A/N: I AM SO SORRY! The last chapter was CHAPTER 11 and THIS ONE is chapter 12. Sorry for the... inconvenience and stuff :)

JACK'S P.O.V.

I walk home after an awful day, my last day of school (because of stupid principles), tears in my eyes. I feel a warm hand slip into mine, and I look up. Dan wears a genuine smile on his face, his white teeth showing. "Hey, Jack. Why the long face?"

I give him a thumbs to the side. fine

"You suure?" Says Jack, smiling brighter. "You look kind of... down. Is it that one dude again? Because if it is, I'm going to freaking kill him."

I give him a nod.

"Okay, I'll be right back-"

I tighten my grip on his hand. I swear I could see him blushing, as he looked down.

"You're hand is so tiny." He points out.

I shake my head.

"Look at it compared to mine." He says, and I realize that his hand is a full two centimeters bigger than mine.

Look, we're really good friends, but nothing more. Honestly. He's kind of like a big brother. Like sure, we hold hands, but my hands are cold all the time, and his hands are always so warm... like who wouldn't want the toasty warmness. Like when it's so cold outside, and like it hurts to keep you eyes open, and you have to blink once a second. And you just curl up in the blankets until your toes are so warm and you're so comfy. Just as I'm thinking this, I realize that maybe we could be more. Like sure, there's all those people shooting us looks - or rather, shooting me looks - as if we're insane, but I figure that's because we're both boys. I grew up with two men. I'm sure that one day my kids could grow up with me and Dan. I MEAN NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO GROW UP TOGETHER! Just friends. Just bros. Nothing more.

We turn the corner to the Jackson's' household. I knock on the door, and it takes about five seconds before someone answers it. He looks a little older than my dad and papa, maybe two or three years. He is wearing a shirt that has a picture of a blue cupcake on it. He has touceled black hair. His gaze seems different, as he looks down a few inches, to see me.

"You haven't gotten taller." He says, smiling.

I shake my head, and stand on my tippie toes, ignoring the fact that he hadn't seen my face to face in a whole two years.

"Okay, so, are you looking for Melody?"

I nod, and he lets me in. I walk to Melody's room, and she's sitting inside, dancing to "Fish Heads", giggling cheerfully. I start to back up, when she notices me, and she smiles.

"Soo... are you going to introduce me to your friend?" She asks, as she stops the music and sits down with me on the bed.

I nod, and point to Daniel, who is leaning against the bed awkwardly.

She frowns. "I... um... he's....-" she starts. "Oh yeah. I forgot you see imaginary-"

He's not imaginary. I can feel the warmth of his touch... everything about him is so real. He's a real person that should be living a normal life and not hanging around me all the time.

She notices the look in my eyes, and smiles. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it..."

I nod, but I still feel a little hurt. I can tell Daniel is hurt too. He walks over to me and pats my head. I smile.

"C-could you describe what he looks like?"

I shake my head.

"I meant write it down. And I can't help but notice that you have only two and a half weeks until you can talk again. Or maybe even one, just after your throat hurts..."

I grab a paper, and start to write a general description, avoiding the words I use in my head, like adorable, smexy... I mean... um... nice and fun? Yeah that's what I meant....

"He seems charming. Are you sure you're just friends?" She says after a few minutes. I nod.

"What a shame. You two would look cute together."

I almost laugh. I shake my head, but consider the image. His lips against mine, and his arm on my back. My hands wrapped around his waist, him smiling against my mouth. It almost seems... hopeful or pleasant. I shove the thought into the depths of my brain, but it resurfaces again and again.

"Jack and Danny boy sitting in a tree. K-IS-S-I-N-G-"

I lightly punch her in the shoulder, and she laughs. I find myself smiling, and realize that Dan is laughing too. He's really cute when he laughs, like a baby puppy.

I keep telling myself to shut up, because I don't like Dan that way. I don't. We're just friends.

"I'm sorry." She says. "If it... makes you uncomfortable."

I shake my head. I think I just gave her permission to tease me... dammit!

"Good. Now, where's Daniel? I want to hug him." She stands up.

I point to Daniel.

She walks over, and nearly elbows him, and then almost steps on his feet. She stands nose-to-nose with him. She doesn't seem bothered, but he's blushing and slowly backing away.

She hugs the air, where Dan had been standing, but isn't standing anymore.

I nod, lying to her that she hugged him. She smiles, and sits back down. "So, Jack, I have to go, okay?" She says, pointing to her alarm clock, which reads 4:49 P.M.

She leans down, and kisses my forehead. "Love you." She says, exiting the room.

Daniel wolf-whistles, and I shake my head. He grabs hold of my hand, and we shadow-travel into my room.

My eyes shift to the mirror in my room, and notice something. Daniel isn't in it. What if he really is just non existing What if he's just a figment of my own imagination. That would mean that I was falling for something that didn't actually exist. My first (fine, fourth, if books and anime characters count) crush, and he's not actually real.

Dan looks at me, and realizes my expression. "Hey. I'm real. I may not be real to everyone else, but I am so very real to you. That's what matters. Follow your heart. If you heart is telling you that you like me, then like me. I am your friend, and I'll stick with you until the end. Don't ever forget that. I want to help you. Even though others can't see me, you can. The best things in life can't be seen with your eyes. You can't see love. You can only feel it. Why do you think you close your eyes when you cry, when you kiss someone, when you don't want to think about you surroundings. You close your eyes when you're dreaming. You close your eyes when you sneese, which isn't really special, but you get my point. There's something special in you, I can see it. You are different from the rest. You are brave. So, so brave. You've been through too much to let something like love bring you down." He says, pulling me into a hug, so my head rests on his shoulder.

He pulls me away slightly, just enough to see my face. He looks lovingly into my eyes, before pressing his lips to mine. "I love you." he says gently, pulling me into a second kiss.

Y/N: Shipping chapter for y'all! Too lazy to edit, but the spelling is correct. Except for impossible words like "Tippy" and "Suure"<-- that one was like when u hold the 'u' part ^~^

Anyways, hope u enjoyed! :)