Jack
Seeing Stars
“Alex.”
Alex jumped and cursed as he wildly looked around for the source of the voice he’d recognise anywhere.
A shadow caught his attention and he whipped around, staring at the very distinctive man as he clambered over the park wall and dropped to the bottom of the other side with a stumble.
“J-Jack?” Alex whispered.
“It’s me, ‘Lex.” Jack murmured.
“Y-you’ve got a twig in your hair.”
“What?”
“A twig. You have a twig in your hair.”
Alex’s voice was hoarsely hysterical as he delicately extracted the twig from Jack’s hair.
“Uh, thanks?” Jack said confusedly.
Alex’s breath caught in his throat as tears welled up in his eyes, relief completely consuming in and leaving him powerless.
Jack immediately grabbed Alex’s arm and dragged him around the corner, into a secluded spot void of people, and dropped to his knees to meet the gaze of a doubled-over, wheezing Alex who was also sobbing violently.
“Alex, I’m sorry, I’m okay, see? I’m here now, it’s okay, don't worry, just breathe…”
Alex continued to gasp for air, and Jack took his hand, allowing the other boy to squeeze it hard enough to bruise. He pulled Alex to the ground and awkwardly embraced him, ending up with a sobbing, breathless Alex soaking his shirt as he gently rubbed his back.
Gradually, Alex’s breathing began to come a little easier, and he gulped air down in relief, gripping handfuls of Jack’s shirt.
“Y’okay now?” Jack asked after a few minutes, and he felt Alex nod, pulling away from his chest and slumping next to him, but never letting go of his hand.
“Don’t ever worry me like that again. Ever.” Alex pleaded, meeting Jack’s warm brown eyes with pain-ridden caramel ones.
“I won’t.” Jack promised, and squeezed his hand.
Alex jumped and cursed as he wildly looked around for the source of the voice he’d recognise anywhere.
A shadow caught his attention and he whipped around, staring at the very distinctive man as he clambered over the park wall and dropped to the bottom of the other side with a stumble.
“J-Jack?” Alex whispered.
“It’s me, ‘Lex.” Jack murmured.
“Y-you’ve got a twig in your hair.”
“What?”
“A twig. You have a twig in your hair.”
Alex’s voice was hoarsely hysterical as he delicately extracted the twig from Jack’s hair.
“Uh, thanks?” Jack said confusedly.
Alex’s breath caught in his throat as tears welled up in his eyes, relief completely consuming in and leaving him powerless.
Jack immediately grabbed Alex’s arm and dragged him around the corner, into a secluded spot void of people, and dropped to his knees to meet the gaze of a doubled-over, wheezing Alex who was also sobbing violently.
“Alex, I’m sorry, I’m okay, see? I’m here now, it’s okay, don't worry, just breathe…”
Alex continued to gasp for air, and Jack took his hand, allowing the other boy to squeeze it hard enough to bruise. He pulled Alex to the ground and awkwardly embraced him, ending up with a sobbing, breathless Alex soaking his shirt as he gently rubbed his back.
Gradually, Alex’s breathing began to come a little easier, and he gulped air down in relief, gripping handfuls of Jack’s shirt.
“Y’okay now?” Jack asked after a few minutes, and he felt Alex nod, pulling away from his chest and slumping next to him, but never letting go of his hand.
“Don’t ever worry me like that again. Ever.” Alex pleaded, meeting Jack’s warm brown eyes with pain-ridden caramel ones.
“I won’t.” Jack promised, and squeezed his hand.