Holding On To Keep This Strong
Wolves At The Door
Alex let out a breath and looked at his email one last time. This wasn't real, he wouldn't believe it. Oli had not contacted him not after all these years. There was no way that this was real. But there it was, displayed right on the screen in front of him. Oli was coming back for a job and he wanted to meet with him. Fuck. This wasn't good. Not for him and Jack anyway; of whom was supposed to be coming over in a couple hours. Alex just stated blankly at the screen before hitting reply.
Maybe it was dumb to agree to meet with Oli but after all he'd done for him it felt wrong to decline. Besides Oli was probably in a relationship by now and not looking to rekindle any bit of their former romance. But that didn't stop Alex from getting nervous about it and feeling strange for doing so. He sighed yet again and shut his computer after sending a brief message to the other boy. Maybe he shouldn't have sent it after all you never truly get over your first love. But he pushed past all thoughts of doubt and went into the living room to clean up for his date with Jack.
-
"Lex you've been awfully quiet tonight, what's the matter?" Jack asked his eyes showing all the worry that Alex was trying to avoid.
"Nothing...I've just got a lot of grading to do with all the portfolios and I still don't know what to get my dad for Christmas. I've just got a lot stressing me out." He lied--not that none of those things bothered him but they weren't to blame for his distance that night-- but thankfully Jack bought it.
"Well why don't you just relax now? I bet I can get your mind off of it." Jack grinned and moved his legs to stratal Alex's hips. He dipped forward pressing his lips to the teacher's slow and sweet clearly with no intent other than distracting the elder from all his problems. "Isn't that better?" He murmured a few minutes later, his lips still barely apart from Alex's brushing the elder's lips with every word.
"Much." Alex said back keeping his voice low as not to shatter the atmosphere they'd created. He raised a hand to the small of the younger's back the other finding its way into Jack's hair. Then they were kissing again, tingles shooting from each of their lips into the other's and shooting through their bodies. And that was just enough to clear all of the fear and worry towards meeting with Oli. How right this felt well that didn't just happen with anyone and Alex was definitely sure that he'd never had this with Oli. Their lips didn't mold perfectly together, they didn't have the same chemistry, they weren't right for each other from the start. But him and Jack...they had that somehow they were right for each other. And that was something Alex wouldn't just give up for a dead flame.
-
"You wanna pass the spring rolls?" Alex asked from where he was sitting on the floor across from Jack at his coffee table.
"Not really." Jack laughed as he handed the elder the wax paper bag.
"Hey, did I tell you about the road trip yet?"
"No, I haven't heard a thing about a road trip." "Oh, well my friends and I have been planning a trip and I was wondering if you'd wanna come with us? It'll be after graduation so you don't have to miss work or anything."
"I'd love to go...uh Jack it'd have to be a little while after you graduate though, I mean for it to be safe for us y'know."
"Yeah I know, it'd seem a little weird if we just started being really public right after graduation. Oh and uh have you found someone to pretend date...I was thinking Kyle since he already knows about us and all."
"I'll talk to him about it...I just don't think it'd be very convincing. You and I are fine right now so there's no rush."
"I'm glad you think so." Jack smiled wide and moved himself over to the other side of the table to snuggle into Alex's side. "Cause I don't wanna think of us not being okay."
"Neither do I Jacky." Alex sighed contentedly and wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Uh...I lied to you earlier sort of, I had something else bothering me."
"Well it couldn't have been that bad, right?"
"I dunno that's up to you...I uhm, Oli got in touch with me and he wants to meet up."
Jack paused and frowned for a few moments before speaking again. "Y-you, why wouldn't you just tell me?"
"I freaked out...don't be mad, please?"
"I'm not mad." Jack sighed and pulled away from the elder. "I, just you could've told me...why were you upset about it?"
"I was worried about how you'd feel about it... And I really don't understand why he'd want to meet with me after all these years."
"I-I guess I'm okay with it...A-are you gonna meet with him?"
"Yeah, I think so...I mean unless you don't want me to."
"No, it's all up to you. I'm not worried about it cause everything works out the way it should, right?"
"Yeah I guess it does."
"But can you tell me that you'll be open about this next time he talks to you...it makes me nervous when you get all distant and stuff."
"I promise I'll talk to you about this and I'll try my best to not close off to you."
"Thanks Lex." Jack smiled and scooted back into his teacher's side. "And uhm while we're talking about stuff...I'm thinking about moving in with my dad."
"Really?"
"Y-yeah...I'm so torn though. He's got a really small place and I don't know of I'll have as much freedom with him as I do right now." Jack bit his lip and looked to Alex with hopeful eyes almost searching for approval. But the teachers knotted brows seemed to show the opposite of what Jack was looking for.
"Have you talked with your mom about it?"
"No...I haven't talked to her at all since Thanks Giving. She hasn't tried talking to me either."
"Baby I know this isn't what you'll want to hear but you have to be the mature one here talk to her. In the long run you know you don't want to have a broken relationship with your mom."
"I know." Jack sighed as he put his head on Alex's chest. "I just don't know what to say to her, am I supposed to tell her I know how she's been keeping me from my dad for all these years or am I supposed to just try and forget it. I dunno what to do."
"You have to work it all out, you can't run from her or ignore the problems, that'll only make things worse and you know it."
"Yeah, I guess. I just can't see it going well."
"Maybe it won't go well but it'll be better than leaving things alone. Just trust me, family is always there and to not be on good terms with them it sucks."
Jack shrugged and toyed with the hem of Alex's shirt knowing the older was right. "I'll try to talk to her."
"As long as you try things will work out maybe not right away but they'll work."
"Thanks Lex...but that still doesn't change much with my dad. He misses me and after graduation he won't see me much."
"Maybe instead of taking such a big step as moving in with him you two can meet on the weekends and stuff. You're rushing into this."
"I know. I guess I'll have to try spending more time with him but you know that'll mean less time I spend with you on the weekends."
"I think I can manage." Alex chuckled and kissed the younger's hair. "As long as I get to see you when you're not busy I'll be fine."
Jack smiled at that and tipped his head up to catch Alex's lips with his own. "Well I'll make sure I'm not that busy." He mumbled as he pulled away from the elder only to have Alex press their lips back together.
Maybe neither of them were perfect and had made the slightest mistakes towards each other tonight, some more present than others, but what they had well that was perfect. Both of them were convinced of it, with how smoothly they recovered faults ,talking came easy, and kissing was as simple as breathing. What they had was something people waited and wished for for their entire lives but seldom found. Which made it just that much harder to think of the possible dangers and issues that could come between them. Especially with the situation that their relationship was suspended over right off the bat. Which only made Jack much more nervous than he'd let on about their staying together. And Alex much more frantic over seeing his ex boyfriend again. But true love always prevails so there was nothing to fret over, right? Yet then again hearts in love are a minds alcohol, making decisions weak and vision blurred. So maybe they had the world to worry over but maybe not. All either of them knew was that in their present emotions they'd hold onto each other as long and as tight as they had to to keep their relationship strong.
Maybe it was dumb to agree to meet with Oli but after all he'd done for him it felt wrong to decline. Besides Oli was probably in a relationship by now and not looking to rekindle any bit of their former romance. But that didn't stop Alex from getting nervous about it and feeling strange for doing so. He sighed yet again and shut his computer after sending a brief message to the other boy. Maybe he shouldn't have sent it after all you never truly get over your first love. But he pushed past all thoughts of doubt and went into the living room to clean up for his date with Jack.
-
"Lex you've been awfully quiet tonight, what's the matter?" Jack asked his eyes showing all the worry that Alex was trying to avoid.
"Nothing...I've just got a lot of grading to do with all the portfolios and I still don't know what to get my dad for Christmas. I've just got a lot stressing me out." He lied--not that none of those things bothered him but they weren't to blame for his distance that night-- but thankfully Jack bought it.
"Well why don't you just relax now? I bet I can get your mind off of it." Jack grinned and moved his legs to stratal Alex's hips. He dipped forward pressing his lips to the teacher's slow and sweet clearly with no intent other than distracting the elder from all his problems. "Isn't that better?" He murmured a few minutes later, his lips still barely apart from Alex's brushing the elder's lips with every word.
"Much." Alex said back keeping his voice low as not to shatter the atmosphere they'd created. He raised a hand to the small of the younger's back the other finding its way into Jack's hair. Then they were kissing again, tingles shooting from each of their lips into the other's and shooting through their bodies. And that was just enough to clear all of the fear and worry towards meeting with Oli. How right this felt well that didn't just happen with anyone and Alex was definitely sure that he'd never had this with Oli. Their lips didn't mold perfectly together, they didn't have the same chemistry, they weren't right for each other from the start. But him and Jack...they had that somehow they were right for each other. And that was something Alex wouldn't just give up for a dead flame.
-
"You wanna pass the spring rolls?" Alex asked from where he was sitting on the floor across from Jack at his coffee table.
"Not really." Jack laughed as he handed the elder the wax paper bag.
"Hey, did I tell you about the road trip yet?"
"No, I haven't heard a thing about a road trip." "Oh, well my friends and I have been planning a trip and I was wondering if you'd wanna come with us? It'll be after graduation so you don't have to miss work or anything."
"I'd love to go...uh Jack it'd have to be a little while after you graduate though, I mean for it to be safe for us y'know."
"Yeah I know, it'd seem a little weird if we just started being really public right after graduation. Oh and uh have you found someone to pretend date...I was thinking Kyle since he already knows about us and all."
"I'll talk to him about it...I just don't think it'd be very convincing. You and I are fine right now so there's no rush."
"I'm glad you think so." Jack smiled wide and moved himself over to the other side of the table to snuggle into Alex's side. "Cause I don't wanna think of us not being okay."
"Neither do I Jacky." Alex sighed contentedly and wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Uh...I lied to you earlier sort of, I had something else bothering me."
"Well it couldn't have been that bad, right?"
"I dunno that's up to you...I uhm, Oli got in touch with me and he wants to meet up."
Jack paused and frowned for a few moments before speaking again. "Y-you, why wouldn't you just tell me?"
"I freaked out...don't be mad, please?"
"I'm not mad." Jack sighed and pulled away from the elder. "I, just you could've told me...why were you upset about it?"
"I was worried about how you'd feel about it... And I really don't understand why he'd want to meet with me after all these years."
"I-I guess I'm okay with it...A-are you gonna meet with him?"
"Yeah, I think so...I mean unless you don't want me to."
"No, it's all up to you. I'm not worried about it cause everything works out the way it should, right?"
"Yeah I guess it does."
"But can you tell me that you'll be open about this next time he talks to you...it makes me nervous when you get all distant and stuff."
"I promise I'll talk to you about this and I'll try my best to not close off to you."
"Thanks Lex." Jack smiled and scooted back into his teacher's side. "And uhm while we're talking about stuff...I'm thinking about moving in with my dad."
"Really?"
"Y-yeah...I'm so torn though. He's got a really small place and I don't know of I'll have as much freedom with him as I do right now." Jack bit his lip and looked to Alex with hopeful eyes almost searching for approval. But the teachers knotted brows seemed to show the opposite of what Jack was looking for.
"Have you talked with your mom about it?"
"No...I haven't talked to her at all since Thanks Giving. She hasn't tried talking to me either."
"Baby I know this isn't what you'll want to hear but you have to be the mature one here talk to her. In the long run you know you don't want to have a broken relationship with your mom."
"I know." Jack sighed as he put his head on Alex's chest. "I just don't know what to say to her, am I supposed to tell her I know how she's been keeping me from my dad for all these years or am I supposed to just try and forget it. I dunno what to do."
"You have to work it all out, you can't run from her or ignore the problems, that'll only make things worse and you know it."
"Yeah, I guess. I just can't see it going well."
"Maybe it won't go well but it'll be better than leaving things alone. Just trust me, family is always there and to not be on good terms with them it sucks."
Jack shrugged and toyed with the hem of Alex's shirt knowing the older was right. "I'll try to talk to her."
"As long as you try things will work out maybe not right away but they'll work."
"Thanks Lex...but that still doesn't change much with my dad. He misses me and after graduation he won't see me much."
"Maybe instead of taking such a big step as moving in with him you two can meet on the weekends and stuff. You're rushing into this."
"I know. I guess I'll have to try spending more time with him but you know that'll mean less time I spend with you on the weekends."
"I think I can manage." Alex chuckled and kissed the younger's hair. "As long as I get to see you when you're not busy I'll be fine."
Jack smiled at that and tipped his head up to catch Alex's lips with his own. "Well I'll make sure I'm not that busy." He mumbled as he pulled away from the elder only to have Alex press their lips back together.
Maybe neither of them were perfect and had made the slightest mistakes towards each other tonight, some more present than others, but what they had well that was perfect. Both of them were convinced of it, with how smoothly they recovered faults ,talking came easy, and kissing was as simple as breathing. What they had was something people waited and wished for for their entire lives but seldom found. Which made it just that much harder to think of the possible dangers and issues that could come between them. Especially with the situation that their relationship was suspended over right off the bat. Which only made Jack much more nervous than he'd let on about their staying together. And Alex much more frantic over seeing his ex boyfriend again. But true love always prevails so there was nothing to fret over, right? Yet then again hearts in love are a minds alcohol, making decisions weak and vision blurred. So maybe they had the world to worry over but maybe not. All either of them knew was that in their present emotions they'd hold onto each other as long and as tight as they had to to keep their relationship strong.
Okay I normally cringe at student/teacher fics, but cuz it's a 6 year age difference, I gave it a shot. This story is so great! The ending is beautiful. My eyes are watering. Not even kidding.
2/28/16