Chapter Inspiration: Please Take Me Home - Blink 182


A good half an hour to forty five minutes later, Alex's car would roll over the county lines, still aways away from home but close enough for my growing discomfort. My eyes shifted to Alex's lap where our conjoined hands sat nearly tucked between his thighs, the same place they bad been since he entwined our fingers at the coffee shop. A light smile perked at my lips at the thought of me and Alex's dissuasions and trying to find his angle all while poking my mind to prepare for what will come. I saw his head flicker as he glanced from the road to steal a gaze my way. A smile finding its way to his lips as he decided to speak up.

"You’re staring..." He smirked from the driver’s seat.

"I know..." I rolled glancing up at the road before averting my eyes out the window, "hey Alex?"

"Mhmm?" The singer hummed running his thumb over my smaller one. For a moment I sat on the statement in my head. Thoroughly debating if I should even bring it up again or not. We had talked about many things, and me not wanting to see everyone right away happened to be one of them. For an hour car ride Alex and I had managed to not only discuss a series of major topics, but also had many spans of time where a comfortable silence would settle with ease.

That was something I had begun to notice as a pattern when it came to Alex. Everything flowed seamlessly. From fighting with him one minute to being cool with him the next, or being able to switch from crying to composed and smiley with a single crack of a joke. To no matter what always finding being with him the most comforting place even if he was the cause of my rage. It was like Alex had me all figured out, had my emotions triggered like a light switch to be altered with a single motion.

"It’s understandable you know..." He would drag me from my train of thought with the statement. My blue eyes flickering to his fixed face as he drove, his eyes not budging from the road no matter how bad my own begged him to elaborate, "wanting to wait to see everyone that is... Maybe it'd be easier to see everyone one by one, less overwhelming id assume?" He'd offer as I would return his attempt with a silent nod.

For a brief moment in time my grip on his hand switched to a bone crushing vice as we crossed the town lines. "I'll still be here walking you through everything." Alex assured returning the squeeze as we tooled through town. My eyes falling to my lap at just how much had changed, three years ago I would never think of getting in a car with Gaskarth, but there I was, sitting in his car, clutching his hand as if my life depended on it, the remains of the wave his lips had brought to mine still lingering on my lips as we drove. "I’m not going anywhere..." He offered as I bit back my lip, "and no one’s taking me from you this time."

My eyes glancing up at him as we drove. I pulled our conjoined hands from his lap and into mine as I smiled at how easily our two vastly different hands slipped into place with the others. Out of all the things we talked about, the exact definition of our relationship was not one of them. No matter how hard I tried to keep my mind from wandering to that, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was some part of him deep down inside that saw more to me than his old friend. Not to say I wasn’t fond of the idea that our friendship could shift to what it had been secretly between the two of us, but it was odd.

How exactly would our friends react if they knew we kissed but haven’t exactly talked or showed any interest in anything more? Would it be weird to say I liked the kiss? There had to be something he felt too, a kiss is between two people, anything I felt he had to too, right?

"As much as I’d love to sit in the car holding your hand all day, I’m exhausted." Alex chuckled as I snapped back to reality, a light blush blooming on my cheeks that we had been sitting in his driveway due to the fact that I had yet to release Alex from my grip. He looked over at me with a curious look, "You having second thought about seeing Rian right now?" He asked.

At first I thought on saying that I really only felt like being around him at the time, but knowing that was far too sappy for any conversation I'd ever have with him and settled with a silent nod. "If you'd like, you can stay here tonight, or I can go over there with you..." Alex offered with his large warm eyes.

"I'll be fine, you need your sleep anyway, and you’ve done more than enough." I pulled my hand from his and placed it on the door handle.

"I’d sleep better knowing you’re not going to run out on me again!" He teased with a playful smile.

"You can't baby sit me 24/7 Lex," I shook my head, "You need your sleep, I’ll be okay."

"Then if I can't convince you, I’ll just tell you..." He started as I looked at him in confusion, "I'd feel better falling asleep with you... Like I said, Jack doesn’t let me be the big spoon..."

I smiled down at my lap as I popped the door open. Climbing out of the car I stood by the open door and waited for Alex to do the same. When I realized he wasn’t planning on moving I decided I needed to speak up. "Let’s go, I haven’t got all day, where sleeping in my room."

At the sound of the words Alex sprung to his feet and was running at his porch, keys in hand, before I had time to laugh. When I followed him into the open entry way I noticed the house was absent of the Gaskarth parents and looked up at the top of the staircase where Alex stood patiently waiting for me to follow. "Lex, where’s Isobel and Peter?" I questioned climbing up the stairs.

"Uhm... Probably at your house..." He shrugged pushing his bedroom door open and allowing me to follow him inside. "You know my mom and Julie are probably set up in the kitchen talking about tomorrow’s party and our dads probably have their asses parked on the couch watching the raven’s game- which reminds me!" He halted the rather barbaric method he called packing to stumble to his closet. I shook my head at my hyperactive friend and plopped down on the end of his messy bed. When Alex returned my eyes widened at the purple mesh he was holding as he walked over to me. A too wide smile spreading across his features when he noticed my realization. Alex adjusted his hold on the cloth letting it drape into view to show that it was indeed his, favorite, worn, lucky, game winning, beloved, signed, Ray Lewis jersey. Said to be one of the best ravens players to wear the purple and black. Alex's smile only grew as he nudged it out for me to grab, "here!" He said simply with a smile.

My eyes rapidly flicked between the beloved jersey and the friend. Was he trying to test me? To see if I remembered this was his most prized possession. How he nearly cried when his father had passed it down to him. My eyebrows rose in disbelief as I looked up at him.

"I want you to wear it." He nudged it again nearly forcing it into my hands.

"Are you nuts Alex!?" I spilled looking up at him, "you had that thing in a shadow box till the 10th grade, I got a text saying you took it out it was that big of a thing, and you want ME to put it on!?"

"One game?" He offered looking at me with his puppy dog eyes.

"Alex I can't!" I shook my head.

"But I want you to!" He laughed tossing the jersey over his shoulder before he pulled me to my feet by my wrists. "Put it on, or ill put it on for you, and I won’t let you keep this V-neck on!" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively towards my white shirt. My eyes rolling as I pulled it off his high shoulder and carefully slipped on the jersey.

"What?" I snapped when Alex said nothing, but only looked over my jersey clad body.

"Nothing," he smiled pulling at my hips, "you just look really good with it on!"

I rolled my eyes as Alex released his hold and threw his bag over his shoulder. I smiled lightly at him, still not convinced I was, worthy enough, so to say to be in his lucky jersey. Alex paid no attention to this as he pulled me through the doorway to head across the street.

* * * * *

"So, Alex gave you his jersey?" Peter smiled at me as he took a seat beside me on the couch.

"Uhm not really..." I fumbled looking down at the shirt, "he didn't really give me a choice."

"Well I think it’s sweet!" Julie smiled entering the room and handing Peter a second beer and collecting his empty one.

"I think it’s freaky!" Rian remarked as I shifted in my place.

"Ditto"

"Dad!" Alex would soon whine from the doorway, "That’s my seat!"

Peter looked over at me with an odd smile like he used to do when he knew he had something on his son, the smile that always had and still did make me nervous, "sit with Rian and Dennis!" It was so weird to hear someone refer to my dad by his first name, he never liked it much and often went by Dan to his coworkers but it was still funny to me. Alex pouted at his father before walking over to the love seat me and his old man occupied his with a grumble. The lanky guitarist pulled my off the cushion much to my protest before I was placed back into his lap. My body nuzzling into his as his lanky arms snaked around my waist to secure me. Alex's mother, Isobel and Julie were in the kitchen planning all the final details to their extravagant holiday dinner planed for tomorrow night. I was slightly upset that the traditional Gaskarth-Dawson family dinner hadn't died when I left meaning all my annoying relatives and more annoying cousins would be bombarding me with questions by noon tomorrow. I leaned back against Alex and tried to focus on the game only to find it was still a commercial break. Peter again taking the opportunity to spark a conversation.

"You think your aunt Helena will still be trying to set you and Ri up on blind dates?" The elder man laughed as me and Rian shared a horrified look.

"Till the day she’s in a box six feet under!" Rian grumbled as our father entered the room.

"Who?" He asked as he took his place.

"Helena..." Peter informed taking a swig of his beer as my dad nodded.

"What about Helena?" Isobel's voice chimed with its usual perkiness that always made me smile as her head popped into view.

"Just talking about how she always used to try to set them up with people, even as kids!" Peter laughed thinking back at the memories that were surly hilarious to him, not so much for Rian and I.

"Yeah well now Ri and Cass are a thing!" Julie chimed in with a playful smile as Rian groaned rolling his eyes, "and then there’s whatever... That is!" She laughed motioning to Alex and me.

"HURTFUL!" Alex scoffed leaning back in mock hurt.

"Not you, whatever the heck if going on between you two is what I meant!" She defended.

"Nothing is going on between us!" I started to protest before stopping at that realization how unconvincing I was making things as I sat in his lap.

"Sure there isn’t!" Rian taunted poking his tongue out at me as I gasped and did the same.

"Alright, alright!" My dad piped up, "knock it off the games on!"

I shot one last snotty glare at my brother before leaning back against Alex. "Let them all think what they want" Alex murmured as he rested his chin to my shoulder, "what we decided to do is our business." I turned my head to question what the hell he was even saying but was instead greeted by a peck to the corner of my mouth, presumably intended for my cheek. A groan instantly being emitted from Rian and peter laughed beside us.

"You missed son!" He chuckled tipping back his beverage as I eyed Alex. A smile playing on his lips caused me to have the same.

"No he didn't, he’s fine." I smiled before leaning in to place a soft peck on his lips. My head pulling back as Alex allowed us to watch the game with nothing more than a few subtle nips at the neck to distract me. The two of us putting on a small show for anyone who caught a glimpse. I knew Alex wasn’t being serious with this, and he knew the same for me. Later into the night when we would get ready for bed the two of us would decide it'd be best to put on a show for our families, an easy way for them to forget about me leaving and only question our non-existent relationship. It was a plan, or a date.

It was both, and by tomorrow morning it'd be put into motion.

Notes

wellllll....

Christmas at the Dawson-Gaskarth home.. should be interesting right!?

:)

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-Sarah :)