the anatomy of love [BxB] COMPLETED

1

"...Happy Birthday dear Jackson, Happy Birthday to you!"

The room bursts into applause. Jackson leans over the cake and blows out the two candles shaped in the number twenty one. Caleb, his best friend, wraps an arm around his neck. Caleb raises a hand and the crowd around the table goes silent with a hush.

Caleb holds a beer in the air with comical seriousness. "I want to make a toast. Jackson here, he's my best friend. I met him when he was a little ugly freshman―yes, incredibly ugly―at the University of Oregon—go ducks—at the meager height of five ten."

Laughs scatter through the partygoers.

"We've been through so much together. He's held my hair back while I vomited. Well, I don't have long hair, but when I do, he will totally hold it back while I vomit into a toilet. He's given me great fashion advice, like that floral suit I wore to my brother's bar mitzvah last year. Yeah, that was him. I mean, this guy is epic. I couldn't survive college without him. I love you to the moon and back, baby. L'chaim!"

"L'chaim!" A few shout back, led by the confident voice of Harper, one of their close friends who went to Jewish summer camp with Caleb.

"Oh, and cheers!" Caleb says. Laughs and cheers echo him as everyone drinks.

Caleb knocks his head back, takes a long gulp of beer, and then smacks a loud kiss on Jackson's cheek.

"I love you too, Caleb," Jackson says with a laugh, wiping his cheek on the back of his hand.

"Let the drinking games begin!" Caleb shouted. "Who wants to get shitfaced for Jackson's birthday?"

Whoops of agreement rise from Jackson's friends as they start to dissolve with the rise of the music. Jackson and Caleb move towards the kitchen where Elena graciously left several packs of Stella Artoi and a couple bottles of tequila on the counter. The other counter overflows with bottles of vodka and beer that the guests brought with them, interspersed with bags of gifts and a pile of gift cards.

"There you guys are," Lauren greets them in the kitchen. "Great toast, Caleb. Very...enthusiastic. And Jewish." Lauren holds up two fresh beers, the glass bottles beaded with water droplets. Jackson and Caleb take them with sheepish smiles of gratitude.

"That's me. Enthusiastic and Jewish. Thank you, Lauren, whatever would we do without you," Caleb says, clinking the neck of his bottle with Lauren's before taking a sip.

"Probably ruin Jackson's birthday party." Lauren rolls her eyes when Caleb's mouth drops open in dramatic offense. Jackson sighs, sensing another bout of endless flirting between his best friends, and decides he's had too much of the pent up tension between them from their shared apartment back in Oregon, thank you very much.

"Well, I'll leave you guys to it. I need to make my rounds before everyone gets too drunk." Jackson leaves the bickering behind him and dives back into the party.

☆★☆

Ever since Jackson's first birthday party freshman year of high school, he's been well known for throwing the ultimate summer party just before going back to school. Each year the invite list grows, and the party reaches new heights of fervor and legend.

"Hey birthday boy!" Jackson turns around to see Harper and Zoё rushing toward him and engulfing him in their typical crushing hugs.

"It's been forever." Harper kisses his cheek.

"God, did you get taller?" Zoё asks, scrunching her nose up at him as she grabs Harper's arm possessively. Jackson can barely recall a time they didn't hold hands. He often wondered if there was anything more going on between them, but didn't have the guts to ask.