For Baltimore

Chapter Four- Time Stands Still

Jack's POV

There was a knock at my window, and I sat up. Looking in was Alex, holding something behind his back with his iPod half sticking out of his pocket. I walked over to the window and opened it. "Alex?"

"Come out here. I- we need to talk." He looked down at the ground and I grinned.

"Sure. I had something I needed to tell you, anyways." I crawled out the window onto the place where the roofs met. I opened my mouth to say something- then stopped as an insane shock came.

Alex smashed his lips against mine quickly, laying down whatever it was that he had been holding behind his back on the roof behind him. I was startled for a second, then I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer to me, not caring if any cars driving by saw us. Alex's left arm was holding me and his right went to stop his iPod from falling to the ground. Then we broke apart.

"Sorry... I had to do that," Alex mumbled, looking down at his shoes.

I was grinning from ear to ear. "That's fine, Lex. So, um, I do think we still need to talk, though."

Alex smiled. "Yeah, probably. So, uh, the thing is, Jack, I love you. I have since the day you moved here. I know you probably don't feel the same way, but I had to tell you. Also, I did break up with Lisa, in case you were wondering."

I figured that, but I hadn't particularly cared. When I was kissing Alex, nothing else mattered. It was like time stood still.

Alex's POV

"Actually, Lex, I love you too," Jack told me. "Have since we met, too." My smile went so wide I thought my face was going to break.

"I have something for you!" I exclaimed suddenly, turning around and grabbing the bouquet of roses. "A baker's dozen, just because." I handed them to him and he took them gratefully. The expression on his face was so sweet. I could stare into his eyes forever.

"Oh, my God, thank you so much, Lex. I wish I had something for you."

I smiled at Jack sitting there, holding the bouquet and looking so happy. "Oh, Jacky. If you'd go out with me that would be perfect enough."

He reached over and took my hand in his. "Of course I'll go out with you, Lex. What will Lisa think, though?"

I laced my fingers through his and replied honestly, "I don't give a single fuck about what that evil bitch thinks about us being together. You know, she was saying these things about you, and it made me realize... I care about you, Jacky. More than anybody else."

"I care about you too, Lex. So much. I don't care what anyone thinks. My mom, my sister, the kids at school. I just wanna be with you." Jack smiled and pulled me into a hug. Then he rested his forehead against mine. "Just you." He kissed me, and I returned it, enjoying every moment of it. When we finally broke apart, he began singing quietly, "Hello there, the angel from my nightmare. The shadow in the background of the morgue. The unsuspecting victim of the darkness in the alley. We can live like Jack and Alex if we want." He kissed me lightly then said, "You know, on that first day, when I sang the words like that, I didn't really mean it as friends."

"I hoped so, this whole time I've hoped so." I took out my iPod and played the actual song as I heard a car speed away, and a nasally laugh I knew all too well.

"What the-" Jack and I turned and saw the telltale license plate of Lisa's car that read LRUOCCO. I could see her and her friends' iPhones in their hands, too. "Crap, Alex!" he whined.

I was pissed as hell, but as long as I had Jack I would be okay. "It's all right, baby. It doesn't matter. They can't do anything that's ever gonna make me love you less." I gave him one last kiss goodnight before going back to my house through my own window. I watched him do the same, then laid down in my bed still in my day clothes, wondering how I was going to deal with Lisa and her horrible, revenge-seeking friends.