No Pads… No Helmets… Just Memories!

I let out a soft groan feeling a hand brush my bruised ribs as I rolled onto my back, "Sorry" a soft voice murmured as I turned my head letting my eyes remain lightly shut, "I know you're still sore from Riley..." The voice muttered as a warm hand lifted the corner of my tee to rub a calloused thumb over the bare skin of my side. Any fears I might have had seeping from my skin and into the hand as I felt my body relax knowing the familiar touch without having to see him for myself. I let out a content sigh as I rolled onto my stomach causing the hand to run across the base of my back and latch of my other side as I buried my face into the warm pillows.

A soft chuckle escaped Alex as I propped my head up on my folded arms to look at him. His soft eyes running over my features as I took in his playful smile. "What?" I asked with a slight giggle as he shook his head.

"Nothing I'm just happy..." He whispered letting his hand find my spine to run his knuckles in the crevice it left in the base of my back sending electricity through my body. His warm touch melting over my skin as I welcomed it with open arms. I had always felt at ease in Alex's hands, but now that I had finally acknowledged and accepted how he truly made me feel, there was no denying it any longer.

"Why?" I asked in a soft voice as I craned my head forward to place a soft kiss to his shoulder before meeting his eyes again as I pulled away.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked as his farthest had reached to brush my hair from my eyes.

"Because it’s Sunday morning and you're awake..." I giggled looking up at him with a warm expression.

"Yeah but I woke up to you!" He smiled turning on his side as I did the same. A light smile ghosting over my lips as I blinked up at him, my eyes rolling over his dark features in the dimly lit room.

"You’re so sappy..." I rolled as I lightly tickled his stomach causing both his arms to snake around my back. He simply chuckled at me as he dropped his forehead to mine. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?" I giggled as I bit my lip looking into his soft eyes that held a different sparkle then the one I was so used to seeing.

"Because I can..." He smiled running a hand along my jaw as I leaned into his touch, "I just can't believe you’re finally mine..." He whispered before dipping his head to press his soft lips to mine. And that was it.

Our first kiss as something more than friends. A simple and delicate exchange of emotions as I felt his hand run soft circles to my exposed skin as his hand slipped under my shirt slightly. His fist hand pinching my chin to keep my lips locked to his as they moved in a sweet symphony. Nothing about the kiss was rushed or hungry, but relaxed, and filled with emotions and warmth. I had never felt such a genuine kiss spill past his lips till that one and it was then I recognized the twinkle that held in his eyes and that remained when we pulled away.

"Yeah..." I whispered looking into his pools of brown, "who would have thought."

He chuckled softly as his thumb rubbed circles on my cheek. "What’s wrong?" He asked suddenly even though his tone held its soft level.

"Nothing, I'm happy too!" I hushed placing a hand to cup the side of his neck reaching up to peck his jaw line before pulling away.

"No, I can see something’s bugging you..." He whispered searching my features for a tell, "Do you not want this, are you having second-"

"No, no, that’s not it!" I rushed clutching his neck softly with both my hands, "God only knows how that’s not it!" I sighed seeing the relief in his eyes, "I want this, trust me..."

"Then what’s bugging you?" He pleaded wrapping his first arm back around my body to pull me closer letting my head nuzzle into his warm neck.

"I’m just scared Alex..." I whispered into the crook of his neck as he tightened his grip around my middle.

"I know you are Jasey," he whispered rubbing my back between my shoulder blades, "but there’s nothing left to be afraid of." He mumbled into my ear. I let my eyes slip shut to allow the offbeat pattern of our two hearts fill the room, his comforting sent strangling its self around me in its warmth and promise of safety before I let out a content sigh knowing he was right. That he was right all along. That with him I didn't need to be afraid, but I knew that. I just didn't know he knew it to. "You can always tell me when you're scared Jase..." He breathed, "You always could, even before this happened, and no matter what life throws at us, or what crazy things happen, just know I'll always be around to listen to you when you need me."

I let out a deep breath I didn't know I was holding before I burrowed my head into his shoulder. "You're the one thing I have in this world that makes me feel like things aren't as bad as they seem..." I muffled into his shirt with sincere honesty. "If I lose you, I have nothing."

I felt Alex shake his head with a huff before his large hands where pulling my face into his view. His hot breath fanning over my features before he spoke up. "You'll never lose me Jasey..." He sighed with a faint smile before I was pulled into his chest in a warm hug, my ear pressed to his heart as I listened to its steady rhythmic sound. "You should know by now, that I'll always be there, I may mess up a few hundred times, but I will always pull through for you in the end when you need me in life, that is... If you'll have me..."

It was my turn to shake my head as I press my palms to his shoulders to pry us apart. "You are so sappy sometimes, but still so dumb!" I laughed lightly as his jaw popped open. My eyes locking on his for a moment before my hand lifted from his shoulder to cup his jaw, "you should know by now that even if I don't want you in my life, I'm stuck with you!"

"You... Are horrible!" He mumbled before curling to place his forehead on mine, "leave the sappy moments for me, okay?"

"Are we going to be that stupid sappy couple now?" I asked looking into his large eyes, "I'm already that girlfriend whose only friends are also her boyfriend's friends..."

"Did you just say girlfriend?" He whispered with a blank face. For a moment I took a hard swallow and pulled my head from his. Maybe it was too soon to assume what our relationship actually was? We never really discussed it? "And you say I'm the dumb one!" Alex scoffed before pulling my face to his and locking our lips. "We can be whatever you want to be as long as we're together..." He mumbled against my lips before I smiled into the kiss and broke it completely. I looked up at his cloudy eyes before rolling my own and mocking a gag.

"You’re so sappy!" I coughed as he playfully shoved my shoulder, shifting the mood in an instant, like every serious thought that had just passed through our minds was nothing now but a distant memory. But that's what me and Alex's relationship always was. We both knew all to well how quickly things can change, and people can be lost, and learning to switch from sentimental to goofy at the drop of a hat was almost as much of a survival skill as it was a social similarity. We wired ourselves from point one to be able to cherish every good moment when one arose, but that's what worked for us, and that's what made us so perfect.

"You're lucky you’re cute!" He scoffed poking my side causing me to squeal.

"Sure it’s not the ass?" I cocked a brow as I remarked a comment of his from our phone call from the café all while blocking my ribs from another tickle.

"Oh, well that is definitely in your favor, but you should know, I'm actually only interested in dating you for your mom’s brownies..." He smiled as I rolled my eyes.

"I knew it!" I whispered before I leaned up to peck his lips. Before fully pulling away I caught them again, connecting our lips once more as I leaned into him. I waited for his hands to travel to my hips with a drag before I pulled away, a smirk already creeping onto my face.

"That- that is also in your favor..." He stuttered with a nod for a moment before I began to laugh. His own smirk coming into play as his hands traveled to get lost in the back pockets of the jeans I still wore from the day before.

"Is that all...?" I smirked, I knew what I did next was pushing him, but in the moment I thought nothing of my actions as I locked my hands to the back of his neck to pull his body closer to mine. Our difference in general size causing my body to drag up his before I could nip at his lip and catch it between my teeth, the groan bubbling in his throat told me he knew it was no coincidence of how I pressed myself into his chest and let him know, the place where his hand sat weren't the only curves I had.

"You better watch yourself..." He graveled in a raspy voice when I released his lip. A smile pulling at my lips as I blinked my most innocent eyes at the boy.

"What’s going to happen to me if I don't?" I pouted with a giggle as he stifled his own.

"Hmmm..." He hummed playing my unfair game as he pressed my hips to his before giving his own a roll and looking deep into my eyes. I tried to keep my face the same but I couldn't control the catch in my breath as he dipped his head to nip at my ear before whispering. "I won’t share my pancakes!"

"Huh?"

"See ya!" He laughed loudly as he leaped from the bed and tripped towards his door while adjusting the basketball shorts clinging to his hips.

"I HATE YOU!" I hollered as I heard his heavy tread fading down the hall.

"Ha! Tell THAT too little Alex!" He shouted back as my eyes blew wide and my jaw dropped open. I was gob smacked for the split second before my face flushed crimson realizing those words came out of my mouth the day all the drama began. My blush present not only for the fact that I had once referenced that line, but also in that I wasn't sure if either Peter or Isobel were home and was honestly pissed scared to know if Alex's parents had heard that comment and could quickly infer what I -someone who they've known since elementary school and watched grow up- had been doing with their son.

"I'm going to kill that boy!" I muttered as I pulled back his warm covers and let the cold air whirl around me for a moment. It wasn't till I stood up that I realized how uncomfortable and stupid of an idea it was to sleep in jeans and decided to take it into my own hands to hijack another pair of Alex's basketball shorts. What's one more pair? I thought as I stripped of my skinny jeans letting the lines the seams indented onto my legs breathe the fresh air. In all honesty I would continue to steal random articles of Alex's clothing till the day he began to notice they were missing. I pulled on his shorts and poked my head into the hall, scanning the area for the Gaskarth parents before I tip toed down the hall towards the stairs.

"Those my shorts?" Alex laughed as I entered the kitchen to see him leaned over a bowl of pancake mix, reading the rest of the steps he knew by heart off the back of the box to kill time I assume before actually getting the rest of the needed things.

"Actually there Jacks..." I told him as I stepped behind him and wrapped my arms around his stomach, "I stole them the last time we slept together." For a moment I looked up, even though I couldn't as well as see Alex before I felt him begin to laugh and let my own smile escape.

"Have you always been this sexually frustrated?" He chuckled turning in my arms to smile down on me as he placed his hands on my "biceps".

"I actually don't know..." I laughed honestly with a skeptical tone before he too began to laugh.

"It’s a shame I couldn't help you out if I wanted to..." He sighed walking us backwards till the base of my spine hit the counter behind me. "You know only begging able to sleep with you when we are the only people in the world!" He sang taking hold of my hips and lifting me up onto the counter.

"I'm sure you won’t die a virgin Lex..." I cocked my head with a playful grin as he rolled his eyes and pulled away. "Besides like I said, there’s always Jack to help me out..."

"You are a hand full!" Alex shook his head as he moved towards the fridge.

"That’s what she said..." I muttered before I even knew the words were slipping past my lips before I locked eyes with Alex. The two of us feeding blank expressions before bursting into fits of laughter.

"I missed you Jasey..." Alex said with a smile as his laughter died and he pulled a carton of eggs from the bottom shelf of the fridge before letting the door swing shut.

"Can't go two weeks without me?" I shot him a toothy grin as I watched my feet swing back and forth.

"I’m not going to answer that because I know you’re going to call me sappy again!" He chuckled as he grabbed vegetable oil from a cupboard.

"You are sappy!" I laughed as I watched him begin to crack the eggs, "But I never said I didn't like that about you."

"Awh, who's sappy now!" He laughed as he moved around the island to toss the egg shells in the sink before stepping in front of me. I rolled my eyes as he pressed his palms to either side of my hips with a smile.

"Shut up will you!" I laughed.

"Make me..." He challenged knowingly as I rolled my eyes and leaned forward to press my lips to his for a moment before pulling away.

"Can you make us pancakes now; I missed dinner last night because of you and I'm STARVING!"

"Coming right up!" He smiled a goofy grin before catching my lips on his quickly and shifted back to the mix.


I couldn't fight the smile as I watched him move around the kitchen and begin to cook. Just watching him knowing after all those years of thinking he had cooties to all those days of cursing his name, to all those girls I’ve heard drool over him at school. There I was, little ol' Jasey Rae Dawson, sitting on his counter in his shorts, catching every sneaky smile he threw my way because I could, because I won, and Alex was mine. And I was his. But I guess as I've been told, that’s how it always was.

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