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The tour was fucking amazing! Each show was incredible and the fans were energetic and excited. It was the best tour Black Veil Brides had done so far after firing a particularly shitty bassist (need I elaborate?).
Lonny was fantastic. He was enthusiastic, knew a lot about music, knew about the band, was a fan of the band - he was the perfect fit. Andy made an excellent decision bringing him into the band and saving Black Veil. Currently, he was bobbing his head as he played the bassline.
Jinxx was very fond of Lonny, to say the least. They always had late night talks about jazz music - hell, just music in general - and the kid knew a lot.
The older man was watching him and Jake play back-to-back, Jake playing his solo and Lonny playing his bass. He smiled at the sight and he was glad Lonny had fit in so easily. Jinxx still adored Jake - of course he did! They had been best friends for decades. Jake had helped him through his lowest.
Jinxx quickly snapped back to reality when his head started feeling... fuzzy? His hands were shaking slightly which was weird. His hands never shook, especially during a show. Sure, they shook a little before a show, but that was just nerves. This... this was different.
He felt like his hands were moving on autopilot as he moved back from the edge of the stage. Light-headedness had replaced the fuzzy feeling in his head and his vision was starting to blur and go black around the edges. His legs felt like jelly and he could hear his heartbeat over his in-ears. He felt his knees start to buckle beneath him.
And then... nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jinxx's eyes slowly fluttered open to bright fluorescent lights above him. He heard someone's breath hitch beside him and turned his head to meet Jake's wide, brown eyes.
"Hey, buddy," he said, his lips moving into a soft smile. The tears in his eyes became noticeably clear when Jinxx's vision finally sorted itself out but Jake quickly blinked them away.
"Hey, Jake," he replied, his voice hoarse and gravelly. "What... the fuck happened?"
Jake laughed dryly. "Buckle up, buttercup..."
~*~
Jake was enjoying the show, and was really enjoying the show. Nothing had gone wrong all tour and it was a fucking miracle considering how much went wrong during soundchecks, but the sound-team sorted it out, luckily.
Lonny had come to join him onstage and they were now playing back-to-back as Jake played his solo. They were headbanging together and it was great! The guitarist thought there was nothing that could ruin the moment...
Until he saw Andy run offstage and be replaced by two medics. He looked back at the security guards who were now gesturing for him and Lonny to exit the stage.
"What's happening?" He shouted over the screaming crowd as he took out his in-ear. The security guard just pointed back onstage, his hand shaking slightly. Jake's eyes followed his out-stretched finger until he saw Jinxx.
He was laying on his side, convulsing violently as the medics struggled to wrestle his guitar free from his grip. More medics had rushed to assist, someone was holding his head, someone was trying to attatch something to him, someone was trying to pull the sleeve of his jacket up. Someone had started shouting at Jake now to turn away and to not look, and he could feel hands on his arms and shoulders trying to pry him away from the situation. But, no matter how much he tried, his eyes wouldn't leave his best friend's convulsing body.
After what felt like years, Jinxx finally fell still and the medics around him had brought a stretch board, and now there were actual paramedics taking over. Jake looked around as the picked up the stretchboard, looking to see if anyone was going with him. No one moved.
He shook the hands off him and ran across the stage, only to be stopped by Yanni on the other side.
"Where are you going?" He asked, putting his hand out to stop Jake.
"I'm going with him," he answered, pushing Yanni's hand out of his way.
"Jake!" He yelled, but the guitarist didn't turn around and he kept running until he caught up to the paramedics. Yanni sighed and called into his radio, "Jake is going with Jinxx. Jake is going with Jinxx."
~*~
"Damn, on stage?" Jinxx asked, disappointment evident in his tone.
"Yeah, I genuinely thought you were dying, man," the guitarist joked, drawing a laugh from the violinist. Jake's phone buzzed and he looked down at the device on his lap. "They're on their way from the venue," he said quietly.
"They stayed at the venue?"
"Yeah, probably telling the fans or something," the guitarist shrugged. Jinxx chuckled.
"Not surprising. Is Lon okay?" He asked, making Jake burst out laughing.
"Jinxx, you just had a seizure and have been knocked out for three hours, and you ask how Lonny is? Oh my God, never fucking change," Jake laughed. "Lonny's fine, probably a little shaken up, but he will live."
"You're an asshole," Jinxx said, making Jake laugh harder.
"You love me for it."
"Do I?" The violinist replied sarcastically.
"Well, clearly, seeing as you wouldn't want to throw away decades of friendship down the drain." Jinxx smiled - arguing with Jake was almost as impossible as arguing with Andy. Almost, but it was 1000% funnier to wind Jake up.
"You clearly don't know me well enough then," he joked.
"For fuck's sake, motherfucker." The violinist cackled loudly and, as hard as Jake tried not to, he chuckled with him.
"Thank you for coming with me," Jinxx said quietly after a few moments.
"Always, man. I'd follow you to the ends of the earth," Jake replied, half-joking, half-not, drawing another soft smile from his best friend as he rubbed his thumb across Jinxx's knuckles comfortingly.
"Always," Jake whispered. "Always."