Taylex fanfiction Poprocks & Coke
Chapter 10: "Sing Me To Sleep"
"Alex? Hi? Are you there?" Tay always tried to find a new greeting each time she called Alex, but always seemed to lack imagination at two in the morning.
"Yes, Tay, I'm here, as always. Are you okay?" Alex, though, always seemed to sound musically and reassuringly perfect. It always made her feel marginally better. Not much, though.
"I think you already know the answer to that." Tay teased joylessly, expecting one of his wittily sarcastic, but not unfriendly replies. He pretended to think for a moment, humming tunelessly.
"Is the answer 'no'?" Alex said, with a clear note of understanding in his voice. "Is the answer that you need a hug that I, sadly, aren't there to provide?"
"Yes." Tay replied as a flicker of something closely related to a smile crossed her lips. "That was the exact answer I had in mind."
"Then you were right. I guess I do know the answer." He was already at work, making her feel better.
"So… can you help me out? Please?" Tay pleaded, sounding and feeling more than a little desperate. In reply, Alex took great effort to crack his knuckles so she could hear.
"Yes, of course. Okay, here we go… what's black and white an-"
"Goes round and round?" Alex had told this joke about fifteen million times (and it wasn't that funny the first time), so Tay's reaction was immediate. " A penguin rolling down a hill."
"Ooh, wow, you're getting good at this. Alright… what's black and white and lau-"
"Laughing?" This was the follow-up joke that Tay had heard too many times, though often hours later. "The nun that pushed it. Seriously, c'mon, Alex."
"Am I that-"
"Predictable?" She finished for him, again. "Yes, you are."
"It's not working, is it?" Alex asked, possibly for the first time doubting his brilliant jokes.
"No, not really." Tay shook her head, although it was a phone call, and she knew he couldn't see her. "But thanks for trying, anyway."
"What?! Trying?!" Alex exclaimed loudly, probably waking his entire house up. "I'm meant to be trying?! You think that was trying? You ain't seen nothin' yet. Do you want me to try?"
"Sure," Tay almost laughed, figuring that more bad jokes could only be a plus.
"Do you want me to sing to you?" Alex asked softly, sweetly, seriously. "I could sing you Lullabies. I'll sing you to sleep."
"Okay." Tay answered pointlessly, as he started singing anyway.
"Make it a sweet, sweet goodbye; it could be for the last time and it's not right." His voice was low and soft, and he hit every note perfectly. " 'Don't let yourself get in over your head' he said. Alone and far from home, I'll find you." Tay felt her consciousness slipping already. "Dead – like a candle you burnt out, spilling wax over the spaces left in place of angry words. Scream – to be heard, like you needed any more attention. Throw the bottle break the door and disappear." Before he even got to the chorus, she was asleep, but he continued anyway. "Sing me to sleep, I'll see you in my dreams. Waiting to say 'I miss you, I'm so sorry'…"