jack disappeared. one argument that tore them apart completely. their friendship had cracks in it but they always knew how to fit it.
that wasn't the case this time.
it had been five years since jack disappeared after their argument. davey never got the chance to make it right.
davey was irritated that day. it was a vivid memory that haunted him. it's all his fault.
junior year of high school, three days before they had agreed to go to prom together. just as friends, though.
davey has been mugged on his way to jack's apartment. if jack wasn't at davey's place, davey was at jack's. they didn't go a day without each other. he was frustrated and wanted to break down in tears, but he kept himself as composed as possible.
jack was sitting on his bed, a headset on and focused on his gameplay on the tv.
"jack," davey started.
no response. well, there was talking but it was to the people in game.
"jack," davey repeated.
still, jack didn't hear.
"jack!" davey yelled, his blood starting to boil.
once again, jack didn't answer. davey stormed over to him and tore his headphones off.
"i called your name three times," he scolded.
"chill, dude. i didn't hear you," jack snarled and paused his game.
"cool," davey rolled his eyes and slumped down into a chair.
"what's your deal, man?" jack was confused by the sudden attitude.
"if you had answered me the first time...," davey muttered under his breath.
"i literally didn't hear you, don't pin that against me!" jack started getting defensive.
"i came to tell you i just got fuckin' mugged on the way here, but i seemed to be interrupting something!" davey waved his hands around mockingly.
"okay hold on. you got robbed? are you hurt?" jack started moving toward him.
"i'm fine." davey hissed.
"you surely don't seem fine...," jack retracted back into his spot. "dave, why are you so mad..?"
"i wanted your attention the first time."
jack started getting annoyed. "not my fault i couldn't hear you, get over yourself. goddamn, dude."
"i expected you to hear me the first time, you know i'm here the same time every day! you should've known i was here!" davey reasoned.
"i lost track of time!" he shouted, becoming angry.
davey didn't say anything.
"and i'm listening to you now. i'll always listen to you, dave," jack looked at him with empathy. almost begging his friend to drop it.
"i interrupted, i'm going to go." davey got up and put on his bag. jack got up and pulled on his backpack before he could leave.
"why are you so upset with me? i was playing a game, and you're going to get mad over that! dude, that's low. even for you, man. it was shitty for you to come into my house then yell at me over something simple. i asked if you were hurt and you said you weren't. i'm trying to help you!" jack was talking quietly but had a lot of hurt in his voice.
"see you tomorrow," davey gave him a nod and shoved out of jack's grip.
"i have a date to prom." jack blurted.
davey froze and slowly turned to him. what? they had agreed to always go with each other. and three days before....
"you...have a date...?" davey felt his heart shatter to pieces.
"katherine. principals daughter. she's real sweet," jack smiled wearily.
davey fidgeted a bit, trying to collect his words without bursting into tears in the spot. he felt played. stabbed in the back. he really thought he had a chance with jack...
"we were supposed to go together, jack," davey kept a straight face. he was good at hiding his feelings.
"you're not even happy that i got a date? we don't have to go together just because we're friends. i think i'm allowed to go with whoever i want," jack frowned.
"you promised..." davey looked down at the ground.
"i didn't even want to go with you in the first place. you're so damn controlling! and you get mad about the stupidest things!" jack shouted.
"i...because i love you!" davey yelled back. both boys went quiet. davey stood in shock for a moment before running out of the apartment. and he didn't stop running until he made it home.
he collapsed into the bed and broke into sobs. he really messed up.
the next day jack wasn't at school.
the day after that he wasn't at school.
when he knocked on the appartement door, a random lady answered. she told him that the previous owners had moved.
and jack hasn't said a word about it to him.
the last thing they ever did was get into a fight. and the last thing davey told him was "i love you".
fiver years on, davey knew where he was. he knew he was happy and healthy. but he didn't have the courage to message him.
he saw his posts on instagram. he had blown up as an artist. he was living his best life.
with each passing day, davey grew sicker of knowing the left off on a bad note. they left off with unspoken words. it was so sudden...
and davey missed him with every ounce of his heart. that was his best friend. the picture of them smiling together on his desk haunted him every day... it sat on a box full of everything jack had ever given him.
"it's one in the morning, david...," sarah appeared in the doorway. she was staying at his for the weekend. "what are you doing?"
"nothing," his focus was trained on the bright computer screen in front of him. sarah leaned over him and read what was going on.
"plane tickets to santa fe...? david, why do you want to go to santa fe?" sarah looked down at him.
davey looked up at her. "no reason...just seems like an interesting place."
"or...," she removed her brothers glasses, knowing he probably had a massive headache from wearing them for so long, "that's where jack is."
davey nodded ashamedly. he rested his head on his hands and pulled at his hair. "i can't do it anymore, sarah."
she smiled maternally, "then go, david...please...you can't do this to yourself anymore..."
"i don't even know where he lives. there's no way i'd be able to find him."
sarah waved her phone around. "you know who does though?" davey looked at her and shook his head. "my girlfriend sure does...jack's junior year prom date...how ironic."
"shut up," davey groaned.
"luckily she's crazy like you and responds to texts this late...his address is right here," sarah sent it to him. "go get him."
davey booked a flight first thing in the morning and aimlessly started packing for at least a two day trip. he didn't want to stay long in fear it could go horribly wrong.
and almost 15 hours later, he was breathing in the fresh air of the clean, green, and pretty city of santa fe.
jack loved the place. he dreamed of visiting since a child...then one day he suddenly ended up exactly where he dreamed to be.
it was breathtaking, certainly. he watched the sights pass out the window of his uber. his head was fogged with anxiety and his legs bounced with his nerves. maybe he was making a mistake.
as the driver stopped, dark storm clouds rolled in. it really set the mood...
he stood on the sidewalk for a moment, grabbing onto his bag tightly and debating whether it was a good idea or not.
he fought off his hesitant thoughts and walked up to the door. he knocked twice, very lightly, and took a step back. after about a minute, there was a clicking sound of the locks being unlocked. the door flung open.
"he—," jack froze mid word. he looked davey up and down, not being able to find the right words.
"hi jack..." davey rocked nervously on his heels.
"how...what...huh?" jack stepped out and shut the door softly behind him.
"look...i just thought i should apologize...five years ago we got into that stupid argument and i got mad for no reason...and i treated you horribly and you didn't deserve that. you were trying to help, i was just ignorant. and i think about it every day. i probably don't deserve acceptance because i waited five years to do this, but you disappeared and i was afraid..." davey avoided all eye contact.
"i'm sorry i left unannounced and just ran away from everything...and even after promising you prom night i went with a girl just to seem cool...these dudes pressured me into asking h—"
davey cut him off, "katherine's engaged to my sister now. don't worry about it." jack grinned and they both burst into laughter. it was like nothing ever happened. it was just the two of them against the world like it always had been.
their laughter fell and it became an awkward silence. after five years you'd think there would be more to say.
"and it's raining..." jack pointed out as droplets began to fall out of the sky.
"and i still love you," davey let out. jack slowly turned his attention back to him.
davey stood there with a bright red face. he messed up again. for sure.
that was until jack brought a hand to his cheek and delicately pressed their lips together. davey almost immediately melted into the fragile kiss. no, this wasn't five years of waiting for this. it was their entire friendship. their faults and victories leading up to this moment. neither of them ever wanted to speak about their feelings for the other throughout their entire lives. they didn't have to. they just knew.
if they were standing in the pouring rain kissing each other after seeing each other for the first time in five years, they were certainly meant to be.
they pulled away, both with warm smiles on their faces and their foreheads pressed against each other's.
"we've got a lot of things to talk about," jack chuckled.
"yeah, we do," davey responded with the same gentle laugh.