I Don't Think He'll Make It Through The Night - Chapter Three
Title: I Don't Think He'll Make It Through The Night
Chapter: Hey Stranger, I Want Ya To Catch Me Like A Cold
Author: tothebatcaveO_o
Pairing: Alex/Zack (Rian Dawson/Cassadee Pope & Jack Barakat/Tay Jardine)
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Since his brother died, things at home haven't been good for Alex. His mother became overly controlling of him, and his parents continue to argue, all the time. Alex turned to his demons to help resolve the conflict, but now, Zack's suffering too, the only difference is, Zack's problem can be hidden
Disclaimer: Everything's extracted from my imagination
A/N: Yeah, I know, it's just more introductions and exposition, next chapter is intended to be remotely interesting, and there may be a chance at some drama xD exciting much!
Masterpost
Monday morning means school. Rainy Monday morning means school will probably be shit. Zack rolls over and switches off the alarm on his phone. He notices that Alex is already out of bed, probably preparing Zack’s breakfast. He clambers out of the sheets and walks into the en-suite, turning on the shower and stepping in it.
Once he’s dry he walks downstairs, a towel wrapped around his hips to hide himself from Alex’s parents, as well as to his legs from Alex. He sits at the table, a plate of pancakes already cooked for him and sitting on the place-mat, steaming.
‘Do you want syrup with that?’ Alex asks his boyfriend.
‘Oh, yeah, that’d be awesome! These are awesome, Alex.’ Zack complimented Alex’s cooking skills, all too aware that Alex obsessed over the skill, and if Zack ever didn’t like something, then Alex would punish himself for lacking the required skill. Zack was cautious at meal times, always, especially as Alex insisted on cooking or preparing every meal, regardless of his mother’s opinion.
The two get dressed for school, Alex slipping into a pair of skinny jeans. Alex ties up his baseball boots and tucks the laces away, slides into the Good Charlotte tee, and places his grey hoody on, leaving the zip undone.
‘I’m ready!’ Alex cries out. Zack walks out of the en-suite, dressed as well, in a pair of straight-leg jeans and a black vest, his red hoody over the top of it, his zip also undone.
‘My Vans are downstairs I think, I’ll slip them on now. Get your books, yeah? I’ll be in the car.’ Zack walks over to his boyfriend, pecking him on the lips and hurrying down the stairs, slipping his shoes on, picking up his car keys, throwing the hood over his head and running to the car, trying to stay as dry as possible.
Zack starts up the engine and waits for Alex to hurry out of the house. The older boy does, his backpack hanging off of one shoulder. He has his hood up and hurries to the car, swinging the door open and jumping in the seat.
‘Oh look! I straightened my fringe and for what?’ Alex complained, running his thumb and forefinger down the strands of hair at the front, making water run out quickly, dripping onto his lap.
‘You look fine.’ Zack reassures.
‘You have to say that.’
‘I most certainly don’t.’ The two boys laugh as Zack drives them to school.
Zack parks the car in one of the few remaining spaces in the car-park. He turns off the engine and gets out of the car. Alex follows him, struggling slightly with his bag but eventually managing to get it out and hang it off his shoulder. Alex approaches Zack as he takes books and a folder out of the back seat. He locks the car and walks up to the school entrance with his arms filled with his belongings.
‘Zack.’ Alex begins.
‘Yeah?’ Zack asks.
‘On Saturday, do you think, could you get the day off work? Or at least the afternoon? I just, I don’t think I want to go to my session alone, not to the hospital alone, anyway.’ Zack hums,
‘I’ll see, but they aren’t usually lenient with things like that, Alex. But I’ll see what I can do.’
‘Yeah? Thank you, baby.’ Alex pecks Zack’s cheek and walks away, down a set of steps that bring him to his lesson. Zack walks through the main entrance and to a building at the back of the school.
***
Lunch-time approached and not a minute too soon. Zack rushed out of his lesson, hurrying back to the car to drop off his folder and books, returning to the canteen where Alex was sat with their group of friends.
Rian, a short boy with a shaved head, was sat with his arm around Cassadee, his fiance, - he proposed only three weeks ago - who had long, straight brown hair and a blonde streak through it at the side. Alex was sat next to her and opposite him sat Jack, Alex’s best friend, a very tall and thin (but not as thin as Alex) boy, with scruffy sex hair and a slight swoop in his fringe. Jack’s hand was intertwined with Tay’s. She was short, much shorter than Rian, with lengthy, wavy brown hair and a ring through her nose. She was just over eight months pregnant, but insisted that she’d continue to attend school until it was absolutely necessary for her to stay home - in her words “I’m not gonna stop coming to school until I go into labour, and after that, I’m coming back, Mom’ll help me out, she’s already agreed, not that I gave her a choice.”
Zack wandered over and sat in the spare seat next to Tay. He smiled at his group of friends who all greeted him.
‘Oh, Zack, here you go!’ Alex cheered and pulled out a small lunch box from his bag, in it a salad. ‘I thought, that as you’d want salad today, is that OK?’
‘A-Alex, you didn’t have to make me lunch as well.’ Alex slid the box across the table, bringing it in front of Tay who tapped it over to Zack. Zack was blushing, glowing bright red.
‘We were just saying how we’re glad Alex has finally agreed to seek help.’ Cassadee fills Zack in. Zack hums with a mouthful of his salad. After swallowing he speaks up
‘Yeah, thank you for convincing him.’ Rian and Jack smile,
‘That’s OK. We were worried.’ Rian says and pats Alex on the shoulder.
‘So, do you know yet?’ Zack asks Tay.
‘No, I’ve told you, I don’t wanna know, and it’s pissing Jack off not knowing so I’m gonna keep not knowing until I have no choice.’ Tay responded, laughing as Jack pouts,
‘All I wanna do is find out if we’re having a boy or a girl.’
‘I don’t understand why the sex matters.’ Tay begins to argue, ‘I mean, what, are you gonna convince it that blue is for boys and pink is for girls? Are you gonna teach it that boys play with cars and girls play with dolls? Boys pretend to be astronauts and doctors while girls play housewife? No way, I don’t think so, not before it’s even born.’ Tay turned to Zack, ‘Could you move please?’ tears are welling up in her eyes. She rips her hand away from Jack and storms out of the canteen as Zack lets her out.
Jack swallows hard. He felt Rian’s eyes burning into him,
‘Would you…’ Rian begins but Cassadee nods, pecking her fiancé and following Tay out of the canteen, going to the girls’ toilets where she usually goes when she gets hormonal and emotional.
‘You are a dick.’ Alex jokes. Jack hangs his head,
‘All I want to know is whether we’re having a boy or a girl, is it too much to ask?’ He asks the three other boys. They shrug,
‘Apparently, to her, yeah, it is.’ Zack tells him.
‘You’ve decided names now, haven’t you? You were gonna tell me the other day, but you never got round to it.’ Alex says,
‘Oh yeah, for a boy it’s Taylor and for a girl it’s Jacquie.’ Jack replies, slightly happier on this topic.
‘Original.’ Zack mutters, smirking,
‘It’s cute.’ Rian interjects. The bell rings.
‘Better go and find her.’ Zack tells Jack, who nods his head and agrees. The four boys get up and begin to walk out of the canteen, along with the flock.
‘Oh, what are you lot doing tonight?’ Jack asks before heading to find Tay,
‘We’ve got nothing planned, have we?’ Alex says, turning to Zack who smiles and shakes his head,
‘Cass and I are free.’ Rian says, gleefully.
‘Wanna come over? We’re gonna have pizza and movies and music and drink. The ‘rents are away for a couple of days, but I didn’t want a huge party, just us six, yeah?’ Jack asks
‘Sounds good! We’ll be there!’ Alex says before pecking Zack on the lips and walking off to his next lesson.
‘Yeah, I’ll mention it to Cass, I’m sure she’ll come over.’ Rian says, embracing Zack in a hug, following with Jack and following Alex down the corridor, sharing the next lesson with him - apparently Alex forgot.
‘See ya later, Zacky.’ Jack says, hugging the shorter but buffer boy. Zack laughs and watches Jack walk away. He stands there for a second, wishing, just wishing, that Alex was more like Jack sometimes. He really does. He wishes he had Jack’s attitude towards food especially, because when Jack says “We’re having pizza.” He means “There’ll be three for the five of you to share, and one for me.”
Chapter: Hey Stranger, I Want Ya To Catch Me Like A Cold
Author: tothebatcaveO_o
Pairing: Alex/Zack (Rian Dawson/Cassadee Pope & Jack Barakat/Tay Jardine)
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Since his brother died, things at home haven't been good for Alex. His mother became overly controlling of him, and his parents continue to argue, all the time. Alex turned to his demons to help resolve the conflict, but now, Zack's suffering too, the only difference is, Zack's problem can be hidden
Disclaimer: Everything's extracted from my imagination
A/N: Yeah, I know, it's just more introductions and exposition, next chapter is intended to be remotely interesting, and there may be a chance at some drama xD exciting much!
Masterpost
Monday morning means school. Rainy Monday morning means school will probably be shit. Zack rolls over and switches off the alarm on his phone. He notices that Alex is already out of bed, probably preparing Zack’s breakfast. He clambers out of the sheets and walks into the en-suite, turning on the shower and stepping in it.
Once he’s dry he walks downstairs, a towel wrapped around his hips to hide himself from Alex’s parents, as well as to his legs from Alex. He sits at the table, a plate of pancakes already cooked for him and sitting on the place-mat, steaming.
‘Do you want syrup with that?’ Alex asks his boyfriend.
‘Oh, yeah, that’d be awesome! These are awesome, Alex.’ Zack complimented Alex’s cooking skills, all too aware that Alex obsessed over the skill, and if Zack ever didn’t like something, then Alex would punish himself for lacking the required skill. Zack was cautious at meal times, always, especially as Alex insisted on cooking or preparing every meal, regardless of his mother’s opinion.
The two get dressed for school, Alex slipping into a pair of skinny jeans. Alex ties up his baseball boots and tucks the laces away, slides into the Good Charlotte tee, and places his grey hoody on, leaving the zip undone.
‘I’m ready!’ Alex cries out. Zack walks out of the en-suite, dressed as well, in a pair of straight-leg jeans and a black vest, his red hoody over the top of it, his zip also undone.
‘My Vans are downstairs I think, I’ll slip them on now. Get your books, yeah? I’ll be in the car.’ Zack walks over to his boyfriend, pecking him on the lips and hurrying down the stairs, slipping his shoes on, picking up his car keys, throwing the hood over his head and running to the car, trying to stay as dry as possible.
Zack starts up the engine and waits for Alex to hurry out of the house. The older boy does, his backpack hanging off of one shoulder. He has his hood up and hurries to the car, swinging the door open and jumping in the seat.
‘Oh look! I straightened my fringe and for what?’ Alex complained, running his thumb and forefinger down the strands of hair at the front, making water run out quickly, dripping onto his lap.
‘You look fine.’ Zack reassures.
‘You have to say that.’
‘I most certainly don’t.’ The two boys laugh as Zack drives them to school.
Zack parks the car in one of the few remaining spaces in the car-park. He turns off the engine and gets out of the car. Alex follows him, struggling slightly with his bag but eventually managing to get it out and hang it off his shoulder. Alex approaches Zack as he takes books and a folder out of the back seat. He locks the car and walks up to the school entrance with his arms filled with his belongings.
‘Zack.’ Alex begins.
‘Yeah?’ Zack asks.
‘On Saturday, do you think, could you get the day off work? Or at least the afternoon? I just, I don’t think I want to go to my session alone, not to the hospital alone, anyway.’ Zack hums,
‘I’ll see, but they aren’t usually lenient with things like that, Alex. But I’ll see what I can do.’
‘Yeah? Thank you, baby.’ Alex pecks Zack’s cheek and walks away, down a set of steps that bring him to his lesson. Zack walks through the main entrance and to a building at the back of the school.
***
Lunch-time approached and not a minute too soon. Zack rushed out of his lesson, hurrying back to the car to drop off his folder and books, returning to the canteen where Alex was sat with their group of friends.
Rian, a short boy with a shaved head, was sat with his arm around Cassadee, his fiance, - he proposed only three weeks ago - who had long, straight brown hair and a blonde streak through it at the side. Alex was sat next to her and opposite him sat Jack, Alex’s best friend, a very tall and thin (but not as thin as Alex) boy, with scruffy sex hair and a slight swoop in his fringe. Jack’s hand was intertwined with Tay’s. She was short, much shorter than Rian, with lengthy, wavy brown hair and a ring through her nose. She was just over eight months pregnant, but insisted that she’d continue to attend school until it was absolutely necessary for her to stay home - in her words “I’m not gonna stop coming to school until I go into labour, and after that, I’m coming back, Mom’ll help me out, she’s already agreed, not that I gave her a choice.”
Zack wandered over and sat in the spare seat next to Tay. He smiled at his group of friends who all greeted him.
‘Oh, Zack, here you go!’ Alex cheered and pulled out a small lunch box from his bag, in it a salad. ‘I thought, that as you’d want salad today, is that OK?’
‘A-Alex, you didn’t have to make me lunch as well.’ Alex slid the box across the table, bringing it in front of Tay who tapped it over to Zack. Zack was blushing, glowing bright red.
‘We were just saying how we’re glad Alex has finally agreed to seek help.’ Cassadee fills Zack in. Zack hums with a mouthful of his salad. After swallowing he speaks up
‘Yeah, thank you for convincing him.’ Rian and Jack smile,
‘That’s OK. We were worried.’ Rian says and pats Alex on the shoulder.
‘So, do you know yet?’ Zack asks Tay.
‘No, I’ve told you, I don’t wanna know, and it’s pissing Jack off not knowing so I’m gonna keep not knowing until I have no choice.’ Tay responded, laughing as Jack pouts,
‘All I wanna do is find out if we’re having a boy or a girl.’
‘I don’t understand why the sex matters.’ Tay begins to argue, ‘I mean, what, are you gonna convince it that blue is for boys and pink is for girls? Are you gonna teach it that boys play with cars and girls play with dolls? Boys pretend to be astronauts and doctors while girls play housewife? No way, I don’t think so, not before it’s even born.’ Tay turned to Zack, ‘Could you move please?’ tears are welling up in her eyes. She rips her hand away from Jack and storms out of the canteen as Zack lets her out.
Jack swallows hard. He felt Rian’s eyes burning into him,
‘Would you…’ Rian begins but Cassadee nods, pecking her fiancé and following Tay out of the canteen, going to the girls’ toilets where she usually goes when she gets hormonal and emotional.
‘You are a dick.’ Alex jokes. Jack hangs his head,
‘All I want to know is whether we’re having a boy or a girl, is it too much to ask?’ He asks the three other boys. They shrug,
‘Apparently, to her, yeah, it is.’ Zack tells him.
‘You’ve decided names now, haven’t you? You were gonna tell me the other day, but you never got round to it.’ Alex says,
‘Oh yeah, for a boy it’s Taylor and for a girl it’s Jacquie.’ Jack replies, slightly happier on this topic.
‘Original.’ Zack mutters, smirking,
‘It’s cute.’ Rian interjects. The bell rings.
‘Better go and find her.’ Zack tells Jack, who nods his head and agrees. The four boys get up and begin to walk out of the canteen, along with the flock.
‘Oh, what are you lot doing tonight?’ Jack asks before heading to find Tay,
‘We’ve got nothing planned, have we?’ Alex says, turning to Zack who smiles and shakes his head,
‘Cass and I are free.’ Rian says, gleefully.
‘Wanna come over? We’re gonna have pizza and movies and music and drink. The ‘rents are away for a couple of days, but I didn’t want a huge party, just us six, yeah?’ Jack asks
‘Sounds good! We’ll be there!’ Alex says before pecking Zack on the lips and walking off to his next lesson.
‘Yeah, I’ll mention it to Cass, I’m sure she’ll come over.’ Rian says, embracing Zack in a hug, following with Jack and following Alex down the corridor, sharing the next lesson with him - apparently Alex forgot.
‘See ya later, Zacky.’ Jack says, hugging the shorter but buffer boy. Zack laughs and watches Jack walk away. He stands there for a second, wishing, just wishing, that Alex was more like Jack sometimes. He really does. He wishes he had Jack’s attitude towards food especially, because when Jack says “We’re having pizza.” He means “There’ll be three for the five of you to share, and one for me.”