Hell Above

When Jack walks through his door, the first thing he sees is Alex, curled up on his couch. The older man looks so much smaller than normal, as Jack looks him over, noting that Alex is wearing not only his sweat pants, but one of his tee-shirts now too. His hair is tousled, clearly not brushed, honey eyes meeting Jacks as he shuffles into a sitting position. “Hey.”

Jack nods in reply, heading into the kitchen, before returning with a fork in hand. Alex shoots him a confused look, thick eyebrows scrunching up in a really adorable way. Jack just chuckles, pushing the to-go box and fork onto Alex’s lap. “I brought you lunch.”

Jack watches Alex’s lips curl up into a grin, as he pops open the lid of the container, fork burying in the noodles. Jack leans against the arm of the couch, back pressing into the dumb striped throw pillow Alex insisted he buy a few months back. He watches the blonde shove a forkful of noodles into his mouth, laughing when Alex tries talking a moment later, mouth full of pasta still.

Alex swallows his food, leaning over and punching Jack in the chest lightly, which just results in the younger man laughing harder. Alex watches as Jack grips his midsection, giggles flowing past his lips. His eyes are squinted, little crinkles splaying from the corners of his eyes. Alex lets a laugh escape too, a small, chesty sound. Jack composes himself, leaning his head sideways on the back of the couch, exactly how Alex had yesterday afternoon.

Alex bites his lip, smile curving it up against his teeth. Jack’s laugh is one of Alex’s favorite things.

Jack is looking at him now, chocolate eyes bright. “How’d it go, doofus?”

Jack chuckles again, but Alex notices the way the other man’s lips falter in their smile, just the slightest. “It was okay, same as always. Dad told me about how the company’s doing, I said something that pissed him off, it was awkward, he left, and I brought you food home.”

Alex can’t help the way his cheeks heat up when Jack says home, as if it’s theirs to share. Although it’s almost an unspoken agreement that Alex lives here, it was never officially talked about. Jack never straight up asked Alex to live with him, and sometimes Alex can’t help but feel like a bother hanging around the younger’s place so much.

“What’d you say to piss him off?” Alex asks, glancing down to see the decent sized dent he’s made in the fettuccine.

“Just asked if he’d heard from my mom.” Jack sighs, resting his cheek against the back of the sofa again.

Alex finishes swallowing down the forkful of pasta he’d been chewing before meeting Jack’s eyes. “When’s the last time you talked to her?”

“A few months ago, m’not sure.” Jack shrugs.

“You should call her.”

The younger shifts, leaning up off of the pillow. It’s a few minutes before Alex hears a mumbled “later” come from the man next to him.

“Jack.” There’s an edge to Alex’s voice as he says the younger man’s name, calling his bluff with only one word.

“I’ll do it later.” Is all Jack says, voice tight as he gets up from the sofa, headed toward the kitchen.

Alex sinks back into the sofa, to-go box resting on his thighs. “Yeah, right.” It’s muttered, but Jack catches it none-the-less. He turns on his heel, facing the man on his sofa.

“Excuse me?” Jack’s voice is raised, but his tone remains low, bitter.

Alex bites right back. “You heard me.”

Jack’s eyes narrow. “You know what, Alex? Fuck you. Just because you have ‘mommy issues’ doesn’t mean you can tell me what to do.”

Jack regrets the words the moment they leave his mouth. He sees Alex visibly freeze, honey eyes blinking as his gaze drops to his lap. Jack makes to move towards him, but Alex is already up, setting the to-go box on the coffee table and turning for the hallway. “I’m gonna go lie down.”

Jack just stands, watching the other man retreat down the hall, until his bedroom door is slammed shut. Jack flinches at the bang, but knows he deserves it.

-

Jack doesn't immediately follow Alex into his bedroom. In fact, it’s been almost two hours since they argued, but Jack can’t bring himself to face Alex. Each time he works up the nerve, it disappears the moment he goes to reach for the handle to enter his room. He’s made the journey to his bedroom door and back to the couch at least four times so far.

Alex’s fettuccine has been put into the fridge, and Jack’s just been alternating between sitting on the couch and pacing the length of the living room in between trips to stare at his bedroom door before pussying out and returning to the front of the apartment. The younger knows he fucked up. He shouldn't have said that to Alex, and knows it was completely out of line. Jack feels like complete shit right now. What kind of best friend is he, practically throwing it in Alex’s face that his mom walked out on him?

Jack groans, sitting up off of the couch for the last time, and making his way down the hallway. Alex doesn't react at all when Jack enters. The blonde is curled up on the bed, head resting against Jack’s favorite pillow, towards the center of the headboard. He’s got Jack’s black duvet wrapped tight around his front, clothed back uncovered and facing Jack as he stands in the doorway. Jack walks around the bed, to the side Alex isn't taking up, and slips off his vans before crawling in next to his best friend.

When Alex still doesn't visibly react, Jack begins hoping the elder is asleep. A moment later though, and Jack sees Alex’s hand tighten around the edge of the duvet, a silent sign that he’s not, in fact, asleep. Jack shifts so that he’s lying flat on his back, running a hand through his dark hair before resting his clasped hands on his stomach.

“Do you remember a few months after we first met, it was one of the first times you stayed the night, and you had a nightmare?” Jack doesn't expect Alex to actually answer him, so when the man next to him doesn't respond, Jack continues. “I didn't know anything about you, you wouldn't let me in at first, but that night, you let me hold you and I know you hated it, but I saw you cry for the first time.” Jack pauses, trying to gather his thoughts.

“I didn't ask what your nightmare was about that night, but a few days later you told me it had been about your mom. I guess you decided to let me in then, and god, Alex, I’m so glad you did.” He turns his head to look at Alex then, the older man’s eyes are still closed tight, face half buried in Jack’s black sheets.

“I’m sorry – about what I said earlier. I guess it’s like, when you let someone in, you've gotta let them in on your weaknesses too, right? And I know that she’s yours, so when you snapped at me, I just, the first thing that came to mind was calling you out on it.” He turns his attention to the ceiling again, pausing to make sense of his thoughts.

This is the first time in a while that they've snapped at one another, and Jack isn't quite sure how to make it up to Alex. “I know you’re just looking out for me, and I appreciate it, honestly, – but you've gotta understand that my mom doesn't want me around, and I’m okay with that. I don’t want to reach out to her, and she’s made it perfectly clear that she feels the same. I don’t want you to be mad at me, Alex.” Jack pulls his lip into his mouth with the tip of his teeth, turning his head to look sideways at his best friend, a pair of honey eyes meeting his.

Jack is relieved to see that Alex’s eyes aren't red, if he’d made the elder cry, he would've felt worse than he already does. “M’not mad, I promise. It’s okay. I know you didn't mean it, it just caught me off guard.” Alex’s voice is soft, eyes set on the comforter as he speaks. He raises his eyes to meet Jack’s again as he finishes talking, lips lifting into a small smile. Jack turns onto his side, facing Alex, before returning his best friend’s smile with a tiny one of his own.

They lie together for a while, before Jack speaks up again, tone considerably happier than before. “Wanna go get something to eat?”

Alex rolls onto his back a minute later, before sitting up. He bends down, fingers reaching for his toes in a half-assed attempt at a toe touch. Jack laughs a little, seeing as Alex’s fingers almost reach all the way down his skinny legs, but just when Jack thinks the blonde will actually stretch enough to reach them, he pulls back up, shooting Jack a lopsided grin and a “Yeah.” in reply to Jack’s question.

The men slip off the bed, both heading over to the dresser adjacent to it. Alex giggles a little when he accidentally bumps into Jack as they’re digging through different drawers looking for clothes to throw on. Jack grins at him, looking down at him before wrapping his arms around the shorter man and pulling him closer. Alex leans in too, turning his head to press his face against Jack’s neck, wrapping his arms securely around Jack’s thin frame.

Jack presses his nose into Alex’s unkempt hair. “You know I care about you.” It isn't a question, Jack’s simply stating it, even though both men already know. He feels Alex nod against his chest, where the blonde’s head is tucked into the crook between Jack’s neck and shoulder.

Alex pulls away a moment later, shooting his best friend another honest smile before turning his attention back to clothe-hunting. The blonde ends up deciding to just keep the shirt he’s wearing on, turning to Jack a few minutes later, who’s leaning his butt up against the dresser watching Alex with an amused smile. Alex holds up two pairs of jeans, raising his eyebrows in silent question of ‘Which ones?’

“Lex, they’re the same.”

Jack receives an ‘are you fucking kidding me’ glare from Alex before the elder is exclaiming, “No, look! This pair has zippers!” and then proceeding to flip the jeans in question over, zipping and unzipping one of the small zippers running diagonally across the thighs of the jeans a few times, just to prove his point.

Jack just leans up off of the dresser, walking around Alex and towards the bed again, flopping down on his back right in the center. “Wear the zippy ones, they suit you.” Alex just stares at him, holding both pairs of jeans up again, before deciding to just go with the ‘zippy ones.’ He takes said jeans, a clean pair of boxer briefs, and one of Jack’s plain black belts, before heading into the en suite bathroom to shower.

Alex finishes up showering a little more than 10 minutes later, having skipped over washing his hair for sake of saving time. He steps out of the walk in shower, thick towel hung loosely around his hips. He dries off, pulling on the neon green boxer briefs he’d bought a few months back, and shimmying into his skinny jeans, making sure all the zippers are zipped shut across his thighs once he gets them up his thin legs. He snakes the belt through the jean’s loops, hangs up his damp towel, and then heads back out into Jack’s room after combing through his hair, black v-neck in hand.

Jack is lying in the exact same spot he had been when Alex left to shower, arms tucked under his head, eyes closed in the center of his bed. Alex takes the opportunity to look the younger over, noting that his tan jeans have been replaced with a tighter gray pair, rips tearing across the legs, a Glamour Kills tee replacing the stiff button down he’d had on. He must’ve changed while I was in the shower, Alex thinks, smiling at the way Jack looks so calm. He’d think the other man was asleep if it weren't for his left foot swaying slowly back and forth where it’s dangling off the end of the bed.

Alex makes his way over to the end of the bed, standing in front of Jack’s dangling legs, careful not to alert the other of his presence. He drops his tee to the ground, then leaps onto the bed, landing on his hands and knees, body hovering just over Jack’s. Jack opens his eyes, which are blown wide from the surprise. The younger’s face relaxes a moment later, realizing it’s only Alex and not some psycho trying to kill him.

Alex grins down at him. Jack just stares up at him, drinking in Alex’s appearance without much thought. The man on top of him is shirtless, which stuns Jack at first, knowing Alex can’t stand his body. He dismisses the thought though, taking in the way Alex is grinning at him, teeth and dimples on full display, making Jack want to reach up and slip his hand into the boy’s hair, where the ends are damp from his shower.

He silences that thought quickly though, rolling the pair over and straddling the blonde, hands instantly going to Alex’s exposed sides, fingers working against the smooth skin there. Alex breaks out in giggles, cheeks stretched wide as Jack continues tickling him. The man under him is in near hysterics by the time Jack relinquishes his attack on the blonde’s sides. Jack pulls back slightly, looking over the man beneath him, eyes scanning across the blonde’s lightly tanned chest, leading down to the prominent hip bones that begin just above the waistband of the briefs he’s got on, skinny jean’s (with the zippers, Jack notes) riding low enough to reveal a large section of neon boxers. Alex meets Jack’s dark eyes once he’s quieted his laughter. Jack is looking at him in a way that’s so intense, so much adoration held in those wide eyes, it almost makes Alex uncomfortable.

Jack breaks his gaze when Alex begins shifting underneath him, quickly getting off the elder and standing up. He reaches out a hand, pulling Alex to his feet as well. The shorter boy smiles up at him, and then reaches down and comes back up with the black v-neck from earlier. “You ever gonna stop stealing my shirts?” Jack’s smirking at the tee in Alex’s grasp, eyebrow raised as he meets Alex’s eyes.

The blonde laughs, flashing a cheeky smile before slipping Jack’s shirt over his head. “Hm, nah.”

Jack shakes his head, chuckling quietly as the pair exit the room, heading out of the apartment in search of dinner for the night.