The Bodyguard

26.

The club was humming with life upon arrival. Bodies stuck together under the low artificial lighting. The potent smell of smoke and liquor wafted in the air. You could hardly move through the crowd of drunken, warm bodies unless you shoved a bit.

Which is exactly what Jasper did. He weaved his way through the crowd like an expert. Sweat instantly stuck to his exposed skin from the amount of body heat. Behind him, he could sense Ace's body presence, lingering close. His eyes watched Jasper like a hawk, as if he'd look away and Jasper would vanish into thin air.

They made it to the bar, which was towards the back of the club, but not before pushing up against a crowd of bodies. The music was so loud that the bartender could hardly hear Jasper when he put in his order.

4 shots of your best vodka. He'd said, to which the tender nodded.

Ace had only watched, tentatively across from Jasper. His fingers tapped the bar impatiently, unrelenting.

The guard watched closely as the clear liquid moved down Jasper's throat, his Adam's apple bobbing as he did so.

And Jasper, flashing him a cruel smirk, took one after the other, until all 4 glasses were empty. He called the bartender over again, and ordered 4 more without hesitation.

"Drink with me," Jasper teased, eyes taking over Ace's tense body who looked less than pleased to be there.

"I'm okay, actually," said the guard.

"So tense," Jasper tutted just as the bartender made his way back with the tray of vodka of Jasper's choosing.

"Can you loosen up for me?"

Another shot the blond downed without flinching. Ace clenched his jaw.

"I think that's enough, Jasper."

When Ace went to move the tray from him, Jasper stilled his hand and pushed it away. His eyes darkened as he downed the rest of the shots without breaking eye contact with Ace.

The guard, who was now even more irritated, winced at the overall atmosphere of the club. It wasn't that he didn't like going out. He be more open to the idea if he didn't have to worry about Jasper's antics.

"You're being ridiculous."

"You're such a fucking bore," Jasper hissed. "You know why you hate it so much when I drink?"

Jasper's voice was drowned out, barely audible over the club's music. But Ace saw the vicious look behind his eyes and heard him all the same.

"Because you can't control me."

"I don't want to control you." Ace raised his voice over the music and incessant chatter. "I want to protect you. Which you don't make easy."

"Your savior complex," Jasper's harsh tone met Ace with startling roughness. "It's fucking disgusting."

And as the blond moved to push past the guard, he was pulled back by Ace's firm grip on his forearm. A fire blazed behind his brown eyes, which only emboldened Jasper.

"Where the fuck are you going?"

"Let go of me."

In that moment, Jasper felt the tension between them rise. His heart rate quickened as they almost challenged each other through one ferocious glance. Ace's fingers were wrapped around his forearm in a firm, yet soft grip. No harder than how he would hold onto Jasper during their intimacy, but still, Jasper's arm burned with the sharpness of touch.

In Jasper's gaze, Ace felt like something shifted. Like the version of Jasper he'd been trying so hard to peel back and expose, had disintegrated before him. The kind, warm eyes he'd been used to for the past month or so were nothing but a hollow abyss of nothingness. It almost scared Ace, how Jasper could manage to look at him with such viciousness.