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Jin was passed out. Xavier had held a graduation party for him and the poor kid fell asleep after two beers and way more social interaction than he was used to. He took up the couch, his back to Xavier and his hands tucked neatly by his face. Xavier scoffed and grabbed a blanket off his couch, unfolding it and laying it across the silent sleeper. Everyone else had gone home, and it was late, and Xavier was woozy from the alcohol. He was thankful that neither of them had work tomorrow, because Xavier didn’t have to wake Jin and tell him to go home. He never liked waking people up, nor did he enjoy being woken up. He left Jin alone and went to the kitchen to fix himself half a sandwich.
Xavier was so amazed at how quiet Jin was. Aside from his breathing he almost seemed dead, still and silent on the couch. The thought sent a harsh shiver down Xavier’s spine, and he shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of it. “Jesus, I’m drunk,” he mumbled, covering his face with one hand and trying to take deeper breaths.
“Xavier,” a quiet voice mumbled, and Xavier sighed. Jin was propped up on one elbow, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand.
“Jin, hey,” Xavier said, abandoning his sandwich and walking over. He took a knee by Jin and smiled. “You have a good nap, sleeping beauty?”
Jin sent him a joking glare and sat up on the couch, brushing his tangled hair back with his fingers. He pulled a hair tie off his wrist and tied the front part back. “When did I go off to la la land?” he asked, his eyes visibly exhausted.
“Midnight. It’s two in the morning right now.” Xavier moved the blanket aside and sat down next to Jin. “I’m really sorry,” he said, and Jin frowned at him, looking at him like he could do no wrong.
“Why? Xavier, I should be apologizing, I took an impromptu nap on your couch.”
“No, I-” Xavier raised his shoulders and gestured with his hands, unsure how to put it. “This isn’t what you wanted. For your graduation. It was too much.”
“Oh Jesus, Xavier,” Jin sighed, pulling the blanket over his shoulders. “I’m fine. I’m a big boy, I can handle some loud scientists who are genuinely happy for me. I’m really glad you threw me a party, it reminded me that I have friends. I,” he paused to yawn. “I had fun. I,” he paused again, this time to think. He looked at his hands and scoffed. “I love you, man. And I don’t say that to just anyone, so like.”
Xavier let out a whine, pulling Jin in for a hug. “I love you too kid, I hope you know that,” Xavier said, his eyes watering. “Sorry I’m- I’m drunk.”
“I know.” Jin’s eyes widened. “Wait, I mean, I know you love me, not, I mean, I know you’re drunk too but-”
Xavier laughed and let Jin go. “You should get back to sleep, I’ll pull out the bed right under here,” he patted the cushions, “you can stay over.”
“You’re such a good friend. I’m only staying because I don’t think either of us should drive this late and this drunk slash tired.” Jin stood up and got out of the way as Xavier took the couch cushions off and pulled out the bed. Jin snorted. “Oooh, are those- are those Doctor Who sheets?”
“Shut up,” Xavier mumbled, backing away to get some pillows. Jin sat on the bed and grinned.
“Allons-y!” Jin called, and Xavier came back out of his room. He threw a pillow at Jin, who laughed and caught it as it hit his face.
“Look, my sister has kids, alright?” Xavier snapped, pointing a finger at Jin. He glanced away. “And it’s- it’s a good show.”
“Be honest with me. How much Doctor Who merch do you have in this house.”
“I’ll kick you out now if you’d like,” Xavier said. Jin laid down and smiled, and Xavier couldn’t stay mad. “You know the catchphrase which means you watch it too, so, shut up and sleep.”
Jin stuck his tongue out and got cozy. “G’night.”
“Night.” Xavier smiled, shook his head, and wondered what the hell he was going to do with that boy.
----
Jin was passed out. He was hunched over at his desk, twitching slightly every few minutes. Papers and notes were sprawled out beneath his arms and face. His hair was tangled as a result of him messing with it and gripping it so hard throughout the long hours as a nervous tic. Ever since Shelby got sick, an event obviously planned by Doctor Ross, both Jin and Xavier had been sleeping less and less, trying so hard to come up with something that might work. Xavier could feel the pressure, whether intentional or not, that everyone was placing on their shoulders; more than usual now that one of their own was stuck in a quarantined room, getting worse by the day.
Xavier put his hand on his head, taking a deep breath and deciding that he needed to wake Jin up. He got up from his chair and he walked over, placing his hand on Jin’s back as gently as possible. It didn’t stop Jin from jolting awake and flinching away from the touch, his eyes wide. “Jesus, Xavier, thanks, thanks for waking me up,” he said, gathering his papers. Xavier’s heart was heavy.
“No, Jin, you need to go to your room now.” Xavier’s voice was assertive and fatherly. He tried to pull Jin to his feet, but Jin stayed put.
“I-I can’t, I don’t want to. I don’t like to sleep.” Jin waved him off. Xavier had heard this one before.
“Jin, I’m really sorry, I know, maybe you can take a benadryl,” he offered, and Jin shook his head.
“Xavier, I just woke up from a nightmare I don’t want to go back to,” he growled, pushing Xavier by the arm. Xavier stepped back and stared, his breathing shaky. He crossed his arms over his chest.
“That’s not gonna work,” Jin grumbled. He read through his notes in silence. “Quit looking at me. XAVIER!” He slammed his hands on his desk. He saw Xavier flinch out of the corner of his eye. “Xavier, please.” His voice was reduced to a helpless, pleading tone. “She saved my life. She saved my life.”
“You won’t be able to do anything to save hers if you’re sleep deprived,” Xavier said, speaking to himself just as much as Jin. “You- we, need sleep.”
Jin slowly stood, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and nodding to Xavier. “Fine,” he said, and neither of them remembered to take their lab coats off as they left the lab, the door swinging shut behind them.
When they reached their rooms, Jin froze at the door. Xavier sighed and opened the door for him, not leaving the doorway until Jin slinked past him and laid down. “I’m guessing your head hurts, you should take something,” Xavier said, and Jin shook his head, facing away from Xavier and pulling the covers over himself.
“I’m fine.”
“Jin-”
“DON’T-”
“Okay.” Xavier started to leave, but hesitated. “I can sleep on the ground next to your bed if you want. For the, for the nightmares.”
“I’m a grown man,” Jin mumbled, and Xavier nodded.
“Alright then. Goodnight.” Xavier slowly left the room. The moment he closed the door behind him, he covered his mouth and turned back, pressing his forehead and palm to the door. His whole body felt ice cold.
----
Jin was dead. Xavier knew it before he got a good look, somewhere deep down, but he crawled over anyway, his pistol tight in his hand. The CDC was gone, and Xavier had popped his head out from behind the rubble just in time to see Jin get shot point blank in the chest. It was pleasant compared to what those monsters did to some of the others. Other than all the blood, Jin almost looked like he was sleeping. Xavier kneeled over Jin and shook him, the thought giving him some twisted sense of hope in his shocked state.
“Wake up,” he said, making himself believe it. “Jin wake up.” Jin was not breathing, and Xavier was breathing too fast. The adrenaline coursed through him and nothing at that moment seemed to be making any sense. “Come on, come on. Please. Yell at me, laugh at me, ANYTHING!”
Somewhere in the distance, Gray told Xavier to stop yelling.
Blood pooled on the ground. Xavier put his hand over the wound and barely registered the tears stinging his eyes and the lack of oxygen in his lungs. “You’re a tough guy, you- you’re-”
Gray yelled his name again.
“We had it.” Xavier smiled. “We had a cure, we made it, we sent them out with it, thank god Ghetto is alive, for Nick. For Nick’s sake, I know they’ll find each other, Jin, right? I- we gotta be there to see it.”
Xavier was silent for a couple minutes. Gray wasn’t yelling his name anymore. It set in. He took his lab coat off and covered Jin’s still body.
“Good, night,” he whispered, not sure what else to say.