Breaking J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Day 8: Stay

The fireplace crackled and Jack and I were huddled up underneath a blanket together. We'd started simply sitting next to each other, but as time passed, I started leaning into him. It was just a quiet evening, a day that finally didn't seem abnormal preceding it. But in that moment, a sudden dread rushed over me.

I wrapped my arms around Jack's waist and pulled myself further into him, reaching out for safety. He noticed the gesture, and draped his arm over my shoulders to give me more access.

"Everything alright?" he asked softly.

I buried my face into his chest. "I don't know, I'm figuring it out."

Jack tightened his hold around me, providing a sense of comfort that I desperately needed. We sat there in silence for a while, the flickering flames casting a warm glow over the room. The dread was still ever present.

"Jace, your heart's racing," Jack pointed out.

"I know," I took a deep breath, trying to steady my heartbeat, but the unease persisted. "I don't know why."

"How can I help?"

His concern was evident in his voice, and I appreciated the sincerity in his question. I lifted my head from his chest and met his gaze, searching for answers in the warmth of his eyes.

"I think I just need some distraction," I admitted, offering a small smile.

He nodded, understanding the unspoken plea for a momentary escape from my own thoughts. "Alright, distraction it is. How about a game? Or a silly story? Something to take our minds off things."

"A silly story sounds perfect."

"Alright," Jack's gaze fixed upon the fire as he tried to come up with something on the spot, "once upon a time, in a parallel universe, there was a world entirely made of chocolate."

Immediately, a smile started forming on my face. "Chocolate?

"Yes, chocolate," he confirmed, tracing patterns on my back. "Now, in this world, there were candy cane trees and caramel rivers. And the inhabitants were little marshmallow creatures with gummy bear hats."

"None of those things are chocolate."

"Shh," he shushed me with a chuckle before turning completely serious. "These marshmallow creatures had a grand festival every year where they would build gingerbread houses and decorate them with rainbow sprinkles."

It still wasn't chocolate, but I could already feel the tension in my chest slowly dissipating. So, I joined in instead. "Sounds like a sweet celebration."

"Exactly! And they had a dance called the Jelly Jig. It was the highlight of the festival, and everyone would join in, even the wise old liquorice wizard."

"The Jelly Jig? What's that like?"

Jack grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, the Jelly Jig is a dance that involves bouncing on marshmallow trampolines and twirling around with liquorice ropes. The goal is to create an explosion of sprinkles while doing a flip in mid-air."

"Hang on, let me get this right," I put my fingertip against his chest, moving it up and down in slow motions. "They bounce on trampolines–"

"Marshmallow trampolines."

I nodded and drew a spiral. "They twirl around with ropes."

"Yes, made of liquorice," he confirmed.

Next, I traced a large loop. "And they do a flip."

"To create an explosion of sprinkles."

"Okay, okay," I bit back the big smile forming on my face, "I think I get it."