The Sickness Is the Cure (Jalex)

13 - I Need It

*June 5*            

Alex tugged his phone out of the back pocket of his black, plastered on jeans, front pockets stuffed with change, gum wrappers, and a crumpled up flyer for some no name band that had been aimlessly shoved at him. 

Swiping unlock, Zack chattered away beside the brunette, mindless commentary continuing, "I think that if the Ravens just played better defense, everything would go smoother, you know? It's probably their biggest issue."

"Uh huh," Alex responded, barely hearing his friend as they continued down the grubby street, working towards a local coffee shop. The man's eyes were focused on his phone, scanning for messages. Of which, he had received none. 

Jack hadn't contacted the other man for the past five days, and he'd been driving himself insane with worry. What if the dark haired man had decided that their - affair? relationship? friends with benefits arrangement? - whatever they were, was over?

Obviously, if he never saw - or, well, fucked - Jack, then all progress on Alex's endeavor to eventually be with him would halt, totally and completely.

Normally, Alex wouldn't have any qualms about calling the younger man, forcing him to accept the fact that he was acting like an idiot, and receiving a fucking hug didn't mean that they were going to ride off into the sunset and get married with sixteen adopted kids. Therefore, it was not a bad thing. On the contrary, both men had enjoyed the experience, blissed out in each other’s arms. Not that either would admit it. 

But with Jack, the case was different. Any move seemed to be about to startle him off, running for the hills and never looking back. Alex wouldn't be surprised if he moved to Oklahoma and changed his name to Patrick Star to avoid emotions, of any sort. 

Just as the brunette was about to voice those opinions to Zack, they turned a corner, sauntering up to the doors of the coffee shop they had been going to. 

Alex pushed through the glass; door swinging slightly before being forcefully shoved once more by Zack, the pair waltzing through. Once they were inside, the two approached the counter, line nonexistent at the time of day.

The muscular man’s green eyes immediately focused on the menu, pupils absorbing different drink options, mind whirling for appropriate combination of choices. Alex leaned against the glass case sheathing deserts and pastries, already settled on his usual medium decaf latte.

After a few moments of Zack being indecisive and his brunette companion pondering if it was possible for his phone to spontaneously refuse to receive messages from Jack and only Jack, the younger of the two approached the cash register, signaling that he had finally decided.

Shaking his head over dramatically as Zack ordered a non-caff, white chocolate, extra foam cappuccino, Alex added on his own drink order, along with a blueberry muffin. He only liked them for the artery clogging amounts of sugar on top, but seeing as the man could eat a dump truck full of Halloween candy and never show signs of gaining a pound, he figured it wouldn’t be an issue.

Zack paid, ignoring Alex’s feeble protests and attempts to produce cash from the black hole of his pockets, while the older man scooped up his drink, flimsy brown bag dangling between the fingers of his other hand.

Stuffing his carelessly shut wallet back into his pants, Zack grabbed his own steaming hot cup, silently and obediently following Alex towards an empty table towards the back of the shop.

“Alex?” a squeaky someone called, both of the aforementioned men spinning around.

Alex’s eyes narrowed in on a both by the window, cracked fake red leather seats protesting under the weight of four men. A hipster type with combed hair and block glasses,  another clad in a smart suit with shoulder length medium brown hair, a man with dark fringe who looked someone homeless in a beat gray t-shirt, and, none other than… that guy Alex ran into the other day. What was his name? Rex… Riley… Ron…