Hearts & Spades

"Awe, aren't you boys absolutely precious..." Mrs. Barakat cooed as the two teens made their way down the stairs. Jack did a supermodel spin as soon as he hit the floor. But Alex on the other hand, stood behind him bashfully, to be completely honest he felt a bit ridiculous.

"I don't believe precious is the correct term, mother. More like sexy." the elder added with a wink, causing everyone to burst out into laughter. Everyone except the boy next to him who seemed to still be star struck from the small kiss on the nose. Why had Jack kissed him? Was that normal? His head was spinning with questions while the other seemed to have brushed the event off like it was nothing. That's exactly what it was - nothing, Alex really needed to stop over thinking these things.

"What took you two so long?" the other woman asked, as a mischievous smile etched across her features. Alex's mouth fell open at his mother's question, face heating up as he searched for an answer.

Luckily for him, Jack responded easily, "You can't rush perfection, Mrs. Gaskarth." The lanky boy wrapped his arm around the brunette's hips and guided him towards the door. "Now, if you two don't mind, we've got a party to attend."

"Be careful Jack Bassam. And look after Alex, okay?" his mother called as the two made their way out the door. Her son was a troublemaker but she was hoping that for a change he'd be on his best behavior. Maybe the younger teen would be a good influence on him. She was simply glad that he was back to getting out of the house rather than miserably cooping himself up in his room.

"Those two seem to like each quite a lot..." Isabelle began once she heard a car back out of the driveway.

"They sure do, I'm glad Jack is making friends again. I thought he'd never be the same again after the accident." Joyce sighed, making her way back to the kitchen with the slim woman behind her.

"I believe you miss understood. The boys seem to be a little too far invested in one another to be considered just friends, don't you think?"

Mrs. Barakat fell silent after that. There was no way her little boy had a crush on someone of the same sex. Ever since he was young, he was chasing after little girls and once he met Bethany she could have sworn he'd found his one and only. But she couldn't deny the way Alex and Jack appeared to be attached at the hip recently. They sat a little bit too close, blushed far too often, and stared for much too long. "You know what, Isabelle? I think you're right."



"I don't know about this, Jack..." Alex murmured, swallowing the lump in his throat. They had pulled up into a cramped driveway in front of a house with flashing lights and loud music. It was already a rather cliche party and he'd seen enough TV to know he didn't want to be involved in something like this. Especially if he didn't know anyone.

"Come on, you can't back out now." The raven haired boy insisted, grabbing his mask and placing it back on his face before turning off the ignition. "You look hot, the party's already going, and we're gonna have a fucking blast, alright?"

Alex groaned in protest, starring out the window and at the people standing on the front porch of the strange house. As he began to open his mouth and maybe ask Jack to drive him back home, he was cut off by the sound of a car door shutting. Then, before he knew it, his was being opened.

"Let's go, princess. It's just a costume party, they aren't really monsters. Nothing to be afraid of."

"Ha. Ha." the smaller of the two said sarcastically before taking the hand that was offered to him. At least the tacky batman mask hid most of his face so he wouldn't have to come up with an excuse for why his cheeks were glowing pink.

Jack immediately tugged the younger out of the vehicle and closed the door behind him before beginning to drag him towards the entrance of the house. It was covered in cheap Halloween decorations, discarded red solo cups, and candy wrappers. Not to mention the music was causing the very ground to shake beneath their feet. Though Alex could say he hadn't seen his friend smile that big. At least one of them was having fun.

"Jack!" came a loud call from the crowd, now Alex had no clue who it belonged to but judging by the way he was dragged along, his companion must have.

"Rian, how you been man?" he said cheerfully while the sixteen year old held onto his hand awkwardly. Alex looked up through his fringe to see a boy sporting a buzz cut staring right back at him.

"I could ask you the same thing, whose your friend?" asked the man he assumed was Rian. He didn't exactly seem friendly but not rude either, rather just curious and maybe a tad jealous that his best friend had been spending more time with some stranger than him.

"Oh, this is Alex." Jack announced, placing both his hands on the other boy's shoulders and pushing him forward.

"Uh...hello." Alex said as loudly as he could in order to be heard over the music and the murmur of the sea of people.

Rian chuckled in response, reaching over and gently nudging him. "You're a bit shy, aren't you? Don't worry we'll fix that."

He visibly gulped in as result to that, but Jack simply joined in on the laughter. Sure, he was still a bit uncomfortable, but if the elder stuck by his side, he might just make it through the night in one piece. Of course, he spoke too soon.

A shirtless and toned boy came up behind the group and slapped Jack roughly on the back. "Hey, Jacky. Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Yet another unfamiliar face but this time the stranger gave off a strong intimidating image.

"Sure Zack, Alex I'll be right back, okay? Rian will look after ya'" The lanky boy in the Robin costume offered a small smile before he pressing a kiss to his friend's temple and following the brute to another part of the crowded house, ignoring Alex's pleas to stay.

"Dude, you really need to relax, how about we go get you a drink?" Rian suggested, eyes locked on the other two until they disappeared, he seemed just as concerned as Alex if not more so. But he didn't want the anxious feeling in his gut to rub off on the new kid who already looked like he would pass out any second.

Alex knew that he was supposed to have absolutely no alcohol what so ever, especially when he was on so much medication. However, he didn't think he could handle being called a wimp. Besides, Jack was right, he was sixteen it was time he lived a little. "Sure... that sounds good... yeah, good."

The stocky teen shot him a confused look before shrugging his shoulder and motioning him to follow. It was near impossible to squeeze between the sweaty bodies and Alex really wished he could have his small hand wrapped around Jack's right about now. He knew he'd never get lost if he had him. God, he was loosing it...

"Here, Alex. Maybe this will tone you down a notch." Rian added as he handed a odd looking bottle to the shaggy haired boy. Alex knew what beer was and what it looked like, and this wasn't it. Though he did spot the word Jack on the label and frowned.

"What's this...?" he asked timidly, splashing the liquid around nervously.

"It's whiskey, don't tell me you've never drank whiskey before."

"Oh, uh... I have. Just not this kind." Alex lied before lifting the drink up to his lips and taking a small sip. His face scrunched up as the liquid burned his throat.

"You're gonna need more than that if you want a buzz..." Rian began, tilting the bottle in the younger's hand upwards. "Bottoms up."



Jack too had grabbed himself a bottle of the famous whiskey, based on how Zack was currently acting, he was defiantly going to need it. "Zack, seriously man, would you slow down and just tell me what's up already."

"I guess I better say what I need to say before you drink yourself into a coma..." he spat once the two reached the backyard of the house. Surprisingly, there wasn't anyone out there, though the lights in the upstairs bedroom implied that anyone who wasn't taking shots were pretty occupied.

"Hey, I'm not getting drunk tonight, alright? I gotta get Alex home safe." the taller defended, tossing the glass onto the lawn - oh well, not his problem.

"God, what has gotten into you?"

"Pardon?"

"First, you quit the team, then you fall off the face of the planet, and now you show back up but as a completely different person. And it's all this Alex kid's fault." Zack retorted, arms crossing over his chest. Clearly he'd been drinking as well, and wasn't in the best of moods.

"Watch it, he didn't do anything to you. Besides, I'm only hanging with him because he has no friends." he scoffed, narrowing his eyes in his direction. This night was turning out to be a bigger mess than he could have ever imagined and he hadn't even seen the half of it.

"Yeah right, no one's buying that bullshit, Barakat. He's changing you, even more than Bethany did. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you had a crush on him."

Jack's hands curled into fists until his knuckles turned white, "This conversation is over." he growled through gritted teeth, pushing past his friend, or rather former friend, and back into the house. He needed to find Alex so they could go home and spend the rest of the night in peace. The boy seemed to be the only way he'd managed to find any peace at all lately.

Though when he found his companion, his night got a hundred times worse. The small figure in the Batman costume was surrounded by a group of teenagers all chanting "Chug, chug, chug." while he stared unsurely at the alcohol in his hands. "Alex!"

Alex turned his head quickly to the sight of the sound to see Jack rushing towards him, dark eyebrows scrunched in the middle of his forehead - uh oh. "Hey..." he gulped, eyes wandering as the people around them fell silent.

"Let's go, we're going home." the dark haired boy demanded, grabbing his wrist and tugging him in the direction of the door.

"No, Jack! I'm not going."

"Yes, you are. Now." Alex was easily overpowered and forced to leave his new found crew, a large pout planted on his features. "You can make a face all you want Lex, you're not getting out of trouble."

"Who are you, my mother?" since when did the sweet little dainty kid get such an attitude?

Jack stopped abruptly half way to the car and spun around to face him. "No, but I do care about you. And I'm going to let you kill yourself. Do you have any idea what that stuff can do to you?" he shouted, gaining some attention from fellow party goers. He ripped the whiskey from Alex's hand and tossed it to the side. "I don't want anything to happen to you Lex... that night you were in the hospital.. fuck, I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose you too."

Was he really afraid of something happening to him? Now he just felt bad. "Jack..I, I... I'm sorry. Let's go home."



"You two are back early..." Jack's mother stated curiously as the two stepped through the front door. She was bundled up in a robe and the house smelled of popcorn, chances are they had interrupted her me time.

"Yeah, that party was lame as fuck. We're gonna call it a night." her son sighed, rushing the younger up the stairs before they were trapped in a vortex of never ending small talk.

"Jack Bassam, you watch your mouth!" she scolded, even though she knew it was a helpless cause. Jack maybe a sweet boy when he wanted to be but he was stubborn. "Oh, and Alex, your mother went home a while ago, but you're welcome to spend the night."

"Thank you, Mrs. Barakat... uh, I mean Joyce." he said sweetly before following the elder into his bedroom.

"Ugh, I feel like I haven't slept in twenty years." he groaned ripping away the Robin costume in the quickest way possible, leaving Alex standing there with his eyes wide open. Who knew he'd see Jack Barakat half naked twice in one day?

"That's... um, highly unlikely." he croaked, looking around the messy room to avoid starring. "Do you have any sweats or something I could borrow?"

"You're so weird. But yeah, top right drawer."

Alex awkwardly changed in the corner while Jack laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling. They both reeked of alcohol, but he felt nothing but a buzz and it was fair enough to say the other hadn't actually managed to drink much before he came to his rescue.

"W-where do you want me to sleep...?" he asked tiredly, twirling his hair between his fingers. Okay, that was cute.

"In the bed, duh."

"In the bed... with you?"

"Nah, in the bed with my mom." Jack watched as his caramel eyes grew ten times their size and decided he should probably tell him he was only joking before he actually had a heart attack. "Right here, silly." he chuckled patting the spot next to him.

Alex hesitantly sat on the outside of the bed before the other grabbed him and pulled him into his chest, putting his cold feet against his legs. "Ah! Jack, stop, you're cold!"

"But you're sooo warm." he murmured, burying his face in his hair.

"Yeah, because I have clothes on..." he said playfully, pushing him away sticking out his tongue.

"Boxers count as clothes. Shut up, Gaskarth." he protested, pushing himself up onto his elbows, rolling over the sixteen year old in hopes of intimidating him. But instead he ended up simply brushing a few brunette strands from in front of his face.

"Why don't you make me?" Alex suggested, his voice almost inaudible due to the lump in his throat. Was it normal for them to be this close? Was this a thing friends did? He hadn't the slightest clue considering he'd never had many.

"Oh, you really shouldn't have said that." Jack said through a sideways smirk before leaning down and pressing their lips together. He was slightly drunk and exhausted, he had no clue what he was doing. But the electric wave that washed over him convinced him that he liked it.

The petite boy under him, however, gasped in surprised before letting his eyes flutter close. The elder tasted like that disgusting whiskey and he was licking at his bottom lip for whatever reason, but hey, at least he had his first kiss. Alex reached up and let his hand trail down Jack's back, pulling him impossibly closer.

After what seemed like ages later, Jack leaned back, eyes still closed as he regained his breath. "Goodnight, Bethany."