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The soft sound of laughter filled the tent as the children drew closer. As they approached, the tent lights lit on their own, revealing the toys, games and other trinkets the children had grown to love so much. Soon, a group of about eight young ones ran in, mindful to stop at the entrance and slip off their shoes before walking into the tent and set them in a neat pile in the corner. They stood in a single file line as they approached the table and picked up a cup of juice and a bag of candy and snacks with a colored balloon attached, each marked with their names as they did whenever they were allowed to come to play at the old carnival. After a few moments, they spread out and chose different toys to play with. They were always careful not to break anything or to leave a mess, putting away the previous toy if they wanted to play with something new.A particularly curious pair of children looked on a near by shelf and pulled a few dusty boxes from a darkened corner. The little girl brushed the dust away from box she held and examined it. She held an old faded jack-in-the-box, the colors and design long faded away, the old crank on the side rusted to the point where it was almost impossible to turn. Her brother cleaned up the one he held with the corner of his shirt, revealing a small blue music box. They looked at each other confused then looked back at the boxes again. "I wonder what these are..." She said softly as she turned the box in her hands.A soft creak was heard from the corner of the room and all of the children looked over as the light revealed a sharpened smile. "Gather around children, I believe it's time for a story." The clown sat forward, his ice colored eyes glinting softly as he moved into the light and sat in a near by chair, crossing one leg over the other.The children cleaned up the toys and sat in a semi circle around the monochrome male with the treats he had left out for them. They knew there was no need to be afraid, Laughing Jack was their friend and playmate. They settled down and sat quietly, as they had always enjoyed the clown's stories. As they waited, they didn't notice the other figure that had slipped into the tent and stood towards the back, a soft smile playing along his lips.
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"Do you breathe the name of your saviour in your hour of need,And taste the blame if the flavor should remind you of greed?Of implication, insinuation and ill will, 'til you cannot lie still,In all this turmoil, before red cape and foil come closing in for a kill..." The monochrome male made his way to the abandoned carnival him and his young friend used to attend when the boy was a child. He looked around at the ruined remains. The once colorful tents had faded from disuse and being exposed to the elements. The ferris wheel and roller coasters the boy had loved, rusted and crumbling around him. Laughing Jack touched the support beam of one of the rides with the gentlest of touches and quickly pulled his hand away as the ride collapsed into a pile of rubble. So much had changed over the thirteen years he had been locked away and forgotten about. Too much... Tears stung his icy eyes, as he made his way through the twisting ruins of what used to be a place full of joy. The sound of children's laughter and the calliope that played with each turn of the carousel still echoed in the clown's ears as he slipped into the tent closest to the back of the carnival. He found it ironic, the tent that Isaac had loved the most still stood and had its color. It seemed to be unharmed. He remembered asking the boy why he had loved that tent in particular."Isaac, why is this one your favorite?" the rainbow colored clown asked as he followed the young boy to the tent in question.Isaac looked up at his friend, a bright smile on his face as he pulled the clown into the tent and handed him some cotton candy. "Because it reminds me of you, silly! Look how colorful and bright it is! The colors and pattern even match yours!"The multi colored male looked at the tent and laughed softly. "You're right, I never noticed that," he replied as he took the offered candy and followed the boy to the back of the tent where they spent their time playing games.Isaac had won a stuffed rabbit and looked up at his friend then offered the toy to the taller male. "I want to make this special... This will be our place. Our special place. No matter what happens, we can always come here and be happy. I mean... I know one day I'm going to die and you'll be alone or maybe go to someone new... But you won't forget me right?..."The clown knelt down and took the toy then gently hugged the boy. "Isaac, I would never forget you... Whether I end up helping another child in need, or I stay alone until the end of time, I will always remember you and our time together. You will always have a special place in my heart, I promise. But you know, you're too young to be thinking about things like that. Come on, let's go play some more.""Can we play pirates?""Of course! I know it's your favorite," the male stood up and placed the child on his shoulders, making a telescope appear in his hands and walked out of the tent.The monochrome male sat in the corner of the tent, looking up at the bright colors of the tent then back at his blackened hands before a small patch of light illuminated a darkened corner beside him. Lj looked over and picked up the rabbit he had forgotten to take home the day Isaac had given it to him. He had been too focused on making the boy smile again. Tears fell freely as he held the small toy to his chest and laid his head on his knees. He hadn't noticed the other male come into the tent until he felt a pair of arms wrap around him."It's alright, old friend..."
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"Come feed the rain'Cause I'm thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lustYeah, feed the rain'Cause without your love my life ain't nothing but this carnival of rust..." "Now tell me, what has you so upset?"Lj didn't have to look to know who held him, he knew just by the gentleness of the touch. He leaned into the toymaker, resting his head on the ginger male's chest as he cuddled closer. "I killed him... I killed my only other friend besides you... I didn't mean to do it... He left me locked in a box for thirteen years and when he came back he... I thought it was..." he stopped as he held back a sob.Jason held the clown close and lightly rubbed his back, pressing a light kiss to the top of his head. "Hush now, darling, there's no need for that. Dry those tears and let's see that beautiful smile," the toymaker smiled softly as Jack looked at him, a light blush touching his porcelain colored cheeks. "There we go," Jason said softly as he wiped the clown's tears and pressed a light kiss to the other's blackened lips.The monochrome male's kohl rimmed eyes widened and his blush darkened then he relaxed and returned the kiss. Once the kiss was broken, his light blue gaze met the pale yellow one of the male beside him. "Why did you do that?...""Am I not allowed to show you how I feel? I've been waiting a long time to do that. Ever since we first met, to be completely honest. You were so beautiful... The way you looked, your laugh... Everything was perfect."The clown lowered his gaze to the ground beneath them and played with the bandages on his hand. "I... I guess that's changed now then... I mean, since I lost my color and all..."The toymaker smiled and tipped the male's face back towards his and kissed him softly. "Yes it has, but not in the way you are thinking. My love for you only grew during our separation. The idea of being able to tell you how I felt, how much I loved you, kept me going during the past years. I had a feeling that things might be different when we met again, but I told myself that you'd still be the same person that you were. I was right about that."
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"It's all a game, avoiding failure, when true colors will bleedAll in the name of misbehavior and the things we don't needI lust for after no disaster can touch, touch us anymoreAnd more than ever, I hope to never fall, where enough is not the same it was before...." Jack smiled softly as he returned the kiss and listened to the other male's words. "All these years..." he stopped for a moment as he tried to think of the correct words to say."Don't hold your thoughts, darling. Just say what you have to however it comes to mind."The clown sighed and brushed his hair from his face. "You loved me back then and never told me. But instead of that love dying, you kept it alive... Jason, I met you long before Isaac came around... I was a fool for not seeing how you felt sooner..."Jason smiled and pulled a rainbow colored ribbon from his pocket and tied Jack's hair back with it. "Yes, I have loved you this whole time. There has never been anyone else. No one could ever take your place. You showed me that even a heartless creature like me could be loved and cared for. You taught me to love again after I was sure that was a feeling I would never know...""Jason, you're not a heartless creature... You're the most amazing person I have ever met...""Jack, you don't understand. I literally have no heart. If I did, believe me I would hand it to you on a silver platter, just to see you smile. I would do anything to know that you were happy and to make sure you knew you were loved." The ginger male looked down as he moved the collar of his shirt and pulled away the bandages that covered his chest, revealing a blue glowing light from a hole in his chest. He took a deep breath and reached into the hole, pulling a small blue music box free then replaced the bandages and looked at the male beside him. "I can't offer you my heart, but I can offer you what stands in its place as well as my love and devotion... What I'm trying to say is I love you and it would be the greatest honor to call you mine."
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"Don't walk away, don't walk away, oh, when the world is burning,Don't walk away, don't walk away, oh, when the heart is yearning..." The raven haired male looked at the toymaker, unsure of what to say. His mind raced as he tried to find the right words, only to have his thoughts calm down as he felt the other male's hand on his cheek. Jack found it interesting how a simple touch could be so soothing... He leaned into the male's caress and gently took the box, careful not to damage the precious gift with his claws and replaced the music box with his own box. "I will gladly accept your love as long as you'll accept mine in return... "Jason smiled softly and held the box close before taking the other male's hand, interlocking their fingers and pressed a light kiss to the male's fingers. "I love you, Jack. Now and forever, you will have every ounce of my love, I promise." The ginger male set both of the boxes on a near by chair and gently kissed the clown before he stood, helping the other male to his feet. "I say we get this place up and running again. I personally miss the sounds of the children. Besides, I think it would be nice to bring life back to this old place, you know?"Lj stood and nodded with a soft smile. "That sounds perfect love."It had taken almost a year to get the carnival back in order, between fixing everything and hiring a crew to help then scouting and hiring performers to entertain the children. The work was hard and tiring, both mentally and physically, but once everything was set, it was truly a sight to behold. The couple smiled as they stood at the newly installed gates and looked at the work they had done. The ferris wheel and roller coasters had been completely replaced, the carousel back in working order. New games and entertainment were brought in as well as new tents. The only original tent that remained was the multi colored tent in the back. That was set up with a special purpose for the children.Soon after, the carnival grounds were filled with children, laughing and playing, making new friends as the days drew on. The more the children came to play, the more hope and comfort arose with the two males.
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The monochrome entity smiled softly as he finished his tale and looked at the awe struck faces of the children before him."You mean you did all of this, just for us?..." A little blonde boy asked as a sweet smile crept across his face."Yes, Jason and I did all of this for you and the future children that will come here even after you've all grown and moved on with your lives."The same boy stood and walked over to Lj and hugged him tightly before handing him a rainbow colored bracelet he had made before the children were called over for the story. "When I grow up, I'm going to bring my kids here so they can meet you and Jason. But it won't be just for them. I'll still come play with you, even when I'm a hundred years old!" A bright smile crossed the boy's face as he hugged the clown again and the rest of the children cheered in agreement.Lj felt tears of happiness sting the corner of his eyes as he held the small boy close and gently took the offered bracelet. He went to speak but stopped as he noticed a familiar pair of yellow eyes in the corner of the tent."I think I speak for both of us when I say we look forward to that," Jason said softly as he stepped forward, holding a hand made toy for each child. A soft laugh escaped him as the children jumped up and hugged him then handed them their toys. He nodded as each one said thank you then turned to pick up their bags before returning to their games. Jason loved seeing the children happy, but it was all the better to see his lover smile. The toy maker stepped over to Lj, careful of the children running around and kissed him softly, earning giggles and little cheers from the young ones and a blush from the monochrome male. The toymaker broke the kiss and tied Lj's hair back in the rainbow colored ribbon, adding a black and white rose once the knot was tied. "I love you."Lj smiled as he stood, watching the siblings put the boxes gently back on the shelf and run off to play with the others before turning his attention back to Jason and held him close. "I love you, too. Thank you so much for helping me through everything in the past year... I don't know what I would have done without you by my side.""There's nothing to thank me for. I promised you my love and being here when you need me goes along with that," the toymaker smiled as he lightly kissed the other male.The clown returned the kiss and smiled softly as they went and played with the children.