#sadly this fucked up awful man burrowed his way into my head and he is not leaving

[gaytwirights]

So a few months ago our class was grouped into two and each group had to make a musical. I was one of the planners/writers of my group's musical, and those guys are suddenly in my head again

Haha anyway what if I wrote and posted a short thing about one of the least likable characters I've ever had the pleasure of writing. Would that be cool or what

[hecatemoon87]

This story will eventually contain smut. Minors DNI.

Chapter 3

Johnny wasn't all that complicated of a man. He was loyal and generous to his friends. He loved getting on the open road with his bike and gang, and he worked hard as a trucker to bring home the bacon.

That being said, if Johnny didn't like something, and you made yourself an enemy to him, well, then only God could help you.

Johnny and Benny stood in front of a bar that wasn't too far from Big Sal's place. The only difference between this bar and Sal's was that it was on fire.

The thick black smoke billowed up into the clear blue summer sky. The red and orange flames lapped hungrily at the dry wood of the structure, emitting loud pops and cracks as the support beams caved in.

All the while, Johnny smoked a cigarette calmly while Benny looked at the destruction in front of him with awe. Johnny had done this for him.

"They ain't gonna be fucking about with Vandals now will they?" Johnny said in between puffs.

"Nah, they sure ain't," Benny agreed.

Once the men had their fill of watching their vengeance unfold, they hopped on their bikes and went their separate ways. Benny to his girl and Johnny, well, he just hit the main highway and drove.

His mind wasn't entirely on his biker club. He was thinking of Amelia and where she was right now.

It had been almost a week since their first date, and he had called her once, but she hadn't answered. He just assumed he was too much for her, but that didn't take her off his mind.

A day later, he caught her coming from her uncle's bar. She was wearing sunglasses, but he could see she had a cut on her lip.

As he approached her, she slowed down and awkwardly stood there, saying nothing.

"You okay? I haven't seen or heard from you. I guess that second date ain't gonna happen," he said, a little annoyed, but also concerned about her lip.

Still, she said nothing and looked away from him. He watched as a single tear rolled out from her sunglasses. She quickly brushed it away. "I'm...I'm sorry, I like you, but...I'm sorry," she said, her voice wavering. She tried to walk past him, but he gently took her hand and guided her to the side of the building.

"What's going on, hmm? Take those sunglasses off," he said.

She hesitantly removed her sunglasses, and he immediately saw the deep purple that surrounded her left eye. The cut on her lip was all the more pronounced.

"Who the fuck did that to you!" Johnny said, the rage immediately boiling up in his chest. He was going to tear apart the man that did this.

"It was...," she started to say, then more tears trickled down her lovely face. Johnny took her into his arms, and she burrowed her face in his chest and cried.

Stroking her hair and holding her tight, he tried his best to soothe her. After a few more moments, Amelia lifted her head and finally said, "It was my mother."

That shocked him as he was prepared to murder the person (or in his head, man) that had hurt Amelia.

"What? Your mother did this?"

Amelia nodded, turning her face so that her better side was visible. But Johnny hooked a finger under her chin and gently turned her face towards him. He paused, then ever so softly, kissed her bruise. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Why would she do this to you?"

"She overhead Uncle Sal and my dad talking about how I was doing at the bar. They just meant me handling the books. But Mama, she misunderstood and that I was working as a waitress. She got really mad and when I came home she...she took her rolling pin to...to my face," Amelia said, a sob escaping her mouth. She quickly covered her mouth, and then more tears escaped her pretty eyes.

It broke Johnny's heart to see this little lamb of a woman so distraught. "Baby girl, she hurts you often?"

"Only sometimes. Dad...he intervenes when he's around. He stopped her. I just...I can't live there anymore. I've been saving for my own apartment in the city. I'm almost there...but it still feels so far away," she said sadly.

"How much do you need?" Johnny asked.

"Um, about five hundred and fifty, that will cover my deposit and first month's rent.

"Done, I'll get you the money tonight," he said, firmly.

"Huh? No, you don't have to do that. Really," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, I'm even uncertain of what kind of relationship I want with you. Don't waste your money, John."

"Now you be quiet. I ain't wasting a dime if it means protecting you. I don't care if you never wanna see me again, I'm going to make sure you're safe, Princess."

[minervahopebeyond]

Blood Petals.

Hello, everyone! I had so much fun writing this one!! I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

Ps. I’m sorry if you find any errors (grammar or vocabulary)

Chapter 5: Chess and Quidditch.

The Order of The Phoenix started to do meetings as soon as summer began. For sometime after the department of mysteries they decided to lay low, the attacks were getting worst and Molly Weasley had stated that it made more sense to wait until the kids were done with the school year just for the logistics of it all. Then summer arrived and a lot of people started to come and go from Grimmauld Place all the time. Because of that, Draco quickly realized that he didn’t like Weasley’s mother. And it wasn’t because of the fact that she was a Weasley, shockingly enough, he had proof of that given that he had started to spend a lot of his time with Weasleys in general. The blond boy had actually classified all of the redheads according to the next categories: ‘could had been friends’ , ‘I don’t mind’ , ‘I don’t want them here’.

The Weasley twins were in the first category, it was mostly because they were funny as hell and Draco always thought that, even when they were at school; now they were starting their own business after dropping school: amazing. In the same category, even though it was weird as hell, was Weasley: they spent their time playing chess while the meeting took place and even if they didn’t talk much, Draco noticed that Weasley was awfully forgiving and kind; he felt it was a shame that he treated him as shit for so many years because he genuinely thought they could have been friends at some point if he had acted differently.

On the ‘I don’t mind’ was Arthur Weasley who he didn’t know much but the man was nice to everyone so.. Next in the category was Bill Weasley who Draco thought about putting him in the first one just because he was so good looking, but sadly enough the blond boy didn’t get to talk to him enough to place him in another category than ‘ I don’t mind’.

Ginevra was a curious case because he could place her in all three categories. He liked how witty she was and the whole ‘one of the boys’ vibe she had going on, she also reminded him of Pansy with how much of a bitch she was sometimes and Draco loved that too (and this were all things first category worthy). On the other hand, given the fact that she ignore his existence he would place her in the second one. However, if he only took into account the fact that Potter was spending all his bloody time playing quidditch with her, she would most likely be in the last category.

Molly Weasley was definitely in ‘I don’t want them here’ because of only one reason: she was very mean to Sirius. All the time. And what pissed off Draco the most is that she said mean shit as if they where just passing comments and not hurtful at all. Like ‘That’s because you don’t know what is like to raise a child, dear’ or ‘Harry needs actual bounderies’ or even ‘Harry if you feel uncomfortable here or just want to stay at the burrow you are obviously welcome’. He didn’t like it at all, he didn’t like the passive-aggressive tone she used, he didn’t like how she would just get inside the bloody kitchen to cook without asking for anyone’s permission and he absolutely didn’t like the way that Sirius would talk less at dinner if she was there. So no, he didn’t like Molly Weasley, sue him. And he was almost one-hundred percent sure that Mr. Potter didn’t like her either, because every time she said something shitty he would press his lips to a fine line and raise his eyebrows as if he was saying ‘well, look at the utter bullshit that woman just said’. Of course none of them said a word on the matter, they just made gestures of displeasure in silence.

Weeks were passing by rather quickly between him doing research about the stupid flower disease, flying in the gardens (because now he did have his broom) and the Order meetings. Draco mostly felt as good as ever,all the books he consulted said that this was one of the most painful diseases known to mankind but it didn’t feel like it. Although the thing he felt on the ribs did worried him.

The tickling feeling came and go constantly and every time it happened it was about the prat who lived. Sometimes it would be smooth tickles, mostly if Potter said something in a kind tone to Draco or even when they argued and the dark haired boy would take a sassy attitude... it also had happened when Potter had shook his hand so he guessed that he also would felt it if the boy shown any kind of physical affection (of course he couldn’t prove this because that was the only time that Potter had touched him). Although it was annoying, that kind of tickles, didn’t worry him so much; the ones that worried him were the ‘strong tickles’ as he called them.

The strong tickles were awful and he knew exactly when they happened. It wasn’t in different stuff like the soft ones, no, they would only occurred when he saw Potter with the She-Weasel. It was ridiculous because he heard that she was dating Thomas but he also remembered the awful poem that she did in second year and how she used to look at Potter in the hallways just like he did... Whenever he saw them laughing or flying outside, Draco would feel as if the inside of his ribs had been casted with a tickling charm. It didn’t even make him laugh, he just wanted to scratch himself until his skin hurt instead of the awful feeling he had. That eventful day was an ‘strong tickles’ day.

Weasley has the idea to take the chessboard outside because the summer heat was unbearable and Draco agreed. They were sitting in the garden table, just a few moves inside the game when Potter and Ginevra decided to play a seekers game. He tried to focus on the bloody board but the tickles had started and they were laughing so fucking loudly.

“Doesn’t it bother you that your git of a best friend is flirting with your little sister right in front of you?” He hissed at the redhead. It was a shitty comment to do, as far as Draco could tell Weasley hadn’t catch on in the ridiculous mating ritual that those two were doing. And maybe if they would just snogged it would be more bearable than seeing Potter smile around Grimmauld for two days straight because the She-Weasel made a joke. He saw Potter flying around her just because, with a very attractive smile on his face. The tickles got even worse.

“Ginny would hit me if I said something about them being too close.” He moved his knight “But I don’t like it, no.”

Draco took his bishop and made a small move. He wasn’t actually paying attention.

“Then why don’t you tell him? You are his friend, he should just know.” Weasley smiled at The blond boy and shook his head.

“It’s okay, your little ferret brain should only be concerned in finding your whatever thing.”

Yeah, but that was the problem wasn’t it? He didn’t need to look for it. His thing, his cure was right there and it didn’t matter. Potter never looked at him, ever. He actually checked. His conversation with Sirius and Mr. Potter did a number on him so he started to play this game called ‘Is Harry Potter just straight-passing?’ And the answer was no: Draco had paraded himself shirtless a few times and nothing , he also winked at him and Potter didn’t even blink. It was humiliating.

“I’m going to erase that cute smile from your face, you’ll see.” He never used that tone. The blond boy turned to see Potter. He was pushing back his hair with a gigantic smile on his face, a glint in his eyes behind his glasses. He was really flirting with Ginevra, even if he didn’t know it yet. Draco felt the tickles become more and more severe and when he breathed it tickled even more. Not good. He started drinking a little of his tea.

“No, Harry! You are going to make us fall! And he saw Potter fall with her in his arms, almost as if they were hugging.

Of course Draco started coughing right there. He didn’t get anything out but he couldn’t stop coughing. Weasley offered to get him water but he shook his head and excused himself to get to the bathroom.

He just had to stop the coughing. He started looking for pepper up potion in the bathroom cabinet but he didn’t find any, so he drank a little water from the tap wishing the coughs would go away, it almost had worked but then he remembered the scene in the gardens and it all went to shit. The coughing didn’t seemed to stop. Still no petals. Good. He heard a knock on the door.

“Kid? Are you in there?”

He cleared his throat but when he spoke his voice came out as raspy. “Yeah.”

Mr. Potter didn’t ask if he could come in. The second he heard him he opened the door, got in and then closed it behind him.

“Ron came in the middle of the meeting to say that you started to cough and still hadn’t comeback. Snape was coming to see you but we convinced him not to.” Mr. Potter sat with him on the floor of the bathroom and when he started to cough again, the man started to rub circles on his back until Draco calmed down.

“Is it Ron?” The blond boy looked at him with an utterly confused look. “Oh come on, you know what I’m asking! Is it Ron? “

Draco just bursted laughing and he instantly felt better. This man was asking if he was in love with Weasley .

“I’m sorry, I just can’t believe that somebody just asked me if my secret unrequited love is Weasley” He chuckle then. “No Mr. Potter, really, it’s not him”.

“Shame, you seem to spend a lot of time together. Harry told me you two definitely weren’t like this at Hogwarts... I just thought it could be possible for it to be him.”

Draco smiled at him and shook his head.

“It’s not him, but I’m not telling you what happened, okay? I can’t imagine you or Sirius having the name of the poor boy and not meddling.”

Mr Potter chuckle and helped Draco to get off the floor, muttered something along the lines of ‘of course we’ll meddle’ and got out of the bathroom with him.

When Draco went back to the gardens he only found Weasley. He didn’t dare to ask where was Potter and Ginevra because he feared that the coughs would come back. It was better if didn’t think at all. They started a new game. He was thinking if he should tell him or not, they weren’t actually friends so maybe it would be weird... Fuck it.

“Thanks for getting help, Weasley.”

Ron seemed to had been taken by surprise. He blinked as if he was clearing his head, then he shrugged and smiled a little.

“Don’t worry about it, Malfoy.”

It wasn’t friendship, it was basic human decency but Draco felt good about it still. Maybe he could try to apologize with him in the future. And even if they could never be friends (which Draco would totally understood), it would still be better somehow.

[megsblackfirewrites]

There Until The End

There Until the End

“You come to gloat?”

Gabriel stood in the doorway to the hospital room, the bouquet of flowers clutched to his chest. He’d been warned that Jack looked bad, but he hadn’t been expecting this. He hadn’t expected the man to be a shell, to be so thin, to look so sick and old. It broke his heart to see Jack like this and he wished he could take back all the horrible things he had said to him over the years. Jack hadn’t deserved any of it and he certainly didn’t deserve this.

“No,” Gabriel said as he moved across the hospital room. “I…came to see you.”

“Not much to see,” Jack sneered as he gestured a twig-thin arm towards the machines he was hooked up to. “Meet the family. They’re the only things keeping this body from killing itself in protest.”

Gabriel set the flowers on the nightstand. Jack curled his lip at them, but he didn’t comment. He must have been so sick of flowers. Everyone would have brought them, hoping to make Jack feel better. As if flowers could do anything but sit there and look pretty while he wasted away. He should have brought something better, something that might have actually kept him company. Like a stuffed cat or something. Jack always loved stuffed animals, the goofball.

“Why are you really here, Reyes?” Jack growled.

“To see you,” Gabriel repeated. “I heard about…the diagnosis. I wanted to see you.”

“What a crock of shit,” Jack snapped and turned his head to glare at him.

Gaunt. So gaunt. Gabriel could see the contours of Jack’s skull through his flesh. He wasn’t supposed to look like that. He wasn’t supposed to be so thin! Jack had always been small, sure, but he had been solid too. Nothing had ever been able to keep him down; he’d wrestle a bear to the ground, huffing and puffing, and emerge victorious. Now? He’d be lucky if a strong breeze didn’t snap him in half. It was so wrong.

Jack had always been so full of life. When Gabriel had heard; too late, always too late because everyone thought he didn’t care; that Jack was in the hospital, he hadn’t believed it. Why would Jack be in the hospital when he was still so young? But he trusted Ana so he’d bought flowers and went to see him; part of him wished he didn’t.

“You and I both know you don’t do sentiments,” Jack sneered, curling his lip back over his teeth. Yellow and one or two were turning black. What sort of meds did they have him on? “So just admit that you’ve come to laugh one more time at me before returning to your perfect, white-picket fence life.”

Gabriel could see the tears forming on Jack’s white eyelashes and he swallowed. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “Jack….”

“Oh, fuck off, Reyes,” Jack snarled. “You really think that you can show up at my deathbed and beg for my forgiveness? That you saying sorry is going to magically sweep away all the bullshit I went through because I found out the love of my life thought I was lower than dog shit?”

“That’s not true, Jack,” Gabriel said. “I just didn’t think we were good for each other at the time.”

“Yah, because I was a three-time drop-out from a community college and you were an up-and-coming businessman that didn’t want my horrible life choices bogging you down,” Jack glared at him.

Tears were starting to fall down his cheeks, turning his eyes bloodshot. He reached one tiny, emaciated hand up to wipe the tears away, sniffling loudly. Gabriel closed his eyes; he had said such terrible things about Jack when he had been struggling with his life. He had needed someone to stand by him but Gabriel had cared more about his own career than the man that should have meant everything to him.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “You didn’t deserve that.”

“No, I didn’t,” Jack snapped. “I didn’t deserve any of your bullshit!”

Jack sank back against his hospital bed and started crying. His whole body shook and the machines around him started beeping angrily. Gabriel lowered his head in shame and sat down in the chair beside the bed. He didn’t know why he was hoping that Jack would react better than this. He hadn’t done anything to warrant a reaction that was better than this. He was a disgusting human being for reducing a dying man to tears because of how insensitive he had been in his youth.

“Jack,” he said, “I can’t take back the years I took from you. I just…I want to be here for you.”

“What a time for you to decide to grow a heart, Gabriel Reyes,” Jack snarled. “I’m fucking months from dying and you show up to be the supportive friend you never were for me. Fuck you. Fuck you with a fucking rusted spoon!”

Jack beat a fist against the bed and let out a shriek of pain. Gabriel was torn between fleeing and grabbing the other man. He hovered an inch above his seat, trying to figure out what to do. His decision was made for him when Jack’s hand flew towards him.

“It hurts! It hurts so much! I hate this! Why won’t they just let me die?” Jack sobbed as his fingers clawed at Gabriel’s sleeve. “It hurts! Fuck, fuck! What else do they have to see?!”

Gabriel grabbed Jack’s hand and squeezed gently, staring at him as he thrashed in his bed. Tears burned his eyes as Jack started beating the back of his head against the headrest, sobbing pathetically until he went limp. Gabriel watched the heartrate monitor, sighing in relief as it beeped steadily. He hadn’t just knocked himself out cold with his thrashing.

“I hate this,” Jack whimpered. “I want to die, but they won’t let me.”

“They probably think they can save you,” Gabriel murmured.

“From Stage Four Intestinal Cancer?” Jack curled his lip. “From fucking tumors that have burrowed their way into all of my organs? I’m dying. I’m a dead man walking. I just want this to end, Gabriel.”

“I’m glad you aren’t dead yet,” Gabriel said as he ran his thumb over the back of Jack’s boney hand. “I got to see you before it was too late.”

“Why didn’t you come sooner when I still had hair?” Jack snapped. “Or when I didn’t look like a fucking skeleton?”

“I was scared,” Gabriel admitted. “Scared I’d say something stupid. Scared I’d send you over the edge. Because I was so terrible to you and…I was right. You weren’t happy to see me. I’m sorry.”

Jack watched him for a long moment before he closed his eyes. “Will you stay?” he asked softly. “Dad isn’t going to get off work for a few more hours. I can’t stand being alone in this Hell.”

“I’ll stay,” Gabriel promised as he reached up to gently cup Jack’s cheek. “As long as you want me.”

Jack smiled and settled back against the bed. He grumbled something about a remote and Gabriel picked it up off the nightstand. He turned the television on and flipped over to the Comedy Network, hoping to get Jack to laugh. Laughter was good for people that were dying, right? It made things a little less bleak.

“I hate this comedian,” Jack said without opening his eyes. “Go to the cartoons.”

Gabriel did as he was ordered and he saw a faint smile cross Jack’s face as some cartoon started playing on the television. He shifted back a little and Gabriel leaned forward to lift his pillow up to support his head. Jack smiled at him and wiped at his eyes.

“This show is awful,” he said. “But it’s about the only thing worth watching at this hour. It’s annoying and grating, but damn it if I have to compulsively watch it. I’m bored enough to enjoy this shit; save me.”

Gabriel chuckled at the resurgence of a personality he recognized. Jack wasn’t supposed to be a weepy mess; the man was supposed to be full of life, not dejected and resigned to his fate. Jack tried to explain to him the plot of the cartoon, but quickly gave up when Gabriel just stared at him in confusion.

“It sounds crazy when I explain it,” he whined.

“I don’t mind,” Gabriel reassured him. “I’m just happy that you’re enjoying it. Even if it is shit.”

Jack rolled his eyes as he settled back against his bed. Gabriel tried to follow what was happening on screen, but he quickly gave up on it and just rested his eyes. Jack giggled a few times and it was the most beautiful sound he’d heard in a long time.

John arrived a few hours later. He looked haggard, like Jack’s illness had sucked the life out of him too. There were heavy wrinkles around his eyes and his mouth didn’t look like it had managed more than a sad smile in years. His eyes were dull, lacking all the beauty that the Morrison men were known for. It didn’t suit the man that Gabriel had watched wrestle a full-grown bull to the ground to get a length of chain off from around its neck before it dug in any deeper into its flesh.

He stared at Gabriel for a long time before a sad, tired smile pulled at one side of his mouth. “Well, hello, Gabriel,” he said. “Ana mentioned that you wanted to come see Jack. Good to see you in good health.”

Gabriel felt his throat tighten and managed a small nod. It was all he could manage; he’d hurt John just as much as he’d hurt Jack when he broke off their relationship. John should have hated his guts; he shouldn’t have been happy to see him. John pulled a chair over to Jack’s bed and sat down, reaching out to squeeze Jack’s hand.

“And how’s my champ today?” he asked.

“Feeling like shit,” Jack grumbled. “Dad….”

“I know,” John sighed heavily. “I promise, if it happens, I won’t let them force you to stay alive. You’ve been through enough, my champion.”

“Thanks,” Jack smiled.

“Wait, what?” Gabriel looked between them in confusion.

“Jack’s had me promise that if anything happened to him that forced him to go on life-support to survive that I’d pull the plug,” John rubbed at his jaw. “I hope I never have to make that decision.”

“I’m sorry,” Jack whispered. “I just….”

“I know, Champ,” John soothed as he squeezed Jack’s hand. “You just focus on breathing, okay? Leave all the medical and legal bullshit to me. It’s what old men are for.”

Jack managed a smile before a nurse came in to change his bed pan. John motioned for Gabriel to follow him so that Jack didn’t have to suffer having someone watch him. They left the room so that Jack had some privacy and John looked at him sadly.

“I can’t tell you how much it means to see you here, Gabriel,” he murmured. “I know how you and Jack ended and it was petty and ugly. But, I know you didn’t mean it. Jack does too. He’s just…not in a good place anymore.”

“He wants to die,” Gabriel murmured softly.

John nodded and swallowed. “There’s no chance of him recovering, Gabriel,” he murmured. “His cancer progressed so fast…. I just want him to die without pain, but the doctors here are…well, Jack signed a waiver allowing them to conduct research.”

“And he can’t tell them to fuck off?” Gabriel growled.

“Jack is willing to let them do anything if he can save someone else further down the line,” John said. “I raised him too well. Even if he’s in pain, he won’t tell the doctors to stop.”

Gabriel felt his throat tighten as the nurse left the room, waving for them to re-enter. He followed John inside, trying to keep his misery off of his face as Jack stared at the ceiling. Gabriel swallowed and tried to smile; Jack had been in here longer than he could ever imagine. He deserved to have Gabriel smiling for him.

“Hey, at least you didn’t find the nurse cute, right?” he joked.

“Yah,” Jack grumbled. “What a relief.”

Gabriel looked at John, but he just shook his head. Perhaps it was best to let Jack have his misery right now.

                                                             ***

“What is that?” Jack demanded.

“I thought you could use some company,” Gabriel smiled as he set the huge stuffed bear beside Jack. “There. Now you can snuggle someone while you watch your shows.”

Jack stared at the soft brown bear before he slowly wrapped his arms around its neck and hugged it close. He looked up at Gabriel, swallowing as he pressed his face into the soft faux-fur. He looked so small and vulnerable that Gabriel almost felt bad for bringing it to him. That smile, though, made it worth it.

“This is perfect, Gabriel,” he whispered. “Thank you.”

Gabriel smiled as he sat down. “Figured you’d like it,” he said as Jack snuggled the bear. “Maybe it won’t be so lonely here after hours with a friend.”

“That would be great,” Jack sighed as he nuzzled the bear some more. “God, you have no idea how nice this feels.”

“Your dad didn’t bring you anything like that?” Gabriel asked.

“Dad…it’s been really hard on him,” Jack sighed. “He…all of his money is going into my treatment. I can’t wait until he has to stop worrying about me. He shouldn’t have to waste his savings on my hide.”

“Fuck,” Gabriel growled. “I fucking hate our fucking health care system. You shouldn’t have to pay out the ass to save someone’s life!”

“Preaching to the choir, Gabe,” Jack smiled sadly. “This isn’t something that I and the nurses haven’t bitched about.”

Gabriel wanted nothing more in that moment than to lean over and kiss Jack’s pain away. He wished he could reach into Jack’s body and destroy every single cancerous cell in his body. He wished he could come up with something to take away all the pain and help him get back on his feet. This wasn’t fair. Good people like Jack didn’t deserve to die!

“Gabe?” Jack asked.

“You shouldn’t be in this bed,” Gabriel whispered as tears burned his eyes. “You shouldn’t be worrying about your father putting all of his money into saving your life. It’s not fair.”

“It’s not,” Jack agreed. “But what makes me so special from the kids that die of cancer every day? What makes me more important than kids struggling with leukemia? I’m nothing. That’s why I’m in here. I’m no more important than the dirt in an earthworm’s small intestine.”

“You aren’t nothing,” Gabriel snarled. “You mean the world to so many people, Jack! You’re a good person. You have more love and affection in one pinky than most people do in their entire bodies. You don’t deserve this.”

Jack smiled and tears fell down his face. “Well, life’s a bitch, ain’t it?” he whispered. “The good die young and the bad get to sip champagne from our skulls.”

Jack opened his arms and Gabriel climbed up onto the bed beside him. He wept, feeling stupid for crying when Jack was still managing to hold it together. Jack pet his hair, not saying a single word as Gabriel broke down in his arms. He buried his face in Jack’s shoulder, clinging to him as if there was nothing else left for him in the world.

“I’m glad you came to see me, Gabriel,” Jack murmured softly. “It means so much to me. I tried so hard to get over you, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t healthy, I know that, but you were always the first person I thought of when I woke up and the last word on my breath when I went to sleep. Seeing you now, seeing how far you’ve come in life, I’m glad you went on without me.”

“I almost wish I hadn’t,” Gabriel whimpered as he clung to Jack. “I missed you all that time and I realized what a disgusting person I was to you. I wanted you to hate me so that it would be easier for you to move on. I never could. No matter who I was dating, I always wished it was you.”

“Guess we’re both unhealthy men,” Jack chuckled sadly. “Unhealthy, sad men.”

“Yah,” Gabriel agreed as he held Jack close.

The beeping around them had intensified for a few minutes, but now it was back to a steady, healthy pace. Or, whatever was healthy for Jack now. Gabriel laid there with his head on Jack’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. He didn’t notice when John walked in a few hours later with a fresh set of flowers. Jack’s father didn’t say anything to them, simply going around the room and cleaning up.

“Dad, can you turn the TV on?” Jack asked after a few minutes.

“Of course,” John said with a smile.

Gabriel barely heard the television turn on. He glanced up as Jack giggled, but he didn’t see the humour in what they were watching. Jack’s fingers ran slowly through his hair and he managed a sad smile. A nurse came in with Jack’s supper and John moved the tray around to the other side of Jack’s bed so that Gabriel didn’t have to be moved.

“Have you eaten?” John asked as he spooned some soup into Jack’s mouth. “Gabriel?”

“Mmm, not since lunch,” Gabriel admitted.

“Go down to the caf and get something to eat,” John said. “Supper’s meatloaf, I believe.”

“Better than most of the meals here,” Jack mused as he waved the spoon away. “I’m not broken, Dad; I can feed myself.”

“Your hands are occupied with Gabriel’s hair,” John teased. “I figured you’d want a little bit of help while you comfort your big teddy bear.”

Gabriel managed a small smile before he got to his feet. He risked a quick kiss to Jack’s cheek before he left the room. He didn’t get slapped for his actions, so he guessed that Jack appreciated the gesture. He wandered down to the cafeteria and ordered supper, asking if he was allowed to take it back to a patient’s room. With the confirmation, he carried his carefully wrapped supper back to Jack’s room.

John and Jack stopped talking when he entered, but they smiled and continued their conversation when they realized it was him. Gabriel folded himself easily into the conversation, chuckling as he sided with John over which hero was better, Captain America or Ironman.

“But Ironman is a drunk!” Jack shook his head.

“That’s a coping mechanism,” Gabriel said as he mixed gravy with his potatoes. “He still does the right thing when he has to.”

“Okay, but Cap is everything the American dream stands for,” Jack said. “He’s kind, he’s brave, he stands up for the weak and he expects nothing in return.”

“He’s also rather naïve,” John said as he leaned back in his chair.

“That’s just in the movies,” Jack huffed. “If we’re going by that logic, Cap watched his best friend die and then when he learned he was just captured and reprogrammed to help Hydra, he did everything he could to save him.”

“True,” Gabriel agreed. “But he still has to wait for clearance to do anything.”

Jack glared at him before he pouted. “Agree to disagree?” he asked.

“Of course,” Gabriel smiled as he started eating.

Jack rolled his eyes, but he was too adorable too be serious. Gabriel smiled more, enjoying the quiet meal they were sharing. If he could freeze time, this would be a moment to linger on. Jack being adorably pouty, John smiling that tired smile of his, and Gabriel watching it all. It was perfect.

Gabriel watched Jack waste away in his bed. His already dull eyes grew even duller and he spent most of his time sleeping. Gabriel took to changing his bedpan every hour, working with the nurses to keep Jack’s frail body from growing stagnant in foul fluids. He took Jack out in a wheelchair when he could, walking him through the halls just for a change in scenery.

“Thank you,” Jack murmured as Gabriel was sponging him down. “You didn’t have to do this for me.”

“We do anything for the people we love,” Gabriel said as he cleaned carefully between Jack’s legs. “Even wipe their ass.”

Jack let out a weak laugh as he stared at the ceiling. “I would get the embarrassing sponge bath from the hot nurse,” he teased.

Something about Jack’s voice sounded wrong. Gabriel looked up, blinking as he watched Jack’s eyelids flutter. He moved forward as Jack whimpered in pain, taking in the way that Jack was lying on the bed. He was stiff necked, almost like his head was suddenly too heavy for his neck to hold up on its own. Jack’s eyes opened for a moment, letting Gabriel see his blown pupils, before blood started trickling out of his nose.

“Fuck!” Gabriel shouted before he hammered on the button to call the nurses.

It was a nightmare. He was evicted from the room so the nurses could work and they locked the door behind him. He wanted to beat his fists against the door and scream, but he knew that would upset the other terminal patients in the ward. He took to pacing, trying to keep his terrified sobbing to himself. People gave him sad looks as they passed, hurrying on their way before they were sucked into his sadness. They didn’t need to be told why someone was outside of a closed door in this ward.

John showed up just before they let Gabriel back into the room. His eyes were red and his hands were shaking as he pushed past Gabriel into the room. Jack’s eyes were closed and there were more wires poking into him than before. The tube in his nose seemed bigger than before, forcing its way down his nasal passage into his lungs.

“It was a brain aneurysm,” the lead nurse sighed. “We have him on artificial respiration and his brainwave activity is flagging. I’m sorry, Mr. Morrison; I don’t think Jack will survive the night.”

Gabriel let out a long whine as he sat down beside the bed. John nodded his head in understanding as he fought back tears. The nurse stayed to talk with John, explaining the options available to him. Gabriel took Jack’s hand and squeeze, staring into his gaunt face.

“John,” he whispered. “You promised.”

“I know,” John swallowed thickly. “We’ll keep him until the morning when the…when the funeral home is open. I don’t want him sitting in a morgue.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Morrison,” the nurse said. “He won’t feel anything, I promise.”

John nodded and the nurse left. He swayed on the spot before sinking down onto the bed beside Jack and starting to sob. Gabriel bowed his head as John’s cries of anguish filled the room. He’d hoped that Jack would pass in his sleep; he hadn’t wanted to be the one to pull the plug. Gabriel couldn’t blame him; he wouldn’t have wanted to be the one to make the call on whether or not his child was going to be kept alive artificially.

Gabriel spent the night in the chair, letting John have the bed beside his son. He slept fitfully, afraid that he was going to fall asleep and miss Jack’s final moments. He’d wake up feeling like the world was ending, but Jack’s machines were still beeping steadily and John was still crying. He’d never felt so much pain in his life and he knew it was because his world was drawing to a close. With Jack gone, he would lose the last important thing in the world.

“Gabriel,” John woke him with a gentle shake of his shoulders. “It’s time. Say your goodbyes.”

Gabriel got to his feet and sat down on the bed. Jack looked oddly peaceful, but would he even hear them before he sank forever into sleep? He reached out and ran his fingers through Jack’s wispy white hair, swallowing the lump that had been stuck in his throat since the night before. His hair had only started to grow back and it wasn’t that beautiful gold anymore. He really did look like a sick old man.

“The pain’s going to end soon, Jack,” he whispered. “I’m sorry I didn’t come see you sooner. I never stopped loving you. I’m so sorry for hurting you.”

Tears fell down his face and he bowed forward and pressed his forehead against Jack’s. John rested a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, offering what comfort he could. Gabriel heard the nurses walk in and start making preparations around him. He pulled himself away from Jack, giving the nurses room to work.

He didn’t hear anything they said as they prepared to take Jack off life-support. He just watched the monitors as the steady heartbeat suddenly turned into a flatline. He closed his eyes as more tears fell; he swore the room got colder as Jack died. The nurses said something, but he didn’t know anything until John gently took his shoulders and led him away.

“He’s gone,” Gabriel whispered. “Just like that.”

“I know,” John soothed. “I know.”

“I can’t,” Gabriel hiccupped. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I’m so sorry, John.”

“My son is dead, but he’s no longer suffering,” John nodded as he guided Gabriel down to a chair. “I’ve watched him waste away for five years, Gabriel. As much as it breaks my heart, at least he isn’t suffering. That is all I can ask for.”

Gabriel nodded, feeling his throat constrict painfully. John sat down beside him and started bouncing his leg. He tipped his head back, fighting tears until they started falling in thick, ugly lines down his face. Gabriel leaned over and hugged the older man tightly, running his fingers soothingly through graying golden hair.

Jack should have had this hair. He should have lived to get old and gray. He should have lived to see his father retire. He pushed his face into John’s hair, whimpering loudly as he held the father of the love of his life close to his chest. It was all he had left.

Gabriel hadn’t wanted to attend Jack’s funeral. He hadn’t wanted to see that smiling picture of Jack in front of the urn of ashes. He hadn’t wanted that final image burned into his brain. He’d wanted to go on pretending that he was alright and that his death hadn’t affected him as much as it had.

But John had asked him to be there. He’d wanted him to be there. He’d never been as close with John as he was getting Jack’s body ready for burial. He’d been the old man’s comfort blanket, holding him when the stress of the situation got the better of him. It wasn’t easy planning a burial; it was even harder planning your child’s funeral.

So, there he was, staring at the picture of a golden-haired Jack in front of a white urn. John was standing beside him, his eyes red from crying, but a smile on his face. He was speaking with a cousin of Jack’s, telling her excitedly about the last project Jack worked on; rebuilding an engine in an old Mustang ’65 for a very enthusiastic collector.

“He almost had it done before…he was diagnosed,” John said. “It was such a beautiful car too. I’m sad he didn’t get to see its completion.”

A hand rested on Gabriel’s elbow and he glanced at Ana. She was dabbing at her eyes, smiling up at him sadly. Her daughter was trudging along behind her, her eyes downcast as she paid her respects. Fareeha was still young; did she fully understand what Jack had gone through and why death was a blessing to him? Gabriel was an adult and he still was struggling with that idea.

“I’m glad you were there for him,” Ana said as she patted his arm. “It’s what he would have wanted.”

Gabriel set his jaw and nodded. He would have preferred to be there sooner, before he was diagnosed with cancer. What good was he to a dying man? Jack probably just said what he did to make him feel better. A dying man’s last kind act to a man that had greatly wronged him and come back begging for forgiveness.

“Gabe,” John smiled at him. “Walk with me?”

Gabriel nodded and followed the man. He felt stiff and uncoordinated as he walked beside John, like his limbs were too small to support his body. They were walking towards a quiet part of the house, settling down in the kitchen where there was more food than Gabriel could hope to eat. John would be set for the rest of the year with all that food in his house. John looked out the window before he smiled sadly.

“Jack wanted to have his ashes spread out under the old oak,” he said. “It was always his favourite one to lie under when it got too hot to work.”

“Jack would shirk his duties?” Gabriel asked with as much humour as he could manage.

“Kids always do,” John laughed. “Oh, that boy could figure out a million ways to get out of chores, but they’d always get done, so I never got mad. I miss those days.”

“So we’ll spread the ashes at sunset?” Gabriel asked.

John nodded before he pulled something out of his jacket pocket. He offered a long box to Gabriel and gave it a shake to make him take it. Gabriel frowned as he took the box, setting it on his lap to open it. He pulled out a small pendent and blinked at it.

“Is this…?” he whispered.

“Jack had the final arrangements done when you were with us for a while,” John said as tears burned down his face. “That crystal has the ashes of his heart. So you would always have it near you.”

Gabriel slipped the pendant over his head and clutched it in his hand against his chest. He nodded, unable to say anything else. This was the best gift he could have received. It was more than forgiveness; it was a promise to be with him until his death. He had Jack’s heart against his until Death came for him. Then…he hoped that he and Jack had forever.

“You’re family, Gabriel,” John said as he rubbed between Gabriel’s shoulders. “Don���t be afraid to come see me if you need to. I’m always going to be here.”

“Thank you,” Gabriel twisted to hide his face in John’s shoulders. “Thank you.”

This was what he needed. He’d always have a piece of Jack with him, no matter what. It was more than he deserved and it was so like Jack to give him exactly what he needed when he couldn’t think of it himself. Rest in peace, Jack. He’d see him soon; time was meaningless to the dead, after all.