Part 5


Christine didn’t look up as the customer sat at the counter. “Be right there,” she said, her concentration focused on refilling the saltshaker in her hand.

“No problem,” the man said, his voice strained.

Christine recognized Justin’s voice, looking up and dropping the shaker. “Jesus, Justin, what the funk happened to you?” She hurried over to Justin, surveying him with a critical eye.

The bruises on Justin’s face were a shocking shade of purple, which clashed violently with the crusted red blood that had oozed down and caked around his nose. His hands were a mess of scrapes and tears, and there was even a huge patch of bald skin showing through his hair, as if someone had pulled a great chuck out by the roots.

Christine reached down for a water pitcher, filling it with ice and placing it on the counter. She gently lifted one of Justin’s hands and placed it in the pitcher, then gathered some ice in a rag, holding it to Justin’s rapidly swelling nose. “Justin…”

“Hey, don’t fuss, Chris,” Justin said. He winced as the ice hit his swollen flesh. “What’s that saying? Oh, yeah. ‘You should see the other guy.’”

“Judging by you, the other guy must be dead.”

No answer.

“Justin…”

Justin shook his head, wincing at the pain. “No, he’s not dead. I made sure before I got out of there.”

“Who was it this time?”

Justin blinked.

“Come on, Justin.” She pulled another pitcher of ice from behind the counter for Justin’s other hand. “It’s me, remember? I can tell what bruises are fresh and what aren’t.” She surveyed him critically. “You’ve got to stop beating up on these johns, Justin. You’ll get arrested one day.”

“I always give them the chance to fight back, don’t I?” Justin snorted. “Is it my fault they suck?

“Justin…”

“No way these creeps will even press charges, Chris,” he derided. “What will they say, they were beat up trying to score a blowjob from a punk kid?”

“If you kill one of them, the police won’t care about the circumstances,” she pointed out quietly before turning to help some new customers.

Justin removed his hands from the ice, flexing the stiffing joints with a grimace of pain. He picked up the rag with ice in it, shaking it and taking it with him into the bathroom.

Justin surveyed himself in the mirror, his eyes flat. The florescent lights made the bruises seem darker, the caked blood brighter. He was 19 years old, but he looked fifty. And he felt…empty. The only time he’d felt alive was when he was hitting someone. Mostly he enjoyed beating on the johns that came cruising, but lately he’d taken to fighting with anyone. It was the only time he felt any emotion since JC had left. He shook his head, erasing those thoughts, refusing to even think about him leaving…

Justin ran some water into the sink, dipping the rag into it and scrubbing his face clean of dirt and blood. The rag and water stung the cuts on his face and hands, but he welcomed the pain, hoping it would erase memories he didn’t want surfacing.

Justin left the bathroom and sat back at the counter, smiling when Christine brought him a burger and soda. “Thanks, Chris,” he said, tearing into the food.

She left to help some customers, returning just as Justin was finishing his food. “Hey, did JC leave?”

Justin flicked Christine a glance, then slipped his eyes to his plate.

“Yeah, he left,” Justin said flatly, lighting a cigarette.

“He sure was happy to find his brother.” Christine saw his surprised look. “He didn’t tell you? He was here, that next morning. I saw Tyler, and took him where the kid was.”
She sneaked a peek toward the back, then snagged Justin’s cigarette, taking a deep drag. “Man, he looked totally the day after, ya know?”

Justin gave her a blank look.

“You know,” Candy wriggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Like he’d been well and truly fucked the night before. His mouth was all swollen, and he had hickeys all over his neck and…” Her voice trailed off when she caught the expression in Justin’s eyes. “Oh…my.”

Justin blushed, causing Christine to explode in laughter. “Shut up, Chris,” Justin told her, reaching out for his cigarette.

“God, Justin, I had no idea.” She blinked. “I mean, I knew about you, of course, but didn’t know you and JC had hooked up or shit like that. I thought you were just helping him find his brother.”

“I was. It got complicated.”

“You gonna see him again?”

Justin shook his head.

“But you want to see him again.” It was a statement, not a question.

Justin shook his head again. “No.”

“Sure you do,” she said, chuckling. “I can see it in you face, in your eyes.” She reached out a hand, lifting his chin so their eyes locked. “You’re not as tough as you act, Justin. If anyone knows that, I do. And I can tell, this guy meant something to you.”

“It didn’t mean anything.” Justin jerked his chin from her grasp. “It was just fucking.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” she asked.

“Believe what you want,” Justin said, his voice tinged with desperation to end this conversation. “We fucked. He left. End of story.”

He picked up his glass, but slammed it down on the counter without drinking from it, causing Christine to jump. “Oh, Justin,” she said softly. “It was more than that to you. Protest all you want, but it was.”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. He’s gone. I don’t…” His voice trailed off in embarrassment, his eyes refusing to meet Christine’s.

“You don’t what, Justin?”

“I don’t even know his last name,” he replied, his shoulders slumping. He watched as a smile spread over Christine’s face. “What?”

“I do.”

****************

JC ran a tired hand over his face as his mother’s voice sounded in his ear. “I’m glad Tyler is adjusting to being back home, Mom,” he said.

“Yes,” she agreed. “I’m thankful to God that he saw the errors of his ways and came home.”

JC waited. Then he sighed. “Me, too, Mom.”

He let her chatter on, tuning out her words. What did you expect? he asked himself. She’s not going to acknowledge your help…it was all God’s will and Tyler’s own decision.

“Are you listening to me, Josh?” she asked.

JC winched at her tone. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I asked when are you going to come home?’ she repeated.

“I’ll visit at Thanksgiving, Mom.”

“No, Josh,” she corrected. “I meant come home for good. You should be here, not in the city. There are lots of nice girls here, and your father’s church needs work, and…”

Again, JC tuned out her words. He looked around the small apartment he rented. It was barely big enough for him, but he was happy here. His job at the newspaper was going well, and he’d made some friends.

“Mom,” he interrupted her, his voice soft but strong. “I am home.”

Silence.

“Mom?”

“I refuse to accept that, Joshua.” Her voice was strained. “You should be here, where you can be normal again.”

JC’s eyes closed at her words. Normal. There was a knock on his door, and he rose from the couch, his mother still talking as he opened the door. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Justin standing in the hall.

The phone slipped from JC’s numb fingers as Justin entered the apartment, taking JC’s face in his hands and kissing him. He moved farther inside, kicking closed the door as his tongue separated JC’s lips, delving deep inside, reaching each corner, gathering each taste. JC whimpered at the feel of Justin’s mouth on his, hand reaching up to grab the younger man’s head, pulling him closer.

They both gasped at the feel of each other’s erections, their heads lifting, their eyes locking. Justin looked around quickly, his gaze scanning the apartment, then kissed JC again, walking him backwards through the living room to the bedroom, coming to a halt as JC’s legs hit the bed. They never broke the kiss as Justin removed JC’s shirt, his hands finding and pulling the piercing attached to JC’s nipple, making the older man groan with the pleasurable pain. Justin moved his lips down JC’s throat, sucking and licking and finally finding that nipple with his mouth, making JC groan even louder.

Justin’s hands were as busy as his mouth, pulling off JC’s clothes with fumbling and shaking fingers. He pushed JC’s pants down, finally finding and grasping JC’s cock in a strong grasp, making JC groan for the third time.

Justin pushed JC down on the bed, standing over the older man, his breathing hard, his eyes narrowed with desire. He opened his own pants, pushing them down to reveal his engorged cock, reaching back and removing the foil packet of the condom. He slipped the sheath on quickly before reaching for JC, flipping the older man around and drawing his hips up against Justin’s groin. Justin licked his fingers, rubbing them quickly against JC’s entrance before pushing himself inside.

They both froze at the action, each absorbing the moment before desire once again took them over. JC pushed his hips back against Justin, asking for more, wanting more, needing more. Justin complied, pumping his hips against JC’s ass with strong thrusts, pulling almost all the way out before slamming back inside. One hand was gripped on JC’s hip, pulling him close, the other on JC’s shoulder, arching the older man so Justin could have access to his back, licking and biting and sucking any skin he could reach.

JC shifted on the bed, kneeling on the mattress to anchor himself better, allowing Justin to remove the hand from JC’s hip to reach around and grasp JC’s cock, sliding his fist up and down the hard muscle, bringing JC to a strong and powerful orgasm. Justin felt JC’s muscles tighten, and he let go, seeing the stars explode.

*************

Justin was on his back, his eyes closed. JC lay next to him, perched up on an elbow, looking at the boy in his bed. The boy he never thought he’d see again.

“You’ve been fighting,” JC said, running a finger softly over the bruises on Justin’s face.

Justin’s eyes opened at the touch. “Yeah, a bit.” He saw JC’s skeptical look. “Okay, more than a bit.”

“Did it help?”

Justin shifted a bit, moving until his lips found JC’s finger, nibbling on the digit.

“Uh huh,” JC said, removing his finger and sitting up. “You’re not going to distract me, Justin.”

Justin sat up too, leaning back against the headboard. “Yes, it helped.”

“Were they all me?” JC asked quietly.

Justin shook his head. “No, it wasn’t’ that.” He ran a hand through his hair, then dropped it in his lap. “It made me…feel.”

“Made you feel what?”

“Just…feel.” He looked at JC. “I…” He stopped talking, avoiding JC’s gaze.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he mumbled, scrambling from the bed and grabbing his clothes. “I have to go.”

JC’s eyes widened at Justin’s sudden change. “What? Why?”

“I just do,” Justin insisted, pulling on his pants, tripping over them. “I need to leave before…”

“Before what, Justin?” JC followed Justin out of the room, catching the boy before he opened the door. He grabbed Justin’s arm, pulling him back and standing in front of the door. “Tell me why, Justin? Why did you even come here? Just for a fuck?”

“No,” Justin said, shaking his head, his eyes refusing to look at JC’s face. “I have to go, now,” he insisted, his voice strained.

“Why do you have to go now?” He grabbed Justin again, making the younger man look at him. “WHY?”

Justin’s eyes were wide with fear. “Because I have to go before leave me again.”

JC relaxed against the door, a soft smile crossing his lips. “Justin,” he said, pulling him closer. He lifted Justin’s face to his own, kissing him softly. “It’s my place, Justin…where would I go?”

Justin blinked in confusion, then realized the truth of JC’s statement. He blushed in embarrassment. “Oh, shit. You must think I’m an idiot,” he told JC.

JC shook his head. “Not at all,” he assured Justin. He leaned in and kissed Justin again. “Don’t go, please,” he said pleadingly. “I haven’t been able to feel either, not since I left you, Justin. I don’t want to go through that again.”

“Really?”

“Really.” JC nodded. “I don’t know where this is going, but I’d like to find out.”

“This?”

“Us.”

“We’re an us?”

“I think we could be.”

“And you won’t leave?”

JC saw the fear in his eyes, and silently cursed whoever it was that had abandoned Justin in the past. “I won’t leave, Justin.”

He saw some of the tension leave Justin’s body. JC bit his lip, wondering whether he should say something, knowing he could. “And you…” He hesitated.

“I what, JC?”

“You think this,” he pointed to Justin, then to himself, “is, well, okay, right?”

“What?”

“It’s…normal? To want me?”

Justin smiled. “Yeah, for me it’s normal.” He looked down at JC’s naked body. “Very normal.”

JC sighed with relief. “We have a long way to go, Justin,” JC said, laying his forehead against Justin’s. “But I think we can do it.”

“I do, too,” Justin concurred. He reached down and rubbed JC’s piecing. “Will you tell me about this now?”

JC lifted Justin into a kiss that was as soft as a promise. “I’ll tell you everything, Justin.”


The End.



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