I'm just wandering down an unfamiliar American street, trying to make myself believe that this is real, I'm here, in Boston... when my phone dings.

"Hey, you check in at your hotel yet?" Mark asks tiredly.

"Yeah," I mumble, dodging people as I start back for my hotel. "Do you know The Western?"

"The Western? I think I know it... 'Cause I'M IN IT!" He laughs lightly and I join him. It's easy to tell he's exhausted.

"That's pretty cool. So, I guess I'll see you in a minute then?"

"Yeah, I'm in the lobby. I'm the one with the sick muscles."

"Mark, I know what you look like," I smile.

"Are you sure? I'm apparently four-foot-seven."

"According to The Wiki anyway," I take a deep breath before approaching the front door of our hotel.

"Yeah." He says. I can almost hear his annoyance. "I'll have to change that."

"I see you," I mumble, my heart pounding as I step into the gold and white decorated lobby. He spins around, cheeks rosy from the cold. He's wearing a large sweatshirt and a thin green and black scarf with blue jeans. A few suitcases surround him, making me wonder if my one suitcase is going to be enough.

"Hi," he breathes into the receiver, and I can just barely hear him from the door. Our eyes meet and I hang up, blindly shoving my phone in my jacket pocket. I cross the room to him, taking long, steady strides. I finally get to meet him. "Uh, hey-" he whispers into the phone, then, realizing what he's just done, fumbles with it, trying to hang up. "Uh, hey. Hey Ja- Sean? Do you mind Sean?"

I smirk, "call me whatever," and extend my hand out to him. He makes a face, and at first I think I've offended him in some way, but then he pulls me into a hug.

"Good to see you," he pats my shoulder, his hand lingering.

"Good to see you too," I can't help but grin at him. He's only like an inch taller than me. I would have thought he'd be much taller.

We stare at each other for a moment before he seems to snap back into reality. "Wanna carry my bags for me?" He gestures at the suitcases around him.

"Ha, sure." I grab two.

"Oh, I didn't actually expect you to- ah I'm not gonna complain." He leads me to the elevator and we ride up in awkward silence. He's on the floor above me, I make a mental note of it.

"... And this is my room," he swipes the card two times before he manages to unlock the door.

I put his suitcases by the edge of his bed and yawn. This time difference is going to mess with my head. "When are we meeting everyone?"

"Uh..." He drops his suitcase and sits, sliding back against the headboard. "In a little bit, Yami is supposed to text me."

"Hm, well, it's nice to finally meet you," I say, not sure if I should sit on the bed or leave.

"Here," he pats next to him, answering my question. "Tell me how your flight was."

"Heh, long," I cautiously leave an inch or two between his leg and mine. "Pretty good movies though."

"Yeah? That's good. You tired?" He closes his eyes, laying down fully.

"Very," I yawn again. "It's nearing my bed time back home."

"Hmmm..." He seems to sink into the pillow.

"How was your flight?" I mumble.

"Good, good. Got extra peanuts."

It seems like forever before Yami texts, Mark's phone vibrating on the nightstand. He sits up and types a reply before stretching and running a hand through his hair. "Time to go, Sean... Eh."

"Eh what?" I stand up slowly and crack my neck.

"It feels weird."

"Yeah," I agree with him. "It does."

"Time to go, Jack," he smiles weakly. "Oh, ladies first," he lets me pass him. I roll my eyes. It's kind of awkward. But I know we'll get in the groove of things soon enough.

"Chilly," Mark shivers. We decided to just walk to the restaurant instead of paying for a cab. It isn't all that far anyway.

"Really wakes you up," I inhale shakily. It's fucking freezing out here.

"No kidding," he whispers through clenched teeth.

"Hey!" Mark cheers when we see the guys. We get a booth, all of us squishing together. Mark sits on the end next to me, making me feel like a child sort of. A waitress comes over and Mark orders a round of beers. I sip mine, not wanting to be hung over tomorrow. Everyone seems to be talking at once, Bob and Mark, Yami and Wade... Some people I don't even recognize. I say a few things, but just get lost in the excited chatter of reunited friends. At some point, Mark pulls out his phone and snaps a picture of all of us. I look really angry in it because I'm tired, but he says he likes it anyway.

After dinner, Mark and I say goodbye to everyone and walk back to the hotel. "I swear it got colder," he hisses, wrapping his scarf tighter around his neck.

"It is winter..." I blink against the icy wind and swing my arms as I walk.

"So... Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, it was really cool meeting you guys!" I say as my hand brushes his. "Oh, sorry."

"No problem," he smiles.

In the elevator, he takes off his jacket and yawns. "Good night, Jack, see you in the dining room for breakfast?"

"Yeah, yeah. If I get up in time," I smile tiredly. "Good night Mark."

Back in my room, I sigh, a huge grin on my face. This is finally happening.

I wake up around six-thirty, surprisingly, and take a long, hot shower. It's supposed to be really cold today. Again. I find Mark in the lobby, sitting on a couch and playing on his phone. "I thought you gave up on Clash of Clans," I joke.

He looks up at me with a face of pure innocence, "I did."

"Right... Good morning," I help him up off the couch.

"Morning," he smiles, walking beside me to breakfast.

After we grab our plates, he sets his down and pulls my chair out for me. He's such a dork. "M'lady," he places his hand on my lower back and pushes me to my chair.

"Mark," I hiss, looking around. There's only a few people here, but still, "what if they think we're gay?" My temperature rises at the thought.

He shrugs, "so what? Half the internet thinks we are already."

"True, but... Still Mark, we don't want the rumors to get too crazy."

"I don't mind," he stares straight into my eyes. I hope the lights are dim enough that he can't see my blush. I don't like him like that, but just thinking about it is making me turn red. I bite the inside of my cheeks and look down at my plate.

"You okay?" He asks me around a mouthful of bacon and scrambled eggs.

"Nervous," I glance up at him.

"For PAX? Oh, don't be nervous! It's so much fun!"

"I've never done this before," I remind him.

"And?"

"You have. Several times."

"Psh, you'll be fine. Just don't worry."

"What if no one recognizes me?"

He laughs, "oh Jack... Really?"

"You're going to help me out with this, right?"

"Sure, sure. I'll make you feel right at home," he smiles sweetly.

~~~~~~~~~~

By the time we actually get inside, Mark has been stopped twice. He opens the door for me, letting me go first. A mob of people are just wandering around, each individual going a different direction and at a different pace. I swallow, a lump forming in my throat. A few people start towards him, and then a few more... Until there's a hundred people around us. I have no idea how well I'm masking my emotions. This is SO COOL. People know who I am! I sign badge after badge, smiling for pictures and at Mark.

The time flies by. I meet more people than I can count, and even get a few gifts. I've had such an amazing day! I can't believe I'm so lucky.

After dinner, a bunch of us go out for drinks. A few rounds later, we all take some shots of Fireball. Bob gets the brilliant idea that we should go to his hotel to play Truth or Dare, and everyone bails except Wade, Mark and I.

"I'll go first," Bob says, sitting on his bed. "Somebody truth or dare me."

"Truth or dare?" Wade asks, sitting on the love seat with Mark. I sit on the bed by Bob, feeling more tipsy than I'd like.

"Truth."

"Uh..." Wade thinks for a moment, "how many times have you picked your nose in the past month?"

"Wade?!" Bob laughs. "Like, twice, come on."

"Who's next?" I ask, knowing I'll pick dare.

"Well, let's go clockwise," Bob slurs, "so, Mark. Truth or dare?"

"Dare. I ain't no wimp."

"Hm... How about..." Bob looks at me, then at Wade. "I can't think of one Wade, care to help me out?"

Wade grins evilly at me. "Mark, I dare you to go kiss Jack. For a whole minute." My eyes nearly bulge out of my skull. My already erratic heartbeat pretty much triples in speed. Mark looks at me, no expression on his face. He looks like he actually expected this. He gets up and comes over to the bed, leaning over me and grabbing my face in his hands. He tilts my head back gently, his eyes shining, his cheeks flushed. Even his nose is pink.

"With tongue," Bob adds.

I open my mouth to protest but Mark's already closed his eyes, his hair touching my forehead as he leans even farther down. The second his lips touch mine, I put my hands on the bed beside me, holding myself up. "Whoa," Bob whispers. Mark keeps kissing me long after the minute is up, but when he pulls away, he looks down at me with the same blank expression as before.

"Whoo!" Wade cheers as Mark sits back down, leaving me staring breathless at the ceiling. What was that?!

"Geez, Mark," Bob giggles. "Where did that come from?"

"Too much Fireball," he mutters.

We play a few turns, but eventually Wade gets too tired and heads to his room, leaving us all half-asleep.

"I think it's about time I left too," I say, wanting to avoid an awkward cab ride with Mark.

"Me too," Mark says quickly, ruining my chance of being alone. Great.

"So..." He starts as I get in the taxi after him.

"So."

"I've had too much to drink tonight."

"No need to tell me," I laugh once.

"Yeah," he rubs the side of his face, "so..."

"So?"

"Sorry. About that. I wouldn't have done that if I'd been sober."

"Oh. Yeah, it's... It's fine. I just didn't expect it."

"I did."

"You did? Why?" Could Bob and Wade have planned that?

He shakes his head, "I'll tell you back at the hotel."

I follow him to his room and he sighs before sitting on his bed. "Bob and Wade think Septiplier is funny. They were teasing me for a while, all in good fun of course, but then they got to joking about how I'm single and even though you're not, they..." He sighs again. I sit on the edge of the bed and look at him, remembering how it felt to have his lips on mine. "They wanted to see if they could make us do something. Like, even hold hands. I guess Truth or Dare was the perfect opportunity."

"Oh..." I whisper. That still doesn't answer why his kiss was so passionate. "Well, thanks for telling me... I guess." I start to get up and he grabs my sleeve.

"Wait," he looks at me with an expression I don't recognize. "Stay just a little bit longer." I sit back down and he lets go of my arm. "So, how do you like America so far?"

"It's cold and snowy," I half-smile.

"Yeah.... Not in L.A. It's a miracle to get snow out there. Unlike Ireland, I bet."

"Ha, not really much snow, just a TON of rain and clouds. We barely ever see the sun."

"How do you survive?"

"I like rain," I smile, looking into his eyes. He smiles back.

"I'm so glad you're here."

"Long distance relationships are the worst, right?" I sigh, thinking of my girlfriend. He nods and I continue. "I mean, it wouldn't be so bad if I just had someone to talk to on a daily basis, like face-to-face, y'know?" I grab a pillow and hug it to my chest.

He nods again and scoots closer to me, touching my knee. "We should Skype more. I mean, I rarely have time for anything like that but..." He stares into my eyes. "I could make time."

My stomach flips; his eyes are dark, piercing black. I barely manage to whisper, "Thanks, Mark."

"If you're feeling lonely, never hesitate to call me."

"I won't," I say automatically, robotically.

"You won't hesitate or you won't call?"

"Maark," I drag out his name, making him smile.

"I'm serious," he bluffs. I take the pillow and smack his shoulder lightly. He dramatically falls to the side. "Jack! You hit me? I thought we were friends!" I laugh, hitting him again, but on the hip this time. He tosses his head back, (his glasses flying off,) and hurriedly gets on his feet, grabbing the other pillow and wielding it like a sword. His messy hair frames his face, perfectly curling onto his cheekbones.

"Are you serious?" I get on my knees, holding my pillow in optimum swinging position.

"Yeah!" He hits me across the face.

I swipe his shoulder, "Yeah?"

"Yeah!" He hits my side, making me lose my balance and nearly fall.

I jump off the bed with liquid grace and walk to him, being careful to avoid his glasses. "You sure, Mark?" I smirk and proceed to whack him relentlessly with the stiff, hotel pillow. "Are you?!" I give him a final blow across the face and he steps backward, looking dazed.

"Oh, it's on," he slams his pillow on my cheek and I take a step forward, pushed by the momentum of his swing. Before I can retaliate, his pillow smacks my back, sending me stumbling across the room. "You sure you're ready for this?" He holds up his pillow.

"Yeah!" I hit his stomach and hold my pillow up as a shield, warding off his attacks.

"You ready?!" He growls, the pillow thumping my arms.

"Yeah!" I laugh, unable to move as he swings, and swings again.

"Oh yeah?!" He laughs, dropping his guard for just a second, but it's enough.

"YEAH!" I bring the pillow down on his head.

He shoves his pillow under my neck and pins me against the wall with his arm on my chest. My nose against his, I stare into his eyes.

"... Yeah?" He murmurs. We're both panting heavily, his hot breath adding to the warmth of my face. His lips are just a inch away from mine. His eyes flicker and he slowly moves closer, his lips parted ever so slightly. There's barely anything keeping our lips from meeting, but I can't move, I'm transfixed. "Jack..." He moans softly, somehow moving closer still. Our lips meet again and my eyes fall shut, my hands automatically grabbing his hips. The kiss is almost violent, lust-filled. I don't know what I'm doing, kissing someone else while my girlfriend is out there somewhere, thinking of me. But I can't help it. Mark seems so needy, and I've been so lonely...

Three sharp bangs to the wall bring us back to reality. He steps back and rubs his eyes, throwing the pillow back on the bed. "Sorry," he says in the general direction of the sound. I'm still frozen, my back against the wall. He stares back at me, his face redder than my sweatshirt. "You okay?" He asks. I open my mouth, but can't think of what to say. He comes back to me, slowly wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me against him. He leans in closer, our noses almost touching. He looks so different without his glasses on. "Where were we?" He kisses me again, lifting me up and laying me on the bed. He breaks the kiss to climb up next to me, and pulls me to him once more. I kiss him this time, as sweetly and as tenderly as I can. My hands press against his chest, one of his hands on my hip and the other on my cheek. He strokes my jaw line with soft fingers, sending chills up my spine. I get as close to him as I can, inhaling the sharp scent of his cologne. His lips move down my neck, his cold teeth scraping my skin as he moves to my collarbone. I gasp when he bites down. Though there is nothing painful in his bite.

He's so drunk right now. Does this count as taking advantage of him? It could easily be seen as him taking advantage of me too; I'm drunk and didn't have much human contact before I came here. We're both in need of something more than just your standard friend and family interactions.

When his lips return to mine, I feel his hands unzip my jacket and slide under my shirt, grasping my hips and pulling me even closer somehow. "Agh, Jesus, Mark," I whisper against his lips. He pushes me onto my back and hovers over me, one of his legs in between my own. He showers me with kisses, across my nose, cheeks and neck. Occasionally, he dips down and kisses my lips deeply, stealing my breath away.

What am I thinking?! This is Mark here! Markiplier! And I have a girlfriend. I shouldn't be doing this, yet here I am, making out with him. I pull back and look at him. He's smiling, blushing... He kisses my nose and closes his eyes, laying down next to me. I continue to stare at him, alcohol numbing my thoughts. He's my friend, but will this night change that? Will he even remember this tomorrow? Will I?

I sneak out after he falls asleep, turning the light off before I go. I smile to myself as I slide under the covers. Septiplier is finally canon, but no one can know.