JC accepted the cup of coffee with a small smile. He’d returned to this
Denny’s with the idea that Christine, the waitress that knew Tyler, might be
of more help. JC soon found out that she was off today, but would he like to sit
down? The thought of food made his stomach turn, but the idea of coffee more
than made up for it.
He took a sip of coffee before lighting a cigarette, glaring through the smoke
at the burning end, thinking this was the second backslide into his past in the
past 24 hours. What the fuck, he thought, taking a deep drag. If I’m
going to Hell, I might as well enjoy the ride.
“Hey there.”
JC looked up, seeing Christine standing next to his booth, dressed in a subdued
punk get up. “Hello,” he said. He motioned for her to sit in the booth.
“They said you weren’t working today.”
She nodded. “I’m not. Just picking up my check,” she finished, waving an
envelope. “Did you find your brother?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “He never showed up at the rave last
night.” Or so JC hoped, since he’d spent all his time getting fucked in a
supply closet instead of looking for his brother. He closed his eyes against the
wave of guilt.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know your name,” she finished.
“Sorry. I’m JC.”
“Look, JC,” she said. “I owe Justin a lot. He really helped me when I was
in trouble, and well, if helping you would be repaying him…” Her voice
trailed off with nerves. “I know where Tyler is,” she admitted.
“What?”
“I’m only telling you because, well, because of Justin and shit,” she
reached over and snagged a cigarette from the pack on the table. “And because,
well, Tyler is so fucking young, and yeah, I know where he is,” she admitted.
“I saw him as I rode by on the bus.”
“Will you show me?”
****************
They drove from Denny’s to a small record store, where a half-dozen punked out
kids were standing out front. JC parked a bit away from the store, searching the
group until he recognized that yes, Tyler was there. He looked thin and tired
under all his punk makeup. JC thanked Christine as he exited the car and walked
to the store.
He slowed down as the group noticed his approach, their conversation stopping.
He looked at Tyler standing in the middle of the group, and the other, sensing
something was going to happen, melted away with that self-preservation all
street kids seemed to possess.
“Hey, Tyler,” JC said softly.
JC watched as dozens of emotions crossed Tyler’s face, ranging from surprise
to anger to stubbornness to…relief as Tyler threw himself into JC’s arms.
**************
JC was packing his bag as he heard the knock on the motel room door. He opened
the door, finding Justin leaning against the frame, a small smile on his face.
“Aren’t we going out tonight?” he asked, walking past JC into the room but
stopping short at the sight of the bags on the bed. “What’s this?” He
turned to JC, his eyes filled with..fear? “You giving up?”
JC shook his head, shutting the door. “No, not giving up,” he explained,
walking past Justin and zipping up his bag, tossing it off the bed onto the
floor. “Finished. I found Tyler today.”
Justin looked around. “Oh yeah?”
“He’s not here,” JC explained. “I put him on a bus back to Oregon this
afternoon.”
“You heading back to Beaverville, too?” Justin asked, kicking JC’s bag
before flopping down on the bed.
JC leaned against the dresser, regarding Justin warily. “Tyler’s going back
to Willamette Falls, yes,” he said. “But I live in Seattle.”
“So, a quick one for the road?” Justin asked, sitting up and pulling off his
shirt. He tossed it to the floor as he scrambled to his knees, shuffling across
the bed to where JC was standing. He reached out a hand and snagged JC’s shirt,
pulling the older man closer. He slipped his head under JC’s shirt and sucked
JC’s nipple, his tongue flicking the ring attached to it.
JC groaned, pulling Justin closer.
**************
“So, you wanna tell me about this?”
JC looked down at Justin, who was naked, lying sideways across the bed, his chin
perched on JC’s chest. “Tell you about what?” JC asked.
Justin lifted a hand, flicking the nipple ring on JC’s chest. “This.”
JC pulled away, sitting up on the bed and grabbing a pack of cigarettes. He lit
one, surveying the room with a shake of his head. There were clothes strewn
everywhere, and three…no, four empty condom wrappers on the floor. The
“quick one for the road” turned out to be a full night of sex. And now it
seemed Justin wanted to talk.
“What’s to explain?” JC hedged. “I have a piercing. It’s not unusual.”
“It means something to you,” Justin guessed, moving to sit next to JC on the
bed and taking the cigarette from him. “It’s a connection to your past, to
your…rebellious side.”
JC looked at the boy next to him. So pretty, JC thought, looking at the
wide blue eyes smudged with black, the full, red mouth bruised from his kisses.
His eyes slipped down, smiling slightly at his growing erection. He took the
cigarette from Justin’s hand and snuffed it out, then turned back to Justin.
He reached out a hand, trailing his fingers lightly down Justin’s chest,
feeling Justin’s skin shiver in response. He pushed against Justin, making him
lie back on the bed. “You think I have a rebellious side?” JC asked,
skimming his hands farther down Justin’s body to lightly brush his throbbing
erection.
Justin arched under JC’s fingers, seeking more of the teasing touches.
“Yessss…” he said, his voice strained with desire. “But I think all you
have left…all you’ll allow yourself, is this.” Justin reached up and
brushed the ring on JC’s chest again.
“You may be right,” JC said, replacing is hand with his lips, running a hot,
wet tongue down Justin’s chest. “Except that I’m here…now…with you.”
He looked up at Justin with mischievous eyes. “Wouldn’t that be considered
rebellious?”
“May…bee…” Justin arched again under JC’s tongue. He groaned when JC
left for a moment, then arched again as he felt the condom being lowered on his
straining cock. Then JC was straddling his hips, and all thoughts left
Justin’s mind.
*****************
A loud knocking on the door woke him up. He struggled from the bed, tangled in
the sheet, reaching the door just as the maid was opening it with her passkey.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, backing up. “I thought the room was empty.”
He shook his head. “No, but soon.”
He shut the door and surveyed the room. He sat on the bed, knowing it wasn’t
worth looking in the bathroom. There was no one else here.
Justin was alone.