Just before they arrived at the door, Jack felt another wave of headaches coming up. He wavered and grabbed a hold or Eric again, as the earlier dizziness rushed to his head again. But much to Jack's surprise, Eric flinched at Jack's touch and quickly stepped away, causing Jack to find nothing but air. With his hands still clutching for something solid, he fell and smacked to the ground, head first. It produced a dull thud on the linoleum floor.
Eric gasped for air and flew over to his friend. He touched Jack's head carefully with spread fingers, hoping not to find any thick red substance.
"Jack! Are you okay? I'm so sorry, Jack!"
Jack moaned and slowly rolled onto his back, causing the world to spin around him. He hesitantly touched his own head as well, expecting to find at least a huge crack in it, considering the head splitting pain that pierced through his brain right now.
Eric sighed with relief as he saw his friend move. "I believe your head is still in one piece," he concluded quietly. "I'm so sorry! I don't know why I did that! Are you okay?"
Jack lifted his head and tried to raise himself to his elbows. "What do you think?! No, of course I'm not..." Another wave of pain and nauseating spinning inside his head blocked the words in his throat. He choked and only barely kept himself upright. Eric hastily put an arm around Jack's shoulders to support him.
Jack took a deep shuddering breath. "As if I hadn't ruined my brain cells enough for one night... My head hurts like hell!" He touched his head again with care. The pain already lessened a bit, but not enough to assure him everything was okay.
"Seems like all in one piece though. Maybe it's a concussion or something." He looked up at Eric's pale face. "Why'd you do that anyway?"
"I-I... I don't know. You just came at me all of the sudden - I guess I thought you were gonna attack me or something. Drunk people do strange things, you know."
"Well, whatever it was - don't do that again! I don't think I can get up again if I go down now..." He moaned again, trying to work his legs underneath him. Eric held him tight and cautiously pulled him on his feet. Jack waved away his help, but then another flash of pain struck him and his knees buckled. Luckily, Eric was prepared for it and held his friend up by the arms.
"I'm here, bud. I won't let you fall. Okay? Just..." Eric fumbled with one hand to get his keys out of his pocket. "...just try to keep steady while I get the..." He made a digging movement inside his pocket while trying to support Jack with his other hand. "...keys..." He didn't seem to be able to find them, trying to do two things at the same time.
"Come here, let me try..." Jack felt a little awkward doing it, but it was the easiest way to get those keys in their current position. He slid his hand into Eric's pocket and immediately felt the warm pointy metal of his key bunch. He let his hand linger just a second longer than necessary, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of the boxer short. He blushed as he took them out, almost with a sense of regret. He felt Eric shudder and heard him let out a very soft, almost inaudible sigh.
"H-here you go, found them," he stuttered as he handed the keys over to Eric. He shifted his weight a little more from Eric's arms to his own feet, suddenly very uncomfortable with the situation. He couldn't let go of him completely though, because his head was still aching and making the world spin around him every few seconds.
Eric took the keys without saying a word, and bit by bit they shifted closer towards the door. Every step caused a painful pulse in jack's head, but he didn't complain. It took them another five minutes before they finally got inside the apartment.
Eric cautiously guided Jack to the couch and helped him sit down. Then he went to the kitchen and got back with a pack of ice and a towel. He quickly wrapped it up into a package and gently tipped Jack's head backwards, placing the improvised compress on top of it.
"Here, this'll help."
Jack didn't have the strength to do or say anything - he just decided to let it all happen. Soon he noticed how the pain in his head reduced. He closed his eyes, and felt how Eric came to sit next to him and, after a moment, very lightly touched his hand. The warmth of the room and the sensation of Jack's skin touching his made him drowsy.
"Th... thanks. I'm- I'm kinda sleepy... What were... your plans anyway? I'm..." The words in his mind didn't form coherent sentences anymore, so he gave up. He yawned.
"Nothing important. It can wait," Eric whispered. He paused and sighed softly. "It's just that - I have been waiting for so long now. Tonight would have been perfect. Tonight would have been for you, and me..." He took Jack's hand into both of his own. "...and now - it's just another wasted night." He glanced at his friend, hoping that he would show him otherwise.
But Jack was sound asleep.
*****
Eric gasped for air and flew over to his friend. He touched Jack's head carefully with spread fingers, hoping not to find any thick red substance.
"Jack! Are you okay? I'm so sorry, Jack!"
Jack moaned and slowly rolled onto his back, causing the world to spin around him. He hesitantly touched his own head as well, expecting to find at least a huge crack in it, considering the head splitting pain that pierced through his brain right now.
Eric sighed with relief as he saw his friend move. "I believe your head is still in one piece," he concluded quietly. "I'm so sorry! I don't know why I did that! Are you okay?"
Jack lifted his head and tried to raise himself to his elbows. "What do you think?! No, of course I'm not..." Another wave of pain and nauseating spinning inside his head blocked the words in his throat. He choked and only barely kept himself upright. Eric hastily put an arm around Jack's shoulders to support him.
Jack took a deep shuddering breath. "As if I hadn't ruined my brain cells enough for one night... My head hurts like hell!" He touched his head again with care. The pain already lessened a bit, but not enough to assure him everything was okay.
"Seems like all in one piece though. Maybe it's a concussion or something." He looked up at Eric's pale face. "Why'd you do that anyway?"
"I-I... I don't know. You just came at me all of the sudden - I guess I thought you were gonna attack me or something. Drunk people do strange things, you know."
"Well, whatever it was - don't do that again! I don't think I can get up again if I go down now..." He moaned again, trying to work his legs underneath him. Eric held him tight and cautiously pulled him on his feet. Jack waved away his help, but then another flash of pain struck him and his knees buckled. Luckily, Eric was prepared for it and held his friend up by the arms.
"I'm here, bud. I won't let you fall. Okay? Just..." Eric fumbled with one hand to get his keys out of his pocket. "...just try to keep steady while I get the..." He made a digging movement inside his pocket while trying to support Jack with his other hand. "...keys..." He didn't seem to be able to find them, trying to do two things at the same time.
"Come here, let me try..." Jack felt a little awkward doing it, but it was the easiest way to get those keys in their current position. He slid his hand into Eric's pocket and immediately felt the warm pointy metal of his key bunch. He let his hand linger just a second longer than necessary, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of the boxer short. He blushed as he took them out, almost with a sense of regret. He felt Eric shudder and heard him let out a very soft, almost inaudible sigh.
"H-here you go, found them," he stuttered as he handed the keys over to Eric. He shifted his weight a little more from Eric's arms to his own feet, suddenly very uncomfortable with the situation. He couldn't let go of him completely though, because his head was still aching and making the world spin around him every few seconds.
Eric took the keys without saying a word, and bit by bit they shifted closer towards the door. Every step caused a painful pulse in jack's head, but he didn't complain. It took them another five minutes before they finally got inside the apartment.
Eric cautiously guided Jack to the couch and helped him sit down. Then he went to the kitchen and got back with a pack of ice and a towel. He quickly wrapped it up into a package and gently tipped Jack's head backwards, placing the improvised compress on top of it.
"Here, this'll help."
Jack didn't have the strength to do or say anything - he just decided to let it all happen. Soon he noticed how the pain in his head reduced. He closed his eyes, and felt how Eric came to sit next to him and, after a moment, very lightly touched his hand. The warmth of the room and the sensation of Jack's skin touching his made him drowsy.
"Th... thanks. I'm- I'm kinda sleepy... What were... your plans anyway? I'm..." The words in his mind didn't form coherent sentences anymore, so he gave up. He yawned.
"Nothing important. It can wait," Eric whispered. He paused and sighed softly. "It's just that - I have been waiting for so long now. Tonight would have been perfect. Tonight would have been for you, and me..." He took Jack's hand into both of his own. "...and now - it's just another wasted night." He glanced at his friend, hoping that he would show him otherwise.
But Jack was sound asleep.
*****