"Five tickets please." Jack said to the man, leaning against the counter.
"You don't need to get one for the little guy." The man stated, pulling out the tickets.
"Just let me have five of them. I don't want him to be the only one without a ticket. He already feels like the odd one out, being the youngest, with no family to speak of and his condition that makes his skin yellow could take him out any day now. I don't want him to be any more different than what he already is." Jack looked over at Omi who was talking about being excited for several of the rides. "Doctor says he might not make it to the end of the month and I want his last days to be happy, you know what I'm saying..." Jack read the man's nametag. "Frank?"
"Of course, here, have the tickets, you don't even have to worry about paying for them. Just make sure the little guy's happy with the time he's got left." Frank sniffed and handed Jack the tickets.
"Thank you." Jack smiled and walked away, a wicked grin on his face as he returned to the monks and gave them their tickets.
"I want to play that balloon popping game!" Omi announced.
"It's nice to see that you are all so willing to make sure your friend is happy with his condition." Frank said to the older monks right before they entered the gate, gesturing towards Omi.
"My condition?" Omi looked up at the others.
"It's nothing to worry about, let's just go on in before the games shut down." Jack nudged Omi on.
"I must play before they close!" Omi shouted and took off.
"You didn't pay for the tickets, did you?" Kimiko asked while Raimundo went after Omi and she and Clay walked with Jack.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Jack said with false innocence.
"You never took out your wallet." Clay stated.
"I had to see if I still had it." Jack shrugged.
"You're supposed to be good, Jack." Kimiko flicked Jack's shoulder.
"Good guys can have some fun. Plus if I didn't day anything he wouldn't have given Omi a ticket and I didn't want him to feel left out." Jack admitted.
"Softie." Clay chuckled.
"This coming from Mr. 'Can't Even Hurt A Fly'?" Jack scoffed.
"They're just a little annoyin', ain't no need to hurt 'em. Kinda sounds like someone I know." Clay hummed and nudged Jack lightly.
"Hey!"
"Guys, get over here, we need three more players!" Raimundo called from a whack-a-mole station.
"Jack! Do you see that panda!?" Kimiko squealed and pointed out the large stuffed animal. "I have to win it!"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Jack asked Clay as Kimiko took off.
"I'll talk to Omi, you figure out how to distract Kimi." Clay tilted his hat towards Jack before going over to the young monk. Jack watched Clay whisper to Omi while he went to the station next to Kimiko.
"You ready?" The worker asked, not paying much attention to the group.
"Yep." Kimiko said and without warning the game started.
"Hey Kimi, I accidently dropped your lipstick in the toilet this morning." Jack said, trying his best not to laugh at his lie.
"You what!? " Kimiko thumped Jack with her mallet. "How do you accidently drop my lipstick!? What were you even doing with it!?" Kimiko flinched a little when there was a sudden loud horn.
"Congrats, what you want?" The worker was now leaning against her fist.
"You made me lose." Kimiko thumped Jack again.
"Oops, I'm sorry, Kimiko." Jack held out his words.
"I'll take the-" Raimundo stopped when Omi started gesturing wildly towards the panda bear. "Why would I-" He stopped again when Clay pointed at the bear, then at Kimiko and repeated the movement till Raimundo finally understood. "Oh, I'll take the bear please."
"Here, enjoy the rest of your day." The worker handed Raimundo the panda bear and returned to reading her book.
"Why are you acting so strange?" Kimiko asked Jack, turning her head when she felt someone poke her shoulder.
"I got this for you." Raimundo said behind the panda bear he was holding towards Kimiko.
"Thank you!" Kimiko took the bear and hugged Raimundo, she looked up and saw Jack making kissing faces at them. She rolled her eyes and released Raimundo.
"Can we ride some rides now?" Omi asked. "The hammer one looks most amusing."
"Is he tall enough for that ride?" Jack asked quietly to Clay.
"Not at all." Clay stated. "How about we hit the bumper cars first, little buddy?" Clay lead Omi away. Jack chuckled a little and watched Clay pick the younger monk up and allowed him on his shoulders.
"'Cause mama I'm in love with a cowboy." Kimiko sang.
"And this type of love isn't rational, it's a country boy." Raimundo joined in.
"How dare you use Britney against me." Jack muttered and crossed his arms.
"We just don't want to see you pretending to not like him." Kimiko said. Jack let out several unintelligible mutters and curled up a little.
"You know what they say, everything's bigger in Texas." Raimundo winked before running away.
"Raimundo Pedrosa!" Jack snapped, his face a bright red.
"Come on, we'll get back at him later." Kimiko giggled.
"As in 'set him on fire'?" Jack suggested.
"That's slightly frowned upon." Kimiko laughed a little.
"A man can dream." Jack chuckled.
The day went by quickly with the group enjoying the games, eating a bunch of junk that would probably give them all stomach aches tomorrow and riding as many rides as they could more times than they could count. Eventually, the sun set and they were now limited on what they could do.
"How about the Ferris-Wheel?" Raimundo suggested. "It's the only thing we haven't done yet."
"Might as well." Kimiko shrugged. The others agreed and got into the line.
Omi ended up talking to a young boy in the line and had agreed to sit with each other since they were both the odd ones out. The young boy's sibling had a date and didn't really want his little brother to be squeezed on the seat with them.
"You two mind riding together, I want to sit with Kimi." Raimundo asked Clay and Jack.
"No problem, partner." Clay said.
"Sure." Jack shrugged and he and Clay went up to the ride and sat in the seat.
"Mind doing me a favor?" Raimundo went up to the worker and handed him a ten dollar bill. "See the cowboy and albino? Would you make sure they end up on top, please?" The worker pocketed the bill and nodded his head. "Thanks."
"Think I'd get in trouble if I stuck my legs out?" Jack asked as the ride started moving.
"Just a little." Clay chuckled.
"Damn, the thing doesn't rock." Jack huffed when he attempted to move the seat. "That's no fun." The young man drooped his body over the railing and almost thumped his jaw against it when the ride stopped. "Are we on top!?"
"Afraid of heights?" Clay asked.
"Maybe a little, but I never end up on top with these things." Jack laughed a little. "It looks really cool up here, I think I can see the temple."
"It is really pretty." Clay cleared his throat.
"You alright there?" Jack asked with a light laugh.
"Um...yeah...I just...uh..." Clay took in a deep breath. "I...I like ya, Jack." Jack was not ready for that.
"Oh..." Jack was pretty sure that was not the kind of response you're supposed to have to that.
"Kimiko's been pushin' for me to uh...ask ya if ya wanna..." Clay cleared his throat again, obviously very embarrassed at what was happening and Jack was the same.
"Same." Jack said softly.
"So...do you wanna, like..." Clay gently put his hand on top of Jack's.
"I mean, we could." Jack looked at the cowboy.
"It'll be...hard to explain to Omi." Clay said as the two started moving closer together.
"Everything's hard to explain to him." Jack stated.
"I guess..." Jack saw that Clay had stopped moving. The young genius found them just inches apart and discovered that he was the one who had to close the distance and he did.
The kiss didn't last long and Jack realized he didn't have that stomach pinching feeling he had when Chase kissed him. It felt as if something was missing, but it was a kiss, nonetheless. The ride continued after that and they got off without a word and rejoined the others.
"Looks like you won Kimi." Raimundo sighed as Kimiko did a little dance.
"I knew it! That was so cute!" Kimiko squealed. "We saw you guys." Clay and Jack both stiffened.
"I would have preferred if you two waited till tomorrow to hook up, but getting together at the carnival seems more appropriate." Raimundo shrugged.
"We were the bet, weren't we?" Jack asked Omi and the boy nodded his head. "Great."
"You won the bet as well, Jack. I saw those two havin' a bit of fun first." Clay stated.
"Oh? Kimi, you must tell me the details." Jack looped his arm with Kimiko's and walked off with her.
"What did we get ourselves into?" Raimundo asked Clay.
"At least they like each other." Clay chuckled.
The group made it back to the temple and after talking for a bit longer, they separated for bed. Clay and Jack ended walking together since their rooms were in the same and Omi's wasn't as far down as theirs. Clay walked past his room and stopped at Jack's, not realizing that he had.
"I'll see you tomorrow." Clay said and was about to walk away but Jack grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him again.
"Night." Jack flashed a quick smile before going into his room, shutting the door behind him.
Jack let out a grunt and slid down the door. Nothing. There was nothing again. Why didn't he get the same feeling kissing Clay as he did when Chase kissed him? Chase is crude and evil and mean to him while Clay is gentle and soft and kind and yet he felt a thrill with Chase and nothing with Clay. Why can't he just like Clay? Why can't he realize that it's better for him to be with Clay? Clay would never hurt him like Chase had. But those words Chase had said to him earlier that day. How he was smart and beautiful, maybe Chase had changed. He did say that he wanted him, that he could give him things Clay could never dream of. Jack groaned and put his hands over his face as he slid down the rest of the way, his back now on the floor. Why was it so hard for Jack to get over this? Why was he having a hard time making, what should be, an easy choice? On one had he had a sweet cowboy that would probably never leave his side and on the other was an evil warlord that could kill him with a snap of his fingers if his mood suddenly decides to. But Clay's too shy and gentlemanly to do anything and Jack's not really the kind to make the first move every single time while Chase was not afraid to take action and take what he wants and that's what Jack's always like about him. That was why he idolized him for so long and even still does.
"What is wrong with me?" Jack asked himself and dragged himself to his bed. "It shouldn't be this hard."
