Don't Make This Easy (Chapter 23)
Title: Don't Make This Easy
Author: sherrycookies
Pairing: Alex Gaskarth/ Jack Barakat
Rating: R
Summary: Alex is the new tutor at a new job in a new place far from home in Victorian England. What happens when he starts to get unwanted feelings toward his new master?
Disclaimer: I don't own All Time Low, blah blah blah.
Alex wasn’t any better off. By the time he decided to drag himself out of bed, it was late afternoon. Temporarily confused and forgetting where he was, he blinked a few times before the realization hit him: he wasn’t at Thornfield. He was alone in Millcote, and no one knew. He wondered how Jack was taking his absence. “He’s probably celebrating,” he muttered to himself. “He’s glad I’m gone, so he won’t have to get rid of me later.”
He slowly changed his clothes from the ones he was wearing last night; he had been too tired to do so the night before. He was in pain, the shock still hadn’t settled for him. Maybe the best thing he could do at the moment was seek the solution of this problem at the bottom of a bottle.
He opened the door, locking it behind him. The girl from last night wasn’t at the desk. Instead, an older woman sat there writing something down.
“Excuse me, ma’am. I’m new to town, and I was wondering if there was a bar nearby,” he asked politely. He wasn’t a big drinker, but now seemed like a good time to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
“Yes, just across the street,” she said without looking up.
He thanked her before going outside. Not long after, he was sitting on a bar stool, drowning cup after cup of whiskey. The liquor burned his throat, but right now he couldn’t care less. All that mattered was that his brain was becoming a fuzzy, and that he couldn’t exactly think or see straight.
“What’s a young man like you doing in a place like this?” Someone spoke.
Alex looked up from staring blankly at the amber liquid at the bottom of his glass. Someone else had sat down beside him, a bottle of liquor in his hand. He was a white man, about Alex’s age, with messy blonde hair and clear blue eyes that were slightly clouded over with the effects of the alcohol he had consumed. He was dressed similarly to Alex, with a black shirt and black pants. His black tie had been loosened so that it hung carelessly off to the side.
“I could ask the same to you,” Alex responded.
The stranger laughed. “Alright, alright. You got me there. I don’t think I’ve seen you before. You must be new to town. What’s your name?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Alright. I’ll tell you my name. It’s Stephen. Anyways, are you new to Millcote?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you like it here? When did you get here?”
“Jeez, why do you need to know all this stuff?”
“Just curious, that’s all. It’s rare that I see anyone worth talking too, that’s all. And you looked really lonely here. Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” he lied.
“Sure,” Stephen huffed. “Where are you from?”
“Lowood, a little far off,” that wasn’t completely a lie.
“That is far. What’s your occupation?”
“I was a tutor but…I lost that job.”
“So you have an education?”
“How do you think I became a tutor?”
He laughed again. “You got me there. Do you need a new job?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Well, it’s great that you know me, because I happen to know a position for you, if you’d take it. You see, I’m the director of a school in Morton. It’s a charity school for boys not that far from here. We’re looking for some more teachers, and I think you’d be great for the job.”
So this stranger actually knows of a place where Alex could find work? It seems too good to be true. “Really?”
He laughed. Damn, it was easy to make this kid laugh. “Really.”
“Then why the fuck did you think it was a great idea to go to a bar to look for a teacher.”
“Hey, you’re the one who didn’t even tell me his name yet!”
“Fine. I’m Alex, you’re Stephen. Happy?”
“I guess we’ll stick to first names then. I’m here because, well, we all need a drink sometimes, don’t we?”
Alex nodded, taking another sip.
They were quiet for a while before Stephen spoke again. “So, what are you drinking for?”
Alex, a little intoxicated, broke down his mental wall. “I just lost the one person that I truly loved.”
The blonde blew out a long breath. “I see. Was she beautiful?”
“SHE was perfect,” he lied. Of course he wouldn’t tell someone he just met his sexual orientation.
“Bummer. I can’t say I know how you feel; I’ve never experienced true love before.”
“Then you’re one of the lucky ones. Love sucks,” Alex grumbled, gulping down the last of the whiskey.
“No need to be so bitter.”
“Oh yeah? Then why are you here? I can tell it wasn’t your sole purpose to find someone for your job in a bar.”
“No it wasn’t. I found you purely by chance,” he smiled humorlessly. “I just came from my sister’s funeral.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s alright. Unless you’re the one who murdered her, which I’m guessing you aren’t. She committed suicide.”
“I lost a sibling to suicide too; my brother.”
“Then I guess we have something in common.”
Alex was silent, playing with his empty glass. Maybe he had had enough alcohol for one day.
“So will you take the job? I didn’t get a definite answer out of you yet, Alex.”
“What choice do I have? I’m in a new place, with no money and no friends. Of course I’ll take the job. At least I’ll have some use somewhere.”
“Great,” he smiled. “How about, tomorrow, we meet back in front of this bar. Bring all your stuff; and we’ll go to Morton together.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Eyes heavy and world spinning, Alex stumbled back to the inn, obviously drunk. He had spent a few hours with him, drinking, eating and chatting. He learned that he was twenty three years old and that he was born and raised in Sweden. His father had died when he was a teenager, and he needed a way to support his family. They then moved to England, where he found jobs here and there, but never for long. It was only a few years ago that he became a teacher at Morton, and the former direction retired and he took the position. Needing a replacement for his former occupation, he began to search places close to the school.
Miraculously, he managed to make it back to his room before he passed out. He was out before he hit the bed.
And that was how he ended up packing quickly the next morning with a massive hangover.
He met his new friend at the bar. He was already waiting, and though Alex was obviously late, Stephen still gave him a warm smile. “Good morning!”
“Hi,” Alex greeted, a little less happily. It was too early for this.
“Well, let’s get going!” He chirped.
And pretty soon after, both men were in a carriage bound to Morton, and Alex’s new life, without Jack.
A/N: Heeeeeeeyy guys! These author's notes are all becoming the same thing, I apologize for posting a short update and the long time between updates blah blah blah. Well, I've been watching a lot of gameplays and reading a lot of depressing fanfics, woop woop.
Idk, I got a hug the other day with an attractive fellow and he said we should play video games together sometime and I forgot how to function for a while.
My Twitter is so dead, like no one even cares what I tweet anymore lolz.
Guys, I developed an unhealthy obsession with a guy on Youtube who doesn't show his face. Like I have a crush on his voice. I need to stop being an obsessed fangirl.
One week clean, man.
I also wrote a quick oneshot and I'm not too sure if I should post it. I think it'll belittle this fic instead. Meh, you guys wanna see it? I'm actually proud of it for a change ^^
Thanks for reading and reading my ramblings. Please comment they make me so happy ahhhh <33
Author: sherrycookies
Pairing: Alex Gaskarth/ Jack Barakat
Rating: R
Summary: Alex is the new tutor at a new job in a new place far from home in Victorian England. What happens when he starts to get unwanted feelings toward his new master?
Disclaimer: I don't own All Time Low, blah blah blah.
Alex wasn’t any better off. By the time he decided to drag himself out of bed, it was late afternoon. Temporarily confused and forgetting where he was, he blinked a few times before the realization hit him: he wasn’t at Thornfield. He was alone in Millcote, and no one knew. He wondered how Jack was taking his absence. “He’s probably celebrating,” he muttered to himself. “He’s glad I’m gone, so he won’t have to get rid of me later.”
He slowly changed his clothes from the ones he was wearing last night; he had been too tired to do so the night before. He was in pain, the shock still hadn’t settled for him. Maybe the best thing he could do at the moment was seek the solution of this problem at the bottom of a bottle.
He opened the door, locking it behind him. The girl from last night wasn’t at the desk. Instead, an older woman sat there writing something down.
“Excuse me, ma’am. I’m new to town, and I was wondering if there was a bar nearby,” he asked politely. He wasn’t a big drinker, but now seemed like a good time to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
“Yes, just across the street,” she said without looking up.
He thanked her before going outside. Not long after, he was sitting on a bar stool, drowning cup after cup of whiskey. The liquor burned his throat, but right now he couldn’t care less. All that mattered was that his brain was becoming a fuzzy, and that he couldn’t exactly think or see straight.
“What’s a young man like you doing in a place like this?” Someone spoke.
Alex looked up from staring blankly at the amber liquid at the bottom of his glass. Someone else had sat down beside him, a bottle of liquor in his hand. He was a white man, about Alex’s age, with messy blonde hair and clear blue eyes that were slightly clouded over with the effects of the alcohol he had consumed. He was dressed similarly to Alex, with a black shirt and black pants. His black tie had been loosened so that it hung carelessly off to the side.
“I could ask the same to you,” Alex responded.
The stranger laughed. “Alright, alright. You got me there. I don’t think I’ve seen you before. You must be new to town. What’s your name?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Alright. I’ll tell you my name. It’s Stephen. Anyways, are you new to Millcote?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you like it here? When did you get here?”
“Jeez, why do you need to know all this stuff?”
“Just curious, that’s all. It’s rare that I see anyone worth talking too, that’s all. And you looked really lonely here. Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” he lied.
“Sure,” Stephen huffed. “Where are you from?”
“Lowood, a little far off,” that wasn’t completely a lie.
“That is far. What’s your occupation?”
“I was a tutor but…I lost that job.”
“So you have an education?”
“How do you think I became a tutor?”
He laughed again. “You got me there. Do you need a new job?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Well, it’s great that you know me, because I happen to know a position for you, if you’d take it. You see, I’m the director of a school in Morton. It’s a charity school for boys not that far from here. We’re looking for some more teachers, and I think you’d be great for the job.”
So this stranger actually knows of a place where Alex could find work? It seems too good to be true. “Really?”
He laughed. Damn, it was easy to make this kid laugh. “Really.”
“Then why the fuck did you think it was a great idea to go to a bar to look for a teacher.”
“Hey, you’re the one who didn’t even tell me his name yet!”
“Fine. I’m Alex, you’re Stephen. Happy?”
“I guess we’ll stick to first names then. I’m here because, well, we all need a drink sometimes, don’t we?”
Alex nodded, taking another sip.
They were quiet for a while before Stephen spoke again. “So, what are you drinking for?”
Alex, a little intoxicated, broke down his mental wall. “I just lost the one person that I truly loved.”
The blonde blew out a long breath. “I see. Was she beautiful?”
“SHE was perfect,” he lied. Of course he wouldn’t tell someone he just met his sexual orientation.
“Bummer. I can’t say I know how you feel; I’ve never experienced true love before.”
“Then you’re one of the lucky ones. Love sucks,” Alex grumbled, gulping down the last of the whiskey.
“No need to be so bitter.”
“Oh yeah? Then why are you here? I can tell it wasn’t your sole purpose to find someone for your job in a bar.”
“No it wasn’t. I found you purely by chance,” he smiled humorlessly. “I just came from my sister’s funeral.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s alright. Unless you’re the one who murdered her, which I’m guessing you aren’t. She committed suicide.”
“I lost a sibling to suicide too; my brother.”
“Then I guess we have something in common.”
Alex was silent, playing with his empty glass. Maybe he had had enough alcohol for one day.
“So will you take the job? I didn’t get a definite answer out of you yet, Alex.”
“What choice do I have? I’m in a new place, with no money and no friends. Of course I’ll take the job. At least I’ll have some use somewhere.”
“Great,” he smiled. “How about, tomorrow, we meet back in front of this bar. Bring all your stuff; and we’ll go to Morton together.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Eyes heavy and world spinning, Alex stumbled back to the inn, obviously drunk. He had spent a few hours with him, drinking, eating and chatting. He learned that he was twenty three years old and that he was born and raised in Sweden. His father had died when he was a teenager, and he needed a way to support his family. They then moved to England, where he found jobs here and there, but never for long. It was only a few years ago that he became a teacher at Morton, and the former direction retired and he took the position. Needing a replacement for his former occupation, he began to search places close to the school.
Miraculously, he managed to make it back to his room before he passed out. He was out before he hit the bed.
And that was how he ended up packing quickly the next morning with a massive hangover.
He met his new friend at the bar. He was already waiting, and though Alex was obviously late, Stephen still gave him a warm smile. “Good morning!”
“Hi,” Alex greeted, a little less happily. It was too early for this.
“Well, let’s get going!” He chirped.
And pretty soon after, both men were in a carriage bound to Morton, and Alex’s new life, without Jack.
A/N: Heeeeeeeyy guys! These author's notes are all becoming the same thing, I apologize for posting a short update and the long time between updates blah blah blah. Well, I've been watching a lot of gameplays and reading a lot of depressing fanfics, woop woop.
Idk, I got a hug the other day with an attractive fellow and he said we should play video games together sometime and I forgot how to function for a while.
My Twitter is so dead, like no one even cares what I tweet anymore lolz.
Guys, I developed an unhealthy obsession with a guy on Youtube who doesn't show his face. Like I have a crush on his voice. I need to stop being an obsessed fangirl.
One week clean, man.
I also wrote a quick oneshot and I'm not too sure if I should post it. I think it'll belittle this fic instead. Meh, you guys wanna see it? I'm actually proud of it for a change ^^
Thanks for reading and reading my ramblings. Please comment they make me so happy ahhhh <33