Apartment 4C

Jake woke up completely disorientated, eyes dry and stinging, face rough with dried tears, not really understanding what was going on or where he was, until his eyes focused enough to realise what room he was in. He was back in Abilene, Kansas. He was in his childhood bedroom, the one he shared with his brother Robert growing up, with Alfie in his brothers’ Thomas and Gregory’s room down the hallway. All because of his…fuck, his momma. This started tears stinging in his eyes again, until three knocks sounded on the door.

“Come in!” Jake called out, wincing at his rasping voice.

The door pushed open to see Alfie standing the other side, already dressed. He was smiling as he walked in, but as soon as he saw Jake’s face, Alfie frowned.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Alfie asked, coming to sit down next to Jake on the bed.

“Just remembered why we’re down here,” Jake sniffed.

Alfie whooshed out a breath, but took Jake’s hand as he nodded.

“Yeah, I get it. But we’re going to see her as soon as we’ve had breakfast, so that’s good, right?” Alfie said softly.

“We?” Jake asked, frowning slightly.

That we was weighted, as in, more than just Alfie and him.

Alfie flushed slightly, hand rubbing the back of his neck. What?

“It was just going to be you and I, but your dad and your brother Rob got the day off work, so…yeah. They’re coming too,”

Rob…no-one ever called his brother Robert, Rob, unless they’d already met him so…

“Shit, Rob’s downstairs isn’t he?” Jake groaned.

To his credit, Alfie managed to smile.

“Yeah, Rob and Jenny are over for breakfast before Jenny goes to work. The kids are already at daycare, along with your other nieces and nephews. You didn’t tell me you’re an uncle to 9 kids. Or that your brother was built like a linebacker,” Alfie mused.

Jenny, Rob’s wife, was a receptionist for the town mayor, and was the sweetest woman he knew other than his momma. They had 2 kids of their own, a girl and a boy, and were trying for a third. Jake was closer to Jenny than his other brothers’ wives, due to the closeness in age, so it would be good to see her again. But it didn’t mean that Alfie should’ve met her, any of his family, alone. Especially not Rob – he may be the brother Jake was closest too before he left, but he was also the one that gave him the most shit. And Jake had no doubt that Rob would have no problem laying into Alfie too.

“I’m sorry, you should’ve woken me up,” Jake grumbled.

“You needed the rest, baby,” Alfie said, smiling sadly, “Get dressed and I’ll see you downstairs?”

“You really are trying to charm my dad, huh?” Jake said dryly.

Alfie blushed slightly. “He already looked pinched when I came up here alone. I don’t want to push him over the edge, especially since he let me stay last night,”

Jake fought the urge to roll his eyes and instead just pressed a slow kiss to Alfie’s lips. He didn’t care that he had morning breath, he needed this right now. His dad was trying, really trying, and Jake knew he wouldn’t ever kick a boyfriend of Jake’s out if he actually liked him (and so far so good), but it was nice that Alfie was trying to respect him back. It meant a lot to Jake.

“I’ll see you downstairs,” Jake murmured, breaking the kiss.

Alfie’s smile seemed a little less tense as he walked out.

*

Just over an hour later, Jake was on his way to the hospital, clutching Alfie’s hand in the backseat of his dad’s truck while his brother Rob sat in the front with his dad. His other brothers, Gregory and Thomas were at work and would visit their mom later. Rob’s wife Jenny had taken Rob’s car to work, and before leaving (after interrogating Alfie with Rob and his dad) had told Jake she couldn’t have imagined anyone more perfect for Jake. Jake couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect either.

He honestly didn’t know why Alfie was still here, why Alfie was putting up with all this emotional drama, just for him. The man had been nothing short of attentive and sweet and supportive, and Jake was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. No-one this caring had ever invested so much time into Jake’s personal life, so sue him for being so hesitant about it all.

“Earth to Jake?”

Jake snapped out of his thoughts, to see Alfie staring at him and his dad and brother laughing. Wonderful.

“Welcome back,” Alfie mused, “We’re here,”

Jake blushed, but also took a deep shaky breath. They were at the hospital. He was going to see his momma, face to face, after years and years of not seeing her. With half an arm missing. Fuck.

Alfie noticed his anxiety rising (see, perfect?) and linked their fingers together, bringing Jake’s hand up to his lips for a gentle kiss before tugging him out the car. Rob squeezed Jake’s shoulder, his dad just nodding, before Jake followed his family into the ominous building. Jake just stayed silent, leaning into Alfie’s side as his dad signed them all in and picked up the visitors’ passes, in a sort of daze as they wandered up to the room his mom was in. There were 5 other beds in the room, only two of them filled, both other patients sleeping. Jake swallowed heavily as his mom noticed them, squeezing Alfie’s hand as he noticed the heavy bandages around her arm…around her stump…fuck!

Jake just burst into tears again, free hand flying up to cover his mouth and muffle his sobs, his dad just cursing under his breath.

“Hey, baby boy, don’t cry over me. I’ve still got my pretty face,” Jake’s mom cooed, her words slurring slightly.

Jake choked a laugh, shaking his head, ignoring the tears running down his cheeks.

“You just…I wasn’t expecting this. I couldn’t let myself think about it properly and now…fuck, I just wasn’t expecting this,” Jake said, voice thick and wet with tears.

“Well neither was I to be honest,” she grinned.

“They’ve got you on the good stuff, huh momma?” Rob chuckled, reaching over to squeeze her good arm.

“Damn right they do,” she laughed, nodding.

Jake laughed well, along with the others, but looking at her arm again, at all the tiny cuts and bruises on her neck and face, and that sobered him up.

“What happened?” Jake asked softly.

“I don’t really remember,” she shrugged.

Well, that was good, right?

Jake looked at his Dad, who just sighed.

“The cops told me that a drunk driver ran over a red light, hit your momma’s car stupidly fast on the passenger’s side, which made her crash into two other cars, her door buckling on impact, which crushed most of her left arm,” his dad explained, “The drunk driver’s car spun on the round until it hit a tree. He died on impact,”

“Oh my God, mom,” Jake whimpered.

Alfie squeezed his hand to keep him calm, only making Jake more grateful than ever that he was here.

“I’m okay. If I’d lost my right arm then I would’ve been screwed, but I didn’t. I lost my left arm. So I can still write, and dress myself, and brush my hair. I’m okay,” Jake’s momma said as firmly as she could.

“How is she being so positive?!” Jake spluttered.

Jake’s brother and Dad laughed, Alfie just squeezing his hand again.

“It’s momma, what else do you expect?” Rob mused.

Well, that was true.

Then Alfie squeezed his hand again, as if to catch his attention, which made Jake blush. He hadn’t introduced him yet!

“Uh, momma, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Alfie Young,” Jake said softly.

“It’s really nice to meet you finally, ma’am,” Alfie said, all charm and winning smile.

“Oh Alfie, you’re so polite! Call me Betty,” she said happily, “Jake said you were handsome, but I didn’t think he was telling the truth! And seeing you asleep just doesn’t do you justice,”

Shit, Jake had forgotten that Skype call. Jake blushed slightly again, even more so at Alfie’s confused face.

“You were asleep so I was doing some work on my laptop and she called me on Skype, and I answered without thinking?” Jake offered.

It wasn't worth telling Alfie that this was when Alfie slept over in his bed...shirtless...no, his dad really wouldn't appreciate that.

“That’s not creepy at all,” Rob teased, only making Jake blushed more.

“Oh hush, Robert, it was a beautiful moment,” his momma scolded.

“Momma!” Jake whined, making them all laugh, including Alfie.

“This is the first boy you’ve ever brought home to us, Jacob. I’ve been saving this up for years!” Jake’s momma grinned.

Jake groaned and looked up at Alfie, who was smiling.

“First boy ever, huh?” Alfie said softly.

“Uh, yeah. Abilene isn’t exactly the most accepting place in the world,” Jake shrugged, trying to play it cool.

To be truthful, if Jake’s brothers hadn’t been so overprotective and ready to get into fights with whoever even looked at Jake judgementally, his life would’ve been even more hell than it was. And he dreaded to think how he would’ve ended up.

“Regardless, I’m glad you’re here, Alfie. I’ve never seen my baby smile so much before,”

“Momma!” Jake whined again.

He should’ve known he wouldn’t get a break from his family trying to embarrass him.

“Oh please, you can’t say no to me – I only have one arm,” she scoffed.

Jake’s dad’s eyes bugged a little, Rob clutching the side of the bed where he was laughing so hard. Jake’s jaw just dropped a little, until Alfie laughed as well.

“You’re going to play that card forever now, aren’t you?” Jake huffed.

“Damn right I am,” she grinned, “So, Alfie, how did you and Jake meet?”