Liquid Confidence

Zack had started to notice little changes in the younger boy. Jack had lost a lot of weight during their last tour, also strange bruisers started to appear on his skin. Zack was sure that those were not love bites. But the strangest thing was that he had become really nervous around Alex. This was quite unusual because those two had always been best friends and not long ago they started dating. 
After they started dating, Jack started to change. 

Today a new tour had just started, Zack hadn't seen the others for months. 
Almost everyone was on the bus again, they just had to wait for Jack and Alex. 
After a few minutes both boys entered the bus, Alex first and Jack walking shyly behind him. 
Zack gasped when he saw the younger boy, he had a thick painful looking bruiser around his left eye. 
Alex walked straight to the bunk era, going to unpack his bags. 
Zack walked up to Jack before he could walk behind Alex. 
"Jack, what happened?" he asked. 
"I-I, I fell," Jack mumbled pushing past Zack. 
Everyone else was looking at the bunk era, Alex had drawn the curtain that separated the bunks from the front lounge. 
"Something is wrong," Rian said. 
"I know," Zack said, sadness expressed all over his face. He couldn't bare with Jack being sad, he was in love with the younger boy. For Zack it was hard enough to know he couldn't be in a relationship with him because of Alex. And now something was wrong which didn't make Jack happy, and that made Zack feel sad and guilty. 
"I mean," Rian said. "It's almost impossible to fall and then get such a bruiser around your eye." 
"Something is definitely wrong with their relation." Vinny said. 
"You don't think Alex did that to him," Matt questioned. "He would never do that, now would he?" 
"I don't know," Zack said. "I'll watch them." He said before picking up his bag and walking to the bunk era. 

Zack drew the curtain and stepped inside. Alex glaze shot immediately his way.
"Hey," Zack said softly dropping his bag on his bunk and starting to unpack. 
Zack could almost feel the tension in the room. Jack eyes were fixed on his bag, not daring to look Zack nor Alex in the eyes. 
Zack tried to break the tension. "So, how were your days off from tour?" he asked. 
Zack saw Jack tensing up. "We umm... We..." 
Alex cut him off. "We were together of course. We umm... went to th-the zoo, for example. Wasn't that fun Jack? Don't you remember?" Alex spoke, Zack could hear his words weren't true, waiting for Jack's reply. 
"Yea... I remember. Fun, yes." Jack spoke, his eyes still fixed on his bag. 
Zack heard Jack was tensed, desperately wanting to know what was wrong with the younger boy. 
"You two exited about the next show?" Zack asked. 
"Yea, stoked man," Alex said, sounding honestly enthusiastic. Jack just nodded. 

~~

The first show of the new tour had been amazing. They had a enthusiastic crowd and this gave Zack a huge rush of adrenaline. 
The only thing that wasn't as good as their previous tour were the conversations between Jack and Alex on stage. Jack had been extremely tensed and there had almost been no reply to Alex' jokes from Jack's side. 
Also Alex had insulted Jack a few times. Not insults like you say to your friends as a joke, but real insults that honestly seamed to affect Jack. 
Zack was determined to speak to the younger boy. 
They were now sitting in the venue, everyone drinking beer. Most of the All Time Low band and crew seamed to be having a good time. Even Jack, the beer had probably made him relax a bit. 
Zack decided this was the moment to talk to the younger boy, but first he had to get him away from Alex. 

"Jack? Can you help me... with this... thing?" he asked. 
Jack immediately tensed again, making Zack feel a bit sorry. "Umm... What thing?" Jack asked nervous. 
"Oh, just a thing," Zack didn't know that to say to get the younger boy to come with him, and the fact that he could feel Alex' eyes burning on him wasn't helping much. 
Jack looked nervously to Alex, like he was almost asking permission. 
Alex nodded and Jack followed Zack. 

When Zack was sure the others couldn't hear them he asked: "Jack, what's going on?" 
Jack didn't answer, shifting from foot to foot. 
"Jack, how did you get the bruiser?" Zack asked. 
"I-I already told you, I fell," Jack said softly. 
"Jack, I can see in your eyes that it's not true," Zack needed the younger to speak. "Please Jack, what's wrong? You can trust me. Is Alex hurting you?"
At the last question Jack's eyes widened. "N-no!" he almost squeaked. 
You could clearly see disappointment written across Zack's face. "Okay," he said as he started to walk back to the rest. Jack followed him awkwardly. 
When they returned to the group Zack sat down and grabbed an other beer. Jack sat down next to Alex again, Alex was looking at Jack with suspicion. Maybe he thought Zack and Jack had done something...
"Did your 'thing' work, Zack?" Rian asked. 
Rian's question caught Zack off guard. "Umm... Yea. Thank you again, Jack, for helping." 
Alex was now looking at Zack with great suspicion.

~~

The rest of the so called party was a lot more awkward then before Zack had talked to Jack. The younger boy didn't dare to look any of his friends in the eyes. Everyone was now pretty wasted. Jack wasn't, he just sat in his chair avoiding all eye contact. 
"Jack?" Alex suddenly spoke. "Will you give me another beer? And open it!" 
Zack thought it was more like a command then a question. 
Jack grabbed an other beer and went back to his seat. There he opened it. Beer sprayed out of the can, going all over Alex. 
Jack eyes widened in terror. 
Alex stood up, looking furious. "Look what you did now! You stupid slut!" Alex spat in Jack's face. 
Jack looked truly terrified, almost like he was about to cry. 
Alex sighted heavily and said: "Jack, lets go clean this. And then well stay at the bus and have some fun..."
Alex said the word 'fun' with such venom in his voice that Zack highly doubted that it would be any fun for Jack.
Alex walked towards the bus, Jack quickly following. 

"I don't trust this," Zack said as Alex and Jack had almost reached the bus. 
"Calm down dude," Vinny said. "Alex is probably gonna strip and then they'll have sex or something." 
"You're probably right," Zack lied. 
Zack waited nervously in his seat, seeing Alex and Jack disappear into the tourbus. 
Something was definitely wrong, Jack had looked terrified when Alex spoke to him. 
Zack was constantly watching the bus, looking for signs of movement or maybe shadows on the curtains.

Zack had to know what was going on, he could just listen outside the bus. 
When the other guys weren't paying much attention he sneaked away. 

Zack tiptoed to the tourbus, hiding behind it out of the sight of the others. 
Zack pressed his ear against one of the windows of the vehicle. Listening carefully. 
He could clearly hear cursing, probably Alex. He listened better, now he could hear words. "You did something with him, you stupid dirty slut." He could hear Alex say. Also he could hear muffled crying coming from Jack.
 
Zack gasped, he had to do something, Alex was clearly hurting Jack. 
Zack quickly went to the bus door and opened it. He rushed inside. 

The scene he saw inside the bus made him gasp and extremely angry. 
Alex had Jack pressed up against the wall, one hand around his throat and the other was raised, ready to punch him. Underneath Alex' hand around Jack's throat Zack could already see bruisers forming. Jack was crying, having difficulties breathing because of Alex' hand and the fact that he was crying didn't really help.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Zack screamed at Alex as he run towards the pair. 
Alex' head snapped to the side eyes winding in fear. "Zack!?" he almost squeaked. 
Zack grabbed the back of Alex' shirt, slamming him into the opposite wall. 
Behind him Zack heard Jack gasp for breath as he slide to the floor. 
Alex tried to punch Zack. Zack easily holding the older boys arms in place. 
"What the fuck are you doing to Jack?!" He spat in Alex' face. 
"I-I... I," Alex tripped over his words a few times. "You! You and Jack did stuff! There was no 'thing'!" Alex screamed at Zack. 
Zack slammed the older boys frame into the wall again. "We didn't do anything!" Zack screamed, trying not to let his anger get the better of him and trying not to punch the other boy. "You're fucking hurting him! You don't even love him!" venom and anger clearly audible in Zacks voice. 
Alex tried to break free from Zacks grip. Zack had a too strong hold on him, he bet the other boy would have bruisers the next day. Good, could he also see what he did to Jack. 
Behind them Jack sat on the floor crying hysterically, holding his stomach and still gasping for breath. 
Zack was almost no longer able to control his anger. 
"Get out of my fucking face and leave Jack alone!" he spat, dragging Alex out of the bus by the front of his shirt. 
Zack slammed the bus door shut behind him, immediately locking it. 

As soon as the bus door was locked, keeping Alex outside alone with his anger, Zack ran to Jack who was still crying on the floor. 
"O god, Jack," Zack said as he kneeled next to the younger boy.
Jack still hadn't caught his breath. 
Zack tried to calm him. "Jack, sssshh... it's okay, Alex is gone," he said as he pulled the younger boy to his chest. 
Jack sobbed into his chest, desperately trying to catch his breath. 
After a few minutes Jack could speak again. "W-where is A-Alex?" he sobbed. 
"Alex is outside the bus, he can't hurt you now Jack, it's all over," Zack said to the younger boy. 
"I-it can't b-be over, Z-Zack. I-I... I still l-love him," Jack sobbed. 
"Why do you still love him Jack? He hurts you. He doesn't love you," Zack said, feeling his own heart break a bit at the thought of Jack still staying with Alex even though he hurts the younger boy. 
Jack started to cry harder again. "H-he... he d-d-does..."
Zack pulled the younger boy tighter to his chest. "Sssshh..." he tried to calm him. "It's okay, just breath first." 
Jack took a few deep breaths and spoke again: "H-he does l-love me, Z-Zack," his voice still shaking. "He, he just h-has an other w-way of expressing i-it." 
"Jack," Zack sighed.
It would be more difficult than he thought to convince Jack it was not okay what Alex did. Jack loved the older boy too much and that made Zacks heart drop.
"Hurting someone is never the right way of expressing love." 
"H-how do y-you know?" Jack sobbed. 
Zack sighed. "B-because..." it was more difficult then he thought. "Because, Jack. I'm in love with you too and I would never ever hurt you." 
Jack's tear strained eyes looked at Zack's. "Y-you are?"
"Yea Jack," Zack's own eyes started to well up. "I love you, Jack, with whole my hearth. I fell in love with you a long time ago. But you w-were always w-with Alex." 
Zack hugged the younger boy tight as he started to sob himself.
"I-I..." Jack hugged Zack back, laying his head on the older boys muscular shoulders. "I... I never noticed." 
"It's okay," Zack lied, his voice still thick with tears. "I-I'm sorry."
"D-don't be sorry," Jack said. 
"I am, J-Jack. I'm sorry for l-loving you a-and... I know you love A-Alex. I'm... I'm just sorry," he sobbed. "Sorry for bothering you... a-and..." 

Jack lips cut him off. 
Zack eyes widened, but he quickly kissed back. His hand creeping to the back of Jack's neck. 

As soon as Zack tried to pull him deeper into the kiss Jack pulled away. 
"O god, what am I doing?!" Jack started to panic. "O no, A-Alex will kill me!" Jack quickly stumbled away from Zack. "I-I... I have to... I'm sorry." 
Jack tried to walk away but Zack's strong arms caught his writ and pulled him back into his chest. 
The younger boy started to protest but his wounds and bruisers hurt him, so he soon stopped struggling. 
"Jack, p-please," Zack spoke still sobbing lightly. "I-I'm here now, he can't hurt you. I'll protect you." 
Jack sobbed into Zack's chest again, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and hugging him tight. 
"I'll protect you, Jack. He'll never hurt you again." 
"T-thank y-you," Jack said his voice shaking while he cried.

~~

Both boys sat on the tourbus floor for a long time, before Zack lifted an almost sleeping Jack and carried him to his bunk. Zack snuggled in behind the younger boy, making Jack feel protected and safe.

The bus door was still locked. Alex had slammed against it multiple times but had finally passed out from tiredness. The rest of the band and crew lay somewhere passed out in the venue, all of them drunk. 

Zack and Jack were sleeping soundly, tightly hugged to each other and their legs tangled. The problems with Alex would be solved later. 
All that counts now was Jack being safe, sleeping in Zack's arms.