Chapter Text
Albert drank to clear his head, sat on a bar stool with a drink in his hand. Jake hadn't called in weeks, and Albert hadn't tried to further contact him. It was a back and forth, Jake would leave until Albert spoke up about it, usually with a strongly worded message about how he couldn't keep doing this to him. Jake would reply, and then it would go back to normal.. Until he left again.
This time, he had gone too far. Jake had been gone for too long, and Albert had drunk too much. Sloppily placing a couple of bills on the counter, he pushed the remains of his drink further away and stood up, heading for the door. Or, that was what he was planning on doing. Before he saw him.
Jake. sat at a table alone, no phone nor company in sight. Just the boy who had continuously left his messages on delivered, meters away from him. Supposedly doing the same as Albert, trying to clear his head. Albert had always been more of a lightweight, so it only had taken one or two to get him just drunk enough to forget about it for a few hours- but never embarrassingly tipsy. not unless he was drinking with another. Nevertheless, everytime he would go out it would backfire on him as he woke with a pounding hangover the following morning.
With the amount of glasses on Jake's table, he had definitely had more than one or two. He looked.. bad. With the state Albert was in, he definitely wasn't thinking straight. If it were a normal night he might've just left it. Albert began to stride up to him, tripping on one of his laces before picking himself back up. Pulling one of the seats out from under the table where it was tucked, he sat. and stared. They both did.
“Albert.” Jake spoke, Carefully. Or, As careful as he could, being relatively drunk. Albert did not reply, taking in the sound of his voice, slightly gruffer than usual. Jake hadn't shaved, his beard being noticeably scruffier. “Albert?” Jake questioned, this time actually wondering if he was still there with him- Mentally, of course. He could see Albert in front of him. He could never not see Albert, even if he wanted to. That face. That face would never leave his dreams.
Snapping out of his trance, Albert replied. “Jake.” He scoffed. Almost a month without him. Yeah, the others questioned it, but never like Albert did. They had accepted it by now, Jake leaving unannounced, skipping planned recordings, not showing up to meetups. It was normal. They didn't further question it, or bother to ask. And it infuriated him. Of course, it wasn't the same. They didn't know Jake like he did, nobody did. And now, neither did he.
Before Albert could even speak, Jake cut him off, “Listen man, I'm sorry. I know I need to stop disappearing like this.. It's- ..not fair on you or the others. I'll make it up to you all- I swear. ” he mumbled the last bit. God, he shouldn't have come out tonight. “Stop it. Stop Jake- Im.. Calling you a cab.” he huffed. It was hot. Yet the bar wasn't as packed as it should've been on a sunday night.. At 3:37AM. Was it really that late? Albert had arrived around 12:00, he must look like such a slob. Sitting at a barstool alone for three hours, wallowing in his guilt.
“Stop- Al, please you dont.. I can call my own-” Albert stood up, Jake following after, pleading for independence, but being quickly hushed by the sound of distress coming from the other boy, and a harsh buzz from his phone. Albert, whispering under his breath and making his way out of the bar. Jake followed suit. Albert's phone had died, and neither of them had a charger. Jake stared at the strawberry blonde, suggesting an alternative, “..The trains’ll still be running. If we.. head there im sure we can make it to the 4:00am one.”
Albert, With the moonlight beaming downward on the two of them, paused his panic. This was an idea that could work. The station was only about a ten minute walk away from the bar.. and they had fifteen minutes until the next train, No time to waste, really..
It was absolutely baltic waiting for the train. Albert shivered, not really considering bringing another layer, as he intended on getting a taxi back to his house. He really had to start bringing a jacket with him when going out. On the other hand, Jake was radiating heat from him. Jake had always been quite warm, even when they were younger. The things Albert would do to get just a fraction of Jake's warmth. But then again Jake had a warm puffer over his already thick jumper, so it really was no wonder he was so toasty.
The voice of a woman came out the speakers on the poles along the platform, cutting through the silence and announcing the soon to arrive train. It was 3:58 now, and the two had forgotten about their previous disagreement. Train breaks squealed as it slowed to a stop at the station platform, and doors hissed open- yet no-one alighted the train.
Jake and Albert made their way toward the doors, stepping over the gap and boarding the train. There were plenty of seats, only a few people with presumably late night shifts occupied the seats. Jake claimed a bay seat with a table in the middle, despite not needing it. They definitely could've just gone with regular ones.
Albert sat down across from Jake, whose head was already firmly planted on the table. The train would tell them when it was their stop, and it wouldn't hurt to take a nap. After all, Albert's house was thirty or so minutes away, so what's the harm in a little nap? Albert held his head in his hands, resting his cheeks in his palms and shut his eyes.