No One's Gonna Need You More

It had been a couple weeks since Ian had joined the tour and he was enjoying every minute of it. He loved this job and all the people he had met, with one exception. Jack had been less than friendly since the first day they met and it had everything to do with Alex.

Alex was easily Ian’s closest friend on this tour, besides Matt. Alex was the one who stayed up with him until 6am talking about stupid shit and watching shitty horror movies and Matt was the one who knew all his secret feelings for Alex. Though that went both ways, Ian now knew all about Matt’s feelings for Jack.

Ian was in the back lounge currently, laying on one of the couches with the TV muted. He’d been feeling a bit ill earlier so Matt had let him come back to the bus and rest for a while. He was really just tired of watching Jack and Alex. They were being particularly sickening today. Jack had been all over Alex during their soundcheck, to the point where even Alex looked a bit uncomfortable. Ian hadn’t been able to stomach it anymore and had gone to Matt (who also looked a bit disgusted) and told him he needed to go lay down. Ian sighed and turned over on the couch, trying to get comfortable, he might be able to get a short nap in before the show later.

Ian moaned softly when he heard a knock on the back lounge door. He didn’t bother to answer just shrank further into the couch and closed his eyes.

“Hey…umm, Ian?” Ian suppressed a groan and looked up to meet Alex’s gaze.

“Yeah?” He knew he sounded a bit harsh. Alex scuffed his shoe against the floor and looked away
towards the ceiling.

“I just…I just wanted to see how you were feeling…” Alex didn’t look up at him and Ian instantly felt bad. He slowly sat up.

“I’m fine.”

Alex just nodded at that. His mind wasn’t really on Ian. He had needed to get away from Jack. Alex could almost feel a fight brewing between the two of them; it hadn’t exactly been a peaceful few weeks. He knew everyone thought they were getting on better than normal but that wasn’t the case at all. There was constant tension between the two of them and not the good kind.

“You okay, man?”

Alex looked up and nodded before deciding better and slowly shaking his head.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Alex hesitated and then slowly shook his head again. This wasn’t Ian’s problem and it’s not like Alex hadn’t noticed how the hurt look crossed his face every time Ian saw him and Jack together. Alex sighed and then groaned laying a hand on his stomach. The stress was making his stomach hurt.

“What’s wrong?” Ian was standing now and had a hand on Alex’s shoulder. Alex shrugged it off and went to sit down on the couch Ian had stood up from. Ian frowned at him but Alex stuck out his tongue and smacked the seat beside him, gesturing for Ian to sit down.

“You know, I was trying to sleep before your fat ass came in and bothered me.” Alex’s jaw dropped at that.

“I resent that. I am not fat!” Ian laughed and moved to lie down, putting his feet in Alex’s lap.

“You’re not even sick, you’re just lazy!”

Ian shook his head at that, “I am not! I did feel sick earlier.”

“Oh yeah, when?” Alex is taunting him now; he’s lifted Ian’s feet out of his lap and moved to straddle him. Ian’s breath hitches in his throat as Alex leans towards his face.

“When?”

“Earlier…during soundcheck…uhh…fuck.” Alex sits back at that and bits his lower lip. Ian regrets saying anything because Alex isn’t stupid and he knew he would put together the pieces.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t … I don’t know…sometimes I just go along with Jack so we don’t fight.” Ian simply nods at this but doesn’t look up; his cheeks have a slight pink tinge to them. Alex reached down and lifted Ian’s chin up.

“You’re cute, you know.” Ian’s shaking his head at this because this isn’t happening. Alex isn’t really straddling him on a couch in a deserted bus.

“Ian” Alex whines in the back of his throat. Ian grinds his hips upward to meet Alex’s as Alex starts to bite and suck at his collarbones. Ian is quick to wrap his legs around Alex’s waist, pulling Alex’s face to his and kissing him. Hard. Alex bites on Ian’s lower lip and Ian opens his mouth slightly allowing Alex’s tongue entry. Alex moaned making Ian grin but then Alex was pulling back and Ian heard him moan again. Ian’s eyes popped open to see Alex bent over and holding his stomach.

“Alex, shit. Are you okay?” Alex nodded as he tried to move off of Ian’s lap. Ian quickly unwrapped his legs from Alex’s waist letting him fall into the seat next to him.

“What’s wrong?” Ian was genuinely concerned. Alex was moaning and clutching his stomach. Ian gently placed a hand on Alex’s back rubbing circles and waiting for Alex to say something. Ian was silently cursing the universe in his head because, seriously, this is what he’s been wanting since he first saw Alex. Though he knew deep down how wrong what they had been doing was, Alex was still with Jack and it didn’t matter how much of a dick Jack was to Ian he would never want to help Alex cheat on him.

Ian broke out of his thoughts when he felt Alex move and snuggle into his side. He automatically wrapped his arms around the singer, pulling him as close as possible.

“Ugh I’m sorry; my stomach just like cramped up. I have the worst stomach ache.” Ian looked down and saw that Alex had his eyes closed, he was taking deep breaths and his face looked pale.

“You don’t have to apologize. Do you want to lie down?” Alex nodded and Ian moved to lay Alex down and then hesitated before lying next to him. He smiled when Alex immediately curled into his side.

“I don’t know what to do, Ian. All this stress with Jack is making me feel sick. My stomach hurts all the time.” Ian just hugged him a little tighter.

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

“Tell me to break up with him. Tell me that’s what you want because I know it’s true.” Ian was dumbstruck. Alex was now frowning at him. He felt trapped. He couldn’t tell Alex to break up with Jack. He didn’t want to be that guy.

“I can’t tell you that Alex.”

“Do you want to be with me?” Ian hesitated at that. Yes, he wanted to be with him but at what price, what if Jack left because Alex left him? He couldn’t do that.

Ian settled for shrugging his shoulders. “Okay then.” Alex turned over on the couch before Ian could say anything.

“Alex?”

“I’m gonna try and sleep this off before the show.”

Ian knew the conversation was over when Alex sighed and nestled further into the couch. He lay awake until Rian came to the fetch them over an hour later just listening to Alex’s gentle breathing.