The Bodyguard

12.

"Whatever, let's just go." Jasper grabbed his last remaining items he needed for tonight, and pushed past his brother with his shoulder.

We have a long night ahead. Lucas thought.

~

Jasper watched with disdain at the scene before him. Two hours into the night, and it was all politicians mingling with other politicians in a ballroom bigger than most he'd been to before.

It didn't take him long to find his way to the bar, where he sat and listened to the bustle and hustle of the event.

He hadn't seen his mom or his sister yet, not that he wanted to. Another lecture was one more thing he couldn't handle tonight.

He spotted Ace not too long ago from across the room, watching from afar for any noticeable threats. Jasper couldn't help but roll his eyes at the guard's brooding persona.

He was at least confident that Ace knew not to pester him tonight. Not when he felt like the whole room was closing in on him, and not when he felt the gaze and whispers of every single person directed at him.

Why did he even come? Jasper thought to himself. Courtesy? Public image?

His public image was already destroyed, he may as well add to his widely disliked public perception.

Even now, he was only on his fifth drink, and he could slowly feel the effects of the alcohol make its way through his system. He'd already decided long before the night began, that he wasn't going to be sober by the end of it, what's the difference if he starts a little earlier than expected?

"Maybe you should slow down, yeah?" Jasper hears a voice beside him. Fully expecting it to be Ace there to pester him, he whips around, guns ablaze. He falters a bit when he sees who it is in Ace's place. Blaise.

Who keeps inviting him places?

"Are you going to lecture me now too?" Jasper says harshly, his words slurring. Okay, so he was already drunk.

"Not in the slightest," Blaise says softly. "You've had a shitty past couple of weeks."

Jasper scoffs in response and downs the last of whatever was in his glass, ignoring the eyes he felt watching him close by.

"Wouldn't you like to hear about it?" Jasper spit sarcastically.

"I'm shocked you think so low of me." Blaise teased back. "I'm a very good listener. Among other things."

"You're only a good listener when you want to fuck me," Jasper says rather loudly. Anyone within a couple of feet would've heard his profanity. "Isn't that what you want?"

"No," Blaise clenched his jaw, suddenly noticing the amount of attention the two were attracting. "You're drunk."

"I can handle my liquor."

"I don't think you can," Blaise counters, noticing the way Jasper was beginning to slip down the side of the bar. "You should let me take you back upstairs to rest."

Blaise moved closer to wrap his arm around a drunk Jasper, but clearly he was more drunk than any of them thought, as he pushed Blaise back harshly, causing him to stumble a bit. More people started to notice them, and pretended to not be invested, but Blaise knew better.

"Jasper," he says lowly in a warning tone. "You're causing a scene."

"Fuck you, Blaise." Jasper mutters impatiently and goes to stand to his feet, only to stumble a bit.

"Stop," he bites back impatiently. "You should leave."

"Oh really?" Jasper scoffs. "Are you going to make me?"

Blaise didn't get a chance to respond, before Jasper felt a strong arm wrap around his waist and pull him up from his chair. That warm scent he noticed almost instantly.

"Jasper," Ace says in his ear. "We're leaving."

Secretly, Jasper knew better than to challenge him right now. Despite how much he would regret this in the morning, he'd let Ace discreetly lead him out of the ballroom away from wandering eyes, who had undoubtedly watched the whole scene unfold. Blaise did nothing but watch with a clenched jaw as Ace so easily did the one thing he could never get Jasper to do. Listen.

"How much have you had Jasper?" Ace asked the blond who was lazily slumped up against him. He pushed the door open to Jasper's hotel room and led him to the bed.

"I don't know," Jasper says quietly. "I'm not that drunk."

"You are," Ace sighs. "Just lay down."

Jasper didn't have the energy to protest while Ace went into the bathroom. His back hit the bed, and his head the pillow, right as Ace exited his bathroom with a trash bin and a glass of water.

He simply places it besides Jasper on the nightstand, and turns to leave, figuring Jasper will sleep this off, and wake up with a massive hangover.

"Wait," Jasper's slurred voice stops Ace in his tracks. "I c-can't get this off."

Ace turned to see Jasper struggling with the buttons on his jacket, and his shirt. He sighs and steps closer to the bed.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You ask the dumbest fucking questions," Jasper huffs. "Help me take it off."

Ace falters a bit, vividly remembering Jasper's threats about them ever touching. Granted, Jasper was drunk, but he'd remember this in the morning, right?

Ace watched a moment as Jasper continued to struggle with his suit, before deciding Jasper's future wrath would be less painful than having to watch this.

"Here," Ace bends down a bit to meet Jasper's hands. He unbuttoned the suit first, then hesitated a bit once he got to the buttons on the shirt.

Jasper simply watched him in pure silence. Granted, he was probably too drunk to form a coherent sentence, but Ace hated the thought of Jasper scrutinizing him so closely.

The jacket fell to the floor, then the shirt next. Ace pulled off his pants in a swift motion, before Jasper lied back on the bed. The guard's eyes scanned over Jasper's body with ease, before he quickly looked away.

His body looked just as heavenly as his face. The blond's eyes were closed now, and Ace thought this was the first time he's ever seen Jasper relaxed.

"You can stop staring now." Jasper says in a sing song voice.

"I wasn't," Ace's eyes shoot up to his face, but not before his cheeks flushed slightly.

Jasper's tired eyes met the guards in a long gaze. He lets out a sigh of content, like he was happy he'd just caused a scene at probably the most important event he'd go to. Ace was dying to figure the blond out, but he was scared of what he would find.

"Stay," Jasper blurts out. It was undoubtedly the alcohol in his system contributing to his boldness, but he didn't quite care yet.

"No."

"Please," Jasper says, and Ace thought about how he'd never heard that word leave his mouth before. "I-I can't be alone right now."

Jasper wouldn't tell him how he hadn't been sleeping the past couple of weeks, and that his body was itching for drugs again. He would never tell Ace the why or how, all he needed to know is that tonight, he didn't want to be alone.

"Sleep on the couch," Jasper clarifies, sensing Ace was still uncomfortable.

"You're going to kill me in the morning for this when you're sober."

Jasper smirked, knowing it was true. Regardless he watched as Ace removed his first layer of clothing, grabbed a pillow from the bed and made his way to the couch.

Ace only agreed because he recognized the desperation in his voice. Jasper was lonely, even though he'd never admit it.

"Then I suggest you be gone before I wake up." Jasper says, his eyes close to shutting. "Only if you're fond on staying alive, that is."