Chapter Text
Jesper felt stupid. Stupid-er than he usually did.
Months ago he and Inej had made a pact, they understood and accepted that they bkth had feelings for Kaz and Jesper knew he’d be miserable if that got in the way of him and Inej’s friendship. They both decided he was fair game, even though Kaz most likely wouldn’t show affection to anyone even if his life depended on it.
Jesper knew that Inej and Kaz had been getting closer, but it hurt, it really really hurt to see the two of them like that. Inej hadn’t even been able to sense Jesper looking at the two of them as they whispered about something only they understood.
They’re hands were interlinked and Kaz wasn’t wearing his gloves. Kaz didn’t take off his gloves for anyone. Apparently Inej wasn’t anyone, she was someone.
Kaz’s someone apparently.
Jesper needed a drink, he needed several, really. He couldn’t be sober for the next couple of days if he was going to perform with those two tomorrow.
The annual music festival was a week-long event that Jesper and his band had been going to for six years. They’d finally been prepared enough to perform on one of the nights. Now, he was stuck with all four of his friends being coupled up while he was alone.
Jesper sincerely wished he wasn’t miles away from home, he could get wasted, find someone cute and feel a little less lonely for the night.
But no, all five of them had to go together and Jesper has decided to share a tent with Inej because it had sounded like so much fun. Jesper loved when he and Inej could make fun of Nina and Matthias for being all coupley- saints, what if Inej and Kaz acted like that? No- no Kaz wouldn’t be caught dead like that, not even with Inej. Or would he? At this point, Jesper couldn’t say he knew anything about Kaz.
The line outside the bar area was atrociously long, Jesper could wait, he could wait if it meant getting to waste away in a crowded room.
—
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Wylan didn’t care that people were staring, if he was getting dumped he was at least going to make a scene.
“Shh-shuttup!” Kuwei hushed him and tried to pull him away from the crowds of people standing in line for food.
Wylan ripped his arm from his now ex-boyfriends grasp. “No! You couldn’t have told me you wanted to end things before I drove us four fucking hours for this stupid festival? It was your idea to go in the first place!” They'd just been waiting in line for popcorn when Kuwei suddenly decided over a year of dating wasn’t that important.
“It just isn’t working out between us anymore.. I’ve been feeling like this for awhile-”
“Were you feeling like that when I paid two hundred bucks for these tickets? Wylan wasn’t even sure why this stupid festival was his main worry here. Probably so he wouldn’t start to cry- he couldn’t cry until he was far away from Kuwei and this crowd.
“Look, I'm trying to make this as easy as possible.” Kuwei said angrily.
“How long have you been feeling like this?” Wylan asked.
Kuwei rubbed his forehead and groaned. “Like- a month or two. But it was difficult to say anything!”
“If you wanted to make this as easy as possible wouldn’t you have preferred to not wait around for two months?” Wylan could feel his hands trembling, he grabbed the stupid bag of popcorn (that he paid for) from Kuweis hand and stormed off.
—
Wylan had decided to not continue to cry in the bathroom for the next hour and instead, find something else to do. He was going to be alone for a week. He was stuck at this stupid festival he hadn’t even heard of before for a week. Maybe he could just leave as soon as possible. He already felt overwhelmed standing in this long line for the bar. He just wanted to get a drink and go to sleep- shit. All his things were in his shared tent with Kuwei, including his cot. He sincerely didn’t want to have to deal with that right now.
“Do you have any weed?” A voice said from beside him. The man next to him seemed entirely serious.
Wylan's eye twitched. “No? Why would-” Wylan rubbed at his red rimmed eyes. He’d apparently cried so much he looked high. “Why the hell would you even ask a random stranger if they had weed?”
The man shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”
Wylan sighed and crossed his arms. Maybe getting wasted wasn’t worth standing in this line.
“You alright there sunshine?” The strange man was talking to him again.
Wylan gritted his teeth “I’m fine.” Clearly if Wylan’s eyes were red enough to look high he wouldn’t display as fine. Wylan looked back at the man who decidedly did not believe him. “What does it matter to you? I still don’t have any weed.”
The man shrugged. “Maybe you need someone to talk to, make you feel better?” He winked, Wylan rolled his eyes but felt himself blush. He wasn't very interested in any kind of company right now.
A couple feet ahead of him in line someone put down a sign that said “Line Ends Here.” in bright bold lettering. Wylan heard a chorus of groans and protests at the sign. He shrugged it off.
“I have my own drinks in my car.” Wylan mumbled to himself, he wondered why he’d waited in the line so long when he could just enjoy the sanctity of cheap booze in the back of his car.
“Would you be willing to share some of that?” Strange man from a few moments before asked.
Wylan eyed him for a moment, he looked pretty miserable as well, maybe Wylan could trust him enough. “If you do me a favor.”
—
Jesper would really do anything for something you drink right now. That’s why he was running this stupid errand for that cute boy.
“Blue tent beside a green tent” was the only landmark Wylan had given him. It was really annoying because there were blue tents everywhere.
Jesper was 70% sure that this was the right tent. Could he knock on a tent? Was this even worth it? No. No it wasn’t, what on earth would be worth embarrassing himself like this?
Alcohol
Jesper opened up the flap on the tent and peered inside. “Are you Kuwei?” He asked the boy lying down on his inside, who nodded.
“Wylan asked me to get his stuff for him.” Jesper looked down at the pile of things shoved in the corner, clearly Kuwei didn’t expect to keep sharing his tent with Wylan.
“Who the fuck are you?” Kuwei asked as Jesper picked up Wylan’s bag.
“Somebody who really just wants a drink and was promised one in exchange for running an errand for them.” Jesper felt really annoyed that he’d have to do all this.
Kuwei sat up from bed. “So you’re not close or anything?” He grinned. “Did he tell you everything?”
“Just that you ended things, didn’t seem very sympathetic and that he doesn’t wanna see you.”
“I was sympathetic, it made me sad. I’m absolutely miserable and I’m in desperate need of some company.” Kuwei looked Jesper up and down. This stranger boy who had apparently just dumped his boyfriend was flirting with him.
Jesper eyed Kuwei for a moment, he was attractive enough. Maybe Jesper could use a distraction… Jesper sighed and left the tent, obviously that would be stupid and the wrong thing to do. Inej’s stupid good influence on him was working.
Jespers phone in his pocket buzzed. Speaking of Inej… He thought to himself. He looked down at the message that appeared.
Inej: Hi! I haven’t seen you in a few hours, where are you?
Jesper turned off his phone and shoved it in his pocket, if he spoke a word to Inej he’d say something stupid or rude, she didn’t deserve that.
Wylan was sitting in the back of his car with the trunk door open. Jesper placed the bag of his things beside him.
Wylan looked down at the bag and back up at Jesper before motioning to the back car seat.
“Take your pick.”
Jesper climbed into the trunk and peered over the seats to see a cooler, he opened it and pulled the first thing he saw out.
“Do you want company?” He asked Wylan. He knew that may have sounded creepy and weird but Jesper was willing to find any excuse to avoid his friends.
Wylan glared at him. “I just got dumped, do you really think I’m interested in that?”
Jesper rolled his eyes. “If I was looking for that kind of company, your ex boyfriend seemed up for it.” Wylan’s eyes widened for a split second before he turned away and went back to glaring.
“Are you okay?”
“Why do you care?” Wylan snapped.
Jesper opened up the can of beer in his hand. “I’d rather listen to your problems than face my own.”
Wylan sighed and looked back at Jesper. “Did you get broken up with as well?”
“Not exactly.”
Wylan pouted his lips sarcastically.” “Aw, did you get your heart broken?”
Jesper rolled his eyes. “Alright I’ll leave you alone-”
“No, I'm interested now.” Wylan leaned forward. “What happened?”
Jesper sighed and looked intently at Wylan, deciding if this was who he was going to confide in. “My best friend and this guy that I’m sort of interested in are.. dating I think.”
Wylan let out a low whistle. “Are you pissed at your friend?”
“No! No she’s the greatest person I know and we both agreed to not let our crush on this guy ruin our friendship but..” Jesper paused for a moment.
“But what?” Wylan asked, in the last few moments his eyes had grown softer and his posture was more relaxed.
“But I feel stupid.. and bad for myself I guess. It was kinda obvious he liked her now that I think about it. And he never even mentioned being into guys- or anyone but I still hoped maybe something could happen.” Jesper had been pining over Kaz for years at this point, it had actually been a bit fun to share that with Inej, he never really thought that would change.
“Shit…” Wylan said. Jesper immediately felt embarrassed for dumping all that onto him. “I met the guy I’m sulking over on tinder.”
Jesper snorted. “That’s way worse.”
Wylan groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know! I think a part of me always resented that and maybe it made me a bad boyfriend? Or maybe I was just boring- I got broken up with for some reason.”
Jesper studied Wylan carefully. He didn’t look boring, he was wearing cargo pants and a jean jacket- basic maybe but not boring. “You don’t seem boring to me. What do you do for work?” Jesper asked as he took another sip of his drink.
“I’m a tattoo artist.” Wylan said proudly. Jesper hadn’t noticed before, but Wylan did have a few tattoos on his arm and behind his ear.
“See, that’s interesting! I'm a bartender.”
“Wow and I thought I was the boring one.” Wylan laughed a little at his own joke.
Jesper shoved Wylan lightly, which only caused him to laugh more. “I didn’t mean it like that- I’m plenty interesting.”
“If you have to say you're interesting, then I would assume you aren’t.” Wylan teased. Jesper rolled his eyes in annoyance. Although, a part of him felt a bit better seeing Wylan grin like that. “Do you do anything other than bartending?”
“I’m in a band- that’s why I’m at this festival. Does that pique your interest?”
Wylan shrugged. “Are you any good?”
“I happen to be very good.” Jesper beamed. “You should come watch us tomorrow, we’re called ‘The Crows’.”
“Who thought of that name-”
“Jesper!” Someone spoke.
Jesper looked to the side to see Inej had appeared. “Hey-”
“Where the hell have you been? Everyone’s been messaging you and you haven’t responded to anything.” Jesper hated being scolded by Inej. Her expression thankfully turned more relieved than upset.
Jesper started to get out of the back of Wylan’s car. “Sorry, I got distracted- I made a friend, you’re always encouraging me to be friendly.”
“You’ve made an acquaintance.” Wylan corrected.
Inej tapped Jespers arm so his focus would go back to her. “Acquaintances aside you could have at least responded to our messages Jesper, we agreed to not stay out alone past twelve.”
Shit. Was it really that late? Jesper rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I’m sorry ‘Nej, we can go back to the tent now.” He looked back over at Wylan. “You’ll come see us perform tomorrow, right? We go on at eleven.”
Wylan shrugged. “I don’t have anything better to do.”
Jesper grinned. “I'll see you then.”
“Yeah- you better go it sounds like you’re already out past curfew.”
Jesper looked over his shoulder to see Inej had already started leaving. He waved goodbye quickly and caught up to her.
“Sorry I know I should be more careful. ‘Stranger Danger’ and stuff.” Jesper said once they were walking side by side.
Inej wrapped her arms around herself, she was wearing a pajama top and sweatpants. Which probably meant everyone else was in bed, which probably meant no one else had realized Jesper had left. It was a reach but Jesper tended to overthink things like this.
“I just got worried. It’s not like you to not respond to my messages.” Inej said.
“Sorry I turned off my phone.”
“It isn’t like you to turn off your phone either.”
Jesper couldn’t tell if she was saying that in a playful way or if she was still worried. He just shoved his hands in his pockets and let them walk back to the tent in silence.
Jesper really loved how Inej had decorated their tent. He and Inej decided to share one while Nina and Matthias shared the other, Kaz just slept in his car. They had arrived at the festival a little late and couldn’t find spots right next to each other but a part of Jesper was grateful for that- he didn’t totally want to have a tent right next to the most PDA couple he knew.
“Do you want a snack?” Inej asked him as she rummaged through their snack-bag.
“Of course I do.” Inej tossed him a small bag of popcorn. The sound of silence in between them was even more awful with the constant chewing sounds of popcorn.
“So how did you find your new acquaintance?” Inej asked.
Jesper swallowed the popcorn and reviewed the story in his head hoping Inej wouldn’t get more worried about it. “I wanted a drink but the bar was closed and I did a favor for him so he would give me one.” Shit that might sound bad.
Inej’s expression showed that it did sound a bit bad. “What favor did you do for him?”
“I just got him stuff from his tent! No need to worry.” Jesper reassured her. Pinching himself to stop himself from smiling.
“What if he spiked your drink? Why would you stay with him with all these horrible possibilities?”
Jesper sighed. “I know but- he didn’t spike my drink and we bonded over heartbreak so it all went fine.”
“Heartbreak?”
“Yeah, he got broken up with.”
“Why are you heartbroken?” Right, Jesper shouldn’t have said that. He looked up just slightly and made eye contact with Inej. Her eyes widened in realization. “Oh.. did you see me and-”
“Yeah. It’s fine though.”
“Are you angry with me? Is that why you weren’t responding to my messages?”
“No! No I wasn’t angry are you I would never be angry at you for that. I was just worried I'd say something stupid or rude.”
Inej nodded. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’d hate to let Kaz Brekker of all people get in the way of our friendship.”
That caused Inej to smile. “Okay.. you know you can tell me these things, right? I wouldn’t get mad.”
“I know.” Part of the weight on Jespers shoulders was lifted. At least he’d be able to sleep tonight now. Some of that weight stayed though, he knew he wouldn’t be able to help trying to avoid Kaz and Inej during the week. The thought of seeing them together again made him nauseous.
Maybe he could hang out with Wylan.. that is if he even saw him again during the festival.