Wanderlust

When Jack wakes up on Friday morning and realizes that he’s the only one in the bed, he has half a mind to just roll over and go back to sleep.

Alex has this weird…thing. Jack’s not even sure what to call it. Everyone he’s friends with call it ‘extreme wanderlust’ but to Jack, that just sounds sexual and weird. But it’s not as though he’s come up with anything better. What do you call a person who just gets up in the middle of the night and drives to the closest airport and gets on the next flight to some other state or foreign country? Yeah, Jack’s not exactly sure there is a name for that.

So, needless to say, waking up to an empty bed on a Friday morning can only mean one thing for Jack. Well, two things, if he wants to really be technical about it. He can get up and deal with this, or he can roll over and shut off his alarm and sleep the weekend away until Alex decides to come home. But of course he’ll pick the former. He could never leave Alex alone in some strange country. Or …wherever the hell he is.

Jack takes his time getting ready, figuring he’s not exactly in a rush. He takes a twenty minute shower and gets dressed into the jeans he wore yesterday. He brushes his teeth and as he stares at himself in the mirror, he tries to think of any clue Alex had given over the past two weeks as to where he could possibly have gone. He had been complaining about the cold February weather lately, so Jack is going to figure he went some place warm. But other than that, he really can’t come up with any specific destinations.

He can rule out the southern parts of the US. He’s been to Florida countless times and he just went to Texas the other month. Jack can also rule out Europe. While it’s probably a little bit warmer than Maryland, it’s not enough to attract Alex right now. Jack praises himself for at least knowing that much so early in the game.

Because that’s exactly what this is for Alex. A game.

After putting his toothbrush and toothpaste and other toiletry items he’ll need into his travel case (he totally feels like a chick for having one but with the amount of times he’s travelled…it’s just easier) he finds one of Alex’s t-shirts rolled up on the countertop. Jack stares at it, zips the travel case up, and then grabs the shirt, unrolling it and watching a slip of paper flutter down to the floor. Thank you, Alex.

The paper only has two things on it – a time and the letters BWI. The time reads ‘5:30’and Jack takes the BWI to mean the airport. So, now he knows he has to be at the airport for a 5:30 flight. A 5:30 flight to where, Jack still has to figure out. It’s all part of Alex’s little game. And, for the record? Jack kind of loves this game. He just doesn’t admit it very often.

Jack folds the paper up and puts it in his pocket, taking his travel case filled with his toiletries back into the bedroom. He feels like he’s already ahead of himself, what with already knowing the time he needs to be at the airport and having a general idea of where Alex might have gone. It’s almost a little unnerving. But before he can really start to worry himself, he pulls his carry-on bag out of his closet and lays it open on the bed. He needs to figure out what to pack. And in order to do that he needs to figure out where he’s going. So he grabs his laptop from the desk and pulls up the BWI website. He only has the time his flight leaves but he can figure out where he’s going through process of elimination. Jack’s good at this by now.

There are flights to Seattle, Las Vegas, Boston, San Juan and Santo Domingo at 5:30. Alex has been to Las Vegas and Santo Domingo so Jack can cross them out. Boston isn’t warm and Jack can’t think of anything that would interest Alex in Seattle. So Jack’s best bet is probably San Juan. He really hopes that he’s right, because he won’t find out for sure until he gets to the airport and finds out what destination Alex put on his credit card. These are the risks that he’s willing to take for his travel-loving, mysterious boyfriend.

“You’ll be the death of me, I swear,” Jack says aloud as he shoves a few rolled up short sleeved shirts into his bag. He packs in another pair of jeans and a pair of shorts, hoping that wherever Alex is staying, there’s at least a washing machine Jack can make use of when he gets there. Hopefully it has a pool, too, he thinks. He shoves a pair of swim shorts in as well and goes off back into the bathroom in search of the new sunscreen that he knows he bought the other week at Costco.

By noon, Jack is totally packed and ready to go. Or he will be, at least, once he calls his friend Zack and asks him if he can babysit for a couple of days. He knows Zack will say yes – he loves Daisy and loves having her around, especially taking her down to the beach with him when he goes surfing – so he’s not so sure why he’s putting the phone call off. Maybe because he kind of doesn’t want to leave his baby girl again. He’s only had her for a few months but she’s so important to Jack already – almost as much as Alex is.

Jack feels something nudge at his foot and when he looks down, he grins. It’s almost as if she knows he’s planning on leaving her again. It’s only been two weeks since the last time. Jack fears that she’s going to suffer from ‘child abandonment’ or something like that. The more accurate term would probably be ‘pet abandonment’ but Jack refuses to really acknowledge Daisy as simply a pet. He picks the border collie puppy up from the floor and laughs as she bites at his fingers.

“I know, baby, I don’t want to leave you either,” He mumbles, “But I promise I’ll let you sleep in our bed when we get back. Hopefully it’ll only be a few days.”

Knowing that it could even be more than a few days, Jack feels guilty. Not just for lying to his dog, but for being an inconvenience to his friends. He’s going to have to ask Zack to watch Daisy, Rian to take in their mail or at least not let it accumulate too much, and the neighbor Sierra to make sure nobody tries breaking in, or something. And he can’t even really give them a time frame when he’ll be gone. One of the downsides to Alex’s desire to travel so often. But Jack can live with it – he loves Alex and he loves following Alex around the world. Just…maybe they can cut back on trips after this one.

It takes another hour and a half for Jack to call Zack, get in contact with him, ask if he can babysit, and then start packing up all of Daisy’s things. Alex always makes fun of him for this – treating their dog like a child and packing her stuff up so she has it at Zack’s house. But really, he’s just being prepared. Jack knows that Daisy likes to chew on things, being so young still, so packing her toys and things will only benefit Zack. And it’s not like Zack’s going to go out and buy dog food so…Jack thinks he’s reasonable. And besides, if Alex gets to just get up and leave in the middle of the night, he thinks he’s allowed this one somewhat-bad habit.

*

“So. Where you headed today?” Zack asks as soon as he opens his front door. “Miami? Los Angeles? Oh, he hasn’t been to Germany yet, has he?”

“San Juan,” Jack sighs, pushing past Zack and setting Daisy down on the floor of his living room. He finds Zack’s roommate Martin watching TV in there, sucked into the TV and not even having any clue that Jack is now in the room as well.

“Puerto Rico?” Zack asks, coming into the room behind Jack, “Dude. Sweet. I bet the surfing there-”

“Neither I nor Alex surfs, so don’t bother finishing that sentence,” Jack interrupts, sitting down on the couch beside Martin, causing the youngest roommate to turn his head and stare at Jack curiously for a few seconds, acknowledge his presence with a head nod and then go back to watching the TV. Typical.

“Well, you’ll enjoy the food at least. Considering the two of you eat more than anyone I know.”

“And I still keep my girlish figure,” Jack comments, smirking at his best friend and leaning down to scratch behind Daisy’s ears. “Anyway. My flight leaves in two hours so I should probably get going so I don’t get stuck in line at security. Just…you know, take her on walks every other day if you want and she can go to the beach with you if you have someone who will watch her. Everything’s in the bag I gave you so you should be fine.”

“Got it,” Zack nods, sitting down in the recliner on the other side of the couch. “And you’ll be back… in what, three…four days?”

“Probably. Unless he’s feeling unusually restless and demands we stay for a week. But I’ll find a way to call you and let you know – I don’t think I’ll use my phone so I can avoid those roaming charges.”

“Okay well…Good luck. Are you positive he went to San Juan?”

“Yeah – he’s been whining about the weather lately, and it was either there or Seattle.”

Zack shrugs. “Guess you’ll find out for sure when you check in.”

“Don’t doubt me, Merrick. I’ve been doing this for three years now. I think I know Alex pretty well by now to know he’d go to San Juan over Seattle.”

*

It doesn’t take much to prove Jack wrong. Just a simple line on the auto-check in machine right inside the building. He slid his credit card through, typed in his zip-code and waited for the information to pop up on the screen, only to find that no, he’s not going to San Juan, Puerto Rico. He’s going to Seattle, Washington. And his carry-on is packed with shorts and t-shirts and only one pair of jeans. Seattle is not nearly as warm as San Juan. Fuck.

“I am going to strangle him,” Jack says to himself as he presses the button that says ‘print’ and listens to the machine prepare to give him his ticket. He cannot believe that Alex went to Seattle. Fucking Seattle. What’s in that city that’s so important for Alex to see in the middle of February? Jack can’t think of anything – unless Alex wants to see the very first Starbucks, or whatever, but Jack feels like that’s not something Alex would want to do. Maybe he’s just fucking around with Jack. Maybe he’s sending him to Seattle while he himself is in San Juan, soaking in the sun and laughing at Jack’s idiocy.

As he grabs his boarding ticket, Jack scoffs at his thoughts. Alex isn’t that mean. Sure, he can be an asshole sometimes, especially when he makes fun of Jack for the way he treats Daisy but he wouldn’t send Jack to another state without having reason for it. So, all Jack can do is get through security and find a shop that will provide him with some warmer clothing and try his best to fit them in his carry-on. Zack’s never going to let him live this down. Jack will have to do his best to never let him find out.

*

When he’s got a new pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt stuffed into his carry-on (thank you BWI shops) and he’s sitting in his seat in first class (thank you, Alex), Jack wonders for a minute if he’s crazy. Crazy for going through all of this. Crazy for just taking and accepting the fact that his boyfriend is insane and likes to randomly leave for another country without even telling Jack he’s going. Normal people wouldn’t put up with that, Jack decides, leaning his head against the window of the plane. But Jack’s not normal, so he guesses that has something to with it. He and Alex just fit together so easily that it just sort of works.

Jack doesn’t mind when he wakes up to an empty bed and the knowledge that Alex is once again gone. And Alex doesn’t really mind when Jack treats his puppy like his own child. He doesn’t mind when Jack can’t guess where Alex is and has to call or text or email him so he can find out what he needs to pack. And Jack doesn’t mind that he was forced to work from home – designing web sites for customers while he’s lounging poolside with Alex. So no, Jack decides. He’s not crazy.

When the plane finally takes off at a quarter to six, a thought comes to Jack and he finds himself smiling. He’s pretty sure he’ll never know the answer to this, but suddenly it occurs to him that maybe Alex plans these trips. Maybe they’re not so spontaneous and unexpected. Maybe, as soon as he gets back from a trip, he’s already planning the next one, figuring out where Jack would and wouldn’t expect him to go. Jack could be wrong – actually, he probably is wrong – but still. It makes him smile. Alex kind of has that affect on him.

The flight makes a stop in Boston and the layover is only about forty five minutes. Jack spends that time using the bathroom, buying a tabloid magazine, and sitting at his gate until it’s time to board. It’s a little after seven pm on the east coast and Zack has just sent him a text telling him that he and Martin went down to the beach and brought Daisy along and she ‘had a blast’. Jack rolls his eyes and sends back a quick reply about how much of a loser Zack is and when he’s going to grow a pair and make a move on Martin. He doesn’t wait to get a response – just turns the phone off and tucks it into his hoodie pocket. When he turns it back on in Seattle there will probably be an angry message from him about how he’s just taking his time and doesn’t want to move too fast blah blah blah. Zack acts like a fifteen year old girl sometimes.

On the flight to Seattle, Jack starts to regret his assumption that Alex was in San Juan. Now he has a lot of useless information on hotels in Puerto Rico and no information on hotels in Seattle. He’s going to have to be an annoying flyer and bug one of the front desks when he lands to give him a list of hotels in the area. He’ll have to call each one and ask for Alex until he finds the right one. He’s done it before – it’s probably one of the most embarrassing things he’s gone through. The first time it happened, he at an airport in London and had to call six hotels to find him. The girl behind the computer probably thought he was pathetic, and the one he has to talk to in Seattle will probably feel the same. But it’s gotta be done if he’s going to finish this game and find Alex.

Except apparently, Alex has taken pity on Jack this time. While he’s walking out of the gate, ready to find the first person available to help him out, he finds a man standing with a cardboard sign that reads ‘Barakat’ in bold black letters. Jack freezes, stares at him for a few seconds, before deciding that yes, he’s real, and approaching him and identifying himself as Jack Barakat.

“How was the flight?” the man asks as he takes Jack’s carry-on and leads him towards the exit where his car is parked just outside.

“Not bad,” Jack responds with a shoulder shrug, “As good as a flight can be, I guess. Um. What hotel are you taking me to?”

He gets a funny look from the driver but he just ignores it. He feels like if he explains exactly what he went through this morning, the guy would think he’s nuts.

“The Renaissance. It’s right off the Expressway. It’ll take about twenty minutes to get there.”

Jack nods and gets into the back of the shiny back car, watching as the driver puts his bag on the seat next to him and then gets into the driver’s seat. Jack relaxes into the seat, slouching and staring out the window. He’s exhausted – he’s been up since eight in the morning, east coast time. It’s eleven here, while back home it would be two am. Needless to say, Jack is anxious to get to the hotel and figure out what room Alex is in so he can just lay down. He has a feeling Alex isn’t going to let him do that, will probably convince him to go out to a bar or something and they can have a few drinks and discuss what they’re going to do in Seattle. But Jack can dream.

Seattle seems nice. At least, it seems nice through the car window. It’s partly-cloudy and when he left the airport, Jack was glad he had gone out of his way to buy some new things to wear. He’s not prepared for this weather. When the car pulls up to the curb and the driver announces that they’re at the hotel, Jack hands over some money and tells him to keep the change, grabbing his bag off the seat beside him and opening the car door. He steps out onto the sidewalk, puts his wallet in his back pocket and heads into the main lobby of the Renaissance Hotel.

It’s nice – really nice, actually. While he’s waiting for the man behind the front desk to contact Alex and let him know Jack is here, Jack glances around, noting the nice couches not too far away and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling above them. There aren’t too many people in the lobby, only a few sitting on the couches talking, probably figuring out what bar or club they should go to. Jack wonders if there even are any bars or clubs around here. Alex will probably inform him as soon as he sees him.

The receptionist hangs up the phone and smiles at Jack, “Mr. Gaskarth confirmed that you’re the other person in the room, so you can go on up.” He slides a keycard across the desk towards Jack, “Tenth floor, room 1042. If you need anything feel free to call and let us know.”

Jack nods, telling him that he’ll make sure to do that, before turning and heading towards the elevators. He doesn’t have to wait long for one and he steps inside, finding it empty, and presses the button for the tenth floor. He shifts his weight from one foot to another as the elevator moves upwards, starting to get excited to see Alex. Sure, it’s barely even been a full day since he’s seen him but he still misses him. And the fact that they’re finally on the same coast together is a comforting thing.

When he finds room 1042, he hesitates before sliding the card and unlocking the door. He can hear Alex’s voice through the door and he smiles to himself.

“Well, is there a zoo around here?...Oh. Right okay. Yeah and I was just wondering, how far of a drive is it to the place where Twilight takes place?”

At that, Jack frowns and realizes he seriously needs to intervene because there is no way in hell he’s going to wherever the fuck Twilight was born. He swipes the card, gets the green light, and pushes the door open, revealing a hallway with a door to a small bathroom on the right.

He hears Alex still talking on the phone, so he walks quietly, reaching the end of the hall and finding Alex laying out on the king-sized bed across the room, moving a pen across a legal pad and writing down whatever the person he’s on the phone with is saying.

“Right,” he says with a nod, still unaware of Jack’s presence. “Thanks for helping me out. I’ll call you if I need anything else.”

He hangs up and tosses the phone to the side, continuing on with his writing and biting his lower lip. Jack puts his bag down on the floor and walks over to the other side of the bed, climbing up onto it and alerting his boyfriend that he’s there.

“Are you tormenting the front desk at nearly midnight?” he teases, wrapping one arm around Alex’s shoulders, and Alex just grins, leaning into him.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he mumbles, head resting on Jack’s shoulder. “I have a lot planned for tomorrow.”

Jack kisses Alex, soft and eager and passionate. He puts everything he has into that kiss, telling Alex without words that he’ll follow him anywhere, no matter what. And Alex kisses him back, fingers rubbing at the back of his neck. His teeth catch on Jack’s lower lip as he pulls away and smiles. This is exactly what Jack has been looking forward to since he realized Alex wasn’t in the bed that morning.

He looks down at the paper in front of Alex and sighs at the long list. “We’re going to all these places tomorrow?”

Alex mimics his sigh. “I would like to,” he says softly, “It all sounds so interesting. But it’s not possible to get to them all in one day. It’ll probably take us until Tuesday…”

When Jack first walked into the room, he had planned on complaining and whining and questioning why Alex picked Seattle, and why he didn’t give him any clues as to why he’d pick it, but seeing how eager Alex is about this, he keeps it all to himself and pecks Alex’s lips once more before saying, “Sounds fun. I could use another vacation.”