Status: the more you comment the faster i'll update (probably)
Nothing Personal
Hey There, It's Good to See You Again
In June Jack had gone away for three weeks to visit family. Alex's family all lived near enough that he didn't have to leave Baltimore (family he cared to see, anyway) and so he was left there while Jack left for Lebanon.
He didn't get much done in the three weeks he was on his own (except he wasn't alone because most his Baltimore friends were still there, including Rian).
It was the third week of Jack being gone that Alex really didn't feel like getting up. So instead of getting out of bed he bravely slid a warm (now cold) arm out of his bed to retrieve his phone. He went to his contacts and called Rian, rubbing his tired eyes with the back of his hand as he did so.
Rian picked up but he didn't sound pleased. "Alex it's eight in the morning on my Monday off work this better be an emergency."
"What kind of emergency?"
"Someone dying,"
"It's an I miss Jack emergency." Alex responded sadly.
Rian groaned and sunk back into his bed beside Cassadee who was still sound asleep. "Fuck dude, you're as bad as that Twilight girl."
"I'm not like her!" Alex defended, pulling his legs up to his chest. It was a chilly morning for this time of year.
"Jack is coming back this Friday, I miss him too but you can live without him. You managed the first week and a half without him."
"I miss having someone to kiss and cuddle."
"Get Zack round and cuddle with him."
Alex sighed, defeated, and nodded to himself. "You're no help."
"Love you too, bro."
"Sorry I woke you up."
Rian rolled his eyes, "What's done is done. Try get some more sleep."
"'Kay," Alex agreed sleepily.
"Bye Alex."
"Bye."
Alex did as Rian had suggested, even if he had said it to get him off his case. Zack agreed to come over on the condition that they play video games and Alex pay for pizza.
They shared Alex's bed that night to save Zack going home so late but the next day Zack had to leave as he had work at twelve which once again left Alex alone. He got housework done, putting on laundry and cleaning the dishes, but other than that he stayed on the couch bored out of his mind as he played video games.
He was so bored that he was actually happy to go to work the next few days. He arrived as early as possible and left as late as possible. He hadn't realised how much he depended on Jack to not be bored, and it was more than a little embarrassing for the college student.
Alex had everything planned on the day Jack was arriving back home. He had bought two pizzas for them both, changed his bed and made sure the house was clean. He drove to meet Jack at the airport, nearly three hours early in excitement. He had taken his Nintendo 2DS for this reason. His excuse to himself was that he had been neglecting his Animal Crossing town.
At 3:25pm the board changed to say that Jack's flight had landed which made Alex jump up from his metal seat and charge towards where the crowds of waiting people stood. Some had signs welcoming home loved ones, and one family even had balloons. It made Alex feel bad for not bringing anything for his boyfriend.
After what felt like forever for the twenty-one year old people started appearing at the big doors, suitcases being dragged behind them and big smiles, some more relieved than happy, were worn on tired looking faces.
There were so many people that Alex was worried he wouldn't be able to spot Jack and that they'd miss each other. His worries were taken away, however, when he spotted the blond and black hair that could only belong to Jack. He restrained from moving forwards and inevitably getting in the way of strangers, instead waiting impatiently for Jack to notice him.
When he was noticed Jack visibly sped up his pace, grin making its way onto his features. When he got close enough he let go of suitcase handle, letting the heavy bag fall to the ground as he wrapped his long arms around Alex, pulling them together. "Hey there, it's good to see you again." Jack mumbled into Alex's shoulder, kissing it lightly as they pulled away slowly.
"Hey," Alex responded quietly, "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Jack smiled sadly. He leant down and kissed Alex, both men relishing in the feeling. It had been far too long.
"Faggots," A gruff voice came out of nowhere, interrupting the couple.
Alex sunk back at the comment, never being very good at reacting to snide, senseless comments. Jack rolled his eyes and pulled Alex back towards him in attempts to show the stupid man that they didn't care.
"No one wants to see that shit." The same man complained, covering a little boy’s eyes. His son, Jack assumed.
Alex pushed at Jack's chest in attempt to get away from him, cheeks flushed dark red all the way to his ears and down his neck.
The guy laughed, "Your boyfriend doesn't even like you."
Thankfully he walked away after that, leaving the pair stood in an awkward silence as passers-by gave them looks ranging from sympathetic to disgusted. "Let's go." Jack spoke up, picking up his suitcase and leaving the way out of the airport, Alex trailing quietly from behind. "Where'd you park the car, baby?" He asked when they reached the stretch of concrete.
"Section B." Alex practically whispered, Jack straining to hear him.
"What was that?" He asked, turning around to look at Alex.
"Section B." Jack nodded and led the way once again, going up on his toes to look through the many cars to find his boyfriends.
The journey was awkward. Jack tried to make conversation, telling Alex all about his holiday and how his family were (something Alex would usually be all over). When they got to Alex’s Jack dumped his bags in the bedroom before finding his boyfriend in the kitchen turning the oven on.
“Alex what was that at the airport?” He asked bluntly.
The mentioned sighed but didn’t turn around to face his boyfriend. “I’m sorry, okay? It was just embarrassing.”
“Being seen with me?”
Alex closed his eyes and breathed deeply trying his best not to become angry. “Being called out like that, I don’t know. It’s never happened before and I didn’t know what to do.”
“It’s not that hard to figure out. You stand your ground.”
“I got pizza for us, why don’t you go put the TV on and I’ll get it ready.”
“Don’t change the subject.” Jack insisted, moving towards Alex and wrapping his arms around his slim waist. “I just don’t want to be dating someone that’s ashamed of me.” He kissed Alex’s neck softly as he spoke.
Alex turned around to face Jack, looking up slightly to meet his eyes. “I’m not ashamed of you, okay? Let’s talk about this another time; I’ve missed you too much to fight right now.”
Jack nodded in understanding and kissed Alex quickly. “I’ll go see if Adventure Time is on.”
“Sounds good,” Alex replied, now smiling.
He didn't get much done in the three weeks he was on his own (except he wasn't alone because most his Baltimore friends were still there, including Rian).
It was the third week of Jack being gone that Alex really didn't feel like getting up. So instead of getting out of bed he bravely slid a warm (now cold) arm out of his bed to retrieve his phone. He went to his contacts and called Rian, rubbing his tired eyes with the back of his hand as he did so.
Rian picked up but he didn't sound pleased. "Alex it's eight in the morning on my Monday off work this better be an emergency."
"What kind of emergency?"
"Someone dying,"
"It's an I miss Jack emergency." Alex responded sadly.
Rian groaned and sunk back into his bed beside Cassadee who was still sound asleep. "Fuck dude, you're as bad as that Twilight girl."
"I'm not like her!" Alex defended, pulling his legs up to his chest. It was a chilly morning for this time of year.
"Jack is coming back this Friday, I miss him too but you can live without him. You managed the first week and a half without him."
"I miss having someone to kiss and cuddle."
"Get Zack round and cuddle with him."
Alex sighed, defeated, and nodded to himself. "You're no help."
"Love you too, bro."
"Sorry I woke you up."
Rian rolled his eyes, "What's done is done. Try get some more sleep."
"'Kay," Alex agreed sleepily.
"Bye Alex."
"Bye."
Alex did as Rian had suggested, even if he had said it to get him off his case. Zack agreed to come over on the condition that they play video games and Alex pay for pizza.
They shared Alex's bed that night to save Zack going home so late but the next day Zack had to leave as he had work at twelve which once again left Alex alone. He got housework done, putting on laundry and cleaning the dishes, but other than that he stayed on the couch bored out of his mind as he played video games.
He was so bored that he was actually happy to go to work the next few days. He arrived as early as possible and left as late as possible. He hadn't realised how much he depended on Jack to not be bored, and it was more than a little embarrassing for the college student.
Alex had everything planned on the day Jack was arriving back home. He had bought two pizzas for them both, changed his bed and made sure the house was clean. He drove to meet Jack at the airport, nearly three hours early in excitement. He had taken his Nintendo 2DS for this reason. His excuse to himself was that he had been neglecting his Animal Crossing town.
At 3:25pm the board changed to say that Jack's flight had landed which made Alex jump up from his metal seat and charge towards where the crowds of waiting people stood. Some had signs welcoming home loved ones, and one family even had balloons. It made Alex feel bad for not bringing anything for his boyfriend.
After what felt like forever for the twenty-one year old people started appearing at the big doors, suitcases being dragged behind them and big smiles, some more relieved than happy, were worn on tired looking faces.
There were so many people that Alex was worried he wouldn't be able to spot Jack and that they'd miss each other. His worries were taken away, however, when he spotted the blond and black hair that could only belong to Jack. He restrained from moving forwards and inevitably getting in the way of strangers, instead waiting impatiently for Jack to notice him.
When he was noticed Jack visibly sped up his pace, grin making its way onto his features. When he got close enough he let go of suitcase handle, letting the heavy bag fall to the ground as he wrapped his long arms around Alex, pulling them together. "Hey there, it's good to see you again." Jack mumbled into Alex's shoulder, kissing it lightly as they pulled away slowly.
"Hey," Alex responded quietly, "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Jack smiled sadly. He leant down and kissed Alex, both men relishing in the feeling. It had been far too long.
"Faggots," A gruff voice came out of nowhere, interrupting the couple.
Alex sunk back at the comment, never being very good at reacting to snide, senseless comments. Jack rolled his eyes and pulled Alex back towards him in attempts to show the stupid man that they didn't care.
"No one wants to see that shit." The same man complained, covering a little boy’s eyes. His son, Jack assumed.
Alex pushed at Jack's chest in attempt to get away from him, cheeks flushed dark red all the way to his ears and down his neck.
The guy laughed, "Your boyfriend doesn't even like you."
Thankfully he walked away after that, leaving the pair stood in an awkward silence as passers-by gave them looks ranging from sympathetic to disgusted. "Let's go." Jack spoke up, picking up his suitcase and leaving the way out of the airport, Alex trailing quietly from behind. "Where'd you park the car, baby?" He asked when they reached the stretch of concrete.
"Section B." Alex practically whispered, Jack straining to hear him.
"What was that?" He asked, turning around to look at Alex.
"Section B." Jack nodded and led the way once again, going up on his toes to look through the many cars to find his boyfriends.
The journey was awkward. Jack tried to make conversation, telling Alex all about his holiday and how his family were (something Alex would usually be all over). When they got to Alex’s Jack dumped his bags in the bedroom before finding his boyfriend in the kitchen turning the oven on.
“Alex what was that at the airport?” He asked bluntly.
The mentioned sighed but didn’t turn around to face his boyfriend. “I’m sorry, okay? It was just embarrassing.”
“Being seen with me?”
Alex closed his eyes and breathed deeply trying his best not to become angry. “Being called out like that, I don’t know. It’s never happened before and I didn’t know what to do.”
“It’s not that hard to figure out. You stand your ground.”
“I got pizza for us, why don’t you go put the TV on and I’ll get it ready.”
“Don’t change the subject.” Jack insisted, moving towards Alex and wrapping his arms around his slim waist. “I just don’t want to be dating someone that’s ashamed of me.” He kissed Alex’s neck softly as he spoke.
Alex turned around to face Jack, looking up slightly to meet his eyes. “I’m not ashamed of you, okay? Let’s talk about this another time; I’ve missed you too much to fight right now.”
Jack nodded in understanding and kissed Alex quickly. “I’ll go see if Adventure Time is on.”
“Sounds good,” Alex replied, now smiling.