Part 8


Chris’ eyes widened. “You’re shitting me,” he said in disbelief.

The two *Nsyncer’s were sitting outside the school as groups of students passed by them. Justin smiled and waved as Rogue walked by with a group of girls. The girls stopped in amazement, staring open mouth at Rogue before giggling and running off. Justin’s attention turned back to Chris.

“Cross my heart,” Justin said, making an X motion across his chest. “Claws man. Fucking claws.” He held up a fist, pointing to his knuckles. “From right here.

Chris whistled softly. “is that why you don’t like him?” He laughed at Justin’s shocked expression. “Dude, I may not be able to read minds like some of these geeks, but I’ve know you half your life. I think I can tell by now when you don’t like someone.”

Justin sighed. “It’s not that I don’t like him…”

“You don’t trust him,” Chris finished.” Justin nodded. “What does Jace say about it?”

“When he decides to discuss it,” Justin said, his voice full of derision, “I’ll let you know.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

Justin peered up at the school building, wondering which room held JC. “Once JC found out I wasn’t going to freak out or leave because of his powers,” Justin explained, “he clammed up. Doesn’t talk about anything, especially what’s going on with him and that X guy.” Justin tried, but was unable to keep the hurt from his voice.

“This is major shit, Justin,” Chris observed. “And the guy never has been one to spill his guts Oprah style, especially about his personal stuff.” He chuckled. “Remember, it was years before he told us he was adopted. He came out to us before he mentioned that!”

“Well, there really wasn’t any way to hide that, considering how you fount out.” Justin blushed at the memory of Chris, Joey and Lance walking onto the tour bus and find he and JC in a less than brotherly embrace.

Chris held out a hand, covering his eyes with his other one. “Don’t remind me!” he protested. “J, don’t fret about it.: Chris pulled Justin into a hug. “You’re here. We’re here. He’s safe.” Their eyes locked as the words became a vow. “Nothing is ever going to happen to JC again.”

Justin nodded.

“Now,” Chris said, an evil smile creeping onto his face. He rubbed his hands together. “Let me tell you of my future plans…”

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

Justin flipped off the TV as JC entered their room. “Hello, baby,” he said, tossing the remote onto the bedside table as JC leaned down to kiss him.

“Hmm,” JC said against Justin’s mouth. “I’ve needed this all day.”

“Rough day at the office?” Justin pulled JC down to the bed, deftly flipping then around until JC lay under him.

“Something like that.” JC stretched his arms up as his shirt was being removed. He sighed as Justin kissed a fiery path down his chest. “Have some good news, by the way,” he continued, his hands lightly holding Justin’s head to his chest. He lifted his hips as his pants were slipped off.

“What’s that?” Justin murmured, his hands busy now removing his own clothes.

“We can leave in a few days,” JC said, his legs moving restlessly on the bed as Justin’s mouth moved lower. “Professor Xavier said I’d be strong enough to take care of myself.”

Justin paused. “I’ll take care of you,” he vowed, his voice serious. Justin moved up JC’s body, shifting to lay between the older man’s legs, both groaning as their hot, hard erections met.

JC reached up, running a soft finger across Justin’s mouth. “I know you will,” he agreed, pulling Justin closer. “But for right now, could you just take me?” He lifted his knees, wrapping his legs around Justin’s hips. “I’ve missed you inside of me.”

Justin readily accepted the invitation.

**********

JC’s eyes opened. He turned and looked at the bedside clock.

1:25

He removed Justin’s arm from his chest, rummaging on the floor for his discarded clothes. He slipped on his jeans and shirt, feet stepping into the abandoned flip-flops, and silently left the room.

He made his way down the corridor, again knowing instinctively where to go. He made short work of the alarm, turning the sensors off and this time, leaving them off. He left the control room, moving to the front door of the school, unlatching the deadbolt. He sat in a nearby chair to wait.

Less than ten minutes passed before the door opened. “You did very well, JC,” Essex said as he entered the school. “I knew you’d be the perfect person for this job.”

JC said nothing. He walked down the corridor to Professor Xavier’s room as Essex followed.

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

Justin shifted on the bed, his hand reaching for JC but finding only empty space in the bed. “JC?” he called, wondering if he was in the bathroom. Justin leaned up and flipped on the light, noticing that JC’s clothes were gone from the floor where Justin had put them. Justin felt a tingle down his spine.

“JC?” he called again, realizing it was useless. JC wasn’t in the room. Justin rose from bed and put on his own clothes, cursing as his feet tangled in the jeans. Not bothering with shoes, he left the room.

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

“Open it,” Essex told JC as they stood by Xavier’s door.

JC leaned in, trying the knob and finding it locked. “It’s locked,” JC told him.

“Use your powers,” Essex said, his voice tinged with anger.

“I thought you were stronger than I was,” JC said, his gaze flicking the lock open. He pushed the door wide. “Why is it you couldn’t open the door?”

“Because his powers are not stronger than yours, JC.” Xavier’s voice came from inside the room. “His powers are manufactured, his mutation artificially created, and that makes for a very poor mutant.” A whirl of machinery sounded as Professor Xavier came into view. “And that’s why he needs you, JC.”

“No!” Essex protested. “You were under my control! You opened the door—turned off the alarm!”

“No, I knew what you tried to do to me,” JC said. “And the professor thought it would be best if we allowed you to believe I was under your control.”

Xavier cocked his head a bit. “For curiosities sake, Essex, what was your plan?”

Essex glared at Xavier with hot eyes. “To kill you, of course.” He laughed. “You’re a ridiculous fool, teaching mutants not to use their powers against humanity. I would have shown them the proper way of being mutant, of being better than other, normal people.” His eyes narrowed. “Like this one!”

With that, he grabbed Justin as he entered the room, flashing a thin blade and placing it against Justin’s throat. “You see how powerful I am now?” He started to back out of the room.

Justin, can you hear me?

Justin blinked as JC’s voice entered his mind. He nodded slightly.

Good. On my signal, drop down and slide out of his arm. Justin’s eyes questioned that action. Trust me, baby. Just let yourself go limp, and he’ll lose his hold on you. Justin saw JC’s eyes slip up behind them for a split second. I love you.

Justin smiled. I love you, too.

JC smiled.

NOW!

Justin went limp, surprising Essex, but not enough to let Justin go completely. Justin felt a sting along his neck, then dropped again, this time twisting completely out of Essex’s arm.

Essex turned to run toward the door, only to be stopped by Logan. A shocked expression came over Essex’s face as Logan’s claws entered his body. “Doctor Essex, you’re time as a mutant has expired,” Logan said, retracting his claws and pushing Essex backwards to the floor.

***********

Justin lay on the bed, plastered to JC’s side. Chris, Lance and Joey were sitting around the bed, having been woken up and told the story. JC had explained that he’d been aware all the time of what Essex wanted, and had indeed decided with Professor Xavier to make Essex think he was still under the doctor’s control.

And they’d decided not to tell anyone about it. And that had included Justin.

The cut on Justin’s neck had bled profusely, but it wasn’t life threatening. Jean Gray had been called to Professor Xavier’s room to fix Justin up, quickly bandaging the wound and even giving Justin a tetanus shot as a precaution. Jean had laughed when JC turned away from the syringe.

Now he was silent, holding onto JC like a security blanket. Chris caught the other boys’ eyes. “We’ll see you two in the morning, Jace.” He walked over to the couple on the bed, leaning down and quickly kissing Justin’s head. “’Night, infant.”

Justin looked up at Chris. “Good night,” he whispered.

JC tried to pull Justin’s head up, but the younger man refused to budge. He sighed. “Are you mad at me?”

Justin shook his head. “For what?”

“Keeping this plan secret from you,” JC explained. “It was for your protection, Justin. Professor X thought that if too many people knew, it might somehow leak to Essex.”

Justin squeezed JC tighter. “I’m not mad at you,” he assured JC.

“Then what’s this all about?” JC asked. “Why the silent treatment?”

Justin leaned up, propping is chin on JC’s chest. “I almost lost you,” Justin said softly. “I guess it finally hit me how much danger you were in all this time.”

“Shit, Justin,” JC said, sitting up and dislodging Justin from his chest. Ialmost lost you! He reached out and pulled Justin close, kissing his hard. “Jesus, he had a knife to your throat…and you got cut…and oh…God…” Hot tears poured from JC’s eyes. He gently touched the bandage on Justin’s neck. “And it would have been my fault.”

“No, no, Josh…”

“YES!” he shouted. “Because I’m a freak, you almost died.” He tried to pull away from Justin.

But Justin just held him harder. “No, baby…No.” He pulled JC to him. “I love you, JC. I’m nothing, nothing without you.” He wiped the tears off JC’s cheeks. “I told you, it doesn’t matter what you are…you’re mine.” Justin kissed the saltiness away. “And I’m yours.” His kiss deepened. “And we have the guys and our friends, and we’ll always be together and we’ll always be a family.”

Justin lowered JC gently to the pillows. Trust me, Josh. I love you.

JC smiled as the words entered his mind.



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