Status: Completed.
Forever and More
Take Me Dancing
[002]
Alex glanced at Jay from the corner of his eyes, frowning as he noticed her shiver in her slumber. She tugged the jacket she had on closer before curling herself up further into the seat, resting her head against the window, neck craned at an awkward position with her lips parted.
He reached over for the centre console, turning the heat up because it actually was starting to get really cold. Jay was already with a weak immune system already so he couldn't begin to imagine how cold she must be feeling. Once upon a time, Jay was the girl who'd be calling him a wuss for being unable to withstand the cold even though Baltimore had the coldest Winters. But with Jay being born and raised in England, she could put up with the cold better than he could – even though he'd never admit to it. Male pride sort of thing.
The streets of L.A. were busy, as always, so when he stopped at a red light, he readied himself to be waiting a bit longer than he normally would. Alex turned to Jay, smiling sadly at her sleeping figure. It was inevitable, he knew it was going to happen, but he still didn't want to accept it.
He reached a hand out, his shaky fingers brushing back her hair and then trailing down her cheek. He leaned over, gently and slowly kissing her on the cheek, savouring the feel of her skin against his lips. It was the little things like that that he'd miss the most, apart from the person herself.
Alex pulled away, turning his attention back to road. The traffic had just started to move again so he continued on his drive. Truth be told, he had no idea where he was headed. He only knew that he wanted to make the next few days the best days of her life. He owed to her that much.
She'd been with him through everything. She'd been with him through the awkward moments of when he'd just transferred schools, the first band practice, the day they got signed, their first tour, everything. She wasn't there physically, of course, but since they were older, they knew how to make use of Skype and Messengers that they were able to download into their phones. They didn't talk constantly, but they still did talk.
Jay was the one who told Alex to man up and ask Lisa, his ex, out in the first place. They ended up staying together for almost two years before he broke it off, realising that there was just something about her that he didn't like. Thing was, if one were to ask him what was the 'one thing' that she didn't have, he couldn't give them an answer.
Turns out, the 'one thing' was that she wasn't Jay. The day that Jay surprised him by coming to a show of All Time Low's first headlining tour – she hadn't come to visit before because she refused to let him pay for an air ticket, and he respected that – Alex had never been happier. He never realised that a part of him was missing till she came to visit.
It was always Jay, even when he didn't know it was her.
It was the same for Jay, too, honestly. She didn't know what it was but any other guy that she dated didn't seem good enough.
Those two were destined to be together since they were born, basically, and their mothers couldn't have been more thrilled when they finally did get together.
Jay's phone started to ring, earning a groan from the owner of the phone before she fluttered her eyelids open. She looked absolutely exhausted and even if she tried to deny it, Alex would know the truth that she really was exhausted. He'd made her take a couple of pills and said pills made her drowsy and basically pass out for five hours, at least. She'd been asleep for a good two and a half hours, but it wasn't enough.
"Shh, go back to sleep." Alex hushed, taking her phone from her hands.
She made a sound of discontent, reaching out to grab the phone from him but failing miserably.
"Go back to bed, love. You need the sleep." He said quietly, using his thumb to rub small circles against the skin of her neck while her phone continued ringing from where he'd placed it on his thigh.
Jay made another cute noise but fell asleep soon after, Alex smiling in victory. He grabbed the phone, sliding his thumb across the screen, mumbling out a quiet "Hello?"
"Alex?"
Alex smiled. "Hey, Anne."
"Hello, love." Anne, Jay's mother, sighed from the other end of the line. "How is she?"
Alex glanced at Jay. "Asleep."
"Good." Anne breathed a chuckle. "I got a call from the hospital." Alex stayed silent, nibbling on his bottom lip. "She's really giving up, then?"
"She –" Alex started, cutting himself off. "She doesn't want to do it, anymore. And I don't blame her, I mean, I saw how much pain she went through and I – I don't want to see her like that anymore. It's her decision and though I really fu- hate it, I respect it. I'm not seeing it as her giving up, though."
"If she isn't giving up then what is she doing?"
"She's letting go." He breathed, glancing over at Jay again.
"I s'pose you're right." Anne sighed again, and Alex could her the way her voice was almost choked up. "Tell her to give me a ring when she wakes up, please. I – I want her to enjoy these next few days with you, but I want to – I –"
"I understand."
"Thank you, Alex."
"Don't thank me."
"No, thank you." Anne repeated. "Thank you for taking care of her, thank you for being there for her, thank you for loving her, thank you for... For everything."
Alex smiled, his tongue darting out to dampen his drying lips. "I'll never stop loving her." He breathed out quietly. "She's my soul mate, and I'll never forget her."
"I know that, love. And she loves you. Anyone would be able to see that she loves you and that you love her. You're so good to her and just, thank you."
"Don't thank me." Alex repeated. "I'll see you – whenever I see you." His voice cracked at the last bit and he felt tears starting to build up.
"Bye," Anne whispered, cutting the call - a choked sob escaping her before the call completely cut off.
Alex stayed silent for a moment, the phone still held up to his ear before he finally sighed, placing the phone in the cup holder between the seats. The car was filled with the quiet music coming from the iPod that he'd connected in before they started on their drive. Stay by Mayday Parade lingered in the background and Alex gulped as he kept his teary eyes on the road.
He really fucking wanted Jay to stay. He'd do anything for her to stay. He'd take her illness away and put it upon himself if it meant that she'd be able to live. He'd die a thousand times over if it meant that she wouldn't leave him.
But he couldn't do any of it, and life was unfair.
-----
"Wake up." Alex breathed against the skin of her forehead, smiling as he heard her make a small whine of discontent.
Jay reluctantly blinked open her eyes, looking up at him with the most confused look on her face that Alex couldn't help himself – quickly stealing a kiss before he caressed her cheek with his rough, calloused hand.
"Where are we?" She mumbled, her eyes glancing around her surroundings – probably realising that the sun had set and they were pulled up at a random parking lot.
"Getting dinner at this random place." Alex shrugged, smiling childishly. "It looks so cool."
"What does?"
"The diner." He stated in a 'duh' tone. "Look at it."
Jay made a move to get out of the car, stumbling on her feet for a bit and ending up landing in Alex's arms as he chuckled lightly, wrapping an arm tight around her waist while kissing her hair. They were at a diner that seemed to be space-themed, explaining why the brown-haired male was so excited about it.
He'd always had a weird fascination with space and black holes and those sorts of things. He'd stay up till seven in the morning, sometimes, reading stuff about space and the universe, in general. While his band members entertained his rantings about what he'd found out, Jay was probably the only person who would really listen and would sometimes want to find out more. One of the many reasons why he absolutely adored her – as a best friend and as a girlfriend.
The two walked into the diner and were greeted by the waiters and waitresses with welcoming smiles. They sat down and ordered what the waitress serving them suggested, and then they just talked. They talked about nothing, they talked about everything, but the one thing they didn't speak a word about was what they both knew was coming.
Alex could see that Jay had already accepted the fact that she was going to... Be gone by the end of the week, maybe. And as much as Alex wanted to accept it, too, he couldn't. He just... Couldn't.
They left the diner, hand-in-hand, with smiles on their faces. They didn't know where they wanted to go next, but Alex was insistent on them not heading back to the vehicle just yet. His bum was sore and he was sure that hers was as well. So they walked for a bit, taking in the quaint little town that he'd driven into while looking for food for the pair of them.
There was a small area with nothing there. It was just sand, a log or two, and that was it. There was traces that there had been people there before Alex and Jay but at the current moment, it was only the two. Alex smiled, twirling Jay a bit so that he could wrap his arms around her waist. She let out a small squeal of surprise, ending it with joyous laughter as she let her own hands twine together at the back of his neck.
She smiled up at him and Alex could've sworn he felt his heart skip a couple of beats. Five years later and she still made him feel like a teenage boy experiencing his first love feeling thing.
"What are we doing?" Jay laughed quietly as they continued to sway together under the stars.
"We're dancing."
"To no music." She countered.
Alex rolled his eyes but he smiled anyway. He pulled her in closer, breathing a kiss to her hairline as she leaned her head against his chest. He started to sing under his breath, smiling as he felt her nuzzle closer to her chest – something she did when she was trying to hide her smile that he knew she had on her face.
Give me thunder
Give me lightning
And I will give you
Every part of me
Take me dancing
Get me fucked up
Play that old guitar
And we will sing
Alex glanced at Jay from the corner of his eyes, frowning as he noticed her shiver in her slumber. She tugged the jacket she had on closer before curling herself up further into the seat, resting her head against the window, neck craned at an awkward position with her lips parted.
He reached over for the centre console, turning the heat up because it actually was starting to get really cold. Jay was already with a weak immune system already so he couldn't begin to imagine how cold she must be feeling. Once upon a time, Jay was the girl who'd be calling him a wuss for being unable to withstand the cold even though Baltimore had the coldest Winters. But with Jay being born and raised in England, she could put up with the cold better than he could – even though he'd never admit to it. Male pride sort of thing.
The streets of L.A. were busy, as always, so when he stopped at a red light, he readied himself to be waiting a bit longer than he normally would. Alex turned to Jay, smiling sadly at her sleeping figure. It was inevitable, he knew it was going to happen, but he still didn't want to accept it.
He reached a hand out, his shaky fingers brushing back her hair and then trailing down her cheek. He leaned over, gently and slowly kissing her on the cheek, savouring the feel of her skin against his lips. It was the little things like that that he'd miss the most, apart from the person herself.
Alex pulled away, turning his attention back to road. The traffic had just started to move again so he continued on his drive. Truth be told, he had no idea where he was headed. He only knew that he wanted to make the next few days the best days of her life. He owed to her that much.
She'd been with him through everything. She'd been with him through the awkward moments of when he'd just transferred schools, the first band practice, the day they got signed, their first tour, everything. She wasn't there physically, of course, but since they were older, they knew how to make use of Skype and Messengers that they were able to download into their phones. They didn't talk constantly, but they still did talk.
Jay was the one who told Alex to man up and ask Lisa, his ex, out in the first place. They ended up staying together for almost two years before he broke it off, realising that there was just something about her that he didn't like. Thing was, if one were to ask him what was the 'one thing' that she didn't have, he couldn't give them an answer.
Turns out, the 'one thing' was that she wasn't Jay. The day that Jay surprised him by coming to a show of All Time Low's first headlining tour – she hadn't come to visit before because she refused to let him pay for an air ticket, and he respected that – Alex had never been happier. He never realised that a part of him was missing till she came to visit.
It was always Jay, even when he didn't know it was her.
It was the same for Jay, too, honestly. She didn't know what it was but any other guy that she dated didn't seem good enough.
Those two were destined to be together since they were born, basically, and their mothers couldn't have been more thrilled when they finally did get together.
Jay's phone started to ring, earning a groan from the owner of the phone before she fluttered her eyelids open. She looked absolutely exhausted and even if she tried to deny it, Alex would know the truth that she really was exhausted. He'd made her take a couple of pills and said pills made her drowsy and basically pass out for five hours, at least. She'd been asleep for a good two and a half hours, but it wasn't enough.
"Shh, go back to sleep." Alex hushed, taking her phone from her hands.
She made a sound of discontent, reaching out to grab the phone from him but failing miserably.
"Go back to bed, love. You need the sleep." He said quietly, using his thumb to rub small circles against the skin of her neck while her phone continued ringing from where he'd placed it on his thigh.
Jay made another cute noise but fell asleep soon after, Alex smiling in victory. He grabbed the phone, sliding his thumb across the screen, mumbling out a quiet "Hello?"
"Alex?"
Alex smiled. "Hey, Anne."
"Hello, love." Anne, Jay's mother, sighed from the other end of the line. "How is she?"
Alex glanced at Jay. "Asleep."
"Good." Anne breathed a chuckle. "I got a call from the hospital." Alex stayed silent, nibbling on his bottom lip. "She's really giving up, then?"
"She –" Alex started, cutting himself off. "She doesn't want to do it, anymore. And I don't blame her, I mean, I saw how much pain she went through and I – I don't want to see her like that anymore. It's her decision and though I really fu- hate it, I respect it. I'm not seeing it as her giving up, though."
"If she isn't giving up then what is she doing?"
"She's letting go." He breathed, glancing over at Jay again.
"I s'pose you're right." Anne sighed again, and Alex could her the way her voice was almost choked up. "Tell her to give me a ring when she wakes up, please. I – I want her to enjoy these next few days with you, but I want to – I –"
"I understand."
"Thank you, Alex."
"Don't thank me."
"No, thank you." Anne repeated. "Thank you for taking care of her, thank you for being there for her, thank you for loving her, thank you for... For everything."
Alex smiled, his tongue darting out to dampen his drying lips. "I'll never stop loving her." He breathed out quietly. "She's my soul mate, and I'll never forget her."
"I know that, love. And she loves you. Anyone would be able to see that she loves you and that you love her. You're so good to her and just, thank you."
"Don't thank me." Alex repeated. "I'll see you – whenever I see you." His voice cracked at the last bit and he felt tears starting to build up.
"Bye," Anne whispered, cutting the call - a choked sob escaping her before the call completely cut off.
Alex stayed silent for a moment, the phone still held up to his ear before he finally sighed, placing the phone in the cup holder between the seats. The car was filled with the quiet music coming from the iPod that he'd connected in before they started on their drive. Stay by Mayday Parade lingered in the background and Alex gulped as he kept his teary eyes on the road.
He really fucking wanted Jay to stay. He'd do anything for her to stay. He'd take her illness away and put it upon himself if it meant that she'd be able to live. He'd die a thousand times over if it meant that she wouldn't leave him.
But he couldn't do any of it, and life was unfair.
-----
"Wake up." Alex breathed against the skin of her forehead, smiling as he heard her make a small whine of discontent.
Jay reluctantly blinked open her eyes, looking up at him with the most confused look on her face that Alex couldn't help himself – quickly stealing a kiss before he caressed her cheek with his rough, calloused hand.
"Where are we?" She mumbled, her eyes glancing around her surroundings – probably realising that the sun had set and they were pulled up at a random parking lot.
"Getting dinner at this random place." Alex shrugged, smiling childishly. "It looks so cool."
"What does?"
"The diner." He stated in a 'duh' tone. "Look at it."
Jay made a move to get out of the car, stumbling on her feet for a bit and ending up landing in Alex's arms as he chuckled lightly, wrapping an arm tight around her waist while kissing her hair. They were at a diner that seemed to be space-themed, explaining why the brown-haired male was so excited about it.
He'd always had a weird fascination with space and black holes and those sorts of things. He'd stay up till seven in the morning, sometimes, reading stuff about space and the universe, in general. While his band members entertained his rantings about what he'd found out, Jay was probably the only person who would really listen and would sometimes want to find out more. One of the many reasons why he absolutely adored her – as a best friend and as a girlfriend.
The two walked into the diner and were greeted by the waiters and waitresses with welcoming smiles. They sat down and ordered what the waitress serving them suggested, and then they just talked. They talked about nothing, they talked about everything, but the one thing they didn't speak a word about was what they both knew was coming.
Alex could see that Jay had already accepted the fact that she was going to... Be gone by the end of the week, maybe. And as much as Alex wanted to accept it, too, he couldn't. He just... Couldn't.
They left the diner, hand-in-hand, with smiles on their faces. They didn't know where they wanted to go next, but Alex was insistent on them not heading back to the vehicle just yet. His bum was sore and he was sure that hers was as well. So they walked for a bit, taking in the quaint little town that he'd driven into while looking for food for the pair of them.
There was a small area with nothing there. It was just sand, a log or two, and that was it. There was traces that there had been people there before Alex and Jay but at the current moment, it was only the two. Alex smiled, twirling Jay a bit so that he could wrap his arms around her waist. She let out a small squeal of surprise, ending it with joyous laughter as she let her own hands twine together at the back of his neck.
She smiled up at him and Alex could've sworn he felt his heart skip a couple of beats. Five years later and she still made him feel like a teenage boy experiencing his first love feeling thing.
"What are we doing?" Jay laughed quietly as they continued to sway together under the stars.
"We're dancing."
"To no music." She countered.
Alex rolled his eyes but he smiled anyway. He pulled her in closer, breathing a kiss to her hairline as she leaned her head against his chest. He started to sing under his breath, smiling as he felt her nuzzle closer to her chest – something she did when she was trying to hide her smile that he knew she had on her face.
Give me thunder
Give me lightning
And I will give you
Every part of me
Take me dancing
Get me fucked up
Play that old guitar
And we will sing