Irredeemable

[Arty]

*Reads the ending*

DON'T YOU dare!!!!!! Don't hurt will!!! But I agree with what was said about jason. Reading him here, he's like a different guy, but reading him with nick.....you think who the hell is this douchebag!? Like what happened in Jason's life or with Nick that made him...so angry... I mean him being sick kinda attributes to my sympathy bones but still....

[Juto]

Oh my goodness SpamKey this is absolutely GLORIOUS!!! I have NO idea how you bloody managed it, but I feel so bad for Jason Awww. Though I must admit he looks amazing in that cold  rrraaaaawwwwww....

You go right ahead with all your angst, as long as there is fluffy care taking in the end  

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

The plot thickens!!! And again....stop making me feel bad for Jason

[Artemis]

Oooooh it's getting serious now. I can't wait for the next part. Love Will. Just love him, I can't wait to see what horrible things you come up with (does that make me a bad person?) Well, either way, a very cute story. I'm sorry I'm late to the party.

[AdrianMarx]

I'm so stressed about Will oh my gosh this is wonderful!!

[SpamKey]

On 4/19/2016 at 8:04 AM, Kaze wo Hiku said:

The plot thickens!!! And again....stop making me feel bad for Jason

NEVER MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA--I mean, maybe in this part, idk *shrugs*

On 4/19/2016 at 10:49 PM, Artygirl22 said:

DON'T YOU dare!!!!!! Don't hurt will!!!

I'm gonna hurt Will. Sorry. I'm horrible. I hurt all my best creations  

Alright so... This part marks a tentative halfway point? At the very least a definite transition. The rest of the piece (minus a potential epilogue?) will be told from... Ta-Da! Jason's POV! So we get more insight into him! And why the fuck he was such a douche to Nick! And what changed! And what didn't change! Hooray, character development!

Soooo here we go!

---

“hey, just wanted to thank you again for the other day. i know i was probably kinda pathetic, esp about the bedroom thing, but since you got me some meds + food, i could suck it up and go to bed properly. i’m on the mend now, my temp’s almost back to normal, and i’ll try to go to work tomorrow/the next day. so… i owe you one is what I’m saying. in this obnoxiously long text.”

“Error: the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service. Please try again with a valid number.”

---

“Its jason. ask will why tf i got a termination of employment notice today. i tried him before i got it, his phone’s disconnected.”

“Hey, Jason! Are you feeling better? And sorry, I can’t. I got one, too. I figured it was because of the whole protest thing, but if you also got fired… I tried reaching Will, too, but he’s not even answering his email, or the cafe’s number. I’ve tried everything short of barging into his office, at this point. Try Marco, maybe?”

“damn it. yeah i’ll ask marco.”

“You never answered if you were feeling better. ;)”

“i am”

“Good. Stay that way this time! :P”

“i’ll try”

---

“ask will why he fired me”

“u mean u havnt heard???”

“heard???”

“dude they closed the fuckn cafe”

“wtf?”

“there redoing the whole thing new angle n evrthing. we all got fired man its bs :/”

“have you seen will?”

“i aint seen him since work 2 days ago. some suits came in day after that n told us to clear out, he wasnt there :/”

“fuck”

“whats wrong is that bad???”

“nevermind, thanks for the info.”

“no prob man :D”

---

Jason drummed his fingers on the edge of his steering wheel, glaring across the street. He hadn’t quite believed it when Marco had said that the Tigerlily had been shut down, but now he could no longer deny it; the windows had been covered in tarps, painters were already redoing the outside walls, and even as Jason watched, a team of men were removing the intricate, cursive sign that hung on the top of the building.

It didn’t make sense. Jason had his own complicated mix of feelings about the place, sure; he was mildly ashamed to admit that he wasn’t wholly sorry to see the café go. But for Will… Will loved that little café. Jason couldn’t imagine him letting it go without a fight, as much of a pacifist as he tended to be.

Of course, you know why he was always so reluctant to fight back now, Jason reminded himself firmly. He was being hurt. And you should’ve done something about it!

It had taken Jason a long time--far, far too long a time--to realize exactly what he’d been doing to Nick. It always took Jason a long time to realize when he’d wronged someone.

Maybe it took so long because Jason had never raised a hand against his ex. Raised his voice, yes. Berated him, maybe. Broken down his confidence to the lowest it could be, attacked him everywhere but the most sensitive of topics, perhaps. But never hit him. Not his precious Nicky.

Now, of course, Jason scoffed at his own rationalizations. Sure, he’d never physically harmed his ex. But abuse wasn’t just physical.

Jason didn’t pretend to know exactly what Will had gone through over the years; it made his blood boil just to think about it, made him angrier, perhaps, than he had any right to be. But if Jason had learned one thing about Will over the time he’d known him, it was that he was too kind for his own good. Rosie needed help with an essay or upcoming exam? Will would stay late to tutor her. Marco needed a shift covered? Will was exasperated, but there.

Jason was hungover after a weekend of drowning his sorrows yet again? Will would surreptitiously slide him some painkillers under the counter before work started.

Jason grit his teeth, slamming his car into park and shutting down the engine because he didn’t trust himself driving in this mood; didn’t trust himself not to make for a liquor store, when he’d been so good lately.

It was all just so damn unfair. People like Will didn’t deserve to be under the thumb of people like Sang.

People like Nick didn’t deserve boyfriends like Jason. They deserved nice doctors who opened up their homes to flu ridden, heartbroken, good people.

Will was a lot like Nick, in some ways.

Jason was well aware of Will’s little crush on him. He’d done everything in his power not to lead the guy on; he knew that Will would get over this in time, and Jason… Well, it wouldn’t be exactly wrong to say that Jason deserved most of what he had coming to him. And until he was in a better place, he wasn’t about to subject anyone to what Nick had gone through. Much less Will.

So in the end, Jason’s feelings on the matter were irrelevant. He couldn’t be trusted, not in his current life position. So Will would just have to look elsewhere for a boyfriend.

Jason felt the acidic sting of bitterness in his gut, felt the itch for alcohol on his tongue, so he snatched his keys out of the ignition and got out of his car, slamming the door shut and locking it as he stalked down the sidewalk. It was still a bit slushy from the recent weather, but he was determined to walk the emotions and cravings out of his system, breath misting in the winter air. It wasn’t even noon, dammit, and a weekday to boot. He had absolutely no excuse, not even by his standards.

“Hhh… eh-PSCHHHuh!” He sneezed wetly into the crook of his arm, the sudden change in temperature combining with the last lingering dregs of illness to cause the reflex. Jason sighed, swiping his sleeve against his nose and walking on, trying to drive the craving out of his system with movement alone. He really, really didn’t want to get drunk right now.

Although I’m not technically employed anymore… He considered with an eyeroll. He’d have to start job hunting soon, he knew; but he was waiting on a few fairly-sized paychecks for some commissions from his freelancing work, and had a few more he was finishing up soon, so he’d get by for a little while between jobs. Give himself a bit of a break, maybe run another search for a permanent digital artist position. Yeah. That sounded nice.

What didn’t sound nice was the awful cough that came from down the alleyway Jason was passing. He winced at the grating sound, glancing down the alley out of instinct. Jason very nearly did a double take.

The young man was shivering, sitting up against the wall a short ways down the alley with his legs pulled up against his chest. He wore only a brown jacket, sneakers, jeans, and a black t-shirt, all of which seemed to do a crap job of keeping him warm in the frosty air. His jet-black hair, shaved at the sides and tipped with blue, was damp from the previous night’s sleet, as were his clothes. As Jason watched with growing incredulity, the man’s eyelids fluttered, his chest rising and falling with sporadic breaths, and he jerked downwards with a sneeze.

“Ehtschhieww!” It wasn’t loud, but it was all-consuming; a full-body effort that left him sniffling and leaning against his legs, exhausted. Unable to catch a break, he repeated the motion; “Hitschieww!”

“Will?” Jason blurted out before he could stop himself. He waited tensely, almost hoping that he was wrong, and yet…

The man looked up, and there was no denying those cloudy-grey eyes; Will’s expression crumpled, and for a moment Jason thought he might cry, but he merely sneezed again, almost collapsing entirely with the effort; “Hehtschiew!”

Without thinking, Jason rushed forward, kneeling down in front of Will and laying a supporting hand on his shoulder. Will wouldn’t meet his eyes, staring down at the ground. Jason was too bewildered to be bothered by it.

“What--Will, what the hell are you doing here?” Jason asked, startled by just how violent the shivers beneath his hand were. “What the hell happened?”

Will may have muttered an answer, but his voice was too rough, and his teeth chattering too much for it to be decipherable. Finally, Jason’s priorities straightened in his head, and he lay a hand on Will’s neck.

“Shit, Will, you’re like ice.” He muttered, half-dragging the shuddering man to his feet, and having to hold him up once he got there. “Come on, come with me, you can explain later, we gotta get you warm.”

Though he and Will were of similar height, Will’s body was built like a runner’s; all lithe and wiry, as opposed to Jason’s more bulky, muscular physique. This played into Jason’s favor quite nicely; it was easy to half-carry Will the short distance back to his car, where he was quickly deposited in the passenger seat. Jason jumped in the driver’s, starting the car and impatiently slamming the heat to full blast.

“Okay, lemme get you out of that jacket, first…” Jason muttered, helping Will, who was still shuddering convulsively, out of the damp jacket. “The pants we’ll take care of back at my place, but take off the shirt, I got a sweatshirt back here somewhere…”

Will removed his shirt obediently as Jason fished around in the backseat for his big, fluffy university hoodie, smiling relievedly when he found it. That smile faded abruptly when he spotted the purpling bruise on Will’s chest.

Will saw his eyes on it, and winced, bringing up an arm to cover it.

Jason saw red.

“Damn it, Will.” He hissed, trying to force his heart to stop racing. Will’s miserable expression brought Jason back to reality, made him try to calm down.

Will needs help. He tried to tell himself, pulling the hoodie over his friend’s head. He doesn’t need anger, he doesn’t need protection, he doesn’t need you to cause a scene. He. Needs. Help.

The sight of Will sitting in his passenger seat, bundled up in Jason’s hoodie, arms wrapped tight around his chest, shivering convulsively despite the rapidly warming air in the car, made Jason’s protective rage surge into overdrive again. And this time, he couldn’t check it before he snapped out.

“For fuck’s sake, Will, just stop shivering, would you?”

Jason didn’t need to see Will’s distraught expression to feel immediately sickened with himself. He turned away, cursing internally. How many times had he said something similar to Nick? Where had that gotten him?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” Jason ground out the phrase he should’ve said to Nick, so, so many times, after taking a moment to compose himself. Will didn’t respond; still wouldn’t meet his eyes.

Gee, Jay, wait to kick a guy when he’s down, yet a-fucking-gain, He thought bitterly, hands clenching in and out of fists. Tell me, does your brain only have an asshole setting, or have you just forgotten where the dial is?

“Come on, I’ll take you back to my place. You can borrow some clothes and get warmed up.” Jason promised, voice quieted by shame. He waited for Will to protest, agree, something--but he remained unresponsive, staring down at his knees, wrapping his arms around his chest almost protectively.

Jason didn’t consider himself to be a very touchy-feely guy, but he felt his heart break a little looking at Will. With a surge of determination, he slammed the car into drive and swerved onto the road, making for his house at breakneck speed.

Whatever happened could wait. Will’s mild hypothermia couldn’t. Although Jason silently vowed to make whoever had put Will in this position pay for it. And they would pay dearly. He’d make sure of that.

---

...Nnnot gonna lie. Jason's revenge-quest ain't gonna happen, he's just a bit of a pissy drama queen, and swearing eternal vengeance is something he'll do if you so much as scratch his car, so... Fun facts with Spam. Always a good time. Especially when it distracts the readers from all the horrible things I'm doing to Will. Yup. Good times.

[Juto]

*blinks in utter confusion* wait! Jason... Is... Nice? He could be, in fact,.... Redeemable? 

How have you made me feel for this guy??? I have to say, the parallels drawn to his time with Nick (haaaa ) made me grit my teeth at him and reach for my pitchfork but to see him right himself from the wrong he caused back then was oddly... Heartwarming...

HOW THE FU DID YOU MANAGE THAT??? 

But you did and Awww.... *starts massive production of 'Redeem Jason' flyers for handout*

Edited April 26, 2016 by Juto

[Arty]

Holy batman in Gotham!!!

The comparison to Nick with Will...it makes sense. Like omg!! Took ya long enough Jay to realize you were a meanie face huh? But at least you learned! Hell I want him to kick Sang and the father's asses!!! And this part:

Gee, Jay, wait to kick a guy when he’s down, yet a-fucking-gain, He thought bitterly, hands clenching in and out of fists. Tell me, does your brain only have an asshole setting, or have you just forgotten where the dial is?

Made me think of the Movie "Inside Out" Like he has a bunch of Anger running around, and then Remorse just peaks in to take over the controls....then goes in the corner.

[SpamKey]

Heheheh... I guess this is the arc where the title turns ironic, right?  I'm glad you've liked redeeming Jason... And yeah, he was a total jerk to Nick. Howsabouts some more angst in that vein? And another ridiculously long part??? Fun times! Yay!

(BTW I just noticed the last one I forgot the chapter title 'cause I'm an idiot and don't highlight things in my docs right...  It's Chapter Six: He Tastes Like You (Only Sweeter) 'cause I'm a sucker for Fall Out Boy )

---

Chapter Seven: I've Got Troubled Thoughts (and the Self Esteem to Match)

In the end, when Will’s convulsions hadn’t stopped even in the heat of the car, Jason had bundled his friend up in his own winter coat for the trip between the car and home. He hurriedly dragged a shivering Will in the house and upstairs, setting him on the bed and wrapping him in the comforter before rummaging through his closet and pulling out his thickest pair of sweats and some clean boxers.

“Can you put these on yourself?” Jason asked, because he honestly had no idea how bad a state Will was in. Luckily, he nodded, sniffling. “Okay, good. I’m gonna go downstairs and heat you up some of your soup, we need to get you warm. Got it?”

Will nodded again. Jason clenched his fists--he’d feel so much better if the guy would just say something, dammit--and went down to the kitchen. He waited impatiently as the bowl containing the last of Will’s soup (which was almost as amazing as a leftover, Jason had discovered) heated up in the microwave.

Jason didn’t like the implication the wet clothes and shivering held; that Will had been sleeping rough, if at all. What the hell had happened after he left Jason’s house that day?

He ran a hand over his stubbled cheek, forcing himself to take a deep breath. He didn’t have time to worry or get pissed. Will was still too cold, he needed help. It wasn’t even Will he was pissed at, snapping at him would accomplish less than nothing. Jason had to reign in his temper, for once in his life. Will was counting on him.

The beeping of the microwave startled the digital artist out of his reverie. He hurriedly pulled the bowl of soup out of the microwave and snagged a spoon out of the drawer, heading up the stairs as fast as he could without spilling.

As soon as he entered the bedroom, he yelled, almost dropping the soup in his haste to set it down and get to the bed. Will started awake; he’d managed to put Jason’s clothes on and had been nodding off on the bed. Hadn’t Jason read somewhere that it was bad for hypothermic people to sleep?

“What the hell, no! Stay awake, dammit!” Jason ordered, trying not to let his voice shake. Will winced, shrinking away from Jason as he advanced.

Jason cursed his stupidity. Again, Jay? Are you trying to traumatize him even more, or is that just a happy coincidence?

“Sorry for yelling, I’m not mad. It’s not your fault. You just scared me a bit is all.” He forced his voice to be softer, and stopped where he was, giving Will some space. Will slowly relaxed, still shivering and refusing to make eye contact. Jason sighed. “I know you’re probably exhausted, but you can’t sleep until we get you a bit warmer, okay? It’s not safe.” He continued gently, picking up the bowl of soup from where he’d deposited it in his haste. “Think you could eat something?”

Will nodded, sitting up a little more against the bed’s headboard. Jason set the soup in Will’s lap, where it was less likely to spill, and backed off again, still trying to give him a little space after the digital artist’s outburst. It was difficult while he was shivering so much, but Will managed to eat, one spoonful at a time.

Under Jason’s watchful eye, he quickly polished off the soup, allowing Jason to set the bowl aside. The digital artist scrutinized his charge; still shivering. Not as much, but still too much.

He sighed. What he had to do next would’ve been much easier if Jason was capable of going five minutes without putting his foot in his mouth. But he had to get Will warm, and he didn’t have a heated blanket, or anything like that. This was the only way he could think of. He had to at least ask.

“Will? If it’s okay with you, I’m going to sit down next to you, real close, to try and get you warm.” Jason said, remembering at the last second to keep his voice soft. “Just tell me to fuck off if you’re not okay with it, alright? But you’re still way too cold, body heat might be the best option.”

Will hesitated, then nodded, meeting Jason’s eyes for a split second before doing so. Even that small amount of contact sent relief flooding through Jason’s chest. Finally. Progress.

Slowly, slowly, Jason lowered himself down onto the bed in the space Will had cleared. He swung his legs up next, and, hesitating, watching for any sign of protest on Will’s part, wrapped an arm around his shoulders, gently easing him against his chest. Will’s body shivered in Jason’s arms, but it didn’t pull back. Jason let out a breath that he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding, and pulled the comforter over their bodies.

“Remember, you gotta stay awake, okay?” Jason murmured, jostling Will’s arm when his eyes started sliding shut. “Just a bit longer, until you’re warmer. Got it?”

But Jason had misinterpreted Will’s motion; he took a few deep, shuddering breaths, and sneezed harshly off to the side. “Hetschhieww! Hihh-ehh-heh! HEhh-EH! Etschhhieww!” Like the previous ones, they weren’t loud, but wracking, exhausting, and unignorable, and they left Will coughing harshly into his arm. Jason felt his heart racing, keeping a tight, comforting hold on Will.

“Dammit, sorry. Bless ya.” He apologised when the coughing had finally died down. “You caught my cold, didn’t you?” Will merely shrugged noncommittally. “You did. And then you were sleeping outside, right? How long?”

Will sniffled, then finally breathed; “Since I left you.”

Jason’s heart dropped down to his stomach. Two days. Three nights. That’s how long Will had been stuck out in the unforgiving, wintery weather. And Jason had no idea.

“Was it your brother? What was it, Sang?” Jason asked. Will tensed, but still didn’t pull away.

“Sang… An’ my dad.” He rasped, sniffling again. Jason was startled to realize he was crying. “An’ my sister. All waiting for me when I got home. Told me they were done, sick of me. Kicked me out, cut me off. G-gave the Tigerlily to Sang. Sh-shut it down. After dad ‘n Long left, Sang…”

Will seemed unable to continue, so Jason answered for him. “Hit you?”

Will nodded, breath catching on sobs. “Pushed me down. Kicked me. I ran.” His voice was shaking, though it had nothing to do with his shivering now. “He always hated me, but he nev-never... I thought… L-Long might’ve… But she didn’t say anything… W-wouldn’t even look at me...”

Jason was trying so hard to restrain himself, but Will sounded so utterly wretched, unable to speak now for crying; Jason held him a little tighter, bringing their position dangerously close to “hugging” rather than “sharing body heat,” letting the contact drive his rage away, hoping that little bit of support might do the same for Will’s misery.

After some time, Will fell silent again, and finally stopped shivering so much. Jason sighed resignedly, gently shifting Will off of his chest and onto the pillows, and getting out of bed.

“I think it’s safe for you to sleep now.” Jason whispered in response to Will’s confused (and slightly upset, Jason was dismayed to notice) expression. Will met his eyes for just a moment before glancing away again, nodding. “It’ll be okay. Just rest.” You’re safe now, he wanted to add, but couldn’t work up the nerve, and besides, Will was already asleep.

---

 

Jason jerked out of sleep very suddenly several hours later, to the sound of clumsy footsteps down the hall. He hadn’t been sleeping very deeply anyway (his sofa was comfy, but really not designed with sleeping in mind), so the small sound easily startled him awake. He rubbed his eyes groggily, listening as the steps continued. It took a moment for his mind to connect the dots.

Will.

Jason cursed internally, jumping up and dashing into the hall. Sure enough, he found Will at the front door, shivering and trying to open it, wearing his old clothes (which were still slightly damp).

“Will, what the hell?” Jason asked, forgetting to check his voice in his haste. Will flinched, curling inwards, and Jason stopped, cursing himself and holding up his hands. “Sorry, sorry, I’m not mad. But what’re you doing out here? Where’re you going?”

Will relaxed marginally, looking down at his feet and mumbling. “Jus’ leaving. Didn’t want to put you out.”

Jason blinked, letting his hands fall. “You’re not putting me out, Will, what’re you talking about?”

Will sniffled, and cleared his throat. “You were sleeping on the couch. I was taking your bed, it wasn’t…”

“Dude, I was just sleeping there ‘cause I was too lazy to set up the guest room.” Jason reassured him, taking a tentative step forward. “I really don’t think you should leave just yet, Will. Unless…” A sudden thought had occurred to Jason. “I mean, if you don’t want to stay here, I’ll help you arrange for something else--”

“No!” Will suddenly yelped, then looked down again, blushing. “I-I mean… I-If you’re really okay with it…”

“I’m really okay with it.” Jason promised. “If I wasn’t, I would’ve dropped you at a motel or something by now, I’m not that nice. Trust me, you’d know if I didn’t want you here.”

Will nodded, though he still seemed uncertain. Jason took another slow step forward as Will flicked the lock on the front door shut again, then shuddered violently.

“Come on back upstairs, I’ll get you set up with some pj’s.” Jason coaxed, trying for a reassuring smile. It had been so easy back when he’d nursed Nick through an endless slough of colds, why was it so hard now…? “You’re shivering again, Will, you need to get warm.”

Will hesitated, then nodded, taking a step forward, only to pause, breath hitching. “Ehhh-ehhh… Hih-ih-IH--itschhieww! Hhh… EH-hehh… Hetschiewww!” The sneezes almost knocked him to the ground, but Jason surged forward, catching Will by the shoulders, carefully avoiding his bruised ribs.

“Bless ya, man, easy…” Jason murmured, holding the shivering Will upright. Will sniffled wetly, coughing.

“S-sorry…”

“Don’t apologize to me for sneezing, Will.” Jason laughed slightly, leading Will to the staircase. “I mean, ‘specially since I’m the one who got you sick in the first place.”

“Coulda picked it up at the Tigerli--” He cut off suddenly, expression anguished. Jason felt a spark of anger. Fucking Sang… Why did it have to be fucking Sang?

“It can’t be legal, what they did.” Jason muttered as they made their way upstairs. “I bet we could probably press charges, or--”

“No.” Will said flatly. “Father’s lawyers are too good, and besides, I don’t want more trouble. Not to mention the fact that they made sure just about everything I had was in my father’s name, not mine. So technically, kicking me out of my house, taking my car, my phone, all my things… Perfectly legal.” He laughed bitterly. “I didn’t even own most of my clothes.”

Jason didn’t know what to say to that; didn’t trust himself to speak for outrage, so he just kept leading Will up into the bedroom.

“Look, if it’d make you feel better, I could set up the guest room, and you could stay there.” Jason offered, depositing Will on the bed and rummaging through his dresser until he came up with a set of flannel pajamas, which he placed on Will’s lap. Will nodded; apparently, he’d spoken enough for the time being. “Alright. Maybe nap a little, it’ll take me a bit to get everything set up. The room hasn’t been used in ages, not since Nick’s parents came to visit.”

He felt a dull pang at the memory, but it was less painful than it had been in the past. Unfortunately, Will found his voice. “Nick… Your ex, right?”

Jason swallowed. “Yeah. He uh… Dumped me, a while ago.”

“Sorry.” Will rasped. Jason snorted.

“Don’t be; I…” He ran a hand through his bed-mussed, blond hair; he’d need a haircut soon. “I deserved it, honestly. I was a… Real jerk. He deserved--deserves--better than me.”

“Why?”

The question caught Jason off-guard; his instinct was to snap, tell Will it was none of his business, but one look at Will’s broken expression… Jason deflated.

“I don’t know.” He confessed. “I just felt so… Pissed, and screwed over by life, and… Humiliated, I guess. When I lost my job. I went from my dream career to making coffee for pretentious hipsters. It hurt my pride. And I was too much of a baby to deal with it, so I just… Lashed out at the nearest thing to me. At Nick.”

He hadn’t even thought about why he’d acted the way he had until Will had asked. He’d condemned himself for his actions, regretted them; but he’d never asked himself why.

“It’s not an excuse!” He continued hurriedly, before Will could comment. At some point, Jason had started pacing back and forth agitatedly. “I mean, god, there’s no excuse for something like that, but… I-I just couldn’t handle it. It was so unfair, everything was so fucking unfair, and I--I coped with it the only way I knew how. By getting pissed.” He laughed, because if he didn’t laugh he’d start crying. “By getting pissed at the one I loved most. The one who did everything he could to support me, the one who stayed as long as he could stand it… God, there’s no excusing that! He’s never gonna fucking forgive me, and I can’t even fucking blame him!”

Will stared nervously as Jason paced back and forth, voice slowly creeping louder until he was yelling, wringing his hands as he stalked back and forth, having almost forgotten that Will was in the room.

“Jason.” Will whispered hoarsely.

“I fucked up!” Jason proclaimed, throwing his hands in the air and laughing mirthlessly again. “I fucked up so bad. I fucked up the best thing in my life, ever, and I’m never gonna be able to get him back, shit, it’d be a miracle if he ever even talks to me again, god dammit--”

“Jason!” Will insisted. Jason finally froze, breathing heavily.

There was a moment of silence as the digital artist came back to his senses, all the rage and heartbreak and guilt from the past nine months that had come suddenly unhinged eking into the background again. Finally, Jason registered Will’s stricken expression.

“Fuck.” He moaned. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out--dammit, I’m an idiot, I’ll leave you alone now--” He made to leave the room, but was interrupted.

“I’m not scared Jason.” Will croaked, clearing his throat. “I just… Y-you needed to slow down, you were working yourself up too much… I was worried, not freaked out.” Jason shot him an incredulous look, and Will chuckled quietly. “Okay, fine, a little freaked out. But I’m okay. I…” He glanced away, blushing. “I know you’re not gonna hurt me. You’ve been trying so hard… I know I’m not making this easy.”

Jason sighed, rubbing his temple. “Will, after everything you’ve been through, I think you’re entitled to a little ‘not easy.’”

Will blushed further. “I-I’m not made of glass, you-hhh-kn-know-ehh--hitschhhieww! Ehh-hehheh… Etschhiewww!”

Will’s hands jumped up to cover his sneezes, which left him bent over on his knees, eyes watering and sniffling furiously. Jason quickly snatched a few tissues from the box on the bedside table and handed them to Will, who accepted them gratefully.

“Bless ya.” Jason muttered as Will blew his nose. “An’ you don’t have to be made of glass to be hurt by something like that.”

Will shrugged. He seemed to be done talking for real this time. Jason waited a moment longer, then sighed. “I’ll go set up the guest bedroom. And I was serious about that nap, okay?”

Will smiled slightly and nodded. The smile sent a warm feeling through Jason’s chest as he left the room.

He’ll be fine, Jason thought, as he rummaged through the linen cabinet in search of fresh sheets. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll help, for once in my life. I’ll be good.

---

All aboard the angst train, it's.... Actually maybe a little less angsty later? I dunno. Maybe a tad bit fluffy

...(I'm not done doing bad things to Will though )

Edited April 28, 2016 by SpamKey
chapter titles.... my nemesis >.<

[Arty]

No no you don't! More hurt to Will!? Why woman why must you toy with my feels!!?

 

Ok l get where Jason was coming from though like he realized it's no excuse!!!  Though what's irredeemable is Will's so called family. 

Edited April 28, 2016 by Artygirl22

[ShyGirl]

perfect !! please write moree

[starpollen]

I love angst.    Bring it on!!

Edited April 29, 2016 by starpollen

[ellwren]

The angst is delicious, but so is the comfort.

[Juto]

Wow! Spam! I know I say this every time, but it was brilliant!! 

Jason's frustrated pacing as he was finally confronting his actions towards Nick and to see him struggle with the realisation that he was a complete jerk so he can pull back and be nice to Will was simply heartbreakingly satisfying to read. It was so well written and all his internal arguments seemed so truthful and sincere. 

And just for the record, with these two cuties, "hugging" will always be preferable to "sharing body heat"  

[SpamKey]

I had the choice between giving you a short part with a cliffhanger, and a really, really long part.

...I went with the long part

I'm so glad you're all enjoying this piece so much! I think it'll be a little longer than my previous pieces (if it keeps going like this, that is ) but we should begin wrapping up soon-ish. Maybe. Ehhh... Who knows? (I do )

---

The good news was that Will’s temperature returned to normal.

The bad news was that it didn’t stay there for long.

Jason took Will’s temperature before bed (it was late, since both had napped a bit and it took Jason a while to set up the guest room adequately) and was startled to find that it was just under 102 degrees. Incredulous, he placed a hand on Will’s forehead, then the back of his neck to be certain; sure enough, hot.

“Well, that’s new.” Jason muttered with a sigh. Will bit his lip.

“Guess the cold air was keepigg the fever under codtrol.” At some point during the time Jason was setting up the bedroom, Will’s voice had sunk into a level of congestion to match its hoarseness, and his sniffling had increased from once every few minutes to once every thirty seconds or so, no matter how he blew his nose.

“You really can’t catch a break, can you?” Jason shook his head in disbelief, fighting the urge to reach out and ruffle Will’s already sleep-tossed hair. He knew he’d probably already been sending mixed (not insincere--mixed) signals to Will throughout this whole fiasco, and he was still determined not to lead him on. Plus, as Jason always forgot, Will was actually a few years older than him. Ruffling his hair like a kid’s would be kinda ridiculous.

“Well, we can hardly use the same solution, so I guess we’ll just have to take care of this the old-fashioned way.” Jason noted sardonically, turning to leave the guest room. “Shoulda gotten some meds into you ages ago, anyway. You allergic to anything?” He asked, suddenly remembering.

Will shrugged. “Besides ragweed? Pedicillid. Bud dothigg id cold beds.”

Jason nodded. “Gotcha. Back in a flash.”

Jason made his way downstairs unhurriedly (Will probably wanted a minute to blow his nose in privacy, anyway) but started sprinting when the sound of awful hacking came from upstairs. He quickly snatched the cold medicine from the kitchen counter and bounded upstairs, tossing the bottle haphazardly onto the bedside table in his haste to get to Will, who was curled over on himself, coughing uncontrollably.

“Dammit, dammit, just breath, fuck…” Though his voice sounded angry, it was panic coursing through him as Jason tried to pull Will into a position better suited for breathing. Will shook his head, still coughing frantically, to indicate that he couldn’t stop. Jason remembered to change his tone; the last thing Will needed was to be frightened on top of everything else.

“Alright, man, easy, easy, just try to take a slow breath, come on…” Jason soothed, breathing slowly and deeply to encourage Will to do the same. Slowly, the coughing faded, leaving Will’s breaths harsh and shallow. Jason sighed in relief as the fit finally faded away.

“That… Wasd’t fud…” Will gasped, rubbing his aching chest. Jason laughed weakly.

“No kidding.” He shook his head, forgetting to pull back from their very close position, no longer necessary now that the immediate danger had passed. A sudden thought occurred to Jason. “Fuck, you’re not getting pneumonia, are you?”

Will shrugged. “I duddo. I’ve dever had id before.”

Jason snorted. “Lucky you. Has your chest been hurting?”

Will grimaced, squirming uncomfortably. Jason pulled away at last, but it didn’t seem to help. “Yeah, a bid.”

“Are you short of breath, even when you haven’t been coughing?” Jason pressed.

“A liddle. Why, is that bad?” Will asked upon seeing Jason’s troubled expression.

“Pretty bad, yeah.” Jason sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We should take you to a doctor tomorrow, get you some antibiotics.” Will stiffened.

“You… Kdow I cad’t afford thad right dow, right?” Will muttered, blushing. “I’b cut off, I cad’t… I dod’t have adythigg.”

Jason cursed. He’d happily pay for Will’s meds, but without insurance, the bill would be pretty high, and it wasn’t as though Jason was rolling in money, either.

“I… Guess we’ll try to treat it here.” He said reluctantly. “If we can’t get it under control, we’ll take you to a doctor or something anyway, and figure it out afterwards. Okay?”

Will nodded, though it was pretty clear he didn’t like the plan. Jason tamped down his frustration and tried to focus on the problem he could fix.

“Alright, let’s get some medicine into you, anyway.” He said at length, picking up the bottle from the bedside table. “It should help with the coughing, at least a little. Best thing you can do is cough when you need to, drink lots of water, and try to rest. No more running around, trying to leave, okay? If we wanna beat this without antibiotics, you can’t be straining yourself at all. Deal?”

He said all this as he carefully measured out a dose of medicine, noting the time as he did so. Will pursed his lips and nodded.

“Alright, good. Now take this.” Jason handed over the capful of medicine, which Will downed carefully, to avoid another coughing fit. “Good. You need more water?”

The glass next to the bed was still mostly full, so Will shook his head. “That whole thing better be gone by morning.” Jason ordered sternly. Will smirked.

“Sure thigg, Durse Carmine.” He quipped, sniffling again. Before Jason could retaliate, Will’s breath hitched. “Hhhuh-ehh--hutschhhiew! Hhuh-ih-ih! Ihhh-etschiewww!”

The sneezes triggered another coughing fit, but this one didn’t escalate out of control like the last one. Jason bit his lip, watching as Will sank back into the pillows, exhausted.

“Bless ya. I’m gonna try an’ get some sleep.” The digital artist said reluctantly. “I’m right across the hall, yell if you need me. And if you can’t yell, just come get me, or throw something at the wall, I’ll come running.”

Will smiled slightly. It tugged at Jason’s heart, the expression was so tired. “Alright. See you id the bordigg.” His eyes started to slide shut. “Thagks so buch, Jason. For everythigg.”

Jason’s lips twitched upwards against his will. “Anytime.”

He slid quietly out of the room, listening as Will snored quietly, smile still tugging at his lips despite everything.

---

Jason paced. Will coughed uncontrollably.

Nothing was going well.

By evening of the next day, it was quite clear that Will wouldn’t be able to fight this off on his own; he was coughing almost without pause, pain medication couldn’t ease the ache in his chest nor the pain in his throat. Though his fever had maintained a steady 101.8, Will’s coherency wasn’t very helpful, as his voice was completely gone by now. Jason had gone past the point of being pissed at the circumstances, and was just filled with a particularly violent dread. Nothing he did was helping.

Will, however, stolidly refused to let Jason take him to a hospital; his fear of future unpayable medical bills apparently outweighed his desire for relief, no matter how the digital artist coaxed, begged, yelled, or pleaded. Short of physically picking him up and dragging him to the car (something Jason wasn’t quite sure he’d be able to succeed at; he was strong, sure, but Will was hardly a wimp, and almost as tall as him, as well) there was no way for Jason to get him to a hospital.

Will’s coughs subsided, and Jason looked at him desperately, where he lay shaking on the bed, breath short and ragged.

“Will--” Jason tried. But the other man immediately shook his head, closing his eyes. Before Jason could say anything more, Will had drifted off into a restless sleep.

Frustrated and helpless, Jason left the spare bedroom, heading downstairs where he was less likely to wake Will if he couldn’t get his emotions under control. He stormed into the kitchen, glancing around for something--anything--he hadn’t tried yet.

His eyes fell on his cell phone, abandoned there sometime last night.

An idea formed, unbidden, in his mind. He almost discarded it without a second thought.

The sound of wracking coughs from upstairs brought it back to the forefront.

Jason winced at the grating sound, stomach clenching in distress. Hand trembling slightly, he picked up the phone, opening it up to his contacts list and just staring for a minute.

“Come on you jackass.” He muttered, icy-blue eyes narrowing. “Swallow your god damn pride for once in your life.”

He made the call.

---

One stress-filled hour later, and the sound of knocking came from the door. With a glance at Will’s convulsing, coughing form to remind him of what was at stake, Jason quickly made his way downstairs, and threw open the door.

“I-I, uh…” Jason swallowed. “I didn’t think you would come.”

Darian Verago wouldn’t meet his eyes, preferring instead to focus on a point somewhere to Jason’s right. “You sounded rather panicked. And I’m sure you wouldn’t call me, of all people, unless you really had no other options.” Helpfully, Will’s coughing started up again, echoing down from upstairs. Darian gaze sharpened, and he adjusted the large, black bag on his shoulder, meeting Jason’s eyes at last. “Where’s your friend?”

“Upstairs, this way…” Now Jason found it difficult to meet those bright-green eyes, as he led the doctor upstairs and into the spare room. On the way, Darian asked questions, which Jason answered as best he could in his frazzled state.

“His name is?”

“Will Tran.”

“Age?”

“Twenty-eight, I think.”

“How long has he been sick?”

“Uh…” Jason did a few quick calculations. “Three or four days? I-I’m not sure, he was sleeping outside for a while--”

“Was he hypothermic?” Darian asked sharply.

“I-I think a little?” Jason replied, as they paused outside the bedroom door. “I w-wasn’t sure what to do, I just warmed him up until he stopped shivering, then let him go to sleep.”

“You kept him awake beforehand?” Darian confirmed. Jason nodded. “Good. That’s good, though the hypothermia would explain why this escalated so quickly… Not to mention sleeping outside; what hap--” He cut himself off. “None of my business, apologies. Was Will sick beforehand?”

“Yeah, he, uh, had a cold, I think.” Jason failed to mention that Will had probably caught the cold off of him.

“Running a fever? What medication has he been given? Do you know if he’s allergic to anything?”

“J-just cold medicine, his fever’s been a little under 102 the whole time, and I don’t--wait!” Jason remembered suddenly. “He’s allergic to penicillin, he mentioned.”

Darian nodded. “It’s a good thing I brought a substitute, then.” Will’s coughing interrupted them, and Darian’s expression turned concerned as he gazed at the closed door. “Sounds like textbook pneumonia to me. Staying out in the cold probably didn’t help, it’s a good thing you brought him here when you did. Though why you didn’t just bring him to a hospital when it got this bad…”

“I told you over the phone, he doesn’t have insurance right now.” Jason barely managed to control the edge of impatience in his voice. “You can help, can’t you?”

Darian’s eyes narrowed. “I certainly hope so. I have something that should ease his breathing… I managed to grab a pneumonia test, to see if we even need antibiotics for this. I’ll administer the test first, let it do its thing while we're working on his lungs. Then we’ll see if the antibiotics are needed.” Darian met Jason’s eyes for the second time, and the digital artist was the one to glance away. “I need your assurance that you’ll do everything I say, alright? I might need your help.”

Will’s coughing echoed through the door. Jason didn’t hesitate. “I promise. Anything.”

Darian nodded, apparently satisfied, and proceeded into the room. Will appeared to be trying to doze between coughing fits.

“Wake him, please.” The doctor requested, setting his bag on the dresser and rummaging through it. Jason lowered himself down on the edge of the bed and gently shook Will’s shoulder.

“Will? You gotta wake up.” He murmured, watching as his grey eyes fluttered open. “Someone’s here to help you, okay?”

Will’s expression turned alarmed, and Jason hurried to reassure him before he could start coughing again. “No hospital, I promise.”

“Just a housecall.” Darian added, smiling reassuringly as he came over, medical bag in hand. “Step aside for a moment, Jason. This’ll take a while.”

Jason backed off, watching like a hawk as Darian administered the pneumonia test, then listened to Will’s breathing, heartrate, took his temperature… Jason kept close track of his actions, trying to remember what he could from Nick’s numerous hospital trips. The memory of clinical white walls and antiseptic, Nick’s slightly exasperated reassurances that he was fine, Jay, really, and Kaije’s attempts to lighten the mood with teasing jokes was bittersweet, but stung a little less now; whether it was due to the stress of his current situation, or simply time, Jason couldn’t tell, and didn’t bother trying to figure out.

“Well, it’s bacterial pneumonia all right.” Jason was snapped out of his thoughts by Darian’s voice, as he read the results of the test. Will was already making use of the machine the doctor had brought, the mask making him look so vulnerable it hurt Jason’s chest.

“You brought some antibiotics?” Jason asked, tearing his eyes away from Will with difficulty. In answer, Darian produced an orange prescription bottle.

“You got lucky; I already had this.” Darian told him, double-checking the label. “Doubly lucky; I’m also allergic to penicillin, so this should be fine for him. You’re not allergic to any other medications, are you?” Darian addressed this question to Will, who shook his head tiredly. “Alright, good. You’ll want to take one of these every twelve hours, alright?” Will nodded, though the question was more directed to Jason, who also nodded, and made note of the time.

“I’ve got to take this back with me, but it should have helped clear his lungs out a little.” Darian continued, starting to pack up the machine. Will nodded his agreement, smiling slightly in thanks. Darian returned the expression, leaving Jason a little bitter despite himself; some small, selfish part of him had wanted to find fault in the doctor’s caregiving skills, but he couldn’t identify a single flaw.

Well, Nicky, he thought with a small, sad smile. You finally bagged a good one, huh? Good on ya.

With the oxygen machine off, and pill taken, Will quickly fell asleep, hopefully for a good, long while this time. Darian packed up his things and beckoned Jason outside. The digital artist followed him downstairs.

“I won’t sugarcoat it, he’s very weak.” Darian informed him gravely, once they were safely by the front door and out of earshot. “This has really done a number on him. He’ll need to be cared for almost constantly for the next several days before the antibiotics begin to take noticable effect. Until then, he should move as little as possible; he’ll need lots of protein, soups, yogurt, tea… Liquids and smooth things will be best for his throat. Keep him hydrated above all. Keep an eye on his fever, make sure it stays down. And the antibiotic should be taken every twelve hours, as I told you. Try not to overlap, those can really mess with his system if you’re not careful.”

“Got it.” Jason nodded, taking careful note of Darian’s instructions. Most of it he’d already known--he’d nursed Nick through pneumonia a few times, though admittedly, his hadn’t been quite this severe--but he was especially careful to remember the time between antibiotic doses.

“Call me if there are any complications; fever spikes, poor reaction to the antibiotic, anything.” Darian ordered, meeting Jason’s eyes again. Jason nodded, looking down.

“Thanks for coming.” Jason managed, blushing in shame. “I know I haven’t given you any reason to.”

Jason couldn’t see Darian’s expression, but the unexpected softness in his tone made him wonder what it had been. “It’s my job to help those who need it.”

“Yeah, but anyone else would’ve told me to fuck off.” Jason muttered, forcing himself to meet the doctor’s eyes. “Listen… What I said to you back in the hospital…”

Darian stiffened, but Jason persevered. “I was wrong, okay? I-I was angry, and scared, and jealous, but most of all I was wrong, dead wrong. Y-you’re…” He laughed slightly. “You’re everything Nick deserves. And he deserves the best.” He looked down again. “Well… Better than me, at any rate. I'm sorry.”

Jason seemed to have rendered Darian speechless for a moment; when he did speak, his voice was quiet, his expression inscrutable. “If you wanted to apologize to Nick, I could talk to him for you.”

Jason hesitated; he was tempted, so tempted, just to see Nick again, to talk to him, but…

Finally, he shook his head. “I think the best apology I could offer Nick, is for him to never have to see me again.”

Darian’s expression shifted into something akin to pity. “Very well. If you’re certain.”

“I’m not.” Jason laughed, shaking his head. “But I’m just… J-just trying to do the right thing, for once in my life. I don’t have as much experience in that as I probably should. Obviously.”

Darian shrugged. “You care enough about Will to take him into your home and call me for help. That’s got to count for something, right?”

Jason fell silent for a moment, once again unable to meet Darian’s eyes. “Why are you being so nice to me?” He asked finally, voice bitter. “I don’t deserve it. What could possible make you think I deserve it?”

Darian considered him for a moment, then, to Jason’s surprise, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I think that you’re a man who was in a bad situation, and, as happens all too often, didn’t handle it well. The fact that you’re trying to redeem yourself now is a sign that you do deserve it, in my opinion.” He smiled sardonically. “Also, I do appreciate the apology.”

Jason didn’t trust himself to speak. Luckily, Darian seemed to understand; he just gave his shoulder a squeeze, and left. Jason wordlessly locked the front door behind him, and went back upstairs, sitting down on the edge of Will’s bed, thinking.

At one point, several hours later, Will woke up for a moment, and looked at him, frowning.

“You okay?” He asked, voice barely more than a rasping whisper. Jason smiled, sighing.

“I dunno.” He answered honestly, mindlessly reaching over to smooth Will’s hair down. It was soft, though in need of a wash. They’d have to take care of that in the morning, somehow. Maybe a bath would be less tiring than a shower. Will nodded off before he could reply, and Jason eventually went to bed himself, setting an alarm for when Will would need another pill later.

---

Pffft, I think Darian should just open his own practice at this point  More fluff from here on out, I promise

[Arty]

Well Darian is doing a lot of house calls isn't he?. Lol. Omg....Jason...like......Poor thing. And Will. I just wanna slap his family. Ugh.

[Artemis]

WOOOOOO!!!! I just got caught up!!! Woah that was amazing!!! I love it! I love Will!!!!!

[Juto]

*adds Dr. Hot Guy to list of fangirls who support Jason being redeemed!*

 

I quite like Jason when he's being all apologising and caring. No idea how you managed that, but you did!

curses! 

[SpamKey]

Welp after an unplanned hiatus  We're back! With a long part to make up for my absence. Sorry, inspiration was lacking  Hopefully you'll accept this as an apology...?

Aw, who'm I kidding, I'm doing more bad things to Will, that's what this is

(And because I'm still crap at titles, the last one was Chapter Eight: But Breathing Gets Harder (Even I Know That)

---

Chapter Nine: Leaning Now Into the Breeze (Remembering Sunday, He Falls to his Knees)

After another bowl of soup (canned this time; Jason’s cooking skills left something to be desired, though Will assured him he didn’t mind) Will gratefully accepted Jason’s offer of a bath. Once the tub was full of steaming water, Jason helped Will to the bathroom and left him to it, lingering outside a moment just in case he fell or something.

Once Will was safely in the tub, Jason went back downstairs to do a supply check. He had the antibiotics from Darian, a half-full bottle of cough medicine, some Advil, and several cans of soup. He cursed quietly; he’d have to make a trip to the store. A difficult feat, considering Will shouldn’t be left alone.

As he was combing through his pantry for the third time in denial, he was interrupted; “I could bake you a list of stuff I deed to bake soup, if you wadt.”

“Jesus--Will, oh!” Jason gasped, whipping around. Will winced, stepping back a bit, and Jason quickly held up his hands.

“Sorry, sorry, I just didn’t hear you come down.” He explained gently. Will blushed, nodding.

“Sorry.” Will muttered, seeming embarrassed by his reaction. He looked cleaner, dressed in a fresh set of pajamas, but his hair was still damp and he was shivering slightly.

“No, don’t apologize--” Jason gently took him by the shoulders, guiding him to the couch. He carefully deposited Will on the cushions, and wrapped a nearby blanket around his shoulders. “There. What were you saying?”

“Just thad I could bake soup, if you deeded to go to the store.” Will repeated, smiling sheepishly. “I, uh… Couldd’t help but dotice thahh-ehh-etschiewww! Hutschiewww! Etschhhhiew! Agh--” He broke off into rough coughing, and Jason quickly sat down next to him, holding him upright.

“Baybe--” He sniffled thickly, voice hoarse again. “Baybe I should jusd tell you how to bake it, actually.”

“I really shouldn’t leave you here alone.” Jason said uncertainly.

“It’ll be, whad, half ad hour?” Will waved his hand dismissively, as if he hadn’t just been hacking up a lung literally thirty seconds ago. “I thigk I cad last thad logg, Jasod. Seriously, jusd go.”

Jason still hesitated. “Will, half an hour can be a long time when you’re sick with pneumonia. I just don’t know… Dar--Dr. Verago, he said you’d be pretty weak for a while, and you’d need--” No, no, ‘constant care’ sounds too condescending. “--help, for a while.”

Will glanced down, frowning. Just when Jason thought he was done talking again, Will looked up. “What’s his deal, adyway? How do you kdow hib? He was… Really dice, but his dydabic with you seebed… Tedse.”

Jason sighed, looking away. “He’s, ah… Nick’s new boyfriend.”

Will’s eyes widened, horrorstruck. “I-I’b sorry, I didd’t--”

“It’s fine, Will, really.” And it was; Jason was surprised by just how fine he was with it. “I-I, uh… Said some nasty things to him. Really nasty, one time. Made some pretty bad implications beforehand. I-I uh… Apologized. Before he left.” Jason shook his head in disbelief. “He actually comforted me, heheh… Actually, I was shocked he even picked up the phone when I called, much less came and helped. Some people, man. Too nice for their own damn good.”

Will still looked upset at having stumbled upon a sore subject. “But… Y-you actually called this guy for be?”

Jason shrugged. “It’s not so big a deal. You were really bad, you remember, and you really couldn’t go to a hospital; the antibiotics were just us lucking out, honestly. I didn’t actually know if he’d be able to do anything.”

“B-but, I…” Will tried to protest, sniffling wetly. “Y-you didd’t have to do thad, I-I would’ve beed fide--”

“Maybe not, Will.” Jason retorted. After a moment of silence, he finally sighed. “If you promise to stay in bed, I’ll go get food. Can you give me a list of stuff for soup?”
Will grinned, pulling out his phone and texting Jason a list of ingredients. When he was done, Jason helped him back up to bed, made sure he didn’t need his meds for another few hours, he had water, tissues, etc.. Finally, Jason left, unable to shake the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong.

---

Something went horribly wrong. Obviously.

Jason got back, thirty-five minutes later, quickly threw anything cold into the fridge, left the rest, and bolted upstairs. “Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay…”

He stopped in the hallway, and cursed loudly. Will, lying on the ground, stirred at the noise.

Jason threw himself down next to Will, scooping him up without a word (well, nothing repeatable at any rate) and carrying him swiftly into the bedroom. As soon as Will was settled under the blankets, Jason tried to wake him.

“Will, come on, dammit.” Jason murmured, his voice gentler than his words implied. “Wake up, man, wake the fuck up, dammit…”

Will stirred, whimpered slightly, then fell back to sleep. Desperately, Jason felt his forehead and froze. Heat was coming off of Will in waved. Cursing all the more violently, Jason darted into the bathroom, coming back with the thermometer.

A minute later, Jason had the results; 103.6, really bad, really really bad, what did he do, oh god, what did he do--

Darian. Call Darian.

Jason’s hands were shaking, but he managed to make the call. The phone rang once… Twice… Three--

“Dr. Verago’s phone, this is Nick speaking!”

Jason froze. He was paralyzed.

“Hello? Uh… Can you hear me?”

That voice… God, Jason hadn’t been prepared for that voice, where was Darian, where was--

 

“...I’m gonna--”

Do it for Will, do it for Will, come on you spineless piece of shit do it for Will--

“I need to talk to Darian!” Jason blurted out, then winced. Please don’t recognize my voice, please please please don’t--

“Why are you calling Darian, Jason?”

The flat, emotionless tone in Nick’s voice made Jason want to cry, but he soldiered on.

“I-I’m sorry, I need his help, it’s--”

“What are you talking about, ‘his help?’” Nick snapped. Jason closed his eyes.

“He didn’t tell you about yesterday.”

“He said he had to work late yesterday, was he--” Nick hesitated. “Why was he seeing you, Jason?”

“I-I…” Jason trailed off with a shaky sigh. “Fuck, this is not how I wanted to have this conversation… I didn’t even want to--Dammit, this is…”

“Jason if you tell me Darian’s--” To Jason’s horror, Nick seemed to swallow a sob. “If you tell me Darian’s w-with you, I swear to god--”

“What!?” Jason yelled. “No, what the hell, no, Nick, no no no, he wouldn’t--w-we’re not… God, Nick, just no!”

“Then why are you calling?” Nick demanded. His voice still trembled slightly. Jason stammered for a moment, unable to think of what to say, and then suddenly collapsed against the wall of the bedroom, sliding slowly to the floor.

The whole story came spilling out; from getting sick, to seeing what Sang was doing to Will, to Will helping him get better, to getting fired, to finding Will in that alleyway, to bringing him home, to spilling his heart to Will, to calling Darian, to right now. His voice was frantic from the start, and by the end he was crying.

Nick was dead silent the whole time, and for a little while after Jason finished, breathing deeply against his sobs. Just when the digital artist began to suspect he’d been hung up on, Nick spoke.

“I’ll be there in an hour. Darian’s at work, he left his phone at my place. I’ll come help.”

“N-Nick, I can’t ask you to--” Jason tried.

“You’re not asking, I’m telling you.” Nick cut him off. “I know how to treat a fever, Jason, and I can help. Don’t try to talk me out of it, because you of all people should know that it won’t work. This is already hard for me, Jason, don’t you dare make it worse by fighting me on it.”

Jason swallowed. “O-Okay.”

“In the meantime, wet a cloth with cold water, keep it on his forehead.” Nick instructed. “I know you know how, you’ve done it for me before. Can you manage that?”

“Y-Yes.” Jason answered.

“Can he take more advil?”

Jason checked the clock. “N-not for another two hours.”

“Okay. I’m on my way.” Nick promised, then hung up.

Jason allowed himself one deep breath. Two. Then, after checking to see if Will had woken up (he hadn’t), he got up to get a wet cloth.

---

Nick looked stoic when he finally arrived; grim and resigned, but determined nonetheless. Jason did him the courtesy of not meeting his eyes, and just silently led him upstairs to where Will was lying.

“I’ve been doing the wet cloth, but I don’t think it’s helping much.” Jason muttered. Nick shot him a sharp look.

“He can take more advil in an hour, right?”

“Y-yeah.” Jason answered, quickly checking the clock.

“Alright. For now, let’s try ice packs on his feet and stomach. Get the blanket off of him.” Nick instructed, going down to the kitchen. Jason remembered with a jolt that they’d lived in this house together for several years; that this guest bedroom wasn’t going to remain one much longer, had nothing changed…

Shaking himself out of those memories, Jason did as instructed, and removed the comforter. Will shifted slightly, whimpering, and Jason picked up the cloth again, running it across his brow.

A moment later, Nick came back upstairs, ice packs in tow. He carefully lay them at Will’s feet and on his stomach.

“There. Keep at it with the cloth, we’ll take his temperature half an hour.”

“Where’d you learn this stuff, anyway?” Jason asked before he could stop himself. Nick’s expression turned even grimmer.

“Kaije’s recently developed a fever problem.” He explained. Jason’s chest clenched involuntarily. “He gets even a little sick, and his temperature soars up to deadly; he’s got medicine for it, but Percy and I--”

“Percy?”

“His boyfriend--yeah, he’s actually going steady with someone, go figure--anyway, we wanted to be prepared.” Nick shrugged. “Not that you’d really care.”

“I do care.” Jason said quietly. “He’s--he was a friend.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “Jason, you started a fistfight with the guy.”

Jason frowned. “No I--what are you talking about?”

Nick’s other eyebrow joined its twin. “You decked him when you ran into us at the bar and he wouldn’t tell you where I went, ages ago, when we’d just broken up and I was staying with Darian. You fucking wrecked Percy, too!”

Jason blinked uncomprehendingly. “I-I don’t remember that. Did I…? Fuck, I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

Nick snorted. “Well, you were drunk off your ass, so I don’t know why I’m surprised you don’t remember.”

Jason winced. “I-I should call him. I thought he just didn’t want to talk to me after… I-I’m sorry."

Nick frowned, staring at him so intensely that Jason had to look away. “You’re different.”

“Being dumped by your boyfriend of nine years and realizing you were an abusive fuck does that to a guy.” Jason muttered. Nick grimaced, looking away himself.

“Yeah, but… Even before we went to shit, you weren’t like this.” Nick paused, struggling for words. “You used to be so…”

“Arrogant?” Jason provided. Nick smirked.

“Well, I was going to say ‘confident,’ but that works.”

They were silent for a moment, until Jason couldn’t stand it anymore. “Is different good?”

“Different isn’t enough to make me come back, Jay.”

Hearing that old name was worse than a swift kick in the gut, but Jason soldiered on. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry won’t do that either. Nothing will.”

“That’s not why I’m telling you.” Jason promised. “I’m telling you because I mean it, and I should’ve said it fucking ages ago. I’m sorry. I treated you like shit, I made you feel like shit, and that’s… I-It’s unforgivable. Honestly, I was planning on just not seeing you again. I thought that was the best apology I could offer but… H-Here you are, so…”

Momentum lost, Jason trailed off, still refusing to meet Nick’s eyes.

“Honestly, I thought I wanted that.” Nick sighed. “But… Hearing you apologize and mean it feels better than I thought it would. Doesn’t mean I forgive you, though.” He added firmly.

“You probably shouldn’t.” Jason agreed.

Nick shrugged. “I will eventually. You know me; I can’t hold a grudge to save my life.”

Jason nodded. He’d take it.

“D-Darian… He treats you well, right? B-better than I did, I mean?” Jason asked, because he had to know. He had to know for sure that Nick’s life was good, that ultimately, despite the agony of the whole ordeal, it had all been for the best.

Nick smiled, getting that faraway look in his eyes that used to be reserved for Jason. “He treats me like I’m everything, Jason. So yeah. He treats me well.”

A ball of fear Jason hadn’t even realized was stuck in his chest dissolved, and he sighed. “Good. That’s… That’s good.”

They waited quietly together, the air still tense, but less painful. Finally, Jason spoke up.

“So Kaije finally settled down, huh?”

---

...Okay, now I'm done doing horrible things to Will. Let the fluff (withasideofemotionalangst) begin!!!

[EmeraldThread]

THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR. I'm pretty sure you put in literally all the things I wanted; fever spikes, Jason having to call Darian, Jason having to face Nick....It could not be more perfect, I don't have enough words but GOD. I'm not even sure I can list everything I loved, but I woke up this morning and read the whole thing while I was putting off getting out of bed and I have no regrets.

First, though, Will and Jason, I am shipping them even harder. I actually started reading this story before I read any of the others, and when it kept referring to Jason as like the supreme asshole, I was like but dude, he shows up to work when he's sick and he's nice to Will, he is taking care of Will, what's the problem. And then I read the others and was like OH. WELL. JASON YOU SUCKED. But man, he's so much better, I'm so glad, and I'm so glad Nick saw it, and also weirdly glad it didn't make him want to get back together with him? I dunno, I'm just glad things are kind of working out, let Nick be happy with the hot ponytail doctor. xD;;

Also, I'm not quite sure how I want to explain this, but I like the way Nick and Jason work...dynamically to take care of Will, but still brokenly? Gotta have that healthy share of angst... But it's one of those things where you can tell they were very very close at one time, and now they're kind of irreparable. At least, irreparable in terms of how things used to be, like they can't just go back and have things be all okay. 

Man, this is getting longer than I meant it to...but I have to say that beyond the sneezing/fetishy parts of the story, I just really love the whole thing. Your characters are so enticing and I love getting to know them and watching them get to know each other. Plus I can't say no to this many hot guys...with other hot guys.  (Also, I'm really happy that Jason mentioned wanting to call and apologize to Kaije for punching him. I don't know why, I just am. I think it's because I want everyone to see how good Jason is trying to be now? He just. Deserves love. They all do.)

So yeah, what I meant to say is I'm SUPER HAPPY YOU UPDATED and I'm wicked excited for more, and THANK YOU for giving us this wonderfulawesome story. X3

[Arty]

I couldn't have said what EmeraldThread any better. I'm glad Jason said what he did to Nick not to get back together but to admit that he was wrong, that nick deserves better. And that takes a lot of balls to see your wrongs let alone say them. I do believe that people deserve a second chance and I want people to see that Jason deserves another chance. I hope things work out with Will and Jason as well as Jason and his former friend. 

 

Yes bring on the fluff. 

[Sharkylemon]

Please update as soon as you can!

[ellwren]

Whoops, I never saw that last chapter. It’s so good!

[Anmeroth]

Joining in late and oh my goodness this is so great!! I want more!! ;u;

[chronic reader]

please please please finish!!! This fic made me cry so much and I need more