The Sickness Is the Cure (Jalex)

14 - Slip Away

*June 8*

"Zack, would you please calm down?" Alex sighed, eyes flickering from his taxes to best friend, who was curled up in an arm chair, practically chewing his entire finger off as he stared anxiously at his phone.

"No!" the man exclaimed, curls bouncing as his head shook. The brunette across the room rolled his eyes, resigning to dealing with his friend’s childish behavior as he squinted at the paperwork, crunching numbers.

Zack groaned in frustration, lack of social skills leaking through as his phone buzzed, text coming in. He'd been swapping messages with Spencer all day, and was about to have a heart attack from prolonged nervousness. 

Alex thought that an amount of stress this large from a simple text conversation couldn't be healthy - or normal - and he'd honestly tried his best to guide the blond man into normal flirting habits. It had been a tedious task, though, proven by the fact that he'd rather melt his brain over taxes than endure it. While trying to crush his minuscule jealousy, seeing as his own relationship was going horrifically.

Zack gasped, jumping out of his seat and stumbling over, collapsing into the chair next to the taller man. Gripping the edge of his chair, he rushed, "Alex, fuck, he asked me out, what do I do, what if-"

Calmly, Alex lifted his gaze; eyes meeting Zack's fear ridden, green ones. Looking him dead in the eye, no bull shit attitude equipped, he said, "Zack. Say yes."

The muscular man blinked, slumping in his hastily acquired seat. He exhaled shakily, smiling weakly as he responded, "Yeah. That would be a good idea. Thanks, Alex."

Alex grinned, resisting the urge to ruffle his friend's hair because in that moment he just felt like a proud big brother, having successfully led the other man into a relationship. He chuckled quietly; eyes alight as he requested, "No problem, man. Now leave me alone so I can finish this before I have to go to work?"

<+>

Jack smiled, shoving books into his bag as the clock ticked past the allotted time for his lecture to end, students rushing out of the room. Day over, weekend beginning, time to get drunk.

Leaving the room, the tall man was met with the familiar features of Rian, his friend waiting in their predestinated meeting place for a ride home. By home, he meant Jack's apartment.

The pair had been planning on having a boy's night out since realizing their week would be packed with exams, due dates, and general stress. First to Jack's for pizza and video games, then to the clubs.

They hadn't actually thought through what would go down at those clubs, considering that Rian was with Cass and Jack was doing who knows what with Alex. Alex, who he still hadn't called.

A wall had presented itself in front of Jack, forcing him to go to either side. He wasn't ready to settle for either option, mind rebelling against the choices presented to him. Start respecting Alex, treat him as more than a fuck buddy, or end it. Whatever it was.

They couldn’t go back to their previous arrangement, an obvious wall had been smashed. One that Jack would prefer to still have up.

So he'd just been ignoring the entire situation, constant horniness the only factor contributing to his want to resolve the issue. His choice should have been clear, and, really, in his heart, it was. Jack's mind was just getting in the way.

Rian started off, the dark haired man following as they struck up a conversation about whether Take  Off Your Pants and Jacket was better than Enema of the State, each man arguing one side. 

Sauntering through the halls distractedly, Jack almost ran straight into some guy, his chunky black glasses flying to the floor as their sides smacked.