A well kept secret

How about Europe?

May 1937

Now it had been 6 months.

6 months of Lem visiting, six months of silent anger, six months of guilt, but finally Jack had an idea. One that made his fingers tap insistently against the mattress. He was waiting for Lem; who hadn't visited in 2 weeks due to exams.

Jack closed his eyes, and felt a small smile curl on his face as he heard Lem's voice speaking to a nurse outside his door. Finally, he's here.

"How've you been?" Lem asked.

Jack smiled even if the greeting remained frosty.
"I'm good...and you?"

"I'm fine. I finished two of my exams, and now I just have to hand in final papers. Alex and Philip have been helping me since they've been at the university longer than I have." Lem headed towards his regular chair and sat down.

Lem could feel the stupid twinkle in Jack's eyes even without looking at him. Ugh, seriously he's shamelessly happy that I'm here? Hmm, missed me you stupid bastard. Lem scowled as he tried to ignore Jack's stare.

"Lem."

"What?" Lem snapped, turning his head to glare at the ever smiling Jack.

"Ask me why I'm smiling."

"No."

"Pretty please." Jack's voice dropped slighty. He watched as Lem searched his face for something before sighing.

"Why are you smiling?"

Jack's confidence was slightly restored as he watched the thin curtains flutter by the window.

"Well? Go on with it."

"How about we go on our trip to Europe?" Jack said gently. He watched Lem's face take on a surprised look. "You planned our lives...don't you remember? Let's go to Europe, please? I want to go with you." Jack used his gentlest and most loving voice. He watched as gears turned in Lem's beautiful head. Come on Lem, tell me you want to go.

Lem knew it. He knew that Jack would break his armour. What was the point of building brick walls, when Jack could break all of it down with a soft voice. A soft and loving voice. He didn't need a sledgehammer, or TNA, or anything, he just needed his stupid soft and beautiful voice and poof those walls were gone. Lem bit his lip and looked down. God dammit, he makes me weak.
"Okay...yeah...let's go."

Jack tried not to vibrate with excitement.
"The nurses told me I can leave by the end of the month, so let's start planning and go from there."

Lem lifted his head and felt a smile grow on his face. "Yeah, okay."

Lem opened his apartment door, and found two gremlins sitting on his couch.

"My god." Philip covered his mouth when he saw Lem walk in.

"What?" Alex looked between the two trying to see what Philip saw.

"He folded."

"What?"

"He fucking folded."

"No I didn't." Lem tried to defend himself but the cheek hurting smile did not leave his face.

"Yes you did. What? Did he say a couple sweet words and now all the backbone you spent time building turned to ash?"

"Wow...that's harsh." Alex stared at Philip wide-eyed.

"Am I wrong? Tell me I'm wrong."

Lem winced, and smiled at the floor.
"He asked if I wanted to go to Europe—"

"EuRoPe?!"

"I think your voice just cracked, Philip." Alex snickered.

"Shut the hell up, Alexander. He wants to take you to Europe. Did he add a nice sweet apology, get you dinner, and do more than just the bare minimum."

Lem glanced at Philip's eyes and looked away at the fire in them.

"Lem's not Jacks girlfriend so he doesn't even have to do more for him." Alex huffed. Both Philip and Lem winced.

"Lem might not be his girlfriend, but he's something much more important. He's Jack's Patroclus, isn't that what you said?" Philip shot back. He and Lem watched as Alex thought for a minute.

"I guess that makes sense. So wast there a grand apology, and dinner?"

"No, but he said it so nicely."

"My god. Weak I tell you."

"I am not weak, I have a backbone too...it's just Jack's my best friend...so it's kinda hard to be strict to him. You get what I mean right, Philip?"

He watched as Philip caught on to his meaning. Philip knew Lem was refering to how it's hard to be mean to your crush. Except Philip did not have that problem, he was mean to Alex in an attempt to protect himself. And so he deadpanned:
"Nope. I don't."

"Yeah there's no way Philip was going to be understanding of that...I mean it's Philip when is he not an emotionless rock." Alex laughed. And for the second time that day both Lem and Philip winced.

"Whatever, I'd rather be an emotionless rock, than an empty rock head like you."

"Ouch."

"Anyways...point is I'm now going to be travelling with Jack and so everything is okay now."

"Jesus Christ."

"Don't say the lord's name in vain." Alex playfully scolded. Philip scowled and started bickering with him. Lem sighed with the smile still present on his face and went to get 3 cups and a bottle of wine.