Thanks To You

Chapter Nine(Jack)

Jack finished setting up the living room into a sleepable place before looking at Rian "There you go" He said smiling softly. "I'll leave you be go lay in the spare room probably doom scroll" Jack explained fondly.

Rian sat on the pull-out bed adjusting the covers so they were over his lap "Can you show me how to um-" Rian trailed off "Work the TV?" Rian asked reluctantly.

Jack raised an eyebrow "What are you 80? Don't know how to work a TV?" Jack questioned in a teasing tone as he made his way to the bed picking up the TV remote before sitting beside Rian and handing Rian TV remote "First things first you need this to turn the TV on" He started "Can you guess what the button you use to turn it on is?" He teased

Rian rolled his eyes and shook his head "Shut up" Rian muttered "I was inviting you to watch some movies me with so you're not alone doom scrolling" Rian muttered as he turned the TV on going to Netflix about to log out and put his details in.

"Don't log out, you can use the account, it's a shared account for Zack and me" Jack explained as he laid back down on the bed, gently pulling Rian down on the bed beside him playfully.

Rian lets out a laugh as he lies beside Jack opening Jack's account before looking through his continue-watching playlist.

"You're watching the Barbie movies in its entirety?!" Rian exclaimed laughing at Jack seeing the list was filled with different Barbie movies.

Jack rolled his eyes "You try having a five-year-old niece who quizzes you every weekend on what new Barbie knowledge you have" Jack responded defensively.

Rian raised an eyebrow "You know you can just search up Barbie facts" states laughing a little bit.

Jack chuckled, his cheeks flushing slightly at Rian's teasing. "Yeah, well, where's the fun in that?" he retorted, unable to suppress a grin. "Besides, watching the movies with her gives us something to bond over."

Rian smiled, his laughter fading into a soft warmth as he settled in beside Jack. "That's sweet," he admitted, his tone laced with genuine affection. "I'm sure she loves having you as her uncle."

Jack's smile widened at the thought. "Yeah, she's pretty great," he agreed, his voice filled with pride. "But enough about Barbie – let's find something we can both enjoy."

Together, they scrolled through the list of movies, exchanging playful banter and gentle teasing as they debated which film to watch. Eventually, they settled on a classic action-comedy, both eagerly anticipating the chance to unwind and relax in each other's company.

As the movie started playing, Jack couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over him. "I'm glad my mom pushed me to become a nurse," Jack said as he looked over at Rian.

"What do you mean?" Rian asked as he looked at Jack.

"Well... My dad's not the best, he's not abusive or anything but he's very traditional in the sense that men work women clean and all that nonsense... I told Mom and Dad I wanted to become a nurse and Dad went mental saying that's for a woman" Jack explained shrugging.

"Either way if I didn't start training to become a nurse I wouldn't have met you" He said, after a few minutes in registered in his brain what he said before adding "and I wouldn't get to see Zack as happy as he is now with Alex" he added.

Rian smiled as he listened to Jack, his smile faded a little bit as he heard what Jack added.

Rian reached out, placing a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear about your dad's reaction, Jack," he said softly, his voice filled with empathy. "But I'm really glad you followed your heart and pursued nursing. You're incredibly good at what you do, and you make such a difference in people's lives."

Jack nodded, grateful for Rian's understanding. "Thanks, Rian," he replied, his voice tinged with emotion. "It hasn't been easy, but seeing the impact I can have as a nurse makes it all worth it."

As they sat together in the quiet of the living room, the movie playing in the background, Rian couldn't shake the feeling of warmth that spread through him at Jack's words. Despite the challenges he had faced, Jack remained resilient and compassionate, a testament to his strength of character.

"And as for Zack and Alex," Rian said gently, his gaze softening as he thought of the couple. "It's clear they care deeply for each other. It's a beautiful thing to witness."

Jack smiled, his eyes reflecting a mixture of pride and affection. "Yeah, it is," he agreed, his heart swelling with happiness for his friends.

At that moment, as they sat together in the glow of the TV screen, Rian felt a sense of gratitude wash over him.

As the early hours of the morning continued the duo watched a few movies, Rian was the first to fall asleep, his arm wrapped around Jack's torso and his head falling resting on his shoulder breathing against his skin sending a shiver down Jack every time from the ticklish nature.

Before long Jack had fallen asleep against Rian holding him in his sleep, the sound of the movie playing in the background.