Stay Please

Alex feels terrible right now. Not in the ‘he did something wrong way’ but the literal sense of the word. His stomach is aching, his head is pounding, and the fever he has is giving him the chills. All he can do is continue to curl up in his bunk under bunches of blankets and try to sleep.

He slowly turns over trying to find any position that might ease a bit of his discomfort when he hears the bus door open. Everyone else had been off enjoying their day off on tour playing paintball or something; Alex hadn’t been listening when Matt told him, but now he’s wondering who could be back so early and why. It doesn’t take him long to find out seeing as his curtains are being ripped back and Jack is standing over him.

“Hi.”

That’s all Jack says and Alex can’t really do anything other than roll his eyes. It’s not that he’s not happy to see Jack, he is, he loves Jack; it’s just that he’s not really in the mood to deal with anyone unless they have a magical cure to make him feel better, even if Jack is his boyfriend.

“Go ‘way” Alex mumbles and buries his face into his pillow, pulling the blankets more firmly around his shoulders. Jack doesn’t move though, just stands there pouting at him. He’s hoping his boyfriend is just grouchy because he’s sick, and doesn’t really want him to leave.

“I was just wondering if you were feeling any better.” He says moving to sit on the edge of Alex’s bunk and slowly starting to rub circles on his back. Alex sighs a bit at the contact, leaning more towards Jack’s body, but groaning as pain shoots through his stomach.

“I’m guessing you’re not any better from earlier then.” Jack says more to himself than Alex. Why Matt had agreed to leave Alex, while he was this sick, alone on the bus while everyone else went and had fun, Jack, would probably never understand.

“Feel icky” Alex mumbled again snuggling deeper into his blankets. Jack laid his hand on Alex’s head, pushing is sweaty bangs off his increasingly hot forehead.

“Lex? I’m gonna go get the thermometer and some water for you, ok?” Alex merely sighed curling his legs up closer to his stomach.

Jack quickly walked toward the front of the bus and started digging through the “Sick Drawer” as Matt called it. It was really just a drawer full of stuff that nobody ever really used. It had a bottle of Pepto, some Band-Aids (what help were they when sick?), some nose spray, cough drops, and finally he found the thermometer. Jack grabbed a water bottle from the fridge on his way back and quietly sat back down at the end of Alex’s bunk. If this had been any other time or circumstance, Jack would have laughed at the position Alex was laying in now. His head was slightly turned toward the front of the bunk with his arms and legs tucked neatly underneath his body. He was breathing gently and Jack laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Lexy? Can you let me take your temperature?” Holding out the thermometer for Alex, he said nothing but opened his mouth slightly so Jack could stick it under his tongue. Jack sat quietly holding one end up, waiting for the stupid thing to beep. When he pulled it back his worries lessoned slightly, yeah Alex’s fever was still kind of high but not as bad as when they had taken it this morning.

Alex seemed to have drifted off to sleep so Jack just continued to sit there. He idly started rubbing circles on Alex’s back again, thinking about how adorable Alex looked right now. He had dark circles under his eyes from not sleeping, his hair was matted, messy, and greasy, and he had a slight sheen of sweat covering him, and yet Jack still thought he was gorgeous right at that moment. In fact, Jack couldn’t stop thinking about how hot Alex looked. Which was wrong, cause Alex was sick and in no way was he going to get any kind of sex from him, but that didn’t stop his mind from thinking about all the naughty things he wanted to do. Jack shifted slightly as his pants were starting to feel a bit tight around his crotch.

Jack turned again as Alex mumbled something incoherent, leaning forward and continuing to rub his back Jack flicked the bangs off Alex’s forehead once again.

“What, Lexy? I didn’t get that?” Alex mumbled again and swatted at Jack’s hand on his back.

“Stop” he whined and Jack quickly pulled his hand back feeling rejected. Alex coughed slightly and made another whining noise, his arms moving to cradle his aching tummy. As much as he loved Jack for trying to help, the circular motion was only making him feel more like he was going to throw up. Scratch that, he actually was going to throw up. Alex felt the vomit rising in the back of his throat and scrambled out of his bunk and into the bathroom; dropping to his knees Alex heaved into the bowl clutching at his stomach. Jack hurried after him stopping and standing in front of the door not sure what to do. He settled for moving behind Alex and holding his hair off his face. Alex continued to dry heave for a minute before sitting back on his feet, feeling utterly spent.

“Feel better?” Alex shrugged and reached up to flush. His stomach was still a bit achy but felt so much better than before.

“Are you gonna throw up again?” Jack asked cautiously. Alex shook his head and leaned back into Jack’s legs. Jack hooked his arms under Alex and helped him unsteadily to his feet, helping him rinse out his mouth, and taking him carefully back to his bunk.

“Thanks, Jacky.” Alex said quietly as he settled back into his blankets, eyes closing. Jack leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Alex’s temple, intending to head toward the front lounge and let Alex sleep in peace.

Alex whined as Jack made to leave, grabbing the younger boys wrist and tugging it towards him.

“Stay please.” Alex mumbled opening his blankets a bit to let Jack lay next to him. Jack smiled and placed another kiss this one a slight peck to Alex’s lips. Alex smiled sleepily and curled into Jack’s side, face pressed into Jack’s neck.

“I love you” he whispered quietly. Jack gave a tiny laugh and wrapped his arms around Alex’s small frame.

“I love you too, but if you barf on me, we’re over.”