Wake up sunshine ~ (Jalex)

Just the book

We were sat in the airport, jack's head on my shoulder as he snored gently. A small amount of drool pooled against the corner of his mouth. It was kind of gross but slightly adorable at the same time. Jack inhaled and grunted in his sleep, sucking in the small pool of saliva with him and buried his head further into the crook of my neck. He wrapped a single arm around my waist and subconsciously pulled himself closer to me. All I could do was smile at the gesture, and the fact that he was so unaware of this. His face was completely blissed out, a faint smile tugged at his lips. His eye lids flickered once in a while and his facial muscles would contract in little bursts every ten minutes give or take.

Rian and Zack had given up on the idea of us all traveling together. They had decided to take a separate plane themselves, one that was earlier than mine and jack's. They claim that it was because they wanted to get to our touring destination earlier than us to set up, but I put it down to the fact that neither of them could be bothered with our chaos. Jack and I, when thrown in a room together, really could stir up some trouble. I'm guessing that they just couldn't be bothered this time around, in which case, I really don't blame them.

The terminal was still pretty deserted as jack and I had gotten here as early as Zack and Rian. A few more people had turned up in the hour or so that we had been sat there for. None of them seemed to take notice of us, which I was utterly grateful for. It was nice to have the privacy that we could get.

I lifted a hand up to jack's head and ran my fingers through his hair. I knew very well that he would have a go at me later for messing up his well styled locks, but it was worth it. It was so soft, despite the extreme amounts of hairspray he used. Usually, hair spray used so lavishly would cause the strands to feel like plastic; obviously not for this man. Jack's hair was always soft.

I continued running my fingers through his hair before I fell asleep.

"Alex?" A small voice asked eventually, stirring me from my much needed slumber. "Hey, they are ready for us to board now." Jack mumbled, obviously only just waking up himself. He rubbed his eyes and gathered his bags and boarding pass. I did the same and lugged myself behind him.

We were the last ones to get on the plane and the only ones to take up a row of three to ourselves. Looks like nobody else took the seat beside jack and I. We spread ourselves out comfortably, half expecting someone to turn up and claim the extra seat, yet nobody did. Jack flung his legs on top of mine as a foot rest and plugged in his earphones. He pulled out a stick of gum and shoved it into his mouth to prevent the ear popping sensation that coupled hand in hand with flying.

He offered me a piece, only getting returned with a polite refusal. My ears would always pop, regardless of whether I try and prevent it or not. I had gone through every trick in the book and not one would make any sort of difference for my ears. They always felt like they were underwater to begin with and that feeling wouldn't clear. Then, half an hour later, give or take, would it clear and damn would it hurt. It was always an excruciating pain that released the pressure build up all at once. Like a bullet to the head. I just accepted it by now. There was nothing that could be done.

Jack gave me a sympathetic smile and then shrugged gently before looking out of the window. Jack loved flying. He never really got to do it when he was younger and when he did fly, he couldn't remember it due to his young age. So flying was always something that would make him resort to his childish and more excitable ways.

To be frank, almost everything jack did made him resort to his childish and excitable ways. What could I say? He was an excitable guy.

I decided to get some more shut eye in the mean time, knowing fully well I was going to be shattered and jet lagged by the time we arrive at our destination in the UK.

~*~

About two hours into the journey, I was woken up by repetitive prodding and a frustrated looking barakat. "What's up with you?" I questioned, smirking slightly but also taken aback by the sudden mood change.

"Bored." He murmured. "Got anything to do?"

I shook my head. "Weren't you on your phone a second ago?" I wondered. He nodded.

"Dead." He returned. I was beginning to get mildly frustrated by the lack of lengthy responses. It just showed how little jack felt like problem solving and helping himself, only increasing my frustration. Instead I bent down to my carry on luggage and pulled out some book Lisa had stowed away in there. I glanced over the title quickly to see the name, 'hunger games' in big bold letters. 'This should keep jack busy'. I thought to myself. It was a relatively lengthy book, and jack didn't read that fast, he should be fine.

I threw the book at his face and narrowly missed, hitting the arm rest next to him. The pages flapped as it soared through the sky and landed in a crumpled heap. Jack picked up the novel and looked over its contents. "Hell yes!" I chuckled under my breath at his enthusiasm and decided to continue getting some shut eye.

~*~

This time when I was awoken from my deep sleep, it wasn't because of repetitive prodding but unbearably loud sobbing instead. "Jack?" I had to ask, my eyebrows knitted in a firm line across my forehead. Jack's hands were shaking and clutching the book. I put the book down and held onto his hands, rubbing circles into his palms. "Are you okay?" I offered, and he shook his head. I unplugged his belt and pulled him closer to me so his head was now on my chest. "Talk to me man."

"It's so sad." He wailed.

"What's sad? Come on jack, talk to me."

"The book!" That's when I stopped stroking him and holding him. I pushed him arm's length away from me, so that I could get a good look of his face.

"You're kidding me." He shook his head and sniffed loudly.

"Jesus Christ. You had me worried about you over a fucking book. A book?" I half yelled, voice growing louder with each sentence. People had began to stare and point at the two of us but I took no notice and nor did jack.

"But Rue died and Katniss sings for her. You would sing for me too wouldn't you Lexi? If I died, you'd sing for me right?" He had calmed down some what now, allowing conversations to flow between us easier.

"Yes I would jack." I face palmed.

"What song would you sing me?" He wondered, eyes wide.

"Any song that you wanted." I responded with. He was staring deep into my eyes now and I back into his. They were still slightly blood shot but they were full of something that I hadn't ever seen on the man before. I couldn't even place my finger on it, it was that unfamiliar. Almost like love, guilt, fear and jealousy combined. I didn't like it.

"Please lex. If I died, I want you to sing me the first thing that comes to your heart, the one song that reminds you of me in every way and the one song that reminds you of our friendship. I want it to be one you have written, something that came from you specifically." He pleaded, eyes still holding that same weird emotion. I nodded and reached for his hand, squeezing it in mine gently.

"I promise Jack Bassam Barakat, that I will sing the most beautiful song that I can come up with and I will play it for you on your death bed so you can hear it for the rest of eternity." He was crying gently now, but not because of the book. "Are you okay?" I asked once more. He nodded.

"Just the book."

That's when the lies started.