Ice
Title: Ice
Characters: Jard Phillips, Elena Munez
Universe(s): A Safe Harbor/Falling Starlight
Timeline: MDSE and Falling Starlight are on their own separate tours; this takes place directly after Elena's fight with Chris
Rating: T (really just language)
Notes: This is Jared's response to this post.
Micah and JJ had texted Jared that night after Elena had been OK’d by the doctors at the hospital. They hadn’t given a ton of specific details, just that she had to get some stitches, had a concussion, and was still sick as a dog but it wasn’t pneumonia or anything more serious.
When Jared saw the message, he had been out at a bar with Travis and the rest of the boys and had already been hitting things pretty hard. The text was enough to set him off, and amid confused and slurred protests from the guys, he had left to go straight back to his place so he could call Elena up and find out what had happened.
He was currently sitting on his bed atop a mountain of dirty clothes, and he had absolutely no patience for Skype right now.
“Fucking pick up, E! Come on! Micah, JJ, someone help her pick the fuck up!”
The monotone “boop, boop, boop” of the Skype call suddenly stopped, and the screen flashed. Jared’s breath hitched in his throat and his heart skipped a beat or two. At least, it felt like it did.
“Hey Jared,” JJ answered.
“I want to talk to Elena,” Jared dismissed him.
“Dude, you look like shit. What hap-“
“Godamn it, JJ, put Elena fucking on!”
“Jared, she’s resting right now. Doctor said-“
Before Jared could blow up at JJ again, another, softer, smaller voice was heard off-screen. “Is that Jared? Let me talk to him, JJ. Please.”
The screen got pixelated and choppy for a few brief seconds as JJ moved the laptop in front of her. When it cleared up again, Jared’s eyes went wide when he finally saw her, tears prickling at the corners. “Shit, E, what the fuck happened to you?”
“Fuck, Jared, I could ask you the same thing,” Elena replied, her eyes as wide as they could be with one swollen half-shut. “Did you get hit by a fucking bus?”
“Let’s not change the subject,” Jared waved off her concern. On the way out of the bar, he had made the mistake of bumping into a gruff-looking asshole whose nerves must have been about as frayed as his own. A punch to the face later left his nose bleeding and a nice scrape or two above his eye because-as was Jared’s luck-the guy was wearing a ring. He had thrown a punch of his own, but the guy’s skin must have been made of fucking concrete-or maybe that was because he had missed and hit the wall instead.
“What the fuck happened, El? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she answered. She looked anything but fine, and seemed to realize this, so added, “Well-I mean, the doctor said I have a concussion, and I’m still sick-“
“El. What. The fuck. Happened.”
She sighed, and winced when even that seemed to make her fucking head hurt. “It was just some stupid shit, J. Seriously. I started feeling sick so I was going back to the bus and Chris-“
“That fucking bastard? He did this to you? I’m going to fucking murder him, I swear to fucking God-“
“Jared,” Elena was frowning at him. “Don’t. Please. Just try to relax, and…”
“Relax? Fucking relax? Are you fucking kidding me, Elena? If he put his hands on you he’s a fucking dead man. I’m going to rip his fucking arms off, shove them up his fucking ass, and then sic Gigi on him-“
“Mikey’s Pomeranian?”
“--yeah, she’s a fucking Pomeranian, but she can be fucking vicious-and let her rip his fucking face off.”
She couldn’t help it. It wasn’t funny, but she was so exhausted, and felt like complete and utter shit, and Jared’s vivid declaration of what he wanted to do to Chris made her crack a smile and then start laughing. Part of her-okay, more than a tiny little part-wished it would come true.
Jared laughed along with her, and God, he wished he could be there with her right now. Why did their schedules have to keep them so fucking far apart?
“I just have this image of this tiny little dog on top of him and-“ Elena was giggling, and it made her head pound in response, and that made her laugh even more.
“I told you, she can be fucking vicious,” Jared grinned at her. “But take it easy, E. Your head looks like it fucking hurts.”
“So does yours,” Elena replied. “Your turn, J. What happened?”
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, forgetting the bump there, and he cursed. “Really, E, it was nothing. Just me being fucking stupid. Micah and JJ texted me that you were in the hospital and I was out with the boys and drunk and I fucking freaked so I bumped into the wrong guy and he fucking clocked me.”
“Fuck, J,” Elena’s eyes went wide. “I hope you knocked him the fuck out.”
“Uh, yeah,” Jared suddenly sounded kind of embarrassed. “I tried, but I was fucking wasted, and… I hit the wall instead.” Come to think of it, his hand really fucking hurt. He hadn’t looked at it yet because it was still under his gloves.
“Shit, Jared. Okay, will you do me a favor, then?”
“Of course, El.”
“You’re at your place, right? I can tell from all the dirty clothes and Chipotle wrappers. Next time you're around my family, I'm having my abuela make you some real Mexican food."
“Never going to pass up food from your fam, but thanks for that, E. We’ve been on tour and we got a show at home tonight, I haven’t had time to clean-“
“Anyway, go get an ice pack or something so your face doesn’t swell up bigger than the fucking screen, J. Please?”
“Yeah, okay,” Jared slid off his bed. “I’ll be right back.”
He returned in about thirty seconds, holding a pack of frozen peas to his face that had been in the freezer so long it was now a solid block of peas.
“I said an ice pack, Jared. You’re getting the swelling down, not making dinner.”
“This is all I have, El,” Jared grinned a little. “And maybe I want to make soup.”
They laughed again, and the distance between them suddenly felt astronomical. Elena was back on the bus and out of the hospital, thank God for that, but she was laying alone in her bunk, the laptop balanced on top of her stomach, Micah and JJ coming every hour on the fucking hour to check on her and make sure she hadn’t fucking died. The bus’ heating was on and she was covered in blankets but she was still shivering and would’ve given anything for Jared to be here lying next to her.
“Shit, E,” Jared set the package of frozen peas down for a minute. “What the fuck’s happened to us?”
“Stop with that shit, Jared. We’ve both had a really terrible fucking night and that’s all.”
“I know that, but I mean-“
“I really don’t want to talk about that right now, Jared. Please.”
“Okay.”
Even through the silence that followed, they stared at each other and their eyes said more than their words ever could.
“You know, it’s pretty fucked up that you’re the one having to do the comforting when you’re the one that was in the fucking hospital,” Jared replied.
“Oh hush,” Elena rolled her eyes the best she could with one swollen half-shut, and Jared smiled. “You and Popo have done plenty for me.” The sheets ruffled a little and she grabbed the sock monkey to hold it up to the screen and show him. “See?”
“I’m glad, E,” Jared smiled, but it looked sad. Thank God Popo was there with her, even if he couldn’t be right now. All he wanted to do was lay there with her and keep her warm-he knew how cold she always was, especially at night-and kiss her forehead and know that she was there and safe in his arms. Being so far apart when they both needed each other so much was too fucking painful.
“So, speaking of the fucking butt-nut that did this to you-“ Elena snorted back a laugh, “-I hope JJ and Micah stomped his fucking lights out.”
“No, but I got him in the knee pretty fucking good,” Elena replied, and she had a proud smile on her face that made Jared laugh. “I was going for the goods, I wanted to make sure he could never have any fucking kids ever, but I got his knee instead.”
“Hey, I’ll take it,” Jared replied. “He’s not… you know, he’s not still fucking there with you, is he?”
“Oh no, oh God no, Jared. I’m not that crazy. That was the best part. I kicked him in the fucking knee and I fired his ass right in front of the security guard and everyone watching.”
“Ha! Fucking nice,” Jared grinned. He made a move to high-five her and then realized she was just on a screen on the other side of the country.
“…you just tried to high-five your computer monitor, didn’t you?”
“Maybe,” Jared winked. They both shared another laugh, and then Elena’s head turned when she heard a voice calling her name.
“Shit. That’s Micah and JJ, wanting to make sure I’m not dead.”
“I’m glad you’re not alone, Elena. Are they taking care of you?”
“Of course they fucking are, Jared. You know Micah and JJ. They’re good guys.”
“I know, it’s just-“ Jared shrugged. “I fucking miss you, E. We… we need to catch up soon, okay? In person. None of this computer screen bullshit.”
“I agree,” Elena replied, her voice softer this time. “Look, I’ve got to go and take some more meds, but I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
“You better,” Jared replied. “I mean it, E. Call me anytime.”
“I will, J. You too. Keep those fucking peas on your face, got it?”
“Sure thing, Keebler Elf.” Elena held up her middle finger and Jared chuckled. “Take care of yourself, E. See you soon.”
“You too, J.”
The screen went black. Jared shut his laptop screen, grabbed the frozen pack of peas, and pressed it up against his forehead. He pulled his knees up to his chest, fell over onto his side, and curled up tightly in the center of his bed.
He was cold.
Characters: Jard Phillips, Elena Munez
Universe(s): A Safe Harbor/Falling Starlight
Timeline: MDSE and Falling Starlight are on their own separate tours; this takes place directly after Elena's fight with Chris
Rating: T (really just language)
Notes: This is Jared's response to this post.
Micah and JJ had texted Jared that night after Elena had been OK’d by the doctors at the hospital. They hadn’t given a ton of specific details, just that she had to get some stitches, had a concussion, and was still sick as a dog but it wasn’t pneumonia or anything more serious.
When Jared saw the message, he had been out at a bar with Travis and the rest of the boys and had already been hitting things pretty hard. The text was enough to set him off, and amid confused and slurred protests from the guys, he had left to go straight back to his place so he could call Elena up and find out what had happened.
He was currently sitting on his bed atop a mountain of dirty clothes, and he had absolutely no patience for Skype right now.
“Fucking pick up, E! Come on! Micah, JJ, someone help her pick the fuck up!”
The monotone “boop, boop, boop” of the Skype call suddenly stopped, and the screen flashed. Jared’s breath hitched in his throat and his heart skipped a beat or two. At least, it felt like it did.
“Hey Jared,” JJ answered.
“I want to talk to Elena,” Jared dismissed him.
“Dude, you look like shit. What hap-“
“Godamn it, JJ, put Elena fucking on!”
“Jared, she’s resting right now. Doctor said-“
Before Jared could blow up at JJ again, another, softer, smaller voice was heard off-screen. “Is that Jared? Let me talk to him, JJ. Please.”
The screen got pixelated and choppy for a few brief seconds as JJ moved the laptop in front of her. When it cleared up again, Jared’s eyes went wide when he finally saw her, tears prickling at the corners. “Shit, E, what the fuck happened to you?”
“Fuck, Jared, I could ask you the same thing,” Elena replied, her eyes as wide as they could be with one swollen half-shut. “Did you get hit by a fucking bus?”
“Let’s not change the subject,” Jared waved off her concern. On the way out of the bar, he had made the mistake of bumping into a gruff-looking asshole whose nerves must have been about as frayed as his own. A punch to the face later left his nose bleeding and a nice scrape or two above his eye because-as was Jared’s luck-the guy was wearing a ring. He had thrown a punch of his own, but the guy’s skin must have been made of fucking concrete-or maybe that was because he had missed and hit the wall instead.
“What the fuck happened, El? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she answered. She looked anything but fine, and seemed to realize this, so added, “Well-I mean, the doctor said I have a concussion, and I’m still sick-“
“El. What. The fuck. Happened.”
She sighed, and winced when even that seemed to make her fucking head hurt. “It was just some stupid shit, J. Seriously. I started feeling sick so I was going back to the bus and Chris-“
“That fucking bastard? He did this to you? I’m going to fucking murder him, I swear to fucking God-“
“Jared,” Elena was frowning at him. “Don’t. Please. Just try to relax, and…”
“Relax? Fucking relax? Are you fucking kidding me, Elena? If he put his hands on you he’s a fucking dead man. I’m going to rip his fucking arms off, shove them up his fucking ass, and then sic Gigi on him-“
“Mikey’s Pomeranian?”
“--yeah, she’s a fucking Pomeranian, but she can be fucking vicious-and let her rip his fucking face off.”
She couldn’t help it. It wasn’t funny, but she was so exhausted, and felt like complete and utter shit, and Jared’s vivid declaration of what he wanted to do to Chris made her crack a smile and then start laughing. Part of her-okay, more than a tiny little part-wished it would come true.
Jared laughed along with her, and God, he wished he could be there with her right now. Why did their schedules have to keep them so fucking far apart?
“I just have this image of this tiny little dog on top of him and-“ Elena was giggling, and it made her head pound in response, and that made her laugh even more.
“I told you, she can be fucking vicious,” Jared grinned at her. “But take it easy, E. Your head looks like it fucking hurts.”
“So does yours,” Elena replied. “Your turn, J. What happened?”
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, forgetting the bump there, and he cursed. “Really, E, it was nothing. Just me being fucking stupid. Micah and JJ texted me that you were in the hospital and I was out with the boys and drunk and I fucking freaked so I bumped into the wrong guy and he fucking clocked me.”
“Fuck, J,” Elena’s eyes went wide. “I hope you knocked him the fuck out.”
“Uh, yeah,” Jared suddenly sounded kind of embarrassed. “I tried, but I was fucking wasted, and… I hit the wall instead.” Come to think of it, his hand really fucking hurt. He hadn’t looked at it yet because it was still under his gloves.
“Shit, Jared. Okay, will you do me a favor, then?”
“Of course, El.”
“You’re at your place, right? I can tell from all the dirty clothes and Chipotle wrappers. Next time you're around my family, I'm having my abuela make you some real Mexican food."
“Never going to pass up food from your fam, but thanks for that, E. We’ve been on tour and we got a show at home tonight, I haven’t had time to clean-“
“Anyway, go get an ice pack or something so your face doesn’t swell up bigger than the fucking screen, J. Please?”
“Yeah, okay,” Jared slid off his bed. “I’ll be right back.”
He returned in about thirty seconds, holding a pack of frozen peas to his face that had been in the freezer so long it was now a solid block of peas.
“I said an ice pack, Jared. You’re getting the swelling down, not making dinner.”
“This is all I have, El,” Jared grinned a little. “And maybe I want to make soup.”
They laughed again, and the distance between them suddenly felt astronomical. Elena was back on the bus and out of the hospital, thank God for that, but she was laying alone in her bunk, the laptop balanced on top of her stomach, Micah and JJ coming every hour on the fucking hour to check on her and make sure she hadn’t fucking died. The bus’ heating was on and she was covered in blankets but she was still shivering and would’ve given anything for Jared to be here lying next to her.
“Shit, E,” Jared set the package of frozen peas down for a minute. “What the fuck’s happened to us?”
“Stop with that shit, Jared. We’ve both had a really terrible fucking night and that’s all.”
“I know that, but I mean-“
“I really don’t want to talk about that right now, Jared. Please.”
“Okay.”
Even through the silence that followed, they stared at each other and their eyes said more than their words ever could.
“You know, it’s pretty fucked up that you’re the one having to do the comforting when you’re the one that was in the fucking hospital,” Jared replied.
“Oh hush,” Elena rolled her eyes the best she could with one swollen half-shut, and Jared smiled. “You and Popo have done plenty for me.” The sheets ruffled a little and she grabbed the sock monkey to hold it up to the screen and show him. “See?”
“I’m glad, E,” Jared smiled, but it looked sad. Thank God Popo was there with her, even if he couldn’t be right now. All he wanted to do was lay there with her and keep her warm-he knew how cold she always was, especially at night-and kiss her forehead and know that she was there and safe in his arms. Being so far apart when they both needed each other so much was too fucking painful.
“So, speaking of the fucking butt-nut that did this to you-“ Elena snorted back a laugh, “-I hope JJ and Micah stomped his fucking lights out.”
“No, but I got him in the knee pretty fucking good,” Elena replied, and she had a proud smile on her face that made Jared laugh. “I was going for the goods, I wanted to make sure he could never have any fucking kids ever, but I got his knee instead.”
“Hey, I’ll take it,” Jared replied. “He’s not… you know, he’s not still fucking there with you, is he?”
“Oh no, oh God no, Jared. I’m not that crazy. That was the best part. I kicked him in the fucking knee and I fired his ass right in front of the security guard and everyone watching.”
“Ha! Fucking nice,” Jared grinned. He made a move to high-five her and then realized she was just on a screen on the other side of the country.
“…you just tried to high-five your computer monitor, didn’t you?”
“Maybe,” Jared winked. They both shared another laugh, and then Elena’s head turned when she heard a voice calling her name.
“Shit. That’s Micah and JJ, wanting to make sure I’m not dead.”
“I’m glad you’re not alone, Elena. Are they taking care of you?”
“Of course they fucking are, Jared. You know Micah and JJ. They’re good guys.”
“I know, it’s just-“ Jared shrugged. “I fucking miss you, E. We… we need to catch up soon, okay? In person. None of this computer screen bullshit.”
“I agree,” Elena replied, her voice softer this time. “Look, I’ve got to go and take some more meds, but I’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
“You better,” Jared replied. “I mean it, E. Call me anytime.”
“I will, J. You too. Keep those fucking peas on your face, got it?”
“Sure thing, Keebler Elf.” Elena held up her middle finger and Jared chuckled. “Take care of yourself, E. See you soon.”
“You too, J.”
The screen went black. Jared shut his laptop screen, grabbed the frozen pack of peas, and pressed it up against his forehead. He pulled his knees up to his chest, fell over onto his side, and curled up tightly in the center of his bed.
He was cold.