Echoing J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 28

The sun had barely begun to rise as Jack and I loaded the car with essentials for our trip. The air held a promise of something good, and my heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and hope. Our plan was simple: head up north, rent a cosy cabin, and let the serenity of nature wrap around us like a comforting embrace. There would be no external forces trying to influence us, and we could just keep our focus on us.

The car's trunk was filled with our bags, a mix of clothes and necessities, along with some groceries to provide us with food during our stay. Jack's guitar and my keyboard had also found their places beside everything else. They weren't coming along with the intention of a serious recording or writing session, but just in case inspiration decided to strike.

Jack seemed... different. Although not quite his usual self, there was a subtle shift that hadn't graced our days in weeks. He actually hummed along with the tune that played through the speakers. I couldn't help but steal glances at him, a small smile playing on my lips. This was getting close to the Jack I missed.

"Did you grab the snacks?" Jack asked, his eyes scanning the road.

"Of course I did," I chuckled and held up a bag of candy.

"Good, good," he nodded and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, "I'll be asking you to feed me those later."

I laughed and gave him a teasing smirk. "Sure, your highness. Anything else you desire on this road trip?"

"A good playlist, some good company, and a beautiful destination. I think I've already got it all."

I grinned at his response. "Well, you do have the best company right here."

He shot me a sideways glance, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "That's debatable."

I lightly swatted his arm, feigning offence. "Harsh. And here I was thinking you liked me."

He chuckled, a sound that was music to my ears. "Of course, I do. Who else would put up with my terrible jokes?"

"Someone with great taste, obviously."

The way Jack so easily joked with me felt so promising. He'd made playful remarks and he'd entertained my humour before, but this felt much more natural again. His mood didn't suddenly drop off at the end. It wasn't as forced. I could tell he hadn't fully accepted what had happened yet, but this could have been the start of moving on.

As we drove, the cityscape slowly started to disappear behind us, replaced by rolling hills and open landscapes. The road stretched out, bringing us to our destination that would take most of the day to get to. I couldn't wait to reach the tall trees and clean air.

"Let's play a game," I suggested a few hours into the trip, hoping to keep the excitement in the air.

Jack shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road. "What kind of game? Like I Spy?"

"Hmm... no..." I turned my head to look at him and smiled. "How about we pick a cloud and make up a story about what it looks like?"

"Alright," he agreed, a playful glint in his eyes. "You go first."

I peered out of the window, scanning the sky for an interesting cloud, and pointed to a fluffy cloud shaped like a dragon. "See that one over there? That's Draco, the cloud dragon. He's soaring through the sky, breathing cotton candy flames."

Jack chuckled, nodding in approval. "What's Draco like?"

"Well... I like to think he's a nice dragon. The only treasure he tries to protect are his friends. As a baby dragon, he often got made fun of since he couldn't breathe fire. But now, he's remembered as the happiest dragon in all the land, providing everybody with the sweet flavour of cotton candy. He's the reason fairs are even able to sell it for us to enjoy."

"He sounds nice."

"He does."

"I'll take that one," Jack pointed to a cloud. "That's Charlie, the cloud adventurer. He's got a backpack full of raindrops and a map of the sky. Every day, he embarks on a new journey, creating rain showers."

I grinned at Jack's willingness to indulge in the creativity. "Charlie sounds like a real trailblazer. What's his favourite destination?"

"He loves the ocean," Jack said, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Whenever he reaches the coast, he releases a gentle rain to help the sea creatures."

"I think I like Charlie."

"Oh, and that one looks like a dick." He pointed at one to the right.

"Jack!" I gasped and lightly hit his arm.

He burst into laughter, and I couldn't help but join in, shaking my head at his cheeky comment. It was moments like these, the shared laughter and the lightness in the air, that made me feel a glimmer of the connection we used to have.

It wasn't long until we were starting to be surrounded by evergreen trees covering every hill. To one side of the car was a cliff, the road carved out into the mountains, a small creek on the other side. The air became crisper, and everything just seemed so much cleaner than the busy city we lived in.

"Let's take a little break," Jack announced as we approached a lookout point.

He turned into a little bay, slowing the car until we came to a halt. When he turned the engine off, I popped my seatbelt off and opened my door. I had no idea just how stiff my legs were until I stood up.

The lookout point offered a breathtaking view of the valleys below. The sun cast a bright glow on the landscape, the sound of nothing but wind hitting my ears. A sense of peace washed over me, and I couldn't help but be grateful for this escape into nature.

I walked to the edge of the lookout point, leaning against the railing. It felt like the world slowed down, giving us a chance to catch our breath.

Jack joined me outside, his footsteps lightly crunching against the rocks on the road. He stretched his arms above his head and walked right up to me. Once his chest touched my back, he tightly wrapped his arms around me, pulling us closer to each other. He put his chin on top of my head and took a deep breath in.

The embrace felt so warm and comforting, like a shield against the complexities of life. I closed my eyes, savouring the moment, feeling the steady rise and fall of Jack's chest against my back. We hadn't been this close in a while and I wanted to feel every moment of it.

Even so, there was still a thread of pain in Jack's posture.

"How're you feeling?" I gently asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His response didn't come in words. He just nodded softly and tightened the embrace. I leaned back into him. The worries and troubles of the past weeks were always going to be there somewhere in the background. I just held onto the hope that this would be the moment his walls would finally start coming down.