just friends ; jalex

21

he corners jack after rian and zack leave (both in rian's car, presumably to go... do stuff. together. as friends do). "tell me what that was about."

"what?" jack leans back against the wall, and alex steps closer, mind flashing back to the bedroom scene. no, forget that right now. bad timing. fuck, dammit alex. "what was what about?" 

walls + jack = good memories that go straight to alex's dick. don't call it a wall kink. it's a jack kink. everyone's got that, let's be real.

"oh, come on," alex rolls his eyes. "the thing rian was talking about. how you're a hypocrite."

jack's expression clears, and he grins with one side of his mouth. "oh, that? i've already admitted it to you. i just haven't... told rian that i did."

even more confused than before, if that's possible, alex just sort of squints at him in response. "but, like, what is it?" is that a bit of lisa in his voice? she's such a stereotypical valley girl, even if they live in the middle of suburban maryland.

again, no clear answer from jack, only an over-exaggerated wink and a grin that makes alex indecisive about whether to slap him or kiss him. 

both? good choice.

just kidding. alex goes with the third option, which is rolling his eyes again. "you're impossible, jack barakat."

"try me," jack returns easily, and adjusts his hair briefly. alex remembers how it felt to curl his fingers in those dark brown locks, and subconsciously bites his lower lip, looking up at jack. "fuck, gaskarth, not what i meant."

"huh?" alex blinks once, twice, letting his lower lip slip free from his teeth. as he does that, suddenly jack's hands are on his face, pulling him in for a heavy kiss. not that alex minds, of course.

they break free, and alex stares at him. it's far from the first time, but the lightning in his chest is just as strong. is it always going to be that way? hasn't it always been? hasn't it always been alex, a boy with lightning in his chest and thunder in his heart, in love with his best friend, never knowing what to do? he still doesn't know if jack feels the same way. he still doesn't know if he could believe jack if the boy said that he did.

"what was that for?" he asks, brushing his hair out of his face. it falls back in place almost immediately, held stiff by layers and layers of hairspray.

jack hesitates, glancing at the ground momentarily. "it's... it's what i can't tell rian about."

oh.

why not? the silence settles over them thickly, and alex pauses to rub his temples. the hangover is still there, pounding quietly but rhythmically in his temples. these are his teenage years, for fuck's sake, he shouldn't be getting hangovers.

right, focus on the matter at hand. 

"well, why not?" alex asks quietly, weaving his fingers together over and over. "it's not... it's not a bad thing, is it? is there something—" he pauses, eyes widening, "wrong with me?"

jack's reaction is shocked and swift. "no! lex, don't think that. there's nothing wrong with you. i just..." he sighs heavily. "i don't know how to tell them. i don't know if you want me to tell them. i don't know if it's the right time."

what does he mean? right time for what? all they've done is kiss a few times— well, and the thing that happened in alex's room— but that's nothing worth telling anyone about, unless he means... something more serious...

"jack..." alex says slowly, gathering his thoughts. "are we... dating?"

in return, jack grabs handfuls of his own hair and pulls in halfhearted bunches. "i don't know. are we?" he looks as stressed as he sounds, and alright, well, it's a stressful topic! that much is definitely true.

so yeah, alex feels pretty much the same way. "i dumped lisa for you."

the words come out before he means for them to. it happens a lot, if you haven't noticed. alex doesn't have good control over his damn mouth. gets him into trouble sometimes.

there's a moment of silence that hangs heavy in the air. obviously there had been reasons as to why the break-up happened, but jack had always respected it, had never asked. had he even wanted to know? alex is ready to pour out a river-full of apologies from his mouth, but jack speaks before alex has the chance to fuck things up even more. little miracles. 

"you're..." jack swallows thickly. "you're joking."

he's made a mistake, hasn't he? alex's cheeks start burning, and he steps away, awkwardly trying to fix his hair as a desperate way of avoiding answering. "i'm not," he mumbles to the floor, to his bare feet. jack didn't want to know this. jack doesn't actually want to date him, he's just been joking around this whole time and he thinks alex is dumb for actually falling for it—

"you'd trade her... for me?" the surprise in his voice is genuine. he truly doesn't understand why alex would do that. it breaks alex's heart.

why do you sound so surprised, jack? a bitchy, talkative girl who doesn't know when to stop, compared to a funny, adorable, sweet boy who may make too many dick jokes but always has alex's best interests in mind. which one would you pick?

"well," alex says carefully, and smiles, "you don't have to sound so surprised."

their eyes meet, and jack's smile is almost painful in its helplessness. "i don't get it. why?"

"why?" alex shakes his head almost incredulously. "jack, you're so much better than her. she's a bitch who didn't know when to stop, didn't know when to shut up, and ragged on everyone she knew. friends or not, didn't matter to her. and you? you've been my best friend forever. you're amazing, you're funny, you're—"

jack holds up a hand. "don't start," he says, and grins normally now, "cut the gay shit off before it starts." it almost looks like his eyes are glistening as he pulls alex in for a kiss by the front of his jacket. "you amaze me, gaskarth."

"are we dating?" alex asks again, softly. jack's fingers slide over the collar of alex's shirt, cupping the side of his neck. his hand is warm, brushing against the hair on the back of alex's neck, a touch that makes alex shiver.

"do you want to?" jack returns, and every bone in alex's body screams yes. he's never felt more sure about anything, not ever.

"i think you already know the answer," he says with a confidence he didn't know he had, and kisses his boyfriend.

this time, the lightning feels more like fireworks.

fin.