uh, this was requested by @Xx_DivineMelody_xX
its angst that blends into fluff??
yeah

i can't breathe.
i can't think.
there's too much smoke.
my lungs are filling up.
my vision is fading-

"rich!"

the short boy shifted his head to the door of the basement, where jake stood, the shirt from his prince costume covered his mouth and nose as a make-shift mask.

rich let out a pathetic whimper, which was easily lost to the loud crackling of flames that licked and nipped at his skin. jake ran down the stairs, crouching slightly to avoid most of the smoke. when he made it to rich, he scooped the limp boy into his arms, who protested and squirmed in pain when jake touched the fresh burns on his body.

jake almost made it out the front door when a support beam cracked, beginning to fall. jake threw rich from his arms, who tumbled out of the way of the beam.
jake let out a cry of pain as the flaming wood landed on his legs.
he couldn't move.

by now the ambulance and fire trucks had arrived.

as they began to contain the fire, a couple firefighters lifted the beam from jake's legs, allowing two paramedics to lift him onto a stretcher, racing towards the ambulance.

on his way, jake's head lolled to the side, where he saw christine holding a traumatized brooke, jenna taking photos and videos of the house and jeremy on the ground with another boy, who he recognized as michael. jeremy was being held close to michael's chest as they both sobbed, reassuring and apologizing to each other.

jake started to panic, noticing rich wasn't standing with his group of friends. he tried to sit up, but the paramedics pushed him back onto the stretcher.

when he was loaded into the ambulance, he noticed another stretcher beside his, with an unconscious rich on it. jake's heart fluttered, letting out a choked sob to see rich's chest rising and falling steadily.

jake reached out to rich's stretcher, grasping his hand and lacing their fingers together. they stayed like that until they arrived at the hospital where they were forced to separate.

timeskip brought to you by my vehement dislike for [shudder] noah galvin

jake woke up in a hospital bed, harsh, white lights almost blinding him. he noticed he was no longer in his halloween costume and now in a hospital gown. his cheeks grew rosy at the thought of someone undressing his unconscious body. i guess its normal for the nurses, though.

then jake remembered rich.
he panicked again, beginning to get out of bed when a painful jolt shot through his legs, forcing a yelp from his mouth. jake pulled back the blankets to see casts on both of his legs. he groaned, resting back into bed carefully.

"hello?" jake called into the seemingly empty hospital room.
"jake?" he heard a familiar voice call.

rich.

"rich- rich oh my god are you okay? where are you?" he spoke fast, elated rich was alive.
"i think i'm to your right." rich replied.
jake leaned out of the bed slightly, pulling aside the curtain on his right side.

he was met with the sight of rich in almost a full body cast staring back at him. the sight made the tall boy's heart shatter.
"rich.. i'm so sorry." he whispered.
"eh, it's fine- really. i'm just happy you came to get me." rich's voice cracked as a tear slipped down his face.

jake reached over, sliding their beds closer together and wiping the tear from rich's cheek.

jake let out a pitiful chuckle, smiling at rich as his own tears began forming in the corners of his eyes. jake took rich's head in his hands, both of them smiling and crying, occasionally laughing.
jake was absentmindedly rubbing rich's cheek with his thumb, and rich relished in the feeling of jake touching him.

"i-i'm so happy you're okay- well, most of you." rich motioned to jake's legs, causing the taller boy to wheeze.
"what about you- you literally have a cast over your entire body. i didn't even think that was possible!" the two boys joked for a while longer until they both quieted down, gazing into each other's eyes.

"rich- i need to tell you something." jake started, removing his hands from the boy, who resisted a pout.
"whats up, bro?" rich asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"would you- would you look at me different if i told you," jake inhaled shakily, screwing his eyes shut,
"if i told you i was pansexual..?"

there was silence as rich processed what jake had just confessed.

"dude, c'mere.."
jake didn't acknowledge him.

"bro."
jake still didn't look at him.

"jacob j. dillinger look at me."
jake broke, this time sad tears escaping his eyes.

his brown eyes widened and face flared red as rich placed a quick kiss to jake's lips, as he could barely reach, being in a cast and all. jake's mouth opened and closed like a fish, so rich spoke.
"yeah i would look at you different; id see you as boyfriend material. i love you, jake. i have for a long time."

"i love you too, rich."

yo yo its me, ya boy

was this angsty enough? i don't feel like it was oops sorry its like 1 AM here

also i have a headcanon that jake finds it really hard to come out because he's a popular jock and his parents never taught him about gender or sexualities so he just assumed every popular guy had to be straight?? he's tried telling other people and they shun him, so he just decides not to tell anyone else. but now that rich knows, it'll be easier for him :)

i love jake.