A Series Of One-Shots [REQUESTS OPEN]

Carnival Games Part 2

Smutty followup to Carnival Games

boyxboy - 2020

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Carter's heart is pounding in his chest.

He's still holding on to that ridiculous stuffed dragon that smells a little bit like cigarette smoke (nothing that a spin in the washing machine wouldn't fix), his other hand gripping tightly to Travis's as though he's afraid that the other will let go.

Okay, Carter is nervous about that.

The last hour of his life doesn't seem real. Between catching Lacey and June making out in the Mirror Maze and then the whole... thing in the Fun House?

It kind of feels like he stepped into an alternate dimension where everything has been flipped on its head - but for the better.

In this dimension, Travis likes him too.

In this dimension, they're rushing back to the house to do stuff. Stuff that Carter has only thought about in the latest hours of the night, when he knows he's completely alone and Travis isn't going to storm in.

Well, usually.

There had been that close call in freshman year where Travis had barged into his room at 3am, panic in his eyes as he told Carter that a bird had flown in through his window and he didn't know what to do.

Carter had to discreetly put on pants and try to hide what exactly he'd been doing before Travis came in before trying to coax a freaked out pigeon out of Travis's room.

It involved a broom, a box and the rest of their housemates waking up to watch through the door and cheer Carter on as he dealt with the problem.

Since that encounter, Carter has learned to lock his door if he's getting down to it - and Travis no longer sleeps with his window wide open.

But here they are, just short of jogging along the pavement, wide and nervous grins on both of their faces. Travis keeps turning around to look at Carter, as though making sure he's still there and not hallucinating.

Oddly, Carter finds comfort in that. Travis is just as shocked as he is.

Even if Travis, in Carter's opinion, has no real reason to be. Carter isn't exactly great at hiding his feelings. Hell, his Dad had sussed out his crush on Travis back in highschool - when Carter was still questioning all of this.

He brought it up in passing one day, while pouring Carter a glass of lemonade and gave an eighteen year old Carter a minor aneurysm.

He has no idea if his Mom also figured it out, but he's never brought it up either. Liking guys? Okay, some day he'll be open about that to his family - on his terms. But Travis in particular? Carter wasn't about to tell anyone about that, especially considering Travis would never like him that way.

Carter couldn't be blamed for not knowing. Travis holds his cards close to his chest, and even thought Carter would pride himself in saying that he knows Travis better that anyone else on the planet - he still has difficulty reading him from time to time.

"Doing okay there?" Carter can't help but ask, remembering that Travis had gotten his head bashed around a bit in the tunnel and running probably isn't helping.

"Just keep going," Travis replies, tugging on Carter's hand to move even faster.

Which isn't fair, because Travis is the runner out of the two of them. Ask Carter to sprint swim? Sure, no problem?

Running is a completely different beast to tackle.

So when they finally get back to the house, Carter's phone buzzing in his pocket (presumably from Lacey, but he's a little preoccupied right now), they're both winded and red in the face.