Status: In progress, loves.

Don't Waste Your Time on Me.

Fall into my arms tonight. I'll make everything alright.

Alex

"Mom, I'm going out!" I called out from where I was shoving on my shoes in the hallway, knowing full well she wouldn't let me leave without throwing a fit. Not that I cared, I was determined to leave this place, for good if my plan proved to be successful.

"Alexander, wait." she scolded, emerging from the kitchen, drying her hands on a kitchen towel. "Where do you think you're going?" Isobel asked, eyebrow raised, one hand resting on her popped out hip. "It's almost time for dinner."

"Out, Mom." I groaned, zipping up my hoodie.

Before she could protest I told her that I felt like she was suffocating me, something I usually wouldn't do, but I wasn't going to let her control my every move anymore. I watched her face fall, but I couldn't bring myself to feel remorse because being around her so much was slowly starting to make me feel claustrophobic.

"You are not to meet up with that Jack guy." she told me sternly, standing in front of the door, effectively blocking my way. "I don't want you to see this man again, Alexander. You know that."

"Why?" I asked exasperatedly, throwing my arms in the air. "Because he makes me happy? Because he actually cares about me? What is it that you don't like about him, Mom?" I snapped, shoving past her. "Is it that he actually loves me whereas you don't?"

And with that I was out the door, leaving my mother to huff and shake her head to herself.

I hurried through Manhattan's chilly afternoon air, a scowl on my face. I couldn't believe my mother, couldn't believe how cold she was being. I had hoped that she would come around once I moved back in with her, had hoped that she would maybe warm up to the idea of Jack and me being a couple. Needless to say she didn't. The emphatic refusal of my mother made me miss my father even more. It often made me wonder if he would have shared Mom's hard feelings towards Jack. Those thoughts along with how much I missed the elder and the occasional pain that came with my treatment usually kept me awake at night. Even though it sometimes hurt, I was doing better health-wise thanks to the medication they gave me. But just because my physical health was improving didn't mean my emotional one did, too. Quite the contrary. Living with Mom felt like being trapped in a maze. No matter how hard I tried to find a way out, to find a way that led me to Jack, that led me home, I would always find myself at an impasse.

After forty minutes of crossing the city deep in thought, I ended up in front of - you guessed it - Jack's apartment complex. I stared at the building with a nervous feeling in my gut, contemplating whether or not to ring the dark-haired boy's doorbell. I walked the short way to his door on shaky legs, unsurely pressing the bell.

What if he didn't want to see me? What if he'd let me in only to throw me out five minutes later? What if he was mad at me for kissing him two weeks ago? What if-

"Yeah?" my train of thoughts was cut off by Jack's voice coming through the intercom, butterflies erupting in my stomach at the sound of his voice.

"J-jack?" I stammered, mentally kicking myself for sounding like a dumbass. "I- hey, it's Alex."

The immediate buzz of the front door didn't really assure me though, if anything it only made me more anxious for what was to come. I entered the lobby and headed straight to the elevator, stepping in nervously. I took a deep breath in a feeble attempt to calm myself, pressing the button that would take me to the fifth floor within the next two minutes.

The elevator doors opened, and before I had the leisure to step out of the steel monstrosity I was being bounced on by someone. Instinctively, I grabbed the back of their thighs to keep them from falling.

"Alex." Jack breathes as I carried him to his apartment door, wrapping his arms tightly around my neck, peppering soft little kisses all over my face. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you, too." I confessed, carefully putting the elder down. I watched him unlock the door, and smiled at him when he held it open for me.

He pushed me on the couch the moment I entered his living room, telling me to wait while he got us something to drink. I looked around the room I used to spend lazy Saturday evening with my boyfriend in while I waited for Jack to return, feeling a pang in my chest. I spotted some of my books in Jack's bookshelf, and I couldn't fight back the grin that my lips contorted to. It was nice to know that he kept the things I've carelessly scattered in the apartment.

The carer came back ten minutes later with two mugs of hot chocolate, handing me mine before he plopped down on the couch, setting his on the coffee table. He turned to me with a smile, looking me up and down.

"You look healthier." he said in a tone that made me question his sanity. Was he just going to pretend like nothing happened between us? Was he going to pretend that I never left him? That we haven't been apart for an entire month?

"Aren't you mad at me?" I blurted, watching him narrow his eyes. "Aren't you gonna tell me that I'm a dick for leaving you? That you don't want to see me ever again? Why are you not mad at me?" I asked, growing irritated.

All Jack did was shake his head, resting his hand on my knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I understand why you left, Lex." he explained. "I get it, and I don't want to spend the time I get with you fighting over these things."

"We're okay then?" I questioned, looking up at him through my lashes.

"We're okay." he confirmed, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to my cheek, effectively making the skin there tingle while butterflies flooded my stomach. A feeling I hadn't felt for far too long.

"I came for a whole 'nother reason though, you know?" I started, smiling sheepishly at my ex-boyfriend. "I came to ask you if we could be together again." I clarified after he cocked his head, giving me a questioning look. "I want to move back in with you."

We sat in a deafening silence for a moment, none of us knowing what to say after my confession. My head was running hundreds of miles a minute, thoughts cursing other thoughts cursing other thoughts. I was about to get up and run when Jack finally, finally spoke up, smiling.

"I want you to move back in with me, too."

I could only nod wordlessly, staring blankly at the boy who had once been my rock. And there in that very apartment that has once been my home and was now my home once again, I felt complete again. I felt like all the pieces my life had fallen apart in came back together, falling in place. Before I knew what I was doing, I was already sitting in Jack's lap, our lips attached, hungrily making out.

Jack began unzipping my hoodie as I worked a hickey into the smooth skin on his neck, slipping his hand under my shirt. "Off." he growled, causing me to pull back and do as I was told.

The dark-haired male picked me up by the back of my thighs then, just like I did to him half an hour ago, carrying me to our bedroom where he laid me down on the bed, crawling up to me with an auspicious grin.
♠ ♠ ♠
I should be creating a handout and a presentation by tomorrow, but I can't be bothered. Therefore, hi I'm updating. I know it took ages, but school is incessantly tightening its grip on my throat, aye.

I feel like this is absolute shit, oh god.