a touch screen?” He asked indignantly, punching the on-screen button with more force then was probably actually required. “Why does a coffee maker need a touch screen anyways? Kids these days.”
The last half of his sentence was more lighthearted as the machine started making promising sounds and filling the air with coffee scented steam again.
Mark shrugged, still leaned up against the frame. “It was a gift for my birthday a couple years ago. Connects to the wifi so I can start it from my phone.”
Jack immediately started considering how to shove it in his suitcase for the flight home, but quickly decided it wasn't worth half of his clothes getting left at Mark’s house.
Mark laughed again at Jack’s obviously envious expression, straightening up again to leave. “You can find them online you know, you don’t have to use a twenty dollar one from the grocery store.”
“Big dick moneybags” Jack grumbled at Mark’s retreating form, not able to hide his smile as the coffee started to drip behind him.
It wasn’t until after breakfast that the topic of filming a video with everyone was brought up. The whole point of the trip was to spend Christmas together, but the chance of getting some good footage was never something any of them could really pass up.
“We could do a day in the life,” Jack suggested. “put a christmas tree up together and vlog buying presents for everyone.”
“Or make a scary one about elf on the shelf.” Bob chimed in. “Like a prank advice video turned dark.”
“Or a gingerbread house challenge” Wade said, sitting down on the couch next to Mark.
Mark nodded, considering their suggestions. “I don’t see why we couldn’t do all those things at once. Vlog putting up decorations,” He gestured a Bob, “including an elf. Do some gingerbread houses, and slowly get picked off one by one by an evil murder doll.”
“We’d have to go to the store to get some supplies, and probably decorations depending on what you have already.” Jack replied, tucking his feet up underneath him and sipping his drink.
“I can show you what I have, it’s all out in the garage though.”
It wasn’t long before they had everything laid out in front of them, mostly sparkly garlands and large glass ornaments. There was a smaller box of assorted unique ornaments that Mark insisted they put up after the video was done being filmed, and the rest was just lights and other knick knack things to put around the house.
“We should make a list of the things we need to get at the store.” Jack spoke finally, kneeling in the middle of the Christmas mess and surveying the decorations. “Stuff for gingerbread houses, obviously, and an elf on the shelf. Is there anything else we need?”
“Stuff to make fake blood.” Bob answered. “We are all going to get elf murdered after all.”
Mark nodded, typing the shopping list on his phone. “Or sparkles, if we wanted it to be less graphic.”
“Ugh.” Jack wrinkled his nose. “I’d much rather be covered in red corn syrup than glitter for the next week.”
“Okay,” Mark conceded, erasing the entry. “is there anything else we need?”
“I don’t think so.” Wade answered from the couch. “To get dressed probably.” He corrected himself, looking at everyone still in their very rumpled pajamas.
Jack sipped on the rest of his coffee pleasantly, watching as everyone slowly shuffled off to their respective rooms to change.
~~~~~
The filming went smoothly, from putting the tree up, to making awful frosting houses, to getting covered in syrup and trying to not laugh long enough to be convincingly dead on camera. They had wrapped on filming after the elf finally got Mark, still vlogging, and apparently uncaring that all his friends had mysteriously disappeared. The elf had jumped him from behind, smashing the gingerbread house Mark was still in the middle of decorating, and covered in the fake blood.
They had started up a game of Mario Kart after they all had nice hot showers, at Wade’s insistence that he was the best player out of all of them. Mark was of course kicking everyone’s asses, but Wade had actually managed to pull a few wins on him.
“I think I’m going to go get some snacks.” Mark said as they finished the last round. “Anyone want anything?”
They all started shouting at him at once, and he held up his hands in defeat
“One at a time please”
More calmly, they repeated their requests and Mark headed off towards the kitchen with a
“Maybe you guys can decide what we’re doing next, like a movie or something”
He returned a few minutes later, arms laden with snacks.
“So what did you guys decide on?” He asked as he handed a bag of doritos to Wade.
They all kind of looked at eachother, but it was Bob that said
“Truth or Dare”
Mark laughed as he sat down in the little makeshift circle that had formed.
“What are we, in eighth grade?”
“Yes.” Jack responded, “So you better sit your ass down and be ready to play,” He forced his voice low for dramatic effect “TRUTH OR DARE”
“Alright, then.” Mark conceded, shifting to get comfortable, and pulling a pillow onto his lap.
“Who goes first?”
“Um, you do” Bob spoke up, “Seeing as you’re the last to sit down.”
“What kind of choosing method is that?” Mark complained “Wait, does that mean I get to pick someone first or I have to do something first?”
“You get to pick someone.” Wade answered, “How would it even work the other way around?”
“I don’t know, I just asked, ok?”
“Just pick someone already!” Jack exclaimed.
“Ok! Um, Wade! Truth or Dare?”
“Uh, truth probably, I’m scared that you’ll make me do something I don’t want to.”
“Shit, uh, well now I have to think of a question.” Mark paused for a moment, thinking. “Have you…. ever felt tempted to actually eat a Tide Pod?”
“They do look kinda yummy.” Wade admitted. “But seriously? No, not really.”
“Aww, why not?”
“Remind me never to choose dare when you ask me. I’m not eating Tide Pods.”
Mark feigned shock “I would never!”
“Hey, maybe we should set some rules that means no one gets sent to the hospital please” Jack cautioned
“Hey, just joking” Mark answered with a grin “That just means we have to be shocking in other ways, right?”
“Yeah…” Jack said hesitantly, clearly also not on board with that plan either
Bob spoke up, clearly eager to continue with the game “Well, the next person to go should be to your right, right?”
“Yeah, so that would mean,” Mark groaned “Wade.”
Wade laughed maniacally, rubbing his hands together.
“Mark!”
“Yeah, Wade?”
“Truth… or Dare?”
Mark sighed loudly “Truth.”
“Aww, afraid of what I might make you do?”
“Yes! Obviously yes!”
Wade laughed, “I actually have no idea what I would have picked had you chosen dare. Probably something involving hot sauce.”
Mark groaned “Please, no more hot sauce”
“Good thing you picked truth then. Now let’s see… What were you and Jack really doing that one night you guys made a bunch of noise?”
Mark laughed at the memory “I tried to pick Jack up, and when that failed, I chased him upstairs.”
“Is that alll that happened?”
“Yes! What else would it be?”
“I don’t know Mark, you tell me.”
Mark laughed, “What?!”
“He answered your question!” Bob interrupted “Now it’s my turn, bitches!”
He turned his sights on Jack, sitting next to him. “Jack.”
“Yes?”
“Truth or Dare?”
“Well, seeing as nobody’s picked dare yet, I’m going to pick dare.”
“Aw, dammit! I had a really good truth one picked out for you!”
Jack laughed, “Well too bad! I picked dare, and now you have to give me one!”
“Alright, alright. I dare you to…” He hesitated, thinking, then threw his hands in the air “Damnit, I had a really good truth one why didn’t you pick truth?”
“You’re stuck with it now!”
“Um, I don’t know, why don’t you just kiss Mark or something?”
The whole circle exploded in laughter
“You-you can’t make me do that!” Jack protested, he could already feel his face growing hot
“You didn’t pick the one I wanted!”
“Ok, but when it’s my turn you’re going to-”
He was interrupted by Mark hooking a finger under his chin and turning his head to face him.
“Oh, Jack,” Mark started, dipping his voice down
It was all Jack could do to sit still. He could feel Mark’s breath as he spoke, and he swore if he turned any redder he’d shatter into a million pieces. Bob nearly exploded in laughter, and Wade had long since stopped making noise, instead opting for slapping his leg like a drowning walrus.
“I- I’ve” Mark fucking lost it. He fell on his side, laughing like there was no tomorrow.
Jack waited for all of them to calm down a bit before pushing the subject again.
“So were you going to kiss me or…?”
“Wait,” Bob exclaimed “you actually didn’t? I totally missed it, I thought you did!”
“Me too!” Wade added
“Oh, why did you have to say anything?” Mark groned
“Shit,” Jack agreed
They paused for a moment. “Well, it’s now or never I guess!” Mark exclaimed as he basically bowled Jack over.
His kiss was warm, and Jack really did freeze this time. It felt so unmistakably familiar, everything, from the way his stubble felt on his face, to the way his clothes smelled. It wasn’t just speculation, or wishful thinking, but Jack knew, somehow, he’d done this before.
The realization hit him like a fucking freight train, and he let out a small squeak of suprise. Mark pulled away, then they all burst into laughter. Jack could only hope everyone thought it was just surprise at being knocked over so suddenly, and not anything else. He really did hope.
~~~~~
That night Jack had the same dream again, wandering around Mark’s house, searching, searching for something. The alcohol clouded his brain, and sat heavy on his tongue, sending the world spinning, but this time he was determined. It seemed like an eternity he searched, but eventually he found himself in front of a door. And he knew. This was it.
He reached out to knock, but the door was so far away. He was standing in front of it, but despite how far he reached, he couldn’t touch it. The world was beginning to crumble, but he refused to give up. He closed his eyes, and focused. Focused on the thing that sparked at the core of his being. The question he needed to answer.
The door was solid before him now, and he knocked.
Mark opened the door. He was in his pajamas, and his hair, bright red, was ruffled, like he had just gotten out of bed. Jack had almost forgotten what he looked like with dyed hair. It felt like ages since it had been that color. He watched as his drunk self stepped away from his dream self, his mind clearing and the burning taste of whiskey fading from his mouth. He watched as drunk Jack stumbled into the room away from him, Mark half catching him as he nearly tripped over his own feet. He could feel the warmth against his side, the pressure as Mark righted him again.
“Merk.”
“What is it Jack?”
“I- I think I love you.”
Jack nearly jerked himself awake out of sheer surprise. This can’t be real. It can’t be.
The memory of himself was leaning heavily on Mark now, asking, no, begging to be kissed. Jack could feel his warmth, smell his clothes. He could see, though try as he might, Mark’s facade was cracking.
He could see his pupils blown wide, his breathing pick up, ever so slightly. Things drunk Jack barely noticed. He could feel it when Mark kissed him, hot and heavy. He could feel the pain when Mark pulled away.
“You’re drunk Jack.”
“But I’m not!” He wanted to scream in his own head “I’m not drunk, please, just kiss me!”
“And I hope to god you don’t remember this in the morning.”
“Well,” he thought, “I guess I didn’t.”