Sweat

1:

The first time Alex is aware of his...fascination is when they're doing an interview somewhere warm in the USA. He's answering a question from the interviewer about their upcoming album, when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees bare flesh. Jack's the only one sitting next to him, and so it's logically to assume that it's Jack taking his t-shirt off because of the warm weather.

But Alex, being a curious man, has to glance sideways. He's confronted with Jack topless, sweat slowly dripping down his chest, and he's shocked, but it's normal. Ish. He hopes.

Now why would he think that? He wonders, directing his attention at the interviewer.

2:

The next time Alex pays attention to Jack and his sweat is at a show in Denver. The audience is screaming in excitement at them. Alex is singing his heart out to the fans, and they reciprocate by singing back to him. He smiles, happy that his entire band is appreciated.

Alex catches Jack near the audience, them screaming as he plays the guitar and mimes along to the song, The Reckless and The Brave. In that moment, Alex notices something trickling down the back of Jack's neck and under his t-shirt. Oh fuck.

He needs to get this sorted, without anyone noticing.

3:

Unfortuantly for Alex, he has no chance of getting it sorted before the end of the show. So he spends the entire show, most of his brain concentrating on the music and the fans, but a tiny part of his brain firmly fixed on Jack and the sweat running down his neck, under his collar.

Alex imagines that the beads of sweat run over Jack's collarbone, trickling down his chest and then soaking into the waistband of his skinny jeans. Fuck. He needs to concentrate.

4:

After the show, he is the first one to have a shower, but Jack was the last one to have one. This means that the sweat on Jack is still there, just above his t-shirt collar and underneath it, and it's distracting him from the TV. And there nothing Alex can do about it.

As Jack gets his turn in the shower, Alex finds himself thinking sadly that the sweat is being washed off his best friend. But he supposes that there'll be other occasions for his best friend (is Jack just his best friend?) to get sweaty.

5:

He's half-naked and Jack is next to him, in a similar state of undress, and they're laughing, holding each other up. Alex watches a bead of sweat slide down Jack's neck, over his collarbone and down his chest, suddenly wishing that he could follow - or be - that droplet of sweat.

"Oh God..." Jack says, through his laugther, "That was brillant!"

"I know!" Alex replies, directing his gaze away from Jack's neck, "We need to pull that prank again!"

It's been weeks since Alex first noticed Jack's sweat, and it isn't going away, much to Alex's confusion and...happiness. It isn't good, but at the same time, Alex thinks it so is.

Why is Jack's sweat so fascinating? He wonders as Jack stands up and walks unsteadily over to the table that's stacked with booze.

6:

Alex is being driven mad by Jack constantly and his best friend doesn't know anything. He just continues his daily business, as though Alex isn't being tortured by Jack's skin and the way it glistens when he's sweaty.

7:

Alex is drunk, he knows that much. But as he makes his way toward Jack, he couldn't care less. Tonight, Jack's skin is almost glowing and Alex is powerless to resist to attraction. It's Jack's fault, he thinks, as he gets closer to the bar, for being so fucking good-looking when sweaty.

"Hey Jack," Alex says, putting an arm around Jack's shoulder, "What's up?"

Jack laughs, "Alex, I only left you a minute ago."

"But," Alex pouts, "I missed you."

"Sounds right."

He frowns, "Why are you making fun of me?"

Jack pulls him into a hug, allowing Alex a good chance to smell and feel Jack's skin. It's intoxicating, almost as much as the alcohol. He blames the alcohol.

8:

"What - what's going on?" A male voice mumbles from besides Alex. The side of their body is pressed against Alex's. It's pleasent.

He turns his head so he can see. He stares in shock. It's Jack. What? How?

"Hi Jack," He says, "Where are we?"

"Alex?" Jack says quietly.

"Yes Jack?"

"We're in your bunk Alex."

Well damn, Alex thinks, what happened last night?

"Why are we here?" Alex says. Neither of them are attempting to move from their place squished in Alex's single bunk.

9:

After Alex has got out of bed, he has a shower and dresses. Then he goes to the lounge, grabbing a bacon sandwich out of the paper bag on the side. Rian must have been to Starbucks, or maybe it was Zack, on his early run. Either way, Alex is thankful, because it give him something else to concentrate on rather than Jack with his stupid, glistening skin, lying on - in - his bunk.

But he's waylaid by Zack, who says, "You need to do something about it."

"What?"

"About the love for Jack's skin." Zack explains.

Alex pales, all the blood draining instantly from his face. He croaks out, "What?"

"Well, you were talking about how Jack's skin 'glistened' and how it was 'glowing'." Zack put air quotes in the air with his fingers.

"Shit," He mumbles, his face going red, "Oh God no, no, no, no, fuck no."

"Yes. You did say that to everyone."

"To Jack?" Alex says, almost afraid of the answer.

Zack nods, "Yeah to Jack too, but he might not be able to remember - he was drunk last night as well."

"God, I hope so."

10:

Alex is (irrationally) nervous when he goes to get Jack out of his own bunk.

"Hey," He says, putting a hand out and shaking Jack's shoulder, "Time to get up Jack."

"There's one thing that I remember from last night." Jack says as he gets out of the bunk, grabbing a pair of trousers. He puts them on.

Alex's heart clenches tightly in his chest. He forces out, "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"You."

Oh fuck, he thinks, this is how he loses his best friend.

"A - and what's that?" Alex says nervously, his palms sweating. He wipes them on his jeans.

There is a beat of silence, and then Jack speaks.

"You said something about my... glowing skin?"

Alex's cheeks go red, his head feeling dizzy from the amount of blood in his face. He looks down to the ground, shuffling his feet.

"Oh God, I'm sorry, I can stop, I'm sorry." He babbles frantically, honestly not knowing if he can stop, but he can certainly try for Jack.

"Alex..." Jack says softly.

He looks up hesitantly, his brown eyes wide with concealed hope, and says, "Yeah?"

"I don't mind."

"Really?" Alex says.

Jack places a hand on Alex's shoulder gently, and pulls him into a hug. Alex feels the heat from Jack soak into his own. He wants it to last forever, but of course it doesn't. Jack pulls away and looks at him.

"Yes, really." Jack says, his face barely an inch away from Alex's face.

He can feel Jack's breath on his face, and his skin is fucking glowing - of course it is! - and Jack's eyes are looking into his own with hope, a soft smile adorning his lips. Alex has the urge to kiss him. But is it too early?

11:

Alex breathes slowly, in and out, and takes the plunge, pressing his lips quickly against Jack's and then backs off. Jack is stood there with a shocked look on his face, mouth open.

"Jack, w - was that ok?" He asks, grateful that Rian and Zack are in the lounge and not wanting something from their bunks.

A smile appears on Jack's face, and Alex thinks that fans are right when they say that Jack looks a little like a puppy.

"Yeah," Jack says, "That was ok."

Smiling, Alex loops both arms around Jack's waist and pulls him into a hug, and says in Jack's ears, "Thank God."

And to think this all came about because it was hot and Jack was sweating, Alex thinks as he presses another kiss to Jack's lips, their stubble scratching against each other's chin.