Hearts & Spades

Life with a fully functional heart wasn't as eventful and exciting as Alex had been hoping it would be. So far he'd been spending even more time in the hospital than he had before his big life threatening surgery. Though right now he was taking his dog, Sebastian, for walk - which was something he hadn't done in years. Alone anyway, his mother hardly lets him leave the house without her or his father's supervision. But now that the doctors had reassured her for the millionth time that he wouldn't be having any more fainting spells, she cut him some slack.

The Good Charlotte song blasting from his headphones was abruptly interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing. The boy didn't even have to check the screen before sliding it to answer - there was only one person who ever called him. Especially within the past few days.

"What, Jack? I'm kinda in the middle of something..." It was painfully obvious that Alex had only really been able to acquire and maintain one friend, but he didn't want said friend to know exactly how dependent he truly was on him. So instead he did his best to appear busy. That way it'd seem that he had a life outside of their friendship.

"And what on Earth could possibly be more important than me?" the teen on the other side of the phone gasped in mock horror. It was foolish for the younger to be self conscious about the amount of time he spent on his friend when Jack did nothing but blow up his phone since he was removed from the football team. It was a split second decision and Alex was convinced that the elder regretted it no matter how many times he denied it.

The brunette glanced down at the small dog that trotted ahead of him before answering hesitantly. "Uh... I'm on a walk with Sebastian?"

"Oh, Sebastian huh... guess I should leave you two to it then..." Jack murmured, barely audible to his companion listening on the other end. However, his reaction made Alex burst out laughing, holding his hand over his mouth in hopes that he wouldn't be heard.

But Jack heard him fairly well, and the grunt that escaped him only proved that he was growing more and more upset. "Jack, Sebastian is my dog!" he teased, grateful that the other couldn't see his smirk through the phone. "Was that some jealously I sensed?"

"Jealous, who me? What? No way!" Jack blurted out, making it even more difficult for the other boy to hold back his giggles. Alex felt blood rush to his face and... was he blushing? "I just didn't want to interrupt is all..."

"Suuure, now are you going to tell me why you called me?" Alex chuckled, eyes scanning around his barren neighborhood. Thankfully, no one was watching, no telling what kind of questions his family friends would ask if he was blushing and smiling while on the phone.

"Oh! What are you doing tonight?"

"Well, considering it's Halloween... I was just going to hand out candy to all the little trick or treaters. They have the cutest costumes and th-"

"Wrong answer." Jack cut him off, with that same mischievous voice that Alex had already come to know. He had a feeling that whatever he was about to say wasn't going to be good. "You're going to a party with me tonight."

Alex frowned even though he knew it couldn't be seen. "Jack... you know I'm not a fan of the whole 'socializing' thing."

"Oh come on, live a little, Lex." the raven haired boy nagged on. "When was the last time you went out anyway?"

"Well, believe it or not, I'm out right now."

"Don't be a smartass." Jack grumbled playfully causing the other to crack up once more.

"Okay, um... I went out with my dad and his coworkers for his birthday a few weeks ago."

"That's not a party. That's just sad. God, how am I suppose to turn you into a teenage heart throb at this rate?" the elder sighed, half the things he was saying wasn't even slightly amusing yet he was always greeted by the sound of Alex's laugh. And to be honest, that was a sound he could never grow tired of.

"Fine, I'll go to the stupid party, if it means you'll leave me alone."

"Thanks, princess. I'm going to be super busy so have your mom drop you off around seven. I'll have a surprise for ya'."

"A surprise? Jack... Jack?" great, he hung up. The younger boy really wanted to know what his friend was up to but it looked like he was just going to have to wait and see.



"I don't know how I feel about you going to this party..." his mother sighed, hands gripping the steering wheel tight enough to make her knuckles turn white.

"Mom, I'm almost seventeen. Really, I can take care of myself." Alex groaned, tugging at the clothes that once again took him far too long to pick out. He would never feel comfortable in his skin so he didn't even know why he bothered.

"That's what you said last time and I ended up rushing to the emergency room in the middle of the night." She did have a point but her son was sick of being sheltered all the time. Actually, he didn't mind the comfort and safety his home provided, but Jack was going to make sure he went to this party - even if he had to kidnap him.

"That had nothing to do with me being away from home. Can't... Can't you just trust me?" he pouted, glaring out his window. Luckily for him, his mother was a major push over. And even the slightest hint that her boy may be upset would cause her to cave in.

"Fine, but no drinking, no smoking, and you better have your ass back before two." her concern was nothing short of reasonable. Yet Alex felt like she still had a leash tied around his neck and he was determined to break free.



"Gaskarth, you're late!" came a booming voice from the top of the stairs the moment the two made it into the unfamiliar home.

"Oh, don't mind him. He just get's super excited about Halloween is all." said a middle aged woman standing in the hallway. She had the same pair of hypnotizing chocolate eyes so she must have been Jack's mother.

"I'm Mrs. Barakat, but you can call me Joyce. Jack's room is upstairs, first door on the left. You can go on up and I'll keep your dear mom here entertained." she said softly. Though the resemblance was almost unsettling, this woman acted absolutely nothing like her ill mannered and outgoing son. Alex said a soft thank you before following her instruction and heading up the stairs.

The petite boy knocked gently on the cracked door, causing it to creak open on accident. But before he had time to apologize for barging in he was greeted by the sight of Jack dancing around in his black boxers to some loud and obnoxious song blaring from the stereo. Alex's cheeks turned bright red as he froze in place, but when he was spotted all the other did was chuckle.

"Hey, shut the door would you!" he called over the sound, seemingly unaffected by being seen half naked.

Alex did as he was told then sat shyly on the edge of the unmade bed. There wasn't really much he could think to do at a moment like this, but stay there and be uncomfortable. "Can you turn this stuff down?"

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth the music stopped, but Jack was standing there with his mouth hung open. "This stuff? This stuff!? This is blink-182, only the best band in the world."

"I highly doubt that."

"I would kill you right now, but that would ruin the surprise." Oh yeah, that's right. There was a surprise. After that threat and seeing him near nude, Alex wasn't too sure if he wanted to know what the surprise was going to be. "Close your eyes." Jack instructed, and the younger listened however only hesitantly. There was some shuffling and clattering as the seconds passed like hours, then finally he heard "Alright, open."

Standing before him was the same teen in mere boxers, but this time he had something in his hands. Two costumes, a batman and Robin costume to be exact. "What in the world are those?"

"What do you think? They're our costumes for the party, silly."

"I don't believe I agreed to this."

"Come on now, don't be a party pooper..."

Alex's dark eyebrows scrunched up in the middle of his forehead, but his look of anger didn't stand a chance against Jack's pout. When it came to the sixteen year old, the elder had absolutely no trouble getting what he wanted.

"Okay, but can I at least get changed in the bathroom or something?"

"You really don't wanna go in there right now... trust me." Jack replied with a nervous chuckle, but Alex was anything but amused.

"I'm not really comfortable..."

"It's not like you have to get completely naked man, it's fine."

"No, it's really not." this time the smaller of the two actually sounded angry. That was something Jack had never heard before and to be honest, it worried him a bit.

"What's your problem?"

"It's my scar, okay!? That fucking surgery gave me a huge scar and it's hideous." Alex yelled jumping to his feet. But the fury in his features soon vanished when he saw the shock on the other's. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"No, it's okay, I get it. But I don't care about any scar, Lex. I'm your friend."

"You don't understand, you'll b-" before he could even get a full sentence out Jack was pushing him back down onto the mattress and straddling his waist. "Uh... W-what are you doing?" he choked, turning his head to the side to hide the color in his cheeks. The elder was in nothing but a thin layer of fabric, so it was safe to say Alex was beginning to panic.

"You're changing in here." Jack demanded, staring down at the smaller boy with the most serious expression he could muster at the moment.

"No." came the stubborn reply.

"Fine, suit yourself." that was the only warning Alex got before his sides were attacked with the quick movement of fingers. Great, tickling, real mature.

The caramel eyed boy laughed until he snorted, kicking his feet and attempting to escape but to no avail. "J-J-Jack stop, this isn't funny." he gasped.

"You're right, it's hilarious." he taunted.

"I'll do it, damnit! Just stop be-before I pee myself!"

"Oh, god. I don't want that." Jack said playfully before rolling off the other boy and making his way to his feet. Once again, he had gotten his way.

"Just promise not to stare, okay?" he asked anxiously, sitting up and grabbing the hem of his t-shirt. The dark haired boy nodded, but didn't take his eyes off him. "Pervert."

"Oh, shut up and get naked."

With that Alex pulled the fabric over his head, tossing it to the side and letting his eyes fall to the carpet."Told you I was disgusting." he whimpered after a moment of silence, not daring to glance up and see Jack's reaction.

"Alex... Alex, look at me." he said slowly, getting no response but silence. So he took a few steps forward and cupped the younger boy's face, forcing him to at least glance in his direction. "There's nothing wrong with you. If anything, that scar shows how much of a real hero you are."

"I'm going to vomit." Alex teased, doing his all to keep a large grin at bay.

"I know, I almost made myself sick with that one. But I mean it." with that Jack leaned forward and pressed his lips to the end of the shorter boy's nose. "You look fine, really."