Jalex Standalones [boyxboy]

Mother Knows Best

Title: Mother Knows Best

Author: alexgokart
[ http://alexgokart.livejournal.com]

Pairing: Jack/Alex

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: None

P.O.V: 3rd; Joyce and Isobel

Summary: “Do you ever…wonder, about them?"

_______________♥_♥_♥________________

Joyce Barakat set down the kettle in her hand beside two now steaming mugs, teabags bobbing gently within the porcelain. With a soft smile, she carefully slid one mug across the kitchen bench towards the woman who sat on the other side, along with a carton of milk. After twenty years of knowing the woman, you would have thought Joyce would know exactly what strength to make it, but Isobel Gaskarth had always been picky with her tea, so instead she left it for her to finish on her own.

“And how is Peter doing?” Joyce questioned, discarding her teabag and stirring in milk and sugar.

Isobel gave a small nod to her old friend, taking a sip from her mug before wrapping her hands around it.

“He’s doing better. He’s back at work, but his leg is still giving him a bit of grief.”

Joyce gave a sympathetic smile and opened her mouth to continue with the small talk, but both women were sidetracked by a large splash and muffled laughter erupting. They turned to gaze out the glass sliding door that led onto the back patio, which overlooked the large swimming pool taking up most of the Barakat’s backyard. Outside in the hot afternoon sun were two teenage boys, one of which was floating in the water, dark brown hair matted to the side of his face, and the other perched on the side of the pool, blond strands dripping down his bare chest.

Joyce smiled softly as she watched her son splash water up at the other, Alex Gaskarth’s mouth moving to form words too quiet to pass through the glass of the door, but surely saying something that would get him scolded if Isobel had heard.

“Looks like they’re having fun.” Joyce mused, as Alex jumped into the water and dunked Jack underneath.

Isobel replied with a distant hum, thoughtful expression crossing her face as she watched the two sixteen year olds play wrestle, and a silence fell over the room.

“Joyce?” she finally spoke, eyes drifting from outside to the slightly younger woman, voice tweaked with a little concern “Do you ever…wonder, about them?”

“What do you mean?” The blonde asked as she pulled up one of the white bench stools and sat down, still keeping an eye on the two outside.

“They just seem so…close. I haven’t seen two friends as close as them before.” Isobel gave her a look she knew so well, and Joyce just chuckled.

“They’ve been friends since they were born, Bel, not many friends have that connection.”

“But I could have sworn…the way Alex talks about Jack…” she trailed off, eyes lingering on her son as he climbed onto Jack’s back, trying to push his head beneath the water.

“You think there’s something between them?”

Isobel just gave a soft sigh, unable to fight back the small smile at the sheer happiness on her son’s face.

***

It was later that night – the hot sun long since set from the sky and the storm clouds had rolled in, strong winds blowing in a cool change – that the two women sat lounged on the leather couches in the family room. The four of them had finished the dinner Joyce had prepared, and now the two mothers were spending the last few hours watching television before the Gaskarth’s were to head home.

Or at least, they were attempting to watch television, considering the booming vibrations and screeching of guitars coming from upstairs was making it near impossible. It was obvious that the two boys weren’t actually practising anything – the random string of chords and constant laughter proved they were simply messing around.

It wasn’t as if Joyce and Isobel weren’t used to the noise – in fact, they made no move to complain about it, since they were gossiping more than trying to focus on the drama-series anyway.

It was when everything went silent, did their attention spike.

“They’ve gone quiet.” Isobel stated in a hushed voice, as if by speaking louder, it would start the noise up again.

“What do you think they’re doing?” Joyce muttered, a spark glinting in her eye as she glanced towards the staircase that led upstairs to Jack’s bedroom.

“C’mon,” Isobel whispered, mischievous smile spreading across her lips, almost identical to her son’s “let’s go check it out.”

As quietly as possible for two women over the age of fifty, they climbed the short set of carpeted stairs, creeping into the hallway, Jack’s bedroom the first turn on the left, poster-plastered door swung wide open. Even from here, they couldn’t hear a single peep coming from either boy.

Joyce shot Isobel a glance before motioning for her to follow, slippered feet scuffing the carpet softly as they turned to peek inside the door.

Inside, both boys were on the floor, Jack leant against his guitar amp with Alex in his lap, lips pressing together fiercely. It wasn’t a sight either mother had ever wanted to see their son in – considering Alex had his hands slid up the front of Jack’s shirt, and the younger’s hands were dangerously close to the blond’s crotch, and they were both pulling back from the doorway almost simultaneously, eyes wide.

Joyce’s hand came up to cover her mouth, pressing to help keep back the giggles as her eyes shone with surprise and humour.

“I told you!” Isobel whispered harshly, arms flailing, and though against what was expected, a large smile was forming on her face.

From inside the room, now out of sight, they could hear the two boy’s separate, breathing ragged.

“Did you hear something?” Jack mumbled, peering out into the darkness of the hallway in search of somebody, but they were too far out of sight.

“C’mon, quick.” Joyce mouthed, tugging on Isobel’s arm and stepping back towards the stairs, before they were caught eavesdropping.

With another muffled giggle, they were slipping silently back down into the living room.

***

On the ride home, rain was pelting down on the windscreen of Isobel’s car, and despite the slippery road, her gaze was mainly glued to her son, knowing smirk lingering in place.

Alex hadn’t seemed to have noticed, merely staring out the passenger seat window with a glazed look and a distant smile, fingers playing absentmindedly with the hem of his shirt.

With a playful grin, Isobel reached over and tugged at the loose collar of his shirt, pulling it down to expose some of the slightly sunburnt skin that was stretched across his collarbones. Alex snapped back to reality, eyebrow cocking and quickly snatching his shirt out of his mothers grasp.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked, not sounding annoyed, mostly confused.

“Oh, I was just checking. I thought maybe Jack was a biter.”

Alex’s eyes blew wide, hand automatically darting up to press against the hickey on the opposite side of his neck, concealed by his seat belt.

“What – how did you…I mean, what?”

Isobel just smirked and re-gripped the steering wheel, eyes darting from his stunned and confused son, back to the road.

“I meant when you two were playing in the pool. Why? Was there something else I should know?”
_______________♥_♥_♥________________