The Med-Student X The Teacher(Boyxboy)

Rough Night

Jace's POV 

Once Joey and I get home we both change into comfy clothes. We sit on the couch and curl up next to each other with a blanket cocooned around us. I pet Joey's hair as I think. I told Mrs. Strickland the whole situation with Matt. She was shocked to say the least. I wonder what Matt told her. She said she would handle the situation and make sure Matt is punished for his inexcusable actions. I fear that Matt might get expelled and I fear the part of me that'd feel relieved if he did. I glance down at Joey, who is dozing off. His head resting against my chest and eyelids fluttering shut before snapping open only to flutter shut again.

"Hey," I whisper. He glances up at me tiredly. "Are you feeling better now?" I ask. 

"Mhm." He answers, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "After the whole thing with Matt it snapped me out of it." Joey curls closer to me.

"Do you know what caused it?" I ask. Joey had looked really distressed in my second to last class. Biting his thumb, tears filling his eyes, and his body trembling. 

"I..." He hesitates. "Morgan saw me when I was scratching at... that. I was worried she knew about my addiction problem and my brain just started thinking stuff." He explains.

"What kind of stuff?" I ask gently. 

"J-Just... bad stuff. I-I don't want to repeat it." Joey whispers, a tremble in his voice. 

"Okay, I won't make you." I say, rubbing his back. "Just know that that stuff isn't true. I love you, Joseph." I say with a gentle kiss to his head.

"Thanks Jace. I love you too. I love Moms, but I don't think I could make it without you." Joey says.

"Yeah?" I ask. He nods into my chest. "Speaking of them, do you know when you'll head back home?" 

"Soon, but I don't want to go home and be yelled at quite yet." He says and my heart hurts. Max and Janet are great parents, but they aren't perfect. Especially Max. She's a hot-head perfectionist. With me we got along great, because I was a pretty easy child. Not rebellious and not there for long. Sure there was some trouble with getting over my self-harm. Max thought it was just as easy as saying you're going to stop. She learned after a few terrible days that it wasn't. Thankfully Janet is more, you could say, open-minded and laid back. Max will learn, but the learning process has been a bumpy road. 

(( Quick A/N: I'm not trying to make them seem like horrible parents, just human. Not every adoption is going to be as smooth as Luke and Jace's. With Joey their personalities clash more and they are having to adapt and adaption is going to always have bumpy moments and even with Jace and Luke who seem to have it perfect with their adoptive families if I were to of wrote about them and their families solely you'd of seen the not so perfect moments. Sorry for this interruption I just wanted to explain this real quick and not everyone reads the end note. Thank you (: ))

"How about I come with you when you do go back?" I ask.

"I'd like that a lot. Thanks, Jace." Joey says. I nod and we lapse back into a comfortable silence.

It isn't until later after Joey has fallen asleep on my lap that I hear the door open. I glance at the time and note that he's later than expected, but it's normal when working at a hospital. Especially since he's still on the ICU. I should probably start supper then.  I hear Luke start to walk past the living room.

"Hi." I call out and I hear him stop.

"H-Hey." He answers and I frown at the tremble in his voice.

"Are you okay?" I ask trying to see above the couch, but my position prevents me.

"...Yeah. I...I'm just gonna go lay down for a bit." He answers the tremble still in his voice.