Holding On To Keep This Strong
Reasoning
Alex shuffled towards the door of his apartment, completely thrown off guard. He hadn't been expecting anybody but he decided to buzz them up anyway. He opened the door seeing Jack standing there weak smile on his lips. And someone else standing behind the teenager, and if Alex's memory served him correctly it was the same woman who had come to conferences...Jack's mother.
"Hey Lex."
"Hey Jack...come in." He said looking towards the teen's mother. "Mrs. Armstrong." He said finally addressing her, though he wasn't sure that it was the name he should call her by now. But Barakat was Jack's father's last name, so he didn't truly know what to address her as.
She simply nodded at him sensing his uneasiness probably sharing similar emotions.
Alex shut the door behind her, now looking to Jack for an explanation. But the teenager didn't seem very interested in giving one, struggling to walk towards the couch so he could sit down.
"Jay, stop. You're just hurting yourself." Alex said, finally moving from where he stood at the door, stepping towards his boyfriend. "C'mere." He said gently as he wrapped an arm around Jack's waist, using the other to take Jack off of his feet and carry him to the couch.
"Jack, do you want to explain what's going on here?" The teen's mother inquired, frowning at the couple of whom were now sitting on the couch - well Alex sitting, Jack laying down using the elder's lap as a pillow.
"Mom, could you sit down." Jack more of stated than asked. So she did, taking the arm chair that was closest to Alex. "Uh...Alex is my boyfriend. It's weird yeah and maybe really illegal bu-"
"No, he's not. Jack we're leaving."
"Excuse me, but Jack's been through a lot the least you could do is listen to him." Alex stepped in, looking down at the younger boy who was smiling his thanks up at him.
"Okay, fine. I'll listen, how the hell can you explain this?"
"I had a crush on Alex and kind of made the first move and everything and I guess for some weird reason he liked me too. A-"
"Jack, he's your teacher, god knows how much older he is than you."
"Uh, not that much actually. Six years, my parent were seven years apart. It's really not a very big age gap." Alex said, trying to be a voice of reason. But he felt as though he was coming off like he was guilty of something rather than simply explaining anything.
"I-I...why would you date a student? Of all people and my Jack. Why him?"
"Mom." Jack groaned. "Stop, please. I need him right now okay, he's taken care of me every time you weren't there. I stayed with him the entire time you were gone. I love him and I know that probably just sounds stupid to you but I do. I need both of you right now."
She didn't say anything for a long while after that only looking from Jack to Alex and back.
"I don't like this, not at all. But right now I don't have any choice but to accept it...just tell me one thing. There was no chance you were with him last night, is there? I know I really shouldn't even be accusing you when Jack okay with you touching him, but I just need to be sure."
"I was here all night, I swear." Alex said, completely understanding where Jack's mother was coming from. Though the expression on Jack's face showed exactly how he felt about his mother's question. "I've even got an alibi of you need it. I was skyping my best friend nearly all night."
She nodded. "Its alright. I'm just going to trust it."
-
A few hours later and Jack was taking a much needed bath. He'd opted on sleeping in Alex's bed for awhile after his mother had finally calmed down, he needed the rest. And aside from that he knew that Alex and his mother probably needed to talk amongst themselves. There was still a lot that he hadn't covered with his mom about their relationship and he was sure she had questions that she wouldn't dare ask him. Not after the day he'd had anyway.
-
"So... Six months, you two have been together that long and I haven't had a clue." Joyce said almost laughing at herself. She and Alex were sitting at his dining room table, each with a mug of tea in hand. "How much of a bad mother am I?"
"You're not, you've just had a lot going on too, maybe neglected him a little but he's okay right now that's what's important."
"How can you say he's okay? He was just...he violated him and at the hospital they had to go back in all of those places to get evidence, how on Earth can you say he's okay?"
"I know Jack, in a completely different way than you do. He's hurt, yeah. He probably won't let on how hurt he really is but right now he's okay, he's safe from being hurt again. He knows you're really there for him this time. He's gonna hold onto that and try to get away from what happened. And when he wants to talk about it he will."
"You know him..." She sighed. "You know my own son better than I do...why'd you agree to it, doing this with him?"
Alex shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer her. "I guess I was in love with him before I knew it. I don't know why but denying him never even crossed my mind."
Joyce nodded and took a sip of her tea. "Maybe you should go check on him...I need to head out and pick up some of our things."
"Jack's got everything he needs here. Just take care of yourself for now, I know you're going through the ringer too."
"Yeah, I am aren't I? Divorce number two is going to be on it's way soon and know what I just realized, my son is gay. I didn't even think of it when he called you his boyfriend."
"Does that really matter though?"
"Him being gay? No, not at all, it only just dawned on me. Anyways I'm gonna go, I'll be back in about an hour."
"Alright...thanks for listening to me Joyce."
"Its no problem Alex, it's what Jack needed me to do anyway." She smiled weakly before standing up from the table and grabbing her coat. "I'll see you later."
"Alright, bye Joyce."
Alex sighed and leaned back in his chair offer Jack's mother had left. He hadn't realized just how messy Jack's home life was until now, in fact he didn't even think Jack knew exactly how bad his home life was. His mother a complete wreck at this point who just didn't completely know how to care for anyone anymore. And though it was obvious to Alex that she was trying to learn how to be a mother again he was worried she was learning a little too late.
"Hey Lex."
"Hey Jack...come in." He said looking towards the teen's mother. "Mrs. Armstrong." He said finally addressing her, though he wasn't sure that it was the name he should call her by now. But Barakat was Jack's father's last name, so he didn't truly know what to address her as.
She simply nodded at him sensing his uneasiness probably sharing similar emotions.
Alex shut the door behind her, now looking to Jack for an explanation. But the teenager didn't seem very interested in giving one, struggling to walk towards the couch so he could sit down.
"Jay, stop. You're just hurting yourself." Alex said, finally moving from where he stood at the door, stepping towards his boyfriend. "C'mere." He said gently as he wrapped an arm around Jack's waist, using the other to take Jack off of his feet and carry him to the couch.
"Jack, do you want to explain what's going on here?" The teen's mother inquired, frowning at the couple of whom were now sitting on the couch - well Alex sitting, Jack laying down using the elder's lap as a pillow.
"Mom, could you sit down." Jack more of stated than asked. So she did, taking the arm chair that was closest to Alex. "Uh...Alex is my boyfriend. It's weird yeah and maybe really illegal bu-"
"No, he's not. Jack we're leaving."
"Excuse me, but Jack's been through a lot the least you could do is listen to him." Alex stepped in, looking down at the younger boy who was smiling his thanks up at him.
"Okay, fine. I'll listen, how the hell can you explain this?"
"I had a crush on Alex and kind of made the first move and everything and I guess for some weird reason he liked me too. A-"
"Jack, he's your teacher, god knows how much older he is than you."
"Uh, not that much actually. Six years, my parent were seven years apart. It's really not a very big age gap." Alex said, trying to be a voice of reason. But he felt as though he was coming off like he was guilty of something rather than simply explaining anything.
"I-I...why would you date a student? Of all people and my Jack. Why him?"
"Mom." Jack groaned. "Stop, please. I need him right now okay, he's taken care of me every time you weren't there. I stayed with him the entire time you were gone. I love him and I know that probably just sounds stupid to you but I do. I need both of you right now."
She didn't say anything for a long while after that only looking from Jack to Alex and back.
"I don't like this, not at all. But right now I don't have any choice but to accept it...just tell me one thing. There was no chance you were with him last night, is there? I know I really shouldn't even be accusing you when Jack okay with you touching him, but I just need to be sure."
"I was here all night, I swear." Alex said, completely understanding where Jack's mother was coming from. Though the expression on Jack's face showed exactly how he felt about his mother's question. "I've even got an alibi of you need it. I was skyping my best friend nearly all night."
She nodded. "Its alright. I'm just going to trust it."
-
A few hours later and Jack was taking a much needed bath. He'd opted on sleeping in Alex's bed for awhile after his mother had finally calmed down, he needed the rest. And aside from that he knew that Alex and his mother probably needed to talk amongst themselves. There was still a lot that he hadn't covered with his mom about their relationship and he was sure she had questions that she wouldn't dare ask him. Not after the day he'd had anyway.
-
"So... Six months, you two have been together that long and I haven't had a clue." Joyce said almost laughing at herself. She and Alex were sitting at his dining room table, each with a mug of tea in hand. "How much of a bad mother am I?"
"You're not, you've just had a lot going on too, maybe neglected him a little but he's okay right now that's what's important."
"How can you say he's okay? He was just...he violated him and at the hospital they had to go back in all of those places to get evidence, how on Earth can you say he's okay?"
"I know Jack, in a completely different way than you do. He's hurt, yeah. He probably won't let on how hurt he really is but right now he's okay, he's safe from being hurt again. He knows you're really there for him this time. He's gonna hold onto that and try to get away from what happened. And when he wants to talk about it he will."
"You know him..." She sighed. "You know my own son better than I do...why'd you agree to it, doing this with him?"
Alex shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer her. "I guess I was in love with him before I knew it. I don't know why but denying him never even crossed my mind."
Joyce nodded and took a sip of her tea. "Maybe you should go check on him...I need to head out and pick up some of our things."
"Jack's got everything he needs here. Just take care of yourself for now, I know you're going through the ringer too."
"Yeah, I am aren't I? Divorce number two is going to be on it's way soon and know what I just realized, my son is gay. I didn't even think of it when he called you his boyfriend."
"Does that really matter though?"
"Him being gay? No, not at all, it only just dawned on me. Anyways I'm gonna go, I'll be back in about an hour."
"Alright...thanks for listening to me Joyce."
"Its no problem Alex, it's what Jack needed me to do anyway." She smiled weakly before standing up from the table and grabbing her coat. "I'll see you later."
"Alright, bye Joyce."
Alex sighed and leaned back in his chair offer Jack's mother had left. He hadn't realized just how messy Jack's home life was until now, in fact he didn't even think Jack knew exactly how bad his home life was. His mother a complete wreck at this point who just didn't completely know how to care for anyone anymore. And though it was obvious to Alex that she was trying to learn how to be a mother again he was worried she was learning a little too late.
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