I can love a block of wood (septiplier nutcracker AU)

Chapter 9

They all reached the tree and there was a sleigh attached to a rope to bring them up. Sam went to Tim's side and stood tall. Jack smiled as he looked at the two. Tim was the bubbly, energetic one of the two while Sam balances it out with his own quiet demeanor.

"Your Highness, there is only room for two at a time I'm afraid." Sam informed him with a soft smile.

"That's alright. I'm sure Jack wouldn't mind riding with me." Mark looked back at Jack with a smile. "Would you?" The man turned bright red in embarrassment when he realized that Mark hadn't forgotten him like he thought he had. Mark saw this reaction and smiled a bit on the inside. 'He thought I forgot about him.' He thought to himself.

"I-I don't mind." And with that Mark offered his hand to help him into the sleigh. Jack accepted his help and got comfortable.

"Smart. This ride might take a while" Jack chuckled as Mark got comfortable next to him.

"Have a smooth trip, your Highness." Sam told them with a gentle smile.

"Please, Markiplier would be just fine." He said simply with a sweet smile of his own. Sam started to smile more as he stepped away and the sleigh ascended into the air.

"I can't believe you thought I forgot you." Mark said with a laugh after a few long moments. Jack looked away embarrassed and grumbled. "What did you say?" Mark had a bit of a smirk.

"I said... Why would someone like you remember someone like me?"

"Am I sensing... low self-esteem?"

"What? No. It's just... Your a prince and I'm not. I'm not someone people usually remember."

"Jack, you patched me, Ethan, and Tyler up, you came down and helped me when you could have stayed in bed, you chose to hear my story. You care for me and that means everything to me." Jack had turned to look at Mark as he spoke. Mark held his gaze the entire time he spoke to show he meant what he was saying. "I might even, already, go as far as to say I couldn't forget you even if I want to." Mark smiled gently and sweetly at him. Jack wanted, at that moment, wanted to take him into his arms and hug him. tight. Hearing him say that although he was close to being a stranger made him feel special.

"I... don't really know what to say to that..." Jack said honestly. The wooden prince smiled at him and the look in his glass eyes softened. "I never really heard anyone say that to me..."

"It's ok. You don't have to say anything." Mark offered him a hug and the man accepted it gratefully. Mark was silent as he held the smaller man but smiled a bit. He could feel him take a deep breath before pulling away. "Sorry, I'm not entirely good at hugs. Still made of wood." He knocked on his chest for emphasis and laughed with the human next to him. "You wanna knock?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll knock when I don't want to jinx something?"

"Alrighty then." They got comfortable again, closer to each other than last time. Mark wasn't paying attention at first when he blew a strand of hair out of his face. When he realized he almost cried out in surprise. He kept his composure as he ran his fingers through his now very real hair. He swallowed heavily and silently wondered how that happened and what else changed. Luckily for Mark, they were passing a shiny ornament and he caught his reflection. He was somewhat relieved that only his hair had come back to life, but was also sad because it was only his hair. He ran his fingers through his hair again to fix it up a bit before setting his hand down, but it landed on Jack's. They both looked at each other for a moment before chuckling a bit from their embarrassment. "Sorry."

"You're fine, Don't worry about it." Jack said simply before pulling his hand away and looking back at the passing ornaments, taking no notice of the prince's hair. Mark watched Jack for a moment before looking away as well to the passing ornaments. Some, as he passed by, were standing on tree branches and would bow, or curtsy, expertly on them. Jack would smile and wave at the ornaments who would do the same to him. Jack finally looked down and quickly snapped his head forward and pressed himself against the seat. "Wow, we are REALLY high up." Mark looked over at him and gave a small light laugh. "Don't laugh at me!"

"I'm not judging."

"I didn't say you were but now I think you were."

"I really wasn't. Everyone is scared of something."

"Even you?"

"Yes."

"What are you scared of then, and I get a free pass to laugh like you did."

"That's fair. I'm scared of the ocean." Jack did his own little laugh, in which Mark joined. They went silent for a few more moments, Mark stealing glances at Jack every few seconds. Jack was still just watching everything pass by, but still tense. Mark took his hand to offer some sort of comfort that he was ok. He didn't see Jack's blush but saw him relax a bit and it make him smile a bit. After his blush died down Jack looked back at Mark.

"So, do I call you Prince Mark, your highness, Markiplier?"

"You can call me Markle Sparkle for all I care, just not Mark." Jack laughed fully as they slowly arrived at their destination.

"Whatever you say, Markiplier." They came to the stop and Mark let go of Jack's hand. Jack finally took notice of his hair and remembered that it wasn't like that when they first got on the sleigh.