Hell Above

Thanksgiving passes without another word from either of the Barakat parents, much to Jack’s relief. He takes Alex out to eat at their favorite Chinese restaurant, opting for that instead of a traditional turkey and stuffing dinner. They drive out to the outskirts of the city afterwards, up and down the more residential streets and hunt down all of the houses that already have Christmas lights up, even though it’s still nearly a month out from the holiday. Alex awes and points and the ever-present grin on his face throughout the night is enough to make Jack feel content, despite the doubt that’s settled into his mind.

Alex kisses him hard once they get into the elevator in Jack’s apartment building, pushing the younger back until he’s pressed against the mirrored wall behind them, handrail digging against his spine. He’s lucky they’re the only ones in here, or else Jack would be receiving complaints from the front desk come morning, despite the fact that Jack’s father practically owns the building. The blonde pulls back, flashing Jack a shit-eating grin before spinning around and pressing the button for their floor.

Jack takes Alex’s hand, threading their fingers together as they exit the elevator, making the short walk around the corner and down the hall to Jack’s door. Alex heads for the kitchen once they get into the apartment, the younger trailing behind him with their hands still connected.

Alex lets go of Jack’s hand, crouching down and rooting around in the bottom cabinet until he produces a bottle of wine, holding it out to Jack triumphantly. It’s a blush wine, some fruity thing that Vinny’s sister had brought over a while back, but its alcohol all the same, so the younger doesn’t protest, simply rolls his eyes, taking the bottle and fishing out a cork screw from the drawer in the island.

The elder returns by his side, two wine glasses in hand, and places them down on the counter beside the bottle. He pops the cork out with the corkscrew, passing it off to Alex who sets it in the sink while Jack pours them each a glass before replacing the cork.

He passes a glass to Alex, who smiles, all cute and cheeky. His face is flushed, cheeks tinted close to the pink color of the wine, and Jack grins in response, leaning over and pressing their lips together. He feels Alex smile into the kiss and has to pull away, swallow down the words he wants to say with a sip of wine.

-

The day after Thanksgiving, typically, is one of Alex’s best days in terms of prostituting. Something about the holidays tends to draw men away from their families (if they have one), and his clients become more eager and willing to pay more for his services. Most years, it’s a win-win situation, he gets paid well and the men he sleeps with get off easy.

Normally, Alex would be out on the streets by now, considering its nearing noon, working up a decent client list for the night. Instead, he’s curled up in bed, tracing the lines of Jack’s ribs with his fingertips. The younger is shirtless, sweatpants settled low on his hips against the bed, completely uncovered save for where the sheets are tangled at their feet.

Alex can tell Jack is stirring, and knows that if he wants to leave he needs to do it before Jack wakes up. He doesn’t move though, doesn’t want to, and Jack deserves more than to wake up alone.

Jack shifts, a sleepy groan slipping out as he wakes up. He rolls onto his side, eyes peeling open slowly, and is both surprised and pleased to see Alex still beside him. He grins, all sleepy and lopsided, mumbling out “Hi.”

“Hey.” The blonde replies, reaching forward and brushing his fingertip over the bridge of Jack’s nose, causing the younger to scrunch up his face in response. Alex laughs, scooting closer and then kissing the man.

Jack kisses back immediately, wrapping an arm around the blonde and pulling him closer, deepening the kiss as he does. Alex reacts properly, tongue licking out against Jack’s lips and it’s slow and lazy and fucking perfect. He pushes at Jack’s shoulder until the younger rolls over, onto his back, and settles over him a moment later, leaning down to continue kissing.

Jack shifts, lifting his hips a bit and the friction there has Alex gasping, their lazy kissing progressing as Jack licks into the elder’s mouth. Alex rolls his hips down, pulling away from the younger’s mouth after a moment, breathing heavy against Jack’s throat as he buries his face into the crook between the man’s neck and shoulder.

Jack winds a hand into the blonde strands at the base of Alex’s head, pulling lightly at the elder’s hair as he raises his hips again, matching Alex’s rhythm easily. They move together, lethargic and lax in their grinding, but it’s enough.

Jack comes first, after a few more minutes of slow rolls of their hips, tightening his grip in the blonde’s hair and arching his back as a shudder passes through him, pleasure clouding his sleepy mind. He slumps against the mattress afterwards, allowing Alex to grind against his thigh.

Alex’s breath hitches, a low moan spilling past his lips as he comes a moment after Jack. Jack would have liked to have seen the elders face, despite knowing exactly what it looks like when he comes. Watching is always great though, and knowing that he’s the only one that gets Alex off makes it so much better.

Alex collapses against him, body completely relaxing into Jack’s as they lie through their highs.

After a few minutes they get up, cleaning themselves off and changing into fresh boxers before settling back down in bed. Jack reaches down and pulls the comforter and sheets over them, laying down next to Alex. The elder is biting his lip, an anxious glint to his gaze that worries Jack. “What’s wrong?” Jack asks, brushing a strand of blonde behind the man’s ear.

“I – um” He breathes, meeting Jack’s eyes as he continues, “I was just – what are we?” He blurts, tugging his lip back in between his teeth afterwards.

Jack’s brows furrow. He was not expecting that. He’d been wanting to ask Alex the same question for a while now, but had figured the elder would freak out if he mentioned the word boyfriend. “What do you want to be?”

Alex sighs, rolling over onto his back before speaking, gaze fixed on the ceiling. “I – I don’t know. I don’t want to be anything.” He brings his hands up, rubbing at his eyes as he says, “I just – no offense, it’s not you. You’re my best friend, and – and now you’re a whole lot more than that, but I don’t want a label.”

“I already feel horrible, you have to understand – I feel like shit prostituting and then coming home and being with you. I don’t want to be your boyfriend and then have all this extra guilt.”

Jack leans over, propping himself up on an elbow so that he can look at Alex. The blonde brings his hands away from his face, meeting Jack’s eyes. For once, he doesn’t look apprehensive or anxious. Instead, the older man looks like a weight has been lifted off of his chest.

“Okay.” Is all Jack says, watching Alex raise an eyebrow in response.

“Okay?”

“Yeah, okay. I’m okay with that.”

He lays down again, closing his eyes after a moment, head resting on his hand over the pillow. Alex shifts, scooting closer and wrapping an arm around the younger, elbow bent up by Jack’s shoulder blades and fingers twirling through the man’s dark hair. Jack rests his head beside the blonde’s chest, pushing a leg in between both of Alex’s as he pulls the elder closer by the waist, settling his arm over the curve of the man’s hip.

It’s not the most common position, but it somehow manages to feel more intimate than being pressed together like normal. Alex whispers “Yeah, okay” against the top of Jack’s head, and the younger falls back asleep a few minutes later to the feeling of the elder’s fingers brushing through his hair.