Angel From My Nightmare

Jack doesn’t know what to expect when he opened his eyes, maybe another white room or worse a pitch black one, but currently not his living room. He raised his head form the side of the couch, yep this was his living room exactly how he’d left it. His phone still sat on the coffee table next to an empty mug the remains of the coffee now sticking to the bottom. Jack sat up, ignoring how his body protested the movement. What had happened? He couldn’t remember exactly, everything was in pieces he was trying to put together.
He could remember Death and standing in the cemetery, he could remember saying ‘I love you’ to Alex and hearing the words in return. He could remember a white light and then there was this man standing over Alex and another white light before he woke up at home. Jack pressed his face to his hands, trying to make himself remember what happened, where was Alex? What had he done?
Angels.
The word fluttered about in Jack’s mind, there had been an Angel. An Angel who’d said the only way to save Alex was to turn him too, somewhere Alex was an Angel.
Jack sat bolt upright, half expecting to hear Alex’s voice calling him but there was nothing but silence in his apartment.
“Alex!” Jack called out but of course no answer. If Jack was brought back here where would Alex be? The cemetery.
Without a second’s hesitation or much care for the 3 day old clothes he was wearing, the messy, greasy state of his hair or his bodies protest Jack grabbed his keys and took the car journey he knew all too well. He pulled up outside the gates; the grey clouds from the previous had gone leaving everything bathing in the cool sunlight. Jack walked through the open gates, glad not to have to jump them for once, he walked around the corner to the grave he knew expect it wasn’t there... The spot he’d sat with Alex so many times was still there but the gravestone that marked his loves name was gone. Panic ran through Jack, how could this be? Where was Alex?
Jack ran back to the security guard he had passed every day, hoping he might know.
“Can I help you?” the man asked.
“Could... You tell me... Where the grave is that used to be there?” Jack asked, as he tried to catch his breath.
“Where?” the man asked. Jack lead him back to the spot, the ground was hard beneath his feet it was like the storm that almost took them was never there.
“There’s no grave here, as far as I’m aware there never has been one”
Jack stood silent for a minute, how could there be no grave? Where that mean Alex is? Does that mean Alex never existed? Was everything Jack knew over the last month just an elaborate dream that had been the result of losing his mum?
Jack shook his head, that couldn’t be. Alex was real, he had to be.
Jack had woken up at home so maybe Alex did too? It was the only place he could think of, Alex had a home, a family maybe he’d wake up there. Using google on his phone Jack found an address for a Mr Gaskarth and assumed it must have been Alex’s dad, it’s not like Gaskarth is a common name. Jack drove through town, staring out the window trying to catch a glimpse of the brunette but no one matched his beauty.
Jack pulled up outside the large house, his palms were sweating and heart racing. He hoped that Alex was inside the walls having woken up in his own bed with his family once again. Though as Jack climbed out of the car and stood in front of the house it didn’t feel right... That feeling Jack always got when Alex was near like they were tethered together and he could always feel Alex tugging at the other end, now there was nothing. Jack rubbed the tears from his face with the back of his hand and got back into his car, he wanted to go home, to shower and change then maybe... Maybe talk to his family and friends, maybe try and put his life back together. When Jack had woken up on his couch maybe everything really had been one great long dream and he was back in reality again...

Jack climbed the stairs to his apartment something felt off; when he reached his floor he saw that his apartment door was open. Taking a deep breath and hoping he wasn’t about to walk on a bunch of robbers Jack pushed the door open all the way and walked in. As he stepped into his living room nothing seemed to have changed, his phone and laptop still sat where’d left them and the washing up in the sink was starting to smell it didn’t look like anyone was home at all.
“Rian, Rian is this you?” Jack called. “If this is some kind of prank stop now, I’m not in the mood”
Jack flopped down on the couch and waited for his friend to come out from his hiding place. There was the sound of movement behind him and Jack waited as the footsteps got closer until a figure appeared in Jack’s bedroom doorway.
“Rian go away, I’m not in the mood” Jack said, burying his face in his hands.
“Baby, my names Alex”
Jack’s head shot up, stood leaning on the doorframe was Alex; the same skinny jeans and t shirt, the same slightly messy caramel hair and deep chocolate eyes and the same stupid smirk that could melt Jack’s heart.
“No, this is not happening, no” Jack got up and turned away from Alex.
“What Jack? It’s me”
“It can’t be you”
“Of course it is” the heartbreak was evident in Alex’s voice.
“How can it be?” Jack yelled, turning back to face Alex.
“You’re not real”
“Jack what are you saying? Of course I am, I’m right here! Don’t you remember?”
“I do but... The grave Alex, your grave Alex, it’s gone, you’re gone. I stood there and stared at the place your body should be but it nothing more than a hole in the ground.”
“Jack let me....”
“No... You’re just in my mind, I crated you so I wouldn’t feel so alone, I couldn’t save my mum so I crated you to save instead. You’re not real Alex” Jack cried, the tears running down his face, Jack could almost watch Alex heartbreak in front of him. It doesn’t matter he told himself, he’s not real.
“Jack... Here” Alex grabbed Jack’s hand and Jack let him. Alex placed Jack’s hand on his chest, his chest that had always been so cold, so silent like the dead. As Jack’s hand laid on his chest he could feel it, the beating of Alex’s heart as it pumped blood around his body, the feel of his chest raising and falling as he breathed.
“Alex... You’re...”
“Yes Jack, I’m alive”
Jack broke down; he started sobbing as Alex pulled him close to his chest. Jack stood with his head pressed to Alex’s chest, hearing the sound of his heart beat for the first time.

A while later they sat on the couch, Jack pressed against Alex with his chest still on his head still over his heart, it was only the way he could stop himself from shaking.
“How? Is any of this... Real?” Jack asked.
“They asked you to me a choice, a choice that risked everything we’ve got for the chance to make it work. You said yes to the Angels so they did what they had to do. I’m an Angel Jack”
“You’re really...?”
“Yeah”
“But what does that mean?”
“I never died, it didn’t really happen and only we’ll be able to remember it. That’s why my grave is gone, because I was never dead. I’m an Angel, expect not an active one, were most Angels live in heaven and do God’s work I stay here with you. I never have to leave, though if war breaks out I may have to go but that’s supper unlikely. Basically Jack Barakat I’m your personal Angel”
“Why though? How did any of this happen to us?” Jack asked.
“Because love is more powerful that any human has ever been able to understand, ours is more powerful that even we will know. But they did tell me this, without each other we could basically rip the world apart”
“So we’re stuck together or the world falls apart?”
“Basically” Alex smirked.
“Good thing, I love you”
“I love you too”
Finally after what felt like forever, Alex’s lips touch Jack’s once again. The feeling of electricity runs though them, the energy that binds them together and the feeling that for that one moment everything is right in the world. Jack only breaks away from the kiss when he fells something strange touch his back, he opened his eyes to see a pair of wings wrapped around him.
“Shit, Alex!”
“Oh fuck! I didn’t know I could that” Alex said, moving the pure white wings to hold Jack a little tighter.
“They’re beautiful” Jack said, running his fingers over the soft white feathers that so gently touched his skin.
“Just like you” Alex whispered in his ear.