DARE

{40}Quiet

Jack couldn't just accept that, Mark can't just say they're dating and then pull them right back into the closet.

Jack sighed and tried to keep calm saying, "...I think it's perfectly fine to not directly tell them... yet.. but Mark, we shouldn't have act like nothing's going on!" He suddenly realized how loudly he said those last few words and quietly continued with, "L- like I said before, I want to keep this a new chapter of my life, separate from Signe, no more intentional hiding... or lying."

"Alright, Jack," Mark swallowed dryly, "I'm just- just not used to this.. it's all so new and I'm not kidding, it's terrifying, I don't want anyone to try and figure it out themselves and assume anything wrong or-" the door slammed open and a middle aged man came walking in, he glanced at Mark and Jack, then moved quickly towards a stall.

Mark looked down at the floor and waited until the man's door was locked. Then he very quietly and slowly continued, "look, I'm just not sure that we should-" Mark looked into Jack's eyes and finally noticed that Jack seemed hurt.

Jack was more than ready to move on, but Mark was holding him back, both of them, actually. He briefly bit his bottom lip and softly shook his head as he slowly looked towards the ground again.

Jack waited for him to say something again, feeling slightly betrayed because of Mark's change of heart. Mark tried to bring himself to say something, anything, but he couldn't.

He didn't want to make himself feel like he was in even less control of his emotions than he already felt. He wanted to stick to an idea that was already there.

"Let's just go," Jack said blankly, turning his head towards the door. He just wanted Mark to say they could be normal in front of all the fans, instead of pretending like they weren't interested in each other.

"I-" "Save it," Jack said keeping his eyes from meeting Mark's. He took a couple steps toward the door and sniffed back any tears that could be approaching.

He started to open the door and roughly asked without turning, "you coming?" to Mark who was still standing in the same place.

"...yah," Mark said without any joy behind it. Mark crossed his arms and followed Jack out the door, he lagged behind Jack but stayed close as they silently made their way to hallway B, room 8.

Just before they opened the door to room B8, Mark grabbed Jack's shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry, Jack," he said.

"I know," Jack replied, again without turning to look at Mark. Before Mark could get another word out, Jack pulled the door open and started to walk in.

Mark of course didn't feel good about making Jack upset too, especially with Amy still probably pissed. Just more issues. More problems.

They walked into the smaller back room to B7, where the signing would be held. The murmur of a couple hundred people in the next room could distinctly be heard through the wall. Felix and Ken were chatting in the corner, and an official looking person was staring intently at their phone.

Mark looked to Jack, but he was already walking away from Mark to Ken and Felix. Mark sighed, feeling pretty excluded, and he knew it was his fault.

Jack wasn't happy about ignoring Mark like this, but he felt that he should show Mark that he's not just someone he can sneak around with and lie about, Jack felt that he deserves more than that.

Mark caught up to the other three after standing alone for a second. Ken was in the middle of replying to Jack, "Mary and Marzia? I think they're going to check out the first Starbucks while we're here."

"...hold up.. the first? Like ever?" Jack questioned.

"Oh yah, it's here in Seattle, kinda cool right?" said Felix.

"Well you know how much I fuckn' love coffee, so yes, it's pretty cool! I wanna see..." said Jack.

Mark took the opportunity to add in, "Maybe we should go there too, after this."

"Yah sightseeing is an important part of PAX isn't it," Ken said with a chuckle.

"Well it would be pretty cool, and y'know we won't all be together in one place a lot, so we should do something," Jack sort of defended what Mark said, which made Mark smile just a bit.

"You guys ready?" the young man with the phone said out of nowhere, "It's just about twelve."

They all nodded and simultaneously mumbled, "yes." to him.

"Alrighty, I'll let them know," said the guy as he typed a bit on his phone.

"Oh boy," Ken said as the man put his phone in his pocket and grabbed the handle of the door that leads to room B7.

"This'll be pretty quick, could everybody get behind the door?" He asked. They all moved so they were standing ready to leave the room.

A woman from the next room could be heard yelling over the fans, "Everyone, everyone! Please welcome Cinnamontoastken, Jacksepticeye, Markiplier, and Pewdiepie!" The guy quickly opened the door so they could walk out, waving to the screaming crowd that was in a messy line.