"Where do you get those?" Mark asks the girl after the chaos has died down.

"My mom," she smiles lightly.

"Your mom?" He asks in disbelief. "Where on Earth would your mother get them?"

"She worked at Indy Popcon a few months ago, I really wanted to go- but I wasn't home, and so she... Yeah. I'm a huge fan," she speaks quickly, clearly embarrassed that she triggered such a dramatic event.

"I see..." Mark says flatly.

"You're Eliza, right?" I ask her, suddenly remembering the night before the Indy started.

Her eyes light up and she nods excitedly. "I always told my mother you guys were secretly dating! She was so shocked when she found you guys making out in the hallway-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I hold my hands up, my cheeks growing redder. "We were NOT 'making out' in the hallway!"

"Agh, geez," Mark sputters. "Can we sign something for you?"

~~~~~~~~~~

As expected, almost everyone is dying to know about how Septiplier became a thing. Mark and I just kept repeating the same mantra: save it for the panel. In retrospect, that was not the brightest idea we've ever had, because question after question on the panel was about us and not anyone or anything else.

After we make some jokes and play a few games, Mark holds his hand out to me. I take it and he stands us up. I can see the terror in his eyes, but from far away, no one would ever know. The crowd falls silent, Ken and Felix "ooh" simultaneously, making me giggle.

"So, as some of you may already know-" Mark starts again. I frown at my feet. I'm supposed to be the one saying this. I told him I would. I can't even do this for him- what good am I? "Jack and I are a couple." He doesn't have a chance to say anymore before the high pitched screams drown us out.

"Did I hear a 'boo'?" He shouts, barely heard over the excited chatter. "Ah, I don't care," he smiles, hugging me quickly before sitting down in the chair beside me. I sit slowly, afraid that if I move too fast, my heart will explode.

"First question!" Ken shouts excitedly, watching the lines form behind the microphone stands placed in the audience. A short girl with brown hair and a pink flower crown that matches her dress approaches the mic, nervously wringing her hands.

"Go ahead," Mark mumbles gently.

"Um, I was just wondering... You know... How long have you and Jack been dating?"

The crowd cheers and Mark rolls his eyes. "That's sort of a complicated question," I say, already blushing like mad.

"Jack's right- but ah, we sort of discovered we liked each other at PAX East last March," Mark smiles at me, earning a cooing "aw" from the mass of people.

A guy steps up behind the girl as she darts back to her seat. "This question is for Mark, and I was wondering, since you and Jack have known you liked each other for a long time... What made you guys get together now?"

I hear Felix sigh, sinking into the couch. I feel absolutely terrible already. "We've been dating for a few months," Mark answers. "A more appropriate question would be 'why tell everyone now?' "

"Well, that's my question then," the guy chuckles along with the audience.

"It wasn't exactly by choice... Let's just say a few people found out and it was spreading... And we wanted to announce it before it spread too far."

Another girl speaks, this one much older and cosplaying as a character from some show. "Who asked who?"

Mark chuckles, covering his mouth as he does. "Jack?" He turns to me.

"Well, Mark asked me," cheers fill the auditorium, "but! I made it clear that I wanted to date him well before that." I'm smiling, but a quick glance at Ken only deepens my internal frown. He doesn't seem very happy.

"Hey, this question is also for Mark and Jack," an innocent looking woman grabs hold of the mic stand. She laughs nervously, shaking her head as if in disbelief in what she is about to ask us. "Who's top and who's bottom?"

"Agh, Jesus Christ," I cry into my palms. I keep my face covered, hoping Mark will answer. When he doesn't, I peek through my fingers and see him concentrating really hard on the floor, while his face looks so red it's nearing purple. "Who says we've done anything?" I save. Before we started dating, it was so easy to joke about this. I could claim top and he could insist I was bottom- but now that we're actually together and have experienced each other in ways we couldn't as friends, joking about it doesn't seem like an option.

"How about we get some other questions?" Mark complains, fidgeting in his seat. "Like for Ken or Felix?!"

~~~~~~~~~~

The panel ended miserably, and I felt sick. Mark and I went to dinner without the rest of the group, looking for something fast. I didn't say anything and neither did he- but we were both thinking it. Today had been awful. Despite it being wonderful to be together and see friends and do things we love, the exposure of our little, delicate relationship was a massive blow. Before, we were able to keep it between us, aside from YouTube and games. It was just us, Mark and Jack, not Markiplier and Jacksepticeye. It nearly feels like we were stripped naked and painted up like some gods of love. I almost wished that I could have a normal job for once.

After a very quiet dinner, we go back to the hotel. It's late and Mark seems just as upset as I am. He falls on the bed, facedown, and mumbles something.

"What was that?" I ask, sitting beside him and rubbing his back.

He turns his head, keeping his eyes closed as he huffs, "when are you moving in with me?"

I take my hand off his back as if he'd burned me. "Mark..." I warn.

"Just answer me."

"I... Don't know, okay?" I hunch over and cover my face, wishing I could disappear. He knows better.

"Give me an estimate."

"We've only been dating for a little while, I'm not sure if I'm ready to make such a drastic move..." The venom leaks out into my voice, though it has no place being directed at Mark. Today was not his fault.

"That's not an estimate," he rolls his eyes. Okay, so he's pissed too.

"I don't have an estimate for you- I don't even know what I'm going to eat tomorrow, let alone where I'll be living in a year."

"Jack," he sits up, his eyes drawn down and tired. "I need to know. I can't stand this. I know there's Skype and such, but I can't fall in love with a camera."

"I'm still here," I hiss.

"For now, but what about Tuesday? You're leaving me, in every sense." His voice is harsh and scathing, making me feel very, very small.

"No, I'm not! I'm still your boyfriend! Even with a hundred-thousand miles between us- I'm still your fucking boyfriend!" I look down at him, angry tears filling my eyes.

"Jack, it's not the same!" He shouts, visibly agitated. I leap off the bed and shove my shoes back on. "Where are you going?" He quickly sits up.

"There's no fucking way I'm letting this happen," I snap.

"Letting what happen?!"

"I'm not letting us fight right now!" I spit, "especially not about something so petty."

"This isn't petty!" He roars, his face growing red. I ignore him and open the door. "Jack, you can't just walk out on me! We need to talk about this!"

I turn back and look at him, "oh, we'll talk, but not now." I slam the door and jog down the hall, tears spilling down my cheeks. Our first fight. Everything was going so well, we were the perfect couple. Where did we go wrong? I step outside the hotel, almost wishing I smoked so I could preoccupy myself with something other than crying like the child I am. I pull out my phone and scroll through my contacts. Not even thinking, I call the first name that stands out.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Thanks for letting me sleep here," I mumble, laying down on the floor with the stiff white comforter wrapped around me.

"No problem," Felix mumbles tiredly, sliding under the sheets on the bed. "What even happened anyway? You guys were so..."

"I know- but... Today was awful. We weren't ready to tell everyone yet."

"This business is a tricky one... What was the fight about?"

"He asked me when I'm moving here. We've discussed it before, but he was in such a foul mood after the panel... We were both in a bad mood. I don't know when I'm moving here!" I cry, unlocking my phone and checking. Still nothing from Mark. He's not even wondering where I went.

"Nothing?" Felix asks. I shake my head and throw my phone across the room. It shatters against the wall. "Now there's no need for that!" He says sharply. "You guys are still together. You're in this together. Just because the stress of everyone finding out has brought this... This stupid argument on you- that doesn't mean you guys can just let each other GO. You know you love him. And you know he loves you. I'm not going to sit back and watch what you have fall apart. But you can't let it fall apart either. Fight for him, don't let the fucking fans break you up. They're so invested in this! They don't want to be the reason it ends."

I roll onto my back and look up at the ceiling. Felix is right. Just because everyone knows doesn't mean that we can't still be Jack and Mark or Mark and Jack. We don't need to always be the YouTubers That Date. We're not Septiplier. We're two, human males who fell in love. Not even a billion people would have the power to change that. "Felix?" I whisper.

"Hmm?"

"What if I'm not good enough?"

"Dispel those thoughts immediately, Jack. It's thoughts like that that will ruin the foundation your relationship rests on."

"But... He could have anyone, and I can't even make up my mind about moving-"

"It's a big decision! You're moving continents, not cities. It may seem small to Mark, but ask him how he'd feel about moving to Ireland and watch the shift happen. He'll stop bugging you once he realizes just how difficult it is going to be for you to leave behind your family and your brand new apartment. And don't fucking think about who else he could have. He chose YOU. If he wanted anyone else, he'd have them, but you know for a fact that no one is as perfect for him as you are."

I sigh, taking in everything Felix is spewing at me. "When the fuck did you become Kitty Powers Matchmaker?" I joke.

"Marzia and I have been together a long time. We went through a lot of what you two are now, and I just... You have to realize that relationships are double-sided. Talk to Mark about all this."

I wake up the next morning and instantly grab my phone and go back to the hotel, being sure to send Felix a quick text to thank him for having me and giving me advice. I only knock once before the door swings open, revealing Mark with blood shot eyes and messy hair. He doesn't say a word, only pulls me into his arms and holds me tightly. "Mark," I whisper and lean back, gasping when a tear slips out of the corner of his eye. I quickly step inside and close the door, wrapping my arms around him before he starts to sob uncontrollably. His whole body shakes, and his legs collapse, making me his only support. I lead him over to the bed and keep him pressed against me, feeling his tears soak my shoulder. His hands clutch my arms, as if to keep them around him.

"I'm so sorry," he cries, digging his nails into my sleeves.

"I... Mark... We need to talk."

His grip loosens, and he stares at me with big, frightened eyes. "Jack? What... Are you...? Please no..." He starts crying again, and buries his face in my chest, squeezing me in his embrace. I can barely breathe. "Please don't do this," he whimpers. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know it was wrong of me- but I was stressed and... And I love you. I always will. Please..."

"I'm not-"

"Please don't leave me!" He sobs, choking on air.

"Hey- hey wait! Mark, babe, I never... NEVER said I was leaving you." I rub his back and kiss his shoulder, letting him cry it out. I start tearing up myself, unable to fathom a situation in which I would break up with him. It would destroy me. Even though we've only been dating a few months, I feel a really deep connection with him. I don't have the strength to sever it. Somehow, the first video we did together seems to have been our starting platform that brought us to this point: crying and professing our love in each others' arms.

~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of PAX followed pretty much the same pattern as the first day, except Mark and I tried our hardest not to let it bother us. As I was boarding my plane, he apologized nonstop for even asking about me moving, and kissed me deeply, not caring how many people stared. It was heartbreaking, knowing I was leaving him on his own while he still blamed himself for everything. But I couldn't change it. I know that he's sad, I know that my bed is a freezing wasteland unless his arms are around me, I know that without his love, I'm lost, but I also know that we can handle time apart. Our friendship began and thrived through Skype and YouTube, so keeping it alive shouldn't have been too hard at all.

It was only when I stuck my key in my lock and swung open the door that I realized just how difficult the next few months without Mark would be.