Status: updates as and when I can.
Maybe If You Stay.
one.
Jack swallows, trying to ignore the announcement of ‘flight HE132 to London Heathrow is now boarding’ as he hugs Alex tight.
“Stay safe, okay? And tell Tiff I said hey,” Jack says sadly, “and seriously, Alex, tell your parents about us.”
Alex nods, pulling Jack in for a quick kiss.
“I’ll try, I promise.” Alex replies.
“No, Alex, I want you to promise me you’ll tell them. Lisa’s said she’ll keep me updated on what’s going on, so I’ll know.”
Alex swallows and nods, knowing that it isn’t that Jack doesn’t trust him; it’s that he doesn’t want him to lie to his family anymore.
“Love you,” Jack says, pulling back a little to look at Alex properly. He’s only going to be gone about a week, but Jack’s going to miss him.
“Love you too,” Alex says, kissing him again before heading off to security with Lisa.
And Jack feels terrible even thinking it, but he almost doesn’t believe him.
Jack arrives at work about fifteen minutes later, pulling the car into the employee parking lot of Dawson’s Bar and Grill. He sighs as he clambers out of the car and clips his name tag to his shirt.
He opens the door to the rest of the staff trying to eat dinner before they open up shop. Zack gives him a small smile and gestures a little at the empty seat and plate of quesadillas to his right. Jack smiles a little back and sits down, and Dan gives him a weak smile.
“Alex just left, didn’t he?” He asks, looking down and picking at his plate of fries. Jack nods a little, eyes focused on his food.
“Yeah,” Jack says quietly, and Zack pats his back a little.
“At least it’s only for a week,” Jersey says through a mouthful of egg roll.
“I suppose,” Jack says with a gentle sigh.
“Who wants to do the front desk tonight?” Rian, the owner, says over everyone else.
“I’ll do it, if no one wants to,” Martin replies.
“Isn’t it Jack’s turn?” Andrew suggests, and both Jersey and Zack shoot him a glare. He should know he’s delicate right now.
“No, Martin can do it,” Rian decides, “it’s been a while since he has.”
They finish up eating and Dan and Zack clear away the dishes while Jack, Jersey and Andrew lay out all the tables and Rian wipes down the bar.
Jack and Zack pull on aprons and stand behind the grill, fiddling with their cooking equipment while Dan assembles glasses and refills the drinks dispensers at the bar.
Rian hands out towels and digital order pads to Jersey and Andrew as Martin opens the doors and flips the sign on the door to ‘we are open.’
They have a slow night, which Jack is thankful for, as he throws a handful of fries onto a plate beside a steak Zack had expertly grilled just moments ago.
“Order up!” Zack announces as he pushes the plate towards the edge, where Jersey picks it up and swiftly deposits it onto the customer’s table.
Jack pauses and sighs for a second before scattering a few ingredients over a tortilla and folding it in half, passing it off to Zack to throw it on the grill.
A few more customers later, they’re closing up shop and Jack is ripping off his apron and handing it to Rian to throw in the pile for the Laundromat tomorrow.
“You need a ride?” Zack offers as Jack throws the cooking utensils in the dishwasher and switches it on.
“No, I’m good. I’ve got the car.” Jack replies quietly.
“Oh, right. I forgot about that.” Zack says, biting his lip softly. “Look, Jack, if you need anyone to talk to, you know where I am, alright?”
Jack nods, unclipping his badge and pushing it into his pocket.
He climbs back into his car as Rian locks up. He bites his lip hard as he looks at his keys; which hold a key ring with a photo of him and Alex inside. He sighs, blinks a few times to disperse the tears pricking his eyes and heads home.
He opens the door and their dog, Sebastian, looks up at him with excited eyes and Jack smiles softly, crouching down to rub his hand against the dog’s head.
He locks the door and curls up on the couch in Alex’s hoodie (mainly because his smell still hangs on it) and puts the original Alice in Wonderland into the DVD player and curls up on the sofa. Sebastian looks at him and Jack laughs a little, picking the dog up and hugging him to his chest lightly.
Jack immediately regrets his choice in movie, as he remembers how he and Alex would always watch it together when they were growing up. He closes his eyes to try and stop the tears, but they come anyway and he buries his face in Sebastian’s fur.
Jack watches the movie until the end, simply because it’s tradition, and when it’s over he switches it for the remake, which he watches despite the memories it holds; Alex had talked all the way through about how he didn’t like it and then they’d had a popcorn fight during the credits.
Sebastian jumps from his arms and Jack makes a small noise of shock before realizing it’s one in the morning.
He stands, stumbles his way into the bedroom and collapses onto the bed fully clothed. He hugs Alex’s pillow to his chest and sighs, biting down on his lip gently.
He doesn’t bother to close his eyes, just stares at the wall.
It’s not like he can sleep.
He wakes up from a rough sleep in the morning to a text from Alex which simply reads ‘We got here okay. Tiff says hey back and demanded she gets to see you soon. Love you. xxx’and Jack smiles a little, content at least for a few hours.
He walks Sebastian for a few blocks before work that night, deciding both he and the dog could do with a little fresh air and exercise.
He waits on tables that night at work, with Zack and Dan, who do the majority of the work anyway, so he leans against the kitchen work surface talking to Rian.
“You miss him?” The older male asks as he presses a steak against the grill.
“Yeah,” Jack replies, a sad expression on his face, “more and more by the minute.”
Rian gives him a small, reassuring smile as he passes him a family-sized bowl of barbecue chicken wings.
“Table six,” He says and Jack presents the customers with the food, telling them to enjoy their meal before he walks back to Rian.
“That’s understandable, though,” Rian continues, flipping the steak quickly, “he’s both your best friend and your partner, and he’s gone for a week.”
Jack nods, biting on his lip.
“Hey, I’ll let you in on something,” Rian says as he plates up steak and fries, “if I was in your position, there’s no way I’d be as strong as you are.”
Jack gives him a weak, thankful smile and takes the plate from him, giving it to the customer on table eight and giving them his best attempt at a smile.
“Do you want to come see a movie with Dan and me tonight?” Zack asks as he meets Jack near the grills.
“Sure,” Jack says quietly.
If nothing else, it’ll help distract him from the emptiness he’s feeling right now.
“Stay safe, okay? And tell Tiff I said hey,” Jack says sadly, “and seriously, Alex, tell your parents about us.”
Alex nods, pulling Jack in for a quick kiss.
“I’ll try, I promise.” Alex replies.
“No, Alex, I want you to promise me you’ll tell them. Lisa’s said she’ll keep me updated on what’s going on, so I’ll know.”
Alex swallows and nods, knowing that it isn’t that Jack doesn’t trust him; it’s that he doesn’t want him to lie to his family anymore.
“Love you,” Jack says, pulling back a little to look at Alex properly. He’s only going to be gone about a week, but Jack’s going to miss him.
“Love you too,” Alex says, kissing him again before heading off to security with Lisa.
And Jack feels terrible even thinking it, but he almost doesn’t believe him.
Jack arrives at work about fifteen minutes later, pulling the car into the employee parking lot of Dawson’s Bar and Grill. He sighs as he clambers out of the car and clips his name tag to his shirt.
He opens the door to the rest of the staff trying to eat dinner before they open up shop. Zack gives him a small smile and gestures a little at the empty seat and plate of quesadillas to his right. Jack smiles a little back and sits down, and Dan gives him a weak smile.
“Alex just left, didn’t he?” He asks, looking down and picking at his plate of fries. Jack nods a little, eyes focused on his food.
“Yeah,” Jack says quietly, and Zack pats his back a little.
“At least it’s only for a week,” Jersey says through a mouthful of egg roll.
“I suppose,” Jack says with a gentle sigh.
“Who wants to do the front desk tonight?” Rian, the owner, says over everyone else.
“I’ll do it, if no one wants to,” Martin replies.
“Isn’t it Jack’s turn?” Andrew suggests, and both Jersey and Zack shoot him a glare. He should know he’s delicate right now.
“No, Martin can do it,” Rian decides, “it’s been a while since he has.”
They finish up eating and Dan and Zack clear away the dishes while Jack, Jersey and Andrew lay out all the tables and Rian wipes down the bar.
Jack and Zack pull on aprons and stand behind the grill, fiddling with their cooking equipment while Dan assembles glasses and refills the drinks dispensers at the bar.
Rian hands out towels and digital order pads to Jersey and Andrew as Martin opens the doors and flips the sign on the door to ‘we are open.’
They have a slow night, which Jack is thankful for, as he throws a handful of fries onto a plate beside a steak Zack had expertly grilled just moments ago.
“Order up!” Zack announces as he pushes the plate towards the edge, where Jersey picks it up and swiftly deposits it onto the customer’s table.
Jack pauses and sighs for a second before scattering a few ingredients over a tortilla and folding it in half, passing it off to Zack to throw it on the grill.
A few more customers later, they’re closing up shop and Jack is ripping off his apron and handing it to Rian to throw in the pile for the Laundromat tomorrow.
“You need a ride?” Zack offers as Jack throws the cooking utensils in the dishwasher and switches it on.
“No, I’m good. I’ve got the car.” Jack replies quietly.
“Oh, right. I forgot about that.” Zack says, biting his lip softly. “Look, Jack, if you need anyone to talk to, you know where I am, alright?”
Jack nods, unclipping his badge and pushing it into his pocket.
He climbs back into his car as Rian locks up. He bites his lip hard as he looks at his keys; which hold a key ring with a photo of him and Alex inside. He sighs, blinks a few times to disperse the tears pricking his eyes and heads home.
He opens the door and their dog, Sebastian, looks up at him with excited eyes and Jack smiles softly, crouching down to rub his hand against the dog’s head.
He locks the door and curls up on the couch in Alex’s hoodie (mainly because his smell still hangs on it) and puts the original Alice in Wonderland into the DVD player and curls up on the sofa. Sebastian looks at him and Jack laughs a little, picking the dog up and hugging him to his chest lightly.
Jack immediately regrets his choice in movie, as he remembers how he and Alex would always watch it together when they were growing up. He closes his eyes to try and stop the tears, but they come anyway and he buries his face in Sebastian’s fur.
Jack watches the movie until the end, simply because it’s tradition, and when it’s over he switches it for the remake, which he watches despite the memories it holds; Alex had talked all the way through about how he didn’t like it and then they’d had a popcorn fight during the credits.
Sebastian jumps from his arms and Jack makes a small noise of shock before realizing it’s one in the morning.
He stands, stumbles his way into the bedroom and collapses onto the bed fully clothed. He hugs Alex’s pillow to his chest and sighs, biting down on his lip gently.
He doesn’t bother to close his eyes, just stares at the wall.
It’s not like he can sleep.
He wakes up from a rough sleep in the morning to a text from Alex which simply reads ‘We got here okay. Tiff says hey back and demanded she gets to see you soon. Love you. xxx’and Jack smiles a little, content at least for a few hours.
He walks Sebastian for a few blocks before work that night, deciding both he and the dog could do with a little fresh air and exercise.
He waits on tables that night at work, with Zack and Dan, who do the majority of the work anyway, so he leans against the kitchen work surface talking to Rian.
“You miss him?” The older male asks as he presses a steak against the grill.
“Yeah,” Jack replies, a sad expression on his face, “more and more by the minute.”
Rian gives him a small, reassuring smile as he passes him a family-sized bowl of barbecue chicken wings.
“Table six,” He says and Jack presents the customers with the food, telling them to enjoy their meal before he walks back to Rian.
“That’s understandable, though,” Rian continues, flipping the steak quickly, “he’s both your best friend and your partner, and he’s gone for a week.”
Jack nods, biting on his lip.
“Hey, I’ll let you in on something,” Rian says as he plates up steak and fries, “if I was in your position, there’s no way I’d be as strong as you are.”
Jack gives him a weak, thankful smile and takes the plate from him, giving it to the customer on table eight and giving them his best attempt at a smile.
“Do you want to come see a movie with Dan and me tonight?” Zack asks as he meets Jack near the grills.
“Sure,” Jack says quietly.
If nothing else, it’ll help distract him from the emptiness he’s feeling right now.