I Don't Care If You're Sick, I Don't Care If You're Contagious - Two
Title: I Don't Care If You're Sick, I Don't Care If You're Contagious
Author: sayhelloyasmine
Rating: R
Pairing: Jalex
Summary: Alex had never really been one for 'Living for the moment,' but with death knocking on your door, you have to make every second count, and Alex wanted those precious moments to be shared with his stupidly goofy best friend, Jack. When the time comes, Jack's not sure he's ready to do all these things and just let go.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, the storyline is original, blah blah blah, title credit to Pierce The Veil, cut title credit to Tonight Alive
Dedications: tayonaise (Imogaygen)
Author Notes: This is also on Mibba and Wattpad ....... chapter 2 woo party
Jack was beginning to get agitated. It was 5pm on Monday and he still hadn't heard from Alex. He knew the blonde boy had already had his results back, and he wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or worried about the suspense. The rain was still as heavy as it had been that Saturday when he'd last seen his best friend, and the sky was still as dark. When Jack's mother called him for dinner, he dragged his feet over to the table, tall frame seemingly limp.
"Jacky, honey, what's up?" she concerned.
"Nothing, mom, just... worried about Lex, you know? He said he gets his results back from the doctor's today and he would have got them by now, right? Well, he hasn't told me anything, and I'm this close," he held his slim fingers close together to emphasise his point, "To flipping shit."
"Jack, I'm sure he's fine. If it was anything bad, he would have told you by now, right? You're best friends, you've known each other since time began. He would have told you if something was wrong."
That's what Jack kept believing. He sat down with his family at the dinner table, and they all said grace before tucking into their casserole.
The conversation was minimal; what they'd spent their days doing, how they were planning on spending the next, average dinner table talk. That, however, was interrupted by rapid knocking on the front door.
"Should I answer it?" Joe, Jack's older brother, asked. Joyce shook her head, taking another mouthful of food.
"No, honey, we're eating. They'll just have to wait."
"Mom, it's pouring down out there!" Jack's eyes widened, and the knocking sounded again.
"No, Jack, we're eating."
The person knocked once more, and Jack scoffed, headed towards the living room. As he reached the door, the sounds of the pouring rain got louder, and even louder as he opened it. And that's when he saw him. Alex. Stood outside, hood pulled up over his now-curly hair, arms clutched around his chest, tears falling down his face. His eyes were red raw from crying.
"Holy shit, Alex, are you okay?!" Jack concerned, his heart dropping at the scene before him. The blonde boy simply shook his head, looking at the floor, clutching his arms tighter around his torso.
"I-I got my r-results back today, J-Jack," the older boy spluttered.
"What is it, Alex, oh my god?!"
Alex took a long pause, trying to regain his composure, but it was almost impossible. His cool facade of this 'don't give a shit' kinda guy was long forgotten. Now he was just Alex, emotions out in the open, heart on his sleeve.
"I-I have cancer, J-Jack. I-I've got f-five years to live."
Jack's mouth dropped open, and his knees gave way. He held onto the doorframe for support, but that didn't stop the feeling of him falling through the floor, all the way down, down to the centre of the earth and out through the other side. He was just floating in space, lost.
His hand covered his mouth to stop the choked sob ripping through his body, taking control. His eyes scrunched up, and the world became a blur before him.
'Alex can't have cancer,' Jack thought, 'He can't. Alex is the best guy on the planet. My best friend, and I've just been told he's going to die. This is sick. Alex doesn't deserve this, he's never done anything wrong! Sure, there was the one time he accidentally knocked that toddler over while he was on his bike, but he made sure they were okay and apologised to their parents! It can't be payback for anything! There are so many people who deserve this more. Fuck, I deserve this more! It can't be Alex. Why isn't it me? Why don't I have cancer? Then Alex would be okay, he'd be fine, and he could live the rest of his life.'
Jack realised he'd left his best friend to stand out in the rain for long enough now, so he pulled him inside with a huge embrace.
"J-Jack, I-I'm scared."
Those were the words that rang in Jack's ears. Alex had never said anything like that before, he'd never really talked about how he felt, but maybe now, with the shadow of death looming over him, he'd talk about things more.
"I-I'm scared too, Lex. I-I don't want to lose you."
"I-I don't want y-you to l-lose me, J-Jacky."
Jack stood there, in the doorway, hugging his best friend for what seemed like eternity. His clothes were slowly soaking through from the rain Alex had been stood in, and his breaths were gradually getting shakier as the realisation of it set in. By the time they were twenty-three, Alex would be dead.
This made Jack cry twice as hard. Twenty-three was such a young age, and he wouldn't even have his best friend there by his side.
Jack couldn't even begin to imagine how Alex felt. Eighteen and being told that you're going to die. That must have brought his world crashing down. What must his parents have felt? They'd only just lost their first born son, and now their youngest child? What kind of sick, cruel joke was this? Certainly a harsh reality.
"Boys?" Jack's mother called, walking out of the kitchen, "Boys c- Oh, sweetie, what's wrong?" she cooed as she saw the two of them sobbing into each other.
"I-I don't want y-you to die!" Jack wailed into Alex's shoulder, clutching him just that little bit tighter.
Joyce stood there, completely dumbfounded. Die? Was Alex going to die? She didn't understand. Whatever it was, it was making both of them hysterical.
"Alex, darling, you're soaking wet. You boys go on upstairs, Jack, get Alex a change of clothes, he'll catch a cold with those wet clothes."
"Th-that's the least of h-his worries, mom!" Jack yelled.
"Jack, darling, calm down. Just go on upstairs, I'll bring you boys some drinks."
Jack nodded as his mother headed back into the kitchen. He took Alex's hand, tugging him upstairs. The older boy collapsed on Jack's bed, curling up in a ball of tears. Jack knew how much this would hurt both of them, and he really didn't want to face that kind of pain, but he knew that he'd be there for Alex every single fucking step of the way.
"Lex?" Jack finally spoke after he'd managed to halt his tears.
The older boy just nodded, clutching the blue sheets tight in his fists.
"Do you want to stay here tonight?"
Again, Alex just nodded, his hair splayed out on the quilt.
"Alex, say something!" Jack exclaimed, getting frustrated with the treatment the older was giving him.
"L-Like what? Hey Jack, how are you? Was your dinner nice? Sorry for not being in the mood for small talk, Jack, but I've just been told I'm going to die!"
That silenced the raven-haired boy. He sunk down onto his bed, pushing the older boy's long, blonde fringe away from his eyes.
"I always preferred your hair curly, Lex," he admitted, "It suits your face more."
"Yeah, well don't get used to it, soon there's going to be nothing there to be curly."
"Alex, I'm going to help you through this. I'm going to stand by you every second. I promise."
"I just don't want to die."
"I know you don't, Alex. Let's not think about that right now."
It was then that Alex said something Jack would have never suspected him to say in a million years. They took Jack by surprise, but he obviously wasn't going to deny his best friend.
"Will you help me, Jack? Will you help me live before I die?"