#who doesn't want touchy-touchy septiplier

[copyrightedsnakes]

All’s Fair in Love, War, and Politics (3/5)

Title: All’s Fair in Love, War, and Politics

Length: ~33k words (this third part is ~7k words)

Summary: In an impulsive moment of weakness, Mark agrees to a bet set by Bob and Wade. He has to be elected class president at his university to win, so to save his hair he now needs a way to get his name out there so that people will vote for him. As luck would have it though, he ends up catching the eye of the school’s radio DJ.

Warnings: Swearing, slight drinking/mentions of alcohol, all of the cheesy fluff tropes rolled into one disaster of a conglomeration  

Author’s Note: I noticed that I posted part 2 four days after the first bit, so four days between it is! I guess. You guys are all seriously way too nice to me, I can’t believe it <3333 thank you all so much, I hope you enjoy this part too!

Previous Parts: 1 | 2

Mark woke curled up on the floor. His arms were around a couch cushion, and Wade was standing over him with a grin.

"What?" He asked, groaning and rolling onto his back. He blinked a few times, clearing his throat. "Where's Jack?"

"Shower. I told him you wouldn't mind if he borrowed some of your clothes."

Wade still had a weird smirk, making Mark ask again.

"What? What is it?"

"You guys were all curled up together, asleep. It was so cute."

"Oh. Well..." Mark glanced down, hiding his face under the guise of fixing his hair. The cuddling--closeness that he had initiated--had seemed fine at the time, especially considering how affectionate being sleepy made him. In hindsight though, it wasn't normal. Not normal for him. Not normal when no one was watching, and the relationship wasn't supposed to be real. "Yeah. Thanks, I guess."

"Jack thought it was cute too. Or, that you were cute."

"He did?" That made Mark sit up, Wade nodding.

"He took a picture. Put it on Twitter, I think."

Wade went into the kitchen, Mark opening his laptop and going to the social media site. He'd gained an exponential amount of followers overnight, his little notification symbol showing a small "99+" in the corner. He went to Jack's Twitter, his eyes growing wide. There was a very close shot of his face, and while he didn't look bad, Jack's caption was something else.

He's a cute sleeper, but... I kinda want to draw dicks on his face.

Mark quickly checked Jack's follower count, groaning. Slightly over three thousand people had seen the tweet.

"Morning! Sort of. It's noon by now."

Mark glanced up at the voice. Jack was walking over, his hair damp and frizzed from drying, his hands deep in his jacket pockets. The jacket was his own and the jeans were too, the shirt Jack was wearing the only thing Mark recognized as being taken from his room. "I was hoping you'd still be asleep, to be honest."

"Why?" Mark asked, Wade reentering and taking a seat on the couch. "So you could draw dicks on my face?"

That made Jack laugh, and he shook his head.

"You saw that, huh? No, actually; since you made me dinner last night, I wanted to surprise you with breakfast."

What could only be described as a delighted squeak came from Mark's right, looking over to see a completely mushy expression on Wade's face. Jack was a mixture of amused and delighted at that, Mark laughing.

"Can you even cook?" He asked, extending out an arm as an ask for help getting up. Jack took it, pulling him to his feet.

"Of course I can! Well enough, anyway. Omelette?"

"It's noon." Mark deadpanned as they entered the kitchen, sitting at the table as Jack opened the fridge.

"It doesn't matter the time--if it's your first meal, it's breakfast. You should set Twitter up on your phone."

Mark nodded at the suggestion, downloading the app and logging in. He hadn't actually used it yet, and despite that was already sporting seven hundred some-odd followers, deciding to compose a tweet.

Good morning everyone! Have an awesome Saturday

He added an emoji for good measure, barely having sent it out before his phone began buzzing. It was surprising to say the least, Jack glancing back when he heard it.

"Mister Popularity already, huh?"  

"I didn't think so." Mark picked his phone up. The notifications were mostly retweets and favorites, but there were some replies. "A few people want to talk to me, a few people are just saying hey... Four people in a row want to know if we had sex last night..."

Jack laughed out loud, shaking his head. "Of course. Go ahead and answer a few people. Just not those people."

Mark did as Jack cooked, getting back to a good fifteen people before he heard a sharp curse.

"You okay over there?"

"You, uh... Like scrambled eggs, right?"

"Yeah, sure. Didn't you say we were having omelettes?"

"...eggs are hard to fold." Jack answered after a second, making Mark laugh.

"Scrambled eggs are fine." He answered, a omelette-scrambled egg combo being placed in front of him when Jack was finished. They actually tasted quite good, but Mark couldn't refrain from taking a picture and putting it on the internet.

It's a bit late for breakfast... And @Jack_Septic_Eye sucks at making omelettes.

Jack's phone went off as soon as the tweet was posted, opening his mouth in indignation.

"Don't fucking sass me!" He responded, tapping away.

@markiplier shut up, ya big smelly!

After about an hour of Wade cooing at them in the background, Jack declared that it was time for him to go.

"Want me to walk you back?" Mark asked, watching him put on his shoes.

"Nah, it's alright. You can walk me to the door though."

So he did, closing the front door behind them.

"Thanks for having me." Jack said as soon as they were outside.

"Of course. Thanks for showing up; it was fun."

"I like Wade too, I'm glad I could meet him." Jack laughed. "Though it's good thing there's not any actual romantic affection here," he gestured between himself and Mark, "He finds us so cute already that if we were actually dating, I think he might implode."

"I... Yeah." Mark laughed, the vocalization sounding fake as soon as it reached his ears. "Good thing."

Jack gave him a shrewd look. "Don't you fall in love with me." He said again, and after a parting wave he was gone.

The next week was hectic. Mark ​had a boyfriend, a Twitter account, and a presidential campaign to all take care of, and on top of school itself, he was having a hard time keeping up. As someone that didn't even like wearing pants, by week two the whole suit routine was getting exhausting. He was slightly re-encouraged when Jack complimented him and played Timberlake's "Suit and Tie" on the radio, but that didn't last long. Between their brief, fifteen minute meet ups for coffee and their short back-and-forths on Twitter, Mark was really beginning to miss Jack. He wanted to hang out with him, and talk to him; he wanted them to spend another weekend together, and had a strange feeling in his gut when he realized the kiss on the nose Jack gave him probably had something to do with that. By Thursday he gave in, walking to Jack's apartment building and knocking on 302.

Jack opened the door almost instantly, his eyes widening in surprise. He had his cell phone held up to his ear, Mark stepping in sheepishly as Jack closed the door behind him.

"Yes, that was the front door. It was Mark." Jack paced a little, talking to whoever was on the other line, Mark sitting on the couch and stretching one arm over the back of the seat. "Yes, as in the boyfriend I told you about. He isn't president yet. I don't--" Jack reddened. "I don't have to hang up, it's okay."

Jack sat heavily on the couch, pulling his feet up and nestling a little under Mark's arm. Mark could just barely hear female tones on the other line, Jack saying "yeah, you can talk to him" and shoving the phone in his direction.

"It's my mom." Jack said in a loud whisper. "She thinks we're dating, and she wants to talk to you."

"What?" Mark hissed back, but a loud questioning greeting from the other line had him quickly grabbing the phone.

"Hi! Sorry about that."

"Hello! This is Jack's--or do you call him Sean? He goes by Jack at home. Anyway, I'm his mother."

"Oh, I call him Jack." Mark answered. He made his voice a bit deeper and more gracious, a tactic he often employed while talking to parents--mostly mothers--that helped earn him a few brownie points. Jack’s head shot up sharply when he heard it. "Hello Mrs. McLoughlin, it's wonderful to meet you."

There was a bright smile in her voice, a quality Jack had in him as well, and it made Mark like her, despite how little about her he knew.

"It's wonderful to meet you too, finally. I kept hounding that son of mine to let me talk to you, but he always told me you were busy. I was about to start doubting your existence, honestly. Mark, was it?"

That had Mark laughing, nodding a little.

"Yes, Mark Fischbach. I'm real. I've definitely had my hands full though; school isn't easy."

"I wish Jack could say the same. He's taking minimum credit hours, did you know that? Spends more time with the radio crew than in the classroom."

"Well, he really loves it. He's excellent on the radio."

Jack shifted slightly next to him, Mark glancing over to see him looking down, a small smile on his face.

"You are sweet. I can see why he likes you so much. That's all, I just wanted to say hello."

"It was nice to talk to you."

"You too! Goodbye, hopefully we'll meet soon."

The call disconnected, Mark handing Jack's phone back to him with a self-satisfied smirk.

"I handled that excellently, if I do say so myself."

"You turned the charm on my mom." Jack deadpanned, placing his phone in his lap.

"And she loved me." Mark said with a grin. "Which you are welcome for, by the way. Thanks for putting me on the spot like that."

"Just trying to help keep those improv skills sharp." Jack suddenly pulled back, giving Mark a confused once-over. "Wait. What the fuck are you doing here, anyway?"

"Are you the only person in this relationship that can show up to people's apartments unannounced?"

"I announced that to the whole campus!" Jack protested. "Did you tweet at me or something, and I missed it because I was on the phone?"

"…no." Mark looked at his hands, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I thought we could hang out, or something? I haven't seen you in like a week and a half."

A smile slowly grew on Jack's face, the expression only a little teasing.

"We grabbed lunch together two days ago."

"You know what I mean."

"So you missed me, is what you're saying."

"No. Shut up!" Mark retracted the arm he'd put over the back of the couch, crossing them both and huffing. Jack chuckled, letting himself lean against Mark's side and pulling out his phone.

"Twitter needs to know about this."

"Shut up." Mark said again, frowning harder as Jack composed a new tweet.

@Jack_Septic_Eye: This goober says he missed me

Then he tapped the photo icon, holding the phone up for a selfie.

"Do something cute." He told Mark, but Mark didn't feel like complying.

"You're embarrassing me." Mark argued.

"Come on, don't be like that." Jack's voice had turned pouty, making Mark roll his eyes and laugh. Jack turned his attention back to the camera and Mark pulled a duck face, turning to Jack and pressing his nose against the side of his boyfriend's face. It was nearly a kiss on the cheek, his lips just quite not touching Jack's skin, and he let out a breath through his nose. The hot air must have tickled because Jack eyes closed in a giggle, Mark hearing the shutter go off.

Jack nodded to himself as he saw the photo, showing it to Mark for review. The picture was incredibly cute, he couldn't help but admit, nodding back. They photographed adorably together, Jack sending the tweet with a satisfied expression.

"Is there anything in particular you wanted to do?" Jack asked, Mark shaking his head quickly. He felt a little silly now, showing up uninvited for no real reason, but Jack just shrugged, standing up to turn on his console, tossing Mark a controller and dialing something on his phone.

"What're you doing?" Mark asked, Jack giving him a bright smile.

"When in doubt, pizza and video games."

They demolished the entire pizza in less than an hour, Mark leaning back on the couch, embarrassingly full of food, when Jack glanced over and asked

"So, are you ready to be on the radio tomorrow?"

It took Mark a moment to realize what Jack was talking about.

"Oh, right. I think so."

Both himself and Ken were going to be on the radio tomorrow, answering caller questions about their campaigns. Mark was actually looking forward to it. Being on the radio would probably be a good deal of fun, the only concern of his being the people calling in. If they were anything like the people that responded to his tweets, there would be some skirting around awkward questions about Jack and himself.

"I'm looking forward to it." Jack was grinning. "I love having guests on the show. Especially when they're some of my best friends."

Mark just looked over at him, Jack not noticing he was staring until Mark's character died from lack of attention to the game.

"Of course you're one of my best friends." Jack nudged him hard with an elbow, Mark letting a smile flow freely onto his face. "Don't stare at me like that."

So Mark settled for sitting as close to Jack as he could on the couch, Jack rolling his eyes and leaning his weight on Mark's shoulder. Leaning into him was something Jack did a lot, Mark noticed, and he rather liked it. He liked a lot of things Jack did though, like the way he leaned back when he laughed hard, or how he would randomly burst into song, or just how animated he was when he spoke. It made him fun to be around.

It was nearly 10 p.m. when Mark finally decided he needed to leave. He had both class and the radio show to prepare for the next day, and he didn't want to keep Jack up either. He declined Jack's offer to walk him home, so Jack just walked him to the front door, standing in the doorway.

"See you tomorrow."

Mark nodded and met his eyes, feeling this small, expectant tug that he ought to do something. Times like this always had such an "end of date" feeling to them that the thought of maybe kissing Jack always crossed his mind, but he just shook it off as usual and responded to the farewell, pulling his phone from his pocket as he turned to head home.

It wasn't until Mark was sitting in the broadcasting room, a pair of headphones on and a mic in front of him, with 5 minutes until the show was starting, that he actually felt the nerves stirring in his stomach. He was sitting next to Ken, with Jack across from both of them at the table and asking if they were ready.

"Yeah!" Ken clapped his hands together, the jarring noise making Mark give him a glance. "Let's do it."

Jack turned to Mark for his answer, his eyebrows raised, to which he just nodded. Then a red light told them all they were on air, an easy smile making its way to Jack's face as he greeted listeners, saying his opening remarks.

"And I have not one, but two very special guests on the show with me today. Two names that anyone that listens to this show should know by now: Mark Fischbach and Kenneth Morrison. How are you guys doing today?"

"Great!" Ken responded enthusiastically, Mark nodding in agreement.

"I'm really excited to be here. I'm sure we both are."

"I'm excited too." Jack met Mark's eyes, smiling a little. "This show is for our two student pres candidates--these two ruggedly handsome men in front of me--to talk about what it is they want to achieve upon being elected and to answer caller questions. Both of these men are very close to my heart, with Ken being a good friend and former roommate and Mark being a good friend and current boyfriend, so I'm just going to be playing moderator here. There are no sides being picked."

"But he's voting for me." Ken said in a stage whisper, his voice low and his lips close to the mic. Jack laughed.

"I don't know man, Mark's gotten me a lot of free food. And he cooks better than you can, too."

"Hey!" Ken's mouth was opened in mock offense. "Don't go telling these people I can't cook. You like my specialty mac and cheese."

"I'd just like to point out that my specialty is gourmet Korean chicken and dumplings, so I feel compelled to agree with my boyfriend on this one." Mark popped in.

"You haven't made those for me yet." Jack said. Mark shrugged.

"You free after this?"

"As free as you are."

"Get a room!" Ken exclaimed loudly, Jack laughing at him.

"Maybe we will. But first, please enjoy this song: The Hit by Tupperware Remix Party!"

Jack sent them thumbs ups as the song began, a confirmation of how they were doing, Mark responding in kind as Ken nodded. It was weird being here, but the scary part of answering questions hadn't started yet, so Mark couldn't complain.

"We're going to open the phone lines soon," Jack said as the song ended, adjusting his headphones as he spoke, "so I wanted to establish a few ground rules. A lot of you guys out there know about Mark and I's relationship, but just because he's on my show today doesn't mean you get to ask him questions about it. Ken's here too, and that wouldn't be fair to him. Today is all about politics. That being said, I thought up a few things you guys might want to know, and I'm going to answer a few questions in an attempt to... Lessen the urge of you guys calling in."

Mark sent Jack a look. He hadn't known anything about this; they hadn't discussed any questions or answers, and he was genuinely afraid of what Jack was about to say about him. He could already feel his face turning red.

"So, to get this out of the way, here we go. What are the pros and cons of dating Mark? One pro are that his shoulders are broader than mine, meaning I can fit into all of his shirts and he can't fit into any of mine, so really it's just me stealing his clothes. A con are that between the two of us, he's the hot one."

"You know, I think I agree with that." Ken said. "Sorry Jack."

Jack laughed, nodding, Mark seeing something he hadn't noticed until then, unable not to point it out.

"You're wearing one of my shirts right now."

It was the shirt Jack borrowed after showering at Mark's apartment, light blue and a little form fitting. Jack plucked at the fabric with a grin.

"Yeah, it's comfy. I can give it back."

"No, that's alright." The blue in the shirt brought out the blue in Jack’s eyes so well that for a moment Mark caught himself staring. "Keep it. It looks good on you."

"If you guys keep looking at each other like that, I'm going to leave." Ken threatened, Jack clearing his throat and turning back to the paper of questions in front of him.

"Mark's best features? Biceps and cooking. Best thing Mark's done so far? He did tell me that the upside-down kiss at that Halloween party was the most romantic thing he's ever done in his life, but he did throw up on my shoes afterwards, so I feel bad for anyone else he's ever dated."

"Shut up." Mark grumbled at him, Jack bursting into laughter.

"And finally, because tons of people want to know on Twitter: have you guys done 'insert-relationship-milestone-of-your-choice-here' yet? We've been dating for three months now. Fill in the blanks yourself."

Ken was chuckling, and Mark was pink in the face. He had no reason for being embarrassed--they hadn't even had to kiss each other yet--but the insinuation was enough to get him blushing.

"We'll be opening the phone lines after this short break. Please be respectful, and remember to stick to campaign related questions!"

Jack grinned at him when the music began, pointing at his cheeks and at the blush on his face. Mark flipped him off, Ken snorting in laughter.

The answering of questions went rather smoothly, and Mark was grateful. There were a few things brought up that he hadn't considered, glad that they were brought to his attention. Ken had the first answer to everything, and they actually agreed with each other on a good amount of subjects, something that surprised Mark for some reason. Jack just nodded along, not giving much input, answering and hanging up the phone. Things were going smoothly with Ken too, both better than at the party and better than he expected. They only hit one snag, but it was enough for the whole thing to come crashing down.

Mark was in the middle of talking about learning guitar, something he was interested in, saying since Jack knew about it, maybe his boyfriend could help him. Ken looked at him first, confusion on his face, Jack shooting him an "oh shit" expression, and Mark knew that immediately, somehow, he had fucked up.

"Jack was in a band, right?" He asked hesitantly, giving his boyfriend a questioning look, needing to know the problem but also trying not to tip Ken off that something might be wrong. Jack nodded at him.

"Yeah, but he played the drums." Ken said slowly, pointing between Jack and Mark, his eyes narrowed.

"You're a shit boyfriend." Jack's tone was light and joking, Mark trying to fight the internal panic and think of an excuse for why he would imply that his boyfriend actually play a different instrument.

"But the band had guitarists, right? I've never really even been around a guitar, so he's better off than me."

"Right." Ken was still looking at them, still scrutinizing, definitely not convinced. Mark just tried to keep his mouth closed, avoiding his eyes until the broadcast was over. Thankfully that only was for about ten minutes, and once Jack had thanked callers and signed off he hurried over to Mark and pulled him to his feet.

"What?" Mark whispered, frowning at the look on Jack's face.

"Quick, kiss me while he's looking."

"What?" Mark choked that out a little louder, the question definitely getting Ken's attention, and Jack put a hand on the back of Mark's neck, tugging him down a little and meeting his lips. Mark tried not to be surprised, knowing they were supposed to have done this a hundred times over already, but he couldn't help it. Jack was pressed close to him, kissing him, and his brain was all but short-circuiting.

Mark would be lying through his teeth if he said he'd never thought seriously about kissing Jack. He had. Part of him was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner, simply because of the lie they were living through together. He thought it would be strange, or uncomfortable, or awkward; nothing like this.

Jack was still as dynamic as always but now he was so close that Mark could feel that energy, his right hand curled in Mark's hair, his lips moving so gently they were almost hesitant. Every one of Mark's nerves was hyperaware, suddenly conscious of the heavy beat of his heart, the pressure of Jack's lips, and just how purely kinetic he was.

When Jack began to pull back Mark found himself pushing closer, but only until he realized what he was doing, stilling as his face grew warm. Jack detached their lips only enough for them to breathe, tilting his head to the side so their noses wouldn't bump.

"So?" he whispered. "Did it work?"

It took a second of hazy searching for Mark to even realize what Jack was asking about, blinking and pulling back a little further.

Ken was looking at them, pulling an exaggerated face. Mark didn't think he could say something even if he tried, the broad-shouldered candidate pulling himself to his feet.

"Alright there, Smoochie Poo and Googly Bear. I get it. You guys want to be alone." He shot finger guns in Jack's direction and winked, requesting that the DJ text him before slipping out the door.

"I think it worked." Mark said, and Jack took a step back, bursting into giggles and looking at his feet. His face was completely red, rubbing the side of his face and avoiding Mark's eyes.

"So... That happened."

"I... Yeah."

Mark had no idea what to say, Jack finally meeting his eyes and laughing again. Mark couldn't stop smiling either, watching Jack's face, a squeeze in his chest making him want to kiss Jack again. He didn't though, keeping one hand firmly planted on the table behind him until Jack spoke.

"I don't know about you, but that felt a little awkward. Like... Theatrical, or something."

"Wasn't that the point?" Mark asked, the little smile that was still on his face making Jack reach out and hit his shoulder.

"Yeah, but we've been supposed to have been doing... That," the skirting around the word "kissing" amused Mark for a moment, but then he realized he probably wouldn't be able to say it either, despite how childish that felt "for three months now. It should be more natural, shouldn't it?"

"What are you saying?" Mark felt he knew, but he could feel embarrassment inching up his throat, not wanting to suggest anything outlandish.

"Shouldn't we... Practice?"

Something flipped in Mark's stomach but he tried not to show it, just nodding a bit and straightening up.

"We probably can't stay here, huh?"

"As hot as it would be to make out in the recording studio, no." Jack chuckled. "I'd probably get in trouble."

Mark blanched but Jack didn't see it, already headed to the door.

"Your place or mine?"

"I... I think Wade is home."

Jack just nodded, Mark falling in step next to him and taking his hand. They chatted briefly about how the radio show had gone, but they had both been there, and it felt like small talk. All he could think about was the kiss they'd just had, and how electric it had felt, and the urge he had to stop Jack, spin him around, and kiss him again. Not for show, not for his campaign, not so someone could take a photo and put it on Twitter. Because Jack made him smile. Because Jack was nice, and clever, and laughed too much, and had spectacular blue eyes, and was passionate, and loud, and colorful, and... And hell, because he wanted to.

"You thought I played the guitar? Really?"

Jack's voice broke him from his thoughts, sounding amused. They had reached the apartment building, dropping hands and climbing the stairs.

"Most guys have." Mark defended, Jack considering the statement before nodding.

"Drums are easier." He explained. "And so much more fun. I was pretty good, too."

"You should show me some time."

"Just give me a drum set."

Jack unlocked his front door, pushing it open. The place was becoming quite familiar, with Mark having been there just yesterday. Jack walked immediately into the kitchen, calling out the offer of a glass of water as he went, which Mark accepted. Then they sat together on the couch, the silence heavy.

"Well, this is nice and awkward." Mark remarked. Jack immediately became defensive.

"It's your turn! This was my idea, and I instigated the first one."

"Yeah, why did you do that?" Mark asked, willing his face to stay a neutral color.

"Did you not see Ken's face?"

Mark shook his head--he had been making a large effort not to look in that direction.

"Oh. Your flub made him all suspicious."

"Just from that?" That seemed excessive, Mark telling him so. Jack immediately glanced away, looking sheepish.

"He might have made a comment at the beginning of this whole scam about how much of a coincidence it was that you were running for president, and... Let's just say I could have handed the conversation better. So he’s a little skeptical."

Mark shook his head and laughed, Jack frowning and shoving lightly at his shoulder.

"Mark."

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

The request had his face turning pink, Jack grinning, raising his eyebrows, and letting him lean in. His heart was pounding and he pulled back just a second later, getting a concerned look in response. This was supposed to just be practice; it wasn't supposed to affect him, and Mark realized that if he moved a certain way, or made a sound, it was game over, and he wasn't sure he trusted himself.

"What?" Jack asked him, his eyes traveling over Mark's face. "You alright?"

"What are we doing?" Mark asked back. It was stupid question, but he was stalling. "Do we just kiss, or...?"

"That's how we'd practice." Jack's mouth opened slightly in inspiration, grabbing quickly for his phone. Mark's heart sank for a moment, but Jack didn't open Twitter, going to his clock app instead.

“I'll set a timer for... How long?"

"Seven minutes in heaven?" Mark proposed. It was meant to be a joke, and while Jack laughed out loud, he also nodded. He set the timer, phone in hand as he faced Mark again.

"You ready?" He asked. Then he hesitated. "This isn't weird, right?"

"Right." It didn't feel weird, per se. Sure, Mark was nervous, but it wasn't like he didn't want to kiss Jack. The problem was that he really, really did.

"Okay." Jack let out a breath, rolling his shoulders and meeting Mark's eyes. Then he tapped the "start" button, placing his phone on his thigh, and leaned in.

Mark met him halfway, a spark racing down his spine as though he'd been shocked. The hesitance from earlier was gone, Jack's lips moving deliberately, insistently against him, Mark ignoring his own misgivings and kissing back. Usually he had a technique, something he did to ensure himself some brownie points in the making out department, but with Jack he found himself forgetting all of that and just doing what felt right; what felt natural.

Jack pulled back slightly, his forehead pressed against Mark's, eyes still closed and voice breathless in the best way as he said,

"You can... Touch me, if you want to. Like my arms, or my hair, or something."

Mark froze at that, speechless, Jack leaning back in to capture his lips. It took Mark a moment to respond, needing time to recover, but when he did he went ahead with Jack's new allowances, shifting closer and moving his right hand up to grip the back of Jack's neck.

That got a reaction, Jack leaning forward and gripping Mark's bicep, a small sound coming from the back of his throat that Mark wouldn't have heard if he weren't so close. Jack's other hand found his chest, fingers light against the muscle as he drew back slightly to bite his bottom lip. It was gentle, but the pressure was enough to send another electric jolt down Mark's spine.

All too soon, the phone's alarm began to blare. Time was up, but that didn't seem to matter; Jack knocked the device off his leg dismissively, his hands traveling up Mark's shoulders to loop around his neck. The cell phone shrieked in protest as it fell, landing on Mark's foot.

It didn't hurt really, but it was something he definitely wasn't expecting, making him jump. Jack's lips turned up into a smile against his own, and he began to giggle slightly, having to break the kiss and laugh. His arms were still around Mark's neck, leaning against him a little, chuckling still as he let them fall.

"Sorry."

Mark felt almost breathless as he let himself meet Jack's eyes. Jack was glowing, beaming at him, eyes bright with amusement, lips slightly pinker than usual and looking a little abused. It was definitely a sight Mark could get used to.

"Well... Did that help?" Mark asked as Jack picked his phone up, turning the alarm off. Jack adopted a thoughtful expression, leaning in without warning and kissing him quickly. It's was soft and sweet, nodding when he pulled back. Mark was afraid his heart was hammering against his ribcage so hard it was audible.

"I think so. A little."

"Practice makes perfect."

"I've got more free time." Jack responded with a shrug. That hadn't been what he was insinuating, but Mark wasn't about to complain, unable not to smile as Jack slid up as close as possible and wound his arms again around Mark's neck.

The end of the semester was upon them quickly, finals beginning as the weather grew cold. Mark's sleep schedule quickly became extremely screwed up, staying up late to study, sleeping when he could, which was anywhere from four am to half past noon. He made sure to tweet out an encouraging message at least once a day though, something his Twitter was becoming known for, being called "really adorable" on the school radio for it. As the semester came to a close, the student radio staff decided to put on a "wild and crazy" party for crew members and friends, and Mark found himself invited, agreeing easily.

"I can't believe I still can't drink." Jack whined as they walked in, sticking a pouting lip out in Mark's direction when he was laughed at. "I don't want this party to be as lame as the last one."

"There's a decent room to dance in this time." Mark pointed out. "Plus, remember what they taught us in high school? You don't need drugs to have a good time."

Jack snorted out a laugh, leading the way on to the dance floor. They had shown up fashionably late, the party already in full swing when they arrived. Jack knew just about everyone, waving and smiling and blowing kisses at multiple people as they squeezed their way through the masses to the middle of the dance floor.

"So, do you know how to dance?" Jack asked, raising his voice quite a bit to be heard over the bass-heavy music.

"Actual dancing, or..." Mark gestured to all of the writhing bodies around them. "This?"

"Either one."

"Nope."

That made Jack laugh, Mark asking

"What about you?"

"Not really, but it's not like I've never been to a party before. This isn't my first rodeo."

Mark raised his eyebrows, but Jack just grinned back. They didn't have the chance to actually dance much, with the amount of people coming up to talk to Jack. He was obviously very well liked at the radio station, and since it was the radio station putting on the party, he was well liked by everyone there. Mark hoped that meant he himself was well liked too, but aside from a few nods and winks he received, it wasn't easy to tell.

"Hey." Jack leaned in close, whispering into his ear to avoid having to shout over the music. It made a shiver shoot down his spine, jumping back a little, only to be reigned in by Jack's hand on the small of his back.

"What?" Mark stammered back. Jack was close to him, closer than he had been the entire time of the party, and Mark glanced away to avoid bumping noses.

"How freaked out would you be if I grinded on you right now? We're leaving so much room for Jesus that we're standing out."

Mark glanced around, realizing that Jack was right. Everyone around them was more or less having sex on the dance floor, so he shrugged in consent. A little bumping hip bones couldn't hurt. What he didn't expect was Jack to step even closer, put a hand on his shoulder, and roll their hips together.

The sharp intake of air was unavoidable, Mark glancing down and biting his lip hard to avoid any sound passing through his lips. Jack chuckled, and the little smile on his face was so intoxicating that Mark knew he either needed to get away from Jack or start giving him a hickey, and the second option wasn't anywhere near plausible.

"Can... Can we go outside?”

Jack's expression turned immediately into concern, nodding and taking his hand to tug him towards the door. He needed to think. He needed to breathe. Their relationship had gone from zero to about a thousand in no time at all, and there was a mess of jumbled up feelings that Mark was still deciding whether to try wading through or just shoving aside altogether. With Jack not feeling the same way, with everything being so one-sided, even the innocent things that had become second nature, like their flirty tweets and holding hands, held a new meaning. The casual smooches and butt pinches that Jack had begun integrating went without saying.

"You alright?" Jack asked once they'd made it outside.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"It's fine, it's not like we were doing anything important." There was a bench a few steps away from them, walking over and sitting down. "I'm sorry too."

Mark just waved a hand, feeling uncomfortable now about making them leave. It wasn't fair of him to be acting strange like this.

"If anything is ever, you know..." Jack gestured vaguely with his hands, "Too much, it's fine. Seriously. Just tell me."

"No, it's not that." It wasn't like he hadn't enjoyed anything they'd done together thus far; not that he was telling Jack that. However, the assurance had implied something was up, Jack fixing him with a look that prompted some sort of explanation. There was a question Mark had on his mind though, and he figured now was a good time as any to ask it.

"Why did you agree to this?"

"What do you mean?" Jack frowned at him, looking confused.

"This entire 'pretending to date me' thing. It's way too time consuming just for free pizza." Mark insisted, raising an eyebrow. Jack sighed, leaning back and glancing away.

"Remember my mom? You talked to her on the phone the other day."

Mark nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"Well, she--or my parents--or my whole family, really--are super into relationships. They all believe monogamy is like... The key to happiness. And I don't have anything against that, but..." He shrugged. "They pestered me about dating all through high school, and by my first semester here I was sick of it. I told them I was dating someone, but they were too excited to hear my sarcasm, apparently. I even told them it wasn't a girl, to be discouraging, but as it turns out I have the most accepting family in the world."

He laughed a little, Mark catching on to where this was going.

"I'm the fake boyfriend you've had since your first semester of college?" He asked, slightly incredulous. Jack met his eyes, giving him a sheepish grin.

"They all think we're living together. We have for a year now, as far as they know."

Mark just blinked, trying to process what Jack was telling him.

"Your parents think we've been together for three years, and that was the first time your mother had spoken to me? No wonder she didn't think I was real."

"Yeah, the lies got creative." Jack chuckled lightly. He glanced past Mark for a split second, his eyes incredibly soft as he spoke again. "At least I don't have to do that anymore, because now I have you."

He leaned in close, capturing his lips in a strong kiss. Mark couldn't help a muffled sound of surprise, leaning back slightly. His expression and tone had sounded so sincere that Mark needed to ask about his words. They were the only ones outside; there was no one to put up the front for, no reason for Jack to act affectionate. But Jack just chased his breath back into his lungs, reaching up to grip the nape of Mark's neck.

"N-no, wait, what--?"

Mark pulled back, all of his questions stopped by Jack giving him another chaste kiss, then leaning close to his ear and murmuring

"I don't know for how long, but Ken is standing over there. I think he could hear us."

"Oh." That was both an explanation and a nervous weight that dropped into the pit of Mark's stomach as he glanced back. Sure enough to, Ken was there, off a few yards with his phone in his hand, the screen lighting up his face. He was a good distance away from them, but it was so quiet outside that Mark wouldn't be surprised if they had been within earshot. Ken was his rival; if Ken knew this was fake, they were done for.

"What should we do? Should we just make out until he believes us again?"  

"Or until he gets uncomfortable and leaves." Jack pulled back, Mark seeing all thought Ken leaving his mind, replaced by a serious expression, his eyes searching his face. "But only if that's okay."

"It's fine."

Jack was not convinced, frowning slightly, stroking the back of Mark's neck lightly with his fingers.

"But you've been acting weird since--"

Mark gave him a quick kiss to shut him up. Sure, feelings were starting to creep in and make the whole thing messy, but top priority was making Ken go away. And running his hands down Jack's chest was something he'd had at the back of his mind since their practice session on the couch.

"It's fine." He repeated. "I promise. Don't worry about me."

"Okay." Jack grinned a little. "Kiss me then."