Justin watched as a look of skepticism came over the girl’s face. “You’re who?” she asked again. “Justin,” he repeated. “JC said he’d set up a pass for me.” He watched as she shook her head, then reached inside a drawer. “Here,” she said, handing him a plastic badge. “Attach it to your shirt.” She pointed behind her at a set of double doors. “Through there, last row, sixth work station down.” “Thank you,” Justin said, pinning the badge to the pocket of the white shirt he was wearing, and passing through the doors. This was a mistake, he thought, as he passed various work areas in the news room. He felt quite a few eyes follow his progress, making him incredibly conscious of how he was dressed and wondered if he’d gotten everything right. Finally, he came to the last row of workstations and took a left turn, counting off the desks until he came to the sixth one. Empty. “Shit,” he cursed under his breath. “Looking for JC?” a voice asked. Justin turned to see a young woman standing next to him. She was with a few other people who watched his progress to JC’s desk. They looked polite but questioning. “Yes,” Justin said, not explaining anymore, since it wasn’t any of their business why he was there. “Hmm,” the woman said, looking Justin up and down. “You may want to find another time to talk to JC,” she advised. “His boyfriend is coming in today, and he’s not someone you’d like to tangle with.” She pointed in the direction of JC’s desk. Justin’s gaze moved to the desk, his eyes widening at the sight of the various photographs displayed there. There was one of JC and Tyler, but the rest—and there had to be at least four—were of Justin. Or of JC and Justin together. On JC’s desk. For everyone to see. Pictures of Justin. Punked-out Justin. He recalled when the pictures where were taken. They’d gone to some free concert in the park, and JC had brought a camera. Justin had never felt comfortable getting his picture taken, but JC had talked him into it a few times, even asking another concert-goer to take their picture together. They looked happy, both faces smiling into the camera. Justin had forgotten all about the photographs until now. He looked back at the woman and her companions, but didn’t get a chance to speak as JC’s voice sounded behind him. “Justin?” Justin watched the expressions change on the faces of JC’s coworkers as they finally recognized Justin as the same one in the photos. “Hey,” Justin said, the look in JC’s eyes scaring him a bit. JC looked pissed. “You asked me to meet you, remember?” “Of course I do,” JC said shortly. “Did you need something, Beth?” he asked the woman who’d been questioning Justin. “This is your Justin?” Beth queried. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” she told Justin, holding out her hand to him. “We’ve heard so much about you, and, well, JC’s very special to us, and we’re rather protective of him, so, hope there’s no hard feelings?” She and the others melted away before Justin could respond. “That was weird,” Justin said, turning back to JC, unprepared for the anger in his eyes. “What’s the matter?” JC shook his head, grabbing Justin’s hand and dragging him back through the office. He turned before they reached the double doors leading out, and entered into a supply closet. JC flipped on the light before slamming the door shut behind them. Justin, who hadn’t appreciated being dragged through the office like a child at all, rounded on JC and slammed the older man against the door. “What the fuck is your problem?” he demanded. Anger managed to make JC stronger than Justin. “What the fuck is yours?” he countered, pushing Justin back until he reached a tower of boxes. “How dare you come here like this!” Justin pushed back. “You asked me to come here!” He shoved JC again. “You insisted I come here, and now you're treating me like shit!" “I know I asked you to come down here,” JC said, shoving Justin against the boxes again. “But I expected my Justin to show up, not this…this…” He waved at Justin’s clothes. “Whoever you are,” he finished. Justin’s eyes widened with shock. “You expected me to come here dressed…” he paused, unable to find the words. “Dressed like you ,” JC finished for him. “Not like some preppy ghost of my Justin, wearing…for God’s sake…are those…loafers?” Justin looked down at the white oxford shirt, khaki pants, and yes, loafers he was wearing. He’d spent the morning at the Goodwill, trying to find respectable clothes to wear so he wouldn’t embarrass JC at work, and somehow, it all came out wrong. “I didn’t want you to be, you know, ashamed of me,” Justin explained. “I know how much this job means to you, and I didn’t want to do anything that could, you know, make it hard for you to work here.” “And you thought I’d be ashamed of you?” Justin nodded. JC’s heart swelled with love for this boy. He thanked God everyday for somehow bringing them together; knowing this was right, knowing their love was special. He pulled Justin to him, enveloping him in a hug. “Nothing you could do would embarrass me or make me ashamed of you,” JC said, kissing him softly. “Except trying to be something you’re not, someone you’re not.” He lifted Justin’s head, locking their gazes. “I love you, Justin. Whatever, however you want to be.” JC’s thumbed traced a soft line on Justin’s face, missing the liner that usually circles the bright blue eyes. “If this is really how you want to be, fine,” JC said. “But only if you want it.” JC leaned down to kiss Justin again, only to be stopped by the boy’s words. “They itch,” he whispered. “What does?” “The pants,” Justin admitted. “They itch. And the shoes hurt. And the shirt is stupid.” He looked at JC. “And I’m sorry.” “No, I understand,” JC said. “You were trying to protect me, right?” Justin nodded. “Thinking that maybe having a punked-out boyfriend would hurt me here, right?” “Right.” JC nodded. “And in some places, it would,” he agreed. “But not here. They’re very accepting of everyone here, no matter who or what they are.” He lifted a hand and tugged Justin’s ear. “As long as I do good work—and I like to think that I do—they don’t care about my personal life.” Justin cocked his head. “You have pictures of me, of us, out on your desk.” “Yep.” “No one has ever put out pictures of me before.” “Never?” “Never.” “See how unashamed I am of you?” “You should have told me.” “You should have trusted me.” “It’s hard for me, you know that.” “Yes, I do.” “You should take a long lunch now.” JC blinked at the turn of conversation. “And why is that?” “Because we need to get out of here and find someplace to be alone, or I’m gonna fuck you right here on the toner boxes.” He emphasized his words by pulling JC’s hand down to the front of his khaki’s. JC grabbed Justin’s hard cock with a strong grasp. “Is this where it itches?” he teased, running his hand up and down the engorged flesh. “Oh, you’re playing with fire, Jace,” Justin groaned as he thrust into JC’s hand. JC leaned in, catching Justin’s earlobe for a quick, hard nip before whispering in his ear. “I thought I was playing with you.” He slipped to his knees, quickly unbuttoning the khaki’s, pulling them and the briefs— briefs? —down to Justin’s ankles, and sucking the hot, hard cock into his mouth. “Oh, fuck,” Justin moaned as he felt JC’s mouth on his cock. “Shhh…” JC said, the vibrations from his voice sending shivers down Justin’s spine. “You have to be quiet, or we’ll get caught, and then I will get fired!” Justin bit his lip as JC went to work on his cock, giving him the blowjob of a lifetime. His hands grabbed JC’s hair, pulling him closer as he fucked the older man’s mouth, pushing as far down JC’s talented throat as possible. JC responded by lightly skimming his teeth across the sensitive skin, sucking and swirling his tongue until finally, with one last pull of throat and tongue and teeth, Justin came. Justin collapsed against the boxes of copier paper, content to let JC lick him clean and adjust his clothing back into place. He opened sleepy, sated eyes to find JC watching him with a loving but serious expression. “Never, ever, will I feel anything but pride where you’re concerned,” JC said. “I’m lucky to have you, and I know it.” JC kissed him softly. “I love you, you know.” Justin pulled JC close. “I know,” he agreed. “I love you, too.” They looked at each other with love and wonder until a low rumbling sound interrupted them. Both knew what that meant. “Guess I’d better feed you after all,” JC pronounced as Justin’s stomach rumbled again. “Wow,” Justin marveled. “Head and lunch, both in the same day.” JC laughed. “Life is good, yes?” Justin nodded, pulling his lover close. “Life is good, indeed.”