July 1st, 2020

Jack's POV

"You have everything packed?" Mark picked up one of my suit cases.

"Yeah!" I forced a smile.

"Hey, are you alright?" He set down my suit case and walked over, putting his hands on my waist.

"I'm just... Nervous." I played with the hem of my shirt anxiously.

"Why?" He put his hand on my cheek, his eyes full of concern and care.

"You grew up with these cousins, they're a huge part of your life. I want to make a good impression. I'm so scared to meet them..." I hugged him loosely and lay my head on his shoulder.

"It's okay! You're talented and beautiful, you're a lead in your first movie! That never happens! You're recording an album of music you wrote all on your own to be published, and with just the few leaked songs people already love you. But I love you more than they ever will, and I know you can do this. We'll be okay." He said softly. "We're going to have a great weekend, see some fireworks, then we can come home and relax." He kissed the shell of my ear.

"I know there's a firework show, but are we lighting fireworks off at your Aunt's house on Fourth of July?" My voice shook slightly.

"Yeah, if that's okay?" Mark ran his hand up and down my back.

"That's f-fine... No spinning fireworks." I muttered.

"Spinning fireworks?" He asked.

"The ones you light on the ground and they spin and shoot up into the air. Please don't light any of those..." I buried my face in the crook of his neck.

"Okay, I won't." He hugged me quickly then pulled away. "Come on! We have to make our flight!" He grabbed my suit case and carried it out. I grabbed my carry on and followed him outside. The sky was a dark blue, the sun hadn't risen yet and it was super early in the morning. His family and my dad got in his parent's car, I climbed in the front of Mark's car.

"What took you so long!" Molly complained in mock annoyance.

"Had to double check a few things." I buckled in.

"Like the size of Mark's-"

"No!" I interrupted Felix, rolling my eyes. Mark hopped in the front, buckling in and starting the car.

We drove down to the airport, following Mark's parent's car and listening to the radio. Finally, just as the sun peeked over the horizon, we found a parking spot in the parking garage and made our way down to the airport.

"I can't wait to go home again! I miss Ohio, so pretty there." Molly sighed happily.

"I love Cincinnati, I haven't seen my cousins for a couple years and I'm so excited to see them!" Mark grinned happily.

"I hope I don't look stupid." I ran a hand through my still green hair. The director asked me to keep it for my part.

"You don't look stupid. I like your hair." Mark ruffled my hair. "I wish I could've kept the red, but my hair was falling out. Maybe I'll dye it again someday." He sighed.

I stayed silent as we walked towards airport security, looking around at all the businessmen and families going on vacation. We dropped off our bags and got in line for security. I stayed close to Mark, anxiously looking anywhere but at the large machines and security. Suddenly a large, buff security guard came up behind me.

"Are there any weapons or sharp objects in your bag?" He asked sternly. My jaw dropped as I tried to speak but nothing came out.

"No, sir, it's just-" Mark tried to speak but the guard shot him a glare, pausing him mid sentence.

"Are there any weapons or sharp objects in your bag?" He asked, even more stern than last time.

"No, sir, just my phone and stuff." I squeaked, talking quickly and quietly. He moved on, and I let out a sigh of relief.

We arrived to the front of the line. I put my bag and shoes in a plastic bucket and pushed it onto a conveyor belt. Mark walked in front of me, following the instructions of the man running the x-ray machine. I shakily stepped up and followed the picture in front of me.

"Hold out your arms and place your feet on the footprints below you." He said strictly. I did as told and waited shakily for him to tell me to move on. But as soon as I stepped off, he pulled me aside. "What's your country of birth?" He said seriously.

"I-Ireland." My voice shook.

"When did you move to America?" He asked.

"W-When I was f-four." I silently prayed for him to leave me alone. "Sixteen years ago."

"Do you have any weapons, sharp objects, or intentions to hurt anyone?" He glared at me.

"N-No..." I shifted uncomfortably. I could feel hot tears burn my eyes. Finally, he nodded, stepped aside, and let me rush over to Mark. I grabbed my bag, pulled on my shoes, and grabbed his hand tightly.

"Shh, it's okay. We're done." He whispered softly as we walked along. I looked up, gate A26 written on a sign right above us. Mark pulled me along and I sat down. I looked out the windows across the room, soft pink hues decorating just the edge of the horizon as an after effect of the gorgeous sunrise. But once I looked back at Mark, I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful sight in front of me.

----------

"This is your first time flying?" Mark sat down next to me. I sat in the window seat, looking out at all the planes beside us.

"That I'll remember, anyway. Haven't flown since I moved from Ireland." I looked back at him.

"I honestly never knew you moved here until you told that security guy." Mark grabbed hold of my hand. "Why did you move here, anyway?"

"I was little, I can't tell you much..." I scratched the back of my neck. "But I think it was because my mom lost her job and she wanted to get away from my dad. Ireland reminded her of him, he was full blood Irish but she was from L.A." I told him. "That's why my mom has an American accent, my dad sounds Irish as hell, and I'm kinda in the middle. Also why I ended up here, in that tiny apartment. Also where I got that stair scar. When we were moving in, I couldn't help so she pushed me." I took a deep breath and let it out, looking back towards the window. The plane had just started to move, slowly driving towards the runway.

"I'm sorry." Mark wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a soft hug. "Some of the most talented people get put in the shittiest situations." I nodded. "But it'll get better for you and I. Just wait and see, we'll live a long, happy life together. Even if neither of us become successful in the way we hope to be, a small life without thousands of fans is amazing as long as you're here with me." He kissed the top of my head. I grinned stupidly, knowing we would spend the rest of our lives together.

----------

"I'm so fucking nervous." My voice was quiet and shaky as I squeezed Mark's hand.

"Your hand is sweaty." He laughed.

"No shut, ya dingus." I chuckled softly. I couldn't stop shaking. These were the most important people in Mark's life next to his immediate family that he loved with, and I fucked up that first impression.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine!" Mark's mother consoled. "They're all super nice. You'll love Tannyr, she's so sweet." She smiled softly.

"Everything is okay. We're meeting them, too." Molly's bag clicked as it rolled across the tile.

"Fear leads to anxiety." Felix muttered under his breath.

"Don't you dare." I laughed. Finally we reached the stairs, and I saw a large group of people jumping up and down to get someone's attention.

"There they are." Mark grinned and softly squeezed my hand. I tried to stay calm, but I literally felt like jello.

"Mark, it's been so long!" A teenage girl ran up to Mark and hugged him tightly. I let go of his hand, standing back and watching his family greet each other.

"I missed you so much! Nice hair." Mark commented, looking at his cousin's bright purple hair.

"Thanks! I like his, too. This must be Jack?" She asked looking at me. I smiled nervously, giving her a small wave. "Hi! I'm McKenna, nice to meet you!" She held out her hand excitedly.

"Nice to meet you, too." I shook her hand.

"Come on! We have to get going, we've got a lot of people and we're taking up space!" One of Mark's Aunts called. Everyone turned and followed her, still continuing to catch up as they walked. All except for one cousin, who kept his nose buried in his DS as he clumsily walked.

2 large family vans sat parked outside. Everyone started climbing in, and I made sure to get a spot right next to Mark in the back of one of the vans. Each one held 11 people, and we split up 18 people evenly. A teenage girl younger than McKenna tried to climb in the back next to Mark and I, but Mark stopped her and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and moved to another seat.

"Thank you." I whispered quietly to Mark, laying my head on his shoulder.

"No problem. This is going to be an overwhelming week with lots of questions and lots of people, but I want you to be as comfortable as possible and have fun." Mark pat my leg, leaning his head on top of mine. The car was loud, but thankfully no one spoke to me throughout the one hour drive. I looked at the people around me, listening to what they said and trying to figure out their personalities. Everyone there was completely different, but each one of them seemed completely nice and welcoming.

----------

"Everyone, this is Jack, my boyfriend." Mark introduced me to everyone at the table. We had gone to a restaurant for lunch, and we were sat at a giant table all together. I got a lot of bright smiles and welcoming looks, but a few skeptical glares. "This is his dad, John, and our friends from high school, Molly and Felix." Mark smiled happily.

"Nice to meet you all! So glad you could come to Cincinnati this week for Fourth of July, it means a lot to us." One of Mark's Aunts, who I learned was named Erica, smiled at Mark's mother.

"No problem, sis! It's been such a long time and I'm glad we could all take a break to get together." She said happily. Everyone talked happily as the meal continued. Everyone seemed to know each other, I just sat with Molly and Felix in silence. I tried to focus on my food, but I kept getting judging glares from a cousin of Mark's that I didn't know. I avoided his glare, trying to calm down and not focus on anything that made me anxious.

"So, Jack, what do you do for a living? I haven't heard you talk all day, I haven't even heard your voice yet." The cousin that was staring at me spoke up. A few others nodded in agreement. The entire table fell silent, and everyone stared at me like I was a caged animal or an act in a freak show.

"Well," I cleared my throat. "I'm playing the Joker in the Suicide Squad movie, and I'm recording an album of some songs that I wrote." I said shyly. People seemed shocked; I couldn't tell if it was because I'm an actor or it was my accent.

"You must be very talented, then! Congratulations on your role." Aunt Erica smiled kindly.

"Are you from Scotland?" A tall girl with blonde hair asked.

"No, actually. I was born in Ireland. People mix them up all the time." I laughed softly, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"Is that why you have green hair? For the Joker?" A cousin with jet black hair asked.

"I dyed it in high school for fun, and I was about to let it grow out, but the director asked me to keep it for my role." I forced a smile, shifting anxiously in my seat.

"How long have you been acting? Do you plan to continue with it as a career or move on to something you're more likely to be actually successful in?" The oldest cousin asked intimidatingly.

"Since I was eight years old. I'm going to keep going with it as a career, I'm doing fine so far." I tried not to be insulted.

"Well, you have to be incredibly talented in order to keep being in movies." He leaned on the table. "You look like you have stage fright. Are you really the best person to-"

"Nathan, stop." Mark glared at him. Nathan leaned back, still staring at me rudely. I looked down at my lap, unsure of whether I felt pissed off or absolutely terrified.

"I think we're all done. Let's get people to their hotels, yeah?" Mark's Uncle stood up. Everyone else followed suit, Molly and Felix staring at Nathan furiously as I rushed to push in my chair and shyly walk behind everyone else.

"Hey, don't let that get to you. He's a dick, but all my other cousins are super nice." Mark consoled quietly.

"It's fine. He just got carried away." I muttered. "I'll be fine." Mark gave my hand a light squeeze and walked up to the front of the group to talk to another one of his cousins. All of his cousins were surprisingly tall, it was funny to see Mark standing next to his 15 year old cousin and be the same height as her. My thoughts were interrupted by a light tap on my shoulder.

"Are you mad or sad?" Came a small but confident voice.

"At Nathan?" I looked down to see a young girl with bright green eyes and long, light brown hair; the same girl that wanted to sit next to Mark and I in the car.

"Yeah, I love psychology and I want to know how you reacted to what he said." She looked up at me, her intensely colored eyes filled with curiosity and care.

"I guess kind of both, but I'm a little more mad. He judged me by my anxiety when he hadn't even seen me act or talked to me personally." I told her. I didn't know what it was, but I just trusted her.

"It's okay. He's the same way to me, and everyone he meets for the first time. I guess he's a little more harsh on you because he really cares about his family; he doesn't want Mark dating some random guy off the street." She said simply. "And I have anxiety, too. Not really social anxiety, but I worry about everything and I have OCD."

"I have really bad social anxiety and I worry about everything, but I don't have OCD." We walked out the doors of the restauraunt to the warm outside.

"Kinda sucks. Everyone stereotypes you, thinking it's all 'everything must be organized and perfect!'. Sometimes it's like that, but to be honest I'm probably the most disorganized person you'll ever meet." She giggled.

"I'm pretty disorganized, too. I think I'd bug the hell out of Mark if I moved in with him. Nothing of mine is ever clean." I chuckled.

"But you're talented and very handsome." She smiled brightly.

"Aw, thank you!" I gave her a side hug. "You haven't seen me act or sing, though, how can you tell?"

"Some people over estimate just being nice."

----------

"I'm so worn out." I yawned.

"Do you want to stay in a hotel or at my Aunt Clarissa's house?" Mark asked.

"Whichever is closer." I laughed softly.

"Tannyr and McKenna are staying at my Aunt's house?" Mark told me.

"Which one is Tannyr?" I looked up at him tiredly.

"The little girl with green eyes and long brown hair." He told me.

"How old is she?" I asked.

"Eleven, but she'll be twelve in September." He put an arm around my shoulder. "She's really mature, isn't she?" He chuckled softly at my dropped jaw.

"Yeah, complete opposite of me." I laughed. Finally the car stopped in front of a small house in the middle of a clearing in the forest.

"This is my Aunt Clarissa's house." Mark pushed down the seat in front of him as soon as McKenna and Tannyr climbed out. I followed after him, waving to his Aunt Erica and Uncle Tom driving the car. Mark shut the door behind me and I followed him to the house. Then I saw Nathan and his two brothers walking towards the house.

"He's staying here too?" I groaned quietly.

"It is his mom's house." Mark told me. I huffed and walked through the door.

"Mark, you and Jack can take my bed. Nathan and Aaron in Aaron's room, Jason in your room, McKenna, Tannyr, and I can take the couches." Aunt Clarissa called to everyone. As soon as people knew where they were sleeping, they immediately went to bed. I followed Mark into a bedroom with a queen sized bed. He shut the door and I pulled my jeans off.

"I'm so tired, today was so long." I plopped on the bed.

"Tomorrow will probably be more relaxed, we might go out for dinner. The next day is the firework show, are you excited?" Mark asked as he took off his jeans and shirt.

"I'm so excited." I smiled brightly, hugging Mark as he sat down on the bed. We lay down, pulling the covers over ourselves. I hugged him closer, enjoying the cozy cuddles after the long day we had. "The firework show..." I muttered softly to myself.

----------

July 3rd, 2020

I smiled brightly as I walked closely to Mark, our hands clasped together and fingers intertwined. There were people everywhere with picnic blankets and different treats like funnel cakes and snow cones.

"This is our town firework show. It's a huge event held every year, hundreds of people come to play games and listen to live music until they set off fireworks at 10:00." Mark told me. There were food stands and games everywhere in the very back of the giant field, and in the front people sat with their families in camping chairs and on blankets. In front of the giant audience there was a stage full of tech people setting up for the show, with tons of people in a small mosh pit right in front of the stage waiting for it to start.

"We'll go set up, you guys can go get dinner or watch the band up front. I think it's Flying Pirates or whatever, they spent a lot of money on the band this year." Aunt Erica told Mark and his cousins. Everyone split into two groups, the people who decided to just sit and set up chairs and those who wanted to get junk food from all the stands everywhere.

"Can I stay with you guys?" Tannyr asked as she followed Mark and I.

"Me too?" McKenna asked as well.

"Of course! You guys want funnel cake?" Mark said happily. They both nodded excitedly. We found the shortest line and waited.

"I don't think the band is Flying Pirates. My mom doesn't even know how to take a screenshot, let alone know the name of any popular band." Tannyr commented. Finally we made it to the front of the line, and Mark ordered funnel cakes for everyone in our group. Mark, Tannyr, and I each held three funnel cakes and we waited for McKenna to come back with drinks for the four of us. Once she came back we began walking back to our spot, looking through the giant crowd for where everyone else set up. We found them and sat down, splitting up the cakes so two people would share each one.

I sat on the blanket next to Mark and popped open the lid to the paper box. We talked as we ate, waiting in anticipation for whatever band that was going to play that night. Finally there was only one chunk left and we both reached to take it.

"Hey, it's mine." I told him with a smirk.

"I payed for the funnel cakes, I get the last bit." He argued.

"Yeah, with your Aunt's money." I retorted.

"Okay, fine, rock paper scissors for it." He held out his hand and fist.

"You're on." I turned to him.

"Rock," "Rock,"
"Paper," "Paper,"
"Scissors," "Scissors,"
"Shoot!" "Mine!"

Before I played I snatched the last piece and ate it.

"You jerk!" He laughed.

"I win." I threw my hands in the air.

"You guys are so immature." Molly rolled her eyes.

"I'm a five year old trapped in a twenty year old's body." I giggled. I heard music to start and people start cheering and screaming. I turned to the stage and may jaw dropped. "Mark, it's Twenty Øne Piløts!" I said excitedly.

"Can I go to the mosh pit? Please?" Tannyr begged her mom.

"No, there's no one to go with you." He mom told her.

"I'll go!" McKenna said excitedly as she took her sister's hand.

"You're not old enough, either." She rolled her eyes.

"Mom, I'm-"

"We'll go with them." Mark stood up.

"Keep an eye on them, you stay there and come back at 9:45 before the fireworks start." Erica gave up. I stood up and walked with the other three to the pit.

We spent the next few hours singing along and trying not to bump into each other as we danced. The concert went on, inching closer and closer to the time that the fireworks would start. The singer, Tyler Joseph, started their last song. It was a slow and beautiful song played on the piano. The lyrics were soft and inspiring, the perfect end to an absolutely amazing day. He ended the short song and everyone cheered, and suddenly I felt butterflies in my stomach. I held Mark's hand as we walked back, feeling shaky and scared.

We sat below the gorgeous, dark night sky full of stars. Mark and I sat in camping chairs and faced the fenced off field that they would light the fireworks in. Time flew, and the first firework shot into the air and burst into a giant flame of color and amazement. I watched the first dozen fireworks, excitement and fear bubbling in my stomach as I finally reached into my pocket.

"I hope the fireworks aren't too loud." I told Mark, making sure we were in a place so his entire family, Molly, Felix, and my dad could see us.

"Why?" He turned to me. I immediately dropped to my knees and his hands flew to his mouth. Everyone around us gasped and watched us, the fireworks above being dismissed and forgotten.

"Mark, I've lived a difficult life. I was walking down a dangerous path blindly. I couldn't trust people, and I certainly wasn't the best person. Then I met you, Mark. You were a bright ray of sunshine in the darkness that I was drowning in. I was so lost and scared, then you showed me I didn't have to be. You helped me know that my fear and my past isn't what defines me as a person and it's something I can overcome. You've inspired me to keep going every day, even when times are difficult. In tough times, life isn't what it is in the present; what matters is in the future. What matters is what I'll do next. What we'll do next. But whatever I do in the future, whatever crazy or odd life that I live, I know I want you to be there. I want you to be there to support me, and I want to be there to support you in all that you do. I want to spend the rest of my life, and all eternity, with you." I opened the small velvet box in my hands.

"Mark Edward Fischbach, the love of my life, will you marry me?"

~AN~

That's the end of this book.

It's so difficult to say goodbye, this is definitely one of my favorite books I've ever written. I'm so proud of the characters that have been created and I'm so excited for their future and what comes next.

Because it's not over yet.

To be continued in The Boy Trap: Book 3 - Serendipity