Happy Anniversary

“What are you doing dude?” Rian seems to be more than just perplexed when he sees Jack, crawling on all fours over the dirty floor of their dressing room. Seemingly searching for something.
“I’ve lost it.” Jack’s voice’s distressed and when he looks up Rian sees the same distress in his expression.
“What?”
“I’ve lost my ring.”
“Your wedding ring?” Rian can’t hide his shock and Jack just nods frantically.
“I have to find it. Help me.”
Jack doesn’t need to say anymore, the next second Rian is beside him on the floor, not caring about all the dirt.
“Alex is going to kill me.” Jack whispers while he presses his left cheek to the floor to have a better view underneath the couch in the room.
“He has every right to do so. How could you just lose your wedding ring, Jack?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure the ring was on my finger when I left the stage, but now it’s gone.”
“Did you pull it off when you were showering?”
“I don’t think so; normally I keep the ring on my finger, no matter what I do.”
Rian just sighs.
“What are you two doing here?” Zack’s voice from the door rips both of them out of their conversation and search.
“Jack has lost his ring.” Rian explains sober and Zack’s eyes widen.
“What? Jack you idiot!”
“It’s not my fault!”
“How could it be not your fault? It’s your goddamn ring!”
“Suddenly it was gone!”
Zack just rolls with his eyes.
“And now? We have to go back to the bus. Alex and Matt are waiting for both of you. They’ve sent me to get you.”
Jack lets out a desperate breath and looks hopeless to Rian.
“What now?”
But the drummer just shrugs. “I don’t know man. Maybe you should tell Alex the truth?”
“He’ll kill Jack!” Zack says before Jack is even able to form proper words and so the black haired man just nods along with Zack’s words.
“Zack?”
Immediately Jack pales, while Rian gets up to his feet and in the next moment Alex stands in the doorway, looking slightly confused and then worried when he sees his husband pale and fiercely shaking on the ground.
“Jack? Babe?” seconds later he pushes Zack out of his way and kneeles beside his husband on the floor.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
Jack just shakes his head and then he nods, leaving Alex more confused than before.
Rian raises an eyebrow as he sees that Jack plugs his left hand into his jeans pocket.
The younger boy still looks nervous and pale when the four of them reach the bus, while Alex talks about something stupid and Rian and Zack exchange worried looks.
They know that this freedom won’t stay long, sooner or later Alex will find out that Jack’s wedding ring is missing and then, living on the bus, will be living hell.

“Where’s your ring?”
Jack cringes at Alex harsh voice and swallows unsure.
“I...I don’t know.” He mumbles and refuses to look into his husbands eyes.
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
Again Jack swallows and bites his bottom lip nervously. The look on Alex face is serious, while he glares angrily at Jack.
Everything had been okay. The whole evening Jack had managed to hide the fact that his ring was missing from Alex, but then he had grabbed his beer bottle thoughtless with his left hand and immediately Alex had perceived that the wedding ring was gone.
“I think I’ve lost it.”
Seconds later Alex cheeks are burning red and his eye narrows.
“You’ve lost it? You’ve really lost your wedding ring?”
That’s the moment Zack and Rian get up from their seats and leave the back lounge. They know that’s probably the safest way to survive Alex outburst.
“I’m sorry.”
“Let me get that straight Jack! You’ve lost your wedding ring, barely a week before our one year wedding anniversary? So, this important is our marriage to you? This important am I to you?”
Jack remains silent, knowing that’s the best he can do in this situation.
“I mean I know you’re an idiot Jack, but I didn’t know you’re such kind of an idiot!”
“I’m sorry Alex.”
Alex just glares at him before he opens his mouth again.
“Being sorry isn’t enough this time!” and with that he turns on his heels, but halfway to the front lounge he stops and turns again.
“Oh and you can sleep in your own bunk! Because you won’t have sex in a long time, Jack!” and with these words Alex’s gone.



“I don’t know what I should do anymore” Jack whines, while he sits beside Rian on the large sofa in the front lounge of their bus.
Rian sighs and then shrugs, he has no idea too.
It’s been almost a week since Jack’s wedding ring went missing and even if Jack had scanned the entire bus together with Rian and Zack the ring stays missing.
And so Jack had done everything to please Alex. He’d made breakfast for him. Asked him out. Even bought him flowers, a thing Jack normally doesn’t do because he thinks it’s too cheesy, but Alex still refuses to talk to his husband. Let alone lets Jack near him.
“And tomorrow’s our wedding day. He won’t talk to me. He won’t let me near him.” The next moment Jack pales and his fingers grab Rians arm hard.
The drummer looks totally worried at one of his best friends.
“Jack? It looks like you’re going to pass out every second?”
“What....what if he doesn’t want to be married to me anymore. What if he wants a divorce?”
“That ridiculous Jack. Alex loves you. A lost wedding ring isn’t reason enough for him to fill out divorce papers!”
“He doesn’t even look at me anymore.” Jack cries and buries his head in his hands. “God, I’m such a douche bag. How could I just lose my wedding ring? Above of all things I could have lost I’ve fucking lost my wedding ring!”
“Hey calm down Jack.”
“No! This ring is pretty much the most important thing for Alex.”
Rian sighs, but looks up when he hears a noise coming from the bus door, Jack doesn’t care, he still has his head in his hands and keeps telling himself what kind of a fool he is.
Alex is standing on the steps inside of the bus, looking at his husband with soft eyes, but doesn’t say a thing and just seconds later he turns on his heels and leaves the bus again. Without saying something.
Rian just stares after him, but then he looks back to Jack, who didn’t even notice the presence of his husband.
Carefully Rian pats Jacks back, trying to comfort his friend.



Jack swallows hard before he gets out of his bunk. The bus is empty besides Alex and him. Everyone’s out, leaving the couple some time for themselves.
Jack can hear Alex in the front lounge, humming along to some tune.
His hands are shaking slightly, while he walks with slow steps towards the front lounge, but stops in the “doorway” and looks at his husband.
Alex’s sitting at the small table, his laptop in front of him and a soft smile is swirling on his lips. Again Jack swallows and then he clears his throat loudly. Immediately Alex looks up, but the smile remains on his face and doesn’t turn into a thin line like the last days, every time Jack had gotten near Alex.
His husband pulls his earphones out of his ears, while Jack remains in his position in the doorway, still looking nervous.
“Hey.” Alex voice’s tenderly while he gets up from his seat, but stops when he sees Jacks hesitation.
“Come here, babe.” Alex whispers softly and reaches his hands out. Jack slowly pushes himself from the doorway and walks over to Alex and takes his husbands hands into his.
“Happy anniversary babe.” Alex whispers and gets up to his tiptoes so he can press his lips onto Jacks.
The younger boy smiles into the kiss and wraps his arms around Alex thin waist.
“Happy anniversary. I love you.”
“Love you too.” Alex chirps and pulls Jack with him to the couch. They stay in silence for a few moments, snuggled together and Jack just loves the feeling to have Alex back. To be able to hold him in his arms, snuggle with him and just being near him.
“So...” Alex whispers softly into Jacks ear and the younger boy knows this tone in Alex voice only too well.
“You’re so impatient” he chuckles but pulls a little box out of his jumper pocket.
Alex is practically beaming while he opens the casket and his mouth falls into a perfect “O” shape when he sees the content.
“Jack.” His voice is only a soft whisper, while he lets his fingertip slide over the simple, but shiny, silver necklace.
With a smile Jack watches Alex. He had bought the necklace a few weeks ago. Long before his wedding ring went missing and all the trouble with Alex had started. But now he’s happy he had bought it, he had known from the moment he had first seen the necklace that it would perfectly fit Alex, but despite this knowledge he had been still unsure about his present for the last few days. Again and again the thought that maybe a necklace wouldn’t be enough to placate Alex had crossed his mind.
Alex voice tears him out of his thoughts. “It’s beautiful Jack.” The older boy whispers with shiny eyes, while he leans into Jack and pecking his lips softly.
Jack just smiles, happy that Alex is happy.
“Wait a second okay?” Alex asks, pecks Jacks lips again and gets up to leave in the direction of the bunk area.
Moments later he’s back, still with a big smile on his face but now his cheeks are slightly red.
“Here.” And with these words he hands Jack a casket too, watching his husband intently opening the box.
A surprised gasp escapes Jacks throat.
“My ring.” Astonished Jack looks up to meet Alex gaze.
“Take a good look on it.” Alex just says and so Jack does and for the second time a surprised gasp escapes him, when he sees the engraving on the inside of the ring, which hadn’t been always there.
You’re the better part of me
It hits Jack moments later “You’ve ganked it!”
Alex doesn’t answer but the deeper blushing of his cheeks is answer enough for Jack.
“You cheeky little bastard! You’ve made my life a living hell for the last week. I really thought you would file into divorce because I’ve lost my ring.”
Alex eyes widen in shock.
“Jack!” his voice now serious. “I know what I’ve done wasn’t exactly fair and I know I’ve said some pretty ugly things like calling you an idiot. But, no matter what will happen in future. I love you and I’ll always will and believe me even if you’ll really lose your wedding ring, this would never be reason enough for me to file for divorce! I cannot imagine my life without you by my side!” Alex breathes in deeply but continues to look into his husbands eyes.
“I love you too.”
“So I am forgiven?” Alex asks, looking exaggeratedly hopeful into Jacks eyes.
Jack just lunges himself at his husband, bending down so his lips brushing fondly over the older boys and winking cheeky at Alex.
“Maybe.”