13. Carnival

Summary: Dave and Jack stumble upon a funfair/carnival while in Vegas. What happens next probably won't surprise you but hey I don't get paid for this, sue me! Slightly ooc dialoge.

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*Glances over at the angsty fairly fucked up draft where I projected my own feelings and experiences a little too hard so that I feel sick whenever I try to work on it*

So, how about another one of them being silly aye?

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Drug, drink, and dick had been fun; Vegas had been fun. But the unholy trinity wasn't all it had to offer, Dave and Jack would come to find when they stumbled across a carnival amidst the city of sin. They'd still been fairly sober, despite the clock nearly hitting twelve, and decided to blow their money on funfair rides rather than casinos and liquor. Crowds gathered around the elaborate machines, which were more than likely unsafe, and Dave's typically lifeless eyes sparkled with excitement.

Truth was, he'd spotted it miles away. Above high rise buildings, a small cart that contained a total of four people continuously swung by in circles. Jack had seen it before on television; a long metal beam with a cart on each side, moving through the air at a high speed. Dave enthusiastically told him that they were typically called boosters, and descended into a rambling about them. After having learnt they were about a hundred and fifty feet tall, ran at a speed of seventy miles an hour, and that their name was a reference to the adrenaline boost they provided; Jack spoke up.

"Dude, how do you even know all this?"

He nudged Dave's side as they walked towards the distinct screams and music, which grew increasingly louder. The man rubbed his abnormally long neck in response, averting his eyes while his enthusiastic tone briefly faltered; he spoke:

"Henry's circus traveled with several carnivals during its runtime, drew in more customers 'n all... I didn't have a lot of money back then, so I rarely got to go on any rides, but I always tried to chat with the operators while we were there."

Jack watched the other with intent, knowing this was one of those times where he would descend into a story without interruption. He liked those moments, where he didn't use that Dog awful nickname every sentence, where he could fully envelop himself in his storytelling. Dave would have done wonders reading to kids, Jack briefly thought to himself before becoming painfully aware of his usual procedure with unattended infants.

"Sometimes they even let me ride 'em for free! But I spoke to a lot of 'em back in the day, which is where I learnt a lot."

"Aren't those things, like, wildly unsafe though?"

Jack interrupted, the curiosity behind that question getting the better of him. That glare in Dave's eyes he cherished so much finally made a return, and he let out a laugh at the concern on Jack's face.

"More people die because of springlock suits in a day than people do at a carnival every year, old sport! I think you're worried about the wrong thing, 'ere."

Jack laughed, because admittedly, he was correct. Freddy's had claimed more victims the past year than carnivals had in its entirety, and yet he still showed up there. Despite his question being put in perspective, he still couldn't stand letting Dave have his victory:

"Well, I get paid to wear those! Here, we pay them, don't we?"

Dave huffed, giving Jack a playful punch in the shoulder as he replied sarcastically:

"Way to have a little fun, sportsy!"

Dave's arm landed over his shoulder as he huffed in acknowledgement to his statement, and the carnival came in sight. Bright, rapidly flashing, lights and suggestive imagery clouded their view, the sweet smell contributional to populating all their senses. Machinery moved all around them, metal constructions that swung from side to side, one in particular swaying right over their heads. Jack was barely able to conceal the yelp that threatened to escape his throat as he jumped, bumping against Dave's side.

The purple man, whose arm clung tightly to Jack, seemed far more enthusiastic about the whole ordeal. His head was shooting around to take everything around them in, pointing at several machines that all seemed utterly terrifying to Jack. He considered his frontal lobe was too developed for this, before remembering he had no such thing to begin with. And so, he allowed Dave to drag him across the fairgrounds for a substantial amount of time.

Eventually, they came to a halt before the machine they'd seen swing by above tall buildings. It was far bigger than he'd imagined it, Jack thought to himself as he near audibly gulped. The line of people awaiting entry was minimal, and the majority of the crowd that'd gathered was watching the people screaming high up in the air. A hand of Dave's came to lay on his waist, and he was pulled flush against his side.

"What'dya say, sportsy?!"

He gestured to the machinery. Jack briefly looked at him, terror in his eyes.

"David. You are NOT getting me on that!"

Jack exclaimed, fruitlessly trying to pry himself from Dave's grasp. The purple man pouted, looking back and forth between Jack and the attraction that stood tall.

"Really...?"

The fake dismay in his voice was done so well Jack almost caved in for that reason alone, but he stood his ground:

"Nah-uh! You can go by yourself if you really want to, but there's no way in hell I'm going on that thing."

Dave let go of Jack's waist, barely able to conceal the disappointed expression on his face. He muttered an okay, before drifting off into a different direction. Admittedly, Jack did feel a little guilty. He understood that it meant a lot to Dave, given his child-like adoration towards it and the former inability to an experience that seemed critical in his mind. He chased after him, grabbing him by the arm before he could get lost in the crowd.

"Hey, we can do something else! Like- Um..."

He scanned the fairgrounds as Dave eyed him up and down with curiosity. They were in an area that contained the particularly rough attractions, and quite literally all of them were too tall, too fast, or too tall and too fast for Jack.

"That- Thing..."

His finger landed on the attraction he deemed most safe, barely keeping a fabricated expression from faltering from his face. It was a claw, with four individual sets of four chairs at the bottom of it, swinging from one side to another while simultaneously rotating. Looking back on it; it definitely wasn't his best choice, but Dave's smile was already growing. He took a step back towards Jack, his arm taking its place on his shoulders again.

"Really? You'd do that for me, sportsy~?"

He questioned, with that particular tone he always used if he needed something from Jack. The worst part was that Dave knew he was gullible for it, and would frequently use it to his advantage.

"Yes, but only if you shut up right this instant."

"Can do, old sport."

They walked towards the machine, Jack with dread and Dave with joy that could only be matched to that of a young child's. The closer they came, the more Jack started to notice that it was just as extreme of a machine as the one Dave had just tried to get him into. But he didn't have the heart to back away now; he couldn't deal with the look on Dave's face again. In the end, he was a child at heart, and Jack was quite possibly the only person to have ever seen that. Who was he, to deny Dave to catch up to the childhood he never really had.

Jack paid them in, a crumpled bill that was more than likely fake. They only had to wait a few minutes before the machine came to a halt and they could take their seats, but those mere seconds were enough to get Jack terrified. Once the harness lowered over his chest and he and Dave strapped in, there really was no way back. While Dave happily dangled his legs beneath himself, Jack was already clutching the bars of his spot. Waiting for other people to fill the seats alongside them, Dave took notice and spoke quietly:

"Old sport, you can hold my hand if you'd like-"

Dave held out his hand between them, the other resting on his lap, as he looked past the harness keeping him in place towards Jack. He looked at the purple hand stretched out before him, much larger than his own and covered in small scars. Even if he didn't care about the slight homoerotic implications of that; he didn't want to come off as a pussy, to put it plain and simple.

"Nah, I'll be alright-"

The tremor in his voice betrayed his nervousness, and Dave merely shrugged in response as he leaned back against the cold seat. The rest of the seats had also been filled by now, and the plateau underneath them retracted. He saw the way Dave's legs swung even more at the notion, and decided that this was worth it for that alone. Slowly, the machine came into motion and Jack's hands tightly clasped the bars again. For a solid ten seconds he considered that it might not have been as bad as he thought, before the claw suddenly stood horizontal.

Plummeting back down and swinging to the opposite side, the both absolutely screamed their lungs out. Although Dave's was more of enjoyment than Jack's, who had his eyes screwed shut. Dave was quick to let go of the harness' bars and raise his hands in the air, the content exclamation making Jack curious as to what he looked like. He liked looking at Dave, and it would be a shame if he were to miss out on the joy that plastered his face right now.

Slowly, he created a narrow slit between his eyelids to peek through. He almost shut them again, as he was met with the metal framing of the attraction approaching rapidly. Though, as the dark night sky came into sight, he opened his eyes entirely. It took another swing for him to calm his breathing and slightly untense the muscles keeping his hands into fists, but he somehow eased into the rapid motion.

He looked to his side, met with the sight of Dave. His mouth was open in a wide smile, his eyes screwed shut and his hands raised high above himself, still swinging his feet. With the coloured lighting embracing his features, he looked almost human; he looked beautiful. His eyes opened, almost immediately interlocking with Jack's gaze as he gave him a gentle smile. And in that moment, in a fit of mesmerization, Jack raised his arms as well. In an interval of weightlessness, he let out a joyous scream that quickly turned into one of fear as the claw swung back down.

When the two got off the ride, Jack was a little less terrified of it. The rest of the ride consisted of intervals where he would go from happily shouting with his hands in the air, to gritting his teeth in fear while grabbing onto the bars attached to his seat. That, and sneaking the occasional glance towards Dave. He was sure that the man in question must've noticed, at least once. As they stepped off the attraction, his eyes briefly shot back towards that supposed booster Dave had been so enthusiastic about. If this wasn't so bad, then maybe that monstrous looking machine wouldn't be either.

"Hey Dave- I know I said I wouldn't go on that, but..."

Dave was still giddy with excitement from the previous ride, and he seemed startled as Jack raised his voice. He looked at Jack, confused, before seeing where he had his finger pointed. Immediately, his face beamed with joy.

"I'd be- Willing... To give it a try, so long as I get to sit besides you."

He'd barely finished his sentence when Dave grabbed him by the wrist and began dragging him along towards the ride. Jack swallowed the apprehension he felt growing in his stomach upon seeing the imposing height they were approaching, instead looking towards Dave's wide grin that only seemed to be getting bigger. It was worth it to see Dave beam with such genuine, unsolicited, joy for once in his life.

This time Dave paid them in, Jack nervously averting his eyes from the carts that raced by every few seconds. After an agonizing minute of waiting, the thing slowed and one end of the beam halted before them. The previous riders came out with mixed looks on their faces, and the operator instructed the two to come nearer. Jack had to consciously prevent himself from reaching for Dave's hand as they were strapped into an elaborate harness for the second time that evening.

The cart had two seats on each side, and it took another minute or so for two other people to be strapped in on the other side of them. While they'd been the first in line, there were now more people gathering in front of the attraction. The platform beneath them retracted, and Jack couldn't suppress a yelp as it slowly came in motion. Their end of the beam was raised to the very top, standing high above the buildings surrounding them, as people exited and entered the other end. They stood motionless, waiting for the other card to be filled, and Jack felt himself fill up with anxiety.

In a few seconds, they would drop either forward or backward, a hundred and fifty feet downward. Their cart would no longer stand upwards, and they'd topple over; a toy for gravity to be played with. He knew he couldn't go back now, and looking towards Dave's enthusiastically swinging feet was no longer helping, especially given that the ground stood in the background.

"Give me your hand-!"

He demanded, hurriedly, in a last resort. Dave snorted from beside him, the safety harness not allowing them to look at each other.

"Oh, now you want good ol' Davey's hand~?"

He teased, but reached his hand forwards anyway. Jack had pressed himself tightly against the backrest of his seat, only letting one hand go from the bars to tightly clasp it into Dave's. He gently squeezed Jack's hand in return to the harsh grip he had on him, rubbing his thumb over the back of it.

"Shut up and just-"

The machine came in motion again, and they slowly toppled forward. Even though it hadn't been close to its regular speed, Jack let out a scream that could have belonged to a teenage girl. He shut his eyes, feeling the wind hit him in the face as the machine roared under him and spun him around, the cart already swinging with their weight. Dave let out an enthusiastic exclamation as they went up again, now also tightly squeezing Jack's hand. It ground him, despite the loud terrified screaming telling him otherwise.

If Jack hadn't already known what it felt like to die, he could've sworn he now did. As the machine accelerated to its highest speed, Jack resorted to gritting his teeth and somehow shutting his eyes even tighter, rather than loudly screaming. He tried, desperately, to acclimatize towards the various motions and quick speed of the ride, but largely failed to do so. It must've looked comedic, a grown man screaming his absolute lungs out in fear, on an attraction that was more often visited by teenagers.

Dave didn't let go of his hand, not once; squeezing it tightly. At some point Jack dared to squint through the narrow split created between his eyelids, meeting with the sky ahead of him. As he did, Dave raised his and Jack's hand in the air between them with an enthusiastic yell. And right there, just for a moment, Dave uplifted him during the dread and terror. He couldn't do anything about it, paralyzed with fear, but he didn't mind. It felt nice, everything was somehow nicer with Dave.

The brief moment of adoration was of short notice, as the ground came in sight again and he squished Dave's hand damn near a pulp. The rest of the ride was filled with substantial amounts of screaming, yelling, and things akin to that. Dave was near entirely oblivious to Jack's dismay, content to take in the view that swung by with every spin of the attraction. Eventually they finally got off, Jack's throat screamed raw and his legs shaking. He'd held onto Dave's hand until the moment an operator came and unbuckled their harnesses, flesh squeezed pale.

"Let's do something else, yeah old sport? Ya' didn't really seem to be... Very joyous back there-"

Dave spoke with a gentle voice, pointing back over his shoulder to the ride they'd just gotten out of. Jack refused to look at it again, and merely let out a tensed breath.

"I've never been happier with anything that came out of your mouth-"

The contents were harsh, but the soft tone of voice suggested gratitude. He took a wobbly step towards Dave, clinging to his side and interlocking their arms. Aside from the fact he was genuinely unstable, the adrenaline racing his body had made him droopy and slightly more adoring of Dave. Maybe it was the darkness in combination with the lighting doing him justice, or maybe Jack was just containing a lot of feelings behind an emotionally distant facade.

"What about that?"

Dave was now pointing towards a typical throwing stand, several stacks of cans displayed with fabric balls laying on the counter. Jack was just happy to do anything that didn't involve his body being tossed around like a meatsack, and agreed. They approached the stand, and now it was Jack's turn for his eyes to sparkle upon examining the various plushies that hung on display. Large stuffed animals latched onto hooks from the ceiling, glaring button eyes staring at him. Dave held out a finger to the couple running the stand, and one of the women held out her hand for money to be placed in. As three balls were given to him, Jack's eyes landed on one plush in particular.

"Dave! If you win that one for me, I'll-"

It was one of the smaller plushies, costing fifty points; the total that could be won by throwing over all the cans in one set. A yellow cartoon bear, with a purple bowtie and tophat, its eyes a very faint magenta.

"I'll kiss you!"

Dave was already in the process of throwing a ball, faltering in its track only for it to hit a singular can. He'd blurted it out on impulse, the adrenaline rush still wearing off from moments earlier.

"What-?"

"I- I don't know how to motivate you!"

But now Dave was extra determined to take down all the cans, tossing the second ball into his hands. He smiled at Jack, briefly, and he returned that same soft gaze. With such a harsh throw it shouldn't have been humanly possible, Dave managed to knock down a substantial amount of cans. Three remained, a small pyramid that was a miniature of the one prior.

"Watch me, sportsy..."

He reeled his arm back, throwing with such precision that it managed to definitively knock back two of three cans, the last balancing dangerously on its side. Even though the two had watched many horrors beyond human comprehensions; this might very well have been the scariest moment of their lives. Just as it seemed that the can would return to stand in its original spot, one of the women running the stand took notice of their situation and softly nudged the tin with her finger; throwing it over.

"Fuck yeah!"

Dave cheered, and the woman gently smiled towards Jack. Both she and her wife could see that the closet was glass. She asked whether Dave wanted his points in credit or if he wanted to spend them right now, and he pointed towards the plush Jack had set his eyes on earlier. She took it off the hook it hung on, and handed it to Dave with a grin. He intended to give it to Jack, so caught up in his unexpected victory that he hardly noticed Jack's hands on the collar of his shirt.

He had to stand on his forefoot to reach Dave's lips, even with him pulling the man down by his shirt. Their lips interlocked, briefly, for a quick peck on the lips. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly, like he had on the ride they were on moments ago, although not in terror this time around. Dave's eyes threatened to close as well, looking at Jack in amazement through fluttering lashes. He pulled back, releasing the fabric squeezed between his fingers.

"Okay- Sorry, I probably should've asked before I-"

"I want another one."

He interrupted Jack, holding the plushie up high. A grin plastered Dave's face, matching the one on Jack's as he reached for the prize.

"Or I won't give you it!"

He laughed, taking a step back as Jack took one towards him, making sure the stuffed toy was out of reach. This time, Jack gently lay a hand on the back of his neck, beckoning him closer. Their lips met again, far less rushed than before as he felt Dave's chest press against him, drowning in the warmth of his lips. Jack felt the plush press against his waist as enlarged hands cluelessly grabbed at him, unaware of the looks they were given.

For just a second, the world stopped turning and they were embraced with the joyous simplicity of the moment. He wanted to stay there forever, in Dave's embrace, together with the man who managed to let him experience joy once more. Since the departure of his soul, he'd been void of any strong emotions, but sometimes Dave managed to undo that for just a split second. Brief moments, gentle touches and enthusiastic exclamations; he made Jack feel alive.

"There you go, sportsy~"

Dave gently spoke upon parting, pressing the stuffed animal to Jack's chest. His face beamed bright with a smile, and Jack flashed him a grin that just barely exposed his gapped teeth before speaking with fabricated cockyness:

"I could've easily won it myself, so don't flatter yourself, aubergine-!"

They both knew that it wouldn't have had the same meaning if he did win the crappy toy himself, but that wouldn't ever be verbalized. Jack briefly examined it before tightly hugging it to his side, flashing Dave a smile and muttering a low but genuine thank you.

"Alright old sport, ya' wanna check out the arcade machines?"

Because that's all he could really say; maintaining the lighthearted joy of the situation was easier than acknowledging the complications of being more than simply partners in crime. Instead Jack took his hand, and they headed for even more overpriced, flashy, machines. And yet, the gentle touch of Dave's palm in his felt different, just a little more tender.

The night was young, as was their relationship.

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[3893 words]

Can you tell I like funfairs? Also *insert dark carnival reference*

I WROTE THIS IN LESS THAN TWO DAYS IM A FUCKING MACHIIIIIIIINE

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Also, just a reminder: requests/suggestions are always welcome!