Teenage Nightmare (Jalex)

Something's Gotta Give

(Song- Something's Gotta Give - All Time Low ... I do not like breaking the fourth wall here. It's the only one that fits here though so. It'll do.)
(TW: Just some hallucinations, that's all but I'm trying to be good with TWs. Wanna be sensitive to everyone.)

Alex was so exhausted, yet he couldn't sleep. 
Elise was asleep in her bed, the clock reads 12:43 AM.
He looks at his phone and reads texts that Jack had sent him for him to read when he got out.

Jack: I miss you
Jack: I can't wait to see you again.
Jack: I want to kiss you.
Jack: I want to lay in bed with you.
Jack: All I want is to just hold your hand.
Jack: Message me when you can if you're ready to.

These had all taken place after Jack's visit. Alex smiled a tiny bit.

Alex facetimed him, hoping it wasn't too late.
Jack picked up almost immediately, he looked sleepy, but the wide grin on his face was radiant.
"Hey" He said sleepily.
Alex smiled, "Hi" He kept his voice quiet for Elise, despite the fact that she could sleep through a nuclear bomb.
"I missed you." Jack yawned, holding his phone the same way Alex was, the both of them laying on their sides, holding their phones with their hand against the mattress.
"I missed you too." Alex followed Jack's yawn, "I'm so tired." He mumbled.
Jack laughed a tiny bit, "I can see that. Your eyes are half closed. Why aren't you sleeping?" 
Alex shrugged a tiny bit, "Missed you. Wanted to talk to you." 
Jack smiled, "I wanted to talk to you too. How are you?"
Alex yawned again, letting his eyes close, "Tired...Exhausted...d'know...Come see me tomorrow." He managed to open his eyes again.
Jack just had this small, loving smile on his face, "I will. Go to sleep."
Alex shook his head, "Not without you...Here." He pulled the pillow from his other side of the bed over and propped his phone against it, "There...In case I fall asleep...You do it too."
Jack nodded and Alex heard some shuffling, seeing a blur moving around and then saw Jack again when he propped his phone too, "Okay done. You wanna just fall asleep on here? Don't stay up for me. Close your eyes." 
Alex smiled a tiny, sleepy smile, "M'kay" He closed his eyes.
Jack just watched him for a few minutes, smiling when Alex's mouth fell open, lips puckered out just the tiniest bit, his hair in his face and his hand by his head.
"Night Lexi" He hung up and went back to sleep himself, happy that Alex had called him.

Alex woke up at 4 AM to Elise crying, he was so tired. He sat up anyway, picked her up and snuggled her, "Heyyy love." He cooed, "Hungry?" He smiled, got up and changed her diaper, then took her downstairs for a bottle. He made it and went back upstairs, not at all ready to be awake any longer. 
He laid down in his bed, on his side with her on her back slightly elevated and fed her, drifting off as he did so, but waking back up, fighting the urge to crash out again. 
It was good that she fell asleep again after her bottle, because fuck he needed it.
He put her back carefully in her bed, curled up in a ball and went back to sleep himself until about 7 AM, the time he was used to now. He looked up and Elise wasn't in her bed, he looked around as if she would've just gotten up and walked away. He figured his mom had her.
He got up and rubbed his eyes, taking his phone downstairs with him. Sure enough, Isobel had her. She smiled at Alex when he came down, laughing a tiny bit.
"What?" He mumbled, stumbling off the last step, catching himself before he fell.
"Your hair is like a lion's mane." She put Elise in her swing and went back to the kitchen and got Alex his pill and a glass of water and handed it to him. He took it and followed her into the kitchen, lagging as he went. He leaned against the counter and closed his eyes.
Isobel just smiled at him, "The drowsiness will get better, don't worry." She got out eggs and a pack of bacon.
Alex nodded, "I know, it's just easy for me to fall asleep when it's quiet. I spent so much time napping during the day unless I was in therapy or group therapy or in the cafeteria, where it was like stimulating. Otherwise, I napped a lot. Was Elise crying or something? Did I not wake up?"
She shook her head, heating up a pan to cook the bacon, "No, I went to check on you and she was just awake quietly kicking her feet." She shrugged.
Alex nodded, "Oh okay." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes again.
"Go sit down, I'll bring you your food. You want coffee?" She asked, getting a mug down for herself.
"Please" He sat down at the table, put his arms on it and laid his head on them, closing his eyes.

He woke up to his mom shaking his shoulder a tiny bit, "You're drooling on the table honey." She smirked a tiny bit and slid his coffee in front of him when he sat up, followed by a plate of over easy eggs, toast with jam and bacon.
Breakfast at the facility wasn't this good, so this was like heaven right now. 
"Thank you" He smiled and took a drink of his coffee, then took a bite off of his bacon.
"So the doctor said you can't drive until your body gets more used to the medication, so can we figure out some way to get you to and from school? I'm still on night shifts, so I could take you, but Jack doesn't live far, does he? and Rian is always here, so could you work something out with him or Jack just so I don't need to get Elise all bundled up just to take her to and from your school?" She sat down across from him with her own breakfast, then smiled when Peter joined them. He'd been making sure to be more present ever since Alex's breakdown and his stay at the treatment facility, he felt bad that he wasn't always the most present and missed a lot of Alex's symptoms, although no one but Alex could've really paid attention to them. He did notice Alex's OCD moment with the clock though, but he thought nothing of it.
Alex nodded, "I can talk to Jack and Rian...Jack lives closer." He shrugged a little, pretty much inhaling his breakfast.
"You hungry or something?" Peter asked with a smirk.
Alex smiled a little, "Ha ha ha." He got up and put more bacon on his plate and made himself another piece of toast. He covered it in butter and jam, then sat down again and worked his way through that. 
"Do you guys mind if Jack comes over today? Or maybe if I go out with him for a little bit? I know I just got back, and I really need to spend time at home but, I've missed him so much...I know that Elise is safe but I know that you've been watching her a lot too...I can take her with me..." He rambled nervously.
Isobel stopped him, "We'll happily watch her, we love her. It's perfectly fine for either Jack to come here or you go out with him. Just be safe, and make sure that you're open with him if anything happens okay? Voices, if you see things, anything okay? Don't pretend like it's okay, tell him." She finished her plate, then waited for Alex to finish his and Peter to finish. She took their plates to the sink while Peter went outside to get the paper and Alex went to Elise's swing and smiled at her little sleeping self. He wanted to pick her up and snuggle her, but he wasn't going to wake her up. 

Alex sat down on the floor next to her swing instead and texted Jack.

Alex: Come get me? I know it's early...But maybe at like 12?

Jack: I'll be there at 12. You're okay to go out?

Alex: I think so...I haven't been like....out in two weeks, and coming home was a little scary, but I mean...I want to be with you so...Can we try it?

Jack: If you're okay with trying it, then we can try it. As long as you tell me anything happening.

Alex: I already promised my mom I'd do the same thing. I promise I'll tell you.

Jack: Okay. What should we do?

Alex: It's still only like. 30 degrees so...Maybe we can just go get lunch and walk around somewhere indoors?

Jack: Nah I figured we could go freeze somewhere.

Alex: As long as I'm freezing with you.

Jack: That was cheesy.

Alex: I like cheese.

Jack: Me too.

Alex: Good, we can be cheesy together. Wait, cheddar or mozzarella?

Jack: Depends. Colby jack or pepper jack?

Alex: Provolone or swiss? I prefer pepper jack by the way, and provolone.

Jack: Okay, so for snacking, and tacos and other mexican food and tortilla soup, cheddar. Sharp cheddar to be exact. Mozzarella obviously for italian food, like any of it, and fried mozzarella, obviously. Colby jack and pepper jack are both great for sandwiches and burgers and are exquisite when they're melted. Provolone and swiss are what I put on my Subway sandwiches so that.

Alex: You really went on a whole ass cheese rant.

Jack: Don't even get me started on bleu cheese. Shits nasty and anyone who eats moldy cheese willingly is disgusting.

Alex: What about cottage cheese

Jack: Elderlys eat it with peaches.

Alex: Very true. It's not awful actually.

Jack: You're elderly.

Alex: I feel elderly sometimes.

Jack: Same. What are you doing?

Alex: Sitting on the floor watching Elise, she's sleeping in her swing.

He took a picture and sent it to him.

Jack: She's so cute. Now one of you.

Alex: No way!

Jack: Pleeeeeeeease. 

Alex: Fine.

He took a picture of himself with his lion hair.

Jack: Adorable. Never brush it again.

Alex: Ha. Yeah right. Come see me now. I'm bored.

Jack: Alex it's like. 8 AM.

Alex: Your point being?

Jack: Fine, coming.

Alex: And you said you missed me.

Jack: I do miss you, you weirdo.

Alex: Yeah that's a pretty fitting name for me

Jack: Good I'll change your name in my phone to WeirdAl

Alex: DON'T YOU DARE

Jack: Don't worry it's already saved as Sexy Lexi

Alex: That's better I suppose.

Jack: What am I saved as?

Alex: Jackoff.

Jack: Really?

Alex: For now. Never thought of a better one yet. I'll get there.

Jack: Woooow.

Alex: Stop texting me and drive.

Jack: Fine fine. I'm rolling my eyes at you, you know.

Alex: As long as you're getting in that car driving to my house, you can do whatever you want Jacky boy.

It took about ten minutes for Jack to get there.
He knocked on the door, so Alex got up and answered it.
He opened it and grinned, then looked Jack up and down, "Well aren't you dressed nicely?" He asked, admiring Jack in those tight black jeans, maroon v- neck and black hoodie with his winter coat and a black beanie.
Jack laughed, "Somehow, in sweat pants and a hoodie, you look better than I do." He walked in when Alex stepped aside for him. He looked at Elise, still asleep comfortably in her little swing.
"Hey Mrs. Gaskarth, Mr. Gaskarth." Jack said to Alex's parents with a smile, Isobel who was cleaning up the dining table and Peter who was in his arm chair reading the paper.
"Peter." He smiled at Jack, "How are you?" He asked.
Jack smiled right back, "I'm good, except your son made me get out of bed early." He smirked.
Alex blushed a little.
Isobel walked over to Jack and hugged him, "Isobel, or Issy, whatever you want, and yeah he's got that effect on people. Pretty much gets whatever he wants." She giggled a little at Alex blushing even redder.
"Go hang out, if Elise wakes up I'll get her and bring her to you." She smiled.

Alex nodded, "Thanks mom." He took Jack's hand and dragged him up the stairs, shutting the door behind him.
He pushed Jack up against the door and pressed his lips to his, Jack quickly reacted, wrapping his arms around Alex's waist, pulling him in as close as he could, their tongues doing a dance with each other. 
Alex's hands moved up Jack's neck and into his hair, knocking the beanie off his head. Jack's hands slid down Alex's waist and into his sweatpants, his hands resting on Alex's ass.
They pulled apart after a moment and smiled, "God that was good." Alex sighed.
Jack laughed, "Yeah? Well, maybe you can have more later." He smirked.
Alex shook his head, "More kissing maybe." He smiled and laid down on his bed, patting the spot next to him. Jack laid next to him, the both of them propped slightly upright with the pillows. Jack put his arms around Alex. Alex laid his head on Jack's chest.
"Kissing is perfectly fine Alex." Jack kissed the top of Alex's head.
"I just...Can I tell you what I see right now?" 
Jack nodded, "Tell me."
Alex sighed and pointed to his desk where his macbook sat open, screen black from the computer going into sleep mode, "The screen is covered in static. Like TV static. The angry one in my head is mad at me but I don't know what he's saying." He squeezed his eyes shut.
"It's not real." He whispered to himself, "It isn't real...Not real...No static...Voice isn't real...It's not real." He kept whispering, not because he was scared or freaked out, he was just trying to silence it all and make it go away. He still had to make sure Jack was real though.
Jack would be a liar if he said his stomach didn't absolutely sink when he heard the way Alex saw things, and how he heard angry voices in his head, and how he had to keep telling himself that none of this was real.
Jack took Alex's hand, "It's not real, but I am." He let go of Alex's hand and ran his fingers through his hair, "See? Feel that on your head? That's my hand." 
Alex nodded, "Okay..."
This was so new to Jack, trying to figure out how to help his favorite caramel haired boy.
Alex took a couple deep breaths, then opened his eyes. He traced his fingers on Jack's hand, around his knuckles, to his chest and up to his neck, feeling his pulse. He moved his head further on Jack's chest, listening to his heartbeat.
Jack is real. Real. Real. Real.
He couldn't take much more of this.
Something's gotta give here. Some way, some how. 
He knew it wouldn't ever be that easy though. 
He was stuck this way.
"Okay...Okay..." He patted Jack's chest, then put his hand on Jack's head, touching his hair, "Okay." He reassured himself.
Jack smiled at him, "I'm always going to be real, okay? One day, you'll know that, until then, you can trace me all you want. I like it when you trace your fingers around me. I don't like that you have to, but the feeling is nice." He kissed Alex's head again.