Let's Paint the Town Red (Septiplier AU)

Tickled Pink

"You really should be looking at your textbook, and not at me you know."

Jack's blue eyes widen in the way that only can show that a person has been caught doing something that they shouldn't be doing, and his cheeks grew bright pink as he shifted his gaze back from Mark's face to the words on page 123 in his book. The pizza place that they are at is near closing, and other than the very bored cashier in the front, the two men are the only ones still in the tiny place.

"So," Mark continued, the most fleeting of grins on his slender lips, "in the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, what was sorrowful lesson learned by the two lovers?"

Jack blinks, and then narrows his eyes at the text right above Mark's fingers, hoping that maybe this will help him remember what in the hell Mark had been talking about moments before. The Irishman had been just been watching Mark's mouth move. Just enjoying the deep tone of the voice, but not even a single one of the words that the other man was actually saying. 

"I have no way of figuring out a halfway convincing lie to tell you that I was paying attention, so let's just agree that your face is distracting and can we try again?"

Mark gives a loud laugh that doesn't help Jack's heart any less at all, and with a sigh Mark slides even closer next to the other man in the booth of the restaurant and takes the pencil out of Jack's slender hand.

"Here," he says, giving Jack a small smile as he begins to draw a small flower on the lined paper in front of them.

"The flower on the page represents Eurydice, and the little guitar I'm drawing here is her lover Orpheus."

Jack watches the strong hand then draw a small fire flame.

"This fire is Hades, the god of the underworld."

Jack nods his head, as he inhales the gently aftershave of the man sitting so close to him now. As Mark talks the pencil is pointed at each of the symbols, and Jack listens intently.

"Eurydice and Orpheus were deeply in love," Mark begins, "and they were married for a very short time. One day a shepherd saw the beautiful woman, and chased her through the forest."

With a quick stroke of the pencil Mark draws a shepherd's crook and a few trees.

"Eurydice ran from the shepherd, and in her haste to get away was bitten by a snake and died. Her soul was brought to the Underworld. Orpheus' grief was so great that he played his lyre, and his father Apollo suggested that the young man go down to the Underworld and plead to Hades to return Eurydice to him. Orpheus was brave enough to travel to Hades, who felt empathy with the poor man's sorrow, and loved the beautiful music he played on his lyre."

The strong fingers of Mark continues to make small pictures on the sheet, and Jack understands the story like he never has before. He can feel himself leaning over and placing his head on the strong shoulder of his tutor, and Mark doesn't even flinch.

"Hades agreed to allow Eurydice to leave with  her husband on one condition," Mark continues. "That Orpheus may not look upon his wife until she followed him completely out of the caves of the Underworld. The young man agreed, and both he and his wife start on their journey, but at the last few steps, Orpheus lost faith, and not hearing the steps of his beloved behind him, turned to look at her. She was behind him, but because he did not do what the Hades said, her soul was pulled back into the Underworld, and lost forever."

Jack gives a small gasp as he watches Mark draw a small heart around the guitar and flower symbols, then places a jagged line in between them.

"That's so sad," Jack mutters as his eyes move slowly from the drawing and up the hand and arms of the man holding the pencil.

Mark hums that he agrees.

"But do you know the lesson learned?"

Jack takes a moment to think deeply about it before he turns his head just enough to meet the dark brown eyes. The pizza long forgotten on the large booth of where they sit together, almost too close.

"That you should probably wear really loud shoes when leaving the Underworld?"

Mark laughs again.

"That's a good lesson too," Mark agrees, "But I think that your professor is looking for something a bit more like...that when you love someone, you must keep the belief that they will be there for you, even when you can't see or touch them. If you don't, they might leave you for the rest of time."

Mark's gaze drift from the blue eyes to the pink lips and soft facial hair, and then the small button nose.

"Does that make sense," he asks, his voice almost a whisper. "That love is about trust, and faith in each other?"

"Yeah," Jack answers, only realizing then that Mark's lips are coming closer to his. "That makes...perfect sense."

Then they begin to kiss.