The Vow

A sixteen-year-old Alex Gaskarth lies on the ground in his backyard next to his lanky fifteen-year-old best friend, Jack Barakat.

They aren't doing anything, not really, merely just staring up blankly at the clouds that seem to pass them by much faster than they should be, what with the fact that it isn't even a windy day or anything. Both are completely silent, something that's especially rare for them—for all teenage boys in general—but it just... it works.

That is, until Alex sits himself up, his legs crossing and his fingers moving to pluck at and ruffle through the blades of grass planted in the earth before him.

"You know I love you, right?" he asks quietly, and Jack can only blink up at the clouds in the confusion brought upon him by how straightforward and random the question is before assuming the same position as his crush best friend.

"Yeah, dude," Jack assures nonchalantly, trying to seem as casual as ever when he replies, "I love you, too, bro."

"And you're never gonna leave me, right? No matter how annoying I get or how stupid and impulsive I act, you'll still be by my side? Forever?"

Jack couldn't answer right away, instead much too concerned about where this conversation was headed and why it had even been brought up in the first place. When he feels there's no harm in answering, he replies, "Of course, dude. Who else would even take me?"

"This is serious," Alex says around a sigh, head dropping forward so much that his chin is nearly touching his chest. "Do you promise me? Promise you'll always be there, always have my back and stop me from doing stupid things?"

Jack, at a loss as to what's happening, reaches his hand out and clasps one of Alex's as a way to show his support, squeezing gently. "I promise I'll always be there for you, no matter what."

It's when Alex squeezes his hand back, small smile spreading across his lips, does Jack begin to relax again, and then the elder boy is pulling him in for a hug, saying, "Thanks. I promise to be there for you, too."

Jack's arms wrap around Alex's torso as he buries his face in his best friends shoulder. "I know you will."

Nearly ten years later and Jack isn't sure which one of them broke their promise first. Really, it could've been both, so he doesn't like to dwell on it all too much.

He can't just forget about it, though. He knows that what Alex is doing is wrong, is stupid and irresponsible and just... this isn't how their lives should've played out.

They were supposed to be so close that they'd eventually fall in love—which had already been accomplished on one end—and then they'd continue on doing everything together: moving in, getting married, adopting kids. The whole shebang.

Jack knows that's how it should've played out, but instead of standing in the back room of a chapel waiting to get married to Alex, he's waiting for Alex to get married to a small woman named Lisa.

Jack was never really much a fan of her, he'll admit, but that really just had to do with the fact that she stole what was his. Looking past all that? She was virtually perfect.

Petite figure, warm smile, bright eyes, perfectly curly hair and tanned skin that could only force you to think of beaches and palm trees, relaxation and peaceful bliss. Beauty and serenity, all in one small package.

Her voice was pitched precisely to match with her appearance, and her laugh could have the angels swooning. She was intelligent, caring, and just overall... perfect.

She wasn't like Jack at all. Alex didn't have to look up—even if it were hardly at all—to see into her eyes and she had curves that practically begged Alex to lay his hands over. She wasn't obnoxious and loud; she was delicate and gentle.

She was Alex's other half—well, second best to other half, but still close enough—and that's why Jack had broken his promise. He didn't object or try to sway his best friend's decision when he'd been told the big news, and it hurt, but he knew he had to do it. He knew he had to let this happen without his interference.

He liked to think, though, that he hadn't gone back on his word. In a sense, at least. He'd promised he'd always have Alex's back, be there to support him and be a helping hand. Which, if he said so himself, he was doing a pretty good job of; he hadn't let his feelings get in the way, had agreed to be Alex's best man, and had even promised to make a toast—a promise he knew he had to go through with.

He doesn't know what he's going to say as of right now, but that's not much of a problem seeing as how he still has a few hours. That, and he's kind of got his hands full with a freaking out Alex as it is.

"Fuck, what if this was a bad idea? What if we're not ready for this? What if she's having second thoughts right this very fucking second? What i—"

"Dude," Jack says, pulling him into a hug, Alex merely clinging to him a little desperately. "She'd be crazy to be having second thoughts. She loves you; you love her, right?"

Alex can only nod his head from where it's buried in Jack's neck, his breathing too shaky for him to even think about forming words yet, not when he still has vows to give once the ceremony starts.

"That's all you need to know that this isn't a mistake. All of this? You're ready for it, and I know for a fact you are. You're more than ready for this, and you can't let it slip through your grasp just because you're a bit worried about things you don't even need to be thinking about. You just need to take a deep breath, think about how happy you make each other, go out there, and make her Mrs. Lisa Gaskarth."

Jack can still tell that his words have only just barely scratched the surface, and he makes one last desperate attempt, jokingly remarking, "Just think about how great all that newlywed honeymoon sex'll be."

A snort is all he receives in reply for a few moments, but then Alex is straightening himself out in Jack's arms, small smile on his lips and breathing somewhat back under control.

"I'd probably be dead or something right now if it weren't for you," he says, and Jack shakes his head, pulls the elder back into his chest.

"Don't say that," he scolds softly, and this time Alex is the one to shake his head, his next words being muffled by the lapel of Jack's tux.

"I mean it. You do everything for me, and you're always there for me when I need you. I probably would've given up long ago if I didn't have you. Thank you for everything; I love you."

Jack can feel that familiar ping, the one in his chest that tells him it isn't worth it, none of it is, but he can only sigh, squeeze his best friend impossibly closer. "I love you, too, man. Now come on, we gotta go get you hitched."

The pair walk out to stand beside the priest at the altar, and now Alex is practically screaming confidence, hands clasped in front of his body in a manner that matches Jack's, shoulders back and head held high, confident yet not cocky smile on his lips.

Neither man falters as the music starts up, and Jack is even able to keep quiet through the objections. The silence is painful, almost enough to make his ears bleed and fold in on themselves simultaneously.

They both make it out alive in the end, save the fact that now Alex has his real, own, little family, and Jack even allows a few pained tears to slip, playing them off as tears of joy for his best friend's happiness.

When the reception begins, Jack is seated at the same table as Alex, Lisa and Lisa's maid of honor, the groomsmen and bridesmaids all at another table only a few feet away.

It's just before everyone is about to start digging into the food that's been presented to them does Jack stand, raise his glass and tap it a little too harshly with the sharp edge of his knife—which is wholeheartedly accidental and not a form of anger—and the glass shatters, causing both lead men to erupt into a fit of giggles as everyone else stares at them in shock.

"Well, now that I have your attention," Jack starts, clearing his throat so he doesn't start laughing again and placing the broken flute back onto the table, carefully shaking his hand clear of all the spilled wine. At least the glass hadn't landed anywhere to harm someone and the wine was white. "I was asked by the groom to be his best man, and as a best man, it's my job to bore you all up here with my congratulatory speech."

A few faux groans resound around the room and Jack has to refrain from flipping them off, even if it's only in joking. There are too many old people and children here for that.

"Well, to start, I'd like to thank everyone for coming as well as making this day possible. It'll go down in history as being a better wedding than Kim Kardashian's, I'm telling you all now.

"Anyway, I've known Alex for nearly twelve years now, and we've been best friends since the first day. Okay, no, I hated him the first day. Month. Whatever. He was always an arrogant kid, y'know? But when we actually gave being friends a try, it worked better than anyone could've ever imagined.

"It's because of how well I know him that caused me to be confused when he first introduced me to Lisa. 'Jack,' he said, 'I'd like you to meet my girlfriend.'

"And my first thought was, 'But she's so out of your league!' Surprise, buddy," he stopped then, turned to wink at his best friend tauntingly, who gives him a halfhearted glare before breaking out into a grin and shrugging.

"Then I actually got to know Lisa. And that's when I realized that, yeah, she's really out of his league. And, in a way, it makes me feel good knowing that someone as beautiful as Lisa found something in my best friend that was worth sticking around for. Makes me think that I choose my friends pretty damn well.

"I know we both have, since Alex, as a friend and now as a husband, has been there for both of us in our times of need. He's made promises to me and to Lisa that he's never gone back on, and I hope to one day be even just half the man he is.

"And, Lisa, if you ever have any problems with him, you let me know and I'll knock him right back into shape for ya," he said as seriously as possible, turning to look at the happy couple and forcing a smile. A kiss was blown his way from the glowing bride, and he made sure to catch it, place it on his cheek.

"I would wish both of you the best of luck, but I honestly don’t believe you’ll need it. Now if you could all raise your glasses please…" Jack trailed out, looking down momentarily at the shattered remains of his flute. He heard a laugh and then Alex was handing him his own glass. He took it with a smile and raised it high.

"Today marks a day you’ll never forget, filled with tears and smiles and not an ounce of regret. Though no journey is perfect, never allow unhappiness to breed. Always have faith in each other because it's only love that you’ll need.

"Ladies and gentlemen, to the bride and groom."

With a quick swig from the glass he'd been given, Jack is swallowing down that last little bit of regret, that last little bit of a broken promise he wasn't able to keep.