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

Day 9: Healing Hurts

I stirred awake, feeling the comforting weight of Jack's arm around me. We had fallen asleep nestled together on the bed, the events from the previous night still echoing in my mind. It felt so surreal, yet so right.

As I turned to face him, Jack's eyes met mine and a soft smile curved on his lips. His morning stubble and tousled hair only added to the charm. In that moment, it felt like we had a connection deeper than ever before.

"Good morning," he whispered, his voice carrying a tenderness that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Morning," I replied, my fingers tracing gentle patterns on his chest.

"Sleep well?"

I nodded as I stretched, touching the headboard with my fingers. "Better than I have in a while. What about you?"

"It's nice waking up next to you. Especially knowing what's under these covers..." He pressed a kiss to my bare shoulder, his hand slipping over my body and resting at my hip.

I giggled, hiding my face in the pillow. I felt like a teenager discovering love for the first time. After three and a half years and a lot of ups and downs, Jack could still make this exhilaration run through me.

He nuzzled closer, his warm breath tickling my neck and lips grazing my ear. "You know, I could get used to waking up like this every day."

We laid there for a moment, simply taking in the quiet intimacy of the morning. The sunlight filtered through the curtain on the window, casting a muted glow over our tangled sheets. Our closeness seemed to have deepened overnight.

Jack's fingers traced a lazy path up and down my arm. "Let's promise each other something."

"What?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Let's promise that we won't lose this again."

I shifted to look at him directly, captivated by the sincerity in his eyes. "I like that promise. How do we make sure of it, though?

"We do what we've been talking about." He propped himself up on his elbow. "Communication, no holding back. If something's bothering us, we talk about it. Even the little things. The more we understand each other, the stronger we become."

"I promise," I whispered, my heart fluttering at the weight of our commitment.

He kissed the top of my head, his lips lingering for a moment.

Once he got back on his back, I shuffled closer and cuddled up beside him. I put my head on his chest, right where his tattoo was, and listened to his heart beating. It was a calming rhythm that reminded me that we were alive and present. Jack's fingers resumed their gentle exploration, drawing comforting circles on my back.

"Jacie," he began, breaking the comfortable silence, "what do you envision for us? I mean, like, really envision."

"How long-term are we talking?" I asked back, tracing his ribs.

Jack chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. "As long-term as it gets. I want to know what you see for us in the future."

I rolled my head so I could meet his gaze. "Well... I envision a life where we continue to grow together. We keep supporting each other and make our dreams come true. And, of course, we keep finding joy in the simple moments."

"That sounds wonderful. Anything specific you're hoping for?"

I hesitated for a moment, considering how to articulate my thoughts. I was afraid to break the moment. We'd been working so hard for nine days now, I didn't want to say the wrong thing and undo all the progress we had made. I loved where we were at now, but I also knew I had to consider how we both viewed the future.

"I..." I sighed softly and continued to hold his gaze. "I'd still love for us to start a family."

Jack's eyes softened, a warmth spreading across his face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I nodded, watching my fingers trailing around the contours of the tattoo. "Not immediately. We need to be emotionally ready and heal from what we've been through first. If there's anybody who knows having kids doesn't fix things, it's me."

He gently cupped my face, his thumb brushing over my cheek. "I agree. We need time. But it's something we can look forward to, right? A future with a family?"

I smiled, feeling a wide range of emotions. "Absolutely. I want nothing more than that. But we need to do it for the right reasons, not to fill a void or fix something that's broken."

"It's about building something beautiful together, not escaping from something else."

"And in the meantime," I grinned, a hint of mischief behind my eyes, "there's some much fun we can have, just the two of us. A lifetime of adventures."

"A lifetime of adventures, huh?" he smirked with joy. "I'm in for that."

"Starting off with that honeymoon we've never had."

"Oh, is that so?" He raised his eyebrows with a certain amusement. "Where to?"

"How about a beach, crystal-clear waters, golden sands stretching for miles," I dipped down and slowly placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth, teasing him, "just the two of us..."

"When do we leave?" he whispered lowly.

"Whenever we want."

I laid my head back down on his chest. The weight of our struggles seemed to lift further, making room for the possibilities of our future. Things were uncertain, but we were going to face it all together. There was just one nagging thought left in the back of my mind.

"I also want us to be okay if it doesn't happen," I softly spoke up again. "Having kids, that is. Our happiness shouldn't depend solely on that. I want us to have a full life together, with or without kids."

He squeezed me gently, a reassuring gesture. "I'm with you on that. Whatever the future holds, I want it to be ours. Kids or no kids, as long as we're together."

A sense of warmth and contentment enveloped us as we lay there, contemplating the future. Jack's fingers continued their soothing motions on my back, making me feel more at peace than I had in a while. The morning sun had fully risen, casting a golden glow over the room, and the air seemed to carry the promise of a new beginning.

"Should we just stay in bed all day?" Jack sighed contently, kissing the top of my head.

"No," I chuckled, pushing myself to sit up, "it's our last day here, we can't do that."

He groaned loudly and wrapped his arms around my waist, trying to pull me back into bed.