Warning: Mentions of self-harm, abuse, death and alcohol abuse.


"Tom, Tom, Tom, look what I've got, look, look!" A giddy five year-old Alex Gaskarth ran across the school playground to his brother; who was sitting peacefully on the bench in the school grounds. Tom picked Alex up, a smile on his face, and placed him down in his lap.

"Oh, what's this, buddy?" He asks, looking down at the paper with a lot of colourful stickers attached to it.

"I completed my sticker chart, Tom!" Alex yelled in excitement. He felt proud of himself, felt like he was doing a good job. Tom clapped softly and ruffled Alex's hair up.

"Come on, let's take you to the park as your award. I'm proud of you, Lex." He looked down at his younger brother, a proud smile on both of their faces.

"Really?!" The younger brother gasped, clenching the paper to his chest. Tom nodded.

"There's not a day that goes past where I'm not proud of you." Tom kissed the top of his brother's head, placing him off him carefully. They walked down to the park, Alex's hand secured by his brother so he doesn't get lost or hurt.

~~~

"Hey, why don't you go show the other kids how proud you are of your sticker chart? Go make some friends, bud'" Tom looked down at Alex, who was at his feet, his fingers grazing over the stickers he's collected. Alex's head snapped up to his older brother.

"Okay!" He jumped up, his sticker chart still pulled safely at his chest. The first nice, kind looking kid that's about his age, was the kid with the blue bucket and spade, sat in the sandbox by himself. Alex grinned, walking over to the brown haired boy. Alex jumped in the sandbox, laughing when his butt hit the sand.

"Hey." Alex smiled over to the boy who was planting a sandcastle. The brown haired boy looked up to the voice, not daring to say anything.

"Do you wanna look at this? It's my sticker chart." Alex said confidently and proud, his fingers tucked in the warm, soft sand. Jack nodded, still quite afraid of the elder boy. There's only one year difference between them, but the younger still felt like he was a baby compared to the older.

"My name's Alex, what's yours?" Alex asked kindly, handing the pride of paper to the younger.

"Jack." The darker haired boy spoke, looking up and down the sticker chart. He looked over the colourful, bright sticker stars, and then fixed his gaze on Alex.

"That's awesome, how did you do it?" Jack asks, sending the paper back over to Alex. Alex just shrugged, holding his paper.

"I think I've seen you 'round. You the new kid?" Alex asks, looking up and down Jack, furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah, " The younger smiled at Alex.

"Do you wanna help me build an empire's castle?" Jack asks, looking down at the sandcastles he has built around the sandbox. The corners of Alex's lips turned up as he nodded.

"Sure."

~~~

"Alex, say goodbye, we've got to go!" Tom called from the bench he was on. Alex looked sadly at Jack, his new friend. Jack wore the some look, lifting up the bucket for the final sandcastle.

"I've got to go. I'll see you around school, yeah?" Alex asks, standing up from the sandbox, brushing the sand of his clothes.

"Yeah, see you, Alex." He grinned, waving with one hand. Alex waved back, taking one last look at Jack before running up to his brother.

"Ready?" Tom asks, looking down at his smiling brother, his beer bottle that he brought from the shop in one hand. Alex nodded, grabbing Tom's hand. They both made their way home, Alex thinking about his new friend.

~~~

"No, Tom! I'm sick and tired of seeing you with the same looking death liquid every time you come home! You're drinking yourself to six feet under!" Alex hears his mum shouting at his brother. He places himself around his covers, head against the pillow. It's everyday that they seem to fight.

"I don't care!" Tom spat back.

"Well I do!"

"I'm not gonna stop. You can't make me!"

"I've had enough of you." His mum spoke in a more calmer voice, but frustration still there.

"Good. I'm going upstairs!" Tom stormed away from his mum, the beer bottle still in his hand.

"Go drink yourself to sleep, then. See where that ends up!" Tom heard his mother shouting up to him. He sighed, opening his and his little brother's room.

"Hey, Lex." He smiled sadly to his brother, walking over to him and kneeling down beside him.

"What are them black bags for?" Alex asks quietly, pointing to the black bags at Tom's bed. It's strange that they have to share a room, but his mum can't afford a bigger house. Tom bit his lip, looking over to the bags before turning his gaze to his younger brother.

"I have to go," He spoke sadly, reaching up and rubbing Alex's cheek.

"I can't stay here any longer, buddy." He whispered, his thumb rubbing gently along Alex's chin. He let a tear slip by his eye.

"Can I come with you?" Alex asks hopefully, wrapping the covers up to his chin. Tom froze, his emotions spilling out through his eyes. He wiped them with the back of his hand, sniffing quietly.

"No, no you can't, Alex," Tom stood up, planting a kiss on his brother's forehead.

"Bye, Alex. You be good to your mum,okay?" The older brother asks, taking one good last look at Alex. The younger nodded. Tom then walked away from his little brother, stopping at the door.

"Are you still proud of me?" Alex asks, not shredding a tear. He's too young to know what exactly is happening. Tom smiled with his tear-soaked lips, turning around to face his little brother.

" There's not a day that goes past where I'm not proud of you." Were the last words Alex heard before Tom disappeared out the door.

~~~

Alex was woke up the next day by his mother calmly saying his name, telling him to get up for school. Alex groaned, lifting his head off the relaxing, soft pillow and rubbed his eyes. A couple of minutes went by and his mum was sorting out his clothes for today, something Tom always did.

"I'm taking you to school today, Alex. You're brother's gone out for a little while." His mum informed Alex, half lying. She knew what her eldest son was planning. Running away from this city. She tried not to cry and decided on being strong for Alex. She handed him his clothes and helped him get dressed. No matter how much she hated Tom for abusing alcohol, he was still her son. Still her family.

~~~

"Jack!" Alex called, noticing his friend sat down on the carpet in the noisy classroom. Jack's head snapped up to the sound of his name being called out. His eyes searched around before they landed on Alex's. Alex grinned, walking, almost skipping over to Jack, placing himself down in front of him.

"Hey!" Alex beamed, looking down as he saw Jack with Adventure Time figures and a black bird that looked like a Raven.

"What ya' playing?" Alex asks, laying himself down so his belly was on the carpet, his feet high up in the air.

"Just some adventure." Jack shrugged, picking up Finn and placing him down on Jake's back, picking them up and flying them high in the sky like an aeroplane flying through the clouds. Alex watched, amused with the game.

"Cool, can I play?" Alex asks, looking up at Jack through his eyelashes. Jack stops flying Jake and Finn in the air. He pauses and ponders on the question. He never lets anyone play with his figures or in his games. He never trusted any other boy to play his game with his figures because the last time he let that happen, Princess BubbleGum went missing and was never found. Jack suspected the boy had stolen her because she was pretty. He looked down at the smiling Alex, showing no face of a criminal.

"Sure thing. I can be Jake and Finn, you can be the Raven that sweeps in and knocks us down." Jack informed, starting his game all over again. Alex nodded, picking up the dim, black Raven and waiting for Jack to pick up his figures.

They continued their day playing multiple of games and adventures with each other, and to Jack's surprise, he made a new friend. After Alex landed the Raven down on the carpet, from where it was on Jack's shoulder, he decided to invite Jack around.

"Hey, would you like to come 'round mine? I have lots more figures and trucks. Ask your parents." Alex grinned over at Jack, watching the way Jack always looked so friendly and calm. Alex knew this friendship was gonna last for a long time.

"Okay." Jack excitedly said, getting up and wondering to the teacher, who happens to be Jack's mum. Of course she said yes, she's happy knowing that Jack has a new friend. Jack was excited. He's never been around someone else's house. He ran over to Alex.

"She said yea!" Jack yelled, giggling after.

"Yay!" Alex returned the reaction.

~~~

"Alex, wake the fuck up!" He heard his best friend of ten years shout down his ear. He groaned, shaking his head and rolling his body so it didn't face him.

"Fuck off, Jack!" Alex groaned again, snuggling up in the warm covers.

"No, you've got to go to your mum's wedding today! Come on!" Jack shouted, getting frustrated with his best friend's lack of effort to get out of bed. He decided just to rip the covers from his best friend, hoping it will work. He sighed when he saw the older wrap himself in a ball in attempt to keep himself warm.

"I've sorted your clothes out for you so you don't have to." Jack informed, taking a seat next to Alex. Alex sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning quietly. Jack took in his best friend's appearance. He's grown into a very attractive boy who has the the best morning hair, Jack thinks anyway. Alex smiled when he saw Jack staring at him. Alex decided to take in Jack's great looks. His hair was darker than what it was in nursery, seeing that Jack had dyed it black and put blonde streaks at the side and in his fringe. Though both boys will never admit it, they were both crushing on each other. Alex pulled his feet over the bed, deciding to get up.

"I guess I'm up now, you dick." Alex chuckled, walking over to the draws where his clothes for the wedding were.

"Shut up, you know you love me." Jack let out a cute chuckle, getting off the bed and leaving Alex to get dressed despite how much he wanted to be there when he does. Alex was smirking at that remark. I guess I do.

~~~

Three years after the marriage of his mum and his new step-dad, Greg, things have suddenly took a turn to a disastrous life. Greg doesn't really like Alex because Alex notices that Greg drinks a lot. After the talk a couple of years ago when he was twelve-a month before the marriage- his mum had told Alex that his brother died to extensive alcohol abusing. So when Alex automatically sees Greg with his bottle of Vodka, he sends glares, and Greg doesn't really approve of that.

"Why look at me like that, son?" His step-dad snapped from the sofa, slurring on his words as he looked at Alex is disgust. It was a night where Alex and his step-dad were left alone.

"I'm not your son." Alex snapped back, walking over to the kitchen, deciding to make himself a sandwich because he knows Greg won't do it in his state. He got some bread, a knife, a plate and some butter, putting them all on the side. Little did he know that his step-dad had picked up a knife himself. Alex was grabbed and pushed up against the fridge, a table knife held up to his throat. His step-dad glared at him.

"Excuse me? I'm your step-dad!" He kneeled Alex in the balls. Alex would've bent over, but he remembered the knife held up to his throat.

"G-Go away!" Alex stuttered, fearing for his life. He's never seen Greg this aggressive. Yeah, arguments between him and his mum, but not knife on neck.

"You and your mum think you're something so special, but you're not." He gritted through his teeth, making Alex blink in fear. The knife was pressed a little more harshly against his neck now, any further and it will cut through his neck.

"W-Why did you marry her then?" Alex fought back verbally, too afraid to even lift a finger at the man in front of him.

"You're a worthless piece of shit, did you know? You're the reason your brother left this family."

Them words made Alex choke on sobs and spill tears. Greg finally did leave him, throwing him on the ground. Alex got up, ran up the stairs and entered the room the quickest he's ever done before. He locked himself in his room. I heard blades help people overcome their problems, over the internet. Little did he know that was far from the right way to deal with his problems. He wondered over to his pencil sharpener, un screwing it and placing the blade up to his arm as quick as he could.

"I was the reason he left. He wasn't proud of me. He hated me." Alex added a lot of cuts to his arm that night, actually finding it as a distraction to his problems. The distraction going on the blood that tickled down his arm. He found it fascinating, and it soon became an addiction.

~~~

"Hey Alex!" Jack grinned over to Alex, closing his door. Alex was laying on top of his quilt, wearing his jumper and staring at the ceiling. Jack frowned when he didn't get a reply. That wasn't like Alex, he always says hey back.

"Are you alright, Alex?" Jack asks, catching on to Alex's awkward silence.

"Yeah." Alex smiled, not looking at Jack yet. His smile was convincing, but his voice was defiantly not. Jack started to worry. The only time he saw Alex like this was since the month he was told that his brother had died. Still, Alex didn't even dare shred a tear in front Jack. But he did cry himself to sleep when Jack was wasn't sleeping over, and that was rare.

"Alex, you don't sound okay, what's wrong?" Jack walked over to Alex, sitting down at the end of the bed. Alex turned his head to look at Jack blankly.

"Nothing." He looked back up at the white ceiling, flinching when he felt Jack touch his arm.

"Alex, you better fucking tell me." Jack removed his hand from Alex's arm, noticing Alex was quite tense.

"Jack, nothing is wrong, okay?!" Alex snapped, turning over and facing away from his best-friend.

"Alex, when since did we keep secrets? You know you can trust me." Jack sadly spoke, looking over at the back of Alex's head, looking at the way the caramel strands stuck out in different directions. As Jack studied Alex a little more, he noticed he was wearing a jumper. Alex never goes out. He only goes outside with Jack and no one else. Jack shrugged the thought off. He also noticed he looked like a mess. Not in a bad way, well, it really is.

"There isn't any secrets!" Alex groaned, tucking his legs up to his chest. He honestly didn't like lying to his best friend, but he was too scared of his reaction.

"Oh really? Look me in the eye and tell me you're not keeping secrets, Alex" Alex felt tears pickle his eyes as the younger said them words. He slowly turned around, searching for Jack's eyes. When he found them, he turned his body fully. He gulped quietly, mentally preparing for what he was gonna say.

"I'm not..." Alex gulped again before continuing, "I'm not keeping- okay I-I am and I'm so sorry. I'm too scared of your r-reaction." Alex let a tear slip by, but Jack's thumb was at his checks, wiping it away.

"Can you tell me? Please?" Jack asked carefully, his thumb slipping away from Alex's soft cheeks. Alex looked down at his arm and then back to Jack's eyes to back down at his arm. He clenched his eyes shut as he unzipped his jumper, his arms pulling out from the sleeve. Jack already saw the cuts before Alex's arm was in front of him.

"Alex oh my god. I'm so sorry, babe. I didn't know." Jack attacked Alex with a hug, squeezing him as his head was over the older's shoulder. Alex hugged him back, wincing as his cuts hit the fabric of Jack's shirt. Alex let the fact that Jack had called him babe, making him get electricity flow around his belly.

"I'm so sorry, Jack. I just, I couldn't handle it." Alex said, his face dripping with tears. He quickly closed his eyes and tucked his head further in Jack's neck when the image of his step-father came up. Jack was on the edge of tears. Never has he ever seen such thing in his life. It was so sad and frightening.

"Don't worry, Alex. I'm gonna help you, okay?" Jack asks.

"But how? I don't think I can come clean." Alex said honestly. It's been weeks since the scene in the kitchen with his monster of a step-dad. Jack pondered on the question. He thought of all the possibilities that will help Alex. He thought of all the things he did when he was younger. All the things he liked now and back then. Then, his mind randomly skipped back to the day where he first met Alex. Alex had a...

"Sticker chart." Jack blurted out, releasing the hug from Alex and running over to the 'Memories' draw Alex had. He opened it, photos instantly glowing in front of his eyes. He saw pictures of Alex and his mum, Alex and himself, Tom. He pushed all the pictures aside, grabbing the white paper that held so many stickers.

"I remember that." Alex smiled, looking over to Jack. Jack turned around, the sticker chart in his hand. He then walked over to the little, white coffee table that held Alex's reading lamp on top of it. He opened the only draw, looking at the amount of paper with lyrics and quotes on it. He shivered when he saw one with a drip of blood on it. When he finally found a clean, un touched piece of paper, he rushed over to Alex, sitting next to him. He placed the pieces of paper on his laps.

"I have an idea, though, it's not so easy," Jack perked up, continuing to look down at the paper.

"I remember the first time I met you. You had your sticker chart and you looked so proud and pleased about what you achieved." Jack looked over to Alex to make sure he was listening. Alex hummed, telling him to continue talking.

"So, I was thinking, why not start a new chart? You can put a new sticker on the sheet everyday you're clean. But if you relapse, you lose a sticker. It will continue until both sides of the paper are covered in pretty stars that show how strong you really are." Jack smiled over to Alex, finding his idea quite a good. Alex bit his lip. He was actually excited about the idea. Something about collecting stars as awards really fascinated him. But, it's not so simple. He needs to get out of this house, and then everything will be so simpler. Maybe waking up in the morning and putting a star on his chart because he's been clean for another day will make him want to hurt himself less and less more.

"I'm up for it, but first, I need to get out of this house." Alex said, staring into Jack's brown eyes.

"Why?" Jack asks, confusion shown clearly through his voice.

"It's... It's Greg. He's the reason why I'm in this state." Alex sighs, dropping his gaze from Jack. Jack decided not to pressure Alex in to telling the full reason, knowing Alex will tell him in his own time.

"You can come stay with my mum and me." Jack grinned, sort of excited about the adventure they were gonna take together. Because that's what they do in their friendship. They stay together through every rough moment, never giving up on one another.

"Thanks so much, Jack! I'll get packing." Alex thanked and then spoke quietly at the end part. He finally gets to escape from his problems, and for once, it's the right way.

~~~

"Happy Birthday to Jack, Happy Birthday to you!" Alex giggled, singing in Jack's ear.

"Alex, my Birthday's nearly over." Jack sighed, but he smiled at the Alex sat up in his bed next to him.

"Yeah, well, there's one more thing I need to give you. Something special." Alex got up suddenly, walking over to his black rucksack. Jack rolled his eyes. After searching through his bag, he found the envelope. Alex walked over to Jack, a slight skip in feet. He got himself under the covers, the envelope held to his chest. Alex's been dying to give the envelope to Jack for the past couple of weeks, but he wanted to give it to him on his birthday. Alex smiled up to Jack as he held the envelope out for Jack to collect. Jack looked at the envelope suspiciously. Alex had already gave him a card with a shit load of presents earlier. Jack just slowly grabbed the envelope from Alex, thinking that he should at least appreciate the second card from Alex today. He smiled at his name on the envelope. He's always found Alex's handwriting cute. He began to open the envelope, Alex smiling widely beside him. When Jack opened the envelope and saw the paper he looked over to Alex and gasped.

"You didn't!" Jack accused, gasping. Alex proudly nodded. Jack looked down at the paper, pulling it out fully. There it was. Both sides covered in rows of different coloured stars. He completed his sticker chart.

"Oh my god Alex! This is amazing! How do you do it?!" Jack raised his voice in shock. Alex just grinned, shrugging.

"You didn't cheat do you?" Jack raised an eyebrow up at Alex. Alex shook his head, taking off his jumper. Alex looked down at his arms, seeing that all of the cuts healed and turned into very light scars that weren't very visible.

"Your shoulders, thighs, legs, belly, hips, chest, ankles." Jack comments, pointing at all the body parts before looking up to Alex with surprise.

"Are you trying to get me naked?" Alex laughed, lifting up his sleeve that covered his shoulders. Nothing. Belly. Nothing. All the body parts Jack named had no sign of new cuts. Jack had tears in his eyes. He was waiting for this moment where Alex would come up, a skip of the proudest smile tugged at his lips. Jack attacked Alex with a massive, warm hug, holding on so tightly. Alex's lips tucked up into a wider smile than before and he hugged Jack back.

"I'm so proud of you." Jack commented, his nose rubbing against Alex's neck.

"Are you really?" Alex asks, exiting the hug so he could face Jack. Jack looked into them caramel eyes he loves, grinning.

" There's not a day that goes past where I'm not proud of you." Jack's final words were before he connected his lips with Alex's.

Notes

So...yeah. I uploaded it separately because I actually liked this and i don't know. c:

If any of you wanna make a cover for this, that'd be great ^.^

Thank you for reading, I love you.