RECAP:

"i'm sorry it's come to this." jack repeated.

"don't leave."

jack stood up on his tippy toes, and pressed his soft lips lightly against finn's cheek. it almost felt like jack was kissing a porcelain

doll, that's how impeccable the tall boy's light skin was.

"see you on the 29th, when we're acting."

and with that, he turned around and left.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

jack woke up with puffy, red eyes; he had fallen asleep crying on the bathroom floor.

finn hadn't been able to get out of bed yet; sophia urged him to come with the group the go exploring, but he couldn't bring himself to. he couldn't see jack.

jack didn't end up showing up anyways.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

jaeden went to visit jack to talk about wyatt. he left after the mention of finn dampened his mood.

finn went out for a night on the town to go visit some friends he had in toronto, but had to cut the night early when his friends suggested they get chosen and jack to film v team 3. they had meant it as a joke, but finn couldn't see it that way. he decided he was too sensitive to get involved with romance.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

jack came over to the apartment to grab a few things in his room, which of course, was also finn's room.

finn pretended to be sleeping when jack entered, and it took everything in him not to wrap the boy up in a hug right then and there, and never let him go.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

finn called jack just to hear his voice, but didn't end up actually speaking on the call. he turned it off as soon as jack answered.

jack had to return to the apartment tomorrow night, and he didn't want to. but of course, he had no choice.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

"do you have everything packed up?" angela asked her son, helping him zip up his suitcase. jack nodded, giving her a little smile in return. angela helped him lug his suitcase out, and they headed on their way to the losers' club apartment.

jack's hair was a mess, and he hadn't even gotten dressed for the day. he was still in plaid striped pjs, and, jack realized, finn's hoodie. he cursed himself for not changing out of it before he left the hotel. whatever. finn probably wouldn't even notice.

jack had been noticeably miserable the past few days; and he wasn't sure why. sure, he had told his best friend that they couldn't hang out anymore, even if they wanted to, but that shouldn't have mattered to jack.

that was a lie, though, because he cared more than anything. jack surprised himself when he had told finn they could only see each other now under work circumstances. his other friends had still visited him in the hotel. they didn't get mad at him over the finn thing; maybe they didn't know the whole story. it's not like finn opened up to a lot of people.

jack wanted to turn his thoughts off for a moment, and just get over it.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

"hey, loser." wyatt grinned, pushing open the door to finn and jack's room. finn was sitting on the couch, looking out the window, headphones in. he turned when he heard the door open, smiling as wyatt entered the room.

"you okay?"

"yeah, i'm fine. just thinking."

"you've been thinking a lot lately." wyatt sat next to him.

"yeah, something you don't do a lot huh." finn teased, and wyatt just laughed and rolled his eyes.

"what's been on your mind?" wyatt asked.

from the look on finn's face, wyatt knew it was jack. they all knew.

something had happened during that conversation, but none of the other five knew what. the boys were acting distant with each other, and acted like they couldn't even be in the same room together anymore.

"i'm tired," finn sighed, "i'm tired of feeling like i'm fucking insane all the time for feeling like this. i just want to know that it'll be worth it. after all this bullshit."

wyatt looked at finn for a moment, before shaking his head.

"you're not insane. you're very normal, finn." wyatt chuckled. "you're falling for him."

finn didn't say anything, he just pursed his lips and listened.

"scratch that. you've already fallen for him. i think you did when you first laid eyes on him." wyatt couldn't help but smile as he muttered those words, and watched as finn's gaze shifted to the ground, processing what he had just heard. wyatt had known this would happen for a little while. jaeden had opened his eyes on the whole fack thing, and now the two wanted to open both jack and finn's eyes.

"congrats. you cracked the code." finn said quietly. "but- he doesn't want me wyatt. what he said a couple days ago, in that cafe, he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"jack doesn't like feelings, finn."

"no, he just doesn't like me."

"you're blind."

"it doesn't matter." finn spoke up. "i said, he'll never love me back."

"i'm not sure of that." wyatt argued, standing up and turning to face finn. "he just might."

finn went quiet, looking past wyatt. wyatt turned, and saw jack standing there, suitcase in hand, giving a small smile, almost looking nervous.

"welcome home." wyatt said, walking over to give jack a quick hug, then leaving jack and finn alone.

"i can go." finn said.

"no, that's okay." jack replied, stopping him before he could get up. "i'm just unpacking my things and getting settled in again."

finn wanted to say so many things. he wanted to yell out and almost cry at how defeated he felt, he wanted to wake up from this nightmare. he wanted to go back to joking about stupid things and cuddling and teasing each other.

but instead finn left jack alone.

jack had been wearing my hoodie, he couldn't help but think as his eyes threatened to spill with tears.

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

☆゜*・:+* 。 *゜☆

i know i mentioned the ending of this story in my last chapter, and yes, while i do have the ending planned out, i still have quite a bit to write, so don't worry! i know i've been kinda MIA abut i've been getting less inspired to write this story:( but i hope i slowly get into it. i want to write a lot this month, since i know with school coming up next there won't be as many updates.

thanks for reading!

- courtney