Poison (Jalex)

Smoke and Mirrors

Trigger warning: brief mention of blood

Alex is more than grateful that Hayley showed up right as he got there. Then less grateful when he realizes they need to find Avril again.

"What do you mean you don't know where she is?" Hayley and Rian sound frustrated.
"She was the distraction so I could meet you guys here. She took off on her skateboard."
"When the hell did she get a skateboard?"
Hayley raises an eyebrow and Rian's exasperated expression. "You're from wonderland. You have a bottomless backpack just like the rest of us."
Rian shakes his head, then leads the group down a series of hallways.

Alex takes the lead as soon as he realizes Rian has no idea where he's going. And thank god Avril was smart enough to meet back at the entrance to the catacombs.

"What to you guys so long?" She huffs.

They ignore her question.

Rian goes on to describe his plan. Avril uses magic makeup remover to restore Alex to his regular appearance (save for his now pink hair), then takes off with Rian down a different tunnel.
Hayley and Alex make their way through the catacombs before finally arriving in front of a set of large double doors.

Alex suddenly feels an anxious pit in his stomach. He wasn't sure he was going to make it this far. Now he has.

"What if- what if he's not there? What if he doesn't even want to see me when he makes up?"
Hayley rolls here eyes, and instead of convincing Alex, she just pushes the doors open and pulls him inside.

There's a long spiral staircase, lit up only by a few torches all the way up the tower.

"I have to do this part alone," Alex says uncertainly. "I need someone to keep watch down here."
"What I'd you're ambushed?"
"Hayley, please."

They look at each other for a long time, as if challenging the other person to back down, but Hayley finally gives in.

"You will wake him," she states. "I know you will."
Alex nods, but he still isn't so sure. It wasn't supposed to be this difficult, this terrifying. It was supposed to be easy.

*****

Alex.

The name is scratched into the walls. Jack is still scratching the name into the wall, just wondering what it means. Who is Alex? Why are they important?

He isn't sure, but he find himself scratching the name into the brick with a broken mirror shard, ignoring the blood flowing from his cut hand.

Why is Jack writing the name of someone he doesn't know into a wall. Why is he allowing his hand to bleed for a stranger? Where even is Jack?

He's lost. He feels completely and utterly lost as his mind reaches for things he just can't seem to remember.

Wait.
There.

For a split second Jack can imagine a blurred figure. He can't picture their face, just the way they carry themself, their height, their body structure. A smirk.

Jack chases the memory as though running after an airplane that's already taken off.
There's a fountain and someone laughs. It isn't Jack, it's the figure. A guy.

The figure becomes a bit clearer, but he still looks like a half shaken etch-a-sketch drawing.

The say something, leaning in close.

"We can take things slow if you want," says the figure. His voice sounds garbled and echoey, like it's not all there.
"How slow?" It's Jack's voice. He remembers this. The school. The garden.

The figure leans in closer, Jack can almost smell him, even if it is all just a memory.

Though everything is still a bit blurry, Jack see the man's eyes are half lidded. He's staring at Jack's lips.

Jack thinks the man's going to kiss him.
Their noses are almost touching.

"Is this too fast?"

Jack feels the man's hot breath against his skin, as if he's really there. It's so familiar. It feels so real.

And yet...

"I-I dunno. I mean-" Jack looks at the man in front of him nervously. He should've closed the distance in that moment. Why didn't he? "I- uh."

The man looks up at Jack, and Jack sees that no, it's not a man. It's a boy. A teenage boy, maybe a little older than Jack. The boys deep brown eyes stare up at Jack intently, waiting for an answer. He doesn't back away.

Alex.

That's why Jack is scratching the name into the wall. This is Alex. His lover. His soulmate. His fiancé.

So where is Alex now?

Jack tries to call out for him, but his voice is lost before he can even open his mouth.

Alex isn't here.
He never was.

He never will be.