A/N Take note: This version of part 5— due to the inquiry of quite a few people before I closed requests— will contain something called vore (SFW). If that's not your cup of tea, then mosey on to the non-vore version that is/will be located right after this post for your regular g/t content, and feel free to ignore this discretionary one so that others may enjoy it.
It was just like before, with the silence only being interrupted by the loud pattering of rain, and the occasional rumble and roar of thunder. But this time, Jack felt a sort of peace, calmness, even though he still flinched when the thunder boomed so loudly that the windows rattled. The lights were still out, leaving the human almost completely blind, but he had something to ground him, to keep the overwhelming openness of the darkness at bay: Mark.
Jack opened his eyes now to peek up at the giant. He was still nestled in the curve of Mark's hand, and he could just barely make out the looming silhouette— but the soft awe and gentle care in those caramel eyes was still somehow plain as day. He found himself staring back again, seeing those eyes in a new, less threatening, light. He wasn't sure if eye contact was considered a challenge in giants' culture, like most animals out in the wild did, but Mark had already been doing an awful lot of it; maybe it was meant to be disarming, even. A reassurance that he was seen, and acknowledged.
Mark's vision, on the other hand, could handle the darkness a bit better. It was good enough to make out all the thoughts that were visible on Jack's countenance, but he tried giving the human a soft smile of reassurance as he remained still otherwise.
"Are you still cold?" He quietly murmured, at as gentle of a baritone as he could manage. Jack blinked, finally sitting up from the hand. Mn, no, he didn't like how cold it felt still. But before he could respond, Amy's voice from back in the living room called out.
"Mark? Everything okay in there?"
"Oh, uh yeah!" Mark had turned his head and leaned in hopes of his voice not startling Jack; it still made the Irishman wince, but he felt nowhere near as much fear as earlier. "We're okay," Mark continued reassuringly. Lightning flashed again, but this time a different rumble accompanied it, making Mark pause. "Well, I'm actually a little hungry," he added, making Amy giggle.
"You're always hungry," she called back amusedly, "Do you want some hot cocoa?" Mark paused and looked back at Jack.
"Hot cocoa?" He offered. Jack hesitated before giving a small shake of his head. Mark nodded back, turning once more to relay the message.
"Not right now, thank you!" The giant then settled back down with a soft exhale, then gave Jack a sheepish grin. "You'd think having two stomachs would mean not having to eat as often," he chuckled. Bewilderment sparked in Jack's eyes.
"Two?" He echoed in a small voice.
"Yeah—" Mark had started to pull his hand away, but he was surprised to feel Jack instinctively press against it, fearful of it going away. So the giant let his hand remain, and placed his other hand above his upper abdomen. "The first one just stores food, but the second one does the digesting," he explained, "When food was even harder to get, having a full first stomach could help stave off any hunger." Jack felt his mouth go dry. By food, did he mean...? "Course, there was only so many animals to eat before proper preservation programs were set in place. The one for cows is really popular, it's the most fulfilling meat," Mark added with a small chuff. Jack relaxed; so he didn't mean humans. "Speaking of which, though... Should I get the rest of that back in the fridge?" Jack looked over at where he thought the plate was, but Mark picked up on this and frowned.
"Over here." Mark tapped the bedsheets next to him, making Jack turn again to stare blankly, trying to make out something in the complete darkness. "Can you not see in the dark...?" Jack ducked his head before shyly shaking it. Once more, Mark felt another wave of protectiveness as he realized yet again just how hard humans had had it. He sighed and shifted his thumb, giving Jack's frazzled hair a light rub to reassure him. "It's okay, I can see good enough for the both of us." Jack couldn't help but close his eyes and relax as his head was gingerly pet, eyelids feeling heavier than they were before. But another low rumble made him perk back up, shuddering and opting to nestle further against Mark's fingers. Mark's brow curved upward into another concerned frown.
"Are you still cold?" Jack went ahead and nodded this time, but he seemed more vigilant than a moment ago, wary. "Is it the thunder?" Mark realized sympathetically. "It can be pretty startling, I get it." But now Jack shook his head, burying his face into the soft padding of Mark's hand. Mark furrowed his brow and tilted his head, about to ask another question when a low growling whine interrupted him. And then the realization hit him.
"... Oh. Right, cause of the whole..." He self-consciously swallowed, trying to think of what to say; sorry wouldn't exactly do anything here, since he was still hungry, and Jack was still uneasy. Fear of the unknown seemed to be a big one for him, as well as darkness, probably heights, even open spaces it seemed... But perhaps...?
"What if I showed you what it looks like?" Jack stiffened, and Mark immediately wanted to slap himself. "I-I mean... Ah shit, that came out wrong. I meant- Well, since giants can control their first stomach, and- and whether they want to keep something in it or even easily cough it back up- or maybe, um, but if you wanted to back out then—" Mark sighed and vigorously shook his head. "Ah forget it, I should have thought whatever that was through before I opened my big fat mouth, I'm sorry." Jack had to take a moment to reel his thoughts together.
"Y-you want to...?" Jack blinked a few times before he continued in a very small and nervous voice. "E-eat me?"
"No, no no no no, that's not what I meant," Mark desperately reassured.
"But... But you said...?" Mark exhaled, cursing himself for blurting out something so stupid— and no doubt unnerving, his poor acquaintance.
"I meant I could... Swallow you," he answered slowly, trying to gauge Jack's reaction. "Not eat," he quickly added in promise, "And it was just something stupid I didn't think through, I-I was just thinking about how you're cold, and how you don't seem to like not being able to tell where anything is in the dark, not to mention the thunder—" Which rumbled loudly on cue. "— I just-it was a stupid idea, don't worry, I would never do that, especially because you don't want me to—"
"Okay." Mark hesitated.
"... Okay?" Jack slowly shrugged his shoulders.
"Y-yeah... I mean, not like I have anything to lose," he said with a wry one-note chuckle. Mark blinked rapidly.
"Wh- well for one thing your life!" He argued, "Why would you even trust me with something like that!?" Jack looked down at the sheets for a moment, and then looked back up to meet the giant's incredulous stare.
"Because you saved it." Mark's lips parted to try and think of something to fire back, but his voice had left him.
"... I... But..." Then he shook his head. "But that wasn't me being altruistic, it was out of selfish curiosity!" Jack bit his lip, then responded deliberately.
"You said you'd never seen a human in person before... S-so- I mean I'd have probably done the same. Not like my weak ass is worth anything anyway, now that I think of it—" Jack teetered when Mark's hand suddenly pulled away, but he was even more startled to feel both of the giant's hands rest on each of his sides, and he looked back up as Mark had sat up and leaned in to stare intensely at him.
"I may not know you, or what you've been through, but I do know this." The Irishman's eyes widened; Mark's voice had dropped, so deep the vibrations of his vocal chords made him shiver with stupor as the giant pressed on, deadpan serious. "You're here, right now, and you're alive. Even at the restaurant, and before that, none of that was me. That was you. You were the one who survived despite every experience you've had. You're the one who got out of the kitchen, away from that creepy chef, and even when we first met you were the one who was smart and fast enough to make it all the way to the bathrooms without anyone else seeing you. And if it hadn't been for that arm injury, you would have gotten away from me easily." Mark lifted one hand to gently poke Jack's chest. "And even now, you're adapting, figuring out how to survive— and to live. You keep finding the courage to keep moving, to learn new things— to open up to me, when you don't even know me either. But if none of that is true strength, then I don't know what is."
Even the thunderstorm seemed stunned into silence. Mark let out a sigh after he was done speaking, but then he realized he was probably invading Jack's personal space— again. He'd started to move away, but as soon as he felt the human's delicate touch on his finger, he stopped. Jack had reached out and grabbed the digit before it could escape his reach, and even though he had nowhere near enough strength to command the responsible muscles, Mark complied and let him pull the index closer; and he hugged it to his chest, burying his face in the knuckle.
"That chef was kinda creepy, wasn't he?" Mark heard him giggle muffledly. He let out a one-note chuckle and relaxed.
"Yeah... You sure gave him a run for his money though." Jack let out another high-strung giggle before sniffling and wiping away forming tears.
"It was either that, or become a Jack-stew," he laughed weakly. Mark opened his mouth to reply, but then did a double-take.
"A Jack Stew...?" Jack sniffed again before looking up in the direction of his gargantuan acquai— his friend, and he gave a thin smile.
"Yeah... That's me."
"... Your last name is Stew?" For whatever reason, that made Jack abruptly burst into laughter, making Mark blink in surprise before smiling as the human clutched his finger and shook with giggles. "Come on, that was a bad joke, don't laugh!" Jack snickered and shook his head.
"Definitely not laughing, nope," he proceeded to say between poorly-stifled laughter. Mark rolled his eyes like a dramatic teenager and let out an amused rumble.
"Guess you could say I hit the mark on that then." Jack proceeded to wheeze and have another fit, as if it was the best joke he'd heard in years... Which, realizing the current timeline, it probably was. Who knows how long he'd been alone, by himself, or how many people he'd lost...
"Okay fine, but you can't possibly still be serious about letting me swallow you," Mark pointed out after Jack had calmed back down a bit. But to his disbelief, the human shrugged.
"I mean... You were right. I'm freezing, and... I don't like big dark open space," he admittedly timidly, "Especially when I can't feel some kind of checkpoint, or landmark. Just feels like something'll come swooshing outta nowhere, and..." He trailed off, tightening his embrace around Mark's forefinger.
"Right." The giant took a deep breath before slowly sighing. "Okay. As long as you're sure. But if you need to back out at any point, just let me know, no matter when." Jack nodded, and Mark glanced up at the window. The pattering had subsided for now, but the deep rumbles of thunder could still be heard in the distance. He remembered the news saying that it was going to rain in the morning as well, before the tv died at least. But hopefully this momentary calm would give Jack all the time and space he needed to get through trying this— or to back out if he was too uncomfortable.
"Can I—... May I pick you up?" Once he saw Jack slowly but certainly nod his head, he let his other fingers extend to curl around the small Irish lad. Jack's heart skipped a beat as he felt his feet leave the mattress, but he held on to the proximal phalanx. Mark's grip was much less claustrophobic than last time— in fact, he even had breathing space to yawn as Mark sat up and moved up onto the bed in his stead. One hand was hovering below him to minimize any threat of falling, which made Jack feel even calmer, until he was lifted up towards Mark's face. His confidence wavered a bit, seeing how big the giant was while also being painfully aware of the potential fatality a fall down would be; but it must have been noticeable on his face, because he was close enough to see the muscles in Mark's expression soften, and the eyes shimmering offer that reassuring glimmer again.
"It's okay," he murmured, almost whispered. "There's no rush, and you can back out whenever you want to." With that reassuring reminder, Jack took a deep breath and nodded. However he still felt a natural spike of fear wrestle with him as the giant brought his hand to his lips and opened his mouth.
He couldn't bring himself to move, but the sense of overwhelmment heightened when he felt the surface beneath him start to tilt to lower him inside, and Jack instinctively kicked out with his legs, bracing against Mark's hand.
"W-wait, wait!" To his relief, the giant went completely still, save for the occasional warm breath that stirred Jack's hair. Jack trembled, highly aware that the only thing supporting his foothold were the white walls of teeth. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath, trying not to think about the situation like he was about to be eaten; it was just like Mark had said: swallow, not eat; he'd agreed to this; if Mark had wanted to hurt him, he would have done it long by now... Could he go as far as to say he could trust the gia— trust Mark?
"I-I wanna do it myself." He felt the bony platform beneath his weight flatten, and he found himself away from Mark's mouth and horizontal once more.
"I'm so sorry, I-I should have thought of that in the first place." Jack grunted and got back up, immediately wobbling as he accustomed to the sensation of standing in a giant hand.
"Hey, it's a first fer the both of us, so..." The last of his adrenaline was placated when he saw Mark nod in agreement; now he knew he really hadn't ever eaten a human before. Good, good. Jack made his way back to the giant's mouth and gave his cheek a tap, a physical assurance that he was ready to try again. Once the way in was open, the Irishman carefully moved over the bottom row of teeth and took his first step inside. He quickly had to catch himself, but he recovered and bent over to climb the rest of the way inside, hunching up on Mark's tongue.
Inside was very warm and humid. The "ground" itself felt slippery, especially given the muscle Jack was currently sitting on. His heart admittedly skipped a beat when Mark closed his mouth, shrouding him in darkness, but he was distracted by how low the "ceiling" had suddenly gotten. He had to duck his head and slump to fit comfortably, but no sooner had he stopped moving did he feel Mark's tongue move from underneath and proceed to prod him.
Jack ignored it the first time out of awkwardness, but the second poke got him right in the abdomen, making him fidget with a surprised giggle escaping his lips. A playful growl from the back of the throat was his only warning before he found himself squirming and squeaking from a tickle attack.
"Wha- hey! G-get off me!" He laughed. His bad arm and leg couldn't serve any means of defense against the "vicious" ambush, though Mark fortunately stopped soon after.
But the gesture had served its purpose; the human's heartrate wasn't rapid with the overwhelming taste of fear, which made Mark rumble lightly in relief. It was... Certainly unusual, this experience. To have an entire person in your mouth. Mark was admittedly very nervous as he moved Jack around, his teeth clamped shut in fear of accidentally biting something. But when no harm befell the little Irishman, Mark tentatively tilted his head back and swallowed.
For Jack, it felt like falling— but in a strange way, safer. It was a tight but controlled descent, though a bit rough at first when the giant swallowed.
For Mark, it felt like swallowing something really dense and heavy, if the second gulp was anything to go by; but he refused to let his mind compare the human to a mere consumable. His countenance however creased in mild discomfort as he put his hand to his neck, clearing his throat once his epiglottis was clear.
Things got a bit tight near the end, and then Jack finally felt his surroundings give away, dropping him into a space that felt only a little bit more roomy. He could still make out nothing in the glistening darkness, but he could feel how closed-in the giant's stomach felt. Jack kept still at first, taking in the new sounds and feel of this uncharted location, but then he startled when he felt one side of the organic walls gently press inward.
"You okay, Jack?" The giant's voice was all-encompassing now; if he hadn't found it loud and hair-rising before, hearing the deep rumbles from inside made it even more intimidating. But Jack found himself finally moving, scooting the small distance needed to lean against the concave wall. He figured Mark's hand was pressing from the other side, from the outside world.
"Yeah!" He called out, opting to lightly press back in case his voice didn't carry. He wouldn't have been surprised at least; coming in here felt like going through a portal to a completely different universe.
He felt more than heard Mark sigh in relief. "Good. That felt a lot weirder than I expected." And Jack, despite the strangeness of his current situation, gave a snort and elbowed the wall.
"Yer the one who suggested it in the first place," he teased. Mark chuckled, but he didn't want to jostle the human too much.
"Yeah, I know..." He gave a pause, finally letting his eyes drift down towards where his hand lay. "Somehow you feel heavier in there. Like, in my pocket or hands it's just a matter of carrying you, but in there it's like..."
"Like I'm a part of you?"
"T-temporarily," Mark quickly corrected.
"Yeah... I getcha. Somehow." Jack felt the muscles around him relax a bit. It was crazy how much was going on around him: He could hear Mark's actual stomach gurgling somewhere beneath him, hear the deep windy breaths entering and leaving the lungs, and he could even feel the giant's heartbeat as it boomed powerfully all around him.
He was surprised by how readable Mark's heartbeat was, which was going pretty fast by his standards— then again, giant, bigger... Who knows. But he could tell Mark was nervous: he could feel it all around him. The smooth muscles that cushioned his visit securely were mindful of his need for air, but still tense like the breathing; the powerful wooshes of air he could hear going in and out seemed a bit lighter than what a giant would need for a natural oxygen intake, but again Jack was just working off of human standards.
Then again, maybe they weren't so different after all.
The Irishman opted to turn over so he could lay down as best he could in the confined space, taking up a sort of hammock position whilst doing his best to get comfy. He hadn't really thought out the rest of this idea... Honestly, when he'd agreed to be swallowed, he'd half-expected it to be a one-way trip. But being in here was like listening to a lie detector, or doing all but literally reading Mark's exact thoughts— he could tell the giant was nervous about accidentally hurting him, was worried about his safety, and even genuinely cared that he was okay. Why? Jack wasn't entirely certain, but thinking back to the giant's apology helped cement the promising opportunity of redemption... And maybe even an ally, a friend, during these horrible times. A promising shelter, a light in a world made of darkness.
Mark had tensed when he felt Jack shift, but once the human stopped moving around he let himself breathe again. He then realized how long he had been here and looked back toward the direction of the living room. Hopefully Amy wasn't worried about him, but now he realized he'd have to explain... This, to her.
He tried racking his brain for how best to explain everything, but then his thoughts raced faster when he realized he hadn't felt Jack move in a while.
"Jack?" He pressed his hand a bit further and concentrated, only to hear a... A snore??? Mark blinked and gave a light prod, which was only dismissed by a sleepy mumble and roll-over. This stupefied the giant. How could Jack trust him enough to just fall asleep? But then he felt the warm glow of undeniable awe spread from his head to toe. He trusts me. He grinned down at the floor in disbelief, while his hand unconsciously rubbed at the spot where the human was kept. A purr was rising up in him, and only after a minor debate with himself did he let it voice, vibrating his vocal chords with pure happiness.
He shifted his legs to bring them up off the floor, stretching himself across the bed and carefully laying back until his head and shoulders were propped by the pillows. His hand remained delicately resting on top, where Jack was safe and remained sound asleep inside. Though upon laying his hand a little heavier, Mark found that he could feel the faintest pulse echoing his own powerful heartbeat. He softly smiled down at Jack's hidden form, recognizing the feathery sensation was calm and steady despite his small size.
He then let out a soft yawn before slumping further, getting comfortable— he didn't realize how tired he was, but with his new human friend out of harm's way and getting much-needed rest, it was all too easy for Mark's eyelids to grow heavy too; he'd update Amy later. For now, Mark gave one last yawn before closing his eyes, and still quietly purring he slipped into a peaceful sleep with the human that was safely in his custody.