third person
"merry christmas!" the boys waved goodbye as they walked out of the hospital room. it was that time of year again- the holiday season. ever year they visited the los angeles community hospital to sing christmas songs to patients. they've been doing this tradition ever since they became a band, and plan on doing it for as long as they can.
it was now past lunch, but none of them got to eat yet. zach led the way to the hospital food court, his personal favorite place on site. although people knew of the band, everyone treated them normally. very few people would ask them for pictures or autographs, and the feeling was sort of relieving for all 5 of them.
"well well well, if it isn't my favorite man band." the short, ombre haired lady dressed in scrubs said, walking towards the group. placing down their trays of food, each of them greeting her with a hug.
"nice to see you too jen." jonah smiled kindly. jen, the reason why the boys started caroling in the first place, has been a fan of them since the beginning. she met them around this time at jingle ball when she brought her niece to the show. the two had the chance to meet the band and that's when jen asked if the boys were up to sing for patients at LACH. from then on, the boys have been caroling to patients all around the hospital.
"i'm sorry i wasn't able to see you guys sooner, but how's caroling going so far?" she asked them, pulling a chair to their table.
daniel put his guitar against the wall and turned back to the nurse, "it's been going good, it's nice seeing everyone again." the rest of the boys nodded in agreement.
"yeah, i can't wait to see some og's too." corbyn laughed. some patients, mostly older ones, stay in the senior home that's connected to the main building which was where the band first started caroling.
swallowing the bite of chicken he ate, zach raised his hand as if he was a kid in class, "are the lawson's still here?" the lawson's, better known as the biggest limelights at LACH, were this lovely couple. tanya and jim were the first people the boys sang to their first visit at the hospital, and they greeted them with christmas cookies and made them feel at home. surely they were the whole band's favorite to visit each year.
jen nodded her head, "yes the lawson's are still here." the youngest member pumped his fist while he whisper-screamed a yes, "they couldn't stop talking about you the other day, they're very excited." she laughed.
"aww well we can't wait to see them too." daniel said happily. all the boys loved caroling around the hospital and seeing new faces. jen looked over at jack who hasn't spoken a word yet; she nudged his elbow, getting his attention.
"what about you?" she nodded her head, "how's the baby?" jen wasn't just a nurse, but she was considered a friend. she was there the night lavender was born and firsthand got to congratulate jack and gabbie. but at the same time, she was aware of what happened between the two and how far lav now was.
jack looked up and smiled, "oh she's great. she's getting so big now." he told her. the brunette pulled out his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his camera roll, showing pictures of lav to jen.
"awwww, she's beautiful!" jen gushed. the other boys gushed too, just as they always do when they see lav. noticing the time on her watch, jen got up from her seat. "my break's almost up, but i'll see you guys around. where are you planning on going to next?"
the 5 traded looks and unanimously agreed on where to go. "i think we're gonna pay a visit to tanya and jim." jonah informed her happily. "good choice." jen smiled and waving goodbye to the band. once they finished their lunch, corbyn and jonah led the way to the senior center where they'd eventually find the lawson's room.
"knock knock." jack peeked his head into the room to see tanya reading in her rocking chair. next to her was jim, who was sleeping as usual. the light brown skinned, grey-haired lady stood up and let out a delighted scream.
"oh my stars! you're here!" she exclaimed happily, hugging each of the boys. she was like the band's grandma, even sending them presents on their birthday and christmas.
"surprise!" daniel and corbyn sang in harmony. tanya walked over to jim and lightly smacked his shoulder, causing white-haired, mustached man to wake up. "could you not sleep now, look who's here." she scolded jokingly.
all the boys laughed as they saw the sleepy jim wake up startled, getting a look at all of them. "well i'll be, look at all you. you're all men." he said heartily. jim nodded his head towards corbyn and daniel who were seated by the window. "did you two switch hair or something? what's up with that?" he asked, making the two laugh.
tanya handed him his glasses so he could see the boys better. "which one of you is zachary?" he asked in a low voice. the 4 pointed to zach, who was already eyeing the tray of christmas cookies left out for them.
zach raised his hand, "that's me." jim shook his head in disbelief, "no no, you're not zachary. zachary's this boy with the babyface and always had a crap ton of hair gel on." jack and daniel were on the verge of their laughter being inaudible as jim kept going.
"oh stop it already, he's a man now." tanya told her husband. jim nodded his head, shooing away tanya's words.
"i know i know, i'm just busting his chops. nineteen's treating you well my friend. you changed for the better." he told zach, doing the band's famous handshake with him. the man pointed at jack's hair, "speaking of change- you, where'd the curls go?"
tanya lightly smacked her husband's hand, "oh c'mon you, jack's had the curls gone for a while now. do you not remember? they were on tv a couple weeks ago." she said lightheartedly.
jim tilted his head, "oh right, helen was it?" he muttered to tanya who he asked for a sugar cookie off the cart. zach and jack helped themselves to some cookies as well, while jonah poured him and tonya some coffee from the cart.
"ellen?" daniel said questionably, making the man laugh.
"helen, ellen, schmellen. potato potahto, tomato tomahto. same thing." he chuckled, taking a bite out his santa claus shaped sugar cookie. "the song's are amazing though, i'm proud of you boys."
all the boys smiled at the compliment, knowing how much that meant to them. "hey that means a lot, thanks man." daniel told jim.
the old man shook his head and waved his hand towards them, "proud's an understatement ok? what you're doing now is gonna make a difference, i'm calling it." jack and zach put their hands on their hearts simultaneously without even noticing it.
"i might cry, wow thank you jim that means so much." jack said half-joking, half not.
jonah and daniel traded looks while daniel got his guitar out and started plucking strings, "well speaking of music, how 'bout we sing some songs now?" jonah suggested.
tanya waved her hands and motioned to the cookies, "you boys have been singing and working all day, relax won't you?" at that point, they all knew that was more of a command than favor. they all told stories while enjoying the sweets and drinks like they used to when they weren't as famous.
jack stood up from his seat and excused himself, "i'm gonna head to the vending machine, anyone want anything?" he asked everyone.
"ooh can you get me one of those chocolate bars, i don't care which one." jim told the boy. tanya shot him a look, "you're diabetic jim."
"pshh, it's a one time thing. y'all just promise not to tell." he pointed to the boys and narrowed his eyes. corbyn raised his hands in front of him defensively and laughed. daniel requested for an apple juice since it's been a minute since he's had some.
"ok i'm out, be right back." jack told everyone as he walked out of the room and out of the senior center to the main building where the closest vending machine was- correction; the only vending machine he knew.
after walking for what seemed like at least 10 minutes, jack got to the vending machines in one of the waiting rooms. the only way he remembered this one was 'cause this was the waiting room he stayed in when lav was born. it was also where the only vending machine that held candy was at.
jack slipped in some dollar bills into the machine, just to see them come back out. before he could try again a million times, a voice stopped him.
"it's broken." the brunette turned around to see a girl in the seat nearby, reading a magazine from the shelf. without looking up at him, she kept talking. "it's been broken for months now."
"oh." jack said nervously, standing awkwardly near the broken vending machines. he stuffed his single bills back in his pocket and pulled out his phone to text daniel he can't get snacks.
"if you want, there's a one near the main entrance. just make a left towards the gift shop and bathrooms and you'll see it." the girl told him, still keeping her eyes on her magazine.
jack looked up at her to see her wavy light brown hair and the oversized better together hoodie she wore. the brunette laughed quietly to himself at the coincidence that she wore his friend's merch. "thanks." he told her softly while he walked back from where he came from.
what he didn't notice, was it was his face on the cover of her magazine alone with his other bandmates. although, she didn't seem to notice either since she didn't bother to look up at the boy. as jack went back to the lawson's with jim's chocolate bar and daniel's apple juice, the two went on with their day- not even thinking much of their small encounter.
little did they know...their story was just beginning.
─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
a/n
first chapter tingz✨
do we like? how we feelin? also how was everyone's christmas, i hope it was good <3
