240A/N: Warning: This chapter contains mature material!
Prize, Surprise
"You know, I'm a bit surprised you offered to do something like this." Marco said over the phone as he slid shirts in his closet out of the way to decide on something to wear. The weather was warming up the slightest bit, meaning spring was right around the corner. That didn't mean his amazing winter clothes were obsolete. It just meant the days in which he, and everyone else, could dress stylishly via layers were nearing their end only to be replaced by finding the minimal amount of clothes to wear in the warm spring.
"Yeah, well I figured we'd change things up a bit. It could be fun. After all, I went there as a kid from time to time." Jean replied. "Are you almost ready?"
"Uhhm… aaalmost…" Marco fibbed. "Where are you?"
"I'm just leaving the town and heading towards your place."
"Okay, I'll be ready when you get here."
"Alright."
"I've gotta take a shower and everything, and you shouldn't be talking on the phone while you're driving! So we'll talk when you get here."
"Cool. I won't be long."
"Alright. Adios."
"Okay. Way to live up to who I thought you were, Señor." He said, mumbling the last term.
"Huh? What?"
"Bye." Jean grinned as he ended the call. Honestly, Marco was such a fun guy to tease... Or, poke fun at. Yeah, that sounded manlier.
When she saw her brother come out of the hallway with a thick, dark green button-down shirt, dark blue jeans that were tighter than they were baggy, two black bracelets, and a clean pair of red converse, Marlene raised an eyebrow and took a few seconds to stop talking to her friend over the phone to speak, "Where are you going? For once you look like you're not the redheaded stepchild."
"Hardy har har." Marco fake-laughed as he retreated back into the hallway. He'd spent about ten minutes in front of the mirror to make sure he looked nice for his and Jean's date, but a last-minute check never hurt anybody.
Everything was on point.
His hair was neatly styled. His teeth sparkled, like they always did. His freckles were ever-present, which he knew Jean adored. No dry skin was anywhere to be seen. He even got close to make sure he had no unsightly hairs growing between his eyebrows.
From a glance, anyone would think he was a perfectly handsome young man—that he just woke up that way. But he actually spent his fair share of time in the bath and in front of the mirror to make sure he was presentable. Flawless wasn't what he ever went for, but since college started, he'd often times received compliments from friends, and even Marlene—the fashion queen—on one rare occasion prior to today, about how good he looked. Jean was no exception. There were many days in their time being in a relationship where he'd told him he looked way too nice and preppy.
A horn blew outside and Marco's phone vibrated right after it did. "Speak of the devil." He said with a grin, hurrying out the bathroom.
Marlene leaned completely over to see who it was waiting outside that Marco was looking so nice for as her brother left through the front door. When the door shut, she jumped up and rushed over to it and yanked it open.
It was that horse-faced guy who had come over a few times. She recognized his nice little car.
Now she was confuzzled. That guy wasn't that special at all. Why look nice for him?
"You look nice." Jean said as he waited for Marco to put on his seat belt. When Marco did just that with a grin, he shifted gears and backed out of the driveway. "Guess I look like an orphan compared to you."
"No, you look great!" Marco jumped to say.
Jean really did look fine. A white button-down with a large maroon stripe running the length of it and navy blue, pocket-plentiful sweats were what he'd decided to wear today. Like Marco, his bottoms were surprisingly tight… to say they were sweat pants. His combat boots were a surprise for sure. It was… an odd ensemble, but it was Jean's.
"You don't have to lie. This was all I had that was clean." He admitted.
Marco shook his head, "I really do think you look fine. But still… you haven't done laundry? Shame on you."
"Well, Mom usually does it for me. But I told her I'd do it on my own from now on. I just haven't gotten to it yet… You shoulda seen it though. She was beside herself with shock when I told her. That's the only thing she doesn't ask me to do around the house often, surprisingly."
"Guess you swiped the rug from under her. Or… the dirty clothes in this case."
It was a lame joke, but one that encouraged a mutual chuckle.
The drive back to town was enjoyably short. A bit quiet, apart from the radio playing lowly, but still enjoyable. The fair was taking place near the main park right outside the mall. All in all, it covered at least two blocks. The area was actually quite beautiful year-round. The winter snow made the trees look like they came out of a fairy tale and the lakes froze over into the perfect ice-skating rinks. The spring always made the park home to a myriad of vibrant flowers. Summer weather made it an ideal place to be on a nice, cloudy day; and all the trees that grew at the park's perimeter were the perfect places for shade or picnics. And autumn brought the wondrous colors to the trees that it was known to just before they lost it all and piles and piles of leaves were swept around by the wind.
All in all, the park was the perfect place for the fair. Parking was even problematic even despite the many people present.
"Man, I haven't been here in a while…" Jean said as he got out of his car and locked it when Marco did the same.
"Yeah, and this weather change is making it a nice time to come. It's not too cold, and it's not raining either."
The two of them went on into the bustling crowds of families, couples, and friends all immersing themselves in the many festivities. There were many things to do. A petting zoo for the kids. There were concessions at almost every corner. And, of course, many amusement park rides like a Ferris Wheel and bumper cars were set up for everyone's enjoyment.
Jean wondered as he walked beside Marco how many people knew they were here on a date. As boyfriends.
"Hey, let's go to the pirate ship!" Marco suddenly said with an undeniably excited look on his face.
"Pirate ship…? No. Please, not that ride." Jean pleaded. Anything but that one.
"But… that one is one of the most fun rides here. C'mon! Don't make me go alone!"
Jean stuffed his hands into his pockets and sighed. He really despised that ride.
When they got to it, the line wasn't unbearably long. They were actually seated not even two minutes after getting there. The ride operator made sure everyone was fastened in, then headed back to the operating panel. After he moved a lever and stepped back, the ship trembled.
Jean closed his eyes and gripped the safety bar covering his lap with both hands. The second the ride started moving backwards, he felt a hand pull one of his from the bar and hold on to it.
It was Marco's, of course. He smiled reassuringly, his freckles complimenting it, as the ride swung forward with little momentum.
Admittedly, the first minute or two of the ride was bearable. However, when the ship started moving back and forward so fast that it seemed it would go in a full rotation, that's when Jean closed his eyes again and started inwardly cursing the laughing freckle-faced man sitting beside him.
He really hated the pirate ship ride.
…
"Cotton candy?" Marco offered as he and Jean made their way to the petting zoo.
"Nah.. I don't think I can eat anymore sweets." Jean said, rubbing his stomach. After they took a short break from rides to buy some food, he'd inhaled a few too many funnel cakes.
As they came upon the goats, Marco smiled and leaned on the fence to pet a baby goat. It was so amazingly adorable. Too adorable to ignore.
"You sure like animals, huh? You take care of them at home and then play with them when you're out and see 'em, huh?" Jean commented as he leaned on the fence as well.
"Animals are great. I actually wanna get my own dogs when I move out." Marco replied as he ran his hand along the goat's back.
"Move out? When do you plan to do that?"
"Eventually. I'm actually considering moving into the city either here in Maria, or maybe in Rose or Sina."
Jean's heart sank like an anchor. "Rose or Sina?" he unintentionally repeated.
"Well, only kinda. I wanna live in the capital, but I also like it here too. I honestly feel like I couldn't leave this place for good even if I tried."
"Why not?" Jean was upset, disappointed, and quite bummed hearing these plans. Marco had thought this out and hadn't even consulted him? Granted, they'd only been dating a few weeks. But still…
"Because you and the others are here. Maybe I'll get one of those jobs where I can afford to have two houses. One in the capital and one here in Maria."
Jean simply looked to the hay-covered ground. "I guess you'll do what you want."
"Well… I wouldn't do it without heavy consideration. Besides, you and I have a future… or… at least… I want us to."
With an eyebrow raised, Jean looked back at Marco, "A future?"
"Yeah…" the obsidian-haired man looked away nervously, "Not that I've thought about it at all… …But… …Erm… …Well… If we stay together long enough… I would think we'd just kinda… do what most couples do."
Jean's heartbeat quickened. "You don't mean get married, do you?"
Marco threw his hands up defensively. "Now, I didn't say that! I was just thinking that I want us to be together for a long time. And my future plans would include you."
Jean blushed and averted his gaze. "You think too much. What makes you think we could even do something like that?"
"Well, Ymir."
"Ymir?"
"Well, not directly. But she is always saying how she's gonna marry Historia. If I'm not mistaken, there are some towns and even a few cities that do that kind of thing. I looked it up."
Jean grew unexpectedly eager. The thought of having a future with Marco was something that he never really gave much consideration. He felt bad for thinking they wouldn't be together past senior year, but he now realized that the saying, "where there's a will, there's a way," was quite applicable here. If Marco believed it could be so, and if he gave just as much belief as Marco, then yes, they could possibly spend their adult lives together in whatever way they saw fit.
"We're gonna be fine. I'd make the trips for you even if you went all the way up to Utopia District."
A smile graced Marco's face and he leaned closer to Jean so their shoulders touched. Honestly, he was glad for today. This date had been a very good idea.
"You're so close!"
"I know!" Jean shouted as he shot the watergun so it hit the target perfectly. The first time he fired, he didn't hit the target at all. The second time, he got it perfectly. If he could keep this target for longer than ten seconds, he could still win a prize!
"Wow, nice shootin'!" The booth operator said as he handed Jean a stuffed monkey from the second shelf. "Second place prizes aren't so bad, either."
"Thanks." Jean said as he took the monkey and left.
Marco followed after him with a smile. "This has been a pretty fun day!"
"Here." Jean stopped and wrapped the monkey around Marco's neck, Velcro-ing its hands together to keep it there.
"What? You did that… for me?"
"Well, it's romantic, right?"
"Um…"
"If you don't want it-"
Marco silenced Jean by leaning in and kissing him on the cheek, then smiled as he took his hand. "Of course I want it! Thank you."
Instinctively, Jean lifted his hand and palmed his face to hide his embarrassment. "What if someone saw that?!" he said nervously.
"Oh, I'm sure losta people saw that." Marco grinned innocently. "I want them to know we're together. I'm proud to be with you."
"Eh… now I feel like a bad guy."
"No, no! You may be a tad grumpy from time to time, short-tempered, foul-mouthed, and irritable-"
"Hey now…"
"But you're not a bad guy! I know you're also proud to be with me. For you, though, it's just a different process. I don't expect you to suddenly kiss me in public. We can hardly walk side-by-side without you getting nervous."
"I'm sorry.."
"If I weren't okay with it, I wouldn't be dating you. It's fine. Take your time with this."
Jean looked Marco in the eyes, this time without care for his surroundings. "I love you." he said.
"I love you, too." The taller of the two replied with a warm smile.
"Let's… go back to my place."
"Really? Aren't your parents home?"
"Then your place." Jean countered.
"Well, my parents are probably at home…"
"Somewhere!"
"Fine, I'm teasing." Marco said and then chuckled lightheartedly, "My place is fine."
"Hey, but… before we do… Let's get on the Ferris Wheel."
"Really? You wanna do that?"
"Yeah. You get to see so much of the city from it." Jean's unintentional insistence was borderline adorable. He was like a child now and didn't even realize it.
With a nod, Marco finished his cotton candy and the two of them shuffled towards the massive wheel, playing with each other by bumping their hips or shoulders together as they did.
And, just as Jean had said, the Ferris Wheel gave a grand view of the city. To one side, Wall Maria and the hundreds of buildings in front of it could be seen. To the other, grand expanses of land were laid out beyond the business district of town. However, this fleeting daytime beauty would soon turn to enchanting night. And Jean had every reason to want to get back home.
Staring across the way at Marco, he smiled a little bit. And then he found himself wanting to be closer to him as the ride rotated slowly. Just as he got up to move, the ride stopped, causing the gondola to shift back and forth, and he fell forward onto the seat.
"Jean! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine..." said man got out as he rubbed his throbbing, red-glowing face consolingly. Face-planting onto plastic, or anything really, was never pleasant.
"Here, let me see." Marco said, and then gently rested his hands on Jean's cheeks so he could take a close look at his face. "Looks like you just-"
"Just kiss me!" Jean shouted a bit too loudly. Thankfully, it seemed he didn't draw the attention of any of the people in the area.
Marco smiled and leaned forward, complying with his boyfriend's demand.
All in all, the fair wound up being a splendid idea. It faintly brought back the memories and feelings of childhood, yet it also invited the mysterious and benevolent feelings of being in a relationship with a person one truly cares for. For Jean, it was a bit of an eye-opener. Marco was quite a brave guy with a bright future. He wasn't sure if their relationship could withstand the strain of distance, but he knew for sure that he wasn't ready to just let it drop because of something so stupid. He truly didn't want to lose Marco.
Currently, the two of them were standing on Marco's doorstep, caught in the cold winds of the night that were whirling over the countryside.
"Where is your family?" Jean asked upon walking into the house and noticing it was unusually empty.
"Hmm.. Mom and Dad had a party to go to in the city. My older siblings don't really live here unless they're visiting… Marlene probably went out with her friends. And Janie and Leah are spending the night with a friend of theirs. So I have the house to myself for awhile." Marco replied as he walked inside and closed and locked the door.
"Cool." Jean said as he headed on to Marco's room.
After following Jean through the hallway and getting into his room and closing the door, Marco smiled at him, "Hey, do you think you're gonna spend the-" Before he could finish his question, he found Jean's warm lips unexpectedly pressed up against his own. He returned the sudden kiss, of course. Kissing Jean always made him feel those butterflies in his lower gut.
Now forced up against the wall, he felt hands gripping his hair tightly and completely submitted to Jean. He was clearly very in the mood tonight. And the feeling was intensely, almost aggressively, mutual.
Moving from the wall to the bed took no time at all, and Marco just so happened to be the one underneath. Reaching out, he slid his hands up Jean's arms and gently squeezed them as they continued their heated kiss.
Jean kicked his boots off and slid out of his outermost layer of clothing, tossing them to the floor in a blissful surge of lust. Now just in his underwear and socks, he felt the need to assist Marco in removing his clothes. He looked down and saw that Marco had already stripped out of his pants and shoes. "Eager, huh?" he asked with a grin.
"Shh." Marco insisted, pulling Jean down by wrapping his arms around his neck.
Their lips met once again, both immediately parting so their tongues could meet and dance together. Jean pulled away and moved so he could start nipping at Marco's ear. "Marco, where do you keep it?"
"Keep what?"
"Lube."
"Oh!" Marco blushed. "I don't have any. I have lotion… Is that okay? We've used that before.."
"Should be fine this time, too." Jean replied, now trying to get his socks off without using his hands.
Crawling over to his nightstand, Marco picked up the bottle of lotion and then pulled the drawer out. "I'm also out of condoms…"
"I've got one."
"Oh, good."
"Although, I'm all for goin' in without it…"
"What? You're going to-"
Jean enthusiastically pinned Marco down on the bed and kissed him. "Yeah. I'm ganna put it in you."
Without a word of reply, Marco simply nodded with red creeping all over his handsome, freckled face. He closed his eyes when he felt Jean start trailing kisses down his torso, dipping his tongue into his navel on the way. The sudden feeling of warmth surrounding his increasingly erecting penis made him shudder and release a heavy, desperate moan. The feeling of Jean blowing him was numbingly intoxicating. "God…" he moaned. Taking a chance, he looked down and met that surprisingly seductive gaze being thrown his way.
"Heh, you're so fun to play with." Jean said with a grin and took Marco by the underside of his knees, then lifted him up a bit.
"Jean, don't!" Marco cried out at the wet, warm feeling of that majestic tongue on his hole. "It's… not clean…"
"So?" Jean replied, then went back to casually licking over Marco's invitingly warm rear end.
"Oh… mmh…" the feeling was strange, yet delightful for such a dirty deed. Throwing his head back so his chin pointed at the ceiling, Marco bit his lower lip. "If you… wanna do that then don't kiss me." He managed to say when it grew in pleasure from Jean's insistent tongue.
When he felt Jean stop giving that area attention, he relaxed with a sigh of relief. Though, the sound of Jean preparing himself for entry made him look down.
Jean looked incredibly desirable, sitting on his knees stroking the lotion onto himself with his eyes closed.
"You're not using a condom?"
"Nah. You're not playing dirty, are you?"
"No I'm not!" Marco said, embarrassed that he was asked something like that. He'd been tested. "You're not either?"
"Of course not." Jean answered, leaning forward and pressing up against Marco. Gently, he pushed inside him.
Marco took the sheets into his hands in a tight grasp and closed his eyes, knowing the pain of Jean's instrument would eventually subside and be replaced with pleasure. He did not expect the comforting kiss on the cheek he received. Opening his eyes and turning, he kissed the side of Jean's mouth. This led to an awkward but especially loving kiss between them.
Once he felt his skin touch Marco's ass, Jean laid down on top of him and stopped moving altogether. Their chests pressed against one another's and heartbeats drumming together like a stampede provided a silent unity of inescapable love. Marco made the first move and wrapped his arms around Jean's torso, urging him to begin.
And that's exactly what Jean did, slowly, so it could be more bearable. After all, he'd been in this situation and knew the feeling. And even though Marco wasn't exactly a virgin to this kind of thing, Jean wasn't so unmindful that he would disregard the fact that he didn't simply fall into Marco like he was a well or something. "Tell me if this hurts or anything." He finally said after a few seconds of moving in and out.
"No, it's… fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, you can speed up if you want."
"Oh, right!" Jean blushed.
Marco unintentionally ran his fingernails along the man's back, earning a long and low grunt from him in the process. "Sorry!" he apologized, retracting his hands.
"No, it's fine."
From Jean's increasing pace, Marco slipped up until his head hit the headboard where it banged against it gently. When Jean quickly slid him back down so he avoided hitting it, he smiled a little. "Thanks."
"Yeah."
Jean took Marco's legs and lifted them over his shoulders, earning him a much better angle. Taking full advantage of it, he sped up until he felt sweat starting to run down his brow and chest. "Marco, you cum first…" he exhaled, throwing his head back.
"Wha-oh!" Taking his forgotten member into his hand, Marco started stroking fervently. The pleasure generated from his own efforts, Jean's continuous ramming against his prostate, and the simple idea that it was the man he loved giving him this feeling was an insurmountable one. And it was the combination of all those things, along with a sudden kiss from Jean that pushed him to his peak.
His firing range was much shorter than Jean's had been their first time together, barely making a mess on their stomachs.
The pulsing around his dick made Jean bite his lip and moan as he came inside Marco. Panting heavily, he pulled out, fell forward, and buried his face in the small of his lover's neck. For some reason, he found himself quickly interested in tangling his fingers in Marco's thick, soft hair.
"Jean, that was..." Marco panted and smiled, "that was amazing."
"Yeah, that's for sure, heh." The man replied.
Running his hands along Jean's backside that was wet with sweat, Marco closed his eyes. He could have laid there forever if that were possible. But for tonight, he would settle for holding this man close until they slipped from consciousness.
Not long after they fell asleep, a gentle vibration came from Marco's pants pocket, lighting the fabric faintly in the dark room until the screen shut off and the surprise message became an unspoken victim of the night.