Don't Let Go {Saviour Trilogy Spin-Off}

Chapter 9 - I'll Fight

Where you wanna go
I'd love to take you there
Wish that I could make the road easy
I wish that life was fair
Don't wanna see you cry
Even when it rains
And I hope you don't forget this
You were born for better things

But if you ever fall down straight to the bottom
And you can't get back where you started
With no strength to stand
I'm gonna reach for your hand
When the going gets rough right when it's hurting
I will be there to help bear the burden
Any place any time
You gotta know for you I'll fight
(Ooh ooh, ooh ooh)
Any place any time
You gotta know for you I'll fight

Anywhere you go
You're gonna find me
No matter what you need
If you ever fall down and you can't get back
If you lose your strength to stand

I'll Fight ~ Daughtry

***

Jason had sworn to himself that he wouldn't drink more than a beer or two that evening. He was supposed to be seeing Callum the following morning, and he didn't want a hangover to ruin their time together. It was limited enough as it was. He'd only seen him a handful of times since he'd come to U-Dub, and he'd nearly finished his second semester.

But god, he was bored. Or maybe he was just impatient. Impatient for it to be morning. Impatient to see Callum. Impatient to have him in his arms, their lips pressed together, Callum writhing underneath him or squirming above him-

He cut the train of thought off quickly, and attempted to refocus on the conversation going on around him. It was so fucking difficult, though. It had been his longest run without seeing Callum yet. He'd missed him immeasurably over Christmas and New Year, but they'd both had exams and Callum's family had gone away over the New Year.

His friend, Jo, looked across at him. "J," she said, rolling her eyes. "You can go. Mope somewhere else. You don't have to stay."

He glanced around the table to where his friends were all looking at him with varying expressions of amusement and despair. "It's not that. It's just...I've got like five million essays due in next week and I'll spend most of this weekend with Callum, and-"

Jo laughed. "Yeah, dude, go back and do some work. No guy wants to turn up and spend the weekend watching you work, drool-worthy as I'm sure it is."

Jason grinned. "Yes, ma'am. I'll see you guys later."

His friends waved to him, some more drunkenly than others, and then he got up and headed out of the bar.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out quickly in case it was one of his friends saying he'd left something behind. He'd left his apartment key in Jo's room once, which had lead to no end of teasing from his roommate, Derek. (He'd gotten his own back when Derek walked home from class and had his phone, wallet and keys in a ripped pocket.)

A goofy, love-sick smile spread across his face when he saw that it was from Callum. He opened it to find a picture of the pair of concert tickets Jason had sent him. Callum had been desperate to see this band for years, and they finally had a concert in Washington over the summer. It had been too perfect to resist.

Callum Jones: What the HELL Jason! Are you freaking serious?! I love you so much right now.

Jason wanted to see the excited, shocked expression on Callum's face. He'd been tempted to give the tickets to Callum when he saw him, but it had taken long enough to get them. He saw no reason to delay.

Jason Parker: Consider it a late Valentine's Day present. Love you toooo! Can't wait to see you tomorrow xxx

He hit send, almost cringing at his own cheesiness, then stowed away his cell and continued back to campus.