Holding On To Keep This Strong
Not Giving Up
"Hey Oli." Alex said into his cell phone, leaning back in his chair behind his desk. He had a couple more free periods left before ninth so he was using the time wisely putting grades into his computer.
"Hey, I saw your note. Sorry I couldn't call earlier, I've had a really busy day."
"Yeah, it's fine. Thanks for last night...I'm glad you're always here for me even when I don't deserve you."
"Don't thank me...I...well you know how I feel. And if you still need a place to stay I'm here."
"Thanks Oli." Alex smiled, not sure if it was out of happieness or sadness.
"What are fake boyfriends for? It just makes us look more official, right?"
"Yeah, of course...I guess I'll see you later tonight then."
"Yeah...hey, maybe we could go out for dinner tonight if you don't have too much to do?"
"That sounds great."
"Awesome, thanks for giving our friendship a chance by the way."
"No problem...I'm glad I did. I've gotta go though.
"Oh, alright. See you later then."
"Yeah, bye Oli-bear."
"...Bye Lexy-lamb." Oli replied hesitantly, smile evident in his voice. Which was enough to let Alex know it was okay to hang up and get back to work.
-
By Wednesday Alex was growing pretty used to his and Oli's routine since he'd been staying at the latter's place. He rather liked it but it didn't stop him from being homesick, not necessarily for his apartment but for Jack. As dumb as it sounds he was Jack-sick. But he couldn't bring himself to talk to the younger boy, not now anyway.
And after first period that day he didn't want to talk to him. All Jack had done was stare...not in anger, not in pain, in fact Alex wasn't sure what was hiding in Jack's eyes. But he knew that they hadn't left him the entire period. And that only set him back he just didn't feel ready to confront their problems yet. He only felt more hurt after seeing the younger which was ridiculous because despite that the entire period he'd just wanted to pull Jack into his chest and hold him close. And he really wasn't quite sure who was hurting more, him or Jack. But that didn't really matter in the scheme of things because both of them were hurt and they really shouldn't have been. They should have worked out their problems by now and been happily together thinking about how quickly graduation was approaching -- Just two more months until May. Alex just guessed he'd have to wait though because he couldn't rush his feelings nor Jack approaching him about everything.
-
Alex looked up from his desk at the sudden knock on his opened door to see a ninth period student peeking in. More specifically, Zack peeking in. And unless things had changed it was the same Zack that held the title of Jack's best friend.
"Come in." Alex smiled, getting up from behind his desk.
Zack nodded and walked over to where Alex was standing. His large frame shrouding over Alex's smaller by comparison.
"Can I talk to you?" He stated more so than asked.
"Sure, what's up?" Alex asked, his teacher persona quickly fleeing. He had a feeling that the coming conversation would have nothing to do with school at all.
"I'm pretty sure you know."
"Listen if this is about Jack, this" he said gesturing to the classroom. "Is not the time or place."
"Then what is? When's a good time for you to talk to him? Because he's been waiting for you since you left." Zack seethed, glaring at Alex and obviously fighting to keep a leveled and calm tone. "Maybe you're too busy with your new boyfriend, I don't know. But I do know that you're hurting my best friend and you need to make up your mind about whatever the hell you two are."
Alex took a few moments before speaking, because right now he wasn't quite sure what to do. Zack wasn't his equal, not in this setting anyway. And he still wasn't all that comfortable with mentioning his and Jack's relationship in the school.
"I'm sorry...I can't talk to you about this...But let him know I'm coming back...I just don't know when."
"Its not my job to tell him what you want him to hear, you're the one dating him so you let him know. Not me." Zack said turning on his heel to leave the classroom. "And if you hurt him, do anything stupid to break his heart, you've gotta deal with me."
Alex sighed and turned away, he knew that it was an empty threat yet at the same time it was loaded. Not necessarily with consequences but emotions he and Jack both didn't need to suffer through.
-
Jack shut the door behind him to their...no Alex's apartment. He sighed and looked around, everything about Alex just surrounding him.
The messy piles of books scattered just where Alex had left them, the book cases against the walls, organized almost perfectly, and then the fun stuff. The post it notes stuck to books and quite a few on the book cases, the painting above the couch that his mother had made, the permanent coffe mug stain on the coffe table. Every little detail of Alex all lay right here. Everything that made Jack love him was sitting right there...yet he wasn't.
The teen shook his head and trudged into the kitchen to get a snack before beginning his homework.
Two hours later and Jack had finished everything he'd needed to do...which only left him to think of Alex and wait. Which was insane because he could easily just call him...so he did.
"Hello?" Alex answered, obviously not having checked the caller I.D.
"Lex..." He trailed off unsure of how to ask Alex to come back and help clean the mess they'd made of
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"What are you calling for?"
"I...I uhm...fuck, I miss you. I want you to come back home...I need you to come back."
"I-I miss you too...I just can't come back right now, it hasn't been that long and I'm still hurt."
"Alex we can't do this. We can't just sit and not deal with things until we feel better, if we work like that we'll never make it past a year together."
"You know that's not what I meant. Tomorrow, okay? I'll come home tomorrow...and we'll talk."
"Okay...you know we don't need to talk, right? I had a little slip up, I doubted us. It happens and I try not to but I can't help it when we're just so complicated together."
"I know baby...I know. I can't say I haven't had doubts either but I love you. And I know that I wouldn't take a chance like this on anyone else so there's something special about you and me."
"So we're good?"
"Yeah...we're good. I love you, kitten."
"Love you too Lex."
"Hey, I saw your note. Sorry I couldn't call earlier, I've had a really busy day."
"Yeah, it's fine. Thanks for last night...I'm glad you're always here for me even when I don't deserve you."
"Don't thank me...I...well you know how I feel. And if you still need a place to stay I'm here."
"Thanks Oli." Alex smiled, not sure if it was out of happieness or sadness.
"What are fake boyfriends for? It just makes us look more official, right?"
"Yeah, of course...I guess I'll see you later tonight then."
"Yeah...hey, maybe we could go out for dinner tonight if you don't have too much to do?"
"That sounds great."
"Awesome, thanks for giving our friendship a chance by the way."
"No problem...I'm glad I did. I've gotta go though.
"Oh, alright. See you later then."
"Yeah, bye Oli-bear."
"...Bye Lexy-lamb." Oli replied hesitantly, smile evident in his voice. Which was enough to let Alex know it was okay to hang up and get back to work.
-
By Wednesday Alex was growing pretty used to his and Oli's routine since he'd been staying at the latter's place. He rather liked it but it didn't stop him from being homesick, not necessarily for his apartment but for Jack. As dumb as it sounds he was Jack-sick. But he couldn't bring himself to talk to the younger boy, not now anyway.
And after first period that day he didn't want to talk to him. All Jack had done was stare...not in anger, not in pain, in fact Alex wasn't sure what was hiding in Jack's eyes. But he knew that they hadn't left him the entire period. And that only set him back he just didn't feel ready to confront their problems yet. He only felt more hurt after seeing the younger which was ridiculous because despite that the entire period he'd just wanted to pull Jack into his chest and hold him close. And he really wasn't quite sure who was hurting more, him or Jack. But that didn't really matter in the scheme of things because both of them were hurt and they really shouldn't have been. They should have worked out their problems by now and been happily together thinking about how quickly graduation was approaching -- Just two more months until May. Alex just guessed he'd have to wait though because he couldn't rush his feelings nor Jack approaching him about everything.
-
Alex looked up from his desk at the sudden knock on his opened door to see a ninth period student peeking in. More specifically, Zack peeking in. And unless things had changed it was the same Zack that held the title of Jack's best friend.
"Come in." Alex smiled, getting up from behind his desk.
Zack nodded and walked over to where Alex was standing. His large frame shrouding over Alex's smaller by comparison.
"Can I talk to you?" He stated more so than asked.
"Sure, what's up?" Alex asked, his teacher persona quickly fleeing. He had a feeling that the coming conversation would have nothing to do with school at all.
"I'm pretty sure you know."
"Listen if this is about Jack, this" he said gesturing to the classroom. "Is not the time or place."
"Then what is? When's a good time for you to talk to him? Because he's been waiting for you since you left." Zack seethed, glaring at Alex and obviously fighting to keep a leveled and calm tone. "Maybe you're too busy with your new boyfriend, I don't know. But I do know that you're hurting my best friend and you need to make up your mind about whatever the hell you two are."
Alex took a few moments before speaking, because right now he wasn't quite sure what to do. Zack wasn't his equal, not in this setting anyway. And he still wasn't all that comfortable with mentioning his and Jack's relationship in the school.
"I'm sorry...I can't talk to you about this...But let him know I'm coming back...I just don't know when."
"Its not my job to tell him what you want him to hear, you're the one dating him so you let him know. Not me." Zack said turning on his heel to leave the classroom. "And if you hurt him, do anything stupid to break his heart, you've gotta deal with me."
Alex sighed and turned away, he knew that it was an empty threat yet at the same time it was loaded. Not necessarily with consequences but emotions he and Jack both didn't need to suffer through.
-
Jack shut the door behind him to their...no Alex's apartment. He sighed and looked around, everything about Alex just surrounding him.
The messy piles of books scattered just where Alex had left them, the book cases against the walls, organized almost perfectly, and then the fun stuff. The post it notes stuck to books and quite a few on the book cases, the painting above the couch that his mother had made, the permanent coffe mug stain on the coffe table. Every little detail of Alex all lay right here. Everything that made Jack love him was sitting right there...yet he wasn't.
The teen shook his head and trudged into the kitchen to get a snack before beginning his homework.
Two hours later and Jack had finished everything he'd needed to do...which only left him to think of Alex and wait. Which was insane because he could easily just call him...so he did.
"Hello?" Alex answered, obviously not having checked the caller I.D.
"Lex..." He trailed off unsure of how to ask Alex to come back and help clean the mess they'd made of
"Jack?"
"Yeah?"
"What are you calling for?"
"I...I uhm...fuck, I miss you. I want you to come back home...I need you to come back."
"I-I miss you too...I just can't come back right now, it hasn't been that long and I'm still hurt."
"Alex we can't do this. We can't just sit and not deal with things until we feel better, if we work like that we'll never make it past a year together."
"You know that's not what I meant. Tomorrow, okay? I'll come home tomorrow...and we'll talk."
"Okay...you know we don't need to talk, right? I had a little slip up, I doubted us. It happens and I try not to but I can't help it when we're just so complicated together."
"I know baby...I know. I can't say I haven't had doubts either but I love you. And I know that I wouldn't take a chance like this on anyone else so there's something special about you and me."
"So we're good?"
"Yeah...we're good. I love you, kitten."
"Love you too Lex."
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