hi love! you don’t have to but could you write a zalex fic during the camping trip where after everyone finds out about winston and alex zach checks on him and they have this super cute moment where they’re like just looking at the stats/moon? kinda like the clannah scene in s1
The Same Person That I Need is The One I'm Running From
The woods were still, they were quiet except for the occasional who-ing of owls, the rustles of the leaves, the movement of fabric as people moved in their sleep. Alex had been lying awake, he was freezing and heartbroken. Alex had his big yellow jacket on as well as being wrapped up like a burrito in his sleeping bag. He sighed, he felt so fucking betrayed and used and disgusting. He can’t believe he was played and lied to like that, he ran a hand down his face and That’s when he heard the crack of a stick right next to his tent. He saw the shadow of someone right next to his tent, his heartbeat quickened, what if it was a murderer. Alex decided he had faced scarier in his short 17-years of living and took a deep breath, waiting for the figure to go away, slowly the shadow moved towards the front of Alex and his father’s tent, then he heard a small “Alex,” He knew exactly who it was when he heard the voice, he rolled his eyes at the antics of the boy. He unzipped his sleeping bag quietly before crawling towards the front of the tent, unzipping the zippered up entrance. Seeing a familiar goofy and lopsided smile, Zach Dempsey, worlds resident sweetheart, Alex’s best friend.
“What do you want?” Alex said peeking his head through the entrance, he realized how close he was to Zach’s face, Alex flushed backing up from the entrance.
“Come out here with me,” He smiled. Alex nodded, wearily. He never needed much of reason to go with Zach, he would follow him into a void if he smiled at him like that. He zipped the tent back up before turning around and facing the boy who dragged him out of his deep and heavy thoughts. “Okay, I’m out here what do you want Dempsey?” Alex said folded his arms across his chest, his eyebrows raised.
“Can’t a man tell his best friend to wake up without wanting anything?” Alex rolled his eyes, looking at him expectedly. A small paused, Zach, said more carefully, “I heard what happened…”
Alex sighed walking away from Zach and the campsite, it was no one’s business. He was furious with the way news of the two of them had got around not only was he furious about that it had gotten around but that it had reached Zach, the one person he deliberately didn’t want to know. Zach had followed him wordlessly.
“I can’t believe that when the last time you said-” Zach inched closer to the boy in front of him with a frown painted on his lips.
“I know…” Alex whispered. He let out a loud exhale, “I really am okay, Zach,” He said turning away from Zach, he knew he’d see the lie in his face if he saw it.
“I can tell you’re not…” He said crossing his arms, “You think I can’t hear it in your voice?”
“Well, what about you huh?!” Alex’s voice crack, he felt like crying. He turned sharply in the direction of Zach.
“You obviously aren’t okay,” Alex ran looked down at his shoes, “Stop caring about other people and care about yourself for once, asshole!” He rolled his eyes, looking away from Zach.
“I want to show you something,” Alex squinted his eyes a little taken back by the boy’s words, wordlessly, he nodded, Zach took the lead, the walk was awkward and uncomfortable. It was filled with the boys breathing, and the sound of twigs snapping underneath their weight. They came to a cliff, that overlooked the lake, the stars were brighter than Alex had ever seen. The small waves crashed on the shore, Alex thought it was rather peaceful.
Zach wordless walked towards the edge which caused Alex’s heart rate to speed up, although Zach didn’t completely sit at the edge, he sat closer to where the two were standing. Zach patted the hard ground next to him as a signal for him to come and sit next to him, Alex hesitantly took the gesture sitting down next to him with a groan. Zach looked up at the sky, then back at Alex. “I care about you, man,” Zach said in a small voice, “I’m sorry he used you,” Alex shifted uncomfortably looking out at the lake.
Alex furrowed his brows together, “I just…” Alex had a lot of frustration bubbling inside him. He was so hurt that people continue to use him, first Jessica, then Winston when does he get a fucking break. He let out a loud exhale, “Why do people do this me?” He said sadness and confusion filled his voice as he tucked his knees into his chest, he started to shake as the tears he’s held in almost all day were released. Zach hesitantly put a hand on his smaller counterparts shoulder, making the boy jump as a reaction, Zach felt him ease up underneath his touch. He sniffed loudly, before looking up wiping his tears on the sleeve of the yellow jacket. He laughed although, it was bitter and cold, completely void of humor. “Why am I not good enough for anyone, Zach?” He had his head on his arms that were on top of his knees, he moved it to look at Zach. His face was red, not in anger or embarrassment may be from the cold or the crying Zach couldn’t tell but all he wanted to do at that moment was make sure he was safe.
Zach sighed, looking up at the stars twinkling back at him, “They fucked up,” He shook his head, “You don’t deserve that… No one deserves this, especially not you,”
“It happens so many fucking times why wouldn’t I deserve this I fucking killed a man!”
Zach was stunned into silence all he could do was look at the stars. “Do you believe in fate?”
“That’s for dumbasses of course not,”
“Gee thanks,” Zach chuckled bumping their shoulders together. Alex just rolled his eyes and continued to look at the water crashing up against the shoreline. “I do…”
“Hence it being for dumbasses,”
“Fuck off, Standall,” Zach’s goofy grin. Alex thinks it may be his favorite smile he’s ever seen but he doesn’t dwell on the thought for very long, he already knows loud and fucking clear how Zach feels.
“Why’d you ask if I believed in fate?” Zach was silent again, he was silent for almost two minutes before he took a good look at Alex, then back at the stars.
“Do you think if we wouldn’t have killed him someone else would have? I think about it sometimes like maybe… If he didn’t die at the hands of us it was fate for him to die that night?”
Alex pondered the question, he didn’t like thinking about Bryce. It made him physically ill- he had blood on his hands that no matter how hard he scrubbed, no matter how many times he’s washed his hands- they are stained with the blood of Bryce Walker. “Isn’t that taking the easy way out?”
“I guess so,” Zach stretched back putting his hands behind him as he watches the stars, he loved how beautiful and collected they were, he was envious of flaming balls of gas. “But still… You know, we aren’t the only ones who wanted to kill him I mean there was like a hundred suspects before they narrowed it down to us.”
Alex mulled that thought over, “I mean I guess you aren’t wrong, he was a piece of shit.” Zach nodded. A thick blanket of silence and tension fell over them. “How’d you know?”
“About you and Winston?” Alex nodded slowly, “Ani and Clay told us about Winston Jessica told me that you guys were you know…”
“Making out?” Alex deadpanned, “Truth be told,” Alex said getting into the same position as Zach, “I never hooked up with him,”
“Why?” Zach blurted out before he could keep his big dumb mouth shut, “I-I mean…”
“I don’t want to have sex with people who I’m unsure of…”
“When did you become such a sap,”
Alex just rolled his eyes looked away from him, “Shut up, it doesn’t even matter he didn’t even like me anyway,” Alex said rather bitterly yet he was still playful. He felt a pinky brush his own he knew it was Zach’s- neither of them made an effort to move their hands so they kept their pinkies overlap.
“He’s a fool,” Zach shrugged, now at this point, Zach’s hand was on top of Alex’s smaller one neither cared to move it. Reason three billion and four why Alex thought Zach liked him- the two of them could be hanging out and Zach and he would basically be holding the hands of each other and not say a single word and leave their hands there. “You are an amazing person, Alex,”
Alex just nodded, the two savored the silence as they looked at the sky. The night sky wasn’t completely clear it had small clouds moving passed the stars, quickly. Alex loved to watch the sky so intently he’d be able to see the world spin. Alex laid his head on Zach’s shoulder, “I’m obviously fucking not Zach… I have a hole in my head, I have this dumbass limp, I mean look at me I’m so fucking ugly it’s no wonder why people leave…” He was just ranting out loud, but what he had said had hurt Zach’s own feelings.
His brows scrunched together, “I don-”
“Zach, you opinion doesn’t matter you’re my best friend you’re supposed to say these things.”
“No, I’m not I could agree with you but they aren’t true, I mean sure yeah you shot yourself so? You’re still just as beautiful as before if not more so, there is beauty in pain you know,”
` Alex sighed. He had no idea why Zach insisted on saying these things about him. He felt hurt in a way that he is allowed to say these things and also not reciprocate the feelings Alex has. He couldn’t wrap his head around why Zach did things like this. “We should head back,”
Zach shook his head, “No one is calling us, let’s just enjoy the stars.”
“Are you some sort of astrologist?”
“No, but sometimes- like right now, it’s peaceful… Like it’s just eh two of us,”
“Would you like that?” Zach looked away, Alex, didn’t take back his words nor his hand.
Yet, another thing to add on Alex’s running tally of reasons why he loves Zach, “Me too,”
Zach nodded as he hesitantly intertwined the two’s fingers neither one of them pulled away, they just stared at the stars in comfortable silence, just the two of them.
