Magic
Title: Magic
Author: xxninny435xx
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jalex
Summary: It couldn't bring back the dead or take away Alex's hurt. All it could do was make a quarter come out of someone's ear or pull a rabbit from a hat.
Disclaimer: Don't ownnn.
Author Notes: For the 100 Themes Challenge. [:
Ever since Jack was a little boy, he had been amazed - entranced, even - by the idea of magic. He liked thinking that wonderful things were possible, that he could make missing objects appear, that he could wave a wand and sprout good feelings.
It started on his 6th birthday. His mother wanted to get him a clown for his party, but Jack refused; his best friend, little Alex Gaskarth from across the street, was terrified of clowns. He wouldn't want him to be scared during the party and he most definitely wanted to see the shorter boy smile.
So, instead, Mrs. Barakat got him a magician. He wasn't quite sure what that was, but it wasn't a clown, and that was good enough for him.
At around 1 o'clock, the party guests began trickling in - Rian, the boy from the playground that always offered to push him on the swings; Zack, the boy from school who had a different teacher, but always managed to sit with him at lunch; Cassadee, the girl that almost gave him cooties on the playground once; Matt, the boy from school who always carried a Mickey Mouse doll with him; Evan, the boy that played Pokemon with him; and Holly, the girl who kissed him on the playground and became his first girlfriend for a week (he decided to break it off because she kept stealing his french fries at lunch, and he didn't think that any girl was worth that).
And then there was Alex. His best friend in the whole wide world. He came first, considering the fact that he only lived across the street and that he promised Jack to come over an hour early so they could play in his room alone for a while.
The magician was supposed to come at about 2 o'clock, so in the meantime, they all played on the bounce house that Mr. Barakat had set up for them. Cassadee and Evan had stolen Matt's Mickey Mouse doll and were throwing it between them mercilessly, wanting to keep it away from him for as long as possible. Matt jumped up and down and tried to catch it, but it was no use. Zack and Rian had clicked instantly and were holding both hands as they bounced together, laughing and talking about the Spongebob episode that they both watched that morning. Holly was trying to talk to Alex and was batting her eyelashes at him cutely. Jack couldn't bear the thought of Holly stealing some of Alex's cake later on, so he quickly stole the boy away from her. Eventually, she gave up and went to join Evan and Cassadde on torturing Matt, leaving Jack and Alex to play together.
When the magician finally arrived, all of the children scurried to sit down in front of him on the grass, Jack making sure that he and Alex got the best spots up in the front. The man started off his act by pulling off his tall black hat and pulling a small white rabbit out. Jack gazed at him in wonder as he handed the small bunny to Alex, the brunette looking at the animal adoringly and thanking the mysterious man.
For his next trick, his made flowers magically appear in his hand, a splash of blues and purples and dull pinks on top of bright green stems. He handed the small bouquet to Mrs. Barakat, making sure to wink over at her husband jokingly.
And then he pulled handkerchiefs out of Rian's ear and a quarter out of Zack's mouth. He connected Cassadee and Holly by the hands, making it so that no matter how hard they pulled away from each other, they couldn't separate. He made Matt's doll disappear and then pulled it out of the back of Evan's shirt. He guessed what animal, color, number, and state that Alex was thinking of, getting all of the answers correct.
And then he called the birthday boy to stand at the front.
Jack, already boggled by the strange things the magician could do, hurried to his feet and stood beside the man excitedly, grinning up at him. The tall man leaned over and a deck of cards seemed to slip right into his palm. He spread them out with his fingers and said lowly, “Pick a card, any card - but choose wisely.”
Jack stared at the cards for a few long moments, wanting to make sure that he picked the best one. Finally, he picked what he deemed to be the most perfect card there and held it close to his chest so that the other man couldn't see.
The Jack of Hearts.
When commanded to do so, Jack slipped the card back into the deck, waiting to see what would happen. The magician grinned and then threw the cards up into the air, letting the rectangles fly in the wind and rain down on them slowly like paper syrup. His hand whipped out quickly and he grabbed the card hovering down next to him, flipping it over so Jack could see.
The Jack of Hearts.
“Is this your card?” the man asked like he already knew the answer, a knowing smile on his face.
From that point on, Jack believed that anything - even something as crazy as magic - was possible.
XxXxX
When he was 8 years old, his parents bought him a magic kit for Christmas. He nearly cried and kissed them both appreciatively before racing upstairs to play with his new toy. Alex came over an hour later, wanting to show Jack his new guitar. However, when he saw the large kit spread out along the other boy's bed, he forgot about his present and leaned it against the wall, going over to help Jack figure out what everything did.
They spent about an hour learning what everything was used for when Jack asked Alex to be his assistant. After all, every good magician needed a lovely assistant, right? Alex agreed excitedly and the two of them began planning an act with the new tools that they had.
For three days, they practiced the tricks over and over, spending hours locked up in Jack's room trying to get everything just right. On the fourth day, Jack decided that they were ready enough for them to put on a show for his parents. Alex would be leaving to see his grandparents in England for New Years the next day, and he couldn't wait for him to get back to show off how good he was getting.
The two boys sneaked into his sister's room and looked through the chest that contained all of her dress up clothes. They found a tux that was a little bit big on Jack, but it worked and Alex told him that he looked “rather dashing” (he didn't really know what that meant, but his mother always told his father that, so he assumed that it was a good thing).
Jack picked out a sparkly red dress for Alex to wear, holding it out to his friend with a nod, “You're my lovely assistant, so you have to wear something like this.”
Alex had refused at first, saying that that was for girls, and not for boys. However, Jack was known to give the best puppy dog pout in the whole neighborhood, and Alex had no willpower when it came to his best friend. Reluctantly, he slipped the red dress over his Batman T-shirt and allowed Jack to play with his hair until it was deemed perfect.
They set everything up on the coffee table in front of the couch in the living room before calling Jack's parents in. Jack hid behind the couch and could hear his parents chuckling softly at Alex's appearance (although, personally, Jack thought Alex looked stunning and liked the way red looked on him).
“And now, presenting, the wonderful, the mystical, the powerful - Jack Barakat!” Jack came out from hiding when Alex gave him his cue. He bowed respectfully when his parents clapped, pulling his wand out of his pocket.
“Thank you, my beautiful assistant,” he winked at Alex before turning to his parents.
He had his father pick a card first, holding the deck out to him much like the magician had done at his party just 2 years ago. His father looked almost surprised when Jack guessed the right card and nodded at his son, thoroughly impressed.
Alex brought out two metal rings, showing them off to Jack's parents with a smile. He then handed them to Jack and the taller boy clapped the rings together. When he tugged at them, they were connected, linked together as if by magic. He handed them to Alex and had him tug at them, showing his parents that they were, in fact, stuck together securely. Taking them back, he clapped them together again, and they were separate once more.
For another hour, he entertained his parents, showing them what he had worked so hard to perfect over the course of three days. Even when Alex had gone home for dinner, he had practiced and practiced, wanting to get it down just right.
When the act was finished, his parents stood up and applauded him, commenting on how skilled he was. Jack bowed and Alex smiled at him, standing up on his tip-toes to kiss Jack on the cheek as a reward for all his hard work.
With his parents cheering and Alex smiling at him with red tinted cheeks, Jack felt on top of the world.
XxXxX
Every child, sooner or later, begins to lose their faith in magic. They let go of that wonder, forget what it feels like, lock up all of those childish beliefs and shove them to the back of their mind. Jack was no exception to this rule.
It happened when he was 16. He'd kept up with his magic tricks, putting on shows for his siblings and friends, dazzling them with these new tricks that he could do - things that he hadn't even dreamed of when he was younger. He was confident to make a career out of this, to keep going with it until he died.
But realization pulled the rug from under him quickly, pushed him down until he was lying flat on his back in a world where everything was motion, motion, motion.
He heard of Daniel's suicide a week after it happened. Alex hadn't been in school during that time and wouldn't answer Jack's phone calls. Whenever Jack knocked on the door, no one answered. He was anxious and worried, wondering if something happened to Alex or if he had done something to make him upset or if they moved away without telling him or-
Alex came crawling through his window in the middle of the night, tapping on the glass and practically crashing into Jack's arms when he opened it. Surprised, Jack dragged him over to the bed and lied him down, brushing his hair out of his face to find his expression crumpled and tears streaming down his cheeks.
Through sobs and stutters, he told Jack of his brother's death. He gripped Jack close and pulled him down until they were cuddled close together in his bed, Alex's nose buried in the taller boy's neck and his arms clutching him tightly. Jack held him back just as tight, feeling his heart ache when Alex whimpered, “Please help me, Jack. Do something, make it better, god damn it, please, Jack.”
And that was the moment that Jack realized that, no matter how much he desperately wanted to, he could never make Daniel reappear. He couldn't wave his wand and bring Daniel back from where he'd sent himself to. He couldn't do anything. No amount of tricks or skill could get Alex what he wanted.
And what was the point of magic if it couldn't do anything in the end? What was magic if it couldn't fix things or help Jack do something important? It was silly, just a stupid trick that he could use to amuse his friends. But what good was magic if it couldn't do anything when he really needed it?
It was nothing. Just a bunch of nonsense. It couldn't bring back the dead or take away Alex's hurt. All it could do was make a quarter come out of someone's ear or pull a rabbit from a hat.
After that night, Jack put away his magic kit and did not touch it again.
XxXxX
For an entire year, Jack went without picking up his wand or his deck of cards. He stopped putting on little shows for his friends and stopped looking up new tricks. The magic was gone and he wasn't sure that he could ever get it back.
This was also the year that Jack came to terms with his feelings for his best friend. He found himself staring at Alex for longer than necessary, thinking of the boy all the time, and smiling whenever he came in sight. He told himself that it was brotherly love, that he simply adored the boy so much because they had been so close for so long.
But then he had a dream that he was kissing Alex. And then he had another one where he was touching him, just barely. And then he had one where they were naked.
And then he had one where Alex was riding him and he was moaning so loud and he was screaming his name and he looked so beautiful and he was looking at Jack like he was the only person in the world and--
Jack realized quickly that friends didn't dream of their friends doing that unless they actually wanted to be more than friends.
But, of course, he never told Alex about any of this. He simply watched him from afar, never daring to reveal even the slightest bits of his feelings for him. What they had was good - he got to spend time with Alex every day for hours, got to hear his biggest secrets, got to be the one he could turn to. Why would he go and ruin that? Why jeopardize such a great relationship because he felt greedy?
He loved Alex enough to keep his mouth shut and take what he was given.
It was on some random weekend when Alex popped the question that he always hated hearing. They were watching some movie with a disgustingly boring plot line, the two of them lying on Jack's bed with Alex's head on his chest. This was normal for them, comfortable (Jack wasn't going to lie though, ever since he discovered his feelings for Alex, getting all touchy-feely like they normally did set his skin on fire). Jack was just about to nod off when Alex spoke up.
“Why did you quit doing magic?”
Jack groaned and felt Alex rearrange himself so that he could better look at the other boy. “Why are you asking me now?”
“Because,” Alex jabbed him in the chest with his finger. “The girl in the movie was wearing a red dress and I thought of the time you made me wear that fucking shimmery red dress back when we were 8 years old and you were so happy when your parents applauded you for your magic and I can't even imagine why you would ever want to quit something that made you so god damn happy.”
“People grow up, Lex.”
Alex looked at him skeptically.
“Jack, growing up?” Alex laughed. “You? The one who's making constant dick jokes and prank calling people to this day?”
Jack shrugged.
Alex chuckled again and leaned in close until their noses were almost touching. Jack sucked in a breath and tried not to close the distance between them, the smell of Alex's coffee and mint breath reaching out to him like an aphrodisiac. “Jack Barakat, you are bullshitting me and we both know it.”
Jack frowned. He hated that Alex wasn't just buying he excuse like everyone else, hated that he was so insistent to find out, hated that he just wouldn't understand why he had to quit. No one would understand.
But it was reason enough for him, so he didn't care if anyone else understood.
“Because, Alex,” he bit out through clenched teeth. “It can't cure cancer, it can't feed the hungry, it can't stop wars or bring back the dead or anything.”
“But it can make people happy, Jack-”
“It wouldn't have made you happy when you asked me to help you and make it better!” Jack's voice became high pitched, his hands grabbing on to Alex's arms. “I couldn't bring him back and I couldn't make it better - no amount of magic could do that! So what's the point?”
Alex became silent after that. He was staring at Jack with wide, surprised eyes, his breathing coming out in slow, shaky breaths. Jack slowly came down from his little burst of rage, his hands loosening around Alex's arms and the guilt starting to set it.
“Alex, I'm sorry-”
“Let's just watch the movie.”
Alex moved once more to get back into movie-watching position. But instead of lying back down on Jack's chest, he moved over to lie down beside him, being sure to keep a sliver blankets and empty space between their bodies.
Jack had never felt so cold.
XxXxX
It was a few weeks later that Alex would invite him out. They had been tip-toeing around each other ever since that conversation, hardly spending much time at all together and talking very briefly in the hallways. Jack was a little surprised when Alex told him that he wanted to take him somewhere special, but decided not to question his good fortune; if Alex wanted to pretend like the whole thing never happened, he would play along. He was perfectly fine with that.
Alex picked him up about an hour after he got off from church, still dressed in his Sunday clothes when he came knocking on Jack's door. Jack was wearing a white button up shirt and black slacks, just like Alex had instructed him to do so earlier. Smiling, Alex grabbed his hand and led him out to his car, Fleetwood Mac playing on the stereo as he drove him to their destination.
Jack wasn't sure what to expect when Alex invited to take him somewhere special, but the cemetery was definitely not what came to mind.
Alex took his hand once more and led him through the hills like he knew exactly where he was going, had mapped it out all in his head, had been there so many times that getting to the right spot was like second nature to him. He came to a sudden stop by a large tree and squeezed Jack's fingers tightly.
Daniel's grave. And right beside it was the magic kit that Jack's parents got for him when he was 8 years old.
“Alex?” he looked over at the brunette, finding that his eyes were glued to the stone marking Daniel's spot in the grass. “What's going on?”
Finally, Alex looked over at him and smiled, tightening his grip on Jack's hand again. “You told me that magic couldn't fix anything, that you stopped because of what happened,” Alex bent down and lifted the lid off of the box, grabbing Jack's old, faithful deck of cards. “I asked you to help me, to make me feel better - if I told you that a simple magic trick would make me feel better right now, would you do it for me?”
Alex rose back up and held the cards out for Jack, waiting for his answer. “I'd do anything for you,” Jack whispered, grabbing the cards hesitantly. “But I just don't see how this is going to change anything.”
Smiling softly, Alex leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently, whispering against his skin, “Daniel used to love watching you do these things - it always made him smile. Please do this for me and him. Please give me this one thing, Jack.”
Jack couldn't refuse the boy he loved.
It was like he had never stopped in the first place. He remembered how to do every trick, got everything right on the first try. He watched Alex's face light up from his place on the ground next to his brother, his eyes looking up at Jack in amazement. He must have seen this act a hundred times, but he still looked at Jack like he was from another world, like he had unlocked some big secret that no one else had the key for.
And Jack was so damn happy. He couldn't stop himself from grinning when he saw the surprise cross Alex's face, couldn't help but laugh with glee when he watched the brunette's eyes go wide. That's what always made magic so fun for him - watching their reactions, seeing how shocked they were, watching them grin and scream, “No way!” He'd been craving this sort of action ever since he stopped and it felt like drugs were running through his veins now that he had it back.
With his last trick completed, he bowed before the two Gaskarth brothers, saying, “Thank you! Thank you!” as Alex clapped and cheered. If Jack had to choose between Alex's applause and that of a stadium full of people, he would pick Alex every time.
Alex got up from his seat on the ground with the biggest grin on his face, the smile reaching his eyes in a way Jack never saw since his brother died. Wrapping his arms around Jack's neck, Alex pulled him in close and whispered, “Thank you, Jack. Thank you so much for doing this for me.”
Jack felt his heart explode in his chest.
He linked his arms around Alex's waist and squeezed, feeling his lips curve into a smile. Alex pulled back, cupping Jack's face in his hands and looking at him with teary eyes.
And then, Alex was kissing him, and he felt like he was flying.
XxXxX
Jack felt stupid for getting so worked up over this, for feeling so nervous. His stomach was churning all throughout math class and he could hardly pay attention to the teacher up front. It had been a year since that kiss, a year since he finally got to feel Alex's lips against his.
So why was he so scared?
The bell rang and he practically shit his pants. He tried to shake off the nerves he felt as he gathered his things and shoved them in his bag, taking his time to stretch out the minutes before he would do what he wanted to do. As he made his way towards Alex's locker, he gave himself a small pep talk, trying to boost his confidence enough to pull through.
Alex's locker was near the back of the school, which had always been a pain in the ass before, but was a good thing now. There were very few people who had a locker near him and that hall emptied out rather quickly, which was an advantage in his plan.
Plus, it gave him a few minutes to gather his wits.
He turned the corner and the boy came into his sight. Alex was just shutting his locker when Jack pulled up from behind, a charming smile on his face (eve though his insides were practically eating each other).
Alex smiled with amusement.
“Why hello there, Jackary.”
“Hello, Alexander.”
“Any particular reason why you're here instead of waiting for me in the cafeteria?”
Jack mentally took a deep breath. Here goes.
He dropped to one knee smoothly, still smirking up at Alex. He wiggled his fingers around before reaching around to slip his hand in the back pocket of Alex's jeans. The brunette squeaked when he felt Jack's fingers pinch at his ass, but let it go when he saw him drag out a rose - one that had definitely not been there previously.
Just like magic.
Jack held it up towards Alex, loving the surprise that crossed his face. “Alex, I'd be honored if you would accompany me to the Senior Prom next weekend.”
Laughing, Alex took the rose and brought it to his nose, taking a whiff as he stared down at Jack bashfully. Whenever they went on dates and he pulled little sweet magic tricks like this, it always got him blushing and stuttering for words. Jack thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen and went out of his way to come up with new tricks to see it again.
“Why, Jack,” Alex bent down and placed on hand on his cheek, pecking his lips softly. “You know I'd love to.”
Jack grinned and placed his hand on the back of Alex's neck, bringing him forward to kiss him again. Alex smiled into the kiss and deepened it, Jack's heart flying up to cloud nine and getting lost in the sky.
With Alex's lips on his, Jack swore that he felt the magic.
Author: xxninny435xx
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jalex
Summary: It couldn't bring back the dead or take away Alex's hurt. All it could do was make a quarter come out of someone's ear or pull a rabbit from a hat.
Disclaimer: Don't ownnn.
Author Notes: For the 100 Themes Challenge. [:
Ever since Jack was a little boy, he had been amazed - entranced, even - by the idea of magic. He liked thinking that wonderful things were possible, that he could make missing objects appear, that he could wave a wand and sprout good feelings.
It started on his 6th birthday. His mother wanted to get him a clown for his party, but Jack refused; his best friend, little Alex Gaskarth from across the street, was terrified of clowns. He wouldn't want him to be scared during the party and he most definitely wanted to see the shorter boy smile.
So, instead, Mrs. Barakat got him a magician. He wasn't quite sure what that was, but it wasn't a clown, and that was good enough for him.
At around 1 o'clock, the party guests began trickling in - Rian, the boy from the playground that always offered to push him on the swings; Zack, the boy from school who had a different teacher, but always managed to sit with him at lunch; Cassadee, the girl that almost gave him cooties on the playground once; Matt, the boy from school who always carried a Mickey Mouse doll with him; Evan, the boy that played Pokemon with him; and Holly, the girl who kissed him on the playground and became his first girlfriend for a week (he decided to break it off because she kept stealing his french fries at lunch, and he didn't think that any girl was worth that).
And then there was Alex. His best friend in the whole wide world. He came first, considering the fact that he only lived across the street and that he promised Jack to come over an hour early so they could play in his room alone for a while.
The magician was supposed to come at about 2 o'clock, so in the meantime, they all played on the bounce house that Mr. Barakat had set up for them. Cassadee and Evan had stolen Matt's Mickey Mouse doll and were throwing it between them mercilessly, wanting to keep it away from him for as long as possible. Matt jumped up and down and tried to catch it, but it was no use. Zack and Rian had clicked instantly and were holding both hands as they bounced together, laughing and talking about the Spongebob episode that they both watched that morning. Holly was trying to talk to Alex and was batting her eyelashes at him cutely. Jack couldn't bear the thought of Holly stealing some of Alex's cake later on, so he quickly stole the boy away from her. Eventually, she gave up and went to join Evan and Cassadde on torturing Matt, leaving Jack and Alex to play together.
When the magician finally arrived, all of the children scurried to sit down in front of him on the grass, Jack making sure that he and Alex got the best spots up in the front. The man started off his act by pulling off his tall black hat and pulling a small white rabbit out. Jack gazed at him in wonder as he handed the small bunny to Alex, the brunette looking at the animal adoringly and thanking the mysterious man.
For his next trick, his made flowers magically appear in his hand, a splash of blues and purples and dull pinks on top of bright green stems. He handed the small bouquet to Mrs. Barakat, making sure to wink over at her husband jokingly.
And then he pulled handkerchiefs out of Rian's ear and a quarter out of Zack's mouth. He connected Cassadee and Holly by the hands, making it so that no matter how hard they pulled away from each other, they couldn't separate. He made Matt's doll disappear and then pulled it out of the back of Evan's shirt. He guessed what animal, color, number, and state that Alex was thinking of, getting all of the answers correct.
And then he called the birthday boy to stand at the front.
Jack, already boggled by the strange things the magician could do, hurried to his feet and stood beside the man excitedly, grinning up at him. The tall man leaned over and a deck of cards seemed to slip right into his palm. He spread them out with his fingers and said lowly, “Pick a card, any card - but choose wisely.”
Jack stared at the cards for a few long moments, wanting to make sure that he picked the best one. Finally, he picked what he deemed to be the most perfect card there and held it close to his chest so that the other man couldn't see.
The Jack of Hearts.
When commanded to do so, Jack slipped the card back into the deck, waiting to see what would happen. The magician grinned and then threw the cards up into the air, letting the rectangles fly in the wind and rain down on them slowly like paper syrup. His hand whipped out quickly and he grabbed the card hovering down next to him, flipping it over so Jack could see.
The Jack of Hearts.
“Is this your card?” the man asked like he already knew the answer, a knowing smile on his face.
From that point on, Jack believed that anything - even something as crazy as magic - was possible.
XxXxX
When he was 8 years old, his parents bought him a magic kit for Christmas. He nearly cried and kissed them both appreciatively before racing upstairs to play with his new toy. Alex came over an hour later, wanting to show Jack his new guitar. However, when he saw the large kit spread out along the other boy's bed, he forgot about his present and leaned it against the wall, going over to help Jack figure out what everything did.
They spent about an hour learning what everything was used for when Jack asked Alex to be his assistant. After all, every good magician needed a lovely assistant, right? Alex agreed excitedly and the two of them began planning an act with the new tools that they had.
For three days, they practiced the tricks over and over, spending hours locked up in Jack's room trying to get everything just right. On the fourth day, Jack decided that they were ready enough for them to put on a show for his parents. Alex would be leaving to see his grandparents in England for New Years the next day, and he couldn't wait for him to get back to show off how good he was getting.
The two boys sneaked into his sister's room and looked through the chest that contained all of her dress up clothes. They found a tux that was a little bit big on Jack, but it worked and Alex told him that he looked “rather dashing” (he didn't really know what that meant, but his mother always told his father that, so he assumed that it was a good thing).
Jack picked out a sparkly red dress for Alex to wear, holding it out to his friend with a nod, “You're my lovely assistant, so you have to wear something like this.”
Alex had refused at first, saying that that was for girls, and not for boys. However, Jack was known to give the best puppy dog pout in the whole neighborhood, and Alex had no willpower when it came to his best friend. Reluctantly, he slipped the red dress over his Batman T-shirt and allowed Jack to play with his hair until it was deemed perfect.
They set everything up on the coffee table in front of the couch in the living room before calling Jack's parents in. Jack hid behind the couch and could hear his parents chuckling softly at Alex's appearance (although, personally, Jack thought Alex looked stunning and liked the way red looked on him).
“And now, presenting, the wonderful, the mystical, the powerful - Jack Barakat!” Jack came out from hiding when Alex gave him his cue. He bowed respectfully when his parents clapped, pulling his wand out of his pocket.
“Thank you, my beautiful assistant,” he winked at Alex before turning to his parents.
He had his father pick a card first, holding the deck out to him much like the magician had done at his party just 2 years ago. His father looked almost surprised when Jack guessed the right card and nodded at his son, thoroughly impressed.
Alex brought out two metal rings, showing them off to Jack's parents with a smile. He then handed them to Jack and the taller boy clapped the rings together. When he tugged at them, they were connected, linked together as if by magic. He handed them to Alex and had him tug at them, showing his parents that they were, in fact, stuck together securely. Taking them back, he clapped them together again, and they were separate once more.
For another hour, he entertained his parents, showing them what he had worked so hard to perfect over the course of three days. Even when Alex had gone home for dinner, he had practiced and practiced, wanting to get it down just right.
When the act was finished, his parents stood up and applauded him, commenting on how skilled he was. Jack bowed and Alex smiled at him, standing up on his tip-toes to kiss Jack on the cheek as a reward for all his hard work.
With his parents cheering and Alex smiling at him with red tinted cheeks, Jack felt on top of the world.
XxXxX
Every child, sooner or later, begins to lose their faith in magic. They let go of that wonder, forget what it feels like, lock up all of those childish beliefs and shove them to the back of their mind. Jack was no exception to this rule.
It happened when he was 16. He'd kept up with his magic tricks, putting on shows for his siblings and friends, dazzling them with these new tricks that he could do - things that he hadn't even dreamed of when he was younger. He was confident to make a career out of this, to keep going with it until he died.
But realization pulled the rug from under him quickly, pushed him down until he was lying flat on his back in a world where everything was motion, motion, motion.
He heard of Daniel's suicide a week after it happened. Alex hadn't been in school during that time and wouldn't answer Jack's phone calls. Whenever Jack knocked on the door, no one answered. He was anxious and worried, wondering if something happened to Alex or if he had done something to make him upset or if they moved away without telling him or-
Alex came crawling through his window in the middle of the night, tapping on the glass and practically crashing into Jack's arms when he opened it. Surprised, Jack dragged him over to the bed and lied him down, brushing his hair out of his face to find his expression crumpled and tears streaming down his cheeks.
Through sobs and stutters, he told Jack of his brother's death. He gripped Jack close and pulled him down until they were cuddled close together in his bed, Alex's nose buried in the taller boy's neck and his arms clutching him tightly. Jack held him back just as tight, feeling his heart ache when Alex whimpered, “Please help me, Jack. Do something, make it better, god damn it, please, Jack.”
And that was the moment that Jack realized that, no matter how much he desperately wanted to, he could never make Daniel reappear. He couldn't wave his wand and bring Daniel back from where he'd sent himself to. He couldn't do anything. No amount of tricks or skill could get Alex what he wanted.
And what was the point of magic if it couldn't do anything in the end? What was magic if it couldn't fix things or help Jack do something important? It was silly, just a stupid trick that he could use to amuse his friends. But what good was magic if it couldn't do anything when he really needed it?
It was nothing. Just a bunch of nonsense. It couldn't bring back the dead or take away Alex's hurt. All it could do was make a quarter come out of someone's ear or pull a rabbit from a hat.
After that night, Jack put away his magic kit and did not touch it again.
XxXxX
For an entire year, Jack went without picking up his wand or his deck of cards. He stopped putting on little shows for his friends and stopped looking up new tricks. The magic was gone and he wasn't sure that he could ever get it back.
This was also the year that Jack came to terms with his feelings for his best friend. He found himself staring at Alex for longer than necessary, thinking of the boy all the time, and smiling whenever he came in sight. He told himself that it was brotherly love, that he simply adored the boy so much because they had been so close for so long.
But then he had a dream that he was kissing Alex. And then he had another one where he was touching him, just barely. And then he had one where they were naked.
And then he had one where Alex was riding him and he was moaning so loud and he was screaming his name and he looked so beautiful and he was looking at Jack like he was the only person in the world and--
Jack realized quickly that friends didn't dream of their friends doing that unless they actually wanted to be more than friends.
But, of course, he never told Alex about any of this. He simply watched him from afar, never daring to reveal even the slightest bits of his feelings for him. What they had was good - he got to spend time with Alex every day for hours, got to hear his biggest secrets, got to be the one he could turn to. Why would he go and ruin that? Why jeopardize such a great relationship because he felt greedy?
He loved Alex enough to keep his mouth shut and take what he was given.
It was on some random weekend when Alex popped the question that he always hated hearing. They were watching some movie with a disgustingly boring plot line, the two of them lying on Jack's bed with Alex's head on his chest. This was normal for them, comfortable (Jack wasn't going to lie though, ever since he discovered his feelings for Alex, getting all touchy-feely like they normally did set his skin on fire). Jack was just about to nod off when Alex spoke up.
“Why did you quit doing magic?”
Jack groaned and felt Alex rearrange himself so that he could better look at the other boy. “Why are you asking me now?”
“Because,” Alex jabbed him in the chest with his finger. “The girl in the movie was wearing a red dress and I thought of the time you made me wear that fucking shimmery red dress back when we were 8 years old and you were so happy when your parents applauded you for your magic and I can't even imagine why you would ever want to quit something that made you so god damn happy.”
“People grow up, Lex.”
Alex looked at him skeptically.
“Jack, growing up?” Alex laughed. “You? The one who's making constant dick jokes and prank calling people to this day?”
Jack shrugged.
Alex chuckled again and leaned in close until their noses were almost touching. Jack sucked in a breath and tried not to close the distance between them, the smell of Alex's coffee and mint breath reaching out to him like an aphrodisiac. “Jack Barakat, you are bullshitting me and we both know it.”
Jack frowned. He hated that Alex wasn't just buying he excuse like everyone else, hated that he was so insistent to find out, hated that he just wouldn't understand why he had to quit. No one would understand.
But it was reason enough for him, so he didn't care if anyone else understood.
“Because, Alex,” he bit out through clenched teeth. “It can't cure cancer, it can't feed the hungry, it can't stop wars or bring back the dead or anything.”
“But it can make people happy, Jack-”
“It wouldn't have made you happy when you asked me to help you and make it better!” Jack's voice became high pitched, his hands grabbing on to Alex's arms. “I couldn't bring him back and I couldn't make it better - no amount of magic could do that! So what's the point?”
Alex became silent after that. He was staring at Jack with wide, surprised eyes, his breathing coming out in slow, shaky breaths. Jack slowly came down from his little burst of rage, his hands loosening around Alex's arms and the guilt starting to set it.
“Alex, I'm sorry-”
“Let's just watch the movie.”
Alex moved once more to get back into movie-watching position. But instead of lying back down on Jack's chest, he moved over to lie down beside him, being sure to keep a sliver blankets and empty space between their bodies.
Jack had never felt so cold.
XxXxX
It was a few weeks later that Alex would invite him out. They had been tip-toeing around each other ever since that conversation, hardly spending much time at all together and talking very briefly in the hallways. Jack was a little surprised when Alex told him that he wanted to take him somewhere special, but decided not to question his good fortune; if Alex wanted to pretend like the whole thing never happened, he would play along. He was perfectly fine with that.
Alex picked him up about an hour after he got off from church, still dressed in his Sunday clothes when he came knocking on Jack's door. Jack was wearing a white button up shirt and black slacks, just like Alex had instructed him to do so earlier. Smiling, Alex grabbed his hand and led him out to his car, Fleetwood Mac playing on the stereo as he drove him to their destination.
Jack wasn't sure what to expect when Alex invited to take him somewhere special, but the cemetery was definitely not what came to mind.
Alex took his hand once more and led him through the hills like he knew exactly where he was going, had mapped it out all in his head, had been there so many times that getting to the right spot was like second nature to him. He came to a sudden stop by a large tree and squeezed Jack's fingers tightly.
Daniel's grave. And right beside it was the magic kit that Jack's parents got for him when he was 8 years old.
“Alex?” he looked over at the brunette, finding that his eyes were glued to the stone marking Daniel's spot in the grass. “What's going on?”
Finally, Alex looked over at him and smiled, tightening his grip on Jack's hand again. “You told me that magic couldn't fix anything, that you stopped because of what happened,” Alex bent down and lifted the lid off of the box, grabbing Jack's old, faithful deck of cards. “I asked you to help me, to make me feel better - if I told you that a simple magic trick would make me feel better right now, would you do it for me?”
Alex rose back up and held the cards out for Jack, waiting for his answer. “I'd do anything for you,” Jack whispered, grabbing the cards hesitantly. “But I just don't see how this is going to change anything.”
Smiling softly, Alex leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently, whispering against his skin, “Daniel used to love watching you do these things - it always made him smile. Please do this for me and him. Please give me this one thing, Jack.”
Jack couldn't refuse the boy he loved.
It was like he had never stopped in the first place. He remembered how to do every trick, got everything right on the first try. He watched Alex's face light up from his place on the ground next to his brother, his eyes looking up at Jack in amazement. He must have seen this act a hundred times, but he still looked at Jack like he was from another world, like he had unlocked some big secret that no one else had the key for.
And Jack was so damn happy. He couldn't stop himself from grinning when he saw the surprise cross Alex's face, couldn't help but laugh with glee when he watched the brunette's eyes go wide. That's what always made magic so fun for him - watching their reactions, seeing how shocked they were, watching them grin and scream, “No way!” He'd been craving this sort of action ever since he stopped and it felt like drugs were running through his veins now that he had it back.
With his last trick completed, he bowed before the two Gaskarth brothers, saying, “Thank you! Thank you!” as Alex clapped and cheered. If Jack had to choose between Alex's applause and that of a stadium full of people, he would pick Alex every time.
Alex got up from his seat on the ground with the biggest grin on his face, the smile reaching his eyes in a way Jack never saw since his brother died. Wrapping his arms around Jack's neck, Alex pulled him in close and whispered, “Thank you, Jack. Thank you so much for doing this for me.”
Jack felt his heart explode in his chest.
He linked his arms around Alex's waist and squeezed, feeling his lips curve into a smile. Alex pulled back, cupping Jack's face in his hands and looking at him with teary eyes.
And then, Alex was kissing him, and he felt like he was flying.
XxXxX
Jack felt stupid for getting so worked up over this, for feeling so nervous. His stomach was churning all throughout math class and he could hardly pay attention to the teacher up front. It had been a year since that kiss, a year since he finally got to feel Alex's lips against his.
So why was he so scared?
The bell rang and he practically shit his pants. He tried to shake off the nerves he felt as he gathered his things and shoved them in his bag, taking his time to stretch out the minutes before he would do what he wanted to do. As he made his way towards Alex's locker, he gave himself a small pep talk, trying to boost his confidence enough to pull through.
Alex's locker was near the back of the school, which had always been a pain in the ass before, but was a good thing now. There were very few people who had a locker near him and that hall emptied out rather quickly, which was an advantage in his plan.
Plus, it gave him a few minutes to gather his wits.
He turned the corner and the boy came into his sight. Alex was just shutting his locker when Jack pulled up from behind, a charming smile on his face (eve though his insides were practically eating each other).
Alex smiled with amusement.
“Why hello there, Jackary.”
“Hello, Alexander.”
“Any particular reason why you're here instead of waiting for me in the cafeteria?”
Jack mentally took a deep breath. Here goes.
He dropped to one knee smoothly, still smirking up at Alex. He wiggled his fingers around before reaching around to slip his hand in the back pocket of Alex's jeans. The brunette squeaked when he felt Jack's fingers pinch at his ass, but let it go when he saw him drag out a rose - one that had definitely not been there previously.
Just like magic.
Jack held it up towards Alex, loving the surprise that crossed his face. “Alex, I'd be honored if you would accompany me to the Senior Prom next weekend.”
Laughing, Alex took the rose and brought it to his nose, taking a whiff as he stared down at Jack bashfully. Whenever they went on dates and he pulled little sweet magic tricks like this, it always got him blushing and stuttering for words. Jack thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen and went out of his way to come up with new tricks to see it again.
“Why, Jack,” Alex bent down and placed on hand on his cheek, pecking his lips softly. “You know I'd love to.”
Jack grinned and placed his hand on the back of Alex's neck, bringing him forward to kiss him again. Alex smiled into the kiss and deepened it, Jack's heart flying up to cloud nine and getting lost in the sky.
With Alex's lips on his, Jack swore that he felt the magic.