Work Text:
There's a game the boys like to play; it's called 'who am I being?' The players take turns imitating people and you have to guess who they're being. No one really takes it seriously; it's more of a chance to make your mates laugh and to sometimes make them look foolish.
"Okay, okay. Who am I being?" Jadon asks after the other boys force him to go next. He takes a deep breath and then says "A what?" in his best Brummie accent. When no one even tries to guess, he goes on to say. "I dunno what that means." Again in a Brummie accent.
From where Jack is laying on the sofa, he knows the lads can't see him. Usually he would've joined in by now, he's a bit tired though, so he continues relaxing from his spot. He chuckles with a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound, he did wonder how long it would be before they brought him up. What shocks him though, is that no one seems to know what Jadon is referencing.
That shocks Jadon too. "Have you not seen it?" He asks after only receiving wrong guesses and quizzical stares. "It was Jack. He had this interview and... let me just show you."
Jack hears the video of his interview playing and internally cringes at himself. It's so embarrassing!
All the boys start laughing.
"What an idiot!" Phil chokes out through his laughter.
"I knew... what... an encyclopedia was in... in primary school!"
"Is he actually serious."
"Send that to me."
"Put it on again."
"What a clown!"
"I can't breathe!"
Jordan, who has been watching them laugh at his boyfriend for the past 3 minutes, just stands there with a slight smile on his face.
"I thought it was quite cute." He says because it was. It's stupid in a adorable, youthful, childish sort of way. How any one can call Jack dumb,and truly mean it, is beyond him; obviously, the lads do not agree.
"You're only sayin' that cos you're blinded by love. If you weren't his boyfriend, you'd have to admit he can be pretty dense sometimes." Declan says, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the laughs of Mason, who clings to his side, breathlessly.
Jordan wants to object but then he's being spoken over by Phil, who he thought was innocent but clearly not. "He's got nothing between those ears."
"Textbook example of an airhead." Mason adds.
Jack, hearing all this, isn't too offended. He's a bit upset, but he knows it's just jokes, they don't mean to hurt him and they're still his friends. So when he hears Jordan take a sharp intake of air, something the Liverpool skipper only does when he's pissed, Jack is confused. His eyebrows crease in confusion until he figures it out- of course Jordan, A.K.A the most protective boyfriend in the world would get mad at people dissing Jack.
"Stop it." He hears Hendo say. "You guys are being really, really cruel right now. You wouldn't be saying that if he was right here."
"We probably would, though. In fact, I wish he was here to hear us." Declan says in a deadpan voice.
"That's evil! What has Jack ever done to you guys to deserve this." Hendo says, unintentionally making Jack laugh. 'Poor old man,' Jack thinks 'he doesn't even know what banter is.' "It's not nice to put others down like that, especially not Jack- he's too good for that. Jack might not be the brightest star but he isn't any dimmer than the rest of us."
"Are you sur-" Jadon starts but is immediately cut off.
"Yes I'm sure. It's not like any of you are in the position to judge him. I don't see you graduating from Oxford!"
"Damn!" Jack gasps before he can stop himself- he didn't know Jordan could be so savage. He knows they heard him and he feels their heads turn towards the direction of his voice.
"Jack?" About five different voices ask at once and he decides that exposing himself would be better than getting caught. "Surprise?" He offers lamely.
"How much did you hear?" Jordan is already walking up to Jack as he asks, but from the awkward smile on the £100 million man's face, he reckons he heard enough.
"Apologize to him. Now." Jordan says to the young ones in what Jack likes to call his 'Dad voice' -which is different to the 'daddy voice'.
"They don't have to. It's okay guys." Jack says because it truly doesn't bother him, but his boyfriend is not willing to accept that.
"No. They were being rude to you, they have to apologize." Jordan's voice is so determined, Jack knows there's no point arguing. He smiles awkwardly at his teammates while they mumble their 'sorry's and how they 'wont do it again.'
"I really don't mind. No one's perfect." Jack says with a small shrug.
“Except from you." Jordan says with a big, fond smile. "I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
“Thank you for standing up for me. I feel stronger, better when I’m with you." Jack tilts his head up to kiss Jordan. A full-blown movie kiss, with curious tongues and wondering hands. Neither of them caring enough about their audience to stop.
"Get a fucking room! Seriously, being around you two is like being forced to watch porn 24/7!" Jadon shouts with his hands over his eyes.
"Come to our room later and you can see some proper porn." Jack says breathlessly through a smile, not forgetting to add a wink to push the 21 year old over the edge.