Justin paid for his order, smiling broadly at the woman behind the counter. There may be no sugar or eggs available to someone without a ration card, but there was still bread, cheese, and coffee. He leaned back against the wall, waiting for his order, his mind slipping back to the night before… *** They’d entered JC’s apartment, Justin once again following close behind the older man. JC quickly flipped on the light and turned to face Justin, a determined look upon his face. Justin halted whatever JC might have said with a raised hand. “Whatever you’re going to say is okay with me. We can take this as slow or as fast as you want.” He looked at JC with pleading eyes, hoping JC would give him another chance. JC merely smiled. “I was just going to ask if you’d like some wine,” he said, limping to stand next to Justin and lifting a hand to Justin’s face. “I’m glad you came back,” JC told him, his palm cupping Justin’s cheek. Justin turned his head and brushed a kiss into JC’s palm. “Me, too,” Justin agreed. “And I’d love some wine.” JC went to the small kitchenette and pulled a bottle from a cupboard. Handing it and an opener to Justin, he fished in another cupboard and withdrew two glasses, bringing them to the small table near the window. He flipped on the radio before sitting at the table just as Justin was pouring the wine. As they drank, they talked. And talked. And talked. “My folks died two years ago,” JC explained after Justin had asked about his family. “My sister is married, my brother is in the Navy. I came out here to work in the aircraft plant, but they wouldn’t hire me because of the brace.” He clicked the metal on the floor for effect. “And the brace is for?” JC’s eyes slid from Justin’s. He ran a finger around the rim of his wine glass and answered softly. “Polio,” he explained. “When I was ten. I recovered everything but the use of my left ankle and foot. So…I’m a bit at a loss for getting real work.” Justin didn’t know what to say. So he just held JC’s hand and poured more wine. Hours later, they’d moved to the couch, the lights off, the radio even softer. They sat close together, legs touching, arms entwined. “After I got my induction notice, I knew I had to join the Marines,” Justin explained after JC asked about his service. JC regarded him thoughtfully. “You couldn’t have left the orphanage too long ago,” he told Justin. Justin grinned. “Is that a polite way of asking how old I am?” he joked, tugging on JC’s ear playfully. JC’s own grin answered back. “I guess so,” he admitted. “I’m nineteen,” he said simply, then raised a brow at JC. “Oh!” JC exclaimed. “Sorry. Twenty-four.” Justin blinked. “Twenty-four? And still a…” JC blushed. “Not a lot of opportunity to, uh, experiment where I came from,” he explained, trying to rise from the couch. Justin stopped his flight, pulling JC back down and covering his mouth with his own. The sudden shock of the kiss paralyzed JC for a moment, then Justin felt JC melt into him, letting Justin deepen the kiss. Endless moments passed as they shared sighs and moans until finally, Justin raised his head, his eyes smiling at JC’s flushed face and kissed-red lips. “It doesn’t matter,” Justin told him. Close to dawn, they moved to the bed, lying under an afghan, legs entwined and moving restlessly against each other; hands roaming along bodies but staying in safe territory; lips exploring and moving against salty skin and tongues delving deep into mouths. Justin pulled away, his breathing shallow after a particularly long and hot kiss. “Wow,” he said, resting his head against JC’s chest. He felt hands in his hair and looked up, reading a question in JC’s bright blue eyes. “What is it?” JC took a deep breath. “Where did you…I mean, when did you…” Justin smiled as yet another blush stained JC’s cheeks. “When did I lose my virginity, you mean?” JC nodded. “When I was fifteen. At the orphanage.” He saw the shock in JC’s eyes. “Why so surprised?” “It’s not something you really expect to hear of happening at an orphanage, is it?” Justin laughed, but it wasn’t a happy laugh. "The place I was wasn’t exactly Boys Town, JC. There was no benevolent Father Flanagan at Oakville Home for Boys.” He flipped onto his back and propped his head on his hands. “It was hard and tough and mean. There was very little money and even less supervision. It was, in the end, a case of fuck or be fucked. For a while, I was the fucked, then I grew up.” “But surely, not everyone there was homosexual,” JC pondered. Justin shook his head. “No, very few were.” He leaned up on an elbow and looked at JC’s face. “It wasn’t really about sex, JC, it was about power. I’m sure when most left they all turned to girls for sex.” Justin wrinkled his nose. “Myself included.” “You slept with girls after you left?” Justin nodded. “Lots of them. But then I realized no matter how many girls I slept with, I really only want men.” He scooted closer to JC, letting the other man feel his erection. “And right now, I only want you.” *** Justin was pulled from his memories by a voice near him. “Here’s your order, son.” He picked up his bag, being careful of the hot coffee. After thanking the counter woman, he walked back out onto the sidewalk and headed back to JC’s building. He was so eager to get back to JC he took the stairs two at a time, practically leaping up and into JC’s apartment. Where he found JC sitting up in the bed, the afghan pooling at his waist. At seeing Justin, JC’s expression changed from one of fear to one of relief. Justin shut the door behind him and placed the bag of food on the table, moving over to stand next to JC in the bed. He looked down at JC with a smile. “You thought I’d left again, didn’t you.” JC tried to avoid Justin’s eyes, but the younger man was having none of that. He lifted JC’s chin so their eyes met. “Yes,” JC admitted. Justin leaned down and kissed JC lightly. “Not yet,” he vowed before deepening the kiss. JC wrapped his arms around Justin and pulled him down to the bed.