In a Split Second || BOYxBOYxBOY ✔️

28

Jake lay on his back, his eyes tracing the small cracks in the ceiling as he tried to ignore the warmth of Ethan's arm brushing against his own. It was a weirdly cramped bed- not quite a double, but not a single either- just enough space to make the situation uncomfortably intimate.

The silence that was surrounding them was thick, laced with a tension neither of them seemed willing to break. They both stared up, as if the ceiling might hold the answers to the unspoken questions hanging in the air.

Jake also couldn't help but think about the fact that Luke had definitely spent some time in this bed too and it made him very uncomfortable to think about that. He somehow felt like Alex's sloppy seconds even though he knew Alex had no idea what was happening right now. Ethan was far too pushy for his own good but part of Jake realised that he kind of liked this side of the boy he had come to know. At least Ethan wasn't pushing him away anymore.

After what felt like an eternity, Jake cleared his throat, hoping to dispel at least a fraction of the awkwardness. "So... this isn't exactly what I had in mind for the night."

Ethan snorted softly, a half-smile tugging at his lips which Jake barely saw in the dim room. The only source of light was the moonlight that was streaming in through the windows because neither of the boys had bothered to close the blinds. "What, sharing a bed with me isn't your dream scenario?"

Jake turned his head slightly to glance at Ethan. "Not really my top choice, no."

Ethan's smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful look as he gazed up at the ceiling again. "Yeah, well, it's not my dream scenario either," he muttered with a sigh. "But here we are."

The silence settled again, only broken by the muffled sounds of the city outside the window. Jake glanced sideways at Ethan again, taking in the usually brash expression now softened in the dim light. It was strange seeing him this quiet, this... almost vulnerable.

Jake hated the fact that when he looked at Ethan, all he saw was Alex. He saw Alex's fluffy brown hair. He saw Alex's beautiful brown doe eyes. He saw Alex's lips that he had spent countless moments staring at. He hated the fact that he was quite happy at the fact that he was laying next to Alex even though it wasn't Alex. Jakes mind was all muddled up and he didn't like it one bit.

"Why don't you and Alex talk more?" Jake asked suddenly, his voice quiet, almost hesitant.

Ethan exhaled sharply, clearly caught off guard. "What? How the hell are we supposed to talk when we're both out here at different times?"

Jake shrugged, turning back to stare up at the ceiling. "I don't know. Maybe you could, like, start a diary. Both of you could write in that diary whenever you're around so that you understand what the other person's done. You're... connected, right? You share a body, memories. Doesn't that make you... curious to what he's been up to?"

Ethan was silent for a moment and Jake could feel him tense up beside him. "You think I don't know him already?" Ethan said, his tone defensive. "I know Alex better than anyone else. I'm the one who deals with the shit he can't handle. I'm the one who's here when he's not."

Jake frowned, sensing a layer of bitterness beneath Ethan's words. "I know that but it would still be nice for you to write down certain things so that he doesn't have to look like a fool when it comes to talking to other people. A prime example would be when I snapped at him when he didn't remember kissing me. If you had warned him, maybe he would've avoided me better and wouldn't have been embarrassed."

Ethan let out a long breath. He shifted slightly, his arm brushing against Jake's again. "Look. Let's get one thing clear... I'm not looking for a lecture every time we're stuck in the same room. I don't wanna speak about Alex all the damn time. He's not me and I'm not him. I'm my own person and I shouldn't have to hear about him all the time. Got it?"