Forced Eternity (Jalex)

Tangled In You

Jack's POV

I was in a closet, screaming at Alex to let me out. I was so confused about everything. And he wasn't telling me anything. I don't know why I tried to leave out of the window. The heat outside instantly scorching my skin. But I'd face that to get home. Sadly, Alex pulled me back inside, and my escape looked hopeless. I hung my head low in the closet.

There didn't seem to be anything in there to entertain myself with. Alex probably did that on purpose. He was a pretty gentle and kind person to be an employee for Hades. I had stopped screaming a few minutes prior and was just sitting on the closet floor. My knees hugged to my chest. It was a small space, nowhere to really go.

"Alex? C'mon, let me out. I'm sorry. Please?" I asked out to no response. No footsteps coming to let me out. Nothing. Just silence. I could hear the tortured scream of someone outside the houses walls every so often. Part me was glad I wasn't out there. Even if I would have escaped, what would have happened to me? I'm still alive, in a sense. The temperature outside probably would have killed me. Or one of Hades other lackeys would have killed me. Which just made me think of when Alex asked me if I had really wanted to die, and he told me that he knew I didn't want to. And he was right. I've thought about death a lot, and I never really wanted to die, I may have thought I did, but I didn't.

My stomach was starting to rumble a little. I could go for a burrito. Alex had mentioned that he made sure I'd love it there. But I couldn't see myself loving staying there. It was this small place, a little bigger than an apartment, but still a lot smaller than a house. And there only seemed to be one bedroom, and I wasn't, under any circumstances, sleeping in the same bed as Alex. He creeped me out a lot. He admitted to having watched me. He looked at me as if I had put every single star in the sky. He'd touch me as if a rough touch could break me. He talked to me like I was like an equal, and would easily be crushed if I so much as said a harsh word to him. He scared me, because he was so sensitive to my words, and I knew he could hurt me if he wanted to.

I wanted try calling out to him again, but I figured he was probably ignoring me since I'd been so rude to him before. I wouldn't blame him if he was ignoring me. I was a dick. I leaned against the wall in the small space and closed my eyes.

___

The door creaking open made me open my eyes quickly. Alex was looking at me, he was being cautious, he didn't try touching me, and he looked away from me when our eyes had met.

"I'm sorry for locking you in here. And I'm sorry I left you there. It's very complicated. You see, I'm not good at these sort of things. I don't understand how to communicate to you. I don't hesitate, when I should and I don't think about my actions before I do them." He plopped down on the floor right outside the closet in front of me. "Perhaps I should try this again?" I shrugged.

"I was a dick. You didn't really do anything wrong. Except, maybe the touching. I mean, I don't mind being touched, it's just that I don't know you." I said, leaning off of the wall inside the closet and scooting closer to the outside of the closet.

"Okay, I understand, I'll stop with the touching."

"And could you not watch me sleep?"

"Alright." He was actually agreeing with me on things. I was curious as to how far I could push him though. "Will you play me that song now?" He asked me, his eyes lighting up like a child's on Christmas. I nodded.

"Could you get me the guitar and a pick?" I asked him innocently. He stopped and looked at me.

"Are you going to run? Cause I really like having you here, Jack." He asked me, and then I realized that I'd hurt his feelings when I had tried to leave. Maybe Alex was just really lonely and I seemed like I was lonely to him. I wasn't lonely though, I just preferred to be alone all the time.

"No, I'll be right here when you get back." I told him. He beamed and stood and went to get the guitar. I scooted out of the closet and went to sit in the living room. Yeah, I still wanted to leave, but I'd have to be smarter about it. Alex came into the living room, the nervous look on his face disappearing when he saw that I hadn't tried to leave.

"You didn't leave." He whispered, his smile not faltering. He handed me the guitar and a yellow pick. "Thank you." I didn't say anything and just started playing Dysentery Gary. I sang along softly, because I don't like singing that much. Alex hummed along quietly. Maybe later I could convince him to take me home, or to tell me the truth.

_____

I was staring at the bed, in my pajamas. My first night in the Underworld. I crawled under the covers, pulling them up to my neck. There was a small candle lit next to my bed, illuminating the world a little. Alex came over to me.

"Goodnight, love. Sleep tight." He said to me, he blew me a kissed and went to leave. A loud and gut-wrenching scream was heard out the window, which Alex had fixed. I sat up, fear resonating in my gut.

"You're not going to stay in here?" I asked him. He looked back at me, confusion etched into his features.

"You asked me to not watch you sleep, and to not touch you." He reminded me.

"But, don't you sleep as well?" I asked him, not quite understanding how someone could not sleep.

"No, I never have." He replied with a shrug. Again, there was another scream outside the house. "Goodnight, Jack."

"Please, don't leave me." I blurted before I could think about my words. I reached out for him, but he visibly hesitated.

"Are you sure?" He asked me, I nodded. He took my hand and kissed my knuckles lightly. It made me feel weird, the tenderness he always showed to me. He crawled into bed with me, but kept his distance.

"Thank you." I mumbled out, partially hating how weak and pathetic I could be.

"Those screams are of the disobedient, they're too far away to ever hurt you, and even if they were closer, I'd never let them hurt you, Jack." He squeezed my hand comfortingly. "You can go to sleep, I'll be right here." I nodded, though he couldn't see me and tried going to sleep, the painful screams waking me every so often.

I awoke the next morning in Alex's arms.