Long Live Us

*Alex pov*

Wednesday had flown by, their early finish being a welcome break and band practice happening as normal. The four boys didn't do much playing, opting for video games and beer instead. During school Alex had passed Gavin in the corridor, but the other boy opted for looking down and pretending Alex wasn't there - which he was more than content with. Nothing else was said about Jack and Alex, but it was obvious people knew, it spread like wildfire apparently. Even the teachers knew.
It was now Thursday, and Rian and Alex were on their way to music, happily chattering about their favourite New Found Glory song. Jack and Jenna were performing today, hence the taller boy wasn't with them, and Alex was excited. He loved being able to watch Jack play guitar, he made it look so effortless and easy, his normally too long arms and too big hands looking skilled and graceful.
Rian and Alex entered the room, heading straight to the front where Cass and Tay were sitting with two spaces for the boys between them. Alex took his seat next to Tay, who shot him a warm grin as she tried to sit still.
Averting his gaze to the front, Jenna and Jack were standing together, talking in a hushed whisper to each other. Jack looked incredibly nervous, especially for someone who withheld as much confidence as he usually did. He was chewing on his bottom lip, eyes glazed over as he stared at the floor, listening intently to whatever the blonde was whispering to him. Alex watched them for the minute or so they spent talking, before Jenna stoodup and took a step away from the tall boy, shooting him a stern look andhanding him his acoustic guitar. Jack visibly relaxed as he put the strap overhis shoulder, although his eyes still looked nervous. His gaze flickered up and locked with Alex’s, and the brunette shot his boyfriend a reassuring smile. Jack nodded back, smiling slightly, before looking back down at his guitar as he went through some notes before they played.
“I’m so excited, Jenna sang some of this too me, it’s an awesome song! They wrote it together apparently.” Tay said to Alex, stealing his attention away from Jack.
“Really? Most of what Jenna comes out with is pure gold though, and we all know how great Jack is.” The brunette admitted, winking at the end, the shorter girl nodding in agreement and giggling as Miss Jackson made her way to the front and told the pair to get ready. Jenna positioned herself on the stool in front of the mic, Jack pulling up his own stool to perch next to her. The pair introduced themselves, Jenna seemingly a lot more confident than Jack, who was keeping his head low, hiding behind his fringe.
“This song is called Safe And Sound.” The blonde said with a smile, looking to Jack who gave her a small nod and counted them in.
“I can't see through the stars in my eyes. And I don't recall breathing steady, ever since you've been in my life. So, let me catch my breath, before you steal it once again. I should be dead by now.”
Jenna sang, effortless and perfect as ever, Jack gently strumming next to her, looking up at Alex through his fringe with a shy smile on his face. The brunette grinned back, his heart swelling at the words, along with Jack’s silent implication that they mirrored how he felt around him. For the rest of the song the tall boy would mouth certain lines to Alex,successfully making him turn a bright shade of red, and needing to bite his lip to stop a really girly squeal escaping his lips.
The song reached the bridge, Jack having a small guitar solo. The nervousness returned to the boys face, and Jenna nodded reassuringly at him, before singing the bridge, and what was mouthed at him this time made Alex freeze.
“And I don't know what to do. I'm falling in, I think I'm falling in love with you.”
Jack held his gaze, his face coloured with seriousness, despite the fear and nervousness withheld in his eyes. Alex didn’t really hear the rest of the song; his eyes not leaving his boyfriend even after he dropped his head back down to concentrate on the guitar for the final bit. Did Jack really just admit he was in love with Alex? Or had the brunette taken it the wrong way? The grin that spread onto his face couldn’t be fought. Jack loved him. Or, well, thinks he does.
‘But that’s something, right?’ Alex asked himself, rubbing his face with his hands because he felt like a teenage fangirl right now. His stomach was doing somersaults, his heart beating way too fast for its own good, and his mind numb with happiness. Right then he knew that, yes, he loved and was in love with Jack, the boy sitting merely metres in front of him, effortlessly strumming on the guitar in his lap. Alex always thought love was a strong word, and often doubted he would ever find it. There was no simple definition, nobody could describe it, no one could warn you about how to know. But here, in his music classroom, Alex knew. And maybe that's it; only you can know. Everyone's experiences of love are different, which is why it can be told. How would you describe butterflies in your stomach that feel like a herd of elephants to someone without them thinking you're crazy? Or the way you can hear your heart beat when the person touches you, how time stops, and the only sense you have left if touch? You can't, and so people don't. And Alex was happy with that. He didn't want to share this feeling of love, it was all his, nobody could take it, it wasn't going to leave as long as Jack stayed. That, to Alex, was what love was.

Later that evening the boys were finally alone together, Jenna and Tay insisting on coming over for a bit, and were now lying in Jack’s back garden. The sun was still high and bright in the sky, warming their skin as the grass tickled their fingertips. Alex could still only think of the song, and how Tay had said that the pair had wrote it together. Those were Jack’s emotions, then, and he wanted to know. He needed to know.
“Er, Jay?” he started, sitting up so he was leaning back on his elbows and looking down at the dark haired boy. He hummed in response, opening his eyes and meeting Alex’s gaze. A few moments of silence passed, both knowing what needed to be said but neither knowing how to say it.
“Did...Did you mean it? What you... “said”?” he put quotation marks up around said, seeing as it wasn’t actually said. Alex noticed Jack’s cheeks reddened, and he bit his lip and raised his eyebrows slightly, internally building up the guts to admit what he had been feeling for so long. After a minute, he nodded, smiling shyly, before averting his gaze. The elder boy grinned ear to ear, the butterflies returning and his heart swelling as the blood filled Jack’s cheeks.
“Really?” Alex asked, the stupid nervous part of him still needing reassurance, still doubting and wondering how on Earth he managed to bag someone as perfect as Jack.
“Every word.” Was the reply, not much more than a whisper as the taller boy looked back up at Alex. The brown eyes were filled with emotion, glowing in a way the elder hadn’t quite noticed before. Jack pushed his fringe out of his face and sat up, sitting crossed legged next to where Alex was still propped up on his elbows.
“Say it.” Alex whispered, desperation leaking through into the words. He wanted to know how the words rolled off Jack’s tongue, how they sounded in his voice, the effect they would have on his body. The taller boy nodded, slowly then a little quicker, mumbling to himself and scrunching up his eyes before he turned through ninety and faced Alex. The brunette bit the inside of his lips; nervous and excited energy flowing frantically around his body. Jack let out a short puff of breath, making them both chuckle nervously, before he took a deep breath in. Alex thought he was about to chicken out and run, say that he got it wrong, that Alex wasn’t good enough and he never was into guy’s. But he didn’t.
“Alexander William Gaskarth, I am so in love with you.” His voice was firm and strong, yet gentle at the same time. The words were music to the elder’s ears, and the grin returned to his features as he launched himself at his boyfriend, eagerly throwing himself into his lap.
“I’ve never said that and meant it before.” Jack confessed quietly, so quietly Alex wasn’t sure he was meant to hear, but all it did was strengthen the smile on his face, add to the ache in his cheeks and too the desperate want to sob uncontrollably. They sat there together for a moment, Alex clung to Jack who was planting soft kisses into the brunette hair in front of him as he tried to keep himself sitting up. Alex composed himself, preparing to say it back, but wanting it to sound as sincere and as beautiful as it did when Jack had said it. He doubted that was even possible, but he was going to give it a try. He pushed himself out of his chest, leaving their faces a few inches apart, a smile on his face and Jack still nervously chewing his lip.
“I love you too, Jack Bassam Barakat.” It came out well, he thought, and had a nice ring to it. Jack’s face literally lit up, his own goofy grin returning to his face once more, all fear dissolving away from his eyes. Grabbing the back of his neck, Alex pulled them together as they shared a slow, emotion filled kiss, sitting in the summer sun.
‘Perfection.’

Notes

sorry these chapters are short, but its kinda fluff so thats cool right?
thanks for reading, big love to you all xoxoxo