My Sweet 16

After I'd finished work, I went to the same club as last night. As I ordered my beer from the bar, I looked around for somewhere to sit or stand. I saw Jack's distinctive skunk hair across the room and headed over.

"Hey Jacky." I said, sitting down. As I did so, I noticed there were several empty bottles on the table.

"Lex? Why are y-you here?" He replied, slurring.

"I felt like a beer. How long have you been here?" I asked.

"About - about two hours, I think?" He looked into his bottle.

I took a sip of my beer, feeling it slip down my throat. I looked at him, his brown eyes were blown wide with drink and his normally perfect hair was all over the place.

"What's up?" I asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Jack put his face in his hands and he mumbled, "I know it shouldn't hurt, not after after all those other girls say the same thing but... Somehow it does. When she said, 'It's not not working out between us.', it killed me again, ya know? It just... It just hurts."

I pulled him into a hug and then stood up, "Come on, let's go."

He stood, albeit shakily due to all the alcohol in his system, and followed me silently out of the crowded club.

Once we were out in the cooler air, Jack sobered up a little bit. He staggered along until I put my arm around his waist. I ignored the thrill that went through me. He needed a friend now, not someone who was trying to get him to fall for them.

Yes, I wanted Jack to fall me, not those blonde sluts he keeps going for. Me, his best friend for years, and the one who wants to make him feel special. Not just use him for sex and then leave him.

We reached our apartment.

"Jack, key?" I said, supporting him.

"Mmhm." He mumbled, digging in his pockets, finding the key and letting us in.

I let him stumble into our apartment and winced as I heard him bang into a desk. I locked the door behind me and switched the light on, lighting the room up.

Jack was sat on his bed against the wall, with his knees up to his chest. His shoulders were shaking. I stared at him for a minute before realising he was crying.

I climbed up next to him and slung an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into my chest. His crying made my shirt get wet but I didn't mind, not when I comforting my best friend.

"I mean, I know I didn't love Holly, but I did like her well enough. So it still hurt when she threw me away like a used toy." Jack rambled, still crying.

"Hey, hey, Jack. Jack," I said, pulling his chin up with my fingers so he was looking into my eyes, "I'm not gonna throw you away, you're my best friend."

"O-o-ok. I trust you Lex." Jack said, his eyes red from crying.

I brought my fingers up to wipe a stray tear that was sliding down his cheek.

"Let's get some sleep now Jacky." I replied, standing up and going over to turn the light off.

I turned back around to see, by the dim light shining through the window next to my desk, Jack cuddled under the covers of his bed, the blonde streak in his hair gleaming in the light.

His eyes looked at me as I took my jeans and socks off.

As I got into my bed, Jack said, with his eyes wide, "Sleep with me Lex."

And I knew he didn't mean it in the normal way, he just wanted me to comfort him. This had happened before after a 'break-up'.

"Okay Jacky."

I climbed into his bed, behind Jack, next to the wall. I put my arms around him and he snuggled back against my chest.

As Jack fell asleep, his breathing slowed. I pressed a featherlight kiss to the back of Jack's neck, just above the collar of his t-shirt.
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I opened my eyes to see Jack's arm curled under his head on my chest. His eyes were open.

"Morning Jacky." I said.

"Hello." He replied, his voice croaky.

"How are you feeling?"

"Alright. Shall we get up?"

"What time is it?" I asked him.

He checked his phone, "Twenty past eight."

I wanted to kiss his pink lips until they were swollen. I shook my head, remembering what I'd thought last night, that he needed a friend, not someone who was trying to 'get' him.

"We should totally get up."

Jack pouted, "But Lex... It's Saturday."

"Five more minutes then." I said, yawning.
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I was lying on my bed, surfing the web on my laptop. I reached up to scratch my head with my left hand. My hoodie sleeve fell down, exposing my new tattoo.

"Alex, since when did you have a tattoo?" Jack asked from where he was sitting at his desk, slowly completing his stats homework. I'd finished all my homework earlier on in the week.

"Erm... Since yesterday? Yeah, yesterday. Like it?"

Somehow his approval meant more to me than Rian and Zack's.

Jack got up and walked across to me.

"Is it still sore?" He asked, gingerly putting a hand either side of it.

A spark ran up my arm as he touched me gently.

I shrugged, "A little bit, but not much."

He examined it for a moment.

"I like it. It's cool."

A relieved grin spread across my face.