My Toxic Valentine

“How do you feel about orange?” Alex asked, holding up a shirt that was the brightest shade of the aforementioned colour that Jack had ever seen.

“Quite strongly,” Jack replied, screwing up his nose.

Alex sighed dramatically. “Jack, I swear to Hoppus if you don't pick out some things that you actually do like, I will buy you an entire wardrobe of knitted ponchos and flared corduroys.”

Jack bit his lip and stared down at the ground. Alex felt instantly guilty for snapping at the younger boy.

He walked over and put an arm around him, resting his hand on Jack's lower back. “I'm sorry, Jack. But you do need clothes and I really want to buy them for you. So, please... help me out here.”

“Fine,” Jack said with a resigned sigh, a slight blush tinting his cheeks.

Alex was beginning to notice that Jack blushed whenever Alex so much as brushed against him, or leant in a little closer while they were talking.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy having that effect on the younger boy. It did make him wonder, however, how Jack had managed to survive the blowjob experience without spontaneously combusting out of sheer embarrassment or something.

“That's nice,” Jack said suddenly, pointing at a short-sleeved, blue plaid button up. Alex gave it a critical once-over before nodding, suitably impressed by Jack's selection. He picked up a small and held it up against Jack's torso.

“Yeah, that'll fit,” he said, throwing it over his arm and turning back to Jack “Now, what else?”

Jack shrugged. “Just a pair of jeans, I guess.”

Alex raised an eyebrow at him, disbelief written all over his features. “Don't be ridiculous. You need more than one shirt and one pair of jeans.”

“I really don't,” Jack replied honestly.

Alex gave him a hard stare. “Flared corduroys and knitted ponchos, Jackary.”

Jack couldn't help but giggle at that and Alex couldn't help but think that Jack giggling was the most adorably awkward thing he'd ever heard.

“Fine,” Jack said “But I'm not going overboard.”

Alex grinned. “Never.”

When they left the store, Jack had 6 new shirts, 4 pairs of jeans, a jacket, socks, undies, 2 pairs of pyjamas and a pair of shoes.

He nearly fainted when he saw the total, but Alex just grinned at the sales assistant; nearly causing her to faint, and handed over a credit card.

“I said I didn't want you to go overboard,” Jack said as they walked out of the store, each carrying several shopping bags.

“I didn't go overboard, though,” Alex replied nonchalantly.

Jack stopped in his tracks and looked at Alex incredulously. “Are you kidding?” He gestured to the bags they were holding. “This is going overboard.”

Alex scoffed. “It is not. That's barely essentials. I could've bought you a car. Or a pony. Now, that would be going overboard.” He turned to see Jack still standing there, looking frustrated.

“Oh, come on. I like buying clothes. You need clothes. I can afford to buy you some clothes. Now, stop sulking. I'm hungry.”

“You're always hungry,” Jack said, rolling his eyes, but he continued after the older boy nonetheless.

“True,” Alex agreed “But that doesn't make me any less hungry now.”

Jack followed Alex until he stopped outside a cafe, a grin on his face. “Let's eat here.”

“Okay?” Jack asked, a little confused.

Alex didn't answer him, just sat down at one of the outside tables, placing the bags on the ground next to him. Jack sat opposite him, following suit.

They perused their menus in silence, ordered and then sat in silence again. It wasn't uncomfortable, not by any means but it was a curious silence on Jack's part, because Alex was still sporting that stupid grin that had been on his face since they decided to eat here.

“Thanks,” Jack said eventually, as they were eating and just watching the people milling about the city.

“You don't need to thank me for being your friend, Jack.”

“I want to though.”

Alex smiled. “Then you're welcome.”

It made it harder for Jack to keep his guard up; to not fall head over heels for Alex, when he smiled like that.

It made it damn near impossible.

It was exactly this sort of moment that tempted Jack to cave, to blurt out how much he wanted to be with Alex, to kiss him again and to just completely give Alex what he wanted.

He may well have too, had they not been interrupted at that moment.

“Hey, Alex!”

Alex looked up to see his 'friends' standing behind Jack and nodded at them. “Hey.”

Jack glanced behind him then, even though he was sure he recognised the voice, and realised that yes; it was the same voice that had startled him the previous evening in the alley.

He felt his heart skip a beat as the one who was speaking- Sean, he thought it was, gave him a sly smirk as he saw the bruising around Jack's eye.

“Still hanging out with this loser, are you?” he scoffed, looking back to Alex “Haven't gone gay on us have you, Gaskarth? You're not fucking him too, are you?”

Alex's first instinct was to stand up, but Jack grabbed gave him a pleading look. He sat back in his seat and settled for glaring at the group of boys standing in front of him. He was well aware that Rian was among them. Zack was nowhere to be seen; probably at the gym, and Alex knew that if they were ever going to come to blows it'd be while Zack wasn't there to stop them.

He hadn't so much as spoken to them since the diner, but school had been hellish; with insults and stupid remarks being flung at him as he walked down the corridor. Zack had kept them in check; he was the one guy that nobody wanted to fuck with, but the minute he was out of sight they started up.

“So what if I am?” he said lazily, looking over his wayfarers at them and trying to play it cool. He was beyond caring what they thought of him and, to put it bluntly, they were pretty fucking thick if they still hadn't figured out where his preferences lay. Sure, he'd messed around with girls in the past, but he'd never had a serious girlfriend. He was bisexual at the least, but he sure as fuck wasn't straight.

The shocked and somewhat horrified look that passed over Jack's face almost would've been worth getting punched for, anyway. Alex just grinned at him before looking back up at the group standing in front of him, who looked just as shocked as the skunk-haired boy.

“Fuck off,” Alex said “You're not going to get a fight, so you might as well leave.”

“Faggots never fight back, anyway,” Sean sneered before looking pointedly at Jack “Come on,” he muttered to the others before walking away.

Rian stood there a moment longer, though. He looked as though he wanted to speak but couldn't find the words.

Alex saved him the trouble. “Unless you're going to apologise, I've got nothing to say to you either. I'm not surprised they're being pricks, but I expected more from you, Ri.”

Apparently an apology wasn't what Rian had in mind, so he just left with a sigh. When Alex focussed his attention back on Jack, the younger boy was staring at him, open-mouthed.

“Problem?” Alex asked, taking a long drink of water and acting as though nothing even vaguely concerning had just happened.

“Why did you tell them that... that you were fucking me?”

“I didn't,” Alex replied honestly “I just didn't tell them I wasn't.”

“But what if-”

Alex cut the younger boy off gently. “No what ifs, Jack. I don't care what they think of me and if you're worried about them bothering you... I won't let them. I'll look after you. Promise.”

His sincerity was obvious and Jack felt almost guilty for not telling him that it had been them who had beaten the shit out of him. When Alex had asked, Jack had kind of just skirted around the issue and said he couldn't see them, but thought it was just some other homeless people getting territorial.

Alex, bless his naivety, had brought it and that was that.

Jack sighed. “I'm not worried about me, Alex. I just... I think it'd be better for you if you let me leave and just went back to the way things were.”

“Don't be stupid. I want you here. You're not leaving and I'll never be friends with them again. I don't want people like that in my life.”

Jack opened his mouth to argue again but Alex cut him off. “No. No arguments. You really don't believe me, do you?”

He pointed out into the mall, which was busy with people and started speaking again. “First time I saw you, you were busking over there and I was sitting at this same table.”

Jack blushed with realisation as he thought back to the smile on Alex's face as they'd came to a stop here.

“You were playing the same song I'd been singing that morning and all I wanted to do was walk over and start singing with you.”

Jack smiled in spite of himself and looked up to meet the older boy's gaze. “Why didn't you?”

“Because I was hungover as fuck and didn't want to make a dick of myself,” Alex replied honestly, looking sheepish.

Jack laughed and shook his head. “I probably would've freaked out anyway.”

Alex smiled. “We sound good together though, bro.”

Jack nodded. “Yeah.”

They were both silent for a moment, Alex looking thoughtful before speaking.

“Wanna take that sound out of my bedroom?”

Jack shook his head instantly. “I told you, I don't want to start a b-”

“We don't have to,” Alex answered quickly “Busk with me.”

“I can't,” Jack said, biting his lip “I don't have my guitar anymore.”

“I'll buy you one.”

He looked up at Alex. “No.”

“Oh, come on,” Alex begged “You let me buy you clothes!”

“Clothes are a necessity; I can't walk around naked.”

“You could,” Alex interjected “I really wouldn't mind.”

Jack rolled his eyes and continued. “A guitar is expensive and unnecessary. You don't need me to play with you.” He blushed as he realised what he'd said, and Alex snickered childishly.

“Actually, I think I might.”

Jack couldn't help but laugh as well. “No,” he said seriously after a moment.

“To playing with me or the guitar?” Alex asked, not sure what he wanted the answer to be.

“Both,” Jack said with a smile “But mainly the guitar.”

Alex sighed. “I'm not going to win this one, am I?”

Jack shook his head.

“Fine. You can borrow one of mine until you can get yourself a new one. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Now, about playing with me...” Alex started seriously.

“Shut up,” Jack groaned, hiding his face in his hands as Alex laughed at him.